【17 - Slamdown Showdown Smackdown! A chosen faces her oldest enemy?!】


Heidi Hirazumi left the concrete paths of the city and was soon traversing the sandy beach. She slowed to a stop as her footfalls softened, making it harder to run. Slouching forward with her hands on her knees and panting.

"That bastard Samurai… You're going to pay for what you did to Penelope… every last one of you lieutenants is going to pay for what you've done to our friends…"

After the threatening promises she made to herself she straightened and looked around. The beach was bright and expansive, yet there was nobody in sight. It was perversely strange for such a nice place to be unpopulated on a nice day. Pale gold stretched fifty feet to the calmly crashing surf. There was a tall lifesaver tower and a couple of wharves up ahead. Since this spot wasn't too far from the academy everyone would've heard the colossal boom from its destruction. From this vantage they may have even seen the spaceship before it launched itself kamikaze-style.

Running off had been stupid, losing the culprit and her friends had been stupid. Heidi started walking the sand and hoped Timothy would find her soon.

"Heidi!" Soroban's voice reached her from the city. The disciple made her way down the sandy stone steps and jogged across the expanse.

"I lost him."

"We…" she stooped to catch her breath, evidently having run all the way to find her "We have to head back, it isn't safe."

At that moment a low shudder made the girls stiffen. Soroban straightened and looked over her shoulder, tucking back her straight hair.

"Another explosion?" Heidi breathed. "That wasn't from the school - the others!"

"Heidi!" Soroban yelled as her charge ran past her "Heidi Hirazumi, you stop this fucking instant!"

The shrillness of her voice made the fire duellist pause, as well as the rare use of a swear-word. The disciples had all been too proper to swear. Heidi looked back at Soroban who was still trying to reclaim her breath, eyes fiery and determined.

"…Listen to me! Do you think General Urobach's men are here cause they just ran off? No! This took planning and co-ordination! We don't know what else they have in store for this city, we got to be smart! We got to head back and come up with a strategy! You running off like you do just ruins everything!"

Heidi clenched her fists "You didn't have to come after me! I've beat a lieutenant before. But… you're right. I don't know what they're planning… Sorry."

"It's okay, let's just stick together."

Heidi nodded in agreement. The two girls walked the shoreline while Soroban tried making calls. Heidi's anxiety was mounting the longer they failed to reach anyone.

"This isn't good."

"I thought Timothy would already be with you. He was ahead of me, maybe something distracted him…"

"This really isn't good." Heidi murmured, her walking became agitated.

They'd passed the lifesaver tower and were just reaching the wharves when a sound made them look upward. A strange hissing… a jetpack! Both girls felt their jaws drop at the sight of the top-hatted lieutenant, Kaido Felgrass in a white suit. Soaring overhead and turning, landing at the end of the long wharf with a confident smirk. His red tie was blowing in the sea breeze. Heidi needed no further encouragement to take off and race down after him, Soroban worriedly followed.

"Hi pipsqueak. It's been too long."

"I couldn't agree more!" she snarled furiously, stopping at the perfect distance for a duel. "I've imagined blazing you apart every single night!"

"You mean like how I blazed that Wempy guy to death?"

"Wembley!"

"Whatever. I knew you'd be running all over the city once we got the fireworks started."

"I spared you last time I won, but I'm never making that mistake again!" Her hand blazed furiously red and a second later Kaido's followed suit. He tipped his top-hat and their tables shimmered into view.

Soroban had a hand to her chest in dismay. She knew the lieutenants were immensely dangerous with their future cards. Even if she knew Heidi had improved, she'd already seen this man kill one of her comrades after almost kidnapping her. She wanted to run for help but couldn't bring herself to leave a friend.

"Kettou da!"

"Yoshi," Kaido answered her "so predictable."

"Even if I am, I'll still beat you. I'm the chosen fire duellist and I just defeated the DMA's top student! You're just a lowly lieutenant. Ikuzo."

"Koi, show me what you got girlie." Kaido didn't look like he was underestimating her. He looked cautious but still confident.

They shuffled and set down their decks, shields spilling neatly onto the table and phasing to life between them. Heidi drew her hand then slapped down fire mana and glared expectantly. She didn't have good starting cards. Kaido drew and added fire mana, both of them were swathed in scarlet.

"I summon Deadly Fighter Braid Claw!" The lizard-man reared back with a screech, his braids flinging around.

Heidi drew and scowled, still unable to play anything. She added more mana.

Kaido charged mana and then "Ike! Break a shield!" His dragonoid raked its claws through a panel, shards spearing the old wood of the wharf and into the choppy water. Soroban was startled, taking creaky steps back and over to a barnacle-infested post.

Heidi drew, added mana and summoned her first creature "Mini Titan Gett!"

As the rollerblading humanoid swerved into play her opponent looked astounded before cackling with laughter and slapping his knee. "Just like our last duel, you stupid kid!" he choked. "A kid summoning a kid! You have no idea how fun it was killing Wembley, do you? Making him kneel and beg then burning him to death anyway! Humiliating that loser before murdering him was great, I get off thinking about it! Hahaha!" the sight of Heidi's outrage just made him laugh harder "This game's mine! I charge mana and summon another Deadly Fighter Braid Claw!"

An identical dragonoid arose in red light beside its predecessor. "And now I play a spell from the DM-14… Twin Turbo! So both can attack you! Ike!" The first creature wiped out another shield. As the second took out her third she received a shield trigger. Heidi was too mad to even flinch from all the flying glass. Soroban was also angry by what was said but remained frightened, knowing that Heidi losing her cool could throw off her game.

As the panel transferred itself to her hand she revealed the glowing red card "Cyclone Panic. We add our hands to our decks and draw new ones. Now you're going to face my fury, you sorry sack of shit!"

Kaido narrowed his emerald eyes at a swirling vortex of orange. They drew new cards and Heidi began her turn.

"I summon Pippie Kuppie!" The small chicklet blazed to life with a chirp, feathers flaming "And I also cast Twin Turbo!" Her fire bird's power shot up to 4000 in addition to becoming a speed attacker "You sure aren't as strong when your opponent also has future cards. Mini Titan Gett, ike! Attack a Braid Claw! Pippie Kuppie, ike! Attack the other one!" The rocket-kid jettisoned off, spin-kicking a monster. The fire bird squawked before igniting and burning through its foe. The wharf groaned worryingly beneath them from the Kaijudo energy crackling invisible in the air. When the lights faded Kaido looked blankly up at his empty field, two intimidating creatures either side his righteously angry enemy. "You die today."

"We'll see about that!" Kaido drew and frowned, this time his hand was far from what he needed. "I cast Great Blessing!" A green vortex opened up above. His trademark nature spell that let him add three creatures to his mana zone, but since there were only two in his graveyard that was the only bonus he got. He grit his teeth as Heidi readied for the next onslaught, her cards untapping.

"I summon Pyrofighter Magnus!" The 3000-power speed-attacker blurred forth, lizard-like and armored. "Let's do this! Mini Titan Gett, ike!" The rollerblade exhausts blasted him forward, skating the distance before kicking glass that slashed Kaido's sleeves and a corner of his hat. "Pippie Kuppie ike!" The firebird chirped and spun in a loop before taking out a far panel. Unfortunately it began reassembling and Kaido leaned over to grab at it.

"Shield trigger, Phantom Dragon's Flame! Destroy Mini Titan Gett!" The living fire burst out the card and its jaws snapped closed over Heidi's humanoid. She cringed against the heat but didn't let it slow her.

"Pyrofighter Magnus break a shield, ike!" It blurred, a panel splintered and pieces skimmed the ocean out to the horizon. "We're two shields apiece." At the end of her turn the speed-attacker flashed back to her hand, the card popping off the table and Heidi caught it.

Kaido smiled widely at his next draw, then added a seventh card to his mana zone "I tap three to cast Dimension Gate!" he showed her the nature spell and Heidi's brow twitched. "Can you guess what creature I'm going to add to my hand? I bet you can, girlie…" he rifled his deck and then showed it to her "Bolshack Cross NEX! Even stronger than your legendary phoenix! Once he's out again you don't stand a chance!" The memory of the divine dragon and its unbelievable power did make her waver but Heidi stood strong. "Next I tap two and summon Burning Mane!" The howling beastfolk stalked over to the small fire bird alone on Heidi's field.

"Alright," Heidi began her turn "I cast Volcano Charger! Your wolf is volcano-food. Pippie Kuppie ike!" Just as the huge lava-trap flung the beastfolk up before swallowing it, the fire bird flew around and knocked out another shield. Kaido caught it and scowled.

"I add mana and end."

"He only needs one more mana to summon his ultimate creature!" Soroban cupped her mouth to shout. Heidi clenched her fist as she saw nothing in her hand that could get rid of his mana.

"I can still beat him with speed… I add mana then summon Spiritual Star Dragon!" her DM-13 dragon appeared with golden brightness from its star-tipped staff. "An 8000-power double breaker! When summoned I get to take an evolution card from my deck and add it to my hand, so I'll show you…" she went through her deck then pulled out "Eternal Phoenix, Phoenix of the Dragon Flame!" she watched her enemy's eyes grow murderous and desperate "Now, Pippie Kuppie break his last shield ike!" A blaze of embers and the last panel broke, Kaido shouting from the close impact before checking the card. No shield trigger, no more barriers between him and his opponent.

Heidi and Soroban began to look relieved while the lieutenant growled and added more mana.

"I summon my Bolshack Cross NEX!"

The wharf groaned and shuddered while the waters whipped. Salt sprayed and Heidi raised her forearm. The humanoid dragon stood taller than any creature thus far. Flaming wings and halo, divine features undoubtedly a design of futuristic sets. A 17,000 power-attacker, speed-attacker and no creature costing four or less could be played…

"I don't know if this wharf is gonna hold out!" Soroban was practically hugging the post as wood cracked and splintered. "Heidi!"

"Bolshack Cross NEX attack her shields, ikeeee!" Fire swirled and shot from its open palm. Heidi's final shields were obliterated. Cinders danced. The tables and wharf tilted dangerously, both combatants crouching down. Kaido still had his jetpack armed to escape if necessary. Once the quaking settled Heidi whipped a card from her deck, no way was she bailing out now.

"Alright! I evolve Spiritual Star Dragon and Pippie Kuppie into Eternal Phoenix, Phoenix of the Dragon Flame! Vortex Evolution!" the two cards slid into a pile and Heidi slapped her card on top, it shone red. The creatures were pulled together and fused, fire bird and dragon forming her legendary DM-13 Phoenix. It had six flaming wings and two giant swords. Not quite as big as Kaido's creature and only having 11,000 power but enough to do the job.

"No, you bitch! Noooo!" Kaido made sure his hat was secure, hitting the trigger of his jetpack and blasting off. His feet left the unstable wharf as he became airborne.

"Eternal Phoenix, ike todomeda!" Heidi yelled with certainty. He wouldn't get away. The phoenix swung its huge sword. Kaido couldn't change direction fast enough, like a pathetic bug in mid-air. The sword hit him and he splunged, guts and limbs falling. His jetpack sparked then exploded. The whole wharf shook and Heidi barely had time to gather her cards before Soroban grabbed her jacket from behind.

"We have to go, now!"

The wharf was crumbling into the sea. The giant creatures faded as the two girls fled. Halfway down the planks stopped falling apart and they fell forward, panting. Here it was still stable, the posts holding strong as the structure only swayed slightly.

Heidi looked back "His deck is gone too… it'll be at the bottom of the ocean."

"That dragon would've been good for your deck." Soroban admitted.

"I could never use it after I saw what it did to Wembley… but there might've been other cards I could use." Heidi stood and brushed herself off. She offered her hand and helped Soroban up.

"Thanks. That was too close for comfort… the duel and the accident."

"I only wish I could've made him suffer more… We still got to find out what's happening with the others. Come on." Heidi started jogging. Soroban made to keep up and started digging through a pocket for her phone.

Suddenly a shadow appeared before them, where the wharf met the sand. Before the girls could stop they were teleported. The bright sun vanished, the heat and salty air was gone. Suddenly they stood in a dark place, the air was chilly and cold. Purple darkness swirled at the edges of this pocket dimension. The ground was like black glass and there was nothing here except the three of them. Heidi, Soroban and a dark figure they'd never seen before.

A feminine man in a champagne kimono, onyxes dangling from his ears. Eyes as black and deep as the void of space between galaxies. Dark enough for their souls to fall into. The two girls stopped and looked around. Heidi stared at the impassive being before them. The power of his presence was unlike anything she'd ever felt.

"Wh-who are you?" she stuttered.

"I am Gatekeeper Pluto. One of the gatekeepers of the outer path."

"I…" Heidi looked around. She didn't know what to say or do. They were completely alone here.

"You are the chosen fire duellist."

"Did you… bring me here to duel me?"

"I don't play childish card games."

They had nothing to say to that. This place was so unreal.

"Is this happening in our minds?" Heidi had to ask.

"No. I'm perfectly capable of teleporting whoever I want wherever I want at any time and for any reason." He told her emotionlessly. "We are physically here in a pocket dimension, the likes of which take me no effort to create with but a thought."

"Then is this because I killed Kaido Felgrass?"

"I don't know nor care who that is."

"But he's one of your lieutenants?"

"I barely remember my generals unless I'm speaking to them. They're not worth a thought."

"What do you want with us?" Soroban spoke, her voice aquiver.

Pluto's eyes had never left Heidi's face. At Soroban's question he turned his head to her, as if only now noticing she was there. Then with barely a thought, with no change in his expression, Soroban burst like a bloody pimple. Red painted everything. Heidi was coated in warm blood, it stained the ends of Pluto's kimono. Bits of rib and bone bounced across the space. A string of intestines and some teeth were clinging to Heidi's clothes. Two feet remained standing where Soroban had been, everything above the ankles had completely ruptured. Pluto's face went back to Heidi.

"Oh God…" she started shaking. Heidi was in utter shock and dripping with the contents of her friend. "Oh fuck…"

"Chosen fire duellist… I understand your confusion. Usually the gatekeepers never involve themselves in something as menial as dimensional conquest. I am choosing to involve myself in this inconsequential war in this inconsequential universe for no other reason than a whim. The underlings you've met have only the smallest fraction of our powers, the only amount simple human bodies can hold without coming apart at the molecular seams. While they work for us, and desire to take over this world and you five chosen duellists - for us, if I were to do it myself I could teleport all five of you here now and all rebels light-years away, or into the centre of your local star. Of course I won't do this. I will leave the task to them."

Heidi had lost her voice. Arms out, red dripping in steady flows onto the floor. There was a bit of Soroban's straight hair in a puddle, attached to some cranium. She fought to find her voice but couldn't. Pluto merely watched her brain stop-start through the trauma as the feelings were too much for her to compute.

He continued "You may continue to fight us. In fact, I want you to. I may involve myself in the lives of the other chosens too, if it suits me. We will talk again."

The dark space shuddered and suddenly Heidi was standing on the beach. The sun, salty air and crashing waves were back. She was alone and still covered in blood. Standing there with her arms out, still dripping with Soroban's blood. She turned to the ocean and with shaky hands extracted her deck. Dropping it on the sand before wading out into the ocean. The cold water washed over her and she was shaking. Stripping off her jacket, shirt and skirt. Shoes and socks. Having to scrub to get the blood off her skin, it had started to stick and the smell was filling her head. Some inner part of her brain was screaming as everything else remained a silent shock. Bits of Soroban's meat and organs came off her and into the ocean to become fish food. In her bra and underwear, Heidi climbed back to the shallows and sat by the wharf's underside. Waves flushed her torso as she sat, knees bent and holding herself. Shaking for who knows how many minutes until she started crying and wailing.

Oh God… the blood. Get it off! The blood…

She seemed to be clean, yet it felt like her friend's blood was soaked permanently into her skin. She needed to scrub and scrub and scrub. It would never get off her. She ducked her head and continued to cry and rub at her skin. It must've been an hour before she climbed out of the water. She picked up her cards and stepped across the sand and back to the city. Hair and undergarments wet. It was much later in the day. There were no more explosions, at least that Heidi noticed. Seemed like their enemies were done with the attack.

She wandered the streets for a while, shivering. There were pedestrians scrambling about and talking quickly. Seemed like the citizens weren't being forced to stay indoors, and since an evacuation wasn't necessary they were in a bustle gossiping amongst themselves. Passer-bys stared at her and a few asked if she needed help but Heidi ignored them. Her arms stayed wrapped around her torso, bare feet traversed the walkways. She was still clutching her deck and it gave her some measure of comfort. Supernova Mars Disaster was a throbbing warmth under her fingers.

It was almost sunset when a cab pulled over. Heidi turned her head in the orange light to a black car, out stepped nameless personnel from the DMA. She recognized their uniform but that wasn't what convinced her to trust them. Urobach had already succeeded in kidnapping her before letting her go, and Pluto could probably teleport her whenever he wanted by the sounds of it. Again she was given a jacket and huddled into the back of the car.

"She's here, Engyo Sir. I'm taking her back now." The driver was speaking into an earpiece while Heidi kept her gaze down. "She was alone. Just wandering, seems to be in shock… She's just murmuring one-worded answers…" Heidi zoned out then.

She realised how truly futile their attempts to stop this invasion were.

They pulled up to a facility and as soon as she stepped out Heidi found herself wrapped in a big hug from her sister. Tailee held on while breathing a sigh of relief.

"We came back as soon we heard they found you. Even as a kid you were always running off… You scared the hell out of me!" she was still wearing her lab-coat and pulled away to wipe wet eyes.

Timothy was next to hug her and say how worried he was. They froze as the realisation set in that she was still half-naked and damp under the jacket. He stepped back awkwardly and Heidi tried holding it closed.

"Where's Soroban?"

"She…" Heidi's eyes glistened "Oh God. The gatekeeper killed her."

Timothy's face paled while Tailee gripped her shoulder, a bunch of other workers and DMA teachers were gathered and listening in.

"You met one of those lieutenants, Heidi? Was it that Kaido guy?"

"Kaido showed up. I duelled him and won. Then the gatekeeper appeared afterwards and teleported me and Soroban away… he killed her and let me go." The tears were falling again.

"Come on, let's get her inside." They started moving and the voice continued "Heidi, I should inform you that now this is a matter of public and national security you will have to be submitted to proper questioning-"

"Not now, the poor thing's in shock!"

"Let her through."

Heidi was led into the facility and given drab clothes that were too big for her, but fit well enough. They gave her a hot drink and several minutes later she was dressed and sitting on a hospital bed. They were worried about her trembling and wanted to make sure she was alright. The onset of the shock was still there, but mostly it was the realisation of what they were truly dealing with that had her so vacant. A male nurse came to check her out: shine a little light in her eyes, measure breathing and pulse, asked if she had any injuries or if anything hurt. There was arguing going on outside, someone shouting that it was better for her to be questioned while everything was fresh in her mind. Before her fears could reconstruct what she'd seen into an easier to handle mental substitute, whatever that meant. Her older sister and some sympathetic workers were able to shout off the investigators and keep them at bay. They left. Once the nurse was sure Heidi was physically fine he reclasped his case and stood up from the edge of her bed, telling her she should take it easy.

He said something to whoever was outside the door before leaving. Timothy walked in after him, still looking pale as he rested hands on the end of her bed. Heidi sniffled while facing away.

"He seems to think you're alright. Alright enough… so…" he paused for a while and when Heidi didn't look at him he continued "The samurai lieutenant is dead. So's Iwate. I saw the lieutenant kill him… but I was able to beat him. Nobody knows where Narciel is."

Heidi blinked, another hit of loss at hearing the death of another friend. "I… killed Kaido."

"Good."

"But… Soroban…"

"You said a gatekeeper killed her? You can't be serious?" Timothy asked. Tailee was half-in the room, resting her head against the doorway and listening.

"I am serious Timothy! He took one look at her and she exploded! That's all it took! One look!"

Timothy went paler and Tailee clenched the bridge of her nose, readjusted her glasses before stepping in.

"We're not going to be able to keep you from questioning for much longer, baby sis. They'll be calling other delegates and higher ups in Augus. Governors and senators. This isn't about the DMA or Dawn of the Phoenix. This is national, global."

Heidi lowered her gaze to her fists. The other two were silent, sharing a look before Tailee shut the door and cleared her throat.

"What?"

"While you were missing I took Timothy to the observatory where I work. Showed him the top secret space phenomena Aurellia has been investigating…" her voice was low "and if this gets out I'll lose my job, go to prison probably… they found space vortexes probably used by these dimension travellers, they lead to other worlds… alternate universes."

"Seriously?"

"Worlds just like Aurellia." Timothy said "Four of them, one even has human life."

"And that's only what we've found so far." Tailee said.

"Then I guess… there's always that option…" Heidi murmured and the two looked at each other.

"What do you mean?" Tailee asked.

"These guys are unbeatable, but we could abandon our planet and hide in a new one. No… we could never evacuate a billion people…"

A quiet descended on the room before Tailee made for the door "We'll have to talk about this later. Two lieutenants are dead, the Dawn of the Phoenix leader is missing and we still don't know who was the one that hacked the Starbolt Cruiser." She opened the door and paused before leaving "Everyone is saying this is the end of the Duel Masters Academy, I'm afraid… I'll leave you to it."

Heidi looked at Timothy whose gaze was on his feet.

"…nowhere is safe, huh."

"That's right. We should run away."

"What?" his gaze snapped up to meet Heidi's determined stare.

"I was the last chosen to be found. The other four ran away and I'm sure it's because they each found out what we know now. It would be easy for Urobach to convince important officials to join him. He can teleport wherever he wants, recruiting spies would be easy! I can't stay here as some hostage to the government. Same goes for the DMA and your temple."

"Heidi…"

"Run away with me. We'll track down the other four chosens together."

Before Timothy could respond a pair of agents were standing in the doorway. The two teens looked at them nervously. Sunglasses, suits and wire ear-pieces. Both guys were well over six feet tall, they looked like the real deal.

"Heidi Hirazumi, we need to have a talk. I'm special operative Joe and this is my partner Dave." They stepped over to her bed, the other guy looked at Timothy.

"This will have to be a private chat."

Timothy shot her a serious look before he nodded and left. The door closed behind him and Heidi took a breath before putting her attention on the two agents.


AN: Hola ~ It's been a while but I'm back with a brandspanking new... oh it's over now. Well I'm sure there'll be new chapters to come. I can finally read Acumashindorballomu's reviews to my last four chapters. I'm glad that my virtually TCG story is still interesting enough for fully up-to-date OCG players. I mean, it passes the threshold for being interesting. Hopefully it is even good! Yes sci-fi and parallel universe is indeed the territory I'm encroaching on for hopefully meta cross-overs with the other authors of this fandom. So dudes, we have three more chapters until fire arc ends. I've decided on 20 chapters per arc for a completed story with 100 chapters. What's gonna happen? Oh yeah and sorry for splunging Soroban if any of you cared.