As the Constellation attack makes it to the EEDF's base, the world's hope rests on the shoulders of those left behind.
The worst part about being a support duelist was how utterly helpless it felt without someone to support. With most of their major players out on the front lines, those back at the facility had to make due under these conditions. While they'd done their best to rework strategies at the last minute, all of them had been trained to support others, not to lead a group.
The hope was that sheer numbers would hold back the white-clad Constellation heading towards them. That hope had largely been dashed, however, as the alien was mowing through the EEDF's forces in record time. Multiple groups that had assembled outside the facility were already defeated, another falling once the invader made it inside.
If there was any positive to take from the current events, it was that no one had died so far. Serious injuries abounded, but the Constellation seemed too preoccupied to bother finishing any of them off. Either that, or they were simply too weak to bother with. It was a blow to their collective pride, but being insulted was preferable to being killed.
This latest group seemed to be the exception, as her advanced stopped after beating them. "Where is that coward?" the Constellation asked, picking up a defeated duelist by the collar.
"Huh?" he gurgled through blood, fading in and out of consciousness as the towering, vaguely feminine creature made demands of him.
"Alramech," the Constellation said, yellow electricity crackling inside of pure white eyes. "I don't have any patience for him anymore. I'm going to kill him now."
"I...I don't…" The man could barely talk, only still conscious by virtue of whatever residual adrenaline was still inside him.
"Useless." He was tossed aside like nothing, smacking into the concrete wall with a dull thud. The Constellation moved on without a second thought, continuing to search for the maverick member of her species. It was no secret at this point that the countless millennia had taken its toll on Alramech, his powers waning due to his refusal to consume sentient life. Now it seemed liked the others had finally decided enough was enough, with Earth and its universe intending to be the final game they'd play.
Taking down another group of three, the interrogation started again with the one conscious member among them. "Where is Alramech?" she hissed, holding the man named Salt by the collar.
"Don't know nothing," he said, forcing a laugh. Despite the incredibly harrowing situation he was in, he didn't seem afraid at all. Maybe he'd accepted that he was going to die today, maybe he held out hope someone would come and help him. It was difficult to tell if even he knew the reason right now.
"All of you continue to resist me," she said, body crackling with electricity. All of it began to pass into Salt's body, filling him with several thousand volts in hopes of encouraging him to speak the truth. "I'm growing tired of moving in circles."
After a few seconds, the shocks stopped, Salt coughing his lungs out as his muscles felt like they were set on fire. "Feels kind of good," he lied. "Got another?"
Despite the look of rage forming on the Constellation's face, another shock never came. "That's enough!" General Yamada shouted, pointing – of all things – a gun at the enemy. "Drop the man! Now!"
The Constellation paused for a moment, then looked to him. "That doesn't seem to be Duel Monsters," she said. "Fighting back with anything but Duel Monsters would be against the rules."
"And you're torturing someone who's already lost," he said, pistol trained on center mass. "Drop him."
"Sir, this isn't going to work," Nagato said, all but hiding behind his superior officer. "We shouldn't be here. We need to wait for reinfor-"
"No time for that," he cut him off. "Every one of these men is under my authority. Sitting back while this freak does whatever with them doesn't sit right."
"Nobility," the Constellation said, finally dropping Salt. "It's a trait some of us admire." She began to float forward.
"Stay back!" Yamada ordered, his confidence unwavering despite how immensely outmatched he was.
"Unfortunately, I'm not one of them." She stopped barely an inch from him and, by extension, the barrel of his gun. "Where is Alramech?"
"In the hearts of children across Japan," he mocked, steadfastly refusing to comply.
"I see," she replied coldly, having finally lost patience. As she reached forward, Yamada squeezed the trigger in a frenzy, uselessly unloading a full magazine against her. The bullets didn't even seem to impact the Constellation, all of them absorbed into her body without any hesitation.
All it took was a touch. The moment her finger touched him, his body began to fall apart into light. "You've broken the rules," she said, the tiniest of smiles forming on her white lips as Yamada screamed. By those same rules, his life was no forfeit to the Constellations.
It only lasted a few seconds, the entirety of Yamada's being disappearing in that concrete hallway. Even the gun he'd so fruitlessly attempted to defend himself with was gone, any proof he'd been here at all vanishing with him.
All that left now was Nagato. After watching his commanding officer be dematerialized like nothing, any sense of resistance was completely gone from the man. He fell backwards onto the ground, too scared to flee or scream or do anything that might be seen as fighting back.
"Where is Alramech?" the Constellation asked again, acting as if nothing had happened.
A few seconds passed, tears beginning to form in the military man's eyes. Slowly, his arm raised, defying his attempts to resist. Selling out a comrade was the last thing he ever thought he'd do, but now his body was moving on instinct. Turns out he'd do anything to keep from dying, even if it meant dooming the world.
Finally, he pointed down the hallway across from him and behind the Constellation. "Straight, left, right, right. The last door." That was the command center. In other situations, he might secretly hope that Alramech was watching the cameras and being forewarned of this. Now, though, he couldn't hope for anything but his own survival.
"I see," she replied, her face unreadable. Was he about to die? Would he be spared for the time being?
He'd never get the chance to find out how things might have gone, as something new took up the monster's attention. "It's a bit rude to threaten these guys, don't you think?" From behind Nagato stepped Minerva, walking towards the Constellation from down the hall. "Why not stop bullying all of these people and fight someone a little closer to your level?"
"On your own?" the Constellation said, quirking a hairless brow.
"We make do with what we have around here," she replied, hand gripping around her duel disk holstered at her side.
"If that's what you wish," the Constellation replied, seeming annoyed at being kept from her real target.
"Don't you think you could use some help?" came another voice from the opposite hallway. Wheeling forward, Rafael had decided to take to the fight directly now, no longer content to watch from the sidelines.
"Well, well, well," Minerva said, smirking. "I was wondering if I'd ever get to see you in action, though I was more expecting to challenge you myself once this is all over."
He smiled in return, saying, "I just couldn't wait around while this rude creature menaced a beautiful woman."
Minerva gave a small laugh. "Sir, are you aware we're in a life-threatening situation? Are you perhaps flirting despite all of that?"
He shrugged, switching to Spanish. "If it's life-threatening, I might not get another chance."
"Have a bit more optimism," she replied in kind. "You can't afford to die here. How else could I take you out to celebrate later?"
"What is this?" the Constellation said, utterly confused and losing patience with the humans. "If you wish to battle, then we'll battle. Otherwise, leave me to my work."
"Don't worry," Minerva said. "We're both ready to fight you. Just having a bit of fun." Despite saying this, she hesitated to pull out her duel disk. Not from fear, but because of the approaching sound of...an engine?
Tearing down the middle hallway came a young woman riding a motorcycle, skidding to a halt in front of the unconscious victims and current combatants. "Hey, this the big monster thing you all are fighting in this place?" asked the driver.
This brought them all to silence, Rafael being the first to respond with a pensive, "I...would say so."
"Can we help you?" Minerva asked. "Who are you? How are you in here?"
"Long story," she said, flipping the visor on her helmet. "Name's Kyoko. Yumi sent me. Said you need help fighting…" She pointed towards the Constellation, who looked to be rapidly losing patience with all of this once again. "...that, I guess."
The mention of Yumi's name immediately got through to the two of them, taking it to mean that her group was doing well in their own fight. After all, they were confident enough to send the cavalry here. That was some good news, at least.
"Judging by what I saw on the way here," Kyoko continued, "I think we need a change of venue before this goes down."
"I won't allow you to run," the Constellation threatened, eyes crackling. "Even if you try, you'll never escape me."
"Just a little breathing room," Minerva said. "These hallways are so narrow, after all."
"Hardly any room to move," Rafael agreed.
"Sounds like you're outvoted," Kyoko added, gesturing both of them over before their enemy could even complain. "Hop on and strap in."
"How?" Rafael asked, rightfully confused by that statement.
"No clue," she admitted. "No time to figure it out, though."
"Face me or die," the Constellation said, voice booming throughout the facility. "I am Meres, and you lesser creatures will not make me wait any longer."
"We should listen and get moving," Minerva said, walking over to Rafael and holding out her hands. He took them, letting himself be picked up and tossed over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He could undoubtedly make the walk to the bike himself, but this was better.
Both passengers perched precariously on the back end of the motorcycle, Minerva having the idea to use their belts to attach themselves to each other and offer some minimal security. Piling up to ride out of there would be doable if unpleasant, but this was different. The Constellation – now identified as Meres – wasn't going to let them move. That meant they had to duel.
Sitting side by side, both activated their duel disks (Rafael having borrowed one from the now-unconscious Salt). "Alright, there we go," Kyoko said, unable to stop a wide smile from forming on her face. She wasn't unaware of the many types of danger they were in right now, but getting to do that was too exciting to let a little mortal peril get in the way.
Revving the engine, she clicked a footrest three times, then pressed a button on the end of one of the handlebars. To her passengers' surprise, the bike began to shake, metal panels on the sides shifting up to position themselves on either side of the fuel tank. Light began to shine on them, forming the unmistakable shape of a dueling field.
"It's working," she hummed excitedly, opening a pocket on her jacket and sliding her deck into a slot out front.
"Is that safe?" Rafael asked, though he figured they didn't have a choice either way.
"Yeah, I've done this...once," Kyoko said. "I crashed that time, but it's fine. Got a little distracted, but I can do it this time."
Rafael sighed. "Then I guess we have to trust you."
"Look at it this way," Minerva added. "If we crash and die, then at least we won't die fighting this thing."
"Think positive thoughts," Kyoko demanded. "We're making history here."
"The history of a dead world means nothing," Meres said, patience fully exhausted. "Begin the game!"
"Right, right," Kyoko said, revving the engine again. "Here we go."
Wheels spinning on the concrete, all three shouted in unison, "Duel!" The motorcycle sped forward, Kyoko retracing her path from when she entered. She navigated the tight corners like a professional driver, the only near-collision coming when she had to take her opening hand from the deck slot and place it in a holder in front of her.
"I begin," Meres said, cards appearing in front of her in a flash of light. "I activate Painful Choice. I'll take five cards and allow you to pick one to add to my hand. The rest fill my Graveyard as resources."
"Not letting that through," Kyoko said. The bike wobbled a bit as she took her hand off one of the bars. "From my hand, I use the effect of PSY-Framegear Delta. I get to Summon it and a PSY-Frame Driver from my deck, then negate your card!"
As she finished explaining, the three made it to the surface. With an unnecessarily dangerous jump out of the garage, they landed on the open street. Minerva and Rafael braced against each other, hanging on for dear life as Kyoko skidded into a turn to set off down the road. As this happened, her monsters appeared, Delta equipping itself onto Driver before the two launched a combined electrical attack that destroyed Painful Choice.
"Is that all?" Meres said, appearing right beside Kyoko. Despite their impressive speed, the trio couldn't even get ahead of the Constellation. "I set a monster and three more cards to end my turn." Thankfully, she gave them a bit of distance after that, but still chose to pursue them from a mere few meters behind.
"Talking a big game for someone whose whole turn just got ended," Kyoko said, her monsters disappearing in a flash of green light. Per Delta's effect, both monsters were banished during the End Phase.
"If no one minds, I'll take the next turn," Rafael said, drawing a card and accidentally elbowing Kyoko in the ribs. A quick apology later and he was back in the game. "Let's start off with a monster – Praying Hand of Nephthys!" Appearing beside the bike was a small sorcerer cloaked in red and orange, green energy glowing around it. "Effect activate. I destroy the Fire King God Beast Garudonix in my hand, then add Connecting Hand of Nephthys from my deck to my hand."
"You've upgraded your deck," Minerva said from beside him.
"I couldn't let the rest of you pass me up," he said. "I've got my own pride, even if I've had to sit back and watch up until now." Continuing his turn, he took another card from his hand. "Magic Card, Summon Storm. By paying 800 Life Points, I can Summon a WIND monster from my hand with a Level of 6 or below."
"The Trap, Magic Drain!" Meres announced. "Your effect is negated."
"Not quite," Rafael countered. "I can stop it if I discard another Magic Card, which I'll do." He sent Spellbook of Ldra, allowing him to resolve his effect. "Come out, Guiding Hand of Nephthys!" Immediately, he used its effect, using both monsters as a sacrifice to bring out his ace.
"Grace this duel with your presence, my burning god of the dead! Phoenix God of Nephthys!" Appearing above them like the sun, Nephthys took shape. With a metallic screech, it sent a wave of fire cascading across the sky. "Since I'm unable to attack right now, I set a card and end my turn."
"Strong opening," Minerva said. "I'll try to live up to your example." After drawing a card, a pillar of flames shot up beside them. "Looks like it's time for the switch."
"Indeed," he said. "In the Standby Phase, the Garudonix destroyed by a card effect comes to my field, then destroys all other monsters!" The blazing red bird took shape out of the flames, soaring above them before a torrent of burning feathers rained onto the other monsters. This destroyed his own Nephthys, as well as Meres' only monster. It was something called Lightning Chaser Back Wheel, an unimpressive Level 1.
"I Summon Volcanic Rocket," Minerva declared, beginning her turn in earnest. The monster joined Garudonix above the duelists, letting out a shriek. "Effect activate. I add Blaze Cannon Magazine to my hand." Swapping it out in her hand, she played something else right after. "Dark World Dealings, activate! Every player draws a card, then discards one."
Minerva's selection was obvious – Volcanic Bullet. For Rafael, it was an extra Guiding Hand. Kyoko chose the monster Sun Eater. Finally, Meres' selection revealed something called Lightning Chaser Front Wheel, seemingly forming a set with the one before.
"With Volcanic Bullet in my Graveyard," she continued, "I can pay 500 Life Points to reload and add a new copy to my hand." Like Rafael before her, she was unable to attack this turn despite the tantalizingly open field in front of her. "I set a card. Turn end."
Kyoko began her turn by drawing, only for Minerva to make the first move. "At the start of the Main Phase, I activate my set Blaze Cannon Magazine. I discard Volcanic Counter and draw another card." It was a small thing, but prepping the Graveyard like that would no doubt come in handy later.
"That works perfect for me," Kyoko said as she played her card. "One less card means an even more potent effect on my Lawnmowing Next Door. I send cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard until my deck size equals the opponent. The lowest size here is 30 cards, so that means I get to drop 22."
"You had a 60-card deck this whole time?" Rafael asked, looking forward to see a huge pile of cards be sucked into a Graveyard collector near the handlebars.
"Something new I've been trying out. Worked pretty good this time, and it's all thanks to...her." It was at that moment that Kyoko realized neither of her allies had actually introduced themselves to her.
Not one to let a little thing like knowing who people are get in the way, Kyoko just continued her turn without thinking too hard about it. "I use Foolish Burial next to send a copy of Overmind Invader Dragon from my deck to the Graveyard."
"You didn't get enough of that before?" Minerva asked. "Well, I'm not one to complain about sending cards to the Graveyard."
"Setup is important for my deck," she replied. "It lets me make a lot of plays, like this one. I banish the PSY-Framegear Gamma, an extra copy of PSY-Frame Driver, and Overmind King in my Graveyard to Summon the Overmind King in my hand."
From a void above the field, her monster descended while riding a meteor. It was the stereotypical gray alien, only this one looked to have both discovered what a gym was and also robbed a costume shop of a lavish cape and crown. Riding alongside the group, it flexed its muscles as an effect activated. "This guy lets me banish the Overmind Prince from my Graveyard to play Overmind Invader Dragon from the deck, ignoring Summoning conditions!"
Descending from space came the black dragon, the magma dripping from its maw leaving a scorched trail along the path of her bike. "I activate the Magic Card, Over Mind! I return my banished Overmind Prince and both PSY-Frame Drivers to the deck, then draw a card." She did that, then added, "Plus, if I have an Overmind monster out, I can draw a second time for free."
She followed up with one of the two new cards just drawn. "I pay 800 Life Points to activate Psycho Path, which lets me return the PSY-Framegear Gamma and PSY-Framegear Delta that are banished to my hand."
Turning hard to the left, Kyoko cut off Meres and began to circle her. "Looks like the setup is done. Since I'm the last person in line and I just took my turn, that means the Battle Phase is available."
"Not this time," Meres finally replied. "Threatening Roar will prevent battle this turn." A card appeared beside her, sending out a guttural roar that shook the ground around them.
Steadying the bike, Kyoko turned off and continued down the rode. "So much for that," she sighed.
"It was a good effort," Rafael said.
"If it was this easy, no one would be having trouble with these monsters," Minerva added. "We're in a good position now, though."
"Guess that's true," she agreed. "I set two cards and end my turn." As much as she wanted to have hope, she knew better than to assume the game was already won. Things could turn around in an instant, so they had to be prepared for things to go awry.
"The moment my turn starts," Meres said, a card flipping up beside her, "I activate Trap Stun to prevent other Trap effects for this turn."
That was bad news no matter how you looked at it. "I chain my own Trap," Kyoko declared as she accelerated. "Over Accel! I banish PSY-Frame Driver, Mind Reader, and Prophetologist from my Graveyard. Now, the next three instances of damage are negated."
"Good play," Minerva said. Over Accel resolved first, meaning Trap Stun couldn't stop it. That would at least leave them with some defense once Meres got going, though being cut off from her Blaze Cannon was definitely a problem.
"I now use the card Pot of Lightning. When I control no monsters, I get an additional card for every monster you control."
"Damn, that's four cards," Kyoko grunted.
"Looks like that empty field wasn't as vulnerable as we thought," Rafael said, echoing her frustration.
With four new cards materializing in front of her, Meres went on the attack. "I Normal Summon Lightning Chaser Back Wheel." A small demon made of lightning appeared on the field, a single physical wheel attached to its back. "While controlling a Lightning Chaser, I can Special Summon Lightning Chaser Front Wheel from my hand." Similar to the first monster, another demon appeared clutching a matching wheel.
Seeing as neither of these monsters had any power behind them, it was easy to assume they were just the first step in her greater plan. "I tune the Level 1 Lightning Chaser Back Wheel with the Level 1 Tuner Lightning Chaser Front Wheel," Meres spoke, both monsters bolting into the air before transforming into a single green ring and single Level star. "Appear now, Lightning Chaser Motor."
What appeared beside the Constellation was a small, metallic creature scooting through the air on the materials' two wheels. At only 500 ATK, it was far from impressive, but no one here actually thought this was where things would end.
"Lightning Chaser Motor's effect activates," she said, her monster sparking in response. "This revives Lightning Chaser Back Wheel, after which I'll use both to Synchro Summon again."
"Consecutive Synchro Summoning," Rafael said darkly. "Wherever it ends, it won't be good for us." Stating the obvious was all he felt he could do right now. It wouldn't be until next turn when he could really start playing again, especially with all of their Traps sealed. At least he could take solace in knowing that Garudonix would eradicate whatever destroyed it this turn, effectively making all of these plays pointless.
"Appear, Lightning Chaser Armorer." Another metallic monster appeared beside her, this one like a small, armored man wearing wheels as shields on either arm. Electricity crackled between the gaps in its armor, sparks flying out as its effect activated. "Like before, Lightning Chaser Armorer will revive Lightning Chaser Back Wheel. I then use the effect of the first Lightning Chaser Back Wheel in my Graveyard to Summon itself. Now, I use all three to Synchro Summon again."
The Levels climbed even higher, a pillar of light crashing down behind the trio as another monster appeared. "Lightning Chaser Desperate Hunter." Various sheets of metal and vehicle parts covered a being of pure electricity, spindly limbs of sparking yellow energy barely visible beneath the junk.
And she still wasn't done. "Lightning Chaser Desperate Hunter revives Lightning Chaser Armorer. I now Synchro Summon again."
"It just won't end," Minerva said, gripping the edge of the seat tighter.
"Appear, Lightning Chaser Speed Demon." This one was essentially a bigger version of the last, lightning jolting out from between the metal more wildly than before. There wasn't much time to spot differences, though, as the effect from before repeated yet again. Armorer revived, then another Synchro Summon.
Fortunately for the group, this seemed to be where things stopped for the turn. Unfortunately, they were now staring down the barrel of the strongest version of this card by far. "Appear, Lightning Chaser Omega Max!" With a crack of thunder, a lightning bolt struck the field in front of them, Kyoko forced to pull a split-second turn to avoid the hole it left behind. From that lightning, a dark storm cloud formed, residual lightning creating a humanoid torso and jagged head, both of which drew in nearby bits of metal to partially cover them.
At 3500 ATK, the only thing that could overcome it would be Kyoko's dragon. Doing so would necessitate them surviving the turn, however. Over Accel would help, but if Meres could find a way to do more than three instances of damage in a single turn, they'd be in serious trouble.
"I activate Lightning Bolt Piercing," Meres declared, a card featuring a massive bolt of electricity shattering a shield materializing beside her. "I send another copy of Lightning Chaser Motor to the Graveyard to prevent you from stopping Lightning Chaser Omega Max's attacks this turn. Also, it inflicts double piercing damage when attacking a Defense Position monster."
Looks like they were lucky to have all played in Attack Position. Still, they didn't exactly feel very lucky right now, even less so after the Battle Phase began. "Destroy one of them. Smite Ray." The monster charged a ball of lightning in one hand, unleashing it against Garudonix a moment later. The bird barely had time to shriek before it was burned to cinders and blown away in the wind.
No damage was inflicted from this, but they were far from safe. "Omega Max, effect activate," said a dispassionate Meres. It seemed as though she'd done this enough times for it to become little more than a bother. Judging by the fact no other teams had stopped her from getting as far into the facility as she had, that was a distinct possibility.
"Lightning Chaser Speed Demon is banished, giving Omega Max another attack." Bad news got even worse once she continued with, "This activates Speed Demon's effect. Banish that card." The card in question was Overmind Invader Dragon, which roared as it disappeared into a shimmer of starlight.
"When destroyed by battle," Rafael cut in, "Garudonix lets me Summon Fire King Beast Ganesha from my deck." An elephant creature took to the field to replace the phoenix, standing between its controller and the enemy. "With Ganesha, I'll be able to negate a monster effect. You might get this second attack, but it'll be your last."
Obviously, this made Ganesha a primary target. He had to know this, meaning Rafael was trying to use himself as bait now. Shockingly, however, Meres seemed wholly unconcerned, her reason being, "Omega Max is unaffected by other effects during the Battle Phase."
His plan shattered, Rafael could do nothing as another attack was launched. "Smite Ray," Meres declared, this one blasting apart Volcanic Rocket. Like before, there was no damage, and like before, another Synchro Monster was banished to provide another attack. This time it was Motor, which gave Meres a new draw.
"Smite Ray," she said again, this time destroying Kyoko's Overmind King. That was a third instance of damage, meaning the next attack would finally hurt. Banishing Armorer (which turned Omega Max into a Tuner), Meres had her monster charge a fourth blast.
"Looks like it's my stop," Rafael said, drawing a confused look from both of his allies. Unbuckling the belt that helped keep him in place, he slid off the edge of the seat, hitting the ground hard and rolling behind them for several feet. Struggling to his feet, he raised his duel disk.
As he'd hoped, Meres stopped her pursuit of the others to float in front of him. "You wish to be the target?" she asked with little enthusiasm, Omega Max looming overhead.
"That would be your best move," he said, trying hard not to let his injuries get the better of him. "It's my turn next. I'll destroy your field once that happens."
"You won't," Meres said calmly. "But if this is your choice, I'll grant that." Without another word, Omega Max let loose its attack, vaporizing Ganesha and sending what had to be millions of volts through Rafael's body just as the other two made it back to him. The blast knocked him across the street, only stopping upon hitting a mailbox.
Left with just 1500 Life Points, he struggled with all his might to raise his hand. "Ganesha's effect," he coughed. "I...revive Nephthys." Reappearing in a blinding flash of light and fire, the phoenix hovered above him. His allies, who could only watch in horror as he took the punishment all for himself, still had set cards to use. Nephthys would be a liability for them right now, so bringing it back to cancel its own revival was for the best.
"Omega Max banishes the second Motor," Meres said, unfazed. "Smite Ray." For its fifth and final attack, Rafael was once again the target. Nephthys shielded him as best as it could, but it was no match for the overwhelming force of the enemy's assault. Once again, he was forced to endure a full-body shock of unimaginable intensity. By the end, he laid charred and smoking in a crater, Life Points at 400.
Minerva quickly freed herself from the bike and ran towards him. Skidding to a halt, she knelt down to check his pulse. After a few seconds, she sighed heavily. "Weak, but you're still there." She shook her head. "Who said you could play the hero?"
Rafael coughed, groaning as he turned over on the ground. "Would you believe me if I said it was all an accident?" Putting the jokes aside, he said, "I don't think I can do much more. When my turn comes around, I can bring back Garudonix. After that…"
"Leave the rest to us," Minerva told him, taking his hand. "Just rest here."
"Your turn won't come," Meres said, interrupting their moment. "I end the Battle Phase. Now, Lightning Chaser Omega Max's next effect activates. After attacking five times this turn, it will inflict 2000 points of damage to any player that did not attack this turn."
"2000?" Kyoko shouted. She looked to her allies, then to the Constellation, and finally to the monster hovering above them as the cloud it perched on began to rumble. Her hand was useless, as Omega Max was still protected in the Battle Phase, eliminating Gamma to stop this.
"Move!" Minerva shouted, lifting up Rafael like a firefighter and sprinting into an empty office building. A moment later, Kyoko peeled out, unsure of where she was headed and only knowing she had to outrun this next attack. Between those urgent cries and her own powers of observation, she was absolutely sure that a direct hit from that effect would take all of them out of the duel.
Leaving the others in the dust, she cranked the accelerator and tore down a side street. Despite the distance, the rumbling thunder wasn't any less deafening. Second after second ticked by as she anticipated the crack. Thinking back to the science lessons she'd frequently ignored, though, she quickly realized that it would be too late by the time she actually heard it. Thunder only happened as a result of lightning already striking.
If she was going to evade this lightning, she couldn't rely on sound. She had to trust her instincts as a duelist and a driver to see her through this challenge. Use that same resolve that brought her into this fight to win it. Trust in herself, her abilities, and her bike.
Suddenly, she felt a tingle spread across her body. This had to be it. As her hair stood on end, she pushed her engine to the limit. That tingling grew stronger as she turned a corner, the world moving in slow motion as a blinding light filled the edges of her vision. That was the sign.
With a shift of the gears and a burst of speed, Kyoko took a turn just as the lightning came streaking through the sky. An instant later, an explosion rocked the ground centimeters behind her, blasting her into the air. Tumbling through the sky, she kept a vice grip on her bike, shifting her weight as best she could to position the wheels back towards the asphalt.
Finally landing, she hit the ground hard, the motorcycle groaning as its shock absorbers were pushed to their limits. She road for a good twenty meters down open road, slowly coming to realize that she'd managed to outrace lightning.
With a screeching turn, she headed back towards Minerva and Rafael, spotting Meres hovering overhead. Though it was hard to know for sure, the Constellation almost looked disappointed that that attack hadn't taken her out of the game instantly. Good, she enjoyed disappointing people like that.
Coming to a stop outside the building they'd hidden in (now featuring a massive hole in its side), Kyoko idled as she yelled, "Anyone alive in there?"
After a few seconds, Minerva emerged. "We made it," she replied. "He'll be safer in there compared to tagging along with us." She hopped back on the end of the bike as they both prepared to reenter the duel. "By the way, you know you could have just gone inside, right? There was no need to try to outrun it."
Kyoko scoffed. "Well, obviously, but…" In truth, she'd gotten too caught up in the moment to consider that. Turns out, her stress response in situations like this was flight, but only on the back of a motorcycle.
With Minerva's Life Points at 1500 and Kyoko's at 1200, they were certainly in a bad spot. While their turns were about to start, letting Omega Max attack again brought with it the possibility of an instant loss by that effect. They had to avoid that at all costs.
Speeding off, Meres appeared beside them once more. "If you're ready to continue," she said, evidently annoyed at their continued survival. "I banish Lightning Chaser Front Wheel from the Graveyard, returning all five of the banished Lightning Chaser Synchro Monsters to my Graveyard."
Not good. Five attacks was once again a possibility, not to mention all of their other effects. They had to think of something before her next turn came. Preferably, it would be something that prevented another Meres turn altogether.
"I set two cards. Turn end." Finally, she was done. With Rafael out of the game, Minerva was up next, drawing to begin her own turn.
"I use the effect of Volcanic Bullet to add another copy to my hand," she began, lowering her Life Points to a dangerous 1000 to gain the last Bullet in her deck. "Now, I activate Blaze Cannon Magazine, discarding Volcanic Buckshot to draw a card."
Drawing, she smiled, the cannon featured on the card rising up beside her. "Volcanic Buckshot, effect activate!" A three-headed creature loaded itself into the central position on the machine. "When sent to the Graveyard, I inflict 500 damage to you. But that's not all, because Buckshot gains another effect if it's sent to the Graveyard by Blaze Cannon's effect. When that happens, I can send two more copies of Buckshot to the Graveyard, then destroy all monsters you control!"
"Useless," Meres said, a card flipping up. "Trap activate, Lightning Shock Wave. A Lightning Chaser Synchro Monster is now unable to be destroyed by effects this turn."
Minerva scoffed. "That's fine, since you still take 1500 damage!" Raising her arm, she shouted, "Blaze Cannon, fire!" all three Buckshots launching out as a trio of flaming attacks towards Meres. Though they failed to hit her due to Omega Max knocking them away, her Life Points still fell to 2500.
"Is that all you can do?" she asked, still seeming disinterested in the humans' efforts.
"Not even close," Minerva answered, activating another card. "Pot of Avarice returns five monsters from my Graveyard to my deck, then lets me draw two new ones." This let her reload one of her Volcanic Bullets, Volcanic Rocket, and all three Buckshots.
Continuing her plays, she switched to a different approach for removing Omega Max. "I'm discarding Volcanic Bullet to activate Back to Square One. This targets Lightning Chaser Omega Max and returns it to the Extra Deck!"
"Useless once again," Meres replied, Lightning Shock Wave rising up again. "While in the Graveyard, I can banish this card when my monster would be removed from the field. This prevents it from leaving the field for the turn, and sets another copy of Lightning Shock Wave to my field from the deck."
"Damn," Minerva swore, her Magic Card's image blown away after it resolved while doing nothing. "I guess it's now or never," she said, still having one trick left up her sleeve. "I'm sending Blaze Cannon Magazine to the Graveyard. This lets me play my strongest monster, Volcanic Devil!"
The ground began to split open along the path Kyoko's bike drove. Lava splashed into the air as the gash in the earth grew, a rocky, blazing demon slowly rising up from it. With a shout, the monster took its full form, following behind its controller while staring down the enemy.
"That card is cool as hell, but I'm not sure what you're doing with it," Kyoko spoke. "It's only got 3000 ATK. Do you have a way to boost it?"
"I don't," Minerva admitted. "Attacking isn't going to win this. Lucky for us, I don't need to attack to win." As she said this, Blaze Cannon once again rose up beside her despite no longer occupying the field. "Blaze Cannon's effect in the Graveyard allows me to banish it to send a Volcanic monster from the deck to the Graveyard."
Her choice was obvious the moment she explained. "I'm sending a copy of Volcanic Buckshot, then activating its effects! Send two more Buckshots to inflict 1500 damage!" Like before, the trio of monsters launched from the cannon, smashing into Omega Max. Once again, they failed to destroy anything.
The true objective wasn't destruction, however. Meres' Life Points ticked down to 1000. "Is that your strategy?" she asked, her voice growing just the slightest bit annoyed. "You think you can deplete my Life Points with these cheap tricks?"
"Who knows?" Minerva mused. "All I know if that I've got one more shot to finish you off. My Normal Summon is still available, so I play the Imperial Guard of the Fire Monarch!" Her monster appeared with a screech, twin flames appearing in its hands. "With its effect, I return four Pyro monsters to my deck and draw two cards! I'll send back Volcanic Bullet and all three Buckshots!"
"This is what I call Blaze Cannon Full Auto Mode," she said. Her cards reset, both Kyoko and Meres watched for any indication that she'd drawn what she needed. Minerva kept a poker face, however, not letting anything slip. "I activate Foolish Burial, sending a copy of Volcanic Bullet to the Graveyard. Now I'm using its effect to pay 500 Life Points and add another copy to hand."
With just 500 left, she had to make this count. "I set two cards, then end my turn." Did that mean she failed, or was she merely waiting for the right moment to strike?
In the meantime, Kyoko began her turn. "Draw!"
Moments later, Minerva revealed her final strategy. "Activate, Blaze Cannon Magazine!" Looks like she'd drawn another copy, but did she also manage to grab a Buckshot? "I'm activating the effect now, discarding Volcanic Bullet to draw one!"
She took the card, then looked at it a moment later. Letting out a long sigh, she muttered, "Looks like it wasn't enough."
"No, I think it was," Kyoko said. "I'm activating my own card, Double Cyclone! This destroys a Magic or Trap Card on both of our fields! I'm choosing my set Telepathic Power and...Blaze Cannon Magazine!"
A pair of tornadoes sprung forth from the card, sucking up both of the targets and crushing them to bits. "And with Blaze Cannon in the Graveyard, now you can use it to send exactly what you need to the Graveyard," Kyoko said.
Minerva chuckled. "You catch on quick," she said. "Pretty good." Facing their now thoroughly annoyed enemy, she continued with, "She's right! I banish Blaze Cannon Magazine from the Graveyard, then send Volcanic Buckshot!"
Like before, the card rose up beside the two, one Buckshot loaded into the chamber. "Buckshot's effect!" she declared. "I inflict 500 and send another two from the deck to destroy your monster!"
"To think I'd be pushed this far," Meres said, clicking her tongue as lightning began to spark in her eyes. "This is as far as you go, though! Counter Trap, Gun Behind Hell's Door!"
In an instant, their hope of winning was dashed. "With this card," Meres explained, "I redirect an instance of effect damage back to you!" Since Buckshot's damage effect resolved before sending any other copies, that meant it was striking for just 500 – exactly the same as Minerva's Life Points. Worst of all, this meant the other copies would never be sent, sparing Omega Max yet again."
"Sorry," Minerva apologized. "I must have overdone it in the end. I made you waste your card on me."
"Don't blame yourself," Kyoko said, disappointed that they couldn't manage to seal the deal yet again. "You did everything you could."
With a smirk, she gave Kyoko a pat on the back. "I leave the rest to you, then."
"I'll finish this. Oh, and don't-" Mid-sentence, she watched in horror as someone once again jumped off the back of her speeding motorcycle instead of letting her slow down for them to get off. Unlike Rafael, she at least seemed to take the fall like a pro, rolling over and guarding her head.
As this happened, the single Buckshot launched from the cannon, Omega Max catching the blast as it let loose one of its own. Minerva tried to suppress the pain, but even she eventually had to let out a scream at the electrocution attack. Life Points dropping down to 0, she was now out of the game, lying in a heap on the ground.
This left only Kyoko to oppose Meres, and all without a field. Unable to look back for fear of losing her nerve, Kyoko followed the path ahead. Both of the actual adults and soldiers were beaten, so her brain couldn't help but scream at her to just give up. Logic dictated that she'd have no chance now.
Logic never held her back before, though. While she couldn't make the argument that she'd ever overcome something like this before, she'd still overcome her fair share of problems in life so far. This monster wasn't going to be what took her out; there was almost certainly a motorcycle crash in her future that laid claim to that.
"I activate the effect of Overmind Queen in my Graveyard!" she said, steeling her resolve.
"You haven't surrendered yet," Meres said, floating directly beside her. "Fighting won't ingratiate you to me. I won't spare you because of it. You're just food to me."
Kyoko didn't even know what that was supposed to mean. Ignoring these taunts, she carried on with the effect as a gray alien in a lavish ballgown appeared above her. "This effect adds the banished Overmind Invader Dragon back to my hand. With that, I can now banish Overmind Prince in my Graveyard to Summon it!"
Once more, the black dragon descended from space, roaring and gnashing its teeth as it prepared to do battle. "Last time I checked, my monster was bigger than yours," Kyoko taunted, Meres' gritted teeth telling her that this next play would work. "Now battle! Overmind Invader Dragon, attack Lightning Chaser Omega Max! Creation Stream!"
Meres desperately made a play. "Trap activate, Lightning Shock Wave!"
"So what?" Kyoko shouted, her monster blasting a burning stream of lava directly at the enemy. "This is an attack, not an effect. Your card can't do shit!"
"That's not the intention," Meres said. "It's this! Lightning Shock Wave can banish itself when my monster would be removed from the field by your card, which includes battle!" Just as she said, Omega Max erected a sparking barrier against the lava. The only casualty of this battle would be 500 of its owner's Life Points.
As before, this also set another copy of the Trap from deck, though this was at least the final copy. "I'm not done!" Kyoko said, undeterred by this setback. "When Overmind Invader Dragon inflicts damage, you send cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard equal to its Level!"
That equaled ten, Meres sending an assortment of powerful cards to the Graveyard. To Kyoko's relief, none of them could help her in the current situation from where they ended up. "I end my turn," she said. "Which do you think it will be? Am I going to take out your Life Points or your deck first?"
Her banter went unanswered, Meres simply beginning her turn by materializing a new card. "I activate the effect of Lightning Chaser Back Wheel in the Graveyard, Summoning itself. Now, I'm using the Level 11 Lightning Chaser Omega Max that's treated as a Tuner to tune the Level 1 non-Tuner Lightning Chaser Back Wheel!"
A Level 12 monster? And one stronger than Omega Max? This was a complication the duel didn't need. To make matters worse, this seemed to be Meres' endgame, her body slowly disintegrating to become pure electricity. "Faster than lightning! Faster than light! Faster than tachyon bursts! Surpass them all to erase it all! Synchro Summon, Level 12! Accelerate, Lightning Chaser Maximum High Speed!"
Meres appeared to have merged with her own monster, this one being a sparking ball of energy "grasping" a double-pronged piece of silver metal held out in front of it. Strangely enough, it almost looked like some kind of motorcycle.
Whatever it was, it was fast, easily speeding in front of Kyoko as its ATK displayed at 4000. "Effect activate," Meres declared, her voice projecting from all around. "By using a Level 11 Tuner and a Level 1 non-Tuner for this Synchro Summon, I can send my entire Extra Deck to the Graveyard." An assortment of Lightning Chaser Synchro Monsters appeared, only to be devoured by Maximum High Speed. This made for a total of fourteen in the Graveyard now, perfectly setting up for the next effect.
"I banish all the Synchro Monsters in my Graveyard, allowing Maximum High Speed to gain 1000 ATK for each one!" So much for being tied with her dragon. Kyoko could do nothing as the enemy's power grew to a staggering 18000 ATK, the monster speeding up in time with this growth.
Threatened with being left in the dust and unable to respond to plays, Kyoko shifted gears and once again poured as much power into her bike as possible. Even then, she was just barely managing to keep pace.
"Effects continue to activate," Meres said, the banished Lightning Chasers all using their abilities. First and foremost, Speed Demon erased Overmind Invader Dragon from the field. After that, Desperate Hunter prevented any response to attacks, while Armorer made Maximum High Speed a Tuner. Finally, Motor gave her an extra draw.
"Battle!" Meres shouted. "Lightning Chaser Maximum High Speed will attack you directly! Light Speed Streak!" Flipping around, the monster shot forward at alarming speed, aiming to crash directly into Kyoko. Moving this fast, she'd no doubt be pulverized, if anything was left of her at all.
This wasn't the end, though. "Your attack won't land!" she shouted, her mind and body reacting faster than she ever imagined possible. The attacking monster impacted some kind of rippling barrier between the two of them, Kyoko explaining, "By banishing Sun Eater in my Graveyard, I won't take battle damage! Instead, your monster loses ATK equal to the damage!"
Clashing with the monster, Maximum High Speed eventually had to relent. "You may not take damage," Meres said, "but my monster is unaffected by other effects during the Battle Phase. My ATK remains."
That was certainly a problem, but it was a problem that could be dealt with. Surviving the turn was what really counted.
Meres wasn't about to let the turn end like that, however. "I banish Lightning Chaser Front Wheel in the Graveyard to return all of the banished Lightning Chaser Synchro Monsters to my Graveyard." That was another 14000 ATK on the next turn, not to mention all of those effects.
Setting a card, Meres ended her turn. "Nothing you do will overcome my power," she said. "Surrender now and save me the time. I've grown weary of this constant fighting. Snuffing out life through these insipid games has long lost its appeal. I'd like to be done with this."
"Too bad, then," Kyoko responded, drawing for her turn. "We're not exactly the kind of creatures that give up just because things get tough." She smirked beneath her helmet, adding, "Besides, why should I quit when I've already won?"
Meres' surprised grunt urged her onward. "All I have to do is play...this!" Slapping down a card, Kyoko declared, "I activate Over Matter! By returning a banished Overmind King, Overmind Queen, and Overmind Prince to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon as many copies of Overmind Invader Dragon as I want from my hand, Graveyard, or that are banished!"
All three of her aliens materialized behind her, striking an elaborate pose and throwing up their hands, beckoning forth her dragons. All three copies descended from above, roaring one after the other despite being outmatched by Maximum High Speed's sheer power.
"This accomplishes nothing," Meres said. "Summon anything you want and it will all be for nothing. Your monsters are too weak to defeat me in battle."
Kyoko scoffed. "Looks like you weren't listening before. That hot lady was right when she said battle won't determine the winner here. I'll beat you without another attack, and I'll do it like this!" Raising a hand, she declared, "I'm overlaying all three of my Level 10 Overmind Invader Dragons to construct the Overlay Network!"
Spiraling together, a new monster emerged from the portal overhead. Like its origin, this new monster was a massive, obsidian-black dragon, this one held aloft in the sky by ten translucent wings. Red markings pulsed along its body, molten lava shifting underneath its skin. Several planetoids orbited it, all of them shaking as it let out a piercing roar. "Xyz Summon, Rank 10! Come out, Overmind Reminding Dragon Breaker!"
"Useless!" Meres screamed. "5000 ATK? That's all? No matter how much you struggle, you can't win!" For good measure, she activated her set card. "Trap activate, Lightning Shock Wave!"
"Like I said, I won't need to attack!" Kyoko shot back. "Overmind Reminding Dragon Breaker, effect activate! I detach an Overlay Unit, then banish Mind Reader, Prophetologist, and Stargazer from my Graveyard. Now, for each one I banish, I can banish a card on your field or in your Graveyard!" Pointing forward, she declared, "I'm taking out your last set card, plus two Lightning Chaser Speed Demons!"
Her set card was another copy of Gun Behind Hell's Door. All three selected cards disappeared, the dragon roaring as a swirling aura overtook it. "Now, my monster gains 1000 ATK for every card banished by this effect. Since there were six, that's an extra 6000!"
As its ATK grew to 11000, a second Overlay Unit moved out of its orbit and absorbed into the monster's brain, activating the effect a second time. "I banish Overmind King, Overmind Queen, and Overmind Prince, plus three Lightning Chaser Motors!" Another six cards meant 17000 ATK.
For a third and final time, these events played out, Kyoko banishing all three copies of Overmind Invader Dragon, a final Speed Demon, and two Omega Max. This brought Overmind Remiding Dragon Breaker's ATK to 23000.
"Now what will you do?" Meres asked. "I read this effect. Your monster is unable to attack, and I still have five monsters to banish next turn. Maximum High Speed will match your ATK, and because of Lightning Shock Wave, the battle will end in my favor. Additionally, Maximum High Speed can attack a number of times that's one greater than the amount of monsters you control, meaning I'll have a second attack to end this!"
"That's a pretty good plan," Kyoko said, revving the engine as she started to accelerate. "But like I said, there won't be any attacks. I've already won." Her monster roared again, its body glowing a deep purple color. "Overmind Reminding Dragon Breaker's last effect activates! When it has no Overlay Units, I can release it and force you to send cards from your deck to the Graveyard up to its ATK divided by 1000."
The dragon's physical form fell away, leaving behind a purple aura in its place. The spirit swallowed up Kyoko, accelerating her bike so that she was finally able to overtake Meres. "If you can't do the math," she said while passing, "that would be 23 cards."
Meres had only fifteen cards in her deck when this activated, obliterating all of them. "And now," Kyoko said, tires screeching as she swerved around 180 degrees. "I end my turn." Rocketing forward cloaked in her monster's essence, her motorcycle sliced straight through the enemy, roar of the engine merging with the roar of the dragon.
"What?" Meres screamed, bisected as part of Maximum High Speed. "No! How...no!" Unable to draw, she lost the duel by default. "You weren't supposed to win!" she wailed. "We're immortal! We can't be beaten!" Even as she was drained away into the reda crystals still active in the others' duel discs, she continued to insist on her own perfection.
As the duel came to a close, Kyoko hit the brakes. Screeching to a halt, she let out a long sigh, slumping forward on her handlebars. She lay there panting for nearly a full minute, adrenaline coursing through her veins in a way she'd never experienced before.
Finally, she got up, taking off her helmet and spiking it into the rode. "Yes!" she screamed, her celebration cut short by her legs giving out like a pair of wet noodles underneath her. Looks like she was about to come down from the high.
Taking a few moments to recover, she eventually retrieved her helmet and got back on the bike. "Better go pick those two up," she muttered, assuring herself that they'd definitely be alive. After all, Yumi entrusted them to her, and she couldn't let her down.
Revving the throttle, her bike began to move, only to abruptly peter out. Confused, she tried again, pressing the ignition when the bike refused to accelerate. "Hold on…" Checking her gauges, she banged her helmeted forehead against the handlebars. "Son of a bitch, I'm out of gas."
With no other option, Kyoko was forced to dismount, grabbing onto the bike and slowly but surely walking back towards her allies. It wouldn't be so bad, she lied to herself. They were just across the city.
Cards Used in Order of Appearance
Painful Choice
Normal Spell Card
Select 5 cards from your Deck and show them to your opponent. Your opponent selects 1 card among them. Add that card to your hand and discard the remaining cards to the Graveyard.
PSY-Framegear Delta
LIGHT
Level 2
Psychic/Tuner/Effect
1200 ATK/0 DEF
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned by a card effect, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. During either player's turn, when your opponent activates a Spell Card while you control no monsters: You can Special Summon both this card from your hand and 1 "PSY-Frame Driver" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard, and if you do, negate that activation, and if you do that, destroy that Spell Card. During the End Phase, banish the face-up monsters Special Summoned by this effect.
PSY-Frame Driver
LIGHT
Level 6
Psychic/Normal
2500 ATK/0 DEF
Praying Hand of Nephthys (Disciple of Nephthys)
WIND
Level 2
Spellcaster/Effect
0 ATK/2000 DEF
During your Main Phase: You can destroy 1 card in your hand, and if you do, add 1 "Nephthys" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Disciple of Nephthys". During your next Standby Phase after this card was destroyed by card effect and sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Nephthys" Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Disciple of Nephthys" once per turn.
Fire King God Beast Garudonix (Fire King High Avatar Garunix)
FIRE
Level 8
Winged Beast/Effect
2700 ATK/1700 DEF
During the next Standby Phase after this card was destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard: Special Summon this card from the Graveyard. When you do: Destroy all other monsters on the field. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: You can Special Summon 1 "Fire King" monster from your Deck, except "Fire King High Avatar Garunix".
Connecting Hand of Nephthys (Conductor of Nephthys)
WIND
Level 2
Spellcaster/Effect
2000 ATK/0 DEF
You can Ritual Summon this card with "Rebirth of Nephthys". If this card is Ritual Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Nephthys" Ritual Monster from your hand or Deck, except "Conductor of Nephthys" (this is treated as a Ritual Summon). If this card is Tributed or destroyed by a "Nephthys" card effect: You can activate this effect; during the next Standby Phase, destroy up to 3 "Nephthys" cards, except Ritual Monsters, 1 each from your hand, Deck, and field. You can only use each effect of "Conductor of Nephthys" once per turn.
Summon Storm
Normal Spell Card
Pay 800 LP; Special Summon 1 Level 6 or lower WIND monster from your hand. During your Main Phase, except the turn this card was sent to the GY: You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower WIND monster from your hand. You can only use this effect of "Summon Storm" once per turn.
Magic Drain
Counter Trap Card
When your opponent activates a Spell Card: They can discard 1 Spell to negate this card's effect, otherwise negate the activation of their Spell Card, and if you do, destroy it.
Spellbook of Ldra (Spellbook of Knowledge)
Normal Spell Card
Send to the GY either 1 Spellcaster monster you control, or 1 other "Spellbook" card from your hand or face-up field, except "Spellbook of Knowledge", and if you do, draw 2 cards. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Knowledge" per turn.
Guiding Hand of Nephthys (Hand of Nephthys)
WIND
Level 2
Spellcaster/Effect
600 ATK/600 DEF
You can Tribute this card and 1 other monster; Special Summon 1 "Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys" from your hand or Deck.
Phoenix God of Nephthys (Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys)
FIRE
Level 8
Winged Beast/Effect
2400 ATK/1600 DEF
Once per turn, during your next Standby Phase after this card was destroyed by a card effect and sent to the GY: Special Summon this card from the GY. If you do: Destroy all Spells and Traps on the field.
Lightning Chaser Back Wheel
LIGHT
Level 1
Thunder/Effect
0 ATK/100 DEF
If this card is in your GY, except the turn this card was sent to the GY: You can Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Lightning Chaser Back Wheel" once per turn. If Summoned this way, treat this card as a Synchro Monster while face-up on the field.
Volcanic Rocket
FIRE
Level 4
Pyro/Effect
1900 ATK/1400 DEF
When this card is Summoned: You can add 1 "Blaze Accelerator" card from your Deck or GY to your hand.
Blaze Cannon Magazine (Blaze Accelerator Reload)
Continuous Trap Card
This card's name becomes "Tri-Blaze Accelerator" while in the Spell & Trap Zone. During either player's Main Phase: You can send 1 "Volcanic" card from your hand to the Graveyard, and if you do, draw 1 card. You can only use this effect of "Blaze Accelerator Reload" once per turn. During either player's Main Phase: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; send 1 "Volcanic" card from your Deck to the Graveyard.
Dark World Dealings
Normal Spell Card
Each player draws 1 card, then each player discards 1 card.
Volcanic Bullet (Volcanic Shell)
FIRE
Level 1
Pyro/Effect
100 ATK/0 DEF
Once per turn: You can pay 500 LP; add 1 "Volcanic Shell" from your Deck to your hand. This card must be in the GY to activate and to resolve this effect.
Lightning Chaser Front Wheel
LIGHT
Level 1
Thunder/Tuner/Effect
100 ATK/0 DEF
If you control exactly 1 "Lightning Chaser" monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). During your Main Phase, except the turn this card was sent to the GY: You can banish this card from your GY; return all of your banished "Lightning Chaser" Synchro Monsters to the GY.
Sun Eater
LIGHT
Level 5
Psychic/Effect
2000 ATK/0 DEF
When you would take battle damage: Banish this card in your GY; for the rest of this turn, you take no battle damage, and any battle damage you would have taken from that battle is deducted from the opponent's monsters' ATK instead.
Volcanic Counter
FIRE
Level 3
Pyro/Effect
300 ATK/1300 DEF
When you take battle damage while this card is in your Graveyard: Banish it from your Graveyard, then if there is a FIRE monster other than "Volcanic Counter" in your Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the amount of battle damage you took.
Lawnmowing Next Door (That Grass Looks Greener)
Normal Spell Card
If you have more cards in your Deck than your opponent does: Send cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard so you have the same number of cards in the Deck as your opponent.
Foolish Burial
Normal Spell Card
Send 1 monster from your Deck to the GY.
Overmind Invader Dragon
LIGHT
Level 10
Dragon/Effect
4000 ATK/0 DEF
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) with the effect of "Overmind Prince". If this card attacks, it is unaffected by your opponent's card effects until the end of the Damage Step. When this card inflicts damage to your opponent: Your opponent sends cards from the top of their Deck to the Graveyard equal to this card's Level.
PSY-Framegear Gamma
LIGHT
Level 2
Psychic/Effect
1000 ATK/0 DEF
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned by a card effect. When your opponent activates a monster effect while you control no monsters (Quick Effect): You can Special Summon both this card from your hand and 1 "PSY-Frame Driver" from your hand, Deck, or GY, and if you do, negate that activation, and if you do that, destroy that monster. During the End Phase, banish the face-up monsters Special Summoned by this effect.
Overmind King
LIGHT
Level 8
Psychic/Effect
2500 ATK/0 DEF
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 3 Psychic monsters with 0 DEF in your GY. You can banish 1 "Overmind Prince" from your hand or GY; Special Summon 1 "Overmind Invader Dragon" from your Deck or GY, ignoring its Summoning condition. You can only activate this effect of "Overmind King" once per turn.
Overmind Prince
LIGHT
Level 7
Psychic/Effect
2300 ATK/0 DEF
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by banishing 3 Psychic monsters with 0 DEF in your GY. When this card is Summoned while you have at least 3 cards in your hand: Add 1 "Overmind Invader Dragon" from your Deck to your hand, then discard every other card in your hand. If this card is in the GY and you control no cards: You can Banish this card, then Special Summon 1 "Overmind Invader Dragon" from your hand.
Over Mind
Quick-Play Spell Card
Return up to 3 of your banished Psychic monsters with 0 DEF to your GY, then draw 1 card, also, if you control an "Overmind" monster, draw 1 card. You can only activate 1 "Over Mind" per turn.
Psycho Path (Psychic Path)
Normal Spell Card
Pay 800 Life Points and select up to 2 of your removed from play Psychic-Type monsters. Add them to your hand.
Threatening Roar
Normal Trap Card
Your opponent cannot declare an attack this turn.
Trap Stun
Normal Trap Card
Negate all other Trap effects on the field this turn.
Over Accel
Normal Trap Card
Banish up to 3 Psychic monsters with 0 DEF from you GY; negate any instance of damage inflicted to a player a number of times equal to the number of monsters banished to activate this effect.
Mind Reader
LIGHT
Level 4
Psychic/Effect
1600 ATK/0 DEF
When this card is Summoned: Your opponent reveals their hand. Once per turn: You can banish 1 Psychic-Type monster with 0 DEF in your Graveyard; add 1 Psychic-Type monster with a Level less than that banished monster to your hand from your Deck.
Prophetologist
LIGHT
Level 4
Psychic/Effect
1800 ATK/0 DEF
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: Look at cards on top of your Deck equal to the number of Psychic-Type monsters in your Graveyard, then add 1 Psychic-Type monster among those cards (if any) to your hand. Place the remaining cards on top of your Deck in any order.
Pot of Lightning
Normal Spell Card
At the start of your Main Phase 1, if you control no monsters: Draw cards equal to the number of monsters your opponent controls, also you cannot Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except Thunder monsters.
Lightning Chaser Motor
LIGHT
Level 2
Thunder/Synchro/Tuner/Effect
500 ATK/0 DEF
1 "Lightning Chaser" Tuner + 1 non-Tuner monster
If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Lightning Chaser" non-Tuner with a lower Level than this card from your GY. If this card is banished from your GY by the effect of a "Lightning Chaser" card: Draw 1 card. You can only use each effect of "Lightning Chaser Motor" once per turn.
Lightning Chaser Armorer
LIGHT
Level 3
Thunder/Synchro/Tuner/Effect
900 ATK/400 DEF
1 "Lightning Chaser" Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Lightning Chaser" non-Tuner with a lower Level than this card from your GY. If this card is banished from your GY by the effect of a "Lightning Chaser" card: You can target 1 monster you control; it is treated as a Tuner while face-up on the field. You can only use each effect of "Lightning Chaser Armorer" once per turn.
Lightning Chaser Desperate Hunter
LIGHT
Level 5
Thunder/Synchro/Effect
2000 ATK/1500 DEF
1 "Lightning Chaser" Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Lightning Chaser" Tuner with a lower Level than this card from your GY. If this card is banished from your GY by the effect of a "Lightning Chaser" card: You can target 1 Synchro monster you control; this turn, your opponent cannot activate card effects in response to its attacks. You can only use each effect of "Lightning Chaser Desperate Hunter" once per turn.
Lightning Chaser Speed Demon
LIGHT
Level 8
Thunder/Synchro/Effect
2500 ATK/2000 DEF
1 "Lightning Chaser" Synchro Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Lightning Chaser" Tuner with a lower Level than this card from your GY. If this card is banished from your GY by the effect of a "Lightning Chaser" card: Banish 1 card your opponent controls. You can only use each effect of "Lightning Chaser Speed Demon" once per turn.
Lightning Chaser Omega Max
LIGHT
Level 11
Thunder/Synchro/Effect
3500 ATK/3000 DEF
1 "Lightning Chaser" Synchro Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner Synchro Monsters
If this card attacks, it is unaffected by other card effects until the Main Phase 2. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY: You can banish 1 "Lightning Chaser" Synchro Monster from your GY; this card can make another attack in a row. At the end of the Battle Phase, if this card declared 5 or more attacks during the Battle Phase this turn: You can inflict 2000 damage to any player that did not declare an attack this turn. You can only activate this effect of "Lightning Chaser Omega Max" once per turn.
Lightning Bolt Piercing
Normal Spell Card
Send 1 "Lightning Chaser" Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck to the GY, then target 1 "Lightning Chaser" Synchro Monster you control; until the end of this turn, its attacks cannot be negated, also, if it attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict double piercing battle damage to your opponent.
Fire King Beast Ganesha (Fire King Avatar Arvata)
FIRE
Level 4
Beast-Warrior/Effect
1800 ATK/200 DEF
When a monster effect is activated while this monster is on the field (Quick Effect): You can negate the activation, and if you do, destroy 1 other FIRE monster in your hand or field. If this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: You can target 1 FIRE Beast, Beast-Warrior, or Winged Beast monster in your GY, except "Fire King Avatar Arvata"; Special Summon it, but it has its effects negated, also it is destroyed during the End Phase. You can only use each effect of "Fire King Avatar Arvata" once per turn.
Fire King Beast Barong (Fire King Avatar Barong)
FIRE
Level 4
Beast-Warrior/Effect
1800 ATK/200 DEF
If a face-up "Fire King" monster you control is destroyed by a card effect (except during the Damage Step): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. During the next Standby Phase after this card was destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard: Add 1 "Fire King" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Fire King Avatar Barong".
Volcanic Buckshot (Volcanic Scattershot)
FIRE
Level 2
Pyro/Effect
500 ATK/0 DEF
If this card is sent to the Graveyard: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent. If this card is sent to the Graveyard by the effect of a "Blaze Accelerator" card: You can send 2 "Volcanic Scattershots" from your hand and/or Deck to the Graveyard; destroy all monsters your opponent controls.
Lightning Shock Wave
Normal Trap Card
"Lightning Chaser" Synchro Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects this turn. If a "Lightning Chaser" Synchro Monster you control would be removed from the field by an opponent's card, you can banish this card from your GY instead, then you can Set 1 "Lightning Shock Wave" directly from your Deck, also, for the rest of the turn after this effect was activated, that monster cannot be removed from the field.
Pot of Avarice
Normal Spell Card
Target 5 monsters in your GY; shuffle all 5 into the Deck, then draw 2 cards.
Volcanic Devil (Volcanic Doomfire)
FIRE
Level 8
Pyro/Effect
3000 ATK/1800 DEF
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by sending 1 "Tri-Blaze Accelerator" you control to the GY. During your opponent's Battle Phase, Attack Position monsters your opponent controls must attack this card, if able. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the GY: Destroy as many monsters your opponent controls as possible, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each monster destroyed by this effect.
Back to Square One
Normal Spell Card
Discard 1 card, then target 1 monster on the field; place that target on the top of the Deck.
Imperial Guard of the Flame Monarch (Royal Firestorm Guards)
FIRE
Level 4
Pyro/Effect
1700 ATK/1200 DEF
If this card is Normal Summoned: Target 4 Pyro monsters in your GY; shuffle all 4 into the Deck, then draw 2 cards.
Double Cyclone
Quick-Play Spell Card
Target 1 Spell/Trap you control and 1 Spell/Trap your opponent controls; destroy them.
Telepathic Power
Normal Spell Card
When a Psychic-Type monster you control is destroyed by battle with an opponent's attacking monster: Target the opponent's monster; destroy that target, and if you do, gain LP equal to the destroyed monster's ATK on the field.
Gun Behind Hell's Door (Barrel Behind the Door)
Counter Trap Card
Activate only when a card's effect that would inflict damage to you is activated. Your opponent takes the damage instead.
Overmind Queen
LIGHT
Level 7
Psychic/Effect
2000 ATK/0 DEF
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by returning 3 banished Psychic monsters with 0 DEF to your GY. You can banish this card from your GY; add 1 "Overmind Invader Dragon" from your GY or that is banished to your hand. You can only activate this effect of "Overmind Queen" once per turn.
Lightning Chaser Maximum High Speed
LIGHT
Level 12
Thunder/Synchro/Effect
4000 ATK/3500 DEF
1 "Lightning Chaser" Synchro Tuner + 1 "Lightning Chaser" non-Tuner Synchro Monster
This card's Synchro Summon cannot be negated. If this card is Synchro Summoned by using 1 Level 11 Tuner and 1 Level 1 non-Tuner as material: You can send your entire Extra Deck to the GY. This card's attacks cannot be negated. When this card attacks, it is unaffected by other card effects until the Main Phase 2. This card can attack a number of times each turn equal to the number of monsters your opponent controls at the start of the Battle Phase +1. Once per turn: You can banish any number of Synchro Monsters in your GY, then this card gains 1000 ATK for each card banished by this effect.
Over Matter
Normal Spell Card
Return 1 "Overmind King", "Overmind Queen", and "Overmind Prince" that are banished to your GY; Special Summon any number of "Overmind Invader Dragon" from your hand, GY, or that are banished, ignoring their Summoning conditions.
Overmind Reminding Dragon Breaker
LIGHT
Rank 10
Psychic/Xyz/Effect
5000 ATK/0 DEF
3 Level 10 Psychic monsters
You can detach 1 material from this card; banish up to 3 Psychic monsters with 0 DEF from your GY, then banish the same number of cards from your opponent's field and/or GY, and if you do, this card gains 1000 ATK for each card banished by this effect, also, this card cannot declare an attack for the rest of this turn. You can Tribute this card with no material; send cards from the top of your opponent's Deck to the GY, up to this card's ATK on the field divided by 1000. You can only use this effect of "Overmind Reminding Dragon Breaker" once per turn.
Stargazer
LIGHT
Level 8
Psychic/Effect
2500 ATK/0 DEF
If neither player controls a monster, you can Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position (from your hand). This card cannot attack the turn it is summoned this way and is destroyed during the End Phase. When this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 Psychic-Type monster from your Deck to your hand with a Level less than this card's Level. You can only use each of these effects of "Stargazer" once per turn.
Took a bit for this one to finish. Got busy at work and I was having trouble figuring out the character dynamics and how to do some of the scenes and monster designs.
Kyoko inventing the Riding Duel was something I've been teasing for a while, so it's fun to have it finally happen now. She's got a long way to go before it really evolves into something all its own, but she definitely had fun.
Bringing back Minerva and Rafael was fun. I like them and their decks and always wanted to give them a little more to do, though Rafael kind of got merced before he could show off much of the new Nephthys stuff. Went out pretty cool, though, and Minerva got to pull off double Buckshot in one turn.
I also like that the Yamada/Nagato switch finally came up. I planned this basically from the start, so I liked that I was finally able to reveal that Yamada does have some genuine goodness to him deep down, and that Nagato was really far more self-serving in the end.
A long time ago, I had some kind of specific inspiration for the Lightning Chasers, but I've entirely forgotten by this point. It's too bad since I'm sure it was neat trivia, but alas, we'll never know what it was. They would probably be fun to play with, even if they kind of have the War Rock problem if we look at them in the context of the modern game. Speaking of which, Kyoko found a way to make Runicks even worse.
This is going long, so I'll go ahead and end it here. Next time is the return of some favorite characters and the start of the final battle. Should be fun.
Thanks for reading. Share if you're enjoying. Always remember to get gas.