** Monster Duel Ex - Current Standings - Day One **

Crests Captured: 9 of 12.

Two Crests
Kao Umbreon (Santira [snake], Vajra [bull])
Bones Kazuka (Vikarala [pig], Kunbira [rat])

One Crest
Rika Nonaka (Makura [monkey])
Ash Ketchum (Indra [horse])
Takato Matsuki (Mihira [tiger])
Henry Wong (Antira [hare])
Joey Wheeler (Pajira [sheep])

~ ~ ~ ~


[Shogun Gecko Village || Central || 7:41 PM]


Henry closed his eyes, and the Duel Ark triggered in response to his motions. Slowly he curled his arms before him, bringing his opened palm to rest beside his face. He slid his right foot a few inches, and curled his knee until his leg was in the exact position he wanted it to be. Henry paused for a second, then swung his arm mightily while shooting hot breath from his nose. His hand sliced the air and came to a sudden halt. Henry turned with exacting grace, and threw a punch as he continued his martial arts kata. Henry's body moved on its own; he'd done this practice for so long, he could do it in his sleep. But while his body moved, his mind moved faster.

This is the Digital World. There's no question about it. This island's resolution is so high, that I feel like I'm dreaming. The colors are so vivid. Henry punched and dragged his foot through the dirt as he entered the second quarter of his dance.

We were made to believe that the island and its inhabitants were holograms, created for our amusement. But they're not. They're digital life forms. Another punch. Henry kicked, and dirt flew through the air. For a moment, Henry could see the dirt moving so slowly that he could count each individual particle before the batch hit the ground. Henry's mind shook away the effect, and the dirt fell to the ground almost instantly. He shouldn't be able to do that. Nevertheless, that was why he was doing this kata. He was warming up his body and mind for a real test of the Duel Ark and its limits.

Ryo was the first of us to realize the nature of the Digital World. He told us when we first met him. Another punch, another kick.

Renamon also explained its nature to us upon our arrival. Our first taste of it was when we found ourselves walking through nothingness. Jeri began to wonder which way was down, and only when she picked a direction did gravity kick in. From there, we learned more of the Digital World's nature. We learned that as data, our bodies were nothing more than extensions of our minds, and extensions of the data floating around us. We could do anything we wanted, as long as we were willing to try.

As Henry reached the end of his dance, he resumed it from the first step and increased the speed at which he moved. With each punch, kick, and twirl, his body loosened up and his mind released its constraints. Martial arts, the art of taking your body and mind to the ultimate levels, was the natural path to take when experimenting with something like this. Henry just had to push himself, and he'd be ready to learn about these devices.

What limits do we have? Can we use our thoughts to create anything we want? Do anything we want? How strong can the machines be? Henry started to sweat, but he ignored his fatigue. If he ignored his fatigue, it might go away just like the need for food and water. Henry continued his kata, and when he reached the end he increased his speed yet again. Now he was moving quickly, dashing in circles and attacking invisible foes. Sweat lined his face and fell as he danced. The Duel Ark hummed, and continued to increase its power output. The ark was giving him the strength to continue, when normally he would have collapsed.

These monsters can kill us without a thought. What could they do if someone used it on a person off the island. Someone without an ark to protect them? Henry sped up still further, moving at blinding speed until he punched the air with finality. He was motionless, panting and sweating from his exertion. Slowly, he stood up straight and looked down at his gloved hand.

These arks... they're not just for a game. They're tools of war. I'm sure of it.

Henry looked down at his Duel Ark, and slowly drew the top card of his deck. It was "Musyamon", a Champion level warrior designed like a samurai and given decent statistics. The monster bowed low as its body crackled with lightning, signifying its weakness from being summoned without digivolving it normally. Even outside of battle, it was unable to avoid being weakened. Henry stared at the silent creature and considered its nature.

"What are you," Henry said firmly.

The Duel Ark displayed a data readout. MUSYAMON. CARD NUMBER ST-20. DEMON MAN DIGIMON. CHAMPION VIRUS TYPE.

Henry frowned and pressed a series of keys to deactivate the Help function on his device. He then returned his attention to the monster.

"I want you to speak." He was still looking at the digimon. Musyamon remained hunched over. No answer came.

"I know you're not just a hologram," Henry continued. "You're something more. You look like a Digimon, but whether you really are or not is difficult to say. Joey says you might be an illusion created by some mythical realm and dark magic. And at this point, I'm ready to believe anything." Henry knelt before the creature, and pulled out his deck to sift through it. He found one of his option cards, the "Energy Surge", and used it immediately. It immediately negated the weakness in the Digimon's body.

Musyamon looked up as its pain disappeared. He went into an upright position and began the rhythmic battle sway that was programmed into all the monsters. It said nothing and didn't seem to register Henry's presence, or the lack of monsters in the area. It waited for a command.

Henry remained on his knees. "I want you to speak."

Nothing happened. Musyamon continued swaying, apparently oblivious to its surroundings.

"Attack." At this command, Musyamon looked around slowly, then returned to swaying. Henry repeated his command, but was more specific. "Attack this tree." He indicated a tree beside the hut he was training behind.

Musyamon instantly drew his sword and chopped the tree in half. The tree split, slowly fell to the ground, and both parts disintegrated into millions of pixels. Musyamon then rushed backwards and resumed his sway.

The guard dog that kills on command. Regardless of what it's attacking. Henry frowned and removed Musyamon's card from the active slot. The monster disappeared from view. Henry placed the cards he'd used in his deck and headed back to camp.


~ ~ ~ ~


Joey waved his hands for the umpteenth time, and thrust them forward. "Ah-la peanut butter sandwiches!" He imagined piles of gold and treasure, and prayed with all his might that what he imagined would come true. When he opened his eyes, there was nothing. He slumped to the ground. "Ah, man."

"It doesn't work that way," Henry reminded him as he watched.

"How do you know?" Joey replied. "If you can breath underwater and summon monsters with these things, then making gold should be easy." Joey spoke his magic chant again, but again nothing appeared.

"I don't know what these things are capable of, but I doubt they can make things appear out of thin air. You're probably better off trying to change something else into gold."

"Like in that Aladdin movie? The one with the Hand of Mazda or something?"

Henry suppressed a groan. "Midas. The Hand of Midas." He knew more than he wanted to about Disney movies, thanks to his sister and her obsession with that company's anime... err, animation. Disney had a lot of "pretty princess" stories.

"Okay, it's worth a try." Joey twirled his fingers and pointed at a random rock. "Ala-kazam! Change into a diamond!"

Both boys waited expectantly, but nothing happened. The rock was still a rock.

Henry frowned. "Maybe the Duel Arks are programmed to allow only certain kinds of changes. Like those related to survival and using the cards."

"Aww..." Joey groaned. "I was hoping to make a tiara for Serenity. Magic blows."

"This isn't magic. It's science... I think." Henry stood up and thought about his heart. Tentatively, he willed it to slow down, until it stopped beating entirely. Henry's heart was motionless, and yet Henry was still alive. The boy quickly started his heart again. "Or maybe it's an illusion. Holograms and sensory tricks of the highest order."

"I guess. But if they're holograms that can kill ya and fill up your belly, why bother saying their holograms? You might as well call them real." Joey munched on his apple, which was part of the holographic environment until he plucked it during their travels. "Or at least say its magic."

"That's what Digimon and the Digital World represented. The vague barrier between reality and dreams. Liminality." Henry drew a random card from his deck and set it. A Rare Digimon called Bahamon appeared. Henry returned the card to his deck, and the creature again faded from view. Henry set another card, and watched it fade from view when he removed it.

Joey finished off his apple and tossed the core over his shoulder. "We'd better get some sleep so we can get up bright and early. We've gotta tournament to win. And we've gotta find those people that have two Crests and take them down a notch."

"...Right." Henry replied without enthusiasm. Joey curled up by the fire and rested his head on his folded arms. In no time flat, he was asleep.

Henry took a seat on one of the logs and grabbed his cell phone. He activated his speed dialer with the touch of a button, and got an answer almost immediately. "Hello?"

"Rika, it's me. I just wanted to check and see if you were feeling better." Henry had heard about how Rika was attacked by a wild Tentacruel, and narrowly escaped thanks to her traveling companion.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Ash is still not feeling well, so he's sleeping while his clothes are drying."

"So you have a naked man in camp with you? Rika, I thought you weren't like that?"

"Shut up! It's not like I care. Besides, he has a blanket on top of him so I can't..."

Henry laughed at Rika's resulting embarrassment. "It's okay. Just remember that after the incident with Ryo, you're vulnerable. Don't do anything you'll regret later."

Rika paused. Henry wished he could see what she was doing over there. Was she looking at the sleeping boy, or was she lost in thoughts of Ryo?

"I'll be careful. But I don't know... if I should be alone with him or not."

"He's a pervert, then?"

"No. It's me I'm worried about this time. I don't know what I'm feeling right now."

Henry sighed dreamily, which had the desired effect of making Rika fume. "Ah, young love. So will it be the massage treatment, or a sensual bath in the wild?"

"Look Wong, just because I've broken up with Ryo doesn't mean I'm lusting after men like a dog in heat. I'm just saying I'm a little confused right now. And I was hoping you could help me, but if you're going to act this way then never mind."

"Come on, you know I'm teasing." Henry saw Joey rolling around in agitation, and decided to move out of camp so that he didn't wake the teen up. "I'm always concerned about you. I worry about you more than I do Suzy, which is saying a lot."

"Suzy doesn't think about boys yet though. You'll have your hands full trying to keep her on the straight and narrow, I'm sure."

A steady chirp filled Henry's ear. He recognized it as his phone's Call Waiting feature. "Hang on, I'm getting another call. Probably the little princess herself."

"Okay. I need to move Ash's clothes anyway. Tell her 'Hi' for me."

Henry pushed the Call Waiting button. "Hello?" There was nothing but static for a moment, but it cleared up at random intervals and revealed the sound of breathing. "Hello?"

"H...Henry..."

"Jeri? What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

There were some sounds of whimpering, making Henry's skin crawl. "Help... me..." A loud roar like a tyrannosaurus filled the background, and the connection was cut. Henry frantically called out to Jeri, but no answer came. He brought Rika back to the line.

"So is Suzy doing well?"

"Jeri's in trouble!" Henry shouted. "It sounds like she's hurt!"

"Jeri!? W-where is she!?"

"She didn't say! The line cut off before I could get an answer."

"Takato should still be with her. Use the ark to track him! I'll do the same."

"Right!" Henry lowered his cell phone and punched a rapid series of commands into his battling glove. "Show me Takato Matsuki's location!"

Instantly, a massive holographic map appeared of the whole island. Henry's location was displayed in the northern-central sector, while Takato's location was being searched for. Finally, a yellow dot appeared in the west sector at a place a few kilometers away from En'Dal. Henry dispelled the map with the wave of his Ark and returned his attention to the cell phone.

"Mihira Dungeon!" Henry said.

"That's what I got too. It looks like you're closer than I am. I'll try to get there as soon as possible."

"Use Kyuubimon if you have to. Just make sure you get there quickly. Jeri's life may be at risk." Henry hung up the phone and ran to where Joey was sleeping. "Wake up!"

Joey slumbered peacefully. "Mmm... so many pizzas... thank you Mai."

"Wake up!!" Henry shouted. Joey awoke with a start, his eyes half closed and his hair in disarray.

"What do ya wan'?" he murmured. "E-was such a nice dream." Joey punctuated the sentence with a yawn.

"A friend of mine is in trouble. We have to get to Mihira Dungeon as soon as possible. I... need your help." Henry didn't want to say that, because it would give Joey more of a reason to tag along with him.

Joey smirked. "Is that so? I guess I can save that dream for later." The teen jumped to his feet, held down the Auto-Shuffle button on his Duel Ark, and named the card he wanted. "Red Eyes, Black Dragon!" His deck shuffled instantly and brought the named card to the top of his deck, and immediately thrust it into the active slot automatically. Red Eyes appeared in a flash of fire and brimstone, and landed in the midst of camp with a rumble. The dragon roared mightily, ready to take on anything and everything.

"Come on, let's go!" Joey jumped onto the creature's back, and extended his hand to the tamer. "Let's go find this friend of yours."

Henry nodded in approval and took Joey's hand. The boy held onto Joey tightly as the Red Eyes leapt into the sky. Joey let out a cowboy's cry as they soared high into the sky and raced over the tree line.

"Slow down!" Henry cried above the roar of the wind.

"Why!? We're safe! There's nothing to run into up here!" Joey's dragon roared in agreement, and picked up speed. The trees passed beneath them quickly, and soon they were flying over a vast plain that would lead them to En'Dal, and the dungeon near it.

"Look at that," Joey said in amazement. Henry risked opening his eyes to do so. On the horizon was a plume of smoke, as if a missile or atomic bomb had gone off. The city of En'Dal appeared to be intact, but the wilderness around it was in flames and littered with destruction.

"Jeri... Takato..." The tamer felt himself trembling. He was sure that the two were somewhere in that inferno.

"Red Eyes, be ready to fight. Even if a Blue Eyes is in there somewhere, we're fighting to the very end!" The dragon roared, and swooped higher into the sky in order to pick up on the thermal currents above.

The dragon swooped over En'Dal, allowing Joey and Henry to survey the scene. The city was in a panic over the destruction, and people were running through the streets like mad. There even seemed to be a crew of firemen in the guise of humanoid turtle pokemon with powers over water. Even stranger, they seemed to be wearing cool shades and had a flag to represent their squad.

"All-righty then," Joey said unsurely. "Are we going to join those people down there, or fly in by ourselves?"

"Do you have to ask?" Henry replied. "My friends are in danger. We have to save them NOW."

"I thought you'd say that!" Joey held the scruff of his dragon as tightly as possible and ordered it to head into the inferno. Red Eyes obeyed without hesitation, and swooped down through the flames without fear. They disappeared into the fire, and made their way to the center of the destruction.


~ ~ ~ ~


[Merry-Go Town]


Yugi groaned in his sleep. Sakura watched him anxiously as Mokuba made several calls nearby. Nobody on the island or at Kaiba Corp seemed to have information on the systems that ran this island, and that made the boy even more suspicious of everything related to this competition – including his older brother. Kaiba was up to something here, and Mokuba wanted to know what.

"He's dreaming," Sakura said. "It must be a bad dream."

Mokuba glanced at the girl, but was dragged back into his phone conversation before he could make a reply. Sakura tentatively reached for Yugi's puzzle, and calmly grabbed it. It sparkled lightly, and made a warm glow.

Sakura's memory flashed an image of Clow Reed, the creator of her unique card game and a fan of ancient artifacts and legends concerning magic. He was fond of ancient history, and included many stories of ancient artifacts in his memoirs. Sakura had read them often, finding that they helped her understand more about her place in the world.

Sakura reached into her pocket and drew her deck of Clow Cards. The Clow Cards were not meant to be collectible like the other games sponsored by Industrial Illusions. They were a recreation of an ancient game played by magicians in Medieval times. With the popularity of Duel Monsters and Digimon, the game was all but forgotten. Sakura was the only Cardcaptor on the island, or so Kaiba had told her. He said nobody else was dumb enough to play such a boring game. But Sakura doubted she was the only Cardcaptor in the world. She felt deep in her heart... her digital mainframe, that the past she'd tried so hard to remember was connected to these cards. And only by finding another Cardcaptor would she be able to learn her true origins. And only with Mokuba's help could she do that.

Yugi shuddered, as if a cold wind had washed over him. Sakura retracted her hand in shock, but the boy made no further movements. Yugi resumed his distressing sleep, oblivious to the world around him. Sakura again reached out and touched the puzzle, and again that warm glow was there. She saw Clow Reed again, and the image slowly drained away to reveal a quaint Japanese town. Children played in the streets, and girls were going to school together. Sakura saw a girl in skating gear, riding through town with a smile on her face. The girl looked like her, but there was no way that could be true. Sakura never rode skates or went to school. She was a robot, mass produced for entertainment. She was not a real girl.

"You understand, don't you," Sakura whispered. "What it feels like to be alone. I can feel the emptiness inside you. It... doesn't have to be that way. Mokuba has shown me how it feels to be loved. We can do the same thing for you."

Mokuba walked over and put a hand on Sakura's before removing it from the puzzle entirely. Sakura looked up at him apologetically.

"Yugi is the only duelist whose ever beaten my brother in a fair fight. Pegasus is the only other duelist ever to beat him." Mokuba sat on the side of the bed and checked Yugi's temperature, only to find it was still feverishly high. "Yugi has a dark side to him. A powerful, dangerous side. He may look innocent now, but when he duels..." Mokuba shivered at the thought. "It's like watching a demon."

Sakura frowned at the sleeping boy. "An avenging angel... alone in the world."

Mokuba watched the girl as she stared sympathetically onto Yugi's face. He cleared his throat, and brought her out of her dreamy state. "You'd better get some rest. I've called in a helicopter that will pick us up around midnight. Zero will just have to do without his prized duelBot."

Sakura nodded. "I guess I won't need these, will I." She indicated the Clow Cards in her hands.

"...Keep them. They are important to you, aren't they?" Sakura nodded again. "Then they are yours."

Sakura slowly looked down at the cards, and clutched them tightly to her chest. She felt warm again, though not as strongly as she had when she touched Yugi's puzzle. These cards had special value to her, though she didn't know why. One day, she would find out. "Thank you Mokuba... for everything."

The boy smiled lightly, showing the prettier side of him. Most of the time he had harsh expressions like his older brother, but Sakura would sometimes see the beautiful side of him. His smiles were always soothing.

"I'll be sleeping on the floor again." The young Kaiba went into the next room, and closed the door quietly. Sakura smiled fondly at him.

Sakura pocketed her cards, and stood up. She bowed to the teen on the bed. "Good night, Yugi Muto." As she turned to join Mokuba in the next room, a strange power surged through the room. It was like a rush of heat, followed by a low rumble like thunder. When Sakura turned around, the bed was empty.

"....Yugi?"


~ ~ ~ ~


[Mihira Ruins]

Red Eyes landed amidst the burning wreckage of the ruins. Henry promptly dismounted and raced for the closest body. It turned out to be Seto Kaiba, perhaps the greatest duelist in the world according to the entertainment magazines and publishers. Joey followed more sedately, after ordering his Red Eyes to wait and watch.

"Kaiba," Joey grumbled. "Looks like somebody cleaned his clock."

"They tore his clock to bits." Henry touched the duelist's neck and waited. "His heart is still beating. Barely."

"Unnhh..." Kaiba moaned slightly before opening his eyes. The first thing he saw was Joey's fierce glare. "Wheeler...?"

"What nest of hornets did you stir up this time, Kaiba? Whatever you did, it looks like you got what you deserved."

Kaiba slowly turned his head, first left and then right, before looking back at Joey. "What is this place? Where... am I?"

"You're at what used to be Mihira Dungeon," Henry said. "My friends are in trouble. Did you attack them?"

"I don't know." Kaiba groaned as he pulled himself to a sitting position with much effort. "The last thing I remember... I was at Kaiba Corp, talking on the phone to someone from Industrial Illusions. After that, everything is a blur."

Joey looked around, and caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure. "Henry." The boy stood up and looked in the same direction. The figure disappeared into the fire.

"That might be the culprit," Henry murmured. "If it is, he has some explaining to do."

"I'll take care of Kaiba," Joey said. "I'll catch up." Henry nodded, and raced deeper into the ruins.

Kaiba looked up at Joey, and sighed. "Of all the people to be rescued by. I guess that makes you a golden retriever like Lassie, eh puppy dog?"

Joey gritted his teeth. "Just because I'm saving you doesn't mean I have to treat you nicely." Joey yanked Kaiba to his feet and dragged him to his Red Eyes to recuperate.


~ ~ ~ ~


Henry slowly stepped through what used to be the end of the dungeon. The marble floor was shattered to pieces, and the walls were barely intact. The ceiling was shattered by whatever force caused the destruction, and the fires surrounded the dungeon with smoke. Henry looked around, and saw another body on the floor. This time, it was a familiar face.

"Takato!" The tamer rushed over and slid to his knees, before cradling the wounded boy. "Takato!"

Henry listened for the boy's breath, but there was none. He instantly put a finger on the boy's neck, and listened for a heart beat. And listened. And listened. Takato's heart was not beating. He was...

"No! Takato, get up dammit!" Henry lowered the boy to the ground and started administering CPR, first by putting pressure on his chest. After several beats, he put his lips to the boy's mouth and breathed deeply. He gave Takato two deep breaths before resuming the pumping on his chest. "Takato, wake up!!"

After a second round of breathing, Henry listened for a heartbeat. Still none.

Henry's eyes were in tears now. "Takato... come on, wake up..." Slowly, the boy's head sagged and fell to his friend's chest.

"A pity, that," said a new voice. "He died before I could extract his Ka."

Henry slowly looked up, only to see a man standing there with an unconscious Jeri in his grasp. He was dressed in a flowing black robe that looked like the wings of a giant bat. He wore a tight black body suit with demonic symbols covering it like tattoos. The man's hair was black with red highlights and bangs that surrounded his face like thorns. Hanging around his neck was a large pendant made of ebony shaped like an upside pyramid, and at its center was a glowing Egyptian eye. His facial features were obscured by a golden mask that was styled like that of an Egyptian pharaoh.

Henry shot to his feet, his eyes still filled with tears. "What have you done to my friends!?"

"Aren't you supposed to ask who I am, first?" Jeri remained limp in his arms, but she was breathing slightly. She was injured, but alive.

"I don't care who you are!" Henry flexed his arm to reveal his Duel Ark, and it primed instantly. "Put Jeri down!"

The man chuckled. "...Well since you didn't ask, my name is Zero. I am the liaison for this tournament. And I'm afraid that your friend didn't make the cut." Zero held his left hand up, and his puzzle glowed with an evil red light. The light shot into the ground, and spread out into a circle of red light with many Egyptian symbols at its edges.

"And I'm afraid you won't either. Fight me if you dare, but if you lose I will claim the Ka sleeping inside you. Is that understood?"

"The... Ka?" 'Ka' was the name given to Duel Monsters in this crossover tournament. Why would Henry have a monster inside him? Or did it have another meaning?

"If you are ready... we can begin." Zero's puzzle flared with light and let out a high-pitched whistle, and the summoning circle at his feet caused the wind around him to swirl like a tornado. His cape whipped about, and his eyes glowed with evil intent.



** Zero (Ebon Puzzle): 9999 LP **

"What kind of freak are you!" Henry shouted. "You're hurting innocent people just for a game!"

"It's not just a game, you fool," Zero said with amusement. "It's a system of magic, greater than the sum of its parts. It is the product of Ultimate Compatibility." As he said this, a massive tablet appeared behind him, depicting a swordsman with pointed ears and ancient armor. The tablet glowed brightly, and from the light came a spirit that formed into the shape of the monster on the tablet. The Celtic Guardian brought his sword to bear, and stood at the ready. [1400/1200, SPD 12]

Ultimate Compatibility. Henry quickly drew his hand and played his first monster – an insect digimon named Kokuwamon that buzzed around his master. [1750/1300, SPD 30]

"Attack!!" Kokuwamon shot forward to meet the Celtic Guardian in battle, and the Guardian charged as well. Kokuwamon struck at the creature, but the swordsman blocked and evaded the insect's attacks with amazing skill. Henry couldn't understand how that could be, since Kokuwamon's attributes were all higher than the swordsman's.

Zero chose to enlighten him. "Warriors are resistant to Insect-types, my friend. Meaning that your fly is easy pickings for my slave." As he said this, the guardian scored a hit on Kokuwamon and sliced into its armor. The insect's armor held up against the attack and did little more than knock it back. The bug bounced off the ground and pressed its attack.

What he didn't say was that my Insect is also resistant to his Warrior, Henry noted. This stalemate will continue forever unless I do something. Time for a change of pace. "Kokuwamon, fly up into the air out of his reach!" The digimon rose as high as it could and swirled around the tattered ceiling of the dungeon.

"Fine by me. Celtic Guardian, attack him directly!" Zero's monster brought its attention to Henry, and rushed forward with its sword held high. When the guardian was halfway across the battlefield, Henry slashed a card from his hand.

"Sky Attack!" Three balls of light flew from the Duel Ark and entered Kokuwamon up above, just as the creature began a dive straight towards Henry's position. Henry remained motionless, his teeth gritted tightly as the Celtic Guardian drew close. Just as the swordsman was about to slice him in half, Kokuwamon rammed the monster with all its might and cut into it with its mandibles. The Sky Attack scored a direct hit and dealt massive damage to the beast before cutting it in half.



** Zero: 6999 LP **



The tablet hovering behind Zero shattered as the Ka inside it was destroyed. Zero felt the pain of its destruction as if it were his own, and his summoning circle shimmered lightly to reflect the pain as well. Slowly, he rose to his feet and stood fully erect again. Jeri was still in his arms.

Zero seemed pleased by Henry's moves, even though his life points had suffered greatly from the assault. "Well done. Your spirit is indeed strong. Your Ka must be even stronger..."

Henry's Kokuwamon hovered beside him. "Let go of Jeri now, and I promise I won't hurt you when this is over." Henry's violent streak was starting to take over.

"...Unfortunately, I cannot promise you the same mercy. I'm keeping this girl. As long as Exodia resides within her, she is more valuable to me than anything else." Zero raised his hand again, and another tablet appeared behind him. This one was a much larger warrior than the last, and he even had a war horse to support him. The monster appeared on the field, and brandished his javelins menacingly.

"Gaia, the Fierce Knight!" Zero lifted his other hand, and another tablet appeared behind him. This one was not a monster, but an image of two pedestals that shot a bright light into the heavens. This one manifested by turning the environment into a deep, black void with purple storm clouds up above. The world around them seemed to literally change thanks to the tablet's effects. "And the Chaos Field, to transform him into the Black Luster Soldier!!"

A Chaos Field? There was a card like that in the Digimon card game, which helped to power up those Digimon that were classified as "nightmare soldiers". The knight in front of Henry's opponent was changing into a steedless warrior with a feminine figure and powerful weaponry. When the transformation was complete, the powerful Gaia had changed into the magnificent Black Luster Soldier. [3000 / 2500, SPD 24]

Okay, time to do something. Henry quickly removed Kokuwamon from play, and slashed a card called Partner Egg. The option card brought a symbol egg to the field, green in color and innocent in appearance. The Black Luster Soldier looked down at it, and seemed to scoff it.

"...A Partner Egg," Zero mused. "You are trying to summon your partner in the hopes that it can defeat my monster." Henry said nothing in reply. Zero already seemed to know that that was the case. "It's too bad your egg won't survive to hatch."

Black Luster Soldier leapt into the air and brought its sword down with unparalleled force. As the soldier was about to destroy the egg, Henry slashed a card in its defense.

"Mega Gargomon, quick defense!" The spirit of the massive digimon swooped down and knocked the soldier aside with ease. [DEF 3300]

The soldier flipped across the field and landed in a kneeling position beside Zero and his summoning circle. The spirit of Mega Gargomon hovered there momentarily, waiting for any further attacks. Zero didn't bother to press the assault, as it would do little more than waste his monster's energy.

"You're wasting your time," Zero said. "Since you've sacrificed your partner's strongest evolution, your chances of defeating me are even lower."

"We'll see." Henry watched as his egg hatched, and Terriermon's pre-evolutionary form appeared. Zerimon blew a few bubbles and bounced around to announce its arrival. [450/350, SPD 10 – Baby monsters cannot be attacked or targeted by effects.]

"...How cute," Zero taunted. "Your prized defender is nothing more than a false wall. Granted, Black Luster Soldier cannot attack it, but we can attack you as much as we like. And if you order the baby to protect you, it will die just like any other monster."

Zerimon hopped onto Henry's shoulder and slid into the folds of his jacket to hide. Henry remained focused on his foe. "I would never do that. I love Terriermon. Which is more than most players can say about their monsters."

"Just what I would expect from one of the famous Digimon Tamers." Zero's monster rose and readied its weapon. "Just because you spend a few months with talking monsters, you become attached to them as if they were living things. Monsters are not alive. They need the souls of their masters in order to be even remotely sentient."

"Terriermon and I share the same soul," Henry growled. "That is why we love each other. And that is why we're going to crush you for hurting our friends!!" Zerimon leapt into the air, and Henry's Duel Ark shook violently as power raced through it.

Zerimon glowed with the same light that was emanating from the Duel Ark, and flashed through its intermediary level to become Terriermon. The rookie digimon landed on its feet in the center of the shadow field, and struck a dramatic pose before doing a two-clawed salute.

"Terriermon is back, baby!" The digimon then flashed the V-for-Victory sign before noticing the abnormally large soldier standing in front of him. "Whoa... big momma..."

** Henry: 800 LP **

Henry panted as he felt a wave of exhaustion. He fell to one knee, and tried to regain his breath. His eyes were locked on the Digimon ahead of him. "Terrier...mon...?"

"Not now!" the floppy-eared hero shouted. Terriermon leapt out of the way as the Black Luster Soldier attacked fiercely. Only Terriermon's speed kept him from becoming sushi. "We've got an angry chick to trounce!"

"You bet we do!" Henry took a card from his hand and slashed it. "Digivolution, activate!!"

"Terriermon, digivolve to...!" The rookie rushed across the field and started a leaping kick midway through his transformation. Just as he finished the digivolution, his foot connected with the Soldier and sent her flying through the air. "...Gargomon!!" [2150/1950, SPD 15]

Zero fumed at his soldier, but quickly controlled his rage. He looked into the eyes of his young opponent. "So your monster has broken free of my control matrix. This could prove interesting." Black Luster Soldier rushed across the field and sliced into Gargomon, sending showers of blood in all directions and knocking the digimon onto its back. [HP == 1950]

"Gargomon!!" Henry shouted. He dared not move though, as that would put him in the line of fire. And in a monster battle, that was the worst thing a fragile human could do.

"I-I think I'm okay." The champion pulled himself to his feet as Black Luster Soldier swayed mechanically opposite him. "This chick is making me mad though."

"Let's show her what you've got! Digivolve again!" Henry slashed another Digivolution card, and Gargomon's outer appearance shattered like glass to reveal Rapidmon underneath. [2800 / 2250, SPD 19] The ultimate shot across the field like a bullet and rammed the soldier with his shoulder, sending them both tumbling into the wall of the ruined dungeon.

He's vulnerable! Henry drew the topmost card of his deck to refill his hand and slashed it when he saw it was a monster card. "Gorillamon!!" Henry lifted the palm of his gloved hand and aimed it straight at Zero. Gorillamon's spirit flew forth like a rocket. Zero was about to get a face-full of fur! [ATK 2200]

Gorillamon's attack connected with the edge of Zero's summoning circle, but went no further. The spirit was knocked back with startling force and dispelled just as quickly. The circle swirled about slowly, uninterrupted by Gorillamon's attack. Zero chuckled in amusement.

"A good plan, but you forget who you're dealing with. Any summoner can throw a monster at the enemy for a quick attack, but only a few of us can resist that attack." Zero lifted his hands, and a third tablet appeared beside Gaia's. This tablet had the image of a man wielding a staff and dressed in flowing robes, like a magician.

Henry gritted his teeth. If he mistimed his defense, this would hurt.

"Dark Magician!!" Zero's summoning circle flared with power, and he extended his hand as Henry had done before. A Dark Magician dressed in shadow-black robes flew from his tablet at great speed, and twirled a scythe-wand as he prepared for the final blow of the battle.

NOW!! Henry slashed Musyamon's card, and the samurai spirit rushed to intercept the attack. Musyamon was obliterated, and Henry flew backwards from the resulting backlash. His life points suffered, and his head throbbed from the pain it caused.



** Henry: 50 LP **



The Dark Magician's tablet lowered to the ground and fell face-down. Its effect was used up, for the moment.

Rapidmon felt the pain as well, and that pain turned into rage. He continued to grapple with the Black Luster Soldier, slowly gaining ground as he powered up his thrusters and slowly floated into a hovering position. With the higher leverage, Rapidmon was able to twist her arms and throw her with all his might. The soldier rolled across the ground, and Rapidmon took the opportunity to blast her with a flurry of rockets from his primary weapons. He didn't bother to wait for the dust to settle, because he knew she would be alive even after a point-blank attack.

"Henry!!" The ultimate zoomed across the field and rushed at Zero. He ran into the man's summoning circle, but he didn't stop his assault. He beat on the barrier mercilessly, sending sparks of light flying every time he connected with it. Finally, Zero grew tired of this and held up his hand. A powerful force erupted from his palm, and Rapidmon was flung back with enough speed to shatter the wall he crashed into.

"...Foolish, and ineffective. Those who possess the power of the summoning circle cannot be beaten by simply pummeling them. My defenses are impenetrable unless you reduce my strength."

Henry slowly stood up, his body still aching from the prior attack. "Rapidmon... his LPB is far too powerful for us to penetrate. Go after the Luster Soldier!"

"Right buddy!" Rapidmon whirled around as the monster in question strolled through the dust. The knight was battered and bruised, but still in motion. And she seemed to be smirking.

"You're pretty cute, for a mindless killing machine." Rapidmon closed his legs and extended his arms to form a Y-shape, and focused his energies as he called on his special attack. "TRI-Beam!!" A rainbow-colored triangle started materializing in front of him.

"Spellbinding Circle!" Zero threw up his hands, and a new tablet appeared where the Dark Magician's tablet used to be. A pentagram appeared beneath the ultimate digimon, who found himself unable to move.

"What the heck? Get this thing off of me, cheater!" The pentagram rose until it was at Rapidmon's midsection, and spread its magic to encompass his whole body and his budding Tri-Beam attack. Rapidmon was totally paralyzed, and his attack dissipated without effect.

** Rapidmon's ATK and DEF drop by 700. || ATK == 2100. DEF == 1550. **



"No!!" Henry frantically searched his hand, but he didn't have any cards in his hand that could get rid of a paralysis effect. If Rapidmon couldn't move, he would be creamed in no time, and Henry's life points would drop to zero. Jeri would be taken, and he would likely suffer the same fate as Takato.

"You... bastard!!" Henry shouted. Although he was helpless, he wouldn't die quietly.

"You fought well, boy. But your Ka now belongs to me." Black Luster Soldier calmly walked over to where Henry stood, and lifted her sword like an executioner. Soon, it would all be over.

"CEASE AND DESIST, OR YOUR ASS IS MINE." Black Luster Soldier whirled around, only to find the ugliest android she'd ever seen. Henry couldn't believe it when he saw Joey standing behind such a powerful monster. The expression on his face was dead serious – something Henry thought was impossible.

"...Joey?"

"I thought you could use a little help." Joey bit his thumb and thrust it at the masked man. "Especially against Dracula here." Jinzo crossed his arms and stood like an imposing statue.

"As if your presence matters," Zero chided. "Black Luster Soldier's powers are mightier than your machine's." Henry examined his Duel Ark to confirm the truth of his statement.


Jinzo, the Android Psycho Shocker.
** Dark / Machine / Ka
** PWR LVL 6 / HP 1200
** ATK 2400 / DEF 1500 / SPD 18

He's right, Henry noted. The Black Luster Soldier is much stronger than Joey's monster. What's he thinking? Is he... throwing himself in the line of fire to protect me, even though he can't win?

Joey smirked like the confident street punk he was. "Go ahead and talk big while you can. Because Jinzo is going to smoke you and your Soldier."

"I will deal with you later," Zero said. "Step aside so that I can finish off the boy."

"...You actually expect me to do that?" Joey stayed put. The Black Luster Soldier stared down at him menacingly, her sword in perfect line with his nose.

"...Then it's your loss. At that range, even your Duel Ark cannot protect you from decapitation. Your life will end." Zero lifted his hand, and Black Luster Soldier brought her sword up high. Joey shouted a word just as the sword came down at blistering speed.

The blade paused just above Joey's nose. The duelist was unphased, as he knew what the outcome of the attack had been. It took a second, but the Soldier's body eventually dissipated into a cloud of ash. She'd been incinerated instantly.

Only then did the backlash hit Zero. The force of the damage was so strong that he was knocked off his feet, and his concentration was broken. Jeri was flung to the side and landed against the edge of the summoning circle. The circle stopped spinning and faded from view. Zero growled from the intense pain in his head. How had so much damage been dealt to the Black Luster Soldier!?



** Zero: 4699 LP **



Jinzo tapped Rapidmon on the forehead, and instantly the trap effect that paralyzed him was negated. The Spellbinding Circle, and its tablet, shattered into a million pieces.

"I can move!" Rapidmon exclaimed.

"Get him!!" Henry and Joey shouted in unison. Both Jinzo and Rapidmon launched their special attacks as quickly as they could. A split-second before impact, Zero's head shot up and his powerful, ancient eyes connected with the attacks. His summoning circle flared to life, and the attacks were block in the nick of time. Flickers of flame danced off the circle's edge.

"Dammit!" Joey growled. "What's it going to take to beat this guy?"

Zero stood up and laughed loudly. "Well! I must say you've surprised me Joey."

The teen blinked. "You... know who I am?"

"For such a low-level duelist, you have some interesting monsters! I don't recall this one being in your deck at Duelist Kingdom."

A sparkle touched Henry's eye. Duelist Kingdom? Is he a Duelist like Joey?

"I can make Jinzo by fusing Tristan's Cyber Commander and my Battle Warrior. I'm glad he let me borrow that card."

"I had forgotten that Jinzo's converted elements were Psychic and Steel," Zero continued. "Those elements are powerful in their own right, and nearly unstoppable when fused into one monster. Jinzo's elemental advantage allowed him to destroy my Soldier."

"Bingo. And I'm going to do the same thing to anything you play. Bring it!" Joey remained in front of Henry, while Jinzo laughed deeply and mechanically.

"A pleasure."


~ ~ ~ ~


Rika raced through the woods on Kyuubimon's back. The hologram jumped, ducked, and dashed around the trees like lightning, narrowly avoiding some of the wandering players. Ash clung to Rika's waist and held her tightly for support. Her shirt was still torn from the battle with Tentacruel, and she hadn't bothered to change afterwords. So having Ash's arms around her waist was exciting her more than it should have. Rika tried to focus on the crisis at hand. Jeri was in trouble, and Takato probably was too.

"I knew those two would get into trouble by themselves," the tamer grumbled. "But I didn't think they'd get hurt. I should have stayed with her."

"It doesn't matter. Let's just get there quickly."

Rika smirked. "I can do 'Quickly'." Rika held down her Auto-Shuffle button. "Speed Chip!" The card's slash effect was activated, and Kyuubimon's running speed nearly doubled. The hologram was running so fast that the surrounding woods were a blur, but amazingly they didn't hit a single obstacle. Kyuubimon's speed was only matched by her agility and reflexes.

"...We may be in for a fight when we get there," Rika warned. "Do you have your Ark this time?"

Ash sighed. "Yeah. I still hate using this thing. I'd rather just use my pokeballs, but rules are rules."

"You still want to win." Rika frowned slightly. "For Misty's sake."

"...Mostly. But right now, the only question on my mind is if I can protect my friends. This tournament will tell me if I can or not."

"In more ways than one. We may have to fight for our lives."

Rika guided Kyuubimon through the last of the forest trees before she shot out into a vast plain. Off in the distance was a city of holograms, and beyond it was the smoke plume that represented Mihira Dungeon. Or what was left of it. Rika urged Kyuubimon on, and the fox put everything she had into running.

"Kyuubimon's energy will be gone by the time we get there. She won't be able to fight." Rika frowned. "Without Kyuubimon, it'll be hard for Renamon to power up."

"Here." Ash reached into his pockets and held three cards to Rika. "Take these."

Rika looked at them as she took them. They were Pokemon cards – Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon. Rika examined the statistics and saw they were decent monsters, but why was Ash giving them to her? What use would Pokemon have in her deck?

"Trust me," the trainer said when he noticed her hesitation. "They should give your Renamon a nice boost." Ash slipped his deck into his Duel Ark. The device accepted his cards and their data.

"...Thanks Ash," Rika said. She didn't think she would need them, but it'd be nice to have other options if her Matrix Digivolution card didn't come up in a draw. She slipped the three cards into her deck, and the Auto-Shuffle function triggered. Kyuubimon remained in the active slot.

The storm clouds rolled above them, and thunder crackled as they approached the city. Darkness permeated the ground like a shadow, and the air was cold. Rika shivered a bit, remembering the same feeling when she fought Ice Devimon. The feeling of chilling darkness...

"Don't worry." Ash tightened his grip on her waste, his arms sending waves of warmth through her body. "They'll be alright. Everything will be fine."

Rika kept her face on the road ahead to hide her blush. "...Yeah. I just hope we get there in time."

~ ~ ~ ~


Jinzo stood calmly at Joey's side. A few meters away, Zero considered his next move. As long as Zero was protected by the summoning circle, he was immune to direct attacks that couldn't penetrate the LPB's defense. Zero was in control of the situation, and he knew it.

"Why are you even bothering?" Joey asked curiously. "I mean... I can't touch you. So why don't you just fly off?"

"Heh..." Zero smiled audibly. "A good question. If I want to keep my summoning circle active, I have to concentrate. And moving would break my concentration. So the best course of action is to wipe out your life points and force your Arks to deactivate."

"...And then kill us," the teen added.

"Maybe." Zero lifted his arms and summoned the next series of tablets. The leftmost tablet depicted a wolf howling at the sky. The other tablet was blank. The wolf beast appeared in a flash of light and snarled at the enemy Jinzo. [1200/800, SPD 24]

"What the heck is that?" Rapidmon asked.

"That's a Silver Fang," Joey mused. "Yugi used that monster back in the day. But this other tablet... there's nothing on it."

"It's not blank," Henry said weakly. He was clutching his chest and trying to catch his breath. "It's reversed."

"Reversed?" Joey echoed.

"...The picture is on the other side of the tablet. Zero will flip it when he uses it against you. Be careful."

Joey nodded in agreement. "If all he's playing is a wimpy Silver Fang, then he's definitely got some kind of trap waiting." Joey smiled as he looked at his own monster. "But as long as Jinzo's out, that doesn't make any difference. Jinzo will destroy any trap he springs before it's sprung! Right buddy?"

"BUTT-KICKING, VERSION TWO-POINT-OH." Jinzo extended his hand and powered up his psychic attack.

"H-how is this thing talking?" Henry said in amazement.

"Who cares!?" Rapidmon powered up his weaponry as well. "Let's just beat this guy!"

"Fire away, Jinzo!!" The monster launched his first volley of psychic attacks at Silver Fang, and Rapidmon followed suit. The beast jumped and roll, deftly avoiding the shots as they came near. Zero stood calmly as attacks whizzed by him, bouncing off the sides of his barrier only to explode in the surrounding countryside.

"Try again!" Joey ordered. Jinzo fired away, each time coming closer and closer to hitting the wolf, but each attack missed the monster by a hair. In seconds, Silver Fang was right at Jinzo's feet, and ready to pounce on the android.

"No!!" Joey shouted. His monster aimed right at Silver Fang's face and fired a wave of psychic energy, but Silver Fang leapt straight up to avoid it. The monster bounded over Jinzo and fell towards his prey – Henry.

"Kill him now!!" Zero ordered.

Silver Fang pounced, but failed to hit his intended target. Joey intercepted the beast at the last second with his own body, and started a wrestling match with the ferocious canine. Jinzo stood poised for attack, but did nothing. Henry wondered how that could be, since the holograms would attack regardless of where their player was. Was the machine... concerned?

"Get out of the way!" Rapidmon shouted. Like Jinzo, he could do nothing if Joey was in the line of fire.

Finally, Silver Fang scored a hit on the human. Joey yelled in pain as the beast chomped down on Joey's shoulder, spraying blood in several directions and causing him some real damage. Joey kicked as hard as he could, sending the wolf stumbling across the ground. Jinzo took the opening and blasted the wolf with all his might. Silver Fang was annihilated without difficulty. Zero was damaged, but he'd apparently done what he wanted to. Joey was winged, and in serious pain.



** Joey: 0 LP || Zero: 3099 LP **



"Joey!" Henry took off his own shirt and started ripping it up to make hasty bandages. He tried to stem the flow of blood from Joey's shoulder.

"I'm... okay," he lied. "I lost all my life points... because I freed Jinzo earlier. At least... he's free now."

Jinzo looked down at himself just before he disappeared from view. Even with his current state of sentience, it seemed that the monster could not survive without Joey's energy. The duelist tried to get up and continue the fight, but he could not manage. The teen fainted in Henry's arms.

"That's two friends down," Zero taunted as he stood up yet again. There was a trail of blood moving from the side of his mask. "Is there anyone else you wish to sacrifice to me? Or are you ready to give up your Ka?"

Henry trembled, in fear and in anger. Such a powerful force... Zero did not fear him or his digimon partner. How could he win this, when Zero's energy levels were still in the thousands and Henry's were just above the minimum? Henry knew that Rika was coming with her friend to help, but he had to stall until she got there. He just hoped he didn't end up like Joey. Or worse, like Takato.

Henry stood up, tears streaking down his face. Despite his sadness, his eyes were filled with ferocity. "I will fight you. And I will win."