Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Vanguard Generations

Chapter 17: Wrath of the Holy Knight

Right as he inserted two cards into his graveyard, his face-down card flipped up. "Dark Graceful Charity is a trap card that sends all cards discarded by magic cards from my graveyard back to my hand." The two discarded cards were spat back out and added to his hand. "I'm ready…with these cards, I will not only defeat Radiance this turn and nearly wipe out your life points, but I'll make sure that he never sees play again for the rest of this duel."

"As amusing as it may be for you to make such foolish boasts, I am in no mood to play along. Make your move or end your turn, either way you will lose all the same." Victoran's hand flexed tighter and tighter, the bones of his hand cracking as his own power started to push against his body. "I grow sick of this."

Shinsei snapped up a card from his hand. "I activate Polymerization!" A swirling vortex of energy appeared in the sky over their heads. "I fuse Elemental Heroes Shadowman and Necro Darkman together!" A red-skinned hero with a bone arm and a black-formed hero appeared on the field and then were pulled into the vortex. "Fusion summon! Elemental Hero Necro Lockman!" (1000/1200) A large red-skinned humanoid covered in chains which were bound together by a single giant key-lock hanging from its chest appeared on the field.

"Necro Lockman? Its attack power is only 1000, therefore even with the strength boost from your Skyscraper card, it would only have 2000 attack points. How do you expect to defeat Radiance for good with that kind of power?" Victoran felt his power subside within him, as he relaxed. This was no true threat to him.

"I don't." Shinsei placed another card onto his duel disk. "But the threat of defeat isn't from my Necro Lockman, but from this!" A giant bare-chested warrior with a huge sword over its shoulder appeared on the field. "I summon Elemental Hero Rageman!" (2000/0) "Rageman, attack Radiance now! Rage Slash!"

Radiance watched as the giant warrior leapt at him, sword drawn. "This must be a joke."

Shinsei felt his blood rushing through his body in his excitement. "No joke at all! When Rageman attacks an opponent's monster he gains half of that monster's attack until the end of the battle phase!" (3800/0)

Radiance widened his eyes and tried to block, but the blade of the superhero easily slashed through his defenses and blew him apart.

Victoran- 5100

Shinsei- 3350

Shinsei pointed at Victoran. "Necro Lockman, direct attack! Necro Chains!" The undead warrior snapped its hands into the earth and spiked chains exploded out of the ground around Victoran, binding his duel disk and body in place. "First the damage!" The chains tightened, cutting into his skin.

Victoran- 4100

Shinsei- 3350

Victoran's duel disk started to whine in protest as the chains forced themselves into its graveyard slot. A few seconds later the chains yanked themselves out, carrying a single card with them. It was Radiance's monster card. "No! What are you doing?"

Shinsei snickered as the chains locked Radiance's card to Necro Lockman. "Necro Lockman, when it deals you damage, allows me to select one monster from your graveyard and remove it from there, placing it under my monster. After that, every one of my standby phases, I may remove another monster from your graveyard and place it under Necro Lockman. During your standby phase, for every card I have under my monster, you take 100 points of damage!"

He pointed at Rageman, which exploded. "At the end of my battle phase, Rageman is destroyed. Also, during the turn that Rageman is destroyed I may send one continuous card on the field to the graveyard. End turn." The Allied Forces disappeared.

Victoran snarled and drew. "You won't lock my monster out!" A single spiked chain swiped across his chest, taking 100 life points from him.

Victoran- 4000

Shinsei- 3350

The noble slammed the drawn card into his duel disk. "I activate the magic card Swords of Revealing Light!" A storm of glowing green swords of light slammed down between their fields. "For my next three turns, you cannot attack. End turn."

Shinsei drew. "During my standby phase, I remove your Maiden that you lost at the beginning of the duel!" A card was yanked out of Victoran's graveyard and patched onto Necro Lockman. "End turn."

Victoran drew, trying to ignore the stinging pain from the chains that attacked him. ("Why are his attacks hurting me now? They barely affected me just an hour ago…")

Victoran- 3800

Shinsei- 3350

Looking at his drawn card, Victoran nodded calmly and placed it onto his disk. "I summon Blade Knight." (1600/1000) A silver-armored knight appeared on his field. "This monster, when I have one or fewer cards in my hand, has its attack increased by 400." (2000/1000) "Now Radiance will be freed with the defeat of your annoying hero! Blade Knight attack!" The knight charged forward and slashed Necro Lockman across the chest. However, nothing happened. "What?"

"Necro Lockman can remove one of his seized cards from the game to prevent himself from being destroyed because of an attack." Shinsei watched as the Maiden card disappeared. "Sorry, it's not quite that easy. On that note…" He smiled as Blade Knight was cut to shreds by a storm of chains. "Did you forget Skyscraper's effect?" (2000/1200)

Victoran's eyes widened. ("How could I have made that mistake?")

Shinsei drew. "I'll assume it's my turn, and remove your Blade Knight." The card was patched onto his Necro Lockman instantly. "End turn."

Victoran drew, wincing as those chains slashed him again.

Victoran- 3600

Shinsei- 3350

The noble Vanguard placed another card onto his disk. "I summon another Blade Knight, which has its attack power increased by 400." (2000/1000) Another of those silver knights appeared on his field. "End turn."

Shinsei drew, and one of the three Knights from before were removed and added to Necro Lockman. "Alright, it looks like things are going as planned. End turn."

Victoran took a deep breath and drew. "I will not be defeated by you." Right after he drew, the swords of glowing light shattered and he was attacked once more by those chains.

Victoran- 3300

Shinsei- 3350

Victoran held up the drawn card, and a holy light fell over the field. "Card of Sanctity lets me draw until I am holding six cards in hand, and since you have six cards in hand nothing happens for you." He opened his field magic card slot and placed a card into it, showing the slight signs of a sneer as the cityscape around them exploded into nothingness. "I play the field magic card Radiance Valhalla!" They were now standing in a peaceful field of wheat. "This card allows Radiance to increase its attack by 1000 for every card in my hand. Also, when I gain life points that number is increased by 1000 if Radiance is in play."

"Both effects won't help you here." Shinsei motioned to his superhero, which had waves of red and black energy coming off of it. "Necro Lockman is making sure that your monster won't be coming out."

"Is that so?" Victoran inserted a card into his duel disk and the three cards patched onto Necro Lockman shattered. "I play Form Freedom. This quickplay magic card allows all sealed and locked cards to return to their original positions. That means Radiance and my other two monsters return to my graveyard."

Shinsei grimaced. ("Great, there goes my lock…")

Victoran slammed another card into his disk. "Holy Rising returns Radiance at the cost of my battle phase!" (3400/2500) The glowing knight appeared in play once more. "Also, for every card in my hand, his attack increases by 1000." (6400/2500) "However, it matters not! I activate First Release!" Radiance was engulfed in a pulsing pillar of light, and when that light disappeared there was a much more powerful knight in its place. "Incandescence has been summoned, and with my field card he is even more powerful." (7000/3200) "End turn."

Shinsei looked down at his deck and exhaled sharply. "Whew….this might be a pinch. Let's see what I can pull out then." His eyes widened at the drawn card. "Sure, why not? I activate Sennyu Spy Hero! By sending the top two cards of my deck to the graveyard, I can add one random magic card from your graveyard to my hand!" The magic card changed into a different one, and looking at it he had to smile. "Pot of Greed anyone?" Drawing two more cards, he looked at his hand and nodded at it, as if it was speaking to him. "Alright, it's time to show you just how serious I am!"

Lightning crashed down around his field as a blue and yellow superhero appeared on his field. "I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman!" (1600/1400)

Victoran sneered calmly, the light coming off of Radiance strong enough to overpower the light of even the sun above them. "What can that weakling do? All it will take is one attack from Radiance and I'll win if that is the best you can throw at me."

Shinsei looked dead serious now. "You think your light guy is so hot, huh? That he's just the top and best there is in the realm of light monsters?" His expression cracked a little with a smile. "Let me show you my big light guy, with the help of this magic card! Go Miracle Fusion!" His field started to pulse with a strange light. "This magic card allows me to remove monsters from my field and graveyard to special summon a Elemental Hero fusion monster! I remove Sparkman and Flame Wingman from the game!" The two named heroes appeared in the air above him right before they dissipated like a pair of illusions. "I'm giving you my full trust, Shining Flare Wingman!"

From the sky above them, a single star of light appeared. It grew brighter and brighter, until it revealed itself to be a humanoid form covered in glowing metal armor. Stretching its metal wings, the new monster let out a strangely controlled battle cry and stretched its body, powerful green light coming from every inch of it. (2500/2100)

"2500 attack points?" Radiance lifted an eyebrow at the monster. "You get an A+ for presentation, but an F for actual substance."

"Actual substance?" Shinsei smiled slightly as his graveyard slot became filled with the same light that was coming from his Shining Flare Wingman. "For every Elemental Hero monster card in my graveyard, the attack of Shining Flare Wingman is increased by 300 points!" (4600/2100)

Victoran continued to sneer. "Closer, but not close enough thanks to my field card."

"Yeah, about that…" Shinsei slammed a card into his duel disk. "I activate the quickplay magic card Ancient Advisement!" His Necro Lockman shattered. "By sacrificing Necro Lockman, I choose one Elemental Legend from my deck of equal or lower level and special summon it!"

"Another of those things?" Victoran grimaced. "Give it up, boy. Those things are even more pathetic than your heroes!"

"That's big talk coming from someone who has only seen one effect so far from them!" Shinsei threw a card onto his disk, and a light-clothed female warrior holding a pair of large pistols appeared on the field. "Elemental Legend Breeze Gunner reporting in!" (1900/1300) "I activate her effect by removing two magic cards from my graveyard. One magic or trap card in play will be destroyed!" Pulling Sennyu Spy Hero and De-Fusion out of his graveyard, he pointed up at the sky. "Aero Breaker!" The woman aimed one of her pistols up and fired, the blast so loud it even forced Shinsei to cover his ears.

A loud crack appeared in the sky, and it started to spread amongst the rest of the field…and then in one deafening creak, the entire thing came crashing down on them like a broken pane of glass.

Victoran's eyes went wide in fear. "No, that means Radiance's attack points…"

"…return to 4000." Shinsei smiled like a cat that had just caught its prey. (4000/3200) "Also, because there is another Elemental Hero in my graveyard, Shining Flare Wingman gains another power boost!" (4900/2100) "It's over Victoran!" The radiant form of his superhero launched into the air above Radiance. "Shining Flare Wingman attacks Radiance! Shining Shooter!"

Radiance made out one last yell of pain before he was vaporized as the nearly nuclear superhero dive-bombed into him.

Victoran- 2400

Shinsei- 3350

Victoran snarled and braced himself. "It matters not, I will recover…"

"I don't think you understand the danger of my Shining Flare Wingman. It is the evolution of Flame Wingman…" Shinsei's smile grew coy. "As such, when it destroys a monster as a result of battle, you take that monster's attack in damage to your life points."

Victoran suddenly realized why Shining Flare Wingman hadn't returned to Shinsei's field yet. It was charging up an attack. "Impossible…" Then he was swallowed up by the pulsing power from the Elemental Hero's effect.

Shinsei crossed his arms across his chest, and when he opened his eyes to look at the aftermath, he wasn't surprised by what he saw. "Of course, Spiritual Buffer…your remaining spiritual energy has been converted into life points, which means that the lower your life points become, the lower your energy will become."

Victoran- 7500

Shinsei- 3350

Victoran clutched at his chest, smoke rising off every part of him. He was panting, and not looking dignified in the slightest. ("This is impossible…impossible! How could his strength have gone from zero to up in the range of mine?")

Shinsei calmly pointed at Victoran's Blade Knight. "And now I attack your Knight with Breeze Gunner! Aero Bullet!" The woman fired a single shot from one of her pistols, blowing the knight apart instantly.

Victoran- 7200

Shinsei- 3350

Shinsei inserted a card into his disk. "I place one card face-down on my field, and end my turn." His eyes were determined now. ("By the end of this duel your power, that power you used, will be gone.")

"I will not be defeated by a mere boy!" Victoran drew, snarling at the smoldering embers that hung on his clothing. "This card will smash your resolve! I send two warrior monster cards, Big Shield Gardna and Exiled Force from my hand to the graveyard to special summon Peruses Divine Warrior!" A golden knight with huge golden wings coming out of its back appeared on the field and bellowed a battle cry in challenge to Shinsei's warriors. (2600/2300) "When this monster is summoned, for every warrior monster in play I may lower the attack of one monster on the field by 1000 points!" The noble pointed at Shining Flare Wingman. "Therefore, I choose that imposter!" (1900/2100) "Divine Slayer!"

Shinsei's eyes widened in amazement as he watched Shining Flare Wingman get cut down instantly.

Victoran- 7200

Shinsei- 2650

"Now I activate the effect of my Divine Warrior!" Victoran discarded the single card he was holding. "When my monster destroys a light monster as a result of battle, it may attack once more. However, this time the attack is direct!" The winged warrior launched right over Breeze Gunner and slashed Shinsei down the front, before returning to Victoran's field.

Victoran- 7200

Shinsei- 50

Shinsei's face-down card flipped up. "Go Soul Replenishment! At the end of a battle phase, all battle damage I have suffered is recovered!"

Victoran- 7200

Shinsei- 3350

Victoran growled in anger, his body slowly being surrounded by an aura of blue energy. "End turn."

Shinsei drew. ("He defeated Shining Flare Wingman, that's a first.") Looking at the drawn card, he nodded in understanding. "This duel isn't done just because of one big monster! I summon Elemental Legend Holy Swordsman!" (1500/1000) A single-clothed hero with an elegant sword that had a blade resembling the wing of a bird over one shoulder appeared in play. "This guy is another of my trump cards. While he is in play, for every magic card in my graveyard, he gains 100 attack points." (2500/1000) "Of course that won't be enough to beat your monster, but then again his other effect should still make a difference in this duel! Final Strike Build-up!" Light started to pour from the warrior's body. "By allowing only one monster on my field to attack during this turn, I may add half the attack of my Holy Swordsman to one monster on my field!"

Breeze Gunner lifted up her weapons, that light that had been coming from the Swordsman now coming from her body. (3450/1300) Shinsei pointed at Victoran's warrior. "Aero Shooter!" She took one pot-shot and blew the warrior's head off, its body disintegrating instantly.

Victoran- 6350

Shinsei- 3350

After looking at his hand, Shinsei took a deep breath to curb his excitement. ("I can win, but for the moment I need to take a breather. This guy is tricky.") "End turn."

Victoran's hands were steady now, and his eyes were murderous. "I am tired of this game. I will show you it…my ultimate power. I will activate Second Release now…" He drew. "…and wipe you from the face of existence! Revive yourself!" The holy form of Radiance appeared on his field, its body pulsing with a new energy…the energy of its Vanguard. "Emerge….Creation!" The light around his monster grew so bright it seemed to melt the stone walls next to them. "Boy…you will die now!"

As the light faded, a gold-armored Radiance now stood on the field. "I am Creation!" (6700/4500) "Victoran, prepare the end."

"Indeed! I activate Purge Thy Body! All cards in my graveyard are removed from the game!" His duel disk spat out his entire graveyard. "And because I have no monsters in my graveyard now…Radiance's attack power is multiplied by nine!" (60300/4500)

Creation looked upon Shinsei's wide-eyed form with sadness. "I am sorry, but my partner is adamant. You must die. I hope in Heaven you can forgive me for my impudence, but this is the end! Shall we, partner?"

Victoran's body was engulfed in blue energy. "Our second to best technique…Stream of Holy Armageddon!" The sky seemed to split, revealing a glowing dimension of golden light. "For every card I have removed from play, the attack power of Creation is increased by 100 points!" (63500/4500) "This attack isn't meant to be ferocious for its attack increase. It is ferocious because when my opponent is hit by it, they are hit by a continuous flow of holy power. Even the strongest of Vanguards cannot stand against this attack…so I will end it now!"

Kuruske felt his entire body start to shake from the force of the building energy. ("This is too much…he'll destroy everything in a mile radius if he lets it off like it is!") His body told him to run, but his curiosity told him to stay. ("I guess I'll only get to see something like this once…might as well enjoy it for as long as it lasts.")

Shinsei just stood under that dimensional hole, his eyes calmly watching it. He was unafraid, though whether because he didn't understand the danger or because he was confident, even he wasn't sure. ("Why am I not afraid? This kind of attack could kill me easily…even if I didn't believe in the whole Vanguard thing, the damage level of this kind of power would be represented by a fatal strike by the Solid Vision system on the duel disks.")

"Take this boy! Creation, attack now!" Victoran's eyes were glowing blood red. "Feel my divine wrath, child."

The knight snapped his sword up into the sky. "Overkill…Stream of Holy Armageddon!" Then the dimension turned into a waterfall, dropping its glowing contents over Shinsei's field in a small stream, which rapidly began to expand and tear apart the walls on both sides of the alleyway.

To be continued…