Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.
Tournament of Tears
Chapter 18: Time's Signs (Part 6)
Ichigo's face-down card flipped up. "Reveal Silver Shield! This trap card will equip to one Power Armor in play! That armor cannot be destroyed once in battle and the attack against it will be destroyed!" His armor turned silver and the attack stopped a few inches from his face. He didn't flinch at all.
Eon scoffed and slipped his drawn card into his disk. "I'll just set this card face-down then. End turn."
Ichigo smirked and tapped the side of his helmet. "Alright, now the field is set for my counterattack."
"Your counterattack?" Eon snickered. "Oh yes…your complete and utter defeat of me right now, huh?"
Ichigo drew. "That's exactly right! First though, I'll need time to build up my power for my plan!" He held up a card and it turned into a huge metal bazooka. "First I equip myself with Power Blaster Zero! This card, upon activation, destroys one card in play!" He aimed the weapon at the set card, since he didn't want to risk firing at the Tower of Epoch and causing an upset in the game because of the River of Time. There was a powerful explosion right before the face-down card was blown into nothing. "Also, I summon Power Booster 1!" (500/500) A strange little robot appeared on the field. "This monster can equip to one Power Armor in play!" It latched onto his arm. "End turn."
Eon drew and pointed at Ichigo. "Just die already!" The Infinite Titan punched, and Ichigo caught the blow on the Power Blaster Zero, which blew apart instantly. "What?"
"Sorry, but I won't crumble so quickly." Ichigo brushed off his shoulder and smirked. "My equipment magic card, when I would be destroyed through battle, is destroyed instead. Also, the damage of battle is negated."
Eon slid the drawn card into his disk. ("These cards I am drawing are useless, because my deck has had its life blood cut. My time monsters helped influence my draws…") "I'll just set this card face-down and end my turn."
Ichigo closed his eyes slowly…and drew. "Now…I activate my next monster card! Go Power Booster 2!" (500/500) A second little robot, this one green, appeared on the field and latched onto the other arm of his suit. "And now the special combo ability of these two doubles my attack power!" (5800/2500) Ichigo held up the last card in his hand. "Now, here's my final…" His eyes bugged out of his head as he realized something…he had no magic and trap cards spaces left. They were all filled. ("Oh you can't be…how could I have…")
Eon immediately figured out what was wrong too. "Out of all the possible things you could have forgotten…"
"Shut up!" Ichigo blushed fiercely. "I know…I know I made a mistake, but I can still turn this around right now!"
"Then hurry up and do so." Eon smirked superiorly.
Ichigo dropped to one knee. "I switch my Power Armor to defense mode. End turn."
"Yeah, some recovery indeed." Eon drew. "Infinite Titan, end his pain." The giant reared back its fist and dove down towards Ichigo. "It's the end for you."
"Really?" Ichigo held up a finger. "Actually…" His face-down card flipped up. "It's the end for you!"
Eon paled. ("No…I can't believe I actually fell for it…I actually fell for his trick…")
"Reveal Armor Self-Destruct!" Ichigo broke free of the armor, as it was now surrounded by red-hot energy. "My armor will be destroyed, along with your monster. And the attack power of my armor will be deal to you in life point damage!"
Eon went silent…and then he started to laugh. "Oh, that's what it was? And here I thought it was something dangerous…" His face-down card flipped up. "Or did you forget about my face-down card so quickly?"
"Hallowed…Life…Barrier…" Ichigo winced right as his armor exploded, taking the Titan with it.
"I discard one card from my hand…" Eon slid the single card he was holding into his graveyard slot. "…and all life point damage to me during this turn is zero."
Ichigo gritted his teeth, but he honestly wasn't that worried. ("I can still win, because he has no cards in his hand!")
Eon drew a single card. "I'm sure you know what Repayment of Losses does?"
Ichigo had anime tears streaming down his face. "Yes."
"Good." Sliding the drawn card into his disk, Eon drew five cards. "Treasure of Slashing Life, and then I'll play Magic Purge to clear away that pesky effect that would make me discard my hand in five turns. Finally, I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn." As he smiled this time, his aura flared up to the point it was completely visible. "So tell me Ichigo, what will you do now?"
Ichigo took a deep breath and drew. "I'll beat you, that's what!" Looking at the drawn card, he felt his hopes rising. "Yes! Fusion Recovery will return Polymerization and one fusion material monster to my hand from my graveyard!" He held up the magic card and Chill Factor. "I summon Chill Factor back to the field!" (1000/1200) Once again his body was surrounded by ice, and then when it cleared he was wearing the hose armor once more. "And for my special ability, that card!" He pointed at the far right card (to him) and sprayed it with water, freezing and shattering it in one hit.
Eon drew. "Once again, Repayment of Losses even makes a good bluff."
Ichigo snapped up his arm again. "Freeze Shot!" He released another blast of icy water that froze and shattered Eon's other face-down card. "Now, direct attack!" He sprayed the Priest with water.
Ichigo- 3500
Eon- 3100
Eon wrung out his cloak and sighed. "Do you know how hard it is to clean this thing?"
"Yeah yeah…" Ichigo held up a card. "I activate Robo Return! By paying 500 life points I can return one level two or lower machine from my graveyard to the field!" Power Booster 1 appeared in play and latched onto his armor. "End turn."
Eon drew and hmphed. "You're just good at destroying magic and traps bluffs, but now that you have exhausted enough of your resources, let's bring this duel to its closing turns."
"And how do you intend to do that with absolutely zero monsters in your deck or hand?" Ichigo smirked and pointed at Eon. "That's what you get for summoning such a big monster without any back-up plan. You said it yourself, you can't access any of the removed monsters."
Eon closed his eyes and crooked his arm to partially show the picture of the card he had drawn. "I will never surrender, you know that."
"And neither will I." Ichigo rubbed an index finger under his nose. "I'll never give you the satisfaction of seeing me beg."
"Likewise, but still…." Eon's crooked card started to glow and the tower around them rumbled. "You don't know what true power is!" His card started to flare with energy. "Emerge now…my most powerful monster…"
"HEY!" Ichigo pointed at Eon. "You removed them…"
"Magic card activate! The power of my ultimate card!" Eon stood his ground as huge amounts of energy flowed from his body into the card. "It's a card of ultimate power. It's a monster you should know all too well…it is…it is…"
Ichigo saw the card appear and he had trouble believing his eyes. "Shadow…Monster…Summon?" He felt a beat in his heart. ("Do…do one of you know what that card is?") There was general disagreement amongst the other souls in his body, but he knew that card from somewhere. ("Where though…and more importantly, what does it do?")
Black energy ran through Eon's body. "I shall awaken you now, my Infinite Titan. But this time with the power of shadow will you be even stronger than before!"
Ichigo gritted his teeth and pointed defiantly. "It had infinite attack and couldn't be affected by magic cards…what more do you want?"
Eon's hand disappeared. "I'll discard my hand and all cards on my field, though Tower of Epoch cannot leave play unless destroyed." His three hand cards disappeared. "Now return, my almighty Infinite Titan!"
A giant glowing hand exploded out of the earth…and then the rest of the monster followed. This time though, the humanoid beast had glowing red eyes. (Infinite/Infinite)
Ichigo snarled in defiance at the towering creature. ("Is it really that pointless to resist it? No way…")
Eon's eyes began to glow red. "And now the final battle begins….activate Downsize System!" The Titan howled and its power totals went momentarily insane. (2400/2400)
Ichigo went silent for a few moments…and then started to laugh. "That's really what your card does? Why…why would you bring an infinite attack monster to 2400?"
"Why?" Eon pointed at Ichigo's armor. "Take a look at yourself before you get all giddy."
Ichigo glanced up at his armor's stats…and paled. "Huh?" (50/50) "Why…"
"Because the Downsize System is in effect. This system now sets the power level of out monster at a level more manageable…for example, my mighty beast, which I have given all of my power to, now has an attack and defense score of 2400. Your monster, on the other hand, now has a low score of 50. It's no longer a matter of attack points though…other than that the strongest monster will win! Of course, whoever activates the Downsize System must be wary, because they are taking a horrid risk." He pointed at Ichigo. "Draw until you have six cards in your hand, while I, the person who activated the Downsize System, only draw until I am holding four cards."
Ichigo frowned. "What is the meaning of this? I don't even understand how this system works."
"You'll learn, just hurry up and draw." Eon drew four cards. "On that note, the turn is yours since my Infinite Titan cannot attack during the turn it was summoned."
Ichigo looked down at his deck and sighed. "Fine…whatever." He drew and inserted the cards into his hand. ("An all monster hand…now what do all of these guys do?") He looked over each of the cards…and then drew for his turn. ("What a strange collection…but I'll make it work!") His eyes flickered over the cards and then he nodded, placing one onto his disk. "I summon Power Vehicle-Rescue Wheeler (120/120) in defense mode." A loud siren screeched as a large police car pulled up, but it was strange in that it was covered in bizarre markings. ("What is this deck anyway?") "When this monster is summoned, I can add one Power Armor monster from my graveyard to my hand!" He held up Lightning Crasher and slid the card into his hand. "Alright, I guess I'll just be setting one new card face-down on the field and then my turn will end." ("My Chill Factor armor only has an attack power of 50 in this system? Then how do I get something strong enough? Is it a matter of scale or what?")
Eon drew. "I'll simply set this card face-down. Attacking still isn't allowed by my Shadow Monster. End turn."
Ichigo drew. "I'll summon my Power Armor-Lightning Crasher (60/50) to the field in defense mode!" The empty suit of powered armor appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Also, I'll switch my armor into defense position." Ichigo dropped to one knee. ("Why is it like this? Is this supposed to be some kind of team deck? If so, where are the guys who are supposed to be in the suits?")
"Then it is my turn." Eon started to draw.
Ichigo held up his hand. "Not so fast! I pay 1000 life points to special summon my Speed Catapult!" (0/150) A giant mechanical catapult appeared on the field in his magic and trap zone. What was strange is that it looked like a souped-up version of Catapult Turtle. "This monster can be special summoned to my magic and trap zone, where it remains there in defense mode. Also, I can, once per standby phase, special summon one level four or lower Power Armor to the field."
Ichigo- 2500
Eon- 3100
Eon frowned. "And now it's my turn?"
Ichigo nodded. "Go ahead."
Eon drew. "I set two cards face-down now, and end my turn." As the two cards flashed into existence, Ichigo started to wonder just how long it was going to be until that Titan was going to be able to attack.
Ichigo drew and a beam of light emerged from his deck. "I special summon my Power Armor-Aero Beat (10/10) in defense mode." A suit of armor with metal wings appeared on the field in a crouching position. ("Argh….so what exactly am I supposed to be doing?")
Eon snarled angrily at what he was seeing. ("Take a look at the field, you fool! Compare the attack power of those pitiful armor monsters with the power of the vehicles…idiot.")
Ichigo scratched the side of his head and then shrugged. He looked at his hand and blinked in surprise at what he saw. "Hey!"
Eon looked hopeful for a moment.
"Isn't there some kind of rule book for this system you brought in?" Ichigo pouted. "I seriously have no idea how to get a better monster out."
Eon face-fell roughly… ("This boy can't possibly be me…I wasn't this stupid!")
Ichigo tilted his head to the side and then shrugged. "I disengage my Power Booster 1!" The little robot came off of him and landed in the last monster zone he had. "Now I sacrifice this monster to summon this guy, who might be of some help!" The little robot disappeared and was replaced by a huge humanoid robot. "Cyber Malgus (1400/1400) in attack…whoa, look at those points!" The robot sat in silence, acting as if it wasn't online yet.
Eon looked down at his deck and sighed. ("In three turns…so that means I can attack after I draw. He had better get a lot smarter soon.")
Ichigo fanned out his hand and sighed. ("If this is my deck, why is it so freaking confusing?") "Honestly, I'll just set one card face-down on my field and end my turn!" Just as he said that, he felt a moment of disorientation and suddenly he was inside the cockpit of the Cyber Malgus. "Huh? How'd I get here?"
Eon drew. "It's over, Ichigo. You were too stupid to figure out what your deck is…Titan, attack his Cyber Malgus!" The monster cocked back its fist and punched straight at the cockpit of Ichigo's current ride.
Ichigo yelped and hit a button on his disk, which was still attached to his arm. "Reverse card open! Go Emergency Eject! This card can only activate when a monster on my field that is named Cyber Malgus, etc. etc. is attacked! I can negate the attack by ejecting!" He yelped again as he was spat out the back of the machine right before it exploded into nothing.
Eon rolled his eyes. "Even when you're too stupid to understand the deck, you still manage to save yourself."
"Right…" Ichigo drew. ("Where have I seen this kind of stuff before. I'd think I would remember such cool suits and robots and…") He nearly face-fell right then and there. ("No way…so that's it! Jeez, I'm a fool for thinking otherwise!")
Eon sighed at the look on Ichigo's face. "You figured it out then?"
Ichigo blushed a little. "Out of all the possible things…a Sentai deck?" His expression hardened. ("So be it!") "Draw!"
Eon flushed as he felt that aura explode to life around Ichigo's body. ("Here…this is it…almost exactly. But it's stronger than I thought possible…stronger than I could have imagined!")
Ichigo snapped a card onto his disk. "I sacrifice my Power Armors Aero Beat and Chill Factor to summon my Cyber Epion!" A loud roar filled the air around them as a huge mechanical lion materialized on the field. (1600/1600)
Eon frowned. "It still isn't enough, Ichigo!"
"Who said I was done?" Ichigo held up another card. "Reload allows me to shuffle my hand into my deck and draw the same number of cards that I shuffled in!" As he finished shuffling his deck, he closed his eyes and envisioned everyone around him…his family and friends…like how his happiest times in life had been. "Go Ultimate Robot Return! One level six or higher machine in my graveyard will now be special summoned to the field!" Cyber Malgus appeared on the field. "It's over! I activate the power that all good machines have…fusion!" Malgus and Epion exploded into pieces, which formed together to create a giant robot with a lion's head. "Malgus Epion is special summoned!" (2500/2300)
Eon snarled angrily. "That's nothing! My face-down cards…"
"Are pointless!" Ichigo pointed at the Rescue Wheeler. "Combine!" It launched up to the right arm of the Malgus Epion and turned into a strange laser-like weapon. "The attack of the equipped monster is increased by 500 points when equipped with my Wheeler Beam Rifle!" (3000/2300)
Eon snarled angrily…right up to the point he realized that his Titan was charging at Malgus Epion. "What?"
"The special ability of Wheeler Beam Rifle forces the opponent's monster to attack, and therefore you can't trigger any of your attack negating cards!" Ichigo smiled slightly. "Malgus Epion's special ability activates now! Ultra Charger!" A loud whirring noise came from somewhere within its frame, and all three of Ichigo's remaining monsters exploded into dust. "By destroying all monsters in play, I can increase the power of Malgus Epion by 1000 per lost card!" (6000/2300)
Eon's eyes widened. "No way…he actually…"
"Wheeler Beam Rifle finishing technique…Gatling Beam Destruction!" Malgus Epion unleashed a storm laser blasts that pummeled the Titan and blew it apart. "That's it…the duel is over."
Ichigo- 2500
Eon- 0
Eon dropped to his knees and smiled weakly, already starting to cough up blood. "Incredible strength…and you figured it out just in time, didn't you?"
Ichigo closed his eyes and bowed his head in thanks to his deck and his friends. "Yeah, I did."
Eon tilted his head back and laughed weakly. "You're ready…you're ready for the system. If your full power is out, and you are ready for the system…then there is no more I can teach you." His eyes met Ichigo's. "Ichigo…don't let your life go as mine did. Please…don't let Auria suffer in your dimension too." And then he collapsed, his borrowed life at its end.
Ichigo closed his eyes and felt the dimension break immediately, leaving him standing on the dock amongst his slowly rising friends. ("Eon…I can't even promise that there will be an Auria, but I give you my word. If she exists, then I'll make sure it doesn't happen…") He shed a couple of tears as he mentally said farewell to a version of himself he hoped he would never become.
To be continued…
So Ichigo's now this superhuman duelist of incredible caliber…I've heard it all before!
What's the matter Rikuo, are you jealous?
Jealous of what, Jourgen?
The fact that you are no longer any match for your 'son in law'.
I'll show you right now just how much of a match I am! DUEL!
Rikuo, I wasn't serious…