OP1: "Raining" by Art Of Dying
Chapter 15: "Weakness - Part 2"
"It's my turn!" Mike declared as he drew his next card, glancing to it before a plan of action formulated in his head.
"I'll start by summoning the monster I added to my hand with Zubeneschamali's effect," he began. "Constellar Sombre!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1550]
"And as you know, his effect lets me banish one Constellar monster in my graveyard in exchange for returning another one to my hand!" he explained as two cards popped out of the named zone. "So by banishing Virgo, I'll add back Pollux!
"Then, I'll use Sombre's other effect that I unlocked by using his first one, letting me call my Pollux back to the field!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1700]
Mr. Copperson's nose wrinkled. "I take it this means you plan to call on a RK 4 Xyz monster next?"
"Not quite," Mike said with a smirk. "I've got a few more moves to make, like this one: with Pollux's effect, I'm allowed to normal summon another Constellar monster! So come on out, Constellar Algiedi!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1600]
"And thanks to my Algiedi, I can special summon yet another level 4 Constellar monster from my hand," he went on. "Like my Constellar Kaus!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1800]
"He managed to summon four monsters at once!" Danny exclaimed with awe as he looked down at Mike's field.
"Mike's dueling really has taken a step up," Marina commended.
"Next, I'll use my Kaus's effect," Mike continued, "Which lets me increase or decrease the level of a Constellar monster on my field up to twice per turn! So I'll use his effect to reduce both his and Algiedi's levels down to 3!" [Constellar Kaus - LV: 4→3] [Constellar Algiedi - LV: 4→3]
"Now I'll get to Xyz summoning!" Mike said as he pointed to his monsters. "First, I'll overlay both Sombre and Pollux and build the overlay network!"
Both named monsters flew together into another spatial portal on Mike's field. "Xyz summon!" he cried. "Take charge, Constellar Praesepe!" [RK: 4/OUs: 2/ATK: 2400]
"But I'm not done yet!" he said as he pointed to his other two monsters. "I'll also overlay both Kaus and Algiedi and build another overlay network!"
The two warriors followed Sombre and Pollux's lead, leaping into one more spatial portal on Mike's field. "Xyz summon!" he called out. "Bring up the rear, Constellar Hyades!" [RK: 3/OUs: 2/ATK: 1900]
"And now that both of these guys have been successfully summoned, Constellar Star chart lets me draw another card!" he said, drawing.
Mr. Copperson looked to both of Mike's new Xyz monsters as they took their positions on his field. "So you've called two Xyz monsters to your field," he examined. "Perhaps I gave your skills less credit than they deserved earlier."
"Heh," Mike let out a short chuckle. "Well if you liked that, then you're gonna love this: I use Constellar Hyades's effect! By detaching one of his overlay units—" [OUs: 2→1] "—Hyades can force every monster on your field to change into DEF mode!"
For the first time all duel, Mr. Copperson looked veritably surprised as his Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz shifted into a kneeling position. [ATK: 2600→DEF: 1500]
"Why wouldn't Mike just attack Gaiodiaz while using Praesepe's effect to raise either of his monsters' ATK by 1000?" Danny questioned.
"Probably because Mayor Copperson's still got One Day of Peace's effect cancelling out all damage," Josiah reasoned. "So since he can't deal a blow to his life points, he's instead taking the opportunity to wipe out both Andabata and Gaiodiaz. Hyades has just enough ATK to climb over Gaiodiaz's DEF, and Praesepe can use his effect to overpower Andabata's. And if he can destroy them both now, he can prevent them from using their effects to switch out with other Gladiator Beasts in his deck."
"Oh..." Danny mused with a half-thoughtful look. "Right, yeah. That makes sense."
"Does it really, Danny?" Marina teasingly questioned her boyfriend, earning a stink-eye from him.
"Time to battle!" Mike declared as he pointed to Mr. Copperson's field. "Constellar Praesepe, use your effect to gain 1000 ATK, and attack Gladiator Beast Andabata!" [OUs: 2→1] [ATK: 2400→3400]
Praesepe began its charge towards Mr. Copperson's massive beast, winding its fist back as it prepared to pummel the creature into extinction.
But Mr. Copperson had other plans: "I reveal my trap card, Defensive Tactics!" he countered as the card flipped. "With it, not only does it double down on preventing me from taking damage, but all Gladiator Beast monsters on my side of the field are protected from being destroyed by battle!"
Mike's eyes widened as his Praesepe's attack instead connected with Andabata's shield, deflecting the impact of the blow, forcing Praesepe to rebound back to his side of the field.
"Not only that," Mr. Copperson continued as he then took the trap from his duel disk, "but my trap also allows me to place it at the bottom of my deck after the resolution of its effect."
As he inserted the card back into its place in his deck, he glanced to Mike with an unctuous expression. "You thought well to plan on destroying both my monsters, given the limitation of your options," he told him. "However, you should be taking every card in your opponent's control into consideration; not just their monsters."
"Tch," Mike hissed. He was left with nothing he could do again, since another attack on Gaiodiaz would only trigger its ability to tag out for more Gladiator Beasts as well.
"From the look on your face, I take it we've reached the end of your battle phase," Mr. Copperson said with a knowing smirk. "In which case, I'll get to activating my Andabata's effect, returning him to my extra deck!"
The massive monster followed Gyzarus's example, morphing into a purple ball of light that floated back into Mr. Copperson's duel disk, prompting him to take two more cards from his deck as he continued, "And in his place, I special summon two more Gladiator beasts from my deck!
"And the ones I'm calling on should look familiar, as you were acquainted with both of them last turn!" he said as the monsters took form on his field. "Gladiator Beasts Darius and Noxious!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1700] [LV: 5/DEF: 1000]
"Now if you remember, Noxious's effect allows me to send a Gladiator Beast from my deck to the graveyard," Mr. Copperson reminded. "So I choose to send another monster that's made your acquaintance: my Bestiari!"
Mike watched cautiously as County Dame's Mayor dispatched his monster, before continuing, "Then, there's my Darius's effect, which will revive the monster that Noxious sent to my graveyard last turn with its effects negated: Gladiator Beast Laquari!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1800]
Mike growled to himself before lifting the last two cards in his hand. "I'll set two more cards face-down," he said as he placed them in his duel disk. "That's all I've got." [Constellar Praesepe - ATK: 3400→2400]
As the set cards materialized on his field, Mr. Copperson looked to him with discontent. "That's all you've got, huh...?" he repeated. "I don't believe that for a second."
Mike's eyebrows rose at this remark from County Dame's Mayor. "Before this turn began, you said you would be coming at me with 'everything you've got;' and yet, something tells me you're still falling short of your best effort. I don't believe I'm facing the same duelist that put away Damian White; or the duelist who beat Dr. Crawford to save his friend from imprisonment."
Mike's teeth grit as Mr. Copperson drew his next card, saying, "I don't know what's holding you back right now, Mr. Harper; but if this is really the best you're capable of in this moment, then I see no point in dragging our duel on any further.
"Now, Laquari! Darius! Noxious!" he called upon his three new monsters with a raised hand. "Merge together with Triple Contact Fusion!"
The named monsters came together within another purple, swirling vortex, from which descended a massive, demonic-armored beast with six wings the likes of which had everyone's eyes widened with consternation.
"Emerge, warrior born of the damned!" Mr. Copperson bellowed as the monster came into full view. "Gladiator Beast Nerokius!" [LV: 8/ATK: 2800]
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FRACK IS THAT?!" Danny's voice cracked as he cried out.
"A bad omen for Mike," Dr. Crawford answered, his eyes narrowed. "Andrew really is through holding back."
Violet, meanwhile, ripped her gaze away from the behemoth to glance back at her boyfriend. His eyes were wide; his expression that of someone reliving a jarring moment in his life he would've preferred to forget. And she had a feeling she knew exactly what memory was going through his mind this time: the beast's overwhelming size and presence was comparable to that of Liam's Cyber End Dragon, just before it had taken him down...
"Next, I'll switch my Gaiodiaz back into ATK mode!" Mr. Copperson continued. [DEF: 1500→ATK: 2600]
"And then, I'll play the Indomitable Gladiator Beast quick-play spell!" he went on. "This will give my Nerokius an extra 500 ATK for the remainder of the turn!" [Gladiator Beast Nerokius - ATK: 2800→3300]
Mike swallowed hard, managing to regain some composure as Mr. Copperson then declared, "Now, Nerokius! Attack his Constellar Praesepe!"
Nerokius began to raise its giant fists, preparing to strike Praesepe down with a single thrash as Mike scoffed. "Guess you forgot about my Praesepe's effect—!"
"Actually, I didn't," Mr. Copperson cut him off. "Whenever my Nerokius enters battle, all of my opponent's cards and effects are sealed until the end of the damage step!"
A choking noise escaped Mike's throat as it sank in that there was nothing he could do. He could only watch on helplessly as Nerokius's fist brought itself down upon Praesepe with quaking force, momentarily staggering Mike as his life points dropped once again. [Mike - LP: 1600→700]
"Damn, this is bad," Josiah said tensely. "Unless one of Mike's face-down cards is a good defensive card, Mayor Copperson's next attack with Gaiodiaz will finish him."
"Oh, I bet I know what one of them is!" Danny piped up. "He's probably got his Impenetrable Attack trap set, which he can use to keep Hyades from being destroyed in battle!"
"Danny, no," Marina rebuked with an exasperated sigh. "Even if he did that, the difference between their ATKs is exactly 700, which is all Mike has left."
Danny's face scrunched as he ran the math in his head. "Oh, yeah... man, I am off today."
"But you're not wrong about Impenetrable Attack being helpful though," Josiah commented. "Remember, that trap has two effects he can use, and the other one can cancel out battle damage for the turn. So even if he loses Hyades, he'll still have life points left."
"Unfortunately, that wouldn't do him any good either."
The three friends turned to their principal with surprise as he explained, "Gaiodiaz has an ability that activates when it destroys a monster in battle. After the fact, it deals the opponent damage equal to that of the destroyed monster's DEF points.
"So even if he manages to cancel out the battle damage," he said as he looked down to Mike with concern, "He'll still end up taking Hyades's 1100 DEF points as effect damage. And when that happens—"
"He'll lose," Violet finished, earning quick glances from the others before each of their faces sank with the same realization.
"I'll give you this much, Mr. Harper," Mr. Copperson called to his opponent from across the field. "You've shown me considerable skill tonight; but I'm afraid what I've seen won't get you very far in the Pro Circuit."
Mike's eyes narrowed as Mr. Copperson called his final attack: "Now attack, my Gaiodiaz! Destroy his Hyades and bring this duel to an end!"
Gaiodiaz raised its large battle ax, before sweeping across the field with superhuman speed to strike Hyades down, giving Mike hardly enough time to counter as he said, "I reveal my trap card: Intrigue Shield!"
The next thing anyone knew, a large, gold and purple shield spontaneously appeared on Constellar Hyades's arm, which it used to barely block Gaiodiaz's strike in time.
"By equipping this trap to a monster on my field," Mike said with relief, "not only do I not take any battle damage from battles involving the equipped monster, but it also protects it from being destroyed in battle once per turn!"
Each member of the crowd watching from above were baffled as Hyades managed to push Gaiodiaz away, forcing him to retreat back to Mr. Copperson's field. The Mayor looked from his repelled monster to Mike with renewed interest as the latter stared back at him coolly, breathing heavily as he recuperated from the adrenaline which had just pumped through him.
"Sorry, Mr. Copperson," he said between breaths. "But I'm not out of this duel yet."
A keen smirk spread across the Mayor's lips. "So it would seem," he agreed. "Admittedly, I'm actually glad you managed to hold out from that attack. It would have been disappointing to end our duel on such an anticlimactic note.
"But unfortunately for you," he said as he reached for the monsters on his duel disk, "I'm far from out of ways to take you down! With my battle phase's end, my Nerokius and Gaiodiaz's effects activate, returning them both to my extra deck to tag out for two more Gladiator Beasts in my main deck each!"
Both monsters once again morphed into purple balls of light that returned to his duel disk, followed by him taking four more cards from his deck as he said, "Assemble before me: Gladiator Beast Equeste!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1600] "Gladiator Beast Laquari!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1800] "Gladiator Beast Darius!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1700] "And Gladiator Beast Murmillo!" [LV: 3/ATK: 800]
"Now he's got four monsters on his field!" Josiah fretfully observed.
"And four different effects to activate for each one," Marina noted.
"Great, as if he hasn't beaten that dead horse enough," Danny muttered sarcastically.
"Now, let's start with my Equeste's effect," Mr. Copperson said. "When its special summoned by a Gladiator Beast's effect, I can add any Gladiator Beast card in my graveyard back to my hand. So I'll choose my Indomitable Gladiator Beast quick-play spell!
"Next, I'll activate my Laquari's effect, which will grant him an extra 300 ATK!" [Gladiator Beast Laquari - ATK: 1800→2100]
"Then, there's my Darius's effect!" he continued. "Which, as you know, special summons a Gladiator Beast sleeping in my graveyard with its effects negated! So resurrect, my Bestiari!" [LV: 4/ATK: 1500]
"And finally, there's my Murmillo's effect!" he went on. "Which destroys any face-up monster on the field I choose! So say goodbye to your Constellar Hyades!"
The blue, gilled creature fired a barrage of bubbles towards Mike's warrior, consolidating around it to form one large bubble that completely encompassed it, before detonating with an explosion that destroyed not only Hyades, but the Intrigue Shield trap that had been equipped to it.
Mike managed to maintain his cool as he carefully examined his situation. Now Mr. Copperson controlled a completely full field of monsters, and he was down to his Star Chart and his last set card. And from the looks of things, it seemed like the best time to put that set card to use:
"I reveal my face-down card, Balance of Judgement!" he said as his set card flipped. "I can use it when you control more cards on your field than the combined number of cards on my own field and in my hand; and then I'm allowed to draw cards equal to the difference!
"So with you controlling five monsters in comparison to my empty hand, this trap, and my Star Chart, I draw a total of three cards!" he explained before carrying out the effect.
An acknowledging grunt escaped Mr. Copperson's lips. "Not a bad move, replenishing your hand like that," he complimented. "And perfectly timed as well; for I don't intend to keep any of these monsters on my field for long. At least, not in their present forms."
Mike's eyes narrowed as the Mayor raised his hand. "I Contact Fuse my Gladiator Beasts Bestiari and Equeste!" he cried out as the two monsters combined together within another swirling vortex, from which emerged a familiar, winged warrior. "Return to my side, Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!" [LV: 6/ATK: 2400]
"And I'm sure you remember what happens next," he went on as he pointed to Mike's field. "With his effect, I'll destroy the last remaining card you control: Constellar Star Chart!"
Gyzarus wasted no time conjuring another miniature tornado with its wings, which spun directly towards Mike's continuous spell, carrying it away in its winds before disappearing once more.
"And with that done, I'll now merge my three remaining monsters into my most powerful warrior!" Mr. Copperson declared as he indicated towards them with his hand. "Laquari! Darius! Murmillo! Triple Contact Fusion!"
Everyone else watched with wide eyes as the three beasts combined within yet another swirling vortex, from which descended the most intimidating warrior that County Dame's Mayor had summoned all duel:
"Forge your fighting spirit in the flames of battles past!" he called out as his monster's boots met the gym floor with a loud CLANG!, the rest of its multicolored armor's pieces rustling against each other as it brandished its sizable battle ax and shield. "Gladiator Beast Heraklinos!" [LV: 8/ATK: 3000]
Mike met this new beast with hard eyes as it let out an animalistic battle cry. Though its size wasn't comparably intimidating to that of Gladiator Beast Nerokius, the aura it seemed to exude after being named Mr. Copperson's "most powerful" warrior left him feeling uneasy. Even the fact that he knew it wouldn't be able to attack him this turn wasn't any comfort to him, but he couldn't quite pinpoint why.
Meanwhile, Mr. Copperson crossed his arms with conviction as his smirk widened. "The last parameter to securing my victory has been met," he asserted. "With that, I end my turn."
Mike's eyebrows knit at this statement. Ending his turn right after summoning his ultimate creature, boasting about how his winning the duel was assured?
No... there was something more to this beast than met the eye.
As he stood there, observing County Dame's Mayor and his new monster, the four friends above him watched on, confusion growing on their expressions with each passing moment he spent in silence. Even Dr. Crawford's expression was twisting with wonder at what Mike was contemplating, though he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew the conclusion his former patient was about to draw.
Eventually, Mr. Copperson uncrossed his arms as he noticed his taunt had had no effect on his opponent. "What're you waiting for, Mr. Harper?" he questioned. "You know that it's your move, right? Or are you finally coming to terms with the fact that that there's no way for you to win against me?"
"No," Mike replied evenly. "It's just... before you ended your turn, you added your Indomitable Gladiator Beast quick-play spell back to your hand, but you didn't set it to use in case I found a way to overpower either of your monsters during my next turn.
"Which means..." His eyes narrowed. "Your Heraklinos has an invaluable effect that requires you to have a card in your hand to use it."
There was another brief period of silence as Mr. Copperson took in Mike's words, before reacting with the last action any of the present attendees expected: wholehearted laughter.
"Well, well; you're quite the astute analyst; aren't you?" he said with amusement as he caught his breath. "I suppose you really did pick up quite a lot from your Pro Circuit classes after all."
Mike remained silent, though an appreciative smile flashed on his face momentarily to indicate that he'd accepted Mr. Copperson's compliment. Above them, the four friends continued watching on with bemused expressions, while Dr. Crawford beamed at how Mike had managed to reach the conclusion he'd expected.
Now, Mr. Copperson put his game face back on. "Well, since you managed to figure that much out, I might as well reward you," he said. "My Heraklinos does indeed have such an ability: he's capable of negating any spell or trap card activation at the cost of discarding one card from my hand.
"And in your current state, I can't imagine you coming up with any formulas for victory that don't require the use of spells or traps," he reasoned. "That's why I kept my Indomitable Gladiator Beast spell in my hand."
"I see," Mike said, before going silent again as he looked back to his hand with uncertainty. None of the cards he'd drawn with Balance of Judgement were of any use to him at present, so whatever he drew next needed to be something that would be able to utilize them in a winning stratagem.
"It's my turn," he spoke tentatively as he set two fingers to his deck. "I draw!"
As he looked to the card he'd pulled, his face morphed into a frustrated scrunch. Though what he'd drawn could provide him with the slightest chance of turning the duel around, it was the last card he'd wanted to rely on. But in the face of his current odds, he was without any other alternatives.
Now, he looked back up to his opponent. "Let me tell you something, Mr. Copperson," he said with steeled eyes. "I may have fallen short on a few of your expectations; but you also made one critical error earlier in the duel that might just cost you."
County Dame's Mayor raised a curious eyebrow to this statement as Mike went on: "I activate the effect of the Breakthrough Skill trap in my graveyard! By banishing it, your Heraklinos's effects are cancelled out for the turn!"
Mr. Copperson was stunned as he looked to his ultimate monster, watching as a purple aura engulfed it, draining away the warrior's energy as it lost its abilities.
So that's it, he thought as he realized what Mike's words had meant. When I used my Retiari's effect to banish his Constellar Pleiades... I should have gone for his Breakthrough Skill instead!
Within a few moments the glowing aura around Heraklinos dispersed, prompting Mike to continue: "With that, my spells and traps have free rein again! So now I'll activate the spell card, Pot of Desires!
"In exchange for banishing the top ten cards of my deck, face-down," he explained as he began counting off cards from his duel disk, "I'm then allowed to draw two more cards!"
"Wait, did he just say he's banishing ten cards?!" Danny yelped frantically.
"Yeah," Josiah confirmed with a similar sense of tension. "But then, how many cards would that even leave him with to draw from?"
"Assuming he started with the base minimum of forty cards," Marina spoke factually, "he'll only have fifteen cards left."
At this answer, Danny, Josiah, and even Dr. Crawford turned to the younger girl with impressed-yet-flabbergasted expressions. "Um... Marina?" Danny slowly worded his question. "Have you been keeping count of how many cards are in Mike's deck...?"
Marina looked back to the guys offhandedly. "Yeah, I count both you and your opponent's decks whenever you guys duel," she explained nonchalantly. "Helps me pass the time. Mr. Copperson's deck has been especially challenging to keep up with, with all his Contact Fusing and tagging his monsters back in. But assuming he also started with the forty-card minimum, I'm pretty sure he's currently got thirty-four cards still in his deck."
The three guys' eyes only widened more at the casual divulgence of this hidden talent by Marina. For Dr. Crawford, this moment only served as a glimpse into just how truly academically talented his young student really was. For Danny, he couldn't help but wonder how handy his girlfriend's card-counting skills would be to have if he brought her to a casino.
As for Josiah, her observation was an alarming note that Mike's back had hit a wall—knowing how he preferred to duel with a strong supplement of resources at all times, indicated that he'd reached a new point of desperation, leaving him no choice but to rely on such a card.
He then spared a glance over to Violet, whose hands were grasped so tightly around the railing before her that her knuckles had turned white. And the look on her face told him there was an even more intense sensation going through her body that he and the others couldn't comprehend:
She couldn't stop herself from shaking as she looked down to Mike, watching him place the banished fraction of his deck in his belted case. Despite the calm demeanor he was attempting to display, she could sense every bit of anxiety that was emitting from his body; every fragment of confidence and hope that he was struggling to hold onto. She wished that she could call out to him like she had before; to give him one last morale boost to push him through to the end of the duel.
But Mr. Copperson's warning from earlier stopped her: further outside interference would result in Mike's forced forfeit, and that would render all the effort he'd put into his Pro Circuit classes in the last month worthless. So despite how desperately she wanted to help him through this, she forced herself to hold back; leaving her only remaining option to hope that Mike could find a way to pull through this on his own.
Mike closed his deck case again before bringing his hand back to his duel disk, placing two fingers to the short remainder of his deck as he exhaled heavily. This was the decisive draw—the draw that would establish his worth; and the draw that would determine if he would ever have the chance to give Liam a "real duel" again.
He swallowed hard. "All right, I... I..."
But as he tried to speak, his voice faltered on him.
"I... I d—!"
Mr. Copperson looked to Mike with confusion, wondering what could be causing his hesitation after all his earlier bravado.
Come on, just draw the cards already!
"I... I d— I dr—!"
The overhead spectators watched on intently, each of them mirroring expressions of worry at Mike's sudden petrification.
Damn it, what the hell's wrong with me...?!
What am I... am I afraid?
... I am... I am afraid.
His grip on the top cards of his deck loosened as his body began to quiver.
I'm afraid... of failure.
Beads of sweat began to trickle down his brow.
All this time, I've always been so confident... only because I never saw failure as an option.
His eyes clamped shut, allowing the night Liam had decimated him to flash before his mind's eye for the umpteenth time.
But after how I lost control of myself against Liam... and when he beat me... I was faced with my first taste of failure, since...
His mind went dark again, replaced instead by the echoing screams of a woman screaming for him—begging, pleading for him to not be dead; for him to come and save her.
Since I failed to protect Casey... I've been afraid ever since.
Afraid of being too weak to give Liam the real duel I promised him.
Afraid of that weakness stopping me from being able to save Casey from whoever took her.
Afraid... of having made it so far... only for it all to be for nothing.
- Two Years Ago -
Mike sat against one of the two poles holding up the arched "FRONTIER HAVEN" sign on the edge of town, his deck spread in his hands as he slowly flipped through each card in the light of the sunset.
His expression was vexatious as he observed each card carefully, trying to figure out where he'd gone wrong in his duel earlier that day. For three months, he'd endured nonstop training; even after defeating Saddlebury's leader, who was supposed to be the most feared duelist aside from Aeron between the two towns.
But then there was Liam Carson—a member of the Cyber Style clan, of all the people in the world—who trampled over Mike's dueling like he was an amateur. It wasn't so out of the realm of reality that a member of the Dueling Legacy families would be so immensely powerful, but now it had him contemplating the potential strength of the other duelists of Saddlebury. Only now did it occur to him that most of the fear surrounding Keir had been based in how he'd held both towns at gunpoint if they didn't comply with his sick death matches. So if Liam could be that much stronger than him, then it was possible for there to be others in Saddlebury also stronger than Keir...
"So, you're still here."
Mike snapped out of his thoughts to look up: there stood Aeron, looming over him with his usual hardened stare.
He huffed slightly as he folded his deck back together. "Come to tell me to quit moping?"
"I figured I'd let you mope long enough."
That earned a short chuckle from Mike. "And they say you don't have a sense of humor."
Aeron remained quiet for a moment as his gaze shifted to the sky, observing the sunset's different shades of red that bled through the clouds. "So what's eating at you?"
It was Mike's turn to go quiet for a time. He'd always felt like trying to explain what was running through his head to the most ostensibly-callous man in the world was a vain effort; however, there was something to be said about how he seemed to have some kind of sense towards his mental state. Mike's rejection aside, he'd still come to see how Mike was holding up after he'd killed Keir; and now, here he was again, checking in on him.
So he decided to give him a shot: "Tell me something," he started softly. "In all the life-or-death duels you've fought over the years, have you ever thought about... not walking away from one?"
"Never," Aeron answered simply. "Why?"
Mike's expression only doured further. "Then you don't get it... how it feels to be afraid."
Aeron glanced to him as he went on: "That Liam guy... he was on a whole other level than me. Even after surviving against Keir, and all the time I've spent training, pushing myself to become stronger over these last few months... I didn't think I could feel so powerless."
His head hung a little lower. "Now, I don't see how I can move forward," he spoke precariously, "with this constant fear in the back of my head that I'll lose to another duelist like Liam... that I'll die, and fail everyone here in Frontier Haven."
"That's the kind of mindset that'll get you killed out here in the first place."
The young man's eyebrows rose as his gaze shifted up to his caped mentor, whose eyes were back on the distant sunset. "Your fear of failing—of death—is something everyone out here has had to come to terms with at some point," he stated. "But that fear should only serve to remind you of what you're fighting for; the rest of your focus should be on the pursuit of victory. If you want to survive, you need to temper your will, cast aside your doubts, and face everything that comes at you head-on."
Mike was hesitant to respond, his expression remaining doubtful. "You really know how to make it sound simple."
"Hmph. I guess it's not," Aeron admitted, glancing back to Mike. "All I know is, no one's ever won by being too afraid to lose. So long as you have the will to fight, you have the means to win. You can't forget that."
Realization flashed across Mike's face as Aeron's message finally sank into him: there was no good to be had in fretting over whether his next duel to the death would be his last. He couldn't allow himself to focus only on the worst possible outcome, no matter what challenge presented itself to him next; he had to believe that he could—no, that he would—find a way to conquer it.
Seeing he had successfully emboldened the young man's spirit, Aeron now extended a hand down to Mike. He took it firmly, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet again as he met his mentor's gaze at eye-level; his expression morphing back into his familiarly confident grin.
"Thanks for that, Aeron," he said with genuine gratitude. "I owe you one."
For a brief second, Mike could've sworn he saw a rare smile appear on Aeron's face. But before he could confirm it, his mentor had swiftly turned away before saying, "Forget it."
He began pacing back down Frontier Haven's central path, leaving Mike to himself as he crossed his arms, his grin spreading as he watched Aeron's red cape billow behind him.
Perhaps there really was a heart in that man after all.
- Present Day -
So long as I have the will to fight, I have the means to win... right.
His trembling ceased, allowing his two fingers to rest steadily on top of his deck again.
I have to keep my focus.
A newfound tenacity began to surge throughout his body like a storm.
And remember what I'm fighting for.
Casey's cries faded from his mind as his eyes shot open, his stoic expression returning to his face in full force.
I can't lose this... I won't lose this...!
I... will... WIN!
"I DRAW!" Mike finally declared before pulling the two cards from his deck, leaving Mr. Copperson, as well as from his spectators on the track above, stunned as he looked to see what he'd drawn.
And he smiled.
"Mr. Copperson," he spoke with restored certainty as he met his opponent's eyes again. "Let me show you what a real duel looks like."
County Dame's Mayor cocked his head interestedly as Mike began: "First, I'll summon my Constellar Aldebaran!" [LV: 3/ATK: 1300]
"And thanks to his effect, I can special summon any level 3 Constellar straight from my hand!" he explained. "So I'll call on my Constellar Leonis to join him!" [LV: 3/ATK: 1000]
"Then, my Leonis's effect allows me to normal summon another Constellar monster once per turn; like my Constellar Sheratan!" [LV: 3/ATK: 700]
"And when he's normal summoned, Sheratan can add any Constellar monster from my deck to my hand!" he said as he ripped his deck from his duel disk, fanning through it swiftly before grabbing one card with a quick glance. "I add my Constellar Acubens!"
Mr. Copperson kept his eyes fixed on his young opponent, trying to theorize his intentions as he continued: "Next, I'll play my Double Summon spell card, which lets me normal summon one more time this turn! So I'll use it to call out my Constellar Acubens!" [LV: 4/ATK: 800]
"Now my Acubens's effect activates, giving every Constellar monster I currently control an additional 500 ATK; including himself!" he said as his monsters each glowed with an ethereal light. [Constellar Aldebaran - ATK: 1300→1800] [Constellar Leonis - ATK: 1000→1500] [Constellar Sheratan - ATK: 700→1200] [Constellar Acubens - ATK: 800→1300]
"He got his field filled with monsters again!" Danny exclaimed excitedly.
"But even with that ATK boost, none of them are anywhere close to overpowering Mayor Copperson's Gyzarus or Heraklinos," Marina said with a frown.
"You're right," Josiah affirmed as he looked down at Mike's assembled quartet. "A whole board of weak monsters against two powerful Fusion monsters... what is he thinking?"
Mr. Copperson spent a few seconds eyeing his opponent's field carefully, only for his own confident smirk to return to his face moments later. "I'm afraid there might've been a miscalculation in whatever you're planning, Mr. Harper," he said. "Unless you have some sort of double-Xyz play to make again, I don't see how you intend for these monsters to challenge my Gladiator Beasts; much less eliminate my still-full 4000 life points!"
A short chuckle escaped Mike's lips. "That's funny," he shot back. "Weren't you the one who lectured me about taking every card your opponent has into consideration?"
Mr. Copperson's eyes narrowed as Mike held up the last card in his hand: "In case you didn't notice, I still have one more card left to play! And that card is my equip spell, Cursed Armaments!"
Without warning, apparitions of a discolored sword and shield materialized in the hands of Mr. Copperson's Gyzarus, followed by the latter being enveloped by a dark aura as it was forced onto its knees, cawing weakly as County Dame's Mayor watched on, taken aback. "What have you done?!" he demanded to know.
"I've given your Gyzarus a little 'gift,'" Mike answered. "Any monster equipped with Cursed Armaments loses 600 ATK points—for every monster I control.
"So with four monsters on my field, I'm afraid that leaves your Beast with no hope for survival!" he said as he watched the monster's stats fall. [Gladiator Beast Gyzarus - ATK: 2400→0]
Confounded gasps escaped everyone else's mouths as Mike then pointed to the degraded creature. "Now go, Constellar Sheratan! Shoot that bird down!"
The small warrior pulled a silver, alien-looking blaster from its hip, aiming it towards Mr. Copperson's enervated Gladiator Beast before unleashing rapid-fire rounds of energy from it. With each shot, the targeted opponent became more and more staggered, before finally exploding from the culmination of blasts. [Mr. Copperson - LP: 4000→2800]
County Dame's Mayor grimaced as he watched his life points drop for the first time all duel, before looking pointedly back to Mike. "So you finally managed to destroy one of my monsters; and even deal some damage," he said. "But with my Gyzarus's destruction, you've now lost your Cursed Armaments spell; and you have nothing left to help your monsters defeat my Heraklinos! This duel is over for you, Mr. Harper!"
There was an intense beat of silence as Mr. Copperson's intense words washed over the space. Mike remained unmoving for a moment, before the smirk on his face broadened only slightly.
"Well, you're right about one thing," he admitted. "This duel is over... only you're on the losing end of it."
Mr. Copperson's expression turned to confusion for only a moment before he noticed: the battle ax and shield in his Heraklinos's hands had begun to glow with the same dark aura as the weapons that had formed in Gyzarus's hands, before spreading to envelop the rest of the monster.
"From the look on your face, I'll assume you didn't know about my Cursed Armaments' other effect," Mike explained. "When it's sent from my field to the graveyard, it comes back to equip itself to another monster on my opponent's field. And I'm sure you know what that means."
Mr. Copperson was now rendered speechless as he watched Heraklinos fall to its knees, growling dejectedly. [Gladiator Beast Heraklinos - ATK: 3000→600]
"Now, Constellar Acubens!" Mike cried out as he pointed to the downed Gladiator Beast. "Put his Heraklinos down!"
Acubens dashed across the field as it raised its claw-like fist to thrust through Heraklinos's center. The armored creature was given only a moment to bellow in agony, before exploding with an impact that forced Mr. Copperson to raise a defensive arm as his life points took another blow. [Mr. Copperson - LP: 2800→2100]
The overhead spectators were frozen where they stood as the outcome of the duel became transparently clear; the same realization hitting County Dame's Mayor as he looked to his young opponent with consternation.
"Looks like you're wide open, Mr. Copperson!" Mike said before pointing directly to him. "Constellar Leonis! Constellar Aldebaran! Finish him off!"
In Aldebaran's hand formed a sharp ring of light, while Leonis's hand became enveloped in a similar light that formed the shape of a blade. Then, almost instantaneously, the two warriors dashed across the field, each of them using their light-blades to cut through Mr. Copperson in an X-formation. Each warrior landed on a different side behind County Dame's Mayor, whose eyes were wide as he reeled, eventually falling to one knee as the remainder of his life points plummeted. [Mr. Copperson - LP: 2100→600→0]
- DUEL OVER -
[Winner: Mike]
"D-did he...?" Danny finally managed to break his stupefaction after a few moments, "Did he just win?"
"I... I think he did..." Violet confirmed shakily, barely out of her own dumbfounded state.
The four friends exchanged momentary disbelieving glances, before their expressions shifted to excitement as they joyfully exclaimed:
"He did it!"
"I can't believe it!"
"He actually won!"
"Whoop whoop, fothermuckers!"
They started making haste for the stairs that led down to the gymnasium floor, clamoring cheerfully over each other while rushing past their principal, who hung back for a moment as he looked down at his former patient.
I knew you wouldn't disappoint, Mike, he thought as a proud smile formed on his face, before following his students back down to the ground floor.
Mike watched as each of his Constellars faded from the field as his and Mr. Copperson's duel disks deactivated. Time seemed to come to a standstill; a sigh of relief escaped his lips, allowing him to take in the moment of calm as the last of his doubt and fear exited his mind.
Liam... I'm coming to give you that real duel I promised.
Casey... wherever you are, I will find a way to save you.
"Yo, Mike!"
Without warning, time reverted to its normal pace as the voice broke through Mike's moment of quietude, prompting him to turn to see each of his four friends rushing over to him, still clamoring frantically. The first one to reach him was Violet, who tackled him with a hug that he just barely managed to catch and reciprocate. She was quickly followed by the rest of them, who crowded around him with praise:
"Dude, that was absolutely sick!" Danny started off, bouncing so emphatically on his heels that he nearly hopped out of his shoes. "Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen you pull a more badass comeback!"
"We couldn't even begin to think of where you were going with that army of weak monsters," Marina said with a smile. "You threw us all for a loop!"
"I gotta say, that duel actually made me somewhat envious," Josiah agreed. "I don't think even our last duel ended as awesomely as this one."
Mike could feel his face turning red, but managed to divert his attention away from his humbleness as his eyes met his girlfriend's sterling ones.
"I am so proud of you," she told him, her smile beaming bright with delight. In that moment, for the first time in a month, his traumatic past, his questionable two years away, and even the missing friend, Casey, couldn't bother her.
Mike could only return her smile before tightening his embrace, pulling away only so he could look to her as he replied, "Never could've done it without you."
If it was even possible, Violet's smile managed to widen even further before she leaned in to briefly kiss him, which he returned with equal affection.
As they pulled away, their arms slacked around each other, although they remained entwined as they exchanged glances back to each of their other friends, all of them returning to chattering about the magnitude of Mike's victory. Meanwhile, across the floor, Dr. Crawford was coming to a stop before his Mayoral colleague, who was still knelt as his head hung, lost in thought.
Dr. Crawford's smirk was comical. "Coping all right down there, Andrew?"
Mr. Copperson spared a glance up at him, grinning slightly as he let out a half-scoff, half-laugh. "Hardly," he denied.
The principal then extended his hand down to him, which the latter took to help him back onto his feet, meeting his old friend face-to-face again.
"You know, there's something I must admit," Mr. Copperson said, prompting Dr. Crawford to raise an eyebrow as the former looked through the group of students to his victorious opponent. "When you first brought my attention to this young man, I was expecting him to be some sort of delinquent—a runaway juvenile you'd brought before me out of favoritism, given his history as one of your patients."
Dr. Crawford's expression soured slightly at the insinuation, though he remained composed as he allowed his friend to continue: "Now, I can see there's something more to him... something that makes him unlike any other duelist ever to consider the Pro Circuit."
The principal only adjusted his glasses with a smirk. "So does this mean you think he's Pro-material after all?"
Mr. Copperson said nothing, though the broadening of his grin told him his answer in that moment before they both began pacing towards the group of friends.
At the sight of the two approaching adults, the teens' volume quickly dropped to zero again as they turned to face them, with Mike stepping out slightly to stand before them on his own.
"I have to hand it to you, Mr. Harper," County Dame's Mayor began. "That was one of the most exhilarating finishes to a duel I've ever borne witness to."
Mike remained silent as he took Mr. Copperson's words in: "Despite your rough start, you managed to demonstrate that your dueling has climbed to an even higher level after all your hard work in those classes.
"I won't ask you to tell me what that was holding you back before," he said with a short grin. "But you should know, I took great satisfaction in watching you finally manage to overcome it."
Mike nodded with a gratified smile, before Mr. Copperson finally said: "With all that said, my overall evaluation of our duel is... that you pass."
Once again, the four friends behind Mike broke out into ecstatic cheers, all while Mr. Copperson extended a congratulatory hand out to Mike, which he shook firmly as he said, "Thank you."
As their hands parted, Violet leaned in to plant another kiss on his cheek as Marina and Josiah continued clapping. Danny, over-the-top as always, came up to slap Mike in the back as he said, "All right, you made the Pro Circuit! Man, I can't wait to find out who your first opponent's gonna be!"
At this remark, both Mr. Copperson and Dr. Crawford exchanged odd looks with each other before turning back to the teenagers. "Actually," the former started, "Mr. Harper's not quite in the Pro Circuit just yet—"
"Oh yeah, duh," Danny cut in. "Obviously, he's gotta look through all the contracts and find a good manager and all that, but—"
"If you would let him finish, Mr. Stark," the spectacled principal now cut his student off, casting a dark look at him that made Danny shrink slightly, before turning back to his old friend, who nodded with appreciation.
"As I was saying," Mr. Copperson continued, "the truth is, there's still one more obligation that Mr. Harper must fulfill before he can join the Pro Circuit."
All the friends' eyebrows rose at this statement. "What do you mean, 'one more obligation?'" Josiah asked.
"I thought this practical test was supposed to be his last prerequisite?" Marina added.
"Not quite," Dr. Crawford rebuked. "See, the process we secured for Mike's entry into the Pro Circuit is a rather unorthodox one. It's not the same as admitting a member of a Dueling Legacy family, or a graduate from one of the Duel Academies. Therefore, it has to be a little more arduous to ensure his quality as a candidate."
"Oh, that just sounds like B.S. to me!" Danny raged. "Why haven't either of you told him about this before now?!"
"Think of it as a test of his commitment," Mr. Copperson offered as he looked back to Mike. "To see if he's as ready to devote himself to the Pro Circuit as he'll need to be."
Despite his friends' outraged reactions, Mike had managed to maintain his cool as he took in each bit of information he was being presented with, meeting Mr. Copperson's stare with a knitted brow. "Well, it's not like I'm about to say no after all this time," he said.
Once again, Mr. Copperson and Dr. Crawford exchanged glances, their expressions more assured than they were earlier before looking back to Mike once again. "Very well, then," Mr. Copperson said. "Your final requirement before entering the Pro Circuit... is for you to train under the guidance of a Master Duelist."
Mike's eyebrows rose high as this term reached his ears, while a few of his friends' faces behind him instead became puzzled. "Wait, what exactly is a 'Master Duelist'?" Danny asked cluelessly.
"A duelist-emeritus," Dr. Crawford explained. "Or, in simpler terms, a retired member of the Pro Circuit who finished their career on a high note. The moniker is only granted to those with the most-esteemed of duel records, in recognition of their excellence."
"Correct," Mr. Copperson affirmed, before meeting Mike's eyes again with a new kind of intensity behind them. "And the Master Duelist who's volunteered to train you is already waiting for you... in Japan."
ED1: "Behind Blue Eyes" by Limp Bizkit
Author's Notes
WHAAATTT?! THIS STORY ACTUALLY UPDATED IN A TIMELY MANNER? IT'S UNHEARD OF! IT'S INSANE! IT'S...! It's...
... yeah, it's real. It's here. 'Sup everybody. Nearly two and a half months apart, that's a new record... I can only hope my writing switch doesn't turn itself off again so the next chapter can get out in just as timely a fashion. I'll admit, I was particularly motivated to get this one done because I REALLY didn't wanna keep y'all waiting on a part 2 like I've done before.
So here we are: we're FINALLY halfway through this season! I really wanted this midseason finale to be a show-stopping cliffhanger, so I made sure to amp up the drama like only an anime can have, and have the ending getting you all scratching your heads like, "Wait, dafaq?" Hopefully I managed to pull that off with at least some of you.
Looking ahead, next chapter will see Mike heading out to the Land of the Rising Sun, while the ones left back home will have to find ways to entertain themselves... oh, who am I kidding? You know I'm brewing a small shitstorm just for them too.
Today's shout-outs go to my usuals: first, Master Of Anime224, my ever-on-my-ass-about-my-writing beta reader. Couldn't ask for a better guy; your interest in my story and your patience through my bullshit are all things I can never thank you enough for. Then we've got my ol' pal Sunflesh: you see to it that I find just the right ways to deliver every bit of dialogue in the best way possible. You're every bit a ray of sunshine as your name might suggest, and your passion for my story and all the little intricacies I've woven into it is inspiring.
Finally, today's CQ centers around our minor-est of minor characters, Marina! As for why, it's because she had that scene-stealing moment in today's chapter, and there's a detail about here that's always bugged me in the back of my mind I want your opinions on. So here goes: In the original draft of this story, her name was ORIGINALLY 'Marina Lively,' instead of 'Marina Livesey.' Truthfully, I don't know how it happened, but autocorrect on my old Microsoft Word thought that was her name, so I kinda just rolled with it. That said, I want y'all to tell me: which surname for her do you like more? 'Livesey,' or 'Lively?' Who knows, if you guys like the original one more, I might retcon her name through the whole story. Otherwise, I'ma let it be.
That's all from me. I've REALLY gotta catch up on the rest of the stories I've been neglecting to read on here. So until next time, stay awesome.
REVISED ON: 7/15/2020
