In Heartland Tower overlooking the city, Kite watched his younger brother sleep while reflecting on the events that had occurred the past few weeks. "Hart, there's been a complication. A boy named Yuma has teamed up with the envoy of Astral World. Like me, they've been gathering Numbers. Also, a wild card seems to have been added to the situation. An unknown who goes by the name Vixen, alias; the Number Thief. I lost to him once, but with these improvements to my deck, I'll be sure to beat him during round 2." Kite then held up his improved deck, his Galaxy-Eyes and new monster on top.
The next morning, Alex was walking down the sidewalk on his way to school, the river flowing to his right, storm clouds starting to swarm in. "Great, I should've brought my umbrella." Not long after, Yuma ended up running past him, Tori and Astral tailing just behind him. "Hey Yuma! Tori! What's up?" Stopping, the said two people turned to see their friend behind them. Tori gave an irritated glare before running ahead of them, but Yuma paused for his black haired classmate.
"Oh, hey Alex! Are you well rested?"
"More than usual. Is Tori still mad that I upped and disappeared when Shark lost his soul to Kite?"
"Yeah… she started saying that we shouldn't be friends anymore since it seemed like you just abandoned us," Yuma explained. "But I'm sure you had your reasons."
"Well, I tried to call for some help, but the police weren't too enthusiastic about trying to find what they consider, a stolen piece of junk," Alex lied through his teeth, a skill he seemed to have started to perfect as not even Astral seemed suspicious of his answer.
"What?! My key is not a piece of junk!" the young duelist predictably shouted in anger. "Gah! Wait! I'm gonna be late!" And with that, he was off, his ghostly friend floating close behind.
Not wanting to get detention, Alex ran close behind. Upon reaching the school, he found Tori and Yuma arguing, the first bell having already gone off. "See ya guys!" he says rushing past them down the stairs and out of eyesight. Before he entered the front doors, the second bell had gone off and a bright flash occurred. "What the?!" After rubbing his eyes, Alex saw tiny particles of red and blue light float around the school hall. "Oh… it's the time stop episode, which means Yuma's gonna go on a whirlwind adventure." Looking out the window, he saw the said duelist running away from the school, Astral flying ahead.
The next day after classes were over, Bronk was showing his excitement about the World Duel Carnival. "It's finally starting! This is gonna be the best duel tournament ever."
"Not to mention what the tournament winner will win," Caswell adds. "Not only will they be immortalized as a duel champion, but they'll gain lifetime free access to Heartland!"
"Not only that," Flip says. "But the scoop I've managed to gather is that Mr. Heartland himself said that he'll grant the winner one wish and will go to any lengths to make it happen."
"Really?" Tori exclaimed.
"Yep, and I know what I'm gonna wish for. It's gonna be for 100 more wishes!" the bowler hat kid said with a sneer. "How smart is that?" It left the others completely speechless, until Alex decided to speak up on their behalf.
"I'm pretty sure that Mr. Heartland will make sure that there are some provisos, maybe some pre-proquois," he said with a grin of his own, causing Flip to then sweat drop at the thought that maybe his more wishes idea wasn't that brilliant after all.
"I know what I'd wish for. A date with Yuma…" Cathy said, red dusting her cheeks.
"So, who here's competing?" Tori asked. Bronk, Caswell, Flip and Cathy then showed her their Heart Pieces, proving their entry into the Duel Carnival. At that very moment, Yuma waltzed in with a very upset look on his face. After that, he attempted to sign up for it online, only to find out that the registration was closed. He then ran out of the school panicking.
"Guess we'd better follow him, huh?" Alex said getting up, only for Tori to walk past him, giving him a harmless shove back into his seat. "Hey, what the-"
"We don't need your help Alex. We'll go after him ourselves," she said with a strict glare, causing him to freeze. She then turned and left, after that, Bronk walked up and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, don't let Tori getcha down. You can still come with us, if you want."
"Nah… I don't think that's a good idea," Alex replied with a hollow voice, remorse evident in his eyes.
"Well, I'll try to talk her down," Bronk responds with a determined look. "She's being more of a jerk than just being angry with you now. See ya, Alex." Bronk then left with the rest of Yuma's friends, leaving Alex to sigh in self pity. Dark Rebellion gave a small roar of encouragement to its master, not wishing to see him sad.
"What am I gonna do, Dark Rebellion?" the raven haired kid asked in his head. "I want to try to make things up to her, but how?"
In the afternoon, Vixen was on the roof of a skyscraper looking over Heartland City, believing to have found a way in. "If I enter from that entrance around 5:40 using one of the litterbot trucks, then I should be able to enter the garbage lane undetected, which I'll then use as a straight shot to…" His attention was then driven away from his planning at seeing Yuma and the gang talking to the security in front of another entrance. "...or maybe I'll be given a chance with this distraction."
"Hold it!" came a familiar voice as time suddenly stopped around Vixen. Looking up, he saw none other than Kite flying down at him with Orbital on his back. Dropping down, the Number Hunter then stood across from the Number Thief, a scene that many would see between adversaries in movies. "I've finally found you, Vixen."
"Nice to see you too Kite," the thief replied. "Oh, and the robot too I guess."
"T-That's Orbital 7 to y-you meatbag!" the said robot responded in anger, before being reprimanded by his master with a glare. "S-Sorry M-Master Kite." Turning his attention back to the thief, the Number Hunter gave him a cold stare.
"I underestimated you before, and it cost me, but I decided to take your advice to heart and listen."
"Ahh yes, some little birdies told me you had plans to improve your deck," the thief responded, causing the Number Hunter in front of him to glare unamused.
"You heard correctly, and with these new improvements, I'll finally pay you back for last time!" he said, holding up his new and improved deck to Vixen, before inserting it into his duel disk. "Go! Photon Transformation!" His clothes then changed from black to white, and his duel mark formed around his left eye. At the same time Vixen's duel disk activated and the left eye of his mask glowed.
"Alright then Kite. Let's see how much you've improved from last time," the thief challenged.
"DUEL!"
Vixen's LP: 4000
Kite's LP: 4000
"So, who shall go first?" Vixen asked his opponent.
"I'm feeling quite generous so you can go first," his opponent answered, causing Vixen to smirk.
"Really? After you lost to me last time by letting me go first?" he replied.
"Don't think that I'll lose a second time. I've reworked my deck so I can finally beat you!" Kite counters.
"Y-You tell him, M-Master Kite!" Orbital cheered in the background.
"Very well. My turn! I draw!" Vixen drew his sixth card and played his opening. "First, I'll summon out a Time Thief's best friend, Time Thief Regulator! (ATK: 600, DEF: 200, LV: 4)" Regulator hopped onto the field with mechanical bark. "Then I'll use its ability! By tributing this little guy, I can bring two more Time Thieves to my field! Welcome Bezel Ship and Chronocorder! (ATK: 1000, DEF: 2000, LV: 4), (ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000, LV: 4)" Regulator vanished into yellow dust that formed into the two Time Thief machines. "Now I'll overlay my two level 4 monsters in order to build the overlay network! Maiden of quantum mechanics, assist us with your wonderful inventions! I Xyz Summon! Time Thief Perpetua! (ATK: 1900, DEF: 2500, RNK: 4)" Perpetua was summoned in defence mode, two glowing orbs swirling around her. "Next I'll summon Time Thief Winder from my hand by detaching an overlay unit from Perpetua!" One of the overlay units vanished from Perpetua as Winder appeared onto the field. (ATK: 1800, DEF: 1300, LV: 4) "Now is Time Thief Winder's effect! As you may recall, upon his summon, I can add a Time Thief card from my deck to my hand. I'll add-"
"Hold it!" Kite interrupted. "If you thought I wouldn't be prepared, you have another thing coming! By discarding Effect Veiler from my hand, I can negate the abilities of one monster on your field! I negate your Winder's abilities!" A human with wings made of water appeared and shot a beam at Winder, negating its effects and surprising Vixen. Kite then smirked in confidence for catching his opponent off guard. "I told you, I won't lose a second time!"
After shaking from his stupor, Vixen continued. "Well, Winder might not be getting me my Retrograde, but I can still detach Perpetua's last overlay unit to summon Bezel Ship from my graveyard! (ATK: 1000, DEF: 2000, LV: 4)" Bezel Ship appeared next to Winder after the red head's last overlay unit vanished. "Now I overlay both Bezel Ship and Winder to build the overlay network once more! Master of thievery across the temporal plane, appear before us with your masterful craft! I Xyz Summon! Time Thief Redoer! (ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000, RNK: 4)" Redoer appeared next to Perpetua, with its two overlay units floating around them. "Next Perpetua will attach a Time Thief card from my deck to an Xyz Monster I control! I'll attach a Flyback to Redoer!" The red head tinkered with a ball of glowing light, and then tossed it at Redoer, to which it then began to orbit him as a new overlay unit. "I'll set two cards, and end my turn."
"W-Wow! This started the same way your last duel started M-Master Kite!" Orbital observed.
"Yes, but this is where the similarities end! My turn, I draw!" Kite began his turn.
"Time Thief Redoer's effect! Quantum Thievery!" Just like many times before, Redoer used its cable from its device to swipe the top card of his opponent's deck and attach it as an overlay unit. Kite continued his turn.
"I activate Treasure Cards of Adversity! You saw this card in our last duel, so I won't bother explaining it and draw my two cards!" Two more cards were drawn from the deck. Upon looking at them both, he smiled. "Now from my hand, I activate the spell card Dark Hole!" Vixen gasped at seeing the familiar spell card. "Now all monsters on the field are destroyed, but since I control none, this'll only destroy your monsters!" A black vortex appeared in the center of the battlefield, Redoer and Perpetua being sucked in.
"In response, I'll activate Redoer's ability, detaching two overlay units to activate two of its abilities. By detaching a monster, Redoer's banished until the End Phase, and by detaching a spell, I can draw a card! Quantum Jump!" Before he got sucked in any farther, Redoer vanished through a time vortex, leaving Perpetua to take the fall.
"Your Redoer might be saved, but Perpetua will now be destroyed by Dark Hole's effect!" The red head gave one final cry as she vanished into the black vortex's event horizon, leaving nothing left as she was sent to the graveyard, and Vixen drew his new card. "Now what will you do?"
"I'm sorry Perpetua, but I promise your sacrifice won't be in vain! As a Time Thief card left the field by a card effect, Chronocorder comes back to play! (ATK: 1000, DEF: 1000, LV: 4)" The mechanical butterfly was summoned out in defence mode, taking Perpetua's place.
"Right, that," Kite responds with a cold expression. "But now we get onto the good part! By discarding a card from my hand, I can activate the quick play spell Twin Twister, allowing me to destroy two spell or trap cards on the field, and you have the only two, I'll pick those!" Another shocking play was made as the spell destroyed Vixen's two face down cards. "Now, as I control no monsters I can special summon Photon Thrasher from my hand! (ATK: 2100, DEF: 0, LV: 4) Next I'll summon Photon Crusher! (ATK: 2000, DEF: 0, LV: 4)" The two iconic Photon monsters appeared before Chronocorder.
"And now you'll tribute them to bring out Galaxy-Eyes, right?" Vixen asks, only for Kite to give a harsh grin.
"Wrong. I overlay level 4 Photon Thrasher and Photon Crusher in order to build the overlay network!" The two monsters then turned into yellow orbs that swirled into a galactic vortex, surprising the Number Thief at the unexpected play. "I Xyz Summon, Starliege Lord Galaxion! (ATK: 2000, DEF: 2100, RNK: 4)" A warrior in white armor wielding two swords of photon light appeared, two overlay units swirling around it.
"What?" Vixen asks no one, staring in awe at the monster before him.
"O-Oh yeah! Y-You really knocked his s-socks off him with that one M-Master Kite!" Orbital cheered. Vixen shook his head snapping out of his stupor.
"Great," the thief thought to himself. "Since he destroyed my face down Breakthrough Skill, I can't negate its effects this turn, which means he's most likely gonna…"
"Now I activate Galaxion's ability! By detaching both of its overlay units, I can summon out a monster more savage than a supernova from my deck!" His star warrior slashed both of its overlay units away and opened a gateway, which Galaxy-Eye's crest flew out of and into Kite's hand, which he then threw into the air, his ace monster's summon now occurring as it spun in the air. "Come forth, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon! (ATK: 3000, DEF: 2000, LV: 8)" His dragon then appeared onto the field with another roar, and upon looking at Vixen, the thief could've sworn he saw the dragon glare at him. Seems that it still hated the fact that he kept booting it off the field in their last duel.
"Doesn't seem too happy to see me," the thief said in response.
"For good reason," Kite responded, before giving another smirk. "Now I'll activate the effect of the Galaxy Javelin Quick Play spell card in my graveyard!" The spell card then revealed itself from a vortex on the ground. "Once per duel, I can set this card from my graveyard to my field if I control both a Galaxy-Eyes and Starliege monster, of which I do!" The spell then set itself face down behind Kite's dragon and warrior, causing Vixen to wonder just what it does.
"That's a card that I've never heard of before," he thought. "Judging by what Kite has said about beating me, that must assist in his goal, but how?"
"Now I'll have Galaxion attack your Chronocorder! Goodbye you little vermin!" Glaxion charged with its two blades at the mechanical Butterfly, only for Vixen to make a counter.
"I activate Chronocorder's ability, allowing me to tribute it!" Chronocorder then vanished in a flash of yellow dust, shocking Kite. "Since Chronocorder was summoned by it's effect, I must banish it."
The thief's opponent looked confused at his opponent's play. "Why would you do that? You're now wide open for a direct attack. I can end the game here and now!"
"Why don't you attack me and find out?" was Vixen's response. Kite became conflicted and wondered what his opponent was up to.
"Why would he leave himself wide open? He couldn't be that stupid, he has no more cards on his field. Also what kind of monster has an ability to just tribute itself for… no… reason…" After thinking, he then realized his opponent's plan.
"This is a trick isn't it?! Well I'm not falling for it Vixen! I'll set one card and end my turn!" After Kite played the last card in his hand, Redoer appeared onto Vixen's field, as its effect ended.
"I draw, and Redoer's Quantum Thievery takes the top card of your deck Kite!" After swiping the said card, Vixen saw that it was a monster, having him grunt in annoyance, of which Kite heard.
"What's the matter? Can't find a Trap card for your Redoer's ability?" he said with a smirk, causing the thief to look at him with a questioning look. "Good, because I made it so my deck has a low quantity of trap cards while using Quick Play spells to make up for their lack!" Vixen looked at his opponent's strategy with admiration in his eyes.
"You really have prepared for duel, haven't you?" the Number Thief complemented his opponent, before looking at a certain card in his hand with a smirk. "But let's see how prepared you are. I summon the tuner monster Black Salvo! (ATK: 100, DEF: 1100, LV: 3)" The little explosive appeared with it's sinister smirk. "And upon being normal summoned, I can bring a level 4 dark machine monster back from my graveyard! Return Bezel Ship! (ATK: 1000, DEF: 2000, LV: 4) Now, I tune level 4 Time Thief Regulator with level 3 Black Salvo! (4 + 3 = 7) Dragon whose petals glow in the light of the moon! Appear before us with your mighty gales! I Synchro Summon! Black Rose Moonlight Dragon! (ATK: 2400, DEF: 1800, LV: 7)" Black Salvo then exploded into three green rings that circled Bezel Ship as four stars formed from it. From the burst of light, Black Rose Moonlight Dragon was back, and roaring with might and a gale of whirlwind. "And when she's summoned to the field, I can return one special summoned monster you control to your hand! I choose Galaxy-Eyes! Moonlit Gale!" The dragon blew a gust of wind at Galaxy-Eyes, only for Kite to give an aggressive response.
"You think I'll fall for the same trick twice! Not gonna happen!" After his declaration, one of his face downs activated. "I activate the continuous trap Dimension Switch! This card allows me to banish a monster I control! I banish Galaxy-Eyes!" The dragon then vanished as the revealed trap glowed. "And since your dragon lost its target, your gale was just wasted!"
"Hmm… so he was prepared," Vixen thought. "But then that just leaves his Galaxy Javelin Quick-Play spell. Better play this right." He then enters his battle phase. "Redoer, attack his Starliege Lord Galaxion! Quantum Strike!" The Time Thief does as his master commands, and attacks the warrior, Kite smirking as his opponent falls for his trap.
"I activate my face down Galaxy Javelin, allowing me to target one light monster I control! I will target my Galaxion!" Galaxion dropped one of its swords as a javelin appeared in its hand. The thief saw that his monster's ATK did not raise, putting him at unease. Before he could ask the question in his head, Kite answered it. "When the monster targeted by Galaxy Javelin battles a monster, that monster loses 800 ATK during damage calculation! Looks like that thief is about to be jailed! Galaxion, counter attack!" The knight then rushed at the thief, pointing the javelin towards Redoer. From it's tip, a beam shot out, about to make contact with the thief, but before it could…
"I chain Redoer's ability! I detach a monster from it in order to banish this card! Quantum Jump!" Vixen countered, Redoer disappeared through its time vortex, dodging the beam before it made contact, and Galaxion missing its target. Kite growled in annoyance at his opponent's monster dodging its destruction. "Okay, so I'm guessing that that effect lasts until the end of the turn, so…" Vixen then selected a trap from his hand and set it. "I'll set two cards and end my turn, bringing Redoer back!" The said thief returns with a smirk as it stares its opponent down.
"During the End Phase, Galaxy Javelin's effect ends," Kite explains as the javelin vanishes from Galaxion's hand, being immediately replaced by its other sword. "Now it's my turn! I draw!"
"Redoer's Quantum Thievery activates!" It was a spell card this time.
After looking at his draw card, Kite played it. "I now activate the spell card Photon Sublimation! I banish two Photon monsters from my graveyard to draw two cards!" He then draws his new cards, and plays one of them. "Next I'll activate the quick play spell card Concentrating Current! This card gives my Lord Galaxion attack points equal to its defense points!"
(ATK: 2000 - 4100)
"Now Galaxion, attack his Time Thief Redoer!" The knight attacked the thief once more. Seeing no other choice, Vixen used his Redoer's last ability.
"I'll detach a spell from Redoer to draw a card!" Redoer's only overlay unit got absorbed by its gadget, a new card ejecting from the top of Vixen's deck, which he then drew. Kite then smirked in triumph.
"Looks like your thief's luck just ran out. Galaxion, finish him!" The warrior then vanished in a flash of light as it slashed through Redoer, causing the thief to explode in a shower of pixels.
Vixen's LP: 2300
"Hrgn!" Vixen grunted as his monster was destroyed, until a little robot dog took its place in defense position. "Since an Xyz Monster was destroyed in battle, I can resummon Time Thief Regulator! (ATK: 600, DEF: 200, LV: 4)"
"T-That little mutt i-is back?!" Orbital shouted in anger.
"Well, it won't stay for long! I remove my Dimension Switch to bring Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!" Dimension Switch shattered as Galaxy-Eyes re-emerged with a mighty roar. "Now Galaxy-Eyes, attack that little dog with Photon Stream of Destruction!" The dragon then shot out its blast of energy at the robot dog.
To be Continued...
Author's Note: Hahahaha! I just did a two parter chapter! Now you'll have to wait for the next chapter for the epic conclusion of the first arc. Until next time!