Foreword: Hello dear readers. Sorry I've been away for such a long time. Was busy with a lot of stuff, such as new card information, editing and stuff.
Also, congratulations Koishi-chan, for getting 1st place in the 11th Touhou Popularity Poll!
As usual, please do leave comments if you can!
Touhou Duel Masters Café
Chapter 22 - To the end of Reincarnation (2)
Tsugumi huffed as she brushed her long, flowing blonde hair behind her, the soft wind blowing against her fair features.
"Hah… Why do I have to work with this brash red-head?" She mumbled under her breath, which still reached Rad's ears.
"Hey, I'm not the one deciding this. I'd be happy to work alone than to cooperate with you." He growled.
"…" Dione coughed in response to their bickering.
"Chi…" Rad clicked his tongue and walked ahead of them.
"…Hah…" Sora's shoulders sagged in exhaustion and defeat, as she once again had to bear with the arguments between her teammates, which she had hoped not to see, at least for today.
"Seems they really aren't friendly with each other." Marisa commented as they followed behind the Constellations.
"Just like the Gold Saints, always fighting amongst themselves." Sanae added.
"Eh?"
"Fufu, nothing."
They reached an old abandoned building, on the verge of collapsing as vines entangled it, coiling around the 5-storey establishment like snakes, which was probably what kept it from falling apart in this state.
"…Why are we here?" Rad folded his arms as he surveyed this building, unimpressed.
"We picked up a faint signal from the badges of Cancer and Leo a few days ago, though they disappeared after a few seconds." Dione explained as she trudged towards the entrance. "We might pick up something that might lead to where they are. And because their badges are functioning… that means they might still be alive and well."
"Pff… Then why aren't they showing up?" Rad retorted, but followed their leader nonetheless.
"I'm sure they have their reasons." Came the curt reply. Rad just rolled his eyes but does not continue the argument.
The Constellations followed Dione as she opened the rusty door, which groaned and creaked as it gave way. Reimu and her company looked at each other, and walked into the building after the Constellations without another moment of hesitation.
The interior of the building was vastly empty, and cracks ran along the pillars and walls that were barely sustaining the building.
"Wow. It's amazing this place is still standing." Tsugumi swatted some dust away from her nose, and coughed. "I really want to get out of here as fast as possible. It's ruining my health."
"Better get used to this, little missy." Rad's comment earned a snarl from Tsugumi, which turned into a sneer after he coughed too.
"…" Sora tried her best to ignore her two colleagues, and examined their surroundings. Kneeling down, she peered at some faint footprints embedded in the thick coat of dust on the floor. "Guys, someone has been here. It looks like a pair of recent footprints…"
Her notice gathered everyone else to her location, and they began searching for more signs from that area.
"…It seems that they appeared out of nowhere…" Tsugumi pursed her lips. "They seem to go from the middle of the building straight to the exit…"
"Hm…" Reimu mused to herself. "If it really is them… Then they might be transported to this world like us… But what are they doing?"
"…It seems you're thinking what I'm thinking." Marisa saw the look on her best friend's face.
"Have you got any idea?" Dione turned to them, quipping the interest of the other people.
"Well, it may be that they traveled here along with us… But they are keeping their location a secret. They must have got rid of the signal transmitter once they realized their location was exposed." Reimu explained her thoughts. "They must have some reason to do this…but I don't know why."
She grumbled to herself as she realized that Michael and Jonathan were deliberately making things more complicated and annoying. They'll have to be given a good scolding later on.
"Hm…" Izabella scratched her chin. "Now that they're apparently safe and sound, what's left is to just track them down."
"Though they have shut off their communication badges. If they're hiding from us, finding them shouldn't be an easy task." Valzaark followed.
"Heh, then we'll just find them, beat them to a pulp and ask questions later!" Rad grinned.
"Heh. For once I agree with that guy." Marisa nodded.
"If we do find them, that is." Remilia said. "Which is quite the hard mission here."
"Well, they shouldn't be hard to find I suppose. They must be here in the city…" Sora murmured. "Let's split up and find them then."
"Heh, they'll pay for neglecting their duties for so long!" Rad smashed his fist against palm and walked out of the building before anyone could stop him.
"…Let him be. It's better that way." Dione said. "Then I suppose I'll be on my own too. Sora can go with Tsugumi and Valzaark with Izabella."
"And…our guests…you can decide on your own." With that, she walked out the entrance. Valzaark nodded at Izabella too, and they departed. Reimu, Remilia and Alice split into one group while Marisa, Sakuya and Sanae divided into another, leaving only Tsugumi and Sora in the building.
"…So… shall we?" Sora turned to her companion, who didn't seem very amused.
"…" Sighing, the blonde nodded. "Yeah, let's."
"…"
"…"
The two Constellations walked in silence as they surveyed the apparently empty fields.
"Hey…" Tsugumi broke the silence. "…What do you think of the Constellations, exactly?"
"I…" Suddenly taken aback by the question, Sora fumbled for words. "I… wish we were more of a team back then. When Michael and Jonathan were here. Like our guests…they seem to have a good relationship with each other. Not bickering like us all the time…" She sighed.
"…It's not like I want to argue all day long…" Tsugumi shook her head. "I'd love to be at peace with everyone…but it just seems impossible."
"Why so?" The Libra duelist asked, puzzled.
"Ha… You know, because of my upbringing and family, I don't have much friends." The Aries duelist sighed and explained. "Even after I joined the Constellations, it didn't change much. I was mostly alone…and it just seems awkward to bond with everyone else…Michael and Jonathan are gone… You're with your plants… Izabella is alone most of the time… Dione and Valzaark are on their own.., and Rad… Ugh." She shook her head.
"I would've been glad to help you out if you had asked." Sora turned to her companion, arms folded and slightly cross. "If you don't ask, nothing will be done."
"I know… It's just that my pride never allowed me to lay it down and ask someone else for something. Be it the fellow Constellations or others."
"Ha…" Though a little hesitant, Sora put her hand on Tsugumi's shoulder. "Well, I'm sorry that I didn't realize that earlier. I'd be happy to spend less time with my plants, if you're up for some time together."
"…Thank you." Tsugumi flashed a faint smile at Sora. "I suppose it's time to put down this pride of mine."
"I'll be there for you no matter what. We're colleagues and friends, after all." Sora responded. "…It'd be nice if Michael and Jonathan were here, so they could make the Constellations a happy family… Alas, they might not be the ones we knew."
"Well, we'll try to stick us together then." Tsugumi told her. "If they're not here, then someone has to do it."
"Fufu… That doesn't sound much like you, Tsugumi."
"Mu… That's how I am inside… If I put down my pride, then it's just me like this."
"I understand." Sora giggled lightly. "Still…it's not often we see you in this state."
"…Hmph!" Tsugumi looked away, with a small smile on her face.
It was then they noticed the enormous shadow overhead.
"…What's that?" Marisa pointed, and Sanae and Sakuya looked in that direction. Their eyes widened with surprise.
"…! That is…!"
"…! Diabolos Zeta!" Tsugumi clenched her fists as she stared at the Psychic Creature. "Who opened the portal to an alternate world!?"
"Tsugumi, look!" Sora noticed her friend.
"!"
A figure with a blue coat and hood stood on the shoulder of the large creature, face indistinguishable under the cover of blue hood.
"Hey! What are you doing, materializing a creature at this time and place!" Tsugumi questioned, quite angry at the appearance of Diabolos Zeta.
"…" The figure said nothing in return, and hopped down on to the grass, a white magic circle beneath its feet, absorbing all impact that would've easily killed a person from that height. Diabolos Zeta quickly dissipated into light after his rider got off.
The figure stood up straight, a bracelet on its left hand, which started to glow a bright white gleam. A semi-transparent pad materialized from thin air in front of the hooded figure, and the a deck flew from its pocket, situating itself on the left side of the pad, and expanding 5 shields where they should be as 5 crystalline shields appeared and revolved around the figure.
"What… Is that?" Sora stood, wide eyed at the bracelet and its system. "I've never seen something like it… A new duel table?"
"Chi… Seems you're not going to be opening that mouth of yours unless we pry it open!" Tsugumi felt her temper rising. A duel table rose up from the ground in front of her, and she placed her deck on it, and it shuffled itself and spread 5 cards to the left of itself. Tsugumi drew 5 cards, and 5 transparent shields materialized in front of the table. "You won't have a choice once I, the Aries duelist, completely beats you!"
"Don't lose, Tsugumi!" Sora cheered on her friend from the sidelines.
"Of course I won't!" Tsugumi assured her.
"Duema, Start!"
BGM: Desire Drive
"I cast Faerie Life." The figure's voice distinguished it as male, though heavily distorted. A card from the top of his deck went into his mana zone. "Turn End."
"Draw. Mana Charge. Turn End." Tsugumi ended her turn swiftly.
"My turn. Draw. I charge Wilhelm into my mana zone. I cast Faerie Miracle. Since I have 5 civilizations in my mana zone, I boost 2 cards. Turn End."
"Chi…" Tsugumi drew a card. "6 mana already… I charge a mana. Turn End."
"My turn. Charge. I cast Counterattacking Silent Spark and draw 2 cards." The figure caught 2 cards from his deck as they flew towards him. "Turn End."
"Heh…My Turn!" Tsugumi announced. "I cast Glory Snow! Since you have more mana than me, I boost 2 mana too!"
"Yes! Tsugumi can have 7 mana next turn!" Sora beamed at the blonde duelist.
"…My turn. I cast Gachinko Joker. I'll discard those cards to your left." The figure motioned, and a black beam forced Tsugumi to let go of the two cards.
"Ha! You've fallen for it!" Tsugumi smirked, and one of the cards went into the battle zone instead of her graveyard. "Bonsowaru's Madness effect! He comes out into the battle zone if he is discarded by your effects!" The Angel Command Dragon hovered in the air above Tsugumi, wielding a large staff.
"…Gachinko Joker's second effect. We play Gachinko Judge, and if I win Gachinko Joker returns to my hand."
"Gachinko Judge!"
Tsugumi smiled as she revealed Valhalla Paladin, which cost 9. It quickly faded as she saw her opponent's revealed card.
"Alphadios…dato!?"
"Alphadios costs 10, so I win and Gachinko Joker returns to my hand."
"Kuh…" Tsugumi growled as both revealed cards were sent to the bottom of their respective owner's deck. "Then Bonsowaru's effect! I reveal the top 3 cards of my deck and put all Blockers into my hand!"
With a swing of his weapon, the Dragon Spirit Admiral flipped the top 3 cards of Tsugumi's deck open, revealing Milzam, Bonsowaru and Dragon's Sign, and all but that last were added to Tsugumi's hand, which was sent to her deck bottom.
"My turn!" Tsugumi drew a card. "I summon Heaven's Rosia! With his effect I bring out Endless Heaven from my Hyperdimensional Zone into my battle zone!"
Forming a ball of energy in his hands, the Light Draguner opened a portal to the Hyperdimenson, and from it, the Church of the Light Civilization sailed into the field, showering the battle zone with light.
"Battle! Bonswaru! Break his shield!" The white dragon obeyed, smashing one of the hooded figure's shields. "Then End Phase! I have more shields than you, so Endless Heaven! Ryuukai! Neverend!" The Dragheart Fortress flexed it arms and legs, and grabbing a spear out of thin air, the Dragheart Creature stood over the battlefield, threatening to crush Tsugumi's opponent next turn.
"Turn End!" Tsugumi grinned. "Let's see how you make it out of this one!"
BGM: Heraldic Beasts Bear Their Fangs (YGO ZeXal Sound Duel 3)
"My turn. Charge. I summon Bolbalzark Ex, and untap all my mana. Then I cast White Green Hole and bring out Victorious Prin." Both Hunters materialized on the figure's field. "Prin's effect, Neverend can't block or attack until my next turn. Then I cast Mother's Sanctuary! I send Prin back to my mana, and evolve Bolbalzark into Uberdragon Valkyrias!" The Armored Dragon let off a huge howl as the egg of evolution enveloped him, and in a split second, the evolution Armored Dragon took his place on the battle zone. "Valkyrias' effect! I cost trample a Dragon from my mana zone! I put Dragment Symbol Sr, Spellcyclica into the battle zone!"
Striking the earth with his huge lance, the Uberdragon growled as a fissure opened on the ground, and the blue Crystal Command Dragon emerged from it.
"Spellcyclica!" Tsugumi clicked her tongue.
"Spellcyclica's effect! I cast White Green Hole and bring out Prin! With White Green's effect I salvage Romanesk from my mana. Then with Prin's effect, Heaven's Rosia cannot attack or block until my next turn!" Once more the Alien princess appeared, and bound the Angel Command Dragon with energy chains.
"Battle!" The hooded figure commanded. "I attack Bonsowaru with Valkyrias!" The red Armored Dragon fired his chest cannon, completely obliterating Bonsowaru from the battle zone. "Turn End."
"Kuh… Draw. I summon Emeralda and return a shield, and then I add one shield back. Shield Trigger! Dragon's Sign!" Tsugumi exclaimed as the returned shield glowed in her hand. "I put a cost 7 or less Light Dragon, La Rose Bluet, from my hand into my battle zone!"
"Heh…Turn End!"
"…My turn." The hooded man drew a card, and looked at it briefly before charging another card into his mana. "I summon a second Spellcyclica!"
"Nani…?"
"With Spellcyclica's effect, I cast Mother's Sanctuary from my graveyard. I send the same Spellcyclica to my mana zone, and evolve Valkyrias into this card!" He exclaimed, as a card from his mana zone went on top of the Armored Dragon.
"Wha…evolving Valkyrias!?" Sora was shocked by the sudden evolution of the powerful Dragon.
"Witness the power of the reborn Diva!" The hooded male called. "The song of destruction and rebirth with the power of the moon!"
"Trueshinra Premium Kiriko Moon!" The blue Lunatic Emperor/Cyber Lord/Unknown broke out of the evolution egg, her long, flowing hair waving in the wind.
"Nani... Kiriko Moon…dato!?" Tsugumi took a step back. "But I still have blockers and Shield Triggers, this won't scare me!"
"Kiriko Moon's effect! I return Spellcyclica and Victorious Prin to the bottom of my deck, and reveal non-evolution creatures from my deck up to the number of returned creatures!" The man announced, as the two creatures disappeared from the battle zone.
"…Codeking Number Nine! Meteorite Ryuusei the Flash!" Two Dragons materialized beside Premium Kiriko Moon, roaring at the clear sky, unfazed in the face of the army Angel Command Dragons before them.
"…!"
"Meteorite Ryuusei's effect! He taps all your creatures!" Letting off a bright flash, the Red Command Dragon Hunter made all of Tsugumi's creatures kneel, devoid of their power.
"And with his effect, all my creatures get Speed Attacker!"
"Battle! Meteorite Ryuusei! Double Break!" The hooded man ordered. The Light/Fire Dragon charged towards Tsugumi, and with a swing of his large blade severed 2 shields.
"Kuh…!" Tsugumi grit her teeth and caught the 2 cards in her hand.
"Kiriko Moon! Triple Break!" Stretching one arm, Kiriko Moon let off a powerfull blue shockwave, shattering Tsugumi's remaining 3 shields.
"Shield Trigger, Heaven's Gate…"
"Have you forgotten that Number Nine is here?" Her opponent reminded her. "You can't cast any spells."
"…Uh…" Tsugumi fell on her knees. "There's nothing I can do anymore…"
"Correct." The man raised his hand, ready to give the signal for the final blow.
"…!" The Light duelist shut her eyes tightly, bracing her body for the coming impact.
It didn't come.
"…?" She opened her eyes, and found Sora standing in front of the dueling table, arms spread wide open. "Sora…!"
"I'm not going to let you hurt my friends!" The Nature duelist declared. "If you're going to deliver the final attack, you have to attack me too!"
"Sora…" Tsugumi could feel something welling in her chest.
"…" The hooded man hesitated, but quickly he made a decision as he brought down his hand. "Number Nine, todomeda."
"Kuh…!"
The others arrived just in time to see the King Command Dragon smashing his sword of light on the two girls, ending the duel.
"Wha…!" Rad stared at the scene. "Tsugumi lost!?"
Reimu turned her attention to the hooded man, and thought she saw a smile on his face, as he looked straight back at her.
"You bastard!" Rad ran towards the victor as the creatures disappeared. "I'll teach you not to mess with the Constellations!"
Then the world shook, and everything turned white.
"…We didn't do anything, and we still got through this world?" Marisa folded her arms.
Tsugumi shook her head. "It is because of your presence that I realized that I wanted friends. And I was able to pluck up the courage to ask for one."
"And it's because you're here that I realized that I wanted the team to stay together. Even Rad wanted to take revenge for Tsugumi." Sora added. "That helped us fulfill our wishes."
"O, Oh…" Marisa scratched her cheek.
"Though… It was that last duel that was the final straw to help us get through." Tsugumi smiled a little sadly. "I suppose you know who he is already."
"There's only one person I know with a deck like that." Reimu massaged her head. "Once I find them… We are going to have a long talk. And punishment awaits them."
The other girls laughed a little at that.
"…Well, thank you sincerely for your help." Tsugumi bowed. "I wish you all the best in the remaining worlds."
"Please take care of them." Sora waved as everything started to turn black.
"Leave it to us." Remilia grinned. "We'll be sure to…take care of them."
"Oh sure we'll do." Marisa smiled maliciously.
"Haha…" Sanae waved back.
"Well then…best of luck."
Decks:
?: 5c Kiriko Moon (５cキリコムーン)
Tsugumi: Mono White HG (白単天門)