Foreword: Well...the next chapter is the second last chapter of the "Land of Reincarnation" arc. It's time to move on I guess. Spending more time than I should on the past. This is a Touhou fic, after all.
Again, please comment if you have any things to ask!
Touhou Duel Masters Café
Chapter 23 – To the end of Reincarnation (3)
BGM: Battle! Zinnia (Pokemon ORAS)
Dione tapped 5 cards in her mana zone as Aqua Guard, Aqua Analyzer and Aqua Jester Loupe were sucked into a gigantic swirling whirlpool overhead, and the faint sign of evolution signed thrice as the whirlpool exploded into a mass of energy, revealing the evolution creature Dione had just summoned.
"The supernova of the seas, freeze all magic with your blizzard breath, and plunge them into the icy Stygian! Galaxy Vortex Evolution!" She called as the creature shadowed all present, blotting out even the sun from their eyes. "Supernova Mercury Gigablizzard!"
The enormous Water Phoenix descended on the battle zone, sending a chilling gust through the whole field.
"Gigablizzard…!" Remilia frowned. Getting rid of her isn't going to be easy…
"Mercury Gigablizzard, Triple Break!" The Pisces duelist commanded, and the Phoenix let forth a chilling wind, shattering 3 of the vampire's shields.
"Guh…" Staring at the massive evolution creature, Remilia revealed one of her broken shields. "Shield Trigger, Faerie Shower… Are you allowing this?"
"Of course not." Her opponent coolly replied. "I activate Gigablizzard's Meteorburn! Whenever a spell's effect would be used, I send 1 Meteorburn unit from Gigablizzard to the graveyard, and the spell loses its effect and is sent to its owner's graveyard." One of the three evolution orbs orbiting around Gigablizzard was absorbed into her chest, sending a pulse of energy through the creature and activating her effect.
"Turn End."
"…My turn… I draw one extra card with Evidegoras. I cast Faerie Life." One more Meteorburn unit revolving around the Phoenix vanished from sight as the spell lost its effect. "Then I Turn End."
"I cast Streaming Shaper." Dione declared. Revealing Aqua Guard, Gorgonshack, Crystal Super Paladin and Isaac from her deck top, she added all to her hand. "Gigablizzard, Triple Break!" The last 2 shields vanished from Remilia's field. "Shield Trigger, Intense Vacuuming Twist!"
"I use Gigablizzard's last Meteorburn unit and that spell loses its effect too." Dione ended her turn with a wave of her hand.
"My turn! Evidegoras' draw, then turn draw!" Drawing two cards, Remilia charged a mana and tapped 7 cards in her mana zone. "Now there's nothing to stop my spells! I cast Ganveet Blaster! I destroy Gigablizzard, and you must discard 2 cards!"
Unfazed, Dione discarded Gorgonshack and Aqua Analyzer from her hand as her ace disappeared in a giant explosion.
"…Turn End." It's still alright… I have Hanzou to stop Super Paladin…
"My turn." Dione drew a card. "…You must have Hanzou in your hand, right?"
"…!" Remilia's chest tightened.
"Unfortunately, he won't be of any use." Dione tapped all 6 cards in her mana zone. "I'll use these from my hand. I summon this card with Aqua Guard and Super Paladin!"
"The impenetrable twin lances of magic! Charge through your foes and trample them down! Hand Vortex Evolution!" Aqua Guard and Super Paladin from Dione's hand were siphoned into a whirlpool above, albeit smaller than the one when Gigablizzard was summoned, and the Water Phoenix, with the trademark centauric body of evolution Liquid people and wielding twin lances, charged into the battle zone from the sphere of energy formed from the whirlpool. "Super Electric Nova, Crystal Phalanx!"
"Nani…!" Remilia didn't expect this at all, and the appearance of Crystal Phalanx took her by complete surprise.
"Crystal Phalanx! Todomeyo!"
Unable to defend herself, Remilia was blasted away from the dueling table, and Sakuya immediately caught her master and shielded her with a parasol.
"…Hmph…" Dione turned away. "It seems that I still cannot be freed from my duties…"
"Kuh…" Remilia stood up and shook her head in regret. "It seems that I, Remilia, am still not strong enough… Though I hate to admit it."
"Ma… We all have these times, don't sweat it." Marisa pat the vampire on her shoulder. "Let's just think about what to do next now."
It has been two worlds since Tsugumi and Sora were freed from the neverending cycle. The girls took care of Izabella and made her understand that the world does not reject her and she need not take revenge on the whole of humanity. They then made Valzaark know what it truly means to have a "heart". Izabella regretted her actions of twisting Subaru's heart, and asked Reimu and Marisa to tell the boys that she was truly sorry. Valzaark wondered what would Michael and Jonathan would experience from now on, and blessed them before disappearing. There was no sign of the two missing Constellations in these two worlds.
Now, it was Dione's world, and things weren't going as smoothly as they thought.
"As expected from the strongest Constellation…" Reimu rubbed her temples. "Next time I'll be the one to challenge her."
"That's not gonna happen." Marisa protested. "I'm the one dueling next time! I've been itching for a duel for so long already!"
"…Ma, whatever you say." The red-white lay back down on the bed and stretched. "…Wonder what those two are doing right now."
"…Saa ne..." Alice propped her chin on her palm. "But from the looks of it…they must be at least doing something."
"Something that they don't want us getting involved in, maybe." Sakuya offered, and the others nodded in agreement.
"…Well, we'll focus on our objective then." Reimu said. "As long as we know they're safe. They'll eventually find a way too."
"Yeah. But we're not going to forgive them for making us worried for so long." Marisa added. "Hope they're prepared for what's coming."
They laughed as they spent the night sharing girls' talk in one of the empty rooms.
Dione paced around the large hall of the Constellation's base. It was eerily quiet. The emptiness of the space served only to enhance her solitude.
Only 4 Constellations to manage this organization…and to save the world from otherdimensional invaders… And half of the members being missing didn't help at all.
This forced weight on Dione's shoulder was getting heavier each day, and she sighed. To be declared the successor to the seat of Pisces…she had never agreed to this. But she had not choice, for she was raised to do so.
Emptying her 3rd can of beer, she popped the can into the bin and strode out of the lobby after a short gaze at the doors of Cancer and Leo's room.
The Pisces duelist stared at the defeated opponents lying on the floor, who had tried to pick a fight but were soundly defeated. Her poker face never changed the slightest between the duels.
A thug groaned as Dione pulled him close by the scruff of his neck.
"Kuh…! What do you want from us now!?" He growled, but his façade faltered once Dione crushed an empty beer can right in front of his face with her free hand.
"You just lost. I suppose I can ask something from you. I have heard of some rumors of…dangerous duelists in this area. Care to tell me what you know?" Dione leered at him. "Just to remind you, this isn't a question."
"Guh… I don't know!" He replied, still somewhat defiant. His attitude changed again once he saw Dione reaching for his fingers. "Okay! Okay! I'll tell you!"
"Those guys…they're hiding in a house near the rubbish dump…And they're up to something… But I don't know more…honest!" Dione let him drop back to the floor with an oomph.
"…How pathetic." She left him groaning in the back alley and started towards an alcohol shop, leaving after a moment with a few bottles of wine and some cans of beer in a bag.
To pick a fight with one of the strongest duelists in the world, the Pisces duelist…they were nothing but foolish. And Dione was not in the mood to refrain from anything. She was never in the mood to be compassionate, or refrain from using her full strength. It is her duty to do so.
It was this ruthlessness that supported her all this time.
Opening a can of beer, and bringing it to her lips, Dione slowly made her way to her destination.
Dione pushed open the door of the worn-down, tattered shelter that could be barely called a house. She looked around, finding no signs of anyone in the house, only messy tables and beds.
"…" She shut the door behind her, and walked up to a table, picking up a piece of folded paper that seemed unusually clean compared to its surroundings.
Her eyes widened as she saw the addressed person's name. Quickly unfolding it, she skimmed down the letter. Her mouth curled upwards as she finished reading its contents.
"…Fufu…" She covered her eyes and began to laugh. "Haha… Hahahaha…! So that's how it is…! I understand now… Ha… Hahaha…! "
She couldn't contain her laughter as it echoed around the empty house.
Rad was absently reading a magazine on a couch as he saw Dione coming back from her outdoor activities.
"Her…did you find anything today?" He called out.
"Oh, of course…" The Pisces duelist replied. "I've found it…finally. The real purpose to use this power for. At last… I have to thank them."
She retreated into her room, shutting the door.
"…Huh?"
"…Ha…" Reimu slumped onto the bed. "We didn't get anything today…"
"No clue on those two's whereabouts…or how to solve this world's problems…" Marisa shook her head.
"It definitely seems to be related to Dione…" Alice pondered. "But she's so cold towards everyone. We can hardly even talk to her, let alone solve her problems."
"Well, that may be the challenge for this world." Remilia reasoned. "If we get her to open up and explain her problems… It may be an east task after that."
"That is, if she really does open up to us." The green shrine maiden said. "If she doesn't even open up to her own colleagues… It's hard to imagine she'd tell us her problems."
"…Hah…I wish those two were here. It would be a lot easier for us." The red white sighed.
"Hah…" The others sighed too, feeling a sudden wave of fatigue sweeping over them after so many worlds.
They were fast asleep before they noticed.
Fixing up her short blue hair, Dione stepped into the empty hall.
Just that it wasn't empty anymore.
"…Well, I guess I have to thank you for this." She nodded towards her guests. "Shall we get going?"
They nodded in return.
"…Fuh…" Dione exhaled, her breath forming into mist in the night winter air as she stepped out the Constellations' base with the visitors following close behind her. "Finally…after all these years…"
"Heh… Just think of it as a gift from your friends."
"…Hmph…" A smile crept onto her lips. "Very well… I guess I shall permit you to become my friends… It's not often I give this honor to someone else other than Neftilia."
They chuckled in response as they set off.
BGM: Battle! Team Magma/Aqua Leader (Pokemon ORAS)
Criminal Duelist Organization Babel.
The 3 duelists stood in the hall, and Dione's two visitors easily dispatched the grunts that came at them within minutes.
"Hmph…" Babel… How Dione despised this name. The organization that took away Nephilia's life… It was only now that she found this base with the other 2's help.
"Kuh…" Her opponent drew his card. "I summon Matsurida Wasshoi!"
The Beast Folk/Hunter appeared on the teenager's field, added to his hand the previous turn with Command Of The Gang Leader. "Turn End!"
"Vanilla…" Dione started her turn. "I summon Pulpy Goobie, and rearrange the top 5 cards of my deck. Turn End."
"My turn!" Her opponent drew a card.
"Phoebus! Don't lose!" One of his friends called out, just before being blasted away by Bolshack Ulpheus.
"…Kuh… I cast Pure White Blueprint!" Phoebus declared, revealing 5 cards from his deck. "I add Ultra Man, Rendan and Dunas to my hand. Then I return Sandpit Man and Apache Wendigo to the bottom of my deck. I then summon Dunas using1 mana with Matsurida Wassshoi's effect!"
The cost 3, 4000 power Arc Seraphim materialized on his field.
"Turn End!"
"Draw." Dione charged a mana and tapped all her cards in her mana zone. "I summon Aqua Jester Loupe." The clown-like Liquid People appeared beside her. "With his Chain, I reveal the top card of my deck."
The top card flipped itself open, and Bell Gravekeeper Berlin appeared on her battle zone. "Berlin costs less than Jester Loupe, so he is put into the battle zone. And I draw a card with Jester Loupe's effect. Turn End."
"Chi…" Phoebus drew a card. "I summon Rendan and Ultra Man for both 1 mana! Dunas! Break her shield!"
Dione silently caught the broken shield in her hands. "My turn, draw. I summon Oriotis and Time Tripper, and draw a card with Jester Loupe's effect. Turn End."
"If I keep attacking like this…!" Phoebus licked his lips as he charged a mana into his mana zone tapped, and then tapped his remaining mana. "I cast Snake Attack! All my creatures get Double Breaker until the end of my turn! Then I put one of my shields to my graveyard."
"Dunas! Double Break!" The Spirit Knight shattered two more of Dione's shields.
"Ultra Man! Double Break!"
"Pulpie Goobie, block." The Gel Fish and Hedrian both exploded.
"Rendan! Double Break!" The Snow Faerie obeyed and smashed through the last of Dione's shields.
"Hehe… Turn End!" Confidence rushed into Dione's opponent as he smiled.
"My Turn. Draw, charge." Dione revealed a spell in her hand. "I cast Hydro Hurricane."
"Nani…!?"
"I have 2 Light creatures in my battle zone. So I bounce two of your mana. Then I have 2 Darkness creatures in my battle zone. So I return Rendan and Dunas back to your hand."
"Kuh… My turn! I summon Rendan and Dunas again!"
"My turn. I summon Berlin. Then with 4 mana, I summon Southern Renaissance, and I draw 3 cards with his effect." The Angel Command Dragon stood behind the horde of creatures that now filled Dione's field. "Turn End."
"…Guh… I summon another Rendan! Dunas! Direct attack!"
"Southern Renaissance, block." Southern Renaissance easily dispatched the Arc Seraphim.
"Rendan! Direct attack!"
"Berlin, block." Dione commanded, and Hedrian/Hunter stopped the attack at the cost of his own life.
"My turn." Dione declared. "I summon Terse Ruth. Then I summon Schreiber. I draw a card with Jester Loupe's effect." The yellow Guardian and Initiate materialized.
"This shall finish the game. I cast Diamond Sword!"
A golden aura enveloped her creatures, granting them the ability to attack the opponent regardless of any effect.
"No…!" Phoebus stared in horror as Dione's creatures broke all his shields, the shattered fragments reforming in his hand as cards. "Impossible… Impossible, impossible, impossible!"
"Schreiber, todomeda." The Apostle of Strictness blasted the vanilla duelist with a pulse of powerful energy, and he crashed into the wall, sliding down as he lost consciousness.
"Hmph." Looking around, she saw that her companions had taken care of the remaining Babel grunts too, and the defeated duelists lay on the floor, groaning in pain or out cold.
"…" She turned her attention to the last person standing, who kicked the unconscious Phoebus out of disgust and disappointment.
"…Valtors."
The blonde man who had his long hair tied back looked up from vanilla duelist and stared back at Dione.
"Hmph… Dione… It's time to settle this thing between us, eh?" He took out a deck from his pocket. "Revenge for… what was that girl's name again? Neftilia?"
"…Don't you dare utter her name, you piece of trash." Dione seethed, as she felt the rare emotion called anger welling up inside her.
"Oh, I'm so scared." He taunted. "I'll be sure to send you down to her for company!"
"You're the one going down to apologize to her." Dione's hair fluttered as the bracelet she obtained from her companions flared a blinding blue light. 5 crystalline shields surrounded her as the semi transparent dueling zone was projected out of thin air.
"..Duema, Start."
BGM: The Battle Is To The Strong (Fate/Zero OST)
"I cast Hyperdimensional Surprise Hole. I put Deepsea Yanus into the battle zone." The canine Blue Monster leapt out of the portal leading to the Hyperdimension. "Turn End."
"Heh…" Valtors drew a card. "I summon Mil Armor. Turn End."
"My turn!" Dione started her turn. "I cast Hyperdimensional Grip White Black Hole! I peek at one of my shields, and send one of your shields to the graveyard, to by replaced by a new one from your deck top." The burnt shield was revealed to be Valhalla Magic, and Valtors clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Then I put O'Flame into the battle zone!"
The Flame Command materialized, and in response, Deepsea Yanus was enveloped in flames, awakening into Crimson Lord Yanus.
"Crimson Lord Yanus' effect! O'Flame gets Speed Attacker and Power Attacker +2000 this turn!" Dione explained. "O'Flame, break his shields!"
"Mil Armor, block." Valtors ordered, and the Great Mecha King/Initiate was smashed to light by O'Flame.
"Yanus, shield break!" The Flame Monster rushed at Valtors' shields, smashing one of them.
"Hmph. Draw." Valtors charged a mana. "I summon Kignashion!" The Justice Wing materialized on his field.
"Draw! I cast Hyperdimensional Blue White Hole!" Dione could feel her anger growing even stronger. "I put Victorious Prin into the battle zone, and with Blue White Hole's effect, all my creatures cannot be blocked for the rest of the turn! And Prin's effect! Kignashion cannot attack or block until my next turn! Then since a water creature is put into my battle zone, Crimson Yanus Loop Awakens back into Deepsea Yanus, and I draw a card!"
"Nani…!" Taken aback by this overwhelming pressure from Dione, Valtors' composed demeanor wavered.
"Man…I've never seen Dione this angry before." One of her companions shook his head.
"Thank god we're were never on the receiving end." The other agreed.
"O'Flame! Shield Break!" Dione commanded.
The red Flame Command slashed through 1 shield with his sword of flames. "When O'Flame attacks you and isn't blocked, my other cost 5 or less Psychic Creatures break an extra shield gain Power Attacker +2000! Then after the attack, O'Flame awakens into O'Flayer!" The Temporal Formation shrouded himself in a pillar of fire, and out came the Awakened Formation of Destruction.
"Deepsea Yanus, Double Break!" The Blue Monster smashed through 2 more shields.
"Kuh… DNA Spark! I tap all your creatures, and since I have only 1 shield left, I add 1 card from my deck top to my shield zone!" The remaining untapped creature, Prin, was bound of a chain of light, and another crystalline shield appeared on Valtors' field.
"Huff…" Valtors exhaled a sigh of relief. "My turn. I cast Eternal Guard and send O'Flayer to your shields. Then I summon Notre Dame. Turn End."
"Draw. I summon Spirit of Armaments Lightning Kid!" The Angel Command resembling Alcadeias, donning a spanish hat and wielding a thin sword of light, descended on Dione's battle zone. "Lightning Kid's Shield Plus! I add one card from my deck top under one of my shields. Then Shield Force! As long as the Shield Plus-ed shield is in my shield zone, Lightning Kid gets +5500 power and Double Breaker! Turn End!"
"Chi… I summon Murmur, then I summon Andorom and Freeze Lightning Kid! Then I break that Shield Plus-ed shield with Notre Dame!"
"Shield Trigger!" Dione caught the two cards. "Surprise Hole! I put another Deepsea Yanus into the battle zone."
"Chi…Turn End!"
BGM: A New Duel Legend (YGO ZeXal Sound Duel 1)
"Watashi no taan!" A fiery gust of wind blew as Dione drew her card. "I summon Kareiko, and then cast White Black Hole! I look at one of your shields!" Confirming the shield, Dione promptly sent the other card to the graveyard, which was Dragon's Sign.
"Kuh…!"
"Although White Black Hole's effect gives you an extra shield from your deck…Kareiko shuffles that card back into your deck! Then White Black Hole's effect, I bring out O'Flame once again, and the two Deepsea Yanuses awaken into Crimson Lord Yanus! Crimson Lord Yanus' effect! O'Flame and Kareiko get Speed Attacker and Power Attacker +2000!"
"Ike! O'Flame, final break!"
"Andorom, block!" The Justice Wing disappeared in an explosion.
"Yanus, final break!"
"Murmur, block!" The Initiate followed the Justice Wing to the graveyard.
"Second Yanus, final break!"
"Kuh…!" Valtors caught his last shield.
"Kareiko, todome!"
"Ninja Strike 4! Falconer!" Throwing out a card, the Guardian blocked the Oracle's attack, and subsequently shattered into fragments.
"This is the end!" Dione's eyes turned a fierce indigo. "Victorious Prin, todomeda!"
"U, uwahhhhh!"
Dione stormed up to the defeated boss of Babel. Her eyes were those of a killer, without any mercy.
"P, please…!" Valtors begged. "Anything but my life…! Please…!"
Gritting her teeth, Dione swung her fist at his face with all her strength, instantly knocking the blonde man out cold.
"Pathetic." She spat.
"Dione…" One of her companions started.
"How I would like to burn this place to the ground." She shook her stinging knuckles. "…But that won't bring her back."
"…Dione…"
Dialing the police's number, Dione informed them of the hideout's whereabouts, and cut the line after a few sentences.
"…However, I must thank you." Dione expressed her gratitude. "I've finally found a purpose in my duty of being a Constellation. To stop Neftilia's case from happening all over again…"
"…" The duo smiled. "Always glad to."
Then the world faded into white.
Decks:
Remilia: Black Beethoven (黒戦慄)
Dione: Mono Blue Beat/Jester Sword/Dromar Trigger Beat (青単ビート/ジェスターソード/ドロマートリガービート)
Phoebus: Black Green Vanilla Beat (黒緑バニラ)
Valtors: Valhalla Knight (ヴァルハラナイツ)（切り札は出番ないけどなぁ）