Author's note: We are approaching the part of the story that is referred to in video games as the "boss rush". We're in the home stretch now, as most of you believe.
A lot of folks are no doubt going to be sorry when this fic ends. I know I will be. I love these characters, and it will be hard to say goodbye when this fic ends.
However, I have good news. Due to support, my days of writing Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction will not end. The success of Yu-Gi-Oh 5D has inspired me, and I have decided to stay around long enough to try my hand at writing a story set in this other future time, where dueling has entered the Fifth Dimension.
Watch for previews of my new fic in the coming months. It should be a wild ride (literally, because yes, there will be Turbo Duels).
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You may find this hard to believe, but my friends and I have lives outside of dueling. Heck, even our families did. Yugi Mouto and Joey Wheeler went to school like any other teenagers, and Seto Kaiba was CEO of the biggest gaming company in the world, spending a lot of time doing PowerPoint presentations and holding board meetings when he wasn't planning his next move against his rival.
I'm a student myself, and I was planning on entering college next year, hopefully to major in business studies like my dad did. I haven't gotten an acceptance letter from the University of Tokyo yet, but the admissions board there says I'm almost a sure thing.
Of course, it all might change, unless what has just happened to me can be reversed somehow… A change that was the result of my own choice, because it was the only way to go further and rescue Joan…
And I'm facing someone who I know from my regular life, who made the same choice as I did, apparently…
This difference is, I like to think I made the choice for a far more noble reason than he did. After all, it's not like he was ever going to get into college.
Duel…
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CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
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Primary Colors
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"Yumi?" called Ren. "Sam? Erik?"
He paused.
"Chelsea?"
He stopped.
Where was he?
As soon as he stepped through the portal, he had entered a thick fog, and his four friends had disappeared.
He looked around. His sight was limited. He hoped that they were okay. Daala seemed to be up to her old tricks again.
He started thinking about Chelsea. He sighed. She was Vampire Lady.
He wasn't going to leave her just because of that. But what if she changed? What if she couldn't survive the sun? What if she couldn't eat pizza or Italian food because she was repelled by garlic? What if she craved blood? What if she decided to leave him for Vampire Lord?
He looked at himself. He had changed a great deal too. He never figured himself one for Samurai armor. He figured he probably looked rather ridiculous.
Still, he kind of wished there was a mirror around somewhere…
He looked at the katana blade strapped to his hip. He took the handle and drew it halfway out of the sheath.
Yes, it was definitely real. He had heard about the various styles of swordsmanship practiced in Japan, but he had previously not known the first thing about them. Would he know how to use the weapon automatically if he ever had to?
Well, whether he would or not, holding the traditional weapon of the Samurai gave him a little more confidence. He started to walk forward.
The fog started to clear…
He found himself in a large, open-air stadium. It appeared to be a baseball diamond of some sort, and the night sky was overhead.
"I know this place…" he muttered.
Then he realized where he was. This was the Domino High baseball field.
Then some music started to play. The old classic, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", played on an organ.
"Am I back on Earth?" he asked.
"No," said a voice. "I just fixed up the place more to my liking."
Ren looked towards the pitcher's mound, and a dark portal appeared on it. A dark, centaur-like creature appeared on it, with a breastplate and helmet, holding a bladed staff in one hand, and a shield in the other.
"Exarion Universe?" asked Ren.
"Most of the time," replied the Beast-Warrior. "But not always. Remember me, Ren? Just listen to my voice. It will come to you…"
Ren looked at him. Then his eyes narrowed.
"How could I forget, Fujita?" he replied. "So, you work for Daala now? Why? Weren't there any job opportunities for disgraced, drop-out jocks?"
"You're treading on dangerous waters, bub," said the Duel Spirit. "You're forgetting that it was your fault that I was expelled in the first place."
"MY fault?" shouted Ren. "It was MY fault that you broke into the teacher's lounge, stole the hard copy of the mid-term exam, and then tried to sell the answers to the questions to the other students? THAT was MY fault?"
"You were the narc who told on me!" shouted Fujita.
"And I was glad I did it, too…" said Ren, crossing his arms. "You didn't think anyone would be brave enough to tell on you. But I was just getting sick of you sliding though every class, cheating on every test, with the teachers looking the other way because you had rich parents who had so much influence on the school board. If Haruhi punished you, she would be sure that her next request for a budget increase would be turned down.
"I was tired of you getting good grades for doing nothing and spending all your time making out with the girls, while honest and hard-working students weren't doing nearly as well with real work. So when you did something that bad, I told on you, knowing it would create an outcry among the other parents that Haruhi, and the superintendent, couldn't have possibly ignored.
"You were never more than a spoiled brat, Fujita. And you got what you deserved."
"Indeed I did," replied Fujita. "Daala made me a member of her inner circle. Daala chose her inner circle from among humans who have issues with you and your friends. Your allies are all being disposed of as we speak, just as I'll dispose of you. And best of all, I'm one of the true rulers of Xanadu now."
"And I see you turned yourself into a half-horse in the process," replied Ren. "Seems the Devil's Fruit is more popular than we thought."
Fujita's weapon and shield vanished, and a Duel Disk appeared on his left arm.
"True, but the fringe benefits that go with it are great," he said. "But anyway, since there's no way out of this pocket dimension except past me, not to mention the fact that Mataza the Zapper is no match for Exarion Universe in a head-to-head fight, your only option right now is to duel."
Ren looked at Fujita's Disk. It was an Anarchist Disk.
"I never figured you for a minion of Chaos," muttered Ren. "You may have been spoiled, but in league with demons? That's a little much."
"I'm full of surprises," replied Fujita.
Both Disks activated.
"Fine," said Ren. "I gotta say, Fujita… This is gonna be a pleasure!"
(Ren: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Fujita: 8,000)
"Eh…" said Fujita, looking at his hand. "Why don't you go first?"
"Gladly…" said Ren, drawing a card.
He looked over his hand, and then chose three cards.
"I set two cards, and then summon my Dark Blade," he said.
Two facedown cards appeared, and then Dark Blade appeared with a dramatic flourish of blades. (1,800/1,500)
"That will do for now."
"Heh…" said Fujita, drawing a card.
He smirked as he looked at it.
"I set three of my own," he said, as three facedown cards appeared. "And then I summon Sangan."
With a loud squeak, the three-eyed Fiend appeared. (1,000/600)
"That's all…"
Ren made a draw.
Not the best move… he thought. He's planning some…
"Trap activate…" said Fujita.
"Huh?" said Ren.
One of Fujita's facedown cards lifted, and Crush Card Virus appeared. Sangan started to vanish.
"Leave it to the spoiled brat to have the most expensive cards in existence!" shouted Ren. "Sorry, Fujita, but you have the Virus, I have the cure!"
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"I activate My Body as a Shield! This costs me 1,500 Life Points, but it negates any card that destroys Monsters. Even the infamous Crush Card!"
Fujita gasped as his Trap Card was blown to bits.
"And I chain my other card too," continued Ren. "Emergency Provisions! This lets me sacrifice my Spell Card, so I gain back 1,000 of the Life Points I just spent."
His other facedown card lifted, and the first one vanished.
"Very clever," said Fujita with a scowl. "You're more resourceful than I thought. But you may have negated my Crush Card, but I still had to sacrifice Sangan to pay its cost. And since Sangan was sent to the Graveyard, its effect activates."
He took his deck, and looked through the cards until he found what he wanted. He added it to his hand, and then shuffled his deck.
"Tell that to Familiar Knight!" shouted Ren.
In a burst of energy, the knight in shining armor appeared. (1,200/1,400)
"Familiar Knight… Dark Blade… Direct attack!"
The two Warriors flew at the Beast-Warrior. Two slashes of swords slammed into Fujita, and he let out a loud neigh, and stumbled back and fell on his hindquarters.
(R: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,000)
"Not so tough without mom and dad to bail you out, huh?" asked Ren.
Fujita scowled as he got up.
"How should I know?" he shouted. "They cut off my allowance after I was expelled! They said I was an embarrassment and a disgrace!
"When Daala first offered me this position, I had my doubts. But when I found out that my folks were looking into military school, I had no choice! I accepted Daala's offer, ran away, and left the world of humans behind!
"But I'll never forget Ren, it was you who ruined the good life I had. And you're going to suffer for it! I promise you that!
"It's my move!"
He drew a card.
He fit two cards in his Disk, and two more facedown cards appeared, giving him a total of four.
"I end my turn…"
Ren drew a card.
Okay, this is weird… he thought. He didn't summon or set a Monster, even though he searched for one last turn.
Maybe one of those facedown cards is Torrential Tribute. I don't think it would be wise to summon anything…
"Dark Blade, attack!"
Dark Blade flew at Fujita.
Fujita gestured, and his facedown card gestured. Negate Attack appeared, and Dark Blade bounced off an invisible shield.
So far the only cards he's used are ones that could be splashed into any deck, thought Ren. I have no idea yet what sort of deck this is…
"I end my turn," he said.
Fujita quickly made a draw.
"Okay, Ren," he said. "I play Card Destruction."
Ren growled. He discarded the four cards in his hand, and then made four draws. Fujita discarded the two cards in his hand, and drew twice.
"Perfect," he said, looking at them.
One of his facedown cards lifted.
"I activate Call of the Haunted," he said. "I'll bring back a Monster that I just tossed. Meet Boot-Up Soldier – Dread Dynamo."
In a burst of energy, a man-sized robot appeared. It looked like it was made of makeshift parts and jury-rigged construction. It had a large, oval-shaped cavity in its torso. (0/2000)
"What?" asked Ren.
"Next," said Fujita, as another facedown card lifted, "I activate Inferno Reckless Summon."
In two flashes of light, two more Dread Dynamos appeared next to the first. (0/2,000 x3)
Ren quickly took one Dark Blade from his Graveyard, and one from his deck. They appeared on the field next to the first one. (1,800/1,500 x3)
"Is there a point to this?" he asked. "Three Monsters with zero Attack Points in Attack Mode?"
"Indeed," said Fujita, as a Spell Card appeared. "I summon Red Gadget."
He played his last card, and in another flash of light, a cute robot appeared next to the Dynamos. It was – obviously – red, with a big gear on its back, and googly eyes. (1,300/1,500)
"And when Boot-Up Soldier – Dread Dynamo is on the field with a Monster with the word 'Gadget' in its name," continued Fujita, "its Attack Points go all the way from zero, to 2,000!"
The three Dynamos glowed with energy… (2,000/2,000 x3)
A Gadget Deck… thought Ren. Terrific…
"And," said Fujita, taking a card from his deck, "thanks to Red Gadget's effect, I now get to take a Yellow Gadget from my deck.
"All right my Dynamos… Wipe out his Dark Blades! Revolver buckshot blast!"
The Dread Dynamos lifted their arms, and fired a burst of rounds at the three Warriors. Ren covered his head as all three of them shattered.
"Red Gadget, attack his Familiar Knight!"
Red Gadget flew at the last Warrior, and gave him a solid punch. Familiar Knight shattered.
"I activate Familiar Knight's effect!" shouted Ren. "When he gets totaled, both players get to summon a Level Four Monster from their hands."
He threw a card on his Disk, and Getsu Fuhma appeared. (1,700/1,200)
"I'll use that effect as well," said Fujita. "Here comes my Yellow Gadget."
In a flash of light again, another cute robot appeared. This one was yellow, had no face, other than one eye on its upper torso, a gear lengthwise in the center of its torso, two halves of a gear each on the sides of its back, and limbs that looked like pipe cleaners. It knelt down and shielded itself in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,200)
"By summoning Yellow Gadget," continued Fujita, taking his deck again, "I get to search for Green Gadget."
This doesn't seem at all like the type of deck that an Anarchist Deck would create, thought Ren. I would think that Gadgets would prefer Order over Chaos…
"I set a card facedown, and then turn it over to you," said Fujita, as yet another facedown card appeared.
(R: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,000)
Ren drew a card.
"I play Pot of Greed," said Ren.
He played the card, and the wicked jar appeared. He drew twice.
He looked at the two cards.
"I was hoping you'd do that," said Fujita. "I activate a Trap Card."
His facedown card lifted.
"It's called Gamble. I'm sure you know how this works…"
A gold coin appeared in his hand.
"You sure that coin doesn't have two heads?" asked Ren.
"Ren, Ren!" laughed Fujita. "You should learn to trust people more!"
Ren crossed his arms.
"I seem to remember one of your girlfriends who believed you when you said you would marry her," grumbled Ren. "She trusted you so much, she acted as your lookout. Look where it got her…"
Fujita glared at him.
"Heads!" he shouted.
He tossed the coin. It fell to the ground.
Then he laughed.
"Read it and weep, Ren! Heads it is!"
He quickly drew four cards.
Ren looked at him. Then he looked at his hand.
The key to beating those Dynamos is destroying the Gadgets, he thought. And with this gal, I might be able to do that…
"I remove one Dark Warrior in my Graveyard from play," he said, "to Special Summon La Sombra!"
Familiar Knight slipped out of his discards slot, and La Sombra appeared, lashing her whip. (1,800/1,000)
"Now, you gotta draw another card…"
"Yeah, yeah," said Fujita. "I know how it works…"
He made a draw.
Then he laughed again. He turned it forward. It was Gadget Soldier.
"No!" gasped Ren. "That's a Monster…"
La Sombra screamed, and then shattered into dark triangles.
"Looks like Lady Luck is smiling on me this duel, Ren!" laughed Fujita.
Ren scowled, and looked at the other five cards in his hand. Unfortunately, his only other Monsters were Litmus Doom Swordsman and Dark Squire.
I can't take out both his Gadgets this round, he thought. And even if I did, he could summon the Green one.
But maybe I can still get rid of them…
"First, I summon Dark Squire," he said.
Dark Squire appeared on the field. She knelt and shielded herself. (300/300)
"Next, I move Getsu to Defense Mode."
Getsu Fuhma sheathed her sword, and knelt down and crossed her arms.
"Then, I throw two cards facedown, and end my turn…"
Two facedown cards appeared.
Fujita quickly drew a seventh card.
"I activate my Deck Lord effect," he said.
Deck Lord? thought Ren. No fair! He didn't even tell me we were using Deck Lords! He didn't give me a chance to bring out Penumbral…
He stopped.
Oh yeah… All her powers have been transferred to me… This gets some taking used to…
"Anyway," said Fujita, "during my first Main Phase, I can select one of my Monsters, and that Monster gains an effect similar to Exarion Universe. The only difference is, it doesn't have to drop 400 of its Attack Points."
A trampling effect? thought Ren. One that he can apply to ANY Monster? No fair!
"I think I'll choose my Dread Dynamo in the middle," continued Fujita, as the central Dynamo started to glow with blue energy.
"Next, I move Yellow Gadget to Attack Mode…"
Yellow Gadget stood up.
"…and then play the Spell Card, Limiter Removal!"
He threw the card into his Disk, and all five of the Machines started to glow with a powerful aura. The three Dynamos increased to Attack Scores of 4,000 each, while Red Gadget rose up to 2,600 and Yellow Gadget rose to 2,400.
"Time to finish you off!" laughed Fujita. "Central Dynamo, attack Dark Squire!"
The empowered Dynamo aimed its revolvers at the young Warrior.
"Did you think these facedown cards were only for show?" asked Ren. "I activate Attack Guidance Armor!"
One of his facedown cards lifted, and the fiendish suit of armor appeared. It flew towards Yellow Gadget and clamped down over it. The Dread Dynamo fired its rounds of hot lead, but its aim was way off, and Yellow Gadget exploded.
"ERGH!" shouted Fujita. "Okay, Ren… Now you made me mad…
"Second Dynamo… YOU attack her!"
The second Dynamo raised its arms, and fired.
"You have a thick skull, Fujita," said Ren, as his other facedown card lifted. "If it weren't for your folks, you would likely have been held back in the sixth grade. Activate Sakuretsu Armor!"
A shimmering shield appeared in front of Dark Squire, and then a blast of energy shot back at the Dynamo. The robot exploded.
"Why, you…" growled Fujita. "Now I'm really mad!
"But at least you're out of Trap Cards…"
The third Dynamo blasted its guns, and this time it met no resistance. Dark Squire shattered into pixels.
"When Dark Squire bites the dust," said Ren, "both players get to draw two cards."
Fujita frowned. He quickly made two draws, and Ren did the same.
Then Fujita pointed, and Red Gadget flew at Getsu Fuhma, punching her and blowing her away.
"I throw three more cards facedown, and end my turn," said Fujita, as three more reversed cards appeared next to his other one."
"That means the side effect of Limiter Removal kicks in, Fujita," said Ren. "And your Machines go away."
"I know how my own cards work," replied Fujita.
Red Gadget and Dynamo shattered into shards.
(R: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,400)
Ren quickly drew a card.
It was Total Defense Shogun.
"Ready to help me again, Burgundy?" he whispered.
A small smile on the Warrior's face was all the proof he needed. He added the card to his hand.
"First," he said, "I play Pot of Avarice."
He played the Spell Card, and the goofy jar appeared in front of him.
All three Dark Blades, Getsu Fuhma, and La Sombra slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them all back into his deck, and then drew twice.
He looked at them, and then added them to his hand.
"Next, I activate the effect of a guy that I kept in my Graveyard. The Immortal Bushi. Since I have no Monsters on the field, and the only Monsters in my Graveyard are Warriors, I get to Special Summon him."
In a flourish, the old, battle-worn veteran appeared, holding his katana and wakisashi. (1,200/600)
"Next, I sacrifice him…"
The Bushi vanished into grains of light.
"…to summon Total Defense Shogun!"
In another blast of energy, the powerful barbarian appeared, holding his huge sword and larger shield. He quickly knelt in Defense Mode. (1,550/2,500)
"Next," said Ren, "I play Premature Burial, to bring back my Fiend Megacyber."
He played the card, and glowed with red energy, as the powerful cybernetic Warrior appeared. (2,200/1,200)
"Bravo…" said Fujita. "Not bad for someone who once got out of gym class by claiming he had walking pneumonia."
"I had a signed note from my doctor, Fujita!" shouted Ren. "Why wasn't that ever proof enough for you?"
"I don't like doctors," replied Fujita. "They're so bossy…"
"Stuff it!" replied Ren. "Unless one of those facedown cards is a Trap that can protect you from two direct attacks, I win!"
"Well, no…" replied Fujita. "None of them are Traps that can stop your attacks…"
"Then I'm ending this!" shouted Ren. "Total Defense Shogun, Fiend Megacyber… Attack him directly!"
Burgundy lifted his sword, and the Megacyber bore his bladed gauntlets…
"I activate… Dark Wall of Wind!" shouted Fujita.
As the two Warriors charged at him, one of the facedown cards lifted, revealing a Quickplay. A tornado of black wind surrounded him, and both Warriors were thrown backwards.
"I didn't lie…" chuckled Fujita. "That wasn't a Trap Card."
Ren growled.
"I'll get you next time," he said. "In the meantime, I'll play Reinforcement of the Army."
He played the Spell Card, and then a card slipped out of his deck.
He took Dark Blade again, and looked at it.
"It's your move…"
(R: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,400)
Fujita drew a card.
"I summon Green Gadget," he said.
He played the card, and the third Gadget appeared. This one was green, and seemed to have a torso that was one big gear. (1,400/600)
"Now I get to take another Red Gadget from my deck," said Fujita, taking a card from his deck. "Then, I activate Ultimate Offering."
Anther of his facedown cards lifted.
"Now I get to make as many Normal Summons as I want, so long as I pay 500 Life Points each time. So I'll pay 500 Life Points to summon Red Gadget."
Another Red Gadget appeared. (1,300/1,500)
"This lets me search for another Yellow Gadget," he said, taking a card from his deck. "Then, I pay another 500 Life Points to summon it."
Yellow Gadget appeared again. (1,200/1,200)
Fujita chuckled, and took another Green Gadget from his deck.
"Now I'll activate another facedown card. It's both a Trap and a Monster… Stronghold the Moving Fortress!"
A facedown card lifted, and with a loud rumble, a titanic robot started to rise out of the ground. Like the Dynamos, the whole thing appeared rickety and jury-rigged, but it was fifty feet tall. It knelt down, apparently in Defense Mode. (0/2,000)
Then the three Gadgets leapt up, and embedded themselves in depressions in the giant robot's chest.
"When all three Gadgets are on the field," said Fujita, "Stronghold's Attack Score becomes 3,000!"
(3,000/2,000)
"Slight problem," said Ren. "It's in Defense Mode, and you can't switch it to Attack Mode this round."
"Oh no?" asked Fujita.
His last facedown card flipped up.
"I activate Zero Gravity! Now, all Monsters on the field switch modes."
Stronghold slowly stood up, moving to Attack Mode. Burgundy also stood up, while the Megacyber knelt down and crouching in Defense Mode.
"Now I use my Deck Lord effect," continued Fujita. "I naturally choose Stronghold.
"Stronghold, flatten his Megacyber!"
The Moving Fortress lunged forward, and with one smash of its mighty hand, crushed The Fiend Megacyber. Ren was thrown backwards from the shockwave.
"Fortunately for you," said Fujita, "I had to switch my Gadgets to Defense Mode. I'll set two more facedown cards, and that will be all."
Two more reversed cards appeared.
Just how many Trap Cards does this guy have? asked Ren.
(R: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,400)
He got up, and brushed himself off.
He drew a card.
"Your Stronghold may be powerful," he said, "but it has a big Achilles Heel, in more ways than one.
"If I were to destroy even one Gadget, its Attack Score would fall all the way to zero. And the Gadgets have weak Defense Scores."
"Mmm… That's true…" muttered Fujita.
What Ren doesn't know is, he thought, as soon as he tries it, I'll activate my facedown Staunch Defender, which will force all of his Monsters to attack Stronghold. Then this duel will be mine…
Ren played a card, and Dark Blade appeared. (1,800/1,500) Then he fit another card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"I end my turn," he said.
Eh? thought Fujita. No attack?
He looked at Ren.
He's up to something… He didn't even move his Shogun to Defense Mode…
He drew a card.
"Stronghold, attack his Shogun!" he shouted.
The huge robot lunged at Burgundy…
"I activate… Rising Energy!" shouted Ren.
His facedown card lifted, and he discarded Penumbral Soldier Lady. Total Defense Shogun's Attack Score quickly rose to 3,050.
Then, to Ren's surprise, Stronghold vanished into grains of light right before he reached the Shogun. The three Gadgets fell to the ground, and knelt in Defense Mode.
"What happened?" asked Ren.
"I was on to you," chuckled Fujita. "And you forgot that Stronghold was a special Monster that was also a Trap Card.
"As soon as you triggered your Trap, I chained my facedown Emergency Provisions, sending Stronghold along with Ultimate Offering and my other facedown card to the Graveyard, to avoid your attack, and gain 3,000 more Life Points.
(R: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 5,400)
"Seems I'm in the lead. It's your move…"
Ren drew a card.
"Okay, Fujita," he said, as a Spell Card appeared. "I play Card of Demise. Now, I get to draw until I have five cards."
The ominous guillotine appeared behind him as he drew four cards.
"The catch is, I have to ditch my whole hand after five turns, so I guess I'm just gonna have to finish this quickly…"
He looked at the five cards in his hand.
He was startled at the sight of one of them.
He started to sweat…
"You look awfully nervous, Ren," said Fujita. "Don't tell me that your own cards scare you?
"Let me guess… One of the cards you just drew was Mataza the Zapper, right? And you're wondering what will happen if you summon it, right? Or maybe you're wondering what will happen if you summon it and I destroy it? I'll bet you don't know…
"Come to think of it, I don't know either. I don't even have an Exarion Universe in my regular deck when I'm not using this Anarchist Disk… Never really found room… I just like the card because it looks nice…
"Why don't you play it and find out? After all, it can attack twice… I have three defenses, and you have two Monsters…"
Ren just glared at him.
He looked Mataza the Zapper. Then he looked at the other four cards in his hand: Litmus Doom Swordsman, Chthonian Soldier, Mystic Plasma Zone, and Hidden Soldiers.
He slowly reached for Chthonian Soldier.
Then he stopped.
I'd avoid using my own card if I could, he thought. But if Fujita manages to stall long enough, it will go to the Graveyard anyway when my five rounds are up…
It's a risk… But this is still a duel, and I have to win…
"I summon Mataza the Zapper!" he shouted.
In a burst of shadows, an exact twin of Ren appeared on the field in front of him. He drew his katana and glared at Fujita. (1,300/800)
"Whoa!" gasped Fujita, rubbing his eyes. "I'm seeing double here! Four Matazas!"
"Oh, that's very funny," muttered Ren, placing a card in his Field slot. "I play Mystic Plasma Zone! Your game is about to be called on account of darkness."
The dark, creeping shadow of the Mystic Plasma Zone covered the whole diamond, plunging it into a murky void. Dark Blade's scores changed to (2,300/1,100), Shogun's changed to (2,050/2,000), and the Mataza on the field changed to (1,800/400)
"Hey, I like the dark," replied Fujita. "I'm a Dark Monster myself now…"
Ren paused.
He had to admit, it was kind of invigorating…
He turned a card on his Disk.
"I move my Shogun into Defense Mode," he said, as Burgundy knelt and held his shield up.
"Now, to take out your Gadgets! Burgundy, destroy the Green one!"
Burgundy slammed his sword down, and a shockwave shot towards Green Gadget, smashing it into scrap metal.
"Now, my double is going to attack your other two Gadgets, since he can attack twice. Go!"
Ren's twin dashed across the field, and made one swing at Yellow Gadget, slicing it in half. He made another at Red Gadget, and it broke into pieces.
"Too bad they were in Defense Mode," said Fujita.
"But are you?" asked Ren. "Dark Blade, attack him directly!"
Dark Blade leapt into the air, and made a savage slash at Fujita. The Beast-Warrior let out a cry that sounded like the whinny of a horse, and collapsed on his hindquarters again.
(R: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 3,100)
"THAT was for triggering the fire sprinklers in the gym during the freshman social dance!" shouted Ren.
"No one can prove I did that!" screamed Fujita, getting up.
Ren fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Just move…" he said.
Fujita drew a card.
"Oh, I'll move," he growled. "And you're gonna lose. I play Enemy Controller."
The large video game pad appeared on the field.
"And my target is your doppelganger."
"Think again," said Ren. "Mataza the Zapper can't be brainwashed."
"But I can switch him to Defense Mode," replied Fujita.
Ren's twin sheathed his sword, and knelt in Defense Mode.
"Next," said Fujita, "I activate Monster Reborn, AND Premature Burial!"
The two Spell Cards appeared on the field, and both Green Gadget (1,400/600) and Yellow Gadget (1,200/1,200) appeared again.
"Now, I sacrifice both Gadgets…"
Green and Yellow vanished into grains of light.
"…to summon the most powerful beast in my deck…"
A huge form started to rise behind Fujita.
It suddenly made sense why an Anarchist Disk had chosen this deck. The Machine that had appeared could have only been conceived in a mind that had been lost to Chaos. It was in the shape of a dragon that had been cobbled together by broken gears, gaskets, gewgaws, and other spare parts. But while its component pieces were apparently all junk, it formed a strong and terrifying whole.
The Disk had created a deck using Gadgets not to symbolize Order, but a corruption of it.
The Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon let out a mighty roar… (3,000/2,000)
"I activate Hidden Soldiers!" shouted Ren. "Now I get to Special Summon a Dark Monster to the field!"
In a burst of energy, Chthonian Soldier appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,400) –) (1,700/1,000)
"As if that will matter!" shouted Fujita. "Gadjiltron Dragon… Crush Mataza the Zapper with mechanized molten blast!"
Ren looked in horror as the huge Machine opened his jaws, and flames appeared in them…
He was thrown backwards as a volley of white hot fireballs shot from the beast, incinerating his double on the field.
"Heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Fujita, getting up. "Well… Guess that's that…"
Then he stopped laughing as Ren got up.
Ren's face was covered with soot, but it was clear that he was not only unharmed…
…he was incredibly angry.
"Why are you still here?" gasped Fujita. "Your Deck Lord…"
"That wasn't my Deck Lord," said Ren, staring at him. "I'm the Deck Lord.
"I was tipped off to the situation when you said you didn't have an Exarion Universe in your ordinary deck. You likely were too much of a coward to try what I just tried.
"That made me figure that using your own card is optional for Duel Spirits. And using it, if you take that option, has no effect on the Spirit itself.
"You just destroyed an ordinary card. I'm still here, and this duel is still going on."
Fujita's eyes narrowed.
"Maybe so…" he said. "Maybe I should add an Exarion Universe to my deck then…"
"Why not?" asked Ren. "You always did like looking at yourself."
"It doesn't matter!" shouted Fujita. "Since I sacrificed Green to summon my Dragon, it has the same trampling effect as Ancient Gear Golem. And since I sacrificed Yellow, you lose 600 more Life Points whenever it crushes a Monster. And like most Ancient Gear Monsters, you can't activate Trap Cards when it attacks.
"It's your move… Make it so I can finish you off…"
(R: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 2,300)
Ren slowly drew a card.
It was Monster Reborn.
The other card in his hand was Litmus Doom Swordsman.
No good… he thought. There isn't a Monster in either Graveyard that can stand up to that thing… If only I could summon Litmus Doom and trigger a Trap Card… But I can't do either…
What do I do? This is the time I would likely ask my Deck Lord for advice…
Then it hit him.
What am I saying? I'm the Deck Lord now…
He looked at Litmus Doom.
And maybe I can use this guy to finally use that card… That special Monster that Freed gave me!
It's worth a shot…
"All right, Fujita!" he shouted. "I'm using one of my Deck Lord abilities! Arms Trade!"
"Arms Trade?" asked Fujita.
"By sending one Warrior back to my deck," said Ren, "I can search for one that's a lower Level. So I can send my Level Eight Litmus Doom Swordsman back to my deck, to search for a Level Three one."
Fujita laughed.
"Level Three?" he laughed. "If it were Level Four I might be worried that you were looking for Exiled Force. What Level Three Warrior could possibly be a threat to my Dragon?"
Ren glared at him, and shuffled his deck.
"This one," he replied. "I summon… Tune Warrior!"
In an aura of energy that looked like a pattern of ones and zeroes, a strange Warrior appeared. It looked like an android of some type, with red armor covered with dials and gauges, antennae on his helmet, jetpacks on his heels, and radio port plugs instead of hands. (1,600/200)
"Wait a second…" gasped Fujita. "That… That's a Tuner Monster!"
Ren played the other card in his hand, and the holy ankh of Monster Reborn appeared on the field. Dark Squire appeared next to Tune Warrior. (300/300)
"WAIT!" screamed Fujita. "You don't know what you're doing! Do you actually believe you can control what you're about to summon?"
"I do," replied Ren. "This is a card that chose me. And to summon it, I need a Tuner, and exactly eight Levels worth of Monsters, no more, no less."
Tune Warrior's visor glowed, and the needles on its dials all set to maximum. Then he leapt into the sky of the Mystic Plasma Zone, and Chthonian Soldier and Dark Squire followed him.
"I tune Dark Squire, Chthonian Soldier, and Tune Warrior!" shouted Ren. "Clustering stars call a new force. The ultimate Shadow Warrior! Synchro Summon… Colossal Fighter!"
The three Warriors transformed into eight shimmering stars, which in turn burst into an explosion of stars that showered over the whole baseball diamond. Then, a titanic creature crashed down on Ren's side of the field with a roar. It was just as big as Fujita's Dragon, a giant that appeared to be covered from head to toe with cybernetic armor, wearing a green visor. (2,800/1,000)
"HA!" laughed Fujita. "All that big show for nothing… It still falls short of being strong enough."
"Guess again," replied Ren. "Colossal Fighter has a nifty effect. He gains 100 more Attack Points for each Warrior-Type Monster in my Graveyard. And in case you lost count, there are eight of them there right now."
"Hey, wait a minute…" said Fujita.
"Not to mention the 500-point bonus he gets from the Field Spell, since he's a Dark Monster," continued Ren.
(4,100/600)
"Hold on!" gasped Fujita. "This… This isn't fair! I wasn't supposed to lose! No-one told me you had one of those… Things…"
"You haven't changed, Fujita," said Ren. "You're nothing but a spoiled brat, who thinks the world owes him everything. Well, since you never paid attention in English class except to copy off the other students' work, let me quote from the immortal Mark Twain.
"'Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.'
"Colossal Fighter, destroy his Dragon with mega-knuckle!"
With hardly any subtlety at all, Colossal Fighter slugged the Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon hard, causing its steel exoskeleton to crack all over. Then the whole beast exploded into a conflagration of flames and molten steel.
"Burgundy…" said Ren. "Finish him off…"
Burgundy made a slash downwards with his great sword, and Fujita, alias Exarion Universe, let out a great scream…
(R: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (F: 0)
Ren looked around. He was alone, aside from Colossal Fighter, Dark Blade, and Burgundy. Fujita had vanished.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish," muttered Ren.
As the Monsters vanished and he started to shuffle his deck, he saw a shimmering portal appear on the pitcher's mound where Fujita had been standing.
"I take it that's the other exit to this pocket dimension," he muttered. "At least I hope it is… Because it's the only way out…"
He started to walk towards it.
"If what Fujita said is true," he mused, "the others are all fighting the other members of Daala's inner circle… And they're all folks who are angry at us for some reason… Daala probably went all-out preparing for us to come to Xanadu.
"I hope Chelsea is all right…"
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ren's Deck Lord: "Mataza the Zapper": "Immortal Warriors": If you control no Monsters, and your Graveyard contains no Monsters other than DARK Warriors, you may Special Summon a DARK Warrior from your Graveyard. This effect may be used once per turn, during your Main Phase. (Greater Power) "Arms Trade": Send one Warrior-Type Monster from your hand back to your deck. Search your deck for one Warrior-Type Monster that is of an equal or Level than the Monster you sent back to your deck. This effect can be used once per turn, during your turn, and may be used a total of three times. (Intermediate Power) "Dark Rush": You may pay 800 Life Points to increase the ATK of one of your DARK Warrior-Type Monsters by the same amount during your own Battle Phase. If you use this effect, you may not use again until three of your Standby Phases have passed. (Minor Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fujita's Deck Lord: "Exarion Universe": "Bestial Strike": Once per turn, during your first Main Phase, select one face-up Monster on your side of the field. During that turn, when the selected Monster attacks with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. (Extraordinary Power)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lords of Chaos
The Legend Not Told; The Hecatoncheires
Some legends are well-known. But many of them have parts that are left out.
When the world was young, the Titans ruled supreme. The Titans were children of Gaia, the spirit of the living Earth. But before them, Gaia had other children. The Hecatoncheires were among them.
Sages are uncertain just how many Hecatoncheires existed, or still exist. Most believe there are three, while others put their number closer to six. While the Titans possessed godlike beauty, the Hecatoncheires were hideous, being giant brutes, each with fifty heads and a hundred arms. They represented the destructive side of their mother, bringing earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis wherever they went. Each was the equal of any Titan in terms of strength, but because they were ugly, and also dimwitted, their father Uranus banished them to Carceri.
Carceri was then an untamed wilderness that bordered the Abyss, and would become known as the Prison Plane. Whenever a powerful being or even a god had a prisoner whose escape could simply not be allowed, Carceri was the most secure jail. Mortals would one day call it Tartarus.
When Cronus made a bid to overthrow his father, he at first promised his mother to free the Hecatoncheires once he was successful. But after he was successful, he broke this promise, for the same reason his father had imprisoned him. He would not have such ugly beings walk upon his kingdom. But, when his own son Zeus rallied his siblings against him, he made the same promise, and didn't wait until victory to keep it. He freed the Hecatoncheires, who needed no prompting to fight on his side in his bid to overthrow the Titans. As everyone knows, Cronus and the Titans were defeated, and imprisoned in Carceri, where they remain to this day. Zeus then gave the Hecatoncheires the task of guarding them.
The Hecatoncheires made adequate jailers for a few centuries. But eventually, it sank in that they were also prisoners in all but name. Zeus had kept his promise to the letter, but not the spirit. Zeus was not repulsed by their ugliness, as his father and grandfather were, but rather concerned about the danger they posed. He feared that their destructive nature would be a threat to the race of mortals that now populated the world if they were allowed to be free.
The Hecatoncheires abandoned their duties, and since that time, have offered their services as mercenaries. They will serve practically anyone who offers them a way out of Carceri. Unfortunately, almost everyone who has made this offer so far has been a powerful demon or other force of Chaos. Despite the fact that they once served a force of Order, no sane being of Order today would consider freeing such destructive creatures. Zeus's decision has always turned out to be the wise one, because anyone who frees the Hecatoncheires eventually regrets doing so, as they cause too many casualties to make the endeavor worth it. Every time they were freed, the ones who have freed them have broken their promise and sent them back to the prison where they were taken from.
Time has gone by, and the Olympian gods have lost most of their power due to lack of worship. But the Hecatoncheires are not gods, and do not need devotion from mortals to keep their great strength. They are too stupid to ever find a way out of Carceri themselves, but many fear that it is only a matter of time before some force of Chaos manages to use their destructive power completely to his advantage. Then, a force that was not seen since the time of the Titans may then be unleashed…
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coming up next:
You all are probably thinking right now that Domino Public High School is not the best place to for teenagers to go to school. Well, it isn't, and if you read the earliest Yu-Gi-Oh manga, you'd know that. Ren had a problem with a fellow student who was taking advantage of everyone, and he's not the only one of our group who has had bad memories of that place.
Next episode, Erik comes face-to-face with another member of Daala's inner circle, and finds that she's a figure from his past that's just as mad at him as Fujita was at Ren. Why? Well, saying too much now would be giving it all away. I can't even reveal the title for fear of revealing too much. Be here, or be square.