The Wandering Guardian
A lone figure was walking on the streets of Domino City. A tall man with light-tanned skin. His blonde hair was raised and pointed upwards behind his head. It also had two locks in front of his ears turning through ninety degrees and pointing forward. His outfit was a large, black open full-body coat with padded shoulders and belted sleeves and fingerless gloves with studded knuckles.
He kept walking in silence until he suddenly stopped, and turned to a particular direction. 'Hmm... this presence. It feels like... spiritual.' He thought to himself. 'I wonder who that belongs to...' At that moment, a pair of transparent wings with white feathers appeared briefly on his back.
Meanwhile, Andrew was taking a walk though the city. He had his hands inside his pockets while in deep thought. 'So... it's about to happen...'
Flashback
"Would you like to go on a cruise trip with me?" Andrew asked.
After a moment, Jenny smiled slowly. "Yes."
"Great." Marie said almost joyfully. "Now, when would be the right moment to take the trip?"
Leila had a thoughtful expression on her face. "Well, me and Jenny will be here in the city for a few more days. After that, we'll be heading to other places during our roadtrip. So... how about you wait for two weeks?"
The two academy students glanced at each other. "What do you think?" Andrew asked.
Jenny smiled. "If you're fine with that, then so am I."
Andrew turned to Leila. "Alright. Two weeks then."
Leila smiled nodded. "Then it's decided. We'd better be sure that you're ready, Jenny."
"Of course." Jenny replied.
Flashback end
"...Only one week left." Andrew muttered.
Phantom Magician chose that moment to appear. "Are you looking forward to it?"
"Yeah. I'm sure it'll be great."
Wynn appeared gave him a sly look. "Oooh, I can imagine how great it'll be. The two of you in the middle of the blue ocean... hand-in-hand... staring into the starry night sky..."
Andrew blushed. "Oh, hush!"
At that, he kept walking... completely unaware of a person watching him near a corner.
Andrew just came out of a store, sipping on a bottle of soda, looking up to the sky. "It sure is hot today."
"Indeed." Phantom Magician agreed. "This might be one of the hottest summer days of the year."
Wynn nodded. "And in times like this, it's alway a good idea to cool-huh?" She suddenly froze.
"What is it?" Andrew asked curiously.
"I sense a strange presence." Wynn replied. "Something strong, and... spiritual!"
"Spiritual?" Andrew repeated, a little surprised.
Phantom Magician looked in the direction Wynn was focused on. "Now that you mention it, I sense something too..." Wynn chose that moment to take off. "Wynn?!"
"Wynn, wait!" Andrew called out as he and Phantom Magician followed her.
Wynn flew over the mass of people, trying to find the source of whatever she sensed. "Where is it? Where is that-huh?" She stopped at mid-sentence when she suddenly noticed something from a distance.
...something with a pair of white-feathered wings.
"There!" She followed it instantly.
"Wynn!" Andrew called out, trying get through the mass.
"I won't let you get away!" Wynn said fiercely as she saw the mysterious duel spirit turn at a corner. "Now I've got you!"
She got around the corner, ready to confront the spirit... but found nothing.
"Eh?" Wynn glanced around the area. "Where did it go? I was sure I..." She trailed off when she saw someone sitting on a bench, all alone. A man with blonde hair wearing a black coat. "Who is that?" She wondered as she approached him slowly. "There's something strange about this guy..."
"That's a little rude, don't you think?" The man spoke up.
"Huh?" Wynn widened her eyes.
He then looked up, his eyes seemingly focused on her. "You shouldn't judge someone you just met so quickly."
"W-w-w-what?!" Wynn exclaimed in shock and backed away.
"Wynn!" Andrew called out as he and Phantom Magician finally caught up with her. "Don't run off like that. What were you...?"
"Andrew! That man can see me!" She interrupted him.
"Huh?" Andrew turned to the man, surprised by what he just heard. "You mean he can see..."
"Duel spirits?" The man filled in. "As matter of fact, I can. Which includes this girl here, and your friend standing behind you."
Andrew turned to Phantom Magician briefly. "Is that so? I didn't think I'd run into another person who's like me."
"It would seem we found the unusual presence we sensed." Phantom Magician deduced.
The man smirked. "Funny you should say that, because I was able to sense you as well. Like you, I never imagined I would sense someone with the same gift as me, so I got curious."
"Who are you, anyway?" Andrew asked.
"Just a guy who's wandering where his nose points to. You can call me Rafael. And your name is Andrew, if I heard the girl correctly."
"Yeah, that's right."
"So, does this mean you're with duel spirits too?" Wynn asked curiously.
"I am." Rafael replied. "They've been with me for as long as I can remember. They were always by my side, even when I was going through the harshest times of my life." He then lowered his head. "There was also one time when I was tricked into turning my back on them because I allowed someone lead me into getting into my hatred and anger."
Andrew and his duel spirits frowned at those words.
"I ended up doing some unforgivable things. Things that went against everything I believed in. But then, I met someone who helped me open my eyes to the truth. Thanks to that someone, I was able to get back to the right path of my life. Ever since, I swore to never betray my monsters again. Especially how much they mean to me. For me... they're my family."
"You truly care about them, don't you?" Phantom Magician said.
"I do..." Rafael pulled out a deck of Duel Monster cards. "And here's the proof of my bond to them..." He drew a card and revealed it to the trio.
They all gasped. It had the image of a brown dinosaur wearing a yellow vest and green pants. However, those details were barely visible because of how old and worn the card was. It had wrinkled edges and discolorations.
"Oh my god." Andrew muttered.
"I don't believe it." Phantom Magician, his voice being full of shock.
"Holy Molly! That poor guy looks really roughed up." Wynn commented, feeling sympathy toward the card.
Rafael nodded. "They all do. I played my cards hundreds of times, and even though they're falling apart, I'll never replace them. That's how much they mean to me."
Andrew was silent, letting all that sink in.
"But, enough about me. Like I said, I sensed you earlier and it got me curious. That being said, I was wondering... how much do your cards mean to you?"
"Oh!" Andrew widened his eyes, not expecting a question like that. After a while, he spoke up. "How much they mean to me? Well..." He smiled. "I care about and respect every one of the cards in my deck. Because whenever I'm in trouble, they'll be there for me. They're my friends, especially these two." He indicated Phantom Magician and Wynn.
"It's true." Phantom Magician nodded. "I've been with Andrew since he was a kid. It was only about the beginning of his first year at the Duel Academy that I revealed myself to him. I was always there when he needed me the most."
"And he helped me when I was a mess." Wynn added. "Before I met Andrew, I used to belong to someone else. Someone who always used me to win his duels. That is, until his strategies became predictable, giving him a long losing streak. All his losses caused him to take out his anger on me. And before I knew it... he tossed me away."
Rafael gave her a sympathetic look.
"After that, I was trapped on the bottom of a well, where other cards were tossed away, simply because their previous owners believed them to be too weak to be in their decks. This filled me with anger and hatred, kind of like you. I lost my faith to humanity, believing that no one would care about weak cards like me. But then one day, Andrew and his friends showed up and showed me that there are still people who truly respect their cards, wether they were strong or weak ones. He proved me to that over and over ever since he took me in."
She then glanced at Andrew. "And that's why I trust him with my life."
Andrew smiled to her. "Thanks, Wynn."
"I see..." Rafael closed his eyes while standing up. "Then allow me to be the judge of your claim of your bonds."
"What do you mean?" Andrew asked curiously.
"I want you to show me your bond and respect in action..." Rafael replied as he brought up a duel disk.
"Oh!" Andrew's eyes widened, realizing where this was getting at.
Some time passed as they moved to a place where they could duel. Eventually, they found themselves near a bridge that took place right above a river.
"Now then..." Rafael activated his duel disk. "You ready."
Andrew activated his own duel disk. "Yeah."
"Then let's begin!"
Both of them drew their opening hands.
Andrew: 4000
Rafael: 4000
"I think I'll take the first turn." Rafael declared and drew his sixth card. "First I activate the spell card, Guardian Treasure." A spell card appeared on his field. "Once this card is activated, I must discard 5 cards from my hand and draw two new ones." He discarded his entire hand and drew. "And, as long as this spell card remains on the field, I get to draw 2 cards each turn instead of one."
Andrew raised an eyebrow. 'All of that just to draw extra cards?'
"Next I'll place a facedown monster on the field in defense mode." A facedown card appeared. "Then I'll place another card facedown and end my turn." Another card appeared.
"My turn then!" Andrew drew. He looked over his hand, saw that he had both Phantom Magician and Wynn already. 'Glad to see you two could join me so soon.'
"Thank you!" Wynn smiled to him.
"Would you like to play one of us?" Phantom Magician suggested.
Andrew shook his head. 'Not yet. I'll save the both of you later, just in case.' He then focused on the duel. "First I summon Elemental HERO Solid Soldier in attack mode!" The purple hero in silver armor appeared. (ATK: 1300 DEF: 1100 LV: 4) "When this guy is normal summoned, I can summon another HERO from my hand, as long as it's level 4 or below. And the one I choose is Elemental HERO Heat!" From a fiery eruption, the hero in white and red armor emerged. (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200 LV: 4) "And his special ability is gonna heat things up. For every Elemental HERO on my field, he gains 200 attack points!" The fire hero flexed his muscles. (ATK: 1600-2000) "That should give him enough power to take down your facedown monster! Now, Heat! Attack with Burning Fist!" The hero dashed over to the facedown monster and pulled back the right fist he ignited. Just as he was about to deliver his punch, the facedown card flipped up and released a flash of light.
And when the light died down... the fist was caught by a hand.
"No way!" Andrew's eyes widened.
Heat was struggling against a humanoid demon with blue skin and a mane of wild red hair. "Unfortunately for you, that power isn't enough." Rafael stated. (ATK: 500 DEF: 2200 LV: 4) "With 2200 defense points, my Backup Gardna is more than enough to fend off your attack." The demon punched the fire hero, sending him back to Andrew's field.
Andrew: 4000-3800
"Okay, that didn't go so well." Andrew inserted a card into his duel disk. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn." Rafael drew his two new cards. "And I'll start by equipping Backup Gardna with the spell card, Gravity Axe - Grarl." A large, double-sided axe fell from the sky and slammed into the ground in front of the demon, allowing it to grab it. "This card gives the equipped monster 500 extra attack points..." (ATK: 500-1000) Rafael moved on by holding up the remaining card in his hand."However, having this spell card in play allows me to summon Guardian Grarl, especially since he's now the only card in my hand." The monster that rose up right next to Backup Gardna... was the same dinosaur monster he showed Andrew earlier. (ATK: 2500 DEF: 1000 LV: 5)
"2500 attack points? That's pretty tough." Andrew commented.
"He's about to get tougher. You see, my Backup Gardna is able to transfer an equip spell on the field to another appropriate target. So it's time that the axe goes to its rightful owner." The blue demon handed over the axe to the dinosaur. (ATK: 1000-500) (ATK: 2500-3000)
"Uh oh!"
"Now, Guardian Grarl! Attack with Gravity Axe!" The dinosaur charged forward and swung his axe, cutting Solid Soldier's body in half, making him exploded.
Andrew: 3800-2100
Andrew recovered before speaking up. "You triggered the trap card, Hero Signal!" His facedown card flipped up. "With my monster destroyed, I can summon another Elemental HERO that's level 4 or below. And I'm bringing out Elemental HERO Ocean!" The blue, aquatic hero rose up on the field, with his trident ready. (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1200 LV: 4)
"He doesn't look so tough to me." Rafael commented.
"It depends on how you see it." Andrew replied and began his turn. "My Ocean has a nice ability. Once per turn, during my standby phase, I'm allowed to select one HERO monster on my field or in my graveyard. And then, that monster goes back to my hand." A familiar card came out of his graveyard slot. "So I'll take back my Solid Soldier."
'Returning from the graveyard, huh?' Rafael thought for himself, smiling a bit. 'My kind of card effect.'
"Next I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two extra cards from my deck." Andrew drew his extra cards. "And once again, I summon Elemental Solid Soldier to the field!" The silver-armored hero appeared again and crossed his arms. (ATK: 1300 DEF: 1100 LV: 4) "And with his ability, I'm bringing out Elemental HERO lady Heat!" The white and orange clad fire heroine and kneeled down. (ATK: 1300 DEF: 1000 LV: 4) "And with two more Heroes on the field, my Heat grows stronger..." (ATK: 2000-2400) "While he's not strong enough to take down your Guardian Grarl, he can at least take down your Backup Gardna. Now, attack!" The fire hero dashed forward.
"Not so fast!" Rafael interpreted. "I activate Rescuer from the Grave!" A spell card came out of his graveyard slot.
"What?!" Andrew exclaimed as a white barrier was formed, blocking his hero monster on the way.
"Due to its effect, by removing 5 cards in my graveyard from play, I can stop your attack and end your battle phase."
"So the Backup Gardna is safe once more."
"Of course." Rafael replied. "My monsters mean everything to me. Whenever I duel, I do whatever it takes to keep them from going to the graveyard. Even if I have to sacrifice some of my life points."
Andrew gave him a surprised look. "For real? That's really noble. But, if any of them did end up in the graveyard, what would you do?"
Rafael smiled. "In case something like that would happen, my deck is filled with cards that lets me take them back from there. Kind of like that Ocean card of yours. Which is something I respect."
Andrew smiled. "Why thank you. But let's move on. i'll switch Ocean to defense mode..." He reached for the named card, but stopped when it glowed red. "Huh?"
Rafael shook his head. "Sorry to disappoint you, but with my Gravity Axe in play, your monsters can't switch mode."
Andrew's eyes widened. "Okay, that is a problem." He then looked over his hand for a moment. He then grabbed one card and inserted it into his duel disk. "I place one card facedown. And then I activate Lady Heat's special ability. Each time, during my end phase, you take 200 points of damage for every Elemental HERO on my field. So thanks to my 4 Heroes, that'll be 800 points!" Lady Heat conjured a fireball and threw it at Rafael. Despite the damage he took, he wasn't fazed.
Rafael: 4000-3200
"Then it's my turn." He drew. "I'll use my own Pot of Greed to draw two more cards." He drew his extra cards. "Next I activate the equip spell, Shooting Star Bow - Ceal!" A silvery bow with a matching arrow appeared in front of Backup Gardna. "With this card in play, I can summon Guardian Ceal!" From a flash of light, a new monster appeared. A greenish humanoid lizard in red armor. (ATK: 1700 DEF: 1400 LV: 4) "And with Backup Gardna's effect, I'll give Ceal his Shooting Star Bow." The bow and arrow floated over to the lizard, who grabbed them. (ATK. 1700-700)
Andrew blinked. "An equip spell that drains 1000 of the equipped monster's attack points?"
"That's right. However, it grants my monster the ability to attack you directly." Rafael explained. "But... that's not how Ceal is going to use his weapon. Instead, he's going to use his special ability." The lizard suddenly aligned its arrow with its bow, pulling its string. "You see, by sending an equip spell he's equipped with to the graveyard, I'm allowed to destroy one of your monsters."
Andrew gasped.
"And the one I'm targeting... is Elemental HERO Ocean! Now fire away with Shooting Star Bow!" The lizard fired the arrow away, allowing it to pierce through the aquatic hero's chest, who cried out before shattering into pixels.
"Sorry, Ocean." Andrew muttered.
"With one hero down, your Heat loses a few points." (ATK: 2400-2200) (ATK: 700-1700) "And there's more bad news for you. I can actually use this ability more than once, as long as I have other spells that are equipped to Ceal." Rafael held up the remaining card in his hand. "So I'll equip him with the spell card, Guardian Shield." A red and yellow shield shaped like a butterfly appeared on the lizard's right arm. "This card may grant the equipped monster 300 defense points..." (DEF: 1400-1700) "But I'm gonna use it to destroy another monster on your field. Like Lady Heat!" The shield transformed into another arrow. (DEF: 1700-1400) And the lizard fired it away, destroying Lady Heat.
"Not good." (ATK: 2200-2000)
With that done, the lizard's bow disappeared. "And now it's time for my monsters to attack! Now go, Ceal! Take down his Solid Soldier!" The lizard got down on all four and charged forward.
"I activate the trap card, Waboku!" Andrew's facedown card flipped up and created a transparent barrier that blocked the lizard's attack. "Thanks to this card, I'll take no battle damage this turn. And in addition to that, my monsters can't be destroyed in battle."
"Not bad." Rafael simply said. 'It's a shame you couldn't save all your monsters, though.' He then crossed his arms. "I end my turn."
"Alright then..." Andrew his next card and looked at it. He smiled at what he got. "I summon Elemental HERO Blazeman!" The red-armored hero with fiery head appeared. (ATK: 1200 DEF: 1800 LV: 4) "When this monster is summoned to the field, I can take a Polymerization from my deck and add it to my hand." He fanned his deck out and grabbed the card he wanted. "With another Elemental HERO on the field, Heat regains some strength." (ATK: 2000-2200) "And now I activate Polymerization, fusing my Blazeman and Solid Solider in order to create Elemental HERO Gaia!" The two named heroes entered the fusion vortex. Moments later, the black-armored giant emerged from it. (ATK: 2200 DEF: 2600)
"An impressive monster, but not strong enough to take down Guardian Grarl." Rafael pointed out.
Andrew smirk. "I'm afraid you're wrong, because his special ability will even the odds. After he's fusion summoned, he can absorb half the attack points of one of your monsters for one turn."
"Ah!" Rafael gasped.
"So it's about time to drain Grarl's strength!" The giant hero raised his right palm.
"Not if I use the facedown card that I saved since the beginning of the duel!" Rafael intervened. "I activate the trap card, Crystal Seal!" As soon his facedown card flipped up, crystal's started to grow out of the ground, and covered all over Gaia's body. He was now immobilized inside a crystal shell.
"No way!" Andrew exclaimed.
"A valiant effort, but with your monster trapped inside the Crystal Seal, it can't use its abilities. Also, it can't attack, or switch mode. You're not even allowed to sacrifice it."
"Man, what a troublesome trap card."
"And that's not the end of it. My trap card keeps me from attacking that monster." Rafael continued. "However, the moment he becomes the only monster on your field, I'll be able to attack you directly."
"Oh boy."
"Now, since you reduced the number of heroes on your field by one, your Heat gets weaker."
But Andrew smirked. "Not exactly. Heat will be keeping his current strength. And it's all thanks to Solid Soldier's second ability! After he's sent to the graveyard because he was used to summon a HERO fusion monster, I can summon one of the other Elemental Heroes from my graveyard in defense mode. Anyone of them who's level 4 or below. And I'm bringing back Elemental HERO Lady Heat!" The fire heroine appeared again. (ATK: 1300 DEF: 1000 LV: 4)
Rafael nodded, smiling a bit. 'That ability isn't so bad either.'
"Now then, I might not be able to destroy Guardian Grarl. But I can destroy Guardian Ceal! Elemental HERO Heat, attack!" The armored fire hero ignited his right fist and dashed forward. Once he reached up the armored lizard, he gave it a fierce and fiery right hook, shattering it into pixels.
Rafael: 3200-2700
"My Guardian!" Rafael muttered, not happy with this.
"Then I'll play a facedown." Andrew continued, inserting a card into his duel disk. "And to end my turn, I'll use Lady Heat's ability again. Let it burn!" The fire heroine conjured another fireball, and threw it at Rafael.
Rafael: 2700-2100
After recovering from the last attack, Rafael glanced at the spot where Ceal stood, before he finally spoke up. "You managed to destroy one of my Guardians. However, I won't let him stay there for long!" He then began his turn and drew his two next cards. Glancing at them for a moment, he nodded. "And this will let me see to it." He revealed one of them. "I activate Monster Reincarnation! By discarding one card from my hand, I can take a monster card back from my graveyard and add it to my hand." He discarded his other card before taking Guardian Ceal from his graveyard slot.
"He was really prepared for that." Andrew muttered to himself. He then noticed Rafael's graveyard slot glowing.
"The card I discarded was Card of Compensation. Since I sent it from my hand to the graveyard, I get to draw two more cards." He drew. "And one of them happens to be a spell card known as Swords at Dawn." He revealed the named card.
"What does that do?"
"With this card, I can take an equip spell from my graveyard and equip it to a monster on the field. And I resurrect Shooting Star Bow - Ceal!" The silvery bow and arrow appeared in front of Backup Gardna. (ATK: 500-0)
Andrew paled. "No way."
"I'm afraid it's true. With this spell back on the field, I can once again summon Guardian Ceal!" The armored lizard appeared again. (ATK: 1700 DEF: 1400 LV: 4) "And once again, I'll have Backup Gardna hand over the Shooting Star Bow to him." The bow and arrow floated to the lizard, letting it grab them once again. (ATK: 0-500) (ATK: 1700-700) "And you know what happens next, don't you? Ceal will now use his weapon to destroy one of your monsters. Now take down his Heat!" The lizard fired the arrow, which piered through the fire hero's armor before he exploded.
"Oh no! Heat!"
(ATK: 700-1700) "Now, let's see if you can stop my monsters this time. Go, Guardian Ceal! Take down his Lady Heat!" The armored lizard forward and slashed the fire heroine with its claws, tearing her to pieces.
"Now my Lady Heat is gone." Andrew muttered.
"And like I told you earlier, with your Gaia trapped inside the Crystal Seal, you're wide open for a direct attack, now that he's all alone on your field." Rafael reminded him. "So its about time we end this duel! Now go, Guardian Grarl! Attack with Gravity Axe!" The dinosaur roared as it charged forward, ready to swing its axe.
"I activate Enemy Controller!" Andrew's facedown card flipped up and produced a video game controller, with its cable attaching on Grarl, making it stop."
"Huh?" Rafael widened his eyes.
"This quick-play spell has two effects, and I can activate one of them. And given the situation, I choose the first effect, which lets me force one of your monsters to switch mode. So your Guardian Grarl goes to defense mode!" And the buttons on the controller were pressed in following order: Up, A, up, left, A, B, down, B. After that, the dinosaur returned to Rafael's field and kneeled down.
The Guardian duelist was silent for a moment before inserting the remaining card into his duel disk. "I end my turn with a facedown."
"My move!" Andrew drew. "And I activate the spell card, Legacy of a Hero! With at least two level 4 or higher Elemental Heroes in my graveyard, I can draw three cards from my deck." He drew his extra cards. "And one of them is Elemental HERO Stratos!" The turbine winged hero emerged from a whirlwind. (ATK: 1800 DEF: 300 LV: 4) "And he's got a special ability! After he's summoned, he can destroy one spell or trap for every other hero monster on my field. And that includes Gaia, whom I'm gonna set free by destroying Crystal Seal!" The propellers on the hero's turbine rotated, creating cyclones that swallowed the trap card. After a few seconds, Stratos ceased his assault. But to Andrew's shock, the trap card was still there. "What?"
"Sorry about that." Rafael said. "I guess I forgot to tell you. The Crystal Seal can't be destroyed by other card effects."
"No way!" Andrew clenched his right fist. "That card is tougher than I thought. But still, with Guardian Grarl in defense, my Stratos can take him down. Now, Stratos! Attack!" The turbine hero dashed forward.
"I activate the trap card, Negate Attack!" Rafael's facedown card flipped up. "This card negates your attack and ends your battle phase. So, I'm afraid that your attack won't break through!" A red barrier appeared in front of Guardian Grarl, blocking a punch from Stratos.
Andrew frowned before looking over his hand. 'What do I do now?' He thought worriedly before making his move "I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" A bunch of swords made of light rained down on the field, surrounding Rafael's monsters. "From now on, you can't attack for three turns. Next I'll play a facedown and end my turn." A card appeared near Andrew's feet. (ATK: 900-1800)
"Alright then..." Rafael drew. "First I'll equip Guardian Ceal with the spell card, Butterfly Dagger - Elma." A green dagger with a butterfly-like hilt appeared in the lizard's right hand. "This card gives the equipped monster 300 attack points." (ATK: 1700-2000) "And it also lets me summon Guardian Elma to the field in defense mode." A red-haired woman appeared next to Guardian Ceal and kneeled down. She was wearing a green vest in the shape of a butterfly, a red short skirt, and a white attached to her arms. (ATK: 1300 DEF: 1200 LV: 3)
"Another Guardian monster." Andrew muttered.
"When she's summoned to the field, I can equip her with a spell card from my graveyard. I believe you remember Guardian Shield." The butterfly-like shield appeare don Elma's left arm. (DEF: 1200-1500) "And next I'll let Guardian Ceal use the Butterfly Dagger to destroy your Stratos!" The armored lizard was getting ready to throw.
"Before that happens, I activate the trap card, Elemental Recharge!" Andrew's facedown card flipped up. "Due to its effect, I regain 1000 life points for every Elemental HERO on my field."
Andrew: 2100-4100
The lizard tossed the dagger. It struck Stratos in the middle of his chest, making him cry out before he exploded. (ATK: 2000-1700) "I'll switch Guardian Grarl back to attack mode and end my turn." Rafael concluded as the dinosaur stood up.
"I draw!" Andrew drew his next card and looked at it. 'Fusion Sword Murasame Blade. This card gives a warrior some extra points.' He then frowned. 'But Gaia is immobilized, so there's no way it would help now.'
"Andrew, use that card." Wynn said, appearing next to him.
"Huh?" He turned to her with a confused look. "But I don't..."
"Just do it. Trust me!" She insisted.
Rafael observed their interaction quietly.
Andrew stared at her for a moment before he smiled. "Alright. I'll trust you." He then faced Rafael. "I activate the spell card Fusion Sword Murasame Blade!" The katana with chaotic aura appeared right above the crystalized hero. "This card gives my warrior type monster 800 extra attack points. And that increases Gaia's strength all the way up to 3000!" At that, the sword came down on the Crystal Seal, blade first. And when it imbedded itself in it, the crystal started to crack. And then, Gaia started to move slightly inside. And then...
CRASH!
He broke free from the crystal, now able to move his body completely. He then grabbed the katana with his right hand. (ATK: 2200-3000)
"Whoa!" Andrew could only stare at his HERO monster in shock.
Rafael smiled a bit. "You're lucky that you have such trusty duel spirits with a good insight."
Andrew turned to Wynn, who was smiling proudly. "Well, my previous owner faced a duelist who also used the Crystal Seal trap card. Back then, I learned about its weakness. If the attack points of the affected monster change, the trap card is automatically destroyed."
Andrew smiled. "Thanks for your help, Wynn." He then faced his opponent. "Now that Gaia is free, I should take care of your Guardian Ceal. Gaia, attack!" He raised his right hand, swung his katana downward.
"Elma, now!" Rafael called out as the redheaded woman moved in. She got right in front of the armored lizard and held up her shield. When the katana hit the shield, a shockwave was released, causing Rafael to skid back a bit.
Rafael: 2100-0800
After the assault, Elma and Ceal were still standing. However, the Guardian Shield shattered into pixels. (DEF: 1500-1200)
"What just happened?" Andrew asked.
"That was the effect of Guardian Shield." Rafael explained. "If one of my Guardian monsters would be destroyed in battle, then I can use it to protect that monster."
"So once again, they survive." Andrew muttered. "I end my turn."
"Then let's see what I can do about your big friend." Rafael drew his two next cards and looked at them. "This should be good. First I activate the spell card, Rod of Silence - Kay'est." A bluish crystal grew out of the ground in front of Guardian Ceal. And then, it suddenly broke into pieces, revealing a blue rod with a gem on the tip. The lizard grabbed it. "This card gives the equipped monster 500 defense points." (DEF: 1400-1900)
"Great, Gaia is as good as gone." Andrew said worriedly.
"How right you are. But first, with the Rod of Silence in play, I can summon Guardian Kay'est!" A blue-tailed mermaid with turquoise hair emerged from a pillar of water. (ATK: 1000 DEF: 1800 LV: 4) "And just as you feared, my Guardian Ceal will now use the Rod of Silence to destroy your Gaia!" The lizard pointed the rod at Gaia and fired a beam of energy that pierced the giant, making him explode. Right after that, the rod vanished.
"My HERO destroyed." Andrew said. "But at least I'm safe from your attacks, thanks to my Revealing Light card."
"I'm afraid you're mistaken." Rafael replied, confusing him. "You see, my Guardian Kay'est has a special ability. She's immune to all spell cards."
Andrew gasped.
"Which means you're not safe from her attack!" Kay'est formed a sphere of water between her palms and then hurled it at Andrew, splashing him.
Andrew: 4100-3100
"That's it for me." Rafael concluded.
Andrew recovered from the attack and drew his next card. 'This might do.' He thought before playing it. "I summon Elemental HERO Shadow Mist in defense mode." The black-armored heroine appeared and kneeled down. (ATK: 1000 DEF: 1500 LV: 4) "And that's all."
"Well then..." Rafael drew his two next cards and looked at them. He then revealed one of them. "I activate Swords at Dawn!"
"Another one?" Andrew blurted out.
"Which means I can once again take an equip spell from my graveyard and equip to a monster. And guess what? I'm gonna bring back Shooting Star Bow - Ceal!" The silvery bow and arrow appeared again. And Guardian Ceal grabbed them. (ATK: 1700-700) "So now my Guardian Ceal can use his ability once more! Destroy his Shadow Mist!" The lizard fired the arrow, letting it pierce through the heroine's abdomen, making her explode. (ATK: 700-1700)
"Looks like I'm wide open again." Andrew commented. "But before I'll let you attack, I activate Shadow Mist's special ability. When she's sent to my graveyard, I can take a HERO monster from my deck and add it to my hand." He fanned his deck out and took the card he wanted.
"You're going to need it. Especially after my Guardian Kay'est attacks you again!" The mermaid threw another sphere of water at Andrew.
Andrew: 3100-2100
"I place one card facedown and end my turn." Rafael concluded, inserting his remaining card into his duel disk. "And since this was my third turn after you played your spell card, the effect of Swords of Revealing Light is no more." The swords vanished.
"Then it's my turn!" Andrew drew. "And I'll start by summoning Elemental HERO Liquid Soldier!" The blue-armored water hero with glass balls on his wrists appeared. (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1300 LV: 4) "Then I'll activate his ability! When he's normal summoned, I can summon a level 4 or lower HERO monster from my graveyard. And I'll bring back Elemental HERO Shadow Mist!" The black-armored heroine appeared again. (ATK: 1000 DEF: 1500 LV: 4)
'Another card that brings back a monster from the graveyard. Not too shabby.' Rafael thought, smiling a bit.
"Then I activate her special ability!" Andrew continued. "When Shadow Mist is special summoned, I can take a quick-play spell card with the word 'Change' in its name from my deck and add it to my hand." He fanned his deck out and took a card. "And I'll use it right away! The spell card, Mask Change!" The named spell card appeared behind Shadow Mist, who was engulfed in a bright light. "By sending a HERO monster to the graveyard, I can summon a Masked HERO with the same attribute. Watch as my Shadow Mist transforms into Masked HERO Anki!" Moments later, the light died down and revealed the hero in jet black armor. (ATK: 2800 DEF: 1200 LV. 8)
"That's a powerful form she assumed." Rafael commented.
"Powerful enough to wipe out your remaining life points." Andrew replied. "Now go!" The Masked HERO dashed forward.
"Not so fast! I activate Mirror Force!" Rafael's facedown card flipped up. "Thanks to this card, both of your monsters are destroyed!" A transparent dome was formed around Rafael's monsters. When Anki landed a punch on it, it unleashed an energy wave that sent him flying, and destroyed him. The energy wave reached Liquid Soldier and destroyed him as well.
Wynn pouted at this. "Geez. That guy has an answer for everything, doesn't he?"
"He really keeps drawing the cards he needs to keep his monsters safe." Phantom Magician added.
Andrew glanced at the card he drew. It was a trap card. He inserted it into his duel disk. "I place a facedown. And that's it."
"And with your field monster free, I can wipe out your remaining life points." Rafael drew.
"Don't be so sure!" Andrew countered and revealed his facedown card. "I activate the trap card, Necro Fusion! This lets me instantly summon a fusion monster by removing monsters in my graveyard from play and combine them. So I'll fuse Liquid Soldier and Heat together..." The two named heroes appeared and entered a fusion vortex. "...in order to summon Elemental HERO Absolute Zero!" At that, the white armored, icy hero emerged from the vortex. (ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 LV: 8) "And there's more. Since Liquid Soldier was used to fusion summon a HERO monster, I can draw 2 cards from my deck, then discard 1 card from my hand." Andrew his extra cards, looked at them briefly, and then discarded one of them.
"So you were able to summon another powerful monster." Rafael noted.
"Yup, and he's got a special ability. You see, for every water monster on the field, other than himself, he gains 500 attack points. And I believe your Guardian Kay'est's attribute is water, is it not?" The mermaid glowed with a blue aura. And then, so did Absolute Zero. (ATK: 2500-3000) "So now he's as strong as your Guardian Grarl. Which means I'm safe."
"I wouldn't be so sure." Rafael glanced at his two new cards and revealed one of them. "I activate the spell card, Nightmare Binding!" A bunch of chains erupted form the ground and wrapped themselves around Absolute Zero's limbs, restraining him.
"What's this?"
"This spell card lets me select a monster you control. That monster can't be sacrificed as long as it remains on the field. But that's not important. What's really important is that my spell card drains 800 of that monster's attack points and adds them to my life points."
Andrew's eyes widened.
Rafael: 800-1600 (ATK: 3000-2200)
"Which means your HERO is finished! Guardian Grarl, attack! Destroy his Absolute Zero!" The dinosaur dashed forward and swung its axe, cutting the chained hero in half.
Andrew: 2100-1300
"Now that you're wide open, it's time to-huh?" Rafael stopped at mid-sentence as dark clouds started to form above the field. And then, a powerful blizzard was released. "What's going on?" Rafael asked, holding up his right arm for protection. "What is this?"
"It's my Absolute Zero's other ability." Andrew explained. "When he leaves the field... all your monsters are destroyed."
"Oh no!" Rafael had a look of horror as he saw some ice starting to form around his monsters' bodies. It didn't take long until they were all completely frozen. And then, they shattered.
"Nice one, Andrew." Phantom Magician complimented. "You managed to destroy his monsters."
Wynn stared at Rafael with a concerned look. "He doesn't look too happy about it, though."
Rafael was standing there, like a statue. Almost like all life left his body. But he eventually closed his eyes and lowered his head for a moment before looking up. "To think that all five of my monsters would be destroyed, just like that. Witnessing something like that... is hurtful for me."
Andrew started to feel guilty.
"But, like I said, I've got cards that lets me bring back my monsters from the graveyard. Like this one, for example." Rafael revealed the only card in his hand. "I activate the spell card, Pot of Avarice. This lets me take 5 monster cards from my graveyard and shuffle them back into my deck." He took his monster cards from the graveyard slot.
"Is he serious?" Wynn asked, surprised.
"He really was prepared for situations like this." Phantom Magician added.
Rafael shuffled his cards into his deck. "And with that done, I get to draw two cards from my deck." He drew his two extra cards and looked at them. "I can't play any of these cards. So I'll end my turn."
"Alright then." Andrew drew his next card and looked at it. "And I'll start by activating the spell card, Double Spell! First I'll discard a spell card from my hand." He discarded one of his cards. "After that, I can use a spell card from your graveyard. And I think I'll take your Pot of Avarice!" The named card jumped out of Rafael's graveyard slot and flew over to Andrew, who caught it with ease. "So just like you, I'll take 5 monster cards from my graveyard and shuffle them back into my deck." The spirits of Blazeman, Solid Soldier, Lady Heat, Ocean and Shadow Mist appeared briefly.
Rafael smiled at this.
Andrew shuffled his deck for a moment. "And then, I draw two cards." He drew. After looking over his extra cards, he inserted one of them into his duel disk. "I place one card facedown and then summon Phantom Magician in attack mode!" The skeletal spellcaster rose up in front of him. (ATK: 600 DEF: 700 LV: 3)
"One of your duel spirits, huh?" Rafael muttered.
Phantom Magician turned to Andrew. "Are you sure you want me to be offensive?"
"Don't worry, I've got everything covered. Just go ahead and attack him directly!"
"Okay then!" Phantom Magician pointed his staff towards Rafael and blasted him with a beam of purple energy.
Rafael: 1600-1000
"And that ends my turn." Andrew concluded.
"Then it's my turn." As Rafael placed his fingers on his deck, he sensed something. Something that made him smile fondly. "I'm going to need you more than ever now."
Andrew gave him a curious look. He then noticed something appear behind Rafael's back briefly. It was faint, but it looked like a pair of white wings.
Rafael drew his two new cards."With my graveyard monster free, I can summon my most trusted monster! Guardian Eatos!" A ray of light shined down on the field from the sky, from which an eagle flew down. And then, it transformed. Moments later, the eagle was replaced by a beautiful, blonde woman who looked like a Native American with the style of dress she wore. The outfit consisted of a brown skin shirt, and ankle length skirt. She also wore an eagle headdress and had a pair of white-feathered wings. (ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 LV: 8)
"Ah!" Wynn gasped. "That presence I sensed earlier! It came from her!"
"From that monster, huh?" Andrew replied.
"And now I equip Eatos with the spell card, Power of the Guardians!" A spell card appeared behind the Guardian. "Now I attack with Eatos!" Eatos took flight and dived down towards Phantom Magician. "And this is when the effect of my equip spell kicks in. When an attack is declared involving the equipped monster, my spell card gets a spell counter. And what's more is that each spell counter gives the equipped monster 500 attack and defense points." The Guardian glowed white. (ATK: 2500-3000 DEF: 2000-2500)
"Reveal trap card! Fiendish Chain!" Andrew's facedown card flipped up. And when it did, Eatos was stopped by chains that erupted from the ground and wrapped themselves around her. "Thanks to this card, your monster can't attack."
"Thanks, Andrew." Phantom Magician.
"Don't mention it."
Rafael smiled at their interaction. 'They have complete trust to each other. Not many duelists have such a strong bond with their cards.' He then held up a card from his hand. "You may have stopped Eatos this time. But with my Remove Trap spell card, I can free her from your trap card's grasp." Andrew's trap card shattered into pixels, and Eatos broke free from her chains. "And with that, I end my turn."
"I draw!" Andrew drew.
"Andrew. Let me in." Wynn urged.
He smiled. 'Sure. I won't let you miss all the fun.' He grabbed her card. "I play a facedown monster in defense mode..." A facedown card appeared right next to Phantom Magician. "Then I'll switch Phantom Magician to defense mode." The skeletal spellcaster kneeled down. "Then I'll end my turn with a facedown." A card appeared near Andrew's feet.
Rafael drew his two next cards and looked at them. "Now everything's set. I'll start by activating the spell card, Obedience!" He held up the named card. "When my monster attacks a monster in defense mode, that monster will be forced to switch to attack mode."
"That doesn't sound good." Phantom Magician said.
"It's about to get worse. Because now I equip my Guardian with her most personal weapon. Celestial Sword - Eatos!" A diamond sword appeared in her right hand. "This card gives the equipped monster 500 more attack points." (ATK: 3000-3500) "But with her special ability, Eatos can grow even stronger."
"Stronger?" Andrew repeated. "How?"
"It works like this: First I have to send an equip spell she's equipped with, like her Celestial Sword." The weapon in question glowed brightly. (ATK: 3500-3000) "And next, I get to remove up to three monsters in your graveyard from play. And each monster I remove gives her 500 additional attack points until the end of the turn."
"Uh oh!"
"And I'll be taking these three monsters!" The spirits of Gaia, Absolute Zero and Anki came out from Andrew's graveyard slot before being absorbed into the sword. (ATK: 3000-4500) "But that doesn't stop there. You see, my Celestial Sword has another effect. When it's sent from the field to the graveyard, I can increase Eatos' strength with another 500 attack points for every monster that's removed from the game."
"Say what?!"
Eatos sliced the air in response. (ATK: 4500-6000) "Now let's see if you can protect your trusty spirt from this! Guardian Eatos, attack with Celestial Sword!" The Guardian charged forward.
"Ngh!" Phantom Magician grunted as a red aura surrounded him, while his body moved on its own until he was standing. "This is bad!"
"Don't worry, I got this!" Andrew assured. "I activate Mirror Force!" As soon as his trap card was revealed, a transparent wall was formed in front of Phantom Magician. "Thanks to this, your monster is destroyed."
Rafael smirked. "You sure about that?" Eatos stabbed the wall with her sword. And when she did... it started to crack.
"What the...?!" Andrew was shocked.
"Are you confused? Allow me to explain. What you're witnessing is the second of the Power of the Guardians. If the equipped monster would be destroyed, I can remove a spell counter instead."
"No way!"
A couple seconds later, the wall ended up being shattered into pieces. (ATK: 6000-5500 DEF: 2500-2000) "And of course, since she's attacking again, that spell card gets a new spell counter. (ATK: 5500-6000 DEF: 2000-2500) "Eatos, end this now!" The Guardian raised her sword and swung downward.
"Ah!" Phantom Magician held up his protectively in an attempt to stop the attack.
...
...
But... the sword suddenly stopped. "Huh?" Phantom Magician stared at it, sounding confused. "Why did it stop?"
"What just happened?" Rafael asked, just as confused as him.
Andrew smirked. "Simple. Since my trap card was useless, I decided to use a card from my graveyard." He held up a card with the image of a certain turtle-like creature. "It's called Electromagnetic Turtle. If I happen to have this card in my graveyard, I can remove it from play and end your battle phase."
Rafael was certainly surprised. "When did you even send that card to the graveyard."
"When I used Liquid Soldier's effect after summoning Absolute Zero."
Flashback
"Since Liquid Soldier was used to fusion summon a HERO monster, I can draw 2 cards from my deck, then discard 1 card from my hand."
Flashback end
"Back then, huh?" Rafael muttered. "Well, I didn't expect that." He then closed his eyes. 'And I was not expecting to be stopped by that card again.'
Flashback
Rafael thought back to one time when he was in the middle of a duel. The duel took place on a rooftop, with dark clouds covering the sky. His opponent was someone who anyone would recognize as the King of Games, and he had the famous Dark Magician on the field. Rafael had four monsters in play: Backup Gardna, Guardian Grarl, Guardian Elma and Guardian Eatos. Both duelists were standing on some kind of glowing green circle with a layer of strange symbols and a six-pointed star. The symbol was seen on Rafael's forehead, as well as the foreheads of his monsters. In addition to that, Eatos wings were black instead of white.
"You're about to become a two-time loser, and this time you're gonna pay up... with your soul. Eatos, attack now!" Eatos cried out and got ready to swing her sword. "Game over!" She sung the sword downward. But just as her sword was about to touch Dark Magician's right shoulder, it stopped and turned to stone. Right after that, it crumbled and turned into dust. "Say what?!" Rafael exclaimed.
"Allow me to clear things up for you." His opponent spoke up while taking a card from his graveyard slot. "A few moments ago, I sent three monsters to my graveyard, one of which saved me. That card was this." He revealed the card. "My Electromagnetic Turtle. When this monster was destroyed, it created an electromagnetic barrier, shielding my Magician from your attack."
'It was during that duel that he helped me realize the terrible mistakes I made.'
"Now do you understand what you've done. You turned your back on your monsters. At one time they meant the world to you. But then Dartz convinced you to abandon everything that was important to you. He fed you lies about your family and fueled your rage. And in the moment of weakness, you allowed your heart to become consumed by the dark magic of the Orichalcos. But I could tell the real you was still in there, fighting to break free. And I knew what I had to do. Force you to face the darkness."
Flashback end
'And will always be grateful for what he did.' Rafael smiled before opening his eyes. "Eatos ability will lose its effect after this, she gets to keep the extra points from the effect of her Celestial Sword. I end my turn." Eatos' sword vanished. (ATK: 6000-4500)
"Alright then, here goes!" Andrew drew. "I hope you're ready, Rafael. Because now I'm gonna show you what my monsters can do!"
"Oh yeah? Then show me."
"Gladly. And I'll start by revealing my facedown monster!" The card flipped up and revealed a familiar green-haired girl spellcaster. (ATK: 500 DEF: 1500 LV: 3)
Rafael smiled a bit. "Ah, that's your other duel spirit."
Wynn smiled. "I guess we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Wynn the Wind Charmer."
"And she will help me to wipe out your remaining life points." Phantom Magician declared.
The Guardian duelist raised an eyebrow. "I like your determination, but if you intend to do that, you have get through my Guardian Eatos."
"That's where Wynn comes in." Andrew replied. "Because she has a flip effect. It allows me to take control of a wind monster you have on the field."
Rafael gasped. "Then that means..."
"Yup." Wynn nodded and pointed her staff towards the Guardian. "That means I'm gonna use my power and have Eatos step aside." The jewel at the tip of her staff glowed. And then, Eatos glowed green before taking flight, leaving Rafael's field.
"And with her out of the way, it's time to attack!" Andrew declared. "Phantom Magician. Wynn. End this duel!"
The two spellcasters nodded to each other before crossing their staffs. They then converged a ball of green and purple energy and fired away.
As it approached him, Rafael simply smiled and closed his eyes before he got hit and was engulfed in an explosion.
Rafael: 1000-0000
As the holograms vanished, Andrew walked over to Rafael, who seemed to be standing in place. "Are you okay?"
The Guardian duelist opened his eyes and held up his right. "You played well, Andrew."
Andrew blinked before he smiled and shook it. "Thanks. This was a great duel."
"It sure was." Phantom Magician said, appearing right next to him. "And it's not every day when monster on our level gets to give the finishing blow."
"Tell me about." Wynn replied. "It feels amazing to strike an opponent down, despite of being a weak monster."
Andrew smiled to her. "Remember what i told you when we first met? It doesn't matter if it's a strong card or a weak card. In the end, that card is as good as the duelist who uses it."
"Yeah, and I'm glad you showed me that." Wynn gave him a hug.
Rafael smiled at the scene. "The bond that you share is authentic."
Andrew his duel spirits turned to him.
"Not many duelists have that kind of bond. It's really rare. In a perfect world, everyone would have that kind of bond." As he spoke, he turned around. "If you truly care about your care about your cards... if you have true faith in them... then you'd be surprised how far that gets you." He started to walk away slowly. "I hope you remember that, Andrew. Cherish the bonds with your friends. Never take them for granted."
Andrew stared as he kept walking. He then smiled. "You got it, Rafael. I'll keep that in mind." He then placed a hand on his chest. "And also in heart."
Rafael never looked back, but he smiled. As he kept walking, Eatos appeared and nodded to the Academy student and duel spirits before following her most trusted friend.
"That is one mysterious duelist." Phantom Magician commented.
"Mysterious, yes. But he's also very nice, especially towards his monsters." Wynn added.
"Yeah." Andrew nodded. "And I wouldn't run into other people being as close to the cards, like me or Jaden." He smiled. "Well then. Let's go home." He walked away with his duel spirits right behind him.
Well, that's that. I needed to think a lot before I could write this chapter.
By the way, while I was writing, I once looked up the Toon archetype and I looked at two certain cards: Toon Dark Magician and Toon Barrel Dragon.
When I read their effects, I noticed that there was one certain effect that they did NOT have: If "Toon World" on the field is destroyed, destroy this card.
Once I realized that, I it dawned to me that I kind of messed up when I wrote the chapters, "What a Toon" and "The Cartoonish Finale".
So, I had to make a few changes. Just wanted to let you guys know that.
Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Until next time.