Disclaimer: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.
Chapter 27 – Signers Strike Back! Roar of Dragon, Ryukiski Kyojo!
As the morning arose over Neo Domino City, the people in the alleyway who had been knocked out cold by Placido suddenly began to stir, with Judai twitching his hand and Jack and Kyojo reaching for a grip. Seconds later they managed to get themselves to their feet, although they were dazed and almost unaware of their surroundings.
"Placido… that card-rustling bastard…" Kyojo cursed under his breath, putting his left hand against the wall of a building while his right hand covered his head. Opposite him, Judai and Jack were standing shakily on their feet; all three men felt drained, and only Judai could find the ability to strengthen himself through Yubel's power.
"I know he's still close by…" Judai then hissed under his breath, his eyes changing to Yubel's and allowing him to sense presence rather than allow on his blurry vision. "I can feel that card, and his power… but there's something else there as well…"
"What are you talking about?" Jack inquired, he and Kyojo finally stepping towards Sherry and Lucciano to inspect them for any sort if injuries. "What other power? Are you taking about Skiel's power; because we already know that."
"No, not a Synchro Killer," Judai clarified, his gaze shifting towards the Satellite. "It's something greater… and more ancient…" Suddenly, Judai's eyes went wide and he gasped, getting the full attention of the two taller men.
"What is it Judai?" Kyojo questioned, stepping over to his friend and tapping him on the shoulder. "What do you sense?"
"There's two powers there," he stated, "At the Old Momentum. There's no mistaking them; Obelisk and Osiris!"
"Egyptian Gods?" Jack suddenly questioned, completely stunned and glaring towards the Satellite. Sure enough he was able to see a huge tower where Momentum was, with a sphere of white fog at the top; and within that fog they could see faintly the red and blue forms of the two gods.
"Then that means… that Yugi has traveled to our time," Kyojo deduced, picking up his sunglasses and putting them back over his face. "Placido must have used that Z-ONE card to get him from the past."
"Then we have to get over there and find out what's going on!" Judai declared. Reaching over, he pulled a card from Jack's deck and revealed it as Sub-Space Matter Transfer Device. Holding it to the sky, the card glowed and a red field surrounded all five people in the alley, disappearing and leaving none of them there.
"What are you waiting for Pharaoh?" Placido asked smugly of the Legendary Duellist before him, his arms crossed while the man looked at him with a complete look of resentment and yet a stoic look of passivity. "It is your turn after all."
"Very well," the Pharaoh declared, reaching for his Deck. "But this will be the last turn of this duel! Draw!" Reaching for his Deck, he snapped up the card and swished it into the main body of his hand in one fluid motion, holding up the mitt full of cards for display. "Since I hold 7 cards again, Osiris' Attack Strength increases accordingly (ATK: 7000, LV: 10)."
Looking up upon the large red serpent dragon and the muscle-bound blue behemoth beside it, Placido's eyes held a cold glare which seemed to hide the thrill he felt. His glowing green Machine Emperor's metal body reflected the form of the Pharaoh and of Yugi's Spirit beside him, and so it showed as he reached into his hand for another card. "I activate the Magic Card, Reincarnation of the Dead!" Reaching for a card in his hand, he inserted it into the Cemetery before a different card returned to his grasp.
"And now, I Summon King's Knight (ATK: 1600, LV: 4)!" the Pharaoh then placed his returned card onto the tray and called up a mainly gold-armoured warrior with a beard, a thick build and a massive sword with rounded shield. "Due to this monster's effect, with it and Queen's Knight in play, I Special Summon Jack's Knight from my Deck (ATK: 1900, LV: 5)!"
As a card slid from the Pharaoh's Deck into his hand, he placed it onto the tray and called up yet another warrior. This one was taller and slimmer than either of the other two, with blue armour, long hair and a spade-shaped shield. "My hand is now 2 cards smaller, so Osiris' power decreases (ATK: 5000); however, these 3 creatures have given be everything I need to finish the duel!"
"3 Creatures," Placido repeated impassively, staring at the Pharaoh's Cemetery as a glowing gold aura suddenly began to emanate from it. "Then one of the cards you sent to the Cemetery is…"
"That's right," the Pharaoh responded, a confident grin crossing his face before his seriousness returned and he flipped a card. "I activate my Trap Card, Undying Class! By sacrificing Queen's and King's Knights, I Special Summon a Level 7 or higher monster from my Cemetery." All of a sudden the gold-bordered aura parted and a card shot from the Cemetery, the two mentioned monsters turning into columns of white sparks.
"Next I chain my Instant Magic, Mystic Wok!" the Pharaoh declared, pointing to his other face-down card as the golden aura spread to consume his entire form. "I sacrifice my jack's Knight, and I add its ATK to my Life Points!" Finally, the third warrior bowed and disappeared into sparks, his power channelling to his cross-armed user before the aura intensified until it blocked out everything.
By the time the light faded until everything returned, the Pharaoh's Puzzle now had its Wdjat eye glowing and the pattern also appeared on his forehead. Looking back up, Placido saw the form of a gigantic golden sphere hovering far above the heads of both existing Gods, giving off light stronger than the field around them.
At that moment a large red tear in the field around them formed and Judai, Jack and Kyojo stepped up onto the platform, their faces fixed in a bug-eyed gaze of amazement. As Placido stared on coldly in anticipation, the Pharaoh began to chant something which none of the others understood, but interpreted to be Ancient Egyptian based on the circumstances. When he stopped, the gigantic orb burst into light and flooded the field, and a strong growl began to emanate from the light.
Seconds later, from the light descended the form of a massive golden dragon, its form looking more sculpted than grown, with a blue gem on its forehead and an arc behind its neck attached to shoulder pads. Its bird-like limbs, feathered wings and neck, and long tail identified the creature immediately while it settled just above its brethren, forming a pyramid. "Behold, the Strongest Egyptian God! The Winged God Dragon of Ra (ATK: ?, LV: 10)!" the Pharaoh explained, opening his arms dramatically.
Just as it had appeared, the golden aura around the dragon began to spread and grow more intense, almost flame-like, until it started to obscure the creature's form. "When Ra is Special Summoned," the Pharaoh explained, "I may pay 1000 Life Points to erase one creature from the field, destroying it instantly!" As he finished the entire form of his dragon was encased in golden flames, making it resemble a massive phoenix before it screeched deafeningly.
"Erase that Machine Emperor!" With its final defiant roar, the dragon shot straight down and stooped into the chest of the massive machine creature, causing an explosion to occur and the shockwave making everybody stagger. In less than a second the machine monster's form shattered and Placido began to laugh maniacally; however, his voice quickly became distorted and machine-like.
"An impressive attack, my Pharaoh," Placido stated in his altered voice, staring straight at the Pharaoh with an evil sneer as his robe suddenly dissolved off him like pixels being removed. "With Wisel banished from the field, I have no protection from your Egyptian Gods. The duel is yours. But know this…" Before he could complete the statement, however, his entire body dissolved the same way his robe had and the three creatures behind the Pharaoh disappeared, leaving the four people standing around in the white field.
"Another one of those 'X' drones," Judai spat, remembering the experiences everyone had with the aforementioned being. Suddenly, a sound caught everyone's attention and they turned to a corner of the field, seeing something which nobody expected and which everyone was shocked to behold.
Floating just above the ground, its side to the group, everyone saw a comma-shaped machine with red rib-like structures over a white main body, lines along its form glowing red. A circular section along its side then lit up like an eye and fixed upon them, causing deep, indistinct mechanical voices to start echoing from everywhere and saying things which nobody could make out. "Remember… you time is short…."
"What does that mean?" Jack barked his demand at the structure but got no verbal response. Instead, the entire smoky white field turned into a solid red glow that blinded everyone and made a strange sonic sound, deafening them. With screams every single member of the group disappeared and the light vanished, leaving no proof that anything hap ever taken place atop the tower.
Meanwhile, in the darkness below, Paradox's vision was suddenly interrupted when the yellow aura around him disappeared and his body was consumed by red electricity. Growling out in pain, the large man collapsed to the floor on his knees and grimaced, the blank card in his hand falling to the floor. The attack lasted no longer than a few seconds, and when it was done Paradox opened his eyes in anger and stood up.
"Placido!" he yelled in total frustration, smashing his closed fists into the control panel. However, his anger subsided when he looked at the censors and saw that the Momentum's power levels were almost at maximum. Then, his facial expression changed to a dark smile and he looked down at his card, seeing the text of the card starting to materialized. At the moment, it simply said it was Level 12 and a Fusion Monster; but Paradox could sense that its power was already growing.
"Interesting… then I guess this venture wasn't such a waste after all…"
Crowded around the Domino City clock where they had been, Anzu, Jonouchi and Honda were shocked when they heard a strange sound like nothing they had heard before. Spinning around on their feet, they saw the Pharaoh laying on the ground behind them on his back, eyes open in a wondrous gaze as he sat up and got to his feet.
"Hey, Yugi," Jonouchi asked suddenly, he and the other running to his side. "What the hell was that all about, and who was that guy?"
Instead of answering their question, the Pharaoh confounded them more when he simply said to himself, "What was… that thing…?"
Sitting in his office atop the Public Security Maintenance Bureau Building, Placido gained a dark smile over his face and held up his hand, watching as the Z-ONE card materialized into his hand. As it did, the Infinity Symbol on his eye patch glowed red and he slumped forward; as this occurred, the card disappeared and the glow faded out.
In the alleyway beside the construction site, Judai, Jack and Kyojo all picked themselves up from their face-down laying position and got to their feet, looking around and seeing that they had been sent back. "You know," Kyojo said to no one in particular, "I'm getting real tired of waking up unconscious."
"Aren't we all?" Jack asked, grabbing his head like he had a serious migraine. "What the hell was that all about?"
"That's for us to know, and you to find out," a voice suddenly asked, getting the attention of everyone and prompting them to turn 180 degrees. Standing against a building, leaning against a black D-Wheel, a man in a white and grey riding suit stood standing there with a smug look on his face.
"And just who the hell are you?" Judai asked, his snarling face mirrored by both of his cohorts.
"Ah yes, where are my manners?" the man pondered rhetorically. "My name is Alessandro."
"A Spanish name, dressed in white…" Kyojo said under his breath, before looking straight at the guy. The man's hair was straight jet black, with sharp bangs and a short ponytail down to his shoulders. His skin was reasonably tanned, his eyes green, and he had a pair of green gems over his eyes. "Let me guess, you're with Yliaster."
"That would be correct, Ryukishi Kyojo," Alessandro said confidently. "I was here to collect the Z-ONE card; but seeing as that's taken care of, I'll settle for being damage cleanup." Getting on his ride and starting the engine, he pulled a dark blue visor over his face and declared, "Shall we dance?"
"Sounds like a plan," Kyojo responded straight away, snapping his fingers. Within three seconds his D-Wheel pulled up beside him and he got on the back of it, pulling on his helmet and placing his Duel Disc on the console. Instantly the tray folded out into Riding Mode and the Deck spat out five cards, which he pulled into his side gauntlet.
"Are you sure about this?" Jack asked, him and Judai looking both concerned and annoyed. "If this guy's with Yliaster, the damage is for real; and if he's with Placido, it's that much worse."
"I'll be fine," Kyojo responded confidently. "You two should tag along; I can't wait to pick off another Yliaster member."
"Put your money where your mouth is, Ryukishi," Alessandro stated. With that both he and Kyojo pulled forward to be level and they activated their Riding Modes, making Speed World 2 appear briefly on the screen. Then, an Infinity symbol briefly appeared surrounding both vehicles and faded out, and in seconds both of them shot off.
"Let's go," Judai said, Jack nodding and both of them running for their D-Wheels. Ahead of them, Alessandro took pole position and Kyojo reached for his deck to pull a card.
"I'll start this Riding Duel off by activating my Speed Spell – Over Boost," Kyojo declared, flipping the card around and causing two boosters on the back of his D-Wheel to fire up. All of a sudden he shot out in front of Alessandro and yelled back, "Due to this card, I have 4 extra Speed Counters for this turn (Kyojo: 4 SPC/Alessandro: 0 SPC)!"
"I'm quite aware of how your card works," Alessandro yelled up. "I also know that those Speed Counters will be reduced to one in this End Phase, so make it count."
"You can bet I will," Kyojo stated. "I Summon Axe Dragonute (ATK: 2000, LV: 4)!" From the blue vortex that appeared came a black human-shaped dragon with a blunt face and a large battle axe in its hands. The creature then turned around and roared at Alessandro, making him stare back with a look of amusement."
"Next I activate the Speed Spell – Slip Shot!" Kyojo shouted, his Deck shooting out two cards instantly. "With my Speed Counters at 4, I Special Summon 2 more copies of a Level 4 Monster from my Deck and skip my Battle Phase. Come, two Axe Dragonutes (ATK: 1200, LV: 4) (DEF: 1200, LV: 4)."
Kyojo then slapped the two cards onto the tray on either side of the existing one, causing blue crouching versions of his existing dragon to appear on either side of it and also face Alessandro, their axes crossed like a shield. "Next, I set 3 cards. During the End Phase, as you observed, I lose all but one of my Speed Counters."
"Then I draw (Kyojo: 2 SPC/Alessandro: 1 SPC)," Alessandro stated, pulling his card and taking a quick look at it before holding it up. "I activate the Speed Spell – Count Up, and by discarding one card I increase by Speed Counters by 2." He then took a card from his hand and slid it into the Cemetery, and instantly his D-Wheel accelerated to again overtake Kyojo (Kyojo: 2 SPC/Alessandro: 3 SPC).
"Next I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton," he said swiftly, pulling a pair of cards in one motion. Upon seeing the two cards he sneered darkly and grabbed a card already in his hand, throwing it into the Cemetery. "Prepare yourself, Ryukishi Kyojo, for a truly tormenting duel."
A few feet behind Kyojo, Jack and Judai appeared on their own vehicles and hung back, observing both sides of the field. All three people besides Alessandro were all looking stern as he held up another card, saying, "I discard a second card and activate a second Count Up, putting my Speed Counters up more (Kyojo: 2 SPC/Alessandro: 5 SPC)."
"Why is he throwing out so many of his cards?" Jack questioned, not recognizing the strategy as anything he knew. "In a Riding Duel, keeping card advantage is just as important, if not more so, as in a Ground Duel because there aren't enough Spell Cards to make up the loss."
"I have a way around that," Alessandro answered, spinning his D-Wheel around to face all three men as he held up yet another card. "I activate Speed Spell – Summon Speeder, allowing me to Special Summon from my hand Phantom of Chaos (ATK: 0, LV: 4)!" As everyone grew even more tense, a ball of black smoke collected in front of his D-Wheel and a card slid from his Cemetery.
"By excluding an Effect Monster from my Cemetery," he added, "I have my Phantom use its effect, name and power for this turn. And one of the monsters in my Cemetery is Sky Demon God Norleras (ATK: 2400, LV: 8)." At this moment a look of terror swept over everyone's face as the smoky creature turned into a black-scale creature with tattered wings, a skull face and bone fingers, and a single ram horn jutting from its forehead.
"I activate Norleras' effect," Alessandro stated. "I pay 1000 Life Points to send all cards on the field and in both players' hand to the Cemetery; then, I draw 1 card!" As he said this, the eyes of his creature lit up red and its form exploded into blackness, shooting straight at Kyojo's cards; but before they got there, he flipped his cards.
"I activate Threatening Roar!" Kyojo yelled. "And next, I activate Dragons' Pact, and sacrifice my three Dragonutes!" In a split second all three creatures disappeared into a field of particles ad Kyojo's cards went away; then, the demon creature vanished and Alessandro drew a card.
Kyojo: LP 4000
Alessandro: LP 3000
"This is the exposed field of the Riding Duel Champion," Alessandro mused. "No cards at all. This should be interesting. I set one card. Then, in the End Phase, I activate the effect of a monster in my Cemetery."
"That's why he sent so many monsters to the Cemetery," Judai realized just as the man revealed his card.
"I never performed a Normal Summon this turn; thus, by excluding Red-Eyes Wyvern from my Cemetery, I Special Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from my Cemetery (ATK: 2800, LV: 10)!" All of a sudden a dark ball of matter formed and extended into the form of the metallic black and red segmented wyvern; then, the creature turned and roared at Kyojo, making him nervous.
"In the End Phase," Kyojo explained, holding up the card he activated earlier, "Because I sacrificed 3 Dragons for this card, I draw 3 cards!" He then returned the card to his Cemetery and pulled three cards from his Deck, one by one; then, he grabbed a fourth card and yelled, "Draw (Kyojo: 3 SPC/Alessandro: 6 SPC)!"
"So you were a very good target for my attack indeed," Alessandro observed. "You managed to get yourself out of my Norleras Combo; but even so, you're in a dead end spot due to my monster."
"That son of a bitch is right," Kyojo realized, looking at his hand. "I don't have a monster in this hand right now; I'll have to gamble it on this card." "I activate my own Speed Spell – Angel Baton!" With that Kyojo snapped up two cards in his Deck; and realizing a combo with then, he took one already in his hand and threw it away.
"I Summon Masked Dragon (DEF: 1100, LV: 3)!" In a crouching position he called up a blue-scale version of his red and white dragon with a mask over its face, its forearms crossed and its wings folded over itself. "Now I set 2 cards and declare the end of my turn."
"Draw (Kyojo: 4 SPC/Alessandro: 7 SPC)," Alessandro then said, pulling a brand new card at that very moment and then flipping it around. "I activate the third Angel Baton of this game." Snapping up two more cards from his Deck, he took a card from among them and threw it away before reaching for his Deck again.
"I activate the effect of Speed World 2, and by removing 7 Speed Counters I draw 1 card (Kyojo: 4 SPC/Alessandro: 0 SPC)." By a second later he had his second card in his hand, and so he took a card from his hand and put it onto the tray.
"I Summon Knight of the End (ATK: 1400, LV: 4)." As he placed this card down, a dull-coloured warrior with a katana and goggles over its face emerged and swung its sword; then, he took a card and threw it away. "And since I summon this monster, I send the Dark Monster know as Dark Horus Dragon from the Deck to the Cemetery."
When he had placed the card into the Cemetery, he took the remaining card in his hand and held it up, sneering. "Next, because 3 Dark Monsters exist in my Cemetery, I call upon the Dark Armed Dragon (ATK: 2800, LV: 7)!" In a split second the monster descended upon the field; a grey and black dragon with segmented armour, many drills along its form, and a metal face that held only malice.
"That monster," Jack observed scathingly. "He's summoned a creature that can end this game."
"I activate the effect of Dark Armed Dragon," Alessandro stated. "I exclude the Dark Monster Phantom of Chaos from my Cemetery, and I destroy your pathetic monster!" As the card was thrown away, the monster took a black ball of energy and threw it into the smaller dragon, smashing it.
"Next, I exclude my Dark Grepher from my Cemetery," Alessandro added, "And I destroy your right face-down!"
"That's too bad!" Kyojo sneered, snapping his fingers. "I activate my targeted Trap Card, Common Sacrifice! With no monsters on my field and three on yours, I Special Summon a Level 7 or higher monster from my hand! I sacrifice Dark Armed and Knight of the En, and I call out my Blue-Ice White Night's Dragon (ATK: 3000, LV: 8)!"
"What?" the man then questioned, watching as the two monsters he had played this turn vanished into nothingness. Then, on Kyojo's field emerged the form of a blue crystalline dragon with no real face, but large wings and a long arrow-tipped tail. "I see. You managed to get the upper hand on me; but even so, you'll not win!"
"You don't know me as well as you think you do if that's your view," Kyojo responded. "If there's one thing to be known about duellists like me, it's that we don't stop fighting until the bitter end. I'll always pull through!"
"Then pull through this," Alessandro challenged. "Due to the effect of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal, I Special Summon Dark Horus Dragon from my Cemetery (ATK: 3000, LV: 8)!" In a flash of black flames, a black metal bird-like dragon with red eyes, large talons and a long lizard tail under a feathered tail. "Battle!"
With a loud screech, the dragon formed a stream of black flames and shot it at the blue crystal dragon, which fired back a blizzard-like shot of power. When the two strikes met in mid-air, it created an explosion whose shockwave struck and shattered both dragons. "Direct attack! Darkness Metal Flare!" Then, before Kyojo could move, the remaining dragon formed a plasma-like orb in its mouth and shot it into Kyojo's D-Wheel, blasting it up into their air and making it land with a thud.
"Kyojo!" both Jack and Judai yelled in concern, seeing their friend tossed like a rag doll. Up ahead of them Alessandro was laughing while he observed the carnage; and as Kyojo straightened out and shot forward, it was clear he and his ride had suffered damage by the constant swaying and the huge crack in his visor.
Kyojo: LP 1200
Alessandro: LP 3000
"Trap Card… Open!" Kyojo gasped out loudly, revealing one of his two cards out of nowhere. "Due to Damage Recharge, I draw 3 cards!" As he grabbed the cards from his Deck, Kyojo barely looked at them before placing them in his hand tray; then, he started gasping for breath and Alessandro spun back around, shooting forward.
"Struggling is futile," Alessandro quibbled. "Fighting against the Infinity is a waste of everyone's time, especially when the real enemy is still a threat to both."
"Who exactly are you?" Judai suddenly questioned, causing Alessandro to glare hostilely. Then, he closed his eyes and spoke back.
"Yliaster is responsible for the awakening of the Signers," he said, seemingly unrelated. "They are also the ones who have devoted themselves to fighting the destruction of the future. Placido, Jose and Lucciano offered me salvation after the destruction of my village at the hands of the Dark Signers, and now I serve them in their quest."
"Destruction of your village?" Jack questioned. "You're from the same village as Bommer was!"
"Exactly."
"Then why are you fighting us?" Judai questioned. "If there truly is a common enemy, then we should be working towards defeating it."
"Because the Signers are blind in their hubris," Alessandro said insultingly. "They refuse to see the truth because they don't care what it is. They are the foot soldiers of the Crimson Dragon, and so they fight anyone who does not conform to them."
"And you're basing this cynical view on what?" Jack asked, his face growing more and more irate.
"On the fact that you even fought against each other out of anger, avarice and jealousy. On the fact that you destroyed Rex Godwin, who was your guide and whose side you were already on. Or perhaps on the fact that the greater threat is one of you!"
"What?" Judai and Kyojo asked in unison, growing incredibly shocked while Jack continued to growl in anger.
"It's true," Alessandro ensured them. "The greatest threat that humanity faces is a Signer, one who will not stop their goal until all humanity dies out."
"I don't know how true this is," Kyojo declared, "but I do know that this duel is still on, so call your next card!"
"My hand is empty and my monsters have all attacked," Alessandro replied. "Thus, I end my turn."
"Then I draw (Kyojo: 5 SPC/Alessandro: 1 SPC)," Kyojo yelled, snapping up yet another card from his Deck. "I activate the Speed Spell – Speed Rebirth! When my SPC is 4 or more, I Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Monster from my Cemetery in Defence Position. Return, Axe Dragonute (DEF: 1200, LV: 4)!" Out from the Cemetery slid the card and Kyojo placed it sideways, bringing back one of the crouching blue dragons form the first turn of the game.
"Next, I Summon Delta Fly (ATK: 1500, LV: 3)!" With this new card down, Kyojo summoned up a gold-plated dragon whose legs extended down from its wings and who had a hook its nose. "Once per turn, Delta Fly can increase the Level of another monster I control by 1, and thus Axe Dragonute gets a higher level (LV: 5)!"
"He's set up the conditions for a Level 8 Synchro Monster already," Judai observed. "We know where this will lead."
"I tune my Level 3 Delta Fly to my now Level 5 Axe Dragonute!" Jumping up into the air, the newer dragon turned into 3 white orbs in triangle formation that then became green rings. The other dragon then jumped up and the rings surrounded it, turning it into 5 orbs and creating a column of light.
"From the blackness of hell, there will now appear a new wicked spirit," Kyojo chanted. "May death claim those who stand against justice! Synchro Summon! Devour, Dark End Dragon (ATK: 2600, LV: 8)!" In a blast of black smoke, a large black dragon with a face on its chest, three-clawed hand and feet, segmented armour and long thin wings appeared, growling darkly at the opposing man and opening its chest mouth slowly.
"Once in one turn, Dark End may lose 500 ATK and DEK (ATK: 2100/DEF: 1600) to send an opponent's monster to the Cemetery! Dark Fog!" With a roar, the mouth on the dragon's chest shot a blast of black fog straight at the black metal wyvern, dissolving it instantly before the mouth closed. "Direct attack! Dark Evaporation!" In a split second the moth of the dragon shot a blast of black energy at Alessandro's D-Wheel, causing the man to cringe while he swayed from side to side.
"Next, I activate the effect of my Speed World 2," Kyojo declared. "I remove 4 Speed Counters (Kyojo: 1 SPC/Alessandro: 1 SPC), and I inflict to you 800 Damage for each Speed Spell in my hand. Due to Speed Spell – The end of Storm, you take 800 point of damage!" From the console of his D-Wheel Alessandro received a very big shock, and this simply made him look angrier as all but the last of his Life Points fell away.
Kyojo: LP 1200
Kyojo: LP 100
"I set one card and end my turn," Kyojo informed, placing the last card in his hand other than his Speed Spell onto the tray.
"Draw (Kyojo: 2 SPC/Alessandro: 2 SPC)," Alessandro yelled, snapping up his hand and spinning it around. "I activate Speed Spell – Drift Draw! Since I have 2 SPC, I send one monster from my Deck to the Cemetery – in this case, Dark Horus Dragon – and I draw one card!"
After a mere split second the card he had named slid from his Deck and he grabbed it, spinning it around and inserting it into the Cemetery. Immediately after that the Deck was automatically shuffled and he reached for yet another card, grabbing it and snapping it off the Deck.
"I really must thank you, Kyojo," Alessandro said snidely to his opponent, again spinning around to confront him. "Thanks to you, I've set up the Summoning Conditions for your demise. Since I control no monsters, and have 5 DARK Monsters in my Cemetery…"
"Impossible…" Kyojo then said under his breath, knowing what was about to transpire.
"Yes… I Special Summon the Dark Creator (DEF: 3000, LV: 8)!" In a blast of energy black fog shot up from Alessandro's D-Wheel, solidifying into an enormous figure in a crouching position. The summoned creature had a segmented body with a small head, an arc over shoulder pads with folded wings attached, and it held a black orb between its hands.
"Once in one turn," Alessandro then declared, a card sliding from his Cemetery, "The Dark Creator allows me to exclude a DARK Monster from my Cemetery, and Special Summon a different DARK Monster in its place. By excluding Knight of the End, I resurrect Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon once again (ATK: 2800, LV: 1)!"
After he spoke, the first monster he mentioned slid from his Cemetery and he held it up, causing the card to dissolve instantly. When the second slid out, the orb between the hands of the creature released into the air and shifted into the form of the segmented metallic dragon.
"Next, I again Special Summon Dark Horus Dragon from my Cemetery (ATK: 3000, LV: 8)!" In a quickly flash, the black bird-dragon also returned to the field and spread its wings, creating a look of nervousness for Kyojo that was shared by his friends.
"This is bad for us," Judai growled. "If Kyojo should lose here, one of our best fighters will be down and we won't be able to fight with everything we have."
"Welcome to the end of the duel, Ryukishi Kyojo, as well as your reign! Dark Horus Dragon, attack Dark End Dragon!" In a loud screech-like roar, the massive monster shot a blast of black flames into the body of the smaller dragon before Kyojo; then, the flames engulfed him and made him scream out, eventually making him slam his face into the console.
"You can't lose here Kyojo!" Jack shouted up to his partner. "Everything you've fought before you've pulled through! Show him!" As this was said, Kyojo looked at the situation from his vantage point and gained a serious look, turning to face everything.
"I…" Kyojo gasped, propping himself up and reaching for a card on his tray, as though preparing to activate it. "Trap… Card… Open!" As the card appeared, Alessandro gasped and he added, "Afterglow of a Miracle! I Special Summon the monster destroyed by battle! Return, Dark End (ATK: 2600, LV: 8)!" In an instant the monster returned to the field in a flash of light, growling again and leaving Kyojo one last set card with which to fight.
"Then allow me to destroy your beast again!" Alessandro yelled. "Darkness Metal Flare!" After the command his remaining dragon opened its jaws and began to form a second metallic pulse, making it larger than the last and shooting it at Kyojo. Finally, he motioned to his set card and tapped its button, making it appear.
"Trap Card Open! Dragon's Mail! When a Dragon-Type Synchro Monster is attacked, it isn't destroyed by that attack!" Growling in defiance, the dragon took the blast of its foe straight on and was dealt no damage; seconds later, however, Kyojo was shocked by energy and he screamed out again, this time reaching for his Deck.
Kyojo: LP 100
Alessandro: LP 100
"Next, I draw… one card for each Attack Position Monster the opponent controls!" In a flash he grabbed the two cards he needed and threw them into his hand; and Alessandro again spun around, his creatures turning and Kyojo's settling.
"I must praise you for your ability to hold on," he said back over his shoulder, almost mocking Kyojo. "You're a bulldog; you bite down, hold on and never let go. Sadly, your time has come. If you insist on defending the forces that lead this world to ruin, euthanasia is your only future."
"Some very choice words," Kyojo criticized, reaching for his Deck one last time. "Now it's my turn to monologue… and let come what may…"
"This is the very last round of the game," Judai realized. "Neither one of them can survive a single hit, so the first battle damage will win."
"Come on Kyojo," Jack said softly. "You can pull through this!"
"Draw (Kyojo: 3 SPC/Alessandro: 3 SPC)!" Kyojo screamed out, ripping the card from his Deck and revealing it instantly to everyone. "I play the Tuner Monster, Magna Drago (ATK: 1400, LV: 2)!" With the card down, his small red dragon with triangular head and three-clawed limbs appeared, hissing wildly at Alessandro.
"A Level 2 Tuner Monster!" Judai realized ecstatically as Kyojo silently set two cards. "He's won this game!" At this point he and Jack both smiled confidently and Alessandro donned a stunned look, realizing what would happen next.
"I Tune my Level 2 Magna Drago to my Level 8 Dark End Dragon!" Roaring loudly, his small red dragon changed into 2 white orbs as his other dragon shot into the air, stopping high above them. A second later, the white orbs caught up and drew green rings around the larger monster, turning it into 8 white orbs and then a column of light.
"The ruler of hellfire will now behold upon the earth," Kyojo chanted, "to extinguish the darkness and light the pyres of dogma! Synchro Summon! Incinerate, Trident Dragion (ATK: 3000, LV: 10)!" Out of the light exploded the ball of fire that released his giant red and beige serpent dragon, its three heads letting out demonic growls and the two card appearing before him. "I destroy my two set cards!"
Reaching down, the dragon bit into the two set cards and shattered them, causing its heads to all growl loudly. "Now I activate the Speed Spell – Speed Energy; since I have 3 SPC, Trident Dragion receives 600 extra ATK (ATK: 3600)!" In a single motion a blue aura consumed the red dragon for all of a second, increasing its power and making it roar at Alessandro angrily.
"This… No, this can't…"
"The time has come to put this little duel to bed! Trident Dragion, attack Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon! Lucifer's Firestorm!" Before there was any time to react, Kyojo's dragon opened its jaws and released three streams of fire at once, one from each other; and these rained down upon Alessandro's three monster, exploding them and second him flying off his D-Wheel 100 feet forward.
Kyojo: LP 100
Alessandro: LP 0
Breaking their D-Wheels suddenly, all three men jumped off and ran towards the fallen duellist, watching in horror as he pushed himself to a shaky stance. "Congratulations… you can defeat me in a duel… Ryukishi Kyojo… but I'm afraid your efforts are wasted…"
"Who is this other enemy you spoke of?" Jack demanded, pointing at the man while the dragon in the background faded away. "You said one of the Signers was the true threat. Tell me! Which one of us is it?"
"The true enemy of both Infinity and you… the only enemy strong enough to rip Duel Spirits from their masters and brainwash him… the only one who threatens all of time… the one who seeks the destruction of humanity… that is the Signer of Destruction!"
"Stop playing mind games with us!" Judai snapped, jumping forward and grabbing Alessandro by the collar. "If you know which of the Five Signers this person is, and you really wish to stop them, tell us!" When Alessandro simply laughed at his words, however, Judai grew more tense and yelled, "Answer me!"
"You don't get it do you…?" he taunted. "You're so busy looking for stripes that you're missing the zebra… Or do you not know that he's one of you…?"
"Who?" Kyojo yelled. "Just out with it, who are you after?" Once this had finished, Judai threw Alessandro onto his knees and the man looked back up. Then, he simply said,
"Paradox…" The reaction of total stunned silence quickly consumed the whole group, all of them taking a step back and realizing the weight of what was said. Then, in a fit of laughter, Alessandro was consumed by a field of light and he disappeared; after that, the sound of engines in the background sounded, and everybody turned.
"What… is this…?" Judai suddenly asked, only for his question to be answered seconds later. The three men were then surrounded in a swarm of Riding Roids identically to the one named Ghost, which Yusei had fought weeks before. Every one of them had their Duel Trays activated, and so the group pulled out their Decks and prepared themselves for a fight like none prior.
In Placido's office, where his unconscious body lay, the sound of the indistinct voices again sounded and red circuit lines were strewn along the walls, giving the room a very different look. Placido's body remained inert through the whole process; until that it, an explosion occurred at the door and threw his limp form against the wall, his desk pinning him there.
The voices then stopped and the lines vanished, and a second later a human form stepped into view. This person was clad in black armour with gold trim over his lower arms, legs and shoulders, with a cloak attached in addition to a purple trench coat. However, the telltale feature was the mask of Endymion his face, under his black bangs, which was now changed in size to fit the smaller human figure.
Stepping forward into the room, the figure raised his hand as he stepped closer to Placido, reaching for the eye patch. When it was within reach, however Placido's eye snapped open and a red aura formed around the figure, throwing him against the opposite wall and pinning him there. A second later the desk exploded and Placido stepped out from behind it, a dark sneer on his face.
"I was wondering when you would grace me with your presence, Lord Kenshi," he then addressed of Taiyou just before the red aura consumed his form. In no time at all his metal eye piece was changed to a white one with a red ribbed structure; and his black hair dissolved away, giving way to grey hair spiked up in sections. His new hair had a claw-like section of left bangs, no right bangs, and a slash-like section of scalp with a green gem on it.
"What the hell is this?" Taiyou asked suddenly, his eye pieces glowing yellow before the red aura faded and he dropped down. "What good does changing your form do you?"
"This is what I truly look like," Placido answered. "The façade I had maintained even to Jose and Lucciano is no longer necessary; and now, allow me to how you more than you ever thought possible…"
Card of the Week – Kyojo
Dark End Dragon
Type:
Level:
Family(s):
Effect: When a player normal Summons a "Core" Monster, after that summon resolves they may destroy that monster. Once per turn, activate my skipping your Battle Phase. Send 1 card from your opponent's Deck to the Cemetery for each "Wisel", "Skiel" or "?" monster you control. If a "Wisel", "Skiel" or "?" Monster(s) would be destroyed, activate by paying 500 Life Points. That monster is not destroyed.
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