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 31 – The Circles of Hell, Taiyou vs. Alessandro
Inside the Infinity throne room at the Public Security Building, Jose and Placido had been sitting and watching the whole duel unfold; from Paradox's entry into the room to the point where Yusuriha had been struck. And by now, Placido's anger was simmering with the glare on his face.
"This is proof of human arrogance," Placido commented to Jose. "We gave him a simple instruction that he had to go and defy in the name of a simple-minded grudge."
"Do not give up on Alessandro yet," Jose responded calmly. "If he can bring us back Lucciano in a state where she can be salvaged, then it will not have been a total loss." Suddenly, a beeping noise sounded in the back ground and a new screen came up, giving the two an interesting view.
Riding among the Riding Roids, accelerating through them without so much as a challenge, Dark Glass' image and D-Wheel could be seen, shooting straight towards the Hospital area. Looking completely stunned, they realized that a basic oversight may have caused this to happen.
"Placido," Jose suddenly questioned, his voice sounding unusually confused, "how did you set up the detection system on your Riding Roids?"
"They're designed to target humans," Placido answered, "so that they don't accidentally challenge each other, or our own kind. Which would mean that that guy is…"
"Not necessarily," Jose countered. "Is it possible that he's using a cloaking device to evade your scanners?"
"Theoretically, yes; but if I'm right, that's not it at all…" With that the screen closed as Jose and Placido turned their attention back to the duel, and Placido thought to himself, "I knew I recognized you from somewhere... Who exactly are you, Dark Glass...?"
"Yusuriha!" Taiyou and Judai yelled, the latter of them running across the room towards the fallen girl. When he did this, however, a blue flash of light occurred that shocked everyone to behold; then Judai fell face-down, his back smouldering.
Growing angry, Taiyou teleported around in front of Judai so that he could face Alessandro, getting there in the blink of an eye. When this happened, he saw another blue flash and held up his Duel Disc to block the blast; and when it was done, he saw the true cause of it. Looking at Alessandro's face, the area under his left eye was smoking; and as his bangs shifted, it was seen that his left eye was a glowing ball of plasma.
"You bastard," Taiyou hissed, his eyes growing thin and his mouth twisting into a raging pose. "Using your weapons on an unarmed man, using strong-arm tactics to claim victory… You're no duellist at all!"
"That tells me what a narrow-minded definition of duellist you have," Alessandro harshly replied, "considering you dare to step in and interrupt a duel in progress."
"Battle Royal Mode is still in place, is it not?" Taiyou questioned. "You never deactivated it, as I recall. Since she cannot continue that duel, it is my right to continue it from this point."
"Why would I agree to something like that?" Alessandro replied, bemused. "I've got that betraying bitch exactly where I want her; at my feet. There's no reason for me to accept a challenge from somebody who couldn't beat my associate, Placido."
"Associate?" Taiyou chuckled at the thought, keeping his stern face but also looking back with a level of amusement. "Your coming here as his errant boy to retrieve Lucciano, this Battle Royal Mode; it looks to me like you're nothing but Placido's bitch."
"How dare you!" Alessandro snapped, shooting another beam of energy from his eye straight at the slumped-over Yusuriha. In response, Taiyou held up his hand and stopped the energy beam cold, reflecting back the shockwave and cracking the plating on his shoulders and legs.
"This is not the behaviour of a Duellist at all!" Taiyou yelled angrily. "If you truly have any sense of honour, you'll let me continue this little grudge match you have going!" Looking back angrily, blood coursed from under his metal eye and over his mouth, Alessandro growled for a second; but then, he sneered and straightened up.
"You'd better finish this match," he commanded. "I won't win by default; that would prove that miserable humans like you used to be are far too weak to be concerned with. If it weren't for people like you, Placido and Jose would never have been sent here; but at the same time, you're quite useful for our cause."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Taiyou asked, not getting a response before the Infinity symbol flared again and surrounded the two men. After that, Taiyou activated his Duel Disc and drew 5 cards, putting them into his tray as 3 cards suddenly generated into his Duel Disc.
"Because Taiyou is taking Yusuriha's place," Yusei realized," he gets all the cards she had in play; but Alessandro still has Skiel (ATK: 5300, LV: 1) in play, in addition to his 5-card hand."
Taiyou: LP 4000
Alessandro: LP 4000
"To conclude my turn," Alessandro jumped in, looking back at his cards, "I set 2 cards to end my turn." Once the two cards had joined his tray, Taiyou looked down at his own hand with a look of confidence; then, he gripped onto his Duel Disc and snapped up a card.
"It's my turn," he started, pointing at the now-glowing card on his field from Yusuriha's duel. "And in my Standby Phase, I activate Declaration of Bushido's effect. After XX-Sabre Hyunley battled, this card gained a Counter; by sending this card to the Cemetery while no monsters exist on my field, I draw one card!"
"Go ahead and draw," Alessandro stated cockily as Taiyou snatched up a seventh card, the former crossing his arms as he did so. "With Skiel on my field, you've got no chance of victory."
"We'll see," Taiyou stated. "I call forth my Summon Priest (DEF: 1600, LV: 4)!" With the card down onto his middle tray, Taiyou's creature appeared as a purple-robed monk with a long white beard and glowing red eyes, who crossed its arms as it appeared. "Next, I activate my Field Magic: Village of the Magic Tribe!"
With the fulcrum of the three blades releasing its Field Zone, Taiyou put down the card that called up the serene, forested area filled with small houses that gave it a look of complete tranquility. "Now, since a Magic User exists only on my field, you cannot activate any Magic Cards.
"Next, I activate Summon Priest's effect. By discarding Magical Blast from my hand, I Special Summon Crusader of Endymion from my Deck (ATK: 1900, LV: 4)!" In an instant Taiyou's monster was joined by the beige-clad, blue-armoured warrior in a flash of energy; and then, Taiyou held up another card.
"I equip Superbis to my Crusader of Endymion!" with this card in play, Taiyou called up a red aura that covered his monster; then, another card appeared from his hand and he yelled, "Next, I Summon Disenchanter of Endymion!"
"You've already Normal Summoned this turn," Alessandro criticized. "Which means you're either a complete moron, or you're trying to cheat me; either way, nice try but won't happen."
"Ah, there is none so blind as they who will not see," Taiyou scorned. "This isn't a Normal Summon at all." With a look of confusion on Alessandro's face, he watched in surprise as the Infinity Symbol on his monster opened up and the form of the magician Tuner shot out from it to Taiyou's field.
"What… how did you…?"
"Disenchanter of Endymion can only Special Summoned from the hand by sending 1 face-up Magic Card from the field to the Cemetery," Taiyou explained. "Since Gatmuz was equipped to Skiel, it was treated as a Magic Card. Now that said card is gone, Skiel loses the power it gained (ATK: 2200)."
With Alessandro fuming in rage, Taiyou pointed up and yelled, "I tune my Level 4 Disenchanter to my Level 4 Crusader!" Jumping into the air, his smaller magician changed into 4 green rings that his other monster jumped into, changing it into 4 white orbs and creating a column of light.
"The soul of the Great Sorcerer shall now cross over," Taiyou chanted, "to cast off the mortal coil and gain the enchanted wings of a might dragon! Come to my aid! Synchro Summon! Soar onwards, Stardust Dragon (ATK: 2500, LV: 8)!" In a quick blast of light, a version of Yusei's white dragon appeared; one with a crimson glow over the lines of its body.
"Since the monster equipped with Superbis was sent to the Cemetery," Taiyou explained further, "I can call a Magician back up! Come on: Crusader (ATK: 1900, LV: 4)!" In a burst of orange energy, the magician warrior from a second earlier burst back up, joining the sacred dragon beside Taiyou.
"Battle! I attack Wisel Top (ATK: 600, LV: 1) with Crusader of Endymion!" Jumping forwards and up, the warrior thrust its fist forward for a strike; but (predictably), the tail of the winged machine jumped into the way of the strike, causing no damage to be dealt.
"Did you forget that Skiel Guard can negate a single attack each and every turn?" Alessandro chastised, sneering. "You may not be alive anymore, but you still haven't transcended humanity's hubris and ignorance."
"You should stop speaking ill if humans, Alessandro," Taiyou criticized, "considering that one just played you for a fool." Looking at Taiyou with a completely stunned look, Alessandro looked down at his Duel Disc as Taiyou added, "I still have Stardust to attack with, after all."
"Alright," Judai said under his breath, hoisting Yusuriha onto his shoulders and standing up to run back into line. "He's used the effect of Skiel Guard to block that weaker attack; meanwhile, Taiyou's Stardust can still swing."
"I activate a Trap Card," Taiyou shot out, flipping over one of Yusuriha's two original set cards and putting Alessandro into shock. "Go, Strike Slash! Sine Stardust is attacking, it gains 700 ATK for Damage Calculation (ATK: 3200); then, it inflicts Piercing Damage! Go, attack Skiel Guard (DEF: 300, LV: 1)! Shooting Sonic!"
Rising into the air, the dragon beat its wings before shooting a blast of crimson air at a speed faster than sound. When the tail of the machine coiled around again, the blast cut straight through it and caused it to explode, the blast continuing on and blasting through the metal plate on Alessandro's left thigh.
Taiyou: LP 4000
Alessandro: LP 1100
"Oh my God," Judai said aloud, his shock mirrored on Taiyou's face at the sight revealed. The bottom half of Alessandro's thigh was a section of plated, bolted dark-grey metal, fashioned into shape; above that, the bloody, jagged-edged stump of a flesh thigh was attached to it by wires and bolts, creating a painful-looking join.
"Such wounds," Alessandro passively said under his breath, reaching for his chest and shoulder plates and grabbing them. Pulling them off as a single unit, they and the trench coat-like cloak were put aside to reveal a similar configuration with the left side of his chest and neck; his left shoulder was attached to this, while his right shoulder was still flesh until about two inches into his arm.
"What… happened to you?" was the question that escaped Yusei's lips in a low, stunned voice, prompting Alessandro to turn around and reveal to Taiyou a metal spine fused to the skin. "So many injuries like this… are they the reason you hate humans? Are they why you sided with Placido and his minions?"
"These injuries are the proof of human cruelty and ignorance," Alessandro replied, his plasma eye shimmering in synch with his face twitching. "Jack, Kyojo; you two remember me saying I was from Bommer's village, don't you?" When the two of them nodded, he looked down in a solemn look and continued, sounding sombre.
"When Godwin attempted to Summon the Crimson Dragon, and the Dark Signers sacrificed the town to summon the Earthbound Gods; both times, many people from there were killed. I was one of the few who survived; though I wish I had not."
"You lost your body in the attack?" Yusei questioned, getting only a solemn head-shake in reply.
"No; when I heard that Bommer had survived, I tried to follow him to find out what was next for us. It was there that I discovered the Yusei Project and Momentum… and the power to become an Immortal Dark Signer."
"You tried to become one forcefully?" Crow questioned. "Godwin tried that, didn't he? But he was successful."
"That was because of Godwin's drive, and the darkness it created," Alessandro informed. "I learned all-too-late that my desires didn't constitute a Darkness of Heart; my soul was pure. In an act of anger, my body was ravaged by the evil of the King of the Underworld, reducing me to a dying sac of flesh."
"Is that when Placido and Jose found you?" Taiyou questioned, making Alessandro turn back around to him and put back on his cloak and metal plates. "Placido saved your life that day; it was only honourable to join him."
"I would do anything to repay that debt," Alessandro stated in agreement. "And when Placido told me that we had received a mission from God, that it was our goal to remove the wicked ones from this world; I knew then, that we were doing a service and making the tragedies of mankind not in vain!"
"The evil ones?" Crow blurted out, looking at him strangely. "What the fuck are you talking about? We're not evil!"
"No; but you insist on getting in the way of our mission!" Alessandro snapped, growing intense again. "Back to the duel. Since Skiel Guard is destroyed, Skiel Infinity loses some power (ATK: 2000)."
"In my Main Phase 2," Taiyou stated, looking at his hand for a second, "I set one card. In the End Phase, Stardust loses its extra ATK (ATK: 2500); and with that, I end my turn."
"Let's go!" Alessandro stated strongly, snapping up a card from his Deck with lightning speed and slamming it onto the tray. "I Summon Skiel Guard 3 (DEF: 900, LV: 3)!" In a flash, a long centipede-like creature with four extremely lone feather-like legs appeared, its face folding together and joining to the monster to create a new tail.
"With is new part in play (ATK: 2400), I activate Skiel Infinity's effect! Once per turn, I absorb my opponent's Synchro Monster! Come to my, Stardust!" As with before, blue tentacles of energy shot from the Infinity symbol of the machine; but before they reached it, the dragon vanished into thin air. "What? What is this?"
"I activated my Permanent Trap," Taiyou declared, showing Alessandro his own card. "By excluding a Synchro Monster I control when it is targeted, Dimensional Slip allows me to draw 2 cards." As he snatched up the cards into his hand, he watched Alessandro sneer as the man held up yet another card.
"I activate my Trap Card: Sky A3! I send Skiel Attack to the Cemetery, and I summon Skiel Attack 3 from my hand (ATK: 1200, LV: 3)!" Disappearing into a flash of blue, the machine gun was replaced by a dragonfly-like object that folded in half, its body becoming a laser cannon that attached to the monster already in play.
"Next, I send Skiel Attack 3 to the Cemetery and Special Summon Skiel Attack 5 (ATK: 1400, LV: 5)!" Just then the brand new cannon disappeared as well, being replaced by a large beetle which folded into a more massive cannon and fixed in place (ATK: 2800). "And thanks to Skiel Attack 3's effect, I can attack your Life Points directly."
With Taiyou looking back at Alessandro with a dark glare, the man simply sneered as a blue burst of energy shot straight from the cannon through Taiyou's body, exploding it into ectoplasm which healed itself before Taiyou fell on his knees.
Taiyou: LP 1200
Alessandro: LP 1100
"How's that?" Alessandro asked his opponent mockingly. "Do you now understand the power of the Machine Emperor? You will never be able to surpass it!"
"Oh really?" Taiyou questioned, getting back onto his feet and staring back angrily. "Then I guess I'll have to defeat you out from under it! Finish your turn!"
"Very well. I place two cards face-down and end my turn." With his hand empty, Alessandro stared back at Taiyou while the opponent held his hand to the Cemetery; then, a card slid out, making Alessandro completely stunned.
"I activate the effect Magical Blast from my Cemetery," Taiyou explained, holding it up. "I skip my Draw Phase to add this card to my hand. Then, in my Standby Phase, I Special Summon Stardust Dragon which was previously removed from play (ATK: 2500, LV: 8)!"
As Taiyou said this, a blue vortex appeared and the dragon flew through, flapping its wings and taking up place as he threw out a card. "Next, I discard Magical Blast for the effect of Summon Priest; and through that effect, I Special Summon Tuned Magician (ATK: 1800, LV: 4)!"
Out from the Deck, Taiyou's green flower-like Magician appeared, holding up its wand and gaining a green glow instantly as Taiyou said, "I also activate my monster's effect; my Second Summoning it, it becomes a Tuner. Therefore, I tune my Level 4 Magician to my Level 4 Crusader!"
Firing a blast from its wand, the green magician disappeared while the energy formed 4 green rings; the other magician then dove up into them, becoming 4 white orbs and then a pillar of light. "The darkness of the Sorcerer's might shall now take form, and envelop the enemy in true hell! Become the power of Death! Synchro Summon! Soul of Black Magic, Magician's Deathscythe (ATK: 2800, LV: 8)!"
As with before, Taiyou's black-cloaked magician look up form beside his larger dragon, the two orbs on its chest coming into glow (ATK: 3200) as its body took up a stance of battle. "Battle! Stardust Dragon, attack his Skiel Guard 3!" As expected, Taiyou's dragon fired its white beam of energy, only for the tail to swing around and intercept it instantly.
"Now that he's out of the way, I attack Skiel Guard 3 with Magician's Deathscythe! Genocide Burst!" Its scythe glowing black and red, the monster jumped up into the air and came crashing down upon the tail of the beast; however, this action simply resulted in the monster bouncing off, much to Taiyou's dismay. "What the hell is…?"
"Skiel Guard 3 has more going for it than a simple power bonus," Alessandro informed, sneering. "It can negate two attacks per turn, not just one." Watching Taiyou growl in frustration he added, "I know all about your monster and its effect to destroy monsters of less DEF than those it destroys; but Skiel will not fall to the likes of you."
"I set one card face-down," Taiyou stated simply, "and I end my turn."
"The let's bring the fun back then," Alessandro suggested slyly, drawing his card and looking at it only for a second before looking back to Taiyou's field. "If I try to equip his Stardust to my Machine Emperor, he'll simply dodge the assault; so I'll force his hand."
"Trap Card Open!" Taiyou yelled, showing off the card he had just set. "Buster Mode! With this card, I send Stardust to the Cemetery to invoke Stardust Dragon/Buster (ATK: 3000, LV: 10)!" In a flash of red light, panels of blue metal with glowing red orbs appeared around the chest, forearms, shins and wings of the dragon before Taiyou, creating a more powerful monster that roared strongly.
"By releasing this monster," Taiyou explained, "I negate a card effect's activation and destroy it. That means, if you try and attack directly with Skiel Attack 5's effect, I'll simply stop it cold."
"In that case," Alessandro sneered, "why don't I give you a chance to test it? I activate my Trap Card, Bomb Blast! By destroying up to 3 copies of a single Machine-Type Monster that did not battle this turn, I have you take damage equal to their level times 400. I choose to destroy Skiel Carrier!"
"What?" Taiyou asked just as the wings jettisoned themselves from the body of the gigantic machine, falling right in front of him before exploding into a blast that almost threw his back. "I'll take that damage; I won't be made a fool of and lost Stardust that easily."
Taiyou: LP 800
Alessandro: LP 1100
"With Skiel Carrier gone, my Skiel loses some attack points (ATK: 2400); however, I am prepared to replace them. I Summon Skiel Carrier 3 (ATK: 600, LV: 3)!" Showing off the new monster, he sneered as a butterfly-like creature with backward-facing bladed wings appeared, splitting in half and fusing its body to its wings. These then attached to the vacant wing ports of the monster, creating longer, stronger-looking wings.
"Due to this new monster," Alessandro explained, "the ATK of Skiel rises again (ATK: 3000). Battle! I attack Stardust Dragon/Buster with Skiel!" As a look of shock consumed Taiyou, the cannon from the giant machine fired and the dragon did the same; but while the cannon hit its target and shattered it, the dragon's burst simply deflected off the wings.
"What the hell was that?" Taiyou asked, watching as his Dragon's form rematerialized as his original dragon (ATK: 2500, LV: 8). "We had the same ATK, so you should have been destroyed as well!"
"Skiel Carrier 3's monster effect negates the first destruction of an Infinity Monster each turn," Alessandro explained, sneering. "Furthermore, I activate this Trap Card: Synchro Interest! Since Skiel destroyed a monster by battle, I draw 2 cards for every Synchro Monster you control, provided I control none of my own."
"Very well," Taiyou insisted, leaving Alessandro to draw 4 cards; but out of nowhere, he saw Taiyou snap up the same number of cards from his Deck and looked back in confusion. "Permanent Trap," Taiyou revealed, showing off Yusuriha's last set card. "Powered Destiny! Both players will now draw from draw card effects."
"That's no concern of mine," Alessandro responded. "This duel is mine. I set 3 cards and end my turn!"
"Then during my Draw Phase," Taiyou stated, "I once again return Magical Blast to my hand; then, I once again sacrifice it, and through Summon Priest I call out Magical Archer (ATK: 1800, LV: 4)!" Out of the light vortex created emerged Taiyous' magician with its glowing boy; then, he placed another card down and stated, "I also summon Apprentice of Endymion (ATK: 400, LV: 2)!"
"He's truly inherited Endymion's will," Judai realized, looking on as the dark-robed version of Taiyou, face hidden in shadows, stood up and pointed its staff to the sky.
"I Tune my Level 2 Apprentice to my Level 4 Archer!" Taiyou's smaller monster then show two bolts of energy and shattered; these bolts changed into green rings that the archer ascended into, swirling and creating a set of 4 white orbs that became a column of light.
"Dark messenger of enchanted gales," Taiyou shouted, holding up his arms as massive winds suddenly kicked up, "become the force of nature and descend upon us with your great rage! Synchro Summon! Disenchant, Magic Tempester (ATK: 2200, LV: 6)!" From the light appeared the form of a black-haired, blue-robed female magician with a long skull-like scythe, at the end of which an orb could be seen glowing.
"When this monster is Synchro Summoned," Taiyou revealed, "It gains one Magic Counter. Once per turn, I can remove all Magic Counters from my field, and inflict 500 damage to my opponent for each counter! I remove all three counters! Storming Burst!" In one shot a tornado formed from the three bolts and shot straight at Alessandro; but then a card appeared and absorbed the shot, causing his Life Points to actually rise.
"I activate Energy, Absorbing Tablet," he explained. "I negate the damage from an opposing card effect, and recover the same amount. Therefore, your little trick with your Magic Counters was fruitless; in fact, it weakened your monster (ATK: 2800) and raised my Life in one shot!"
Taiyou: LP 800
Alessandro: LP 2600
"I'm far from done! Taiyou shouted, holding up a card from his hand. "I activate Magic Seize! I place one Magic Counter on Deathscythe (ATK: 3000), and I add one Magic Seize to my hand!" With that the monster lit up a single orb on its body and another card shot into Taiyou's hand, before the man pointed at the opposing field. "I attack Skiel Guard 3 with Magic Tempester!"
"Your attacks are as frivolous as ever," Alessandro decreed, watching as the tail of his monster again swung around and blocked the attack instantly. "No matter how many Synchro Monsters you attack with, every shot will end in futility; that's just how far below me you are."
"We'll see about that. Stardust Dragon, attack Skiel Guard 3!" Jumping up into the air, Taiyou's Dragon shot its burst of energy again, which met with the same wall effect as the attack before it had. "Now, I attack Skiel Guard 3 with Magician's Deathscythe! With your monster's effect used up, this attack will get through!"
"Is that what you think?" Alessandro asked sneakily, watching as Taiyou's monster jumped to the air and came down upon the wings of his monster, which simply absorbed the impact and deflected the monster. "Sorry, but Skiel Carrier 3 can negate more than destruction; it can negate one opposing attack per turn."
"Whereas Wisel was completely offensively oriented," Yusei narrated to the group, recalling his duel with Ghost, "Skiel seems more defensive, using negation to protect it while it deals damage more slowly."
"I set 3 cards and end my turn," Taiyou said angrily, using up the last of his Magic and Trap Zones as Alessandro gripped the top of his Deck, snapping up a card instantly.
"I draw for my turn," Alessandro stated, a large energy blade forming overtop of him as he did, "but since it's been 5 Standby Phases since Life-Shaving Card Treasure was used, my hand is sent to the Cemetery." Holding up both the cards in his hand, he watched as the blade fell through them and cleaved them in half, causing them all to shatter into energy.
"He has no new options for this turn," Jack realized. "It seems Battle Royal Mode has finally paid out a dividend for starting against a full field. The effect from the duel with Yusuriha has cost him his whole hand."
"Trap Card Open: Fallen Angel's Gift!" Alessandro suddenly declared, snapping Jack back into a tense mood as the cards he had lost shot from his Cemetery. "During this turn, all cards discarded by an effect are returned to the owners' hands."
"What is this?" Taiyou suddenly questioned, looking at how completely strange this situation had become. "How can I defeat a constantly evolving strategy with the same Synchro Monsters I keep using?"
"That's the point I made earlier," Alessandro responded, sneering. "Synchro Monsters may have been new in your day, but by now they've become nothing but a crutch for humanity's weakest members. Those like Judai over there, who still do not use them, are shunned; in fact, they've made the wise choice."
"What is that garbage supposed to mean?" Kyojo questioned, getting the cold glare of Alessandro's plasma eye.
"Synchro Monsters are a power the world was not supposed to know; a Pandora's Box, if you will. It is Synchro Monsters that made duellists dependent on power; and it is that lust for more, that avarice, that shall bring about the end of this world at the hands of the wicked ones."
Turning back to Taiyou, Alessandro took one of his two cards and held it up. "By releasing Skiel Guard 3, I Special Summon Skiel Guard 5 from my hand in Defence Position (DEF: 1500, LV: 5)!" The tail currently on the monster then dissolved as a large dragonfly-like machine appeared, its wings folding around its lead to form feathers as its abdomen's tip mounted on the machine.
"Not only des this monster give Skiel more power (ATK: 3200), it can negate 3 opposing attacks per turn; so in other words, you'll never have the ability to pass my defences."
"That's insanity!" Judai hissed under his breath. "Two monsters can negate 4 attacks; at this rate, Taiyou's monsters will be completely sealed."
"Next, I send my Skiel Carrier 3 to the Cemetery, and I Special Summon Skiel Carrier 5 (ATK: 800, LV: 5)!" The wings on the monster then disappeared as a large squid-like machine appeared, splitting in half and attaching to either side of the machine as a pair of large paddle-like wings. "Now do you understand? The ability of Machine Emperors to grow stronger is infinite (ATK: 3400)!"
"All this extra power," Judai realized. "Taiyou cannot survive an attack from this thing!"
"Battle! I attack Magic Tempester with Machine Emperor Skiel!" Pointing its cannon straight at the female magician, a burst of blue energy then shot straight at the monster and through it; but when the blast reached Taiyou, he simply pulled one card from his Deck and shifted to dodge the blast.
When the energy had gone, Taiyou showed that a card was now face-up on his field; in this case, the card was Guard Block. "I've managed to avoid Battle Damage, so this duel is still in motion."
"Perhaps; but now I draw one card due to your Powered Destiny," Alessandro said sternly, snapping up one card from his Deck. "And next, Skiel Carrier 5 deals 300 points of damage when a monster is destroyed by battle and sent to the Cemetery by an Infinity monster!"
"What?" Taiyou barely had time to ask before blue electricity jumped off the wings of the monster, striking him and causing his form to go static for a few seconds while his Life Points fell further.
Taiyou: LP 500
Alessandro: LP 2600
"Trap Card Open: Afterglow of a Miracle!" Taiyou yelled, the card that had just gone to the Cemetery returning to his hand. "I Special Summon Magic Tempester from the Cemetery (ATK: 2200, LV: 6)!" In a flash the blue-robed monster returned to the field, holding her scythe at Alessandro as the man simply sneered.
"Do you think I fear such a move?" Alessandro asked, pointing his hand at yet another card on his field. "I activate Trap of Darkness! By paying 1000 Life Points, I exclude Bomb Blast from my Cemetery, and I use its effect to destroy Skiel Attack 5!"
"No!" Kiryu yelled. "If he destroys the wings, Taiyou will take 2000 damage! He cannot afford that now!"
"I activate my last Trap Card!" Taiyou yelled, snapping his fingers as the last card on his field showed itself. "I activate Strategy Control! When my opponent activates a card or effect that targets a Monster they control, I decide the target of that card. I choose for Bomb Blast to destroy Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity!"
"Alright!" Yusei said enthusiastically, raising his fist in cheer. "If Skiel Infinity is destroyed, the others pieces will follow suit; and he'll have a clean shot."
"I'd never let that happen," Alessandro countered, flipping over a card of his own. "Permanent Trap: Fork – Divergence! I change the target of a Machine-Type targeting attack or effect to another Machine-Type Monster whose Level is within the Level of the original target. Therefore, Bomb Blast will destroy Skiel Top!"
Shooting off the stock of the neck, the head-like structure of the robot shot at Taiyou and exploded in front of him, the shockwave slicing his form into fog as his Life Points fell. When it had finished, he pulled himself together, a look of total anger on his face.
Taiyou: LP 100
Alessandro: LP 1600
"You're down to the last wire," Alessandro observed, taking a card from his hand and smacking it down onto the tray. "I Summon Skiel Attack 3 (ATK: 800, LV: 3)!" Above the monster then appeared the form of a hummingbird-like object, whose wings and tail folded into a trio of frills on the back of the head while the torso became a neck and fused into the base of the large blue machine.
"Skiel's power will never stop increasing (ATK: 3600), not as long as Synchro Monsters exist in this world. And there's more; due to Skiel Top 3's effect, I receive no card effect damage, so anything you try to deal me will fall short of the goal. I end my turn."
"This... this is hopeless..." Taiyou thought to himself, falling on his knees and hands with tears in his eyes shut completely. "I had one mission; to protect the people in my life. And I've failed miserably; Endymion and thousands of other Magicians died, Yusuriha and Kanako are harmed, and I'm powerless to help the others..."
"That's it," Alessandro taunted of the kneeling magician. "Kneel, grovel before the true power of this world, the new world order. There's no longer room for the likes of you in this world. You had your chance to make things right, and you let the chaos spread. When we've finished cleaning up your mess, your friends are next."
"Why did this happen to me?" Taiyou wondered, pounding the ground within his vision as one of the tears on his face fell, dripping and rippling onto said ground. A second later, however, Taiyou heard the sound of footsteps behind him; and standing up, he turned to see the form of Endymion, his Duel Disc on.
"You have despaired too soon my friend," Endymion stated. "Because you fight the fool's way; you fight alone." Taiyou's stare melting into a gasp, Endymion stated, "I fought alone my entire existence, and in the end it cost me everything. Don't dare make the same mistake."
"But… how do I…?"
"Your friends have never left your side, not for a second. Believe in their power and your own, and together these two strengths will bring victory into your hands. Believe…!"
Snapping open his eyes in the real world, Taiyou forced himself to his feet, the tears on his face turning to steam and evaporating. Looking down at his Deck, he placed his two fingers down upon it and thought to himself, "This is it my Deck, the power of my bonds and friendships! Lend me your power!" "Draw!"
"What?" Alessandro asked. "You've not given up?"
"Far from it," Taiyou said, holding up a card from his hand. "I activate Magic Seize again, and I add another Counter to Deathscythe (ATK: 3200)!" When the new card was in his hand, Taiyou simply threw it into the Cemetery, his Deck glowing.
"Due to the effect of Summon Priest, I call out Frembell Magical (ATK: 1400, LV: 4)!" Once the card was onto the tray, a drab-coloured magician with a bald head and sharp red beard appeared, jumping into the air with his purple-robed monk instantly. "I Tune my Magical to my Summon Priest!"
When the monsters were up into the air, the newer one simply burst into a fireball and changed into 4 green rings as the other monster dove up into them, becoming a column of light. "Born from the soul of black magic, a dragon of great rage will descend and guide justice to the battle! Synchro Summon!"
Snapping his right hand out to the side, a card integrated into his hand in a quick flash of fire, and in an arc he smacked it into the tray to create a raging ball of fire. "The Great Demon Dragon, Red Daemon's Dragon (ATK: 3000, LV: 8)!" Everyone then watched in amazement as Kyojo's version of the red and grey dragon arose from the fire, growling in rage as Alessandro took a step back.
"My Dragon…" Kyojo realized, knowing that it had been called upon by Taiyou. "Alright, Red Daemon's; you know what to do!" With a roar, the dragon acknowledged the command from its master and took up a battle pose beside its counterpart, behind the smaller magicians.
"I'm not done yet," Taiyou added. "I Summon Eccentric Boy (ATK: 800, LV: 3)!" From a blue vortex emerged the yellow-haired human-looking creature with red stick-like wings and marks on its face. "And now, by this monster's effect, I Tune my Eccentric Boy to the Level 6 Magician's Destroyer in my hand!"
"Level 9?" Yubel suddenly asked rhetorically within Judai's mind. "Can it be that he is using the power of that monster?" She then watched through Judai's eyes as the monster turned into 3 green rings, surrounding the ghost-like form of Taiyou's hand monster and changing it into a column of light.
"Rise to arms, the strongest of magicians whose blade calls the power of nature itself!" Taiyou yelled. "Synchro Summon! Take up arms, Paladin of Endymion (ATK: 3200, LV: 9)!" From the light arose the armed form of Endymion's ultimate monster from his duel with Taiyou, taking a stand between the two dragons and being almost as tall as them.
"Five Synchro Monsters?" Alessandro asked in disbelief, thinking that such a feat would have been impossible. "Your cards… they've come to your aid…"
"It's more than that," Taiyou corrected. "This is the power of bonds!" Holding up his hand, he yelled, "Battle! Stardust Dragon, Red daemon's Dragon, Magic Tempester; attack his Skiel Guard 5!"
"Then all three attacks will be made null and void," Alessandro replied, watching as the attack came one by one. A burst of white energy, a burning fist and a scythe all shot straight at the mechanical composite; and all of these attacks simply struck the tail, fading out when they did so.
"With that effect used up, I attack Skiel Carrier 5 with Magician's Destroyer!" Shooting forwards, the other scythe-bearer swung its blade straight into the body of the machine, only for the wings to deflect the blast with an invisible field.
"The effects are used up. I attack Skiel Top 3 with Paladin of Endymion!" Raising is blade-like staff, the tallest magician shot up into the air, its blade swung back ready to strike; but before it reached its target, Alessandro pointed to his now-glowing Trap Card.
"Did you forget the effect of Fork – Divergence?" Alessandro asked. "I change the attack target to Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity (ATK: 3600, LV: 1), which means your attack will result in your own defeat!"
"I didn't forget," Taiyou responded, spinning around the last card in his hand. "Instant Magic, Shrink! I halve the original attack of Skiel Attack 5 (ATK: 800, LV: 5)! Since Fork – Divergence can only be used once per turn, your monster's Original attack is affected, and thus so is Skiel Infinity's (ATK: 2800)!"
"No!" Alessandro yelled, watching as his monster's centre was sliced in half by the attack of the large magician, creating an explosion that consumed the body instantly. All four other parts then shattered along with it, leaving Alessandro's field bare.
Taiyou: LP 100
Alessandro: LP 1200
"This duel is as good as over," Taiyou yelled as Alessandro was flung back beside Lucciano's broken form. "Without the ability to play any monsters, any Spells, and only one card to draw, you cannot save yourself with any possible move!"
"…Maybe not," Alessandro replied, picking up the female robot and slinging her over his shoulder as his eye started to glow brighter. "You can have this victory, Kenshi Taiyou; I have bigger fish to fry!" In a split second the glow of his eye became so bright that it blinded everyone in the room; and when it subsided, Alessandro and Lucciano were gone.
"Coward!" Taiyou yelled at the top of his lungs, all of the cards on his field disappearing and the field of the village changing back into the hospital room, with Sherry still in the bed.
"Let him go," Kyojo said, coming up beside his friend and taking back his card to put into his Deck. At that moment, Judai and Yusei took Crow and Yusuriha and laid them on two empty beds in the room, Crow keeping a frustrated look on his face.
"Come on Yusei," he pleaded, looking up at his friend. "I can come with you guys! I can do some good!" However, he clutched his shoulder in pain a second later, and then added, "Okay, I see your point."
Suddenly, everyone in the building could feel a slight rumbling within the structure, making them all look around. A circuit board pattern of blue plasma lined the walls of every room, as well as ceiling, floors and even the outer walls; the energy from this flowed downwards, draining into the road outside and disappearing.
"The circuit…" Yusei said under his breath. "Exactly what is it…?"
Card of the Week – Taiyou
Divine Magician Master – Paladin of Endymion
Type: LIGHT
Level: 9
Tribes: [Magic User/Synchro/Effect]
Effect: 1 Spellcaster-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Spellcaster-Type Monsters
Once per turn, activate by removing 3 Spell Counters from a card(s) you control. Special Summon 1 "Endymion" Monster from your Cemetery.
ATK/ 3200
DEF/ 2500
*The Circuit… Review if you wish.*