A/N: The Featured Duel will take place during the current format, as I've said earlier. Just confirming it all.
-The Aftermath-
A week had gone by since the Verz was stopped. The girls had taken Onpu's advice and went back in time to catch up on the days and school work they had missed out on. They just simply had to avoid the Maho-dou until the time when their past selves went to the past. And to make sure it had been on schedule, they had even asked Majo Rika to seek them out when they left.
She succeeded.
And with the week that went by, a new format had sprung up. Several cards all seven of the Ojamajos loved using had either been banned, limited, or semi-limited. And to their surprise, the Resonance even seemed to abide by the lists for some unfathomable reason; even Doremi's powerful Resonance with her deck all but vanished when she tried to use the banned cards. This completely cost her a game.
A few days after the crisis -which had been dubbed "The Verz Incident" by Majo Toron- Jou-sama called the Ojamajos to Majo Kai. As it turned out, Megan wanted to get rid of the Resonance, reasoning that it brought the Verz to life and made it the problem in the first place. And even though they had gone over it before, it was explained to her again: Jou-sama accidently created the Resonance in the first place and her maltreatment of the Verz turned it evil to begin with. In any case, Jou-sama agreed to allow a Magical Stage that would get rid of it, though she trembled at the prospect of angering not just the Verz…but every monster that had bonded with the girls and Witches.
The Magical Stage failed.
Not only were the Ojamajos reluctant to kill the very monster that had aided them in stopping the Verz, but the monsters themselves were fearful of dying. Megan insisted on performing another Magical Stage to get rid of the Resonance, but the Ojamajos refused. Jou-sama agreed again, but on the condition that she stop asking if it failed a second time. Needless to say, it failed…and when Megan went back on her end of the deal, Jou-sama threatened to take her magic away and send her back to Ningen Kai. She wised up after that.
But, as a consolation, the girls were able to make the duels invisible in Ningen Kai. Majo Toron had warned that there might be a time when they would have to duel in Ningen Kai against non-Shadows…and without the interference from the Shadows' Duel Disks, normal people would see the duels. And normal people weren't accustomed to seeing such duels. This wasn't that show, after all.
So Majo Toron invented something that replicated the D-Gazers from the show. Affectionately, the girls called them "M-D-Gazers" in honor of the device. However, Doremi's powerful resonance shorted hers out, forcing Majo Toron to come up with something else. Megan was not amused and remained dismissive.
It was then when the Ojamajos got the sinking feeling that Megan cared less for the safety of others and more for having the spotlight like she was used to…
The Shadows were beside themselves. Not only had the Ojamajos escaped relatively unscathed, but they were now in a weaker position. Shadow Doremi, Shadow Hazuki, Shadow Aiko, and Shadow Onpu's decks were dead, with only Fairy Dragon – Ancient and Number 9: Canopy Star – Dyson Sphere surviving.
The blue Shadow felt a consolation when she realized that Aiko's deck was also dead but was angered when she found out that her Light Half had a surviving monster.
Black Queen and Evil Rin were largely unaffected by the turn of events aside from now having a self-aware ally in Number 96: Black Mist. Black Queen passively considered him valuable but kept it concealed for fear of mockery even if she would use force to silence it. She had even used Shadow Doremi as an example…THRICE!
Shadow Hana and Shadow Pop were still at odds with each other. From the latter's point of view, her partner in crime was starting to seem more distant. Indeed, the two hadn't hung out with each other as much as they normally would. Plus, the red Shadow had the disgusting feeling that her close friend was seeing her own Light Half for…reasons. Shadow Hana told the truth and said it wasn't the case, but when demanded to explain, she hesitated before fleeing. She was unable to tell them the whole story, but could hint at it.
And unfortunately for her, Shadow Pop wanted -and needed- more than just mere hints…
"But we've tried everything, Meg-chan," Jou-sama said, "But Kada and his team seem to have vanished."
"Please, Jou-sama!" Megan begged, "I need that locket!"
"I know. But this is all we can do."
"Kada is using Shadow Tourbillon to conceal himself and his team's location," Majo Toron surmised, "And it would appear Shadow Isabelle's a step ahead of us, given that they've even covered up the usual traces."
"How so?" Megan asked, "Wouldn't there be a blackout area?"
"We looked for those," Majo Heart replied, "And they surmounted that problem too…"
"Then what about-!?"
"If you can list it, then odds are we've already looked for and failed to find it," Majorin answered, "We all know how much that locket means to you, but until we find Kada and his team, we can't do anything about it."
Megan couldn't believe her ears. She couldn't take it; Kada was getting away with taking something precious from her and had clearly anticipated every attempt to find his location. At the same time, hearing that from Majorin…it was too much for her.
At that time, she couldn't take it anymore and fled to her room…
Kada dealt the killing blow to the monstrosity. Despite it towering over him, he was more than capable of defeating it in a fair fight. Especially since he had copied Skaj's abilities and in turn used it to replicate Shadow Isabelle's magic. The only drawback was that he had to expand two Grief Seeds in the middle of the battle.
He would have to meet up with an Incubator soon to drop off the Grief Seeds. Otherwise, he might end up using them again and having to fight another Witch…
The barrier of Uhrmann collapsed and vanished into non-existence, leaving nothing but a Grief Seed in its wake. He picked it up and quickly teleported away. He was all but certain that the Witches from Majo Kai were searching for him and he did not want to be on the receiving end of their attacks. That, and he had no desire to let Megan have her locket back…
He reappeared in the temporary lair he and his team set up. It wasn't well stocked, being little more than a bigger version of his old shack. But it still had a cooler to hold food for the Shadow Witches though. Once inside, Kada had Skaj use his Grief Gem to purify his Soul Gem, giving the Shadow Puer Magi a boost to his powers in the process.
"I suppose it's just going to be long, dull, and boring while we wait for you 'plans' to come to fruition?" Shadow Tourbillon inquired, impatiently.
"Unfortunately, yes," Kada replied, "We need to keep ourselves concealed, even if we're all very powerful in our own rights."
"Hmph!"
"Oh relax, Shadow Tourbillon," Shadow Isabelle said, "I'd like to point out that we did a good job of making sure they can't find us." She let out a hearty laugh and sighed. "Just a single Shadow Stage from the three of us followed by covering up any and all things they could use to find us anyway…not bad for a couple of malnourished Shadows and a Shadow who lost about a year of her training!"
"Oh, Shadow Isabelle," Shadow Ruka deadpanned, "You flatter yourself too much." She opened the cooler and took out a sandwich. "We've been having some nourishment for the past several days now, so we're not as weak as we once were." She took a bite out of it and, after chewing it up and swallowing it, continued. "That, and Kada used his magic to heal us without penalty while Skaj made sure he didn't overdo it."
Shadow Isabelle frowned at that before shrugging it off.
"So what are the odds of us being discovered?"
"Whenever my Real Self feels like it," Kada replied.
"Come again?" Shadow Tourbillon inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, it's just the guy who Kada and I are self-inserts of," Skaj replied, "Basically, some being from beyond the screen."
"…ok."
"That girl you've seen, Megan, isn't so different," Kada continued, "However, lately, mine and her Real Selves have had a lot of bad blood going between them."
"I don't care about that," Shadow Tourbillon retorted, "This thing you, Skaj, and Megan are. Self Inserts, were they? What's their purpose?"
"To serve as the author's avatar in a story they're making. And more often than not, they tend to be idealized versions of said author. However, what sets me apart from Megan is that her Self-Insert is basically one such idealized character; I, on the other hand, am how my Real Self would be if he had my powers for real."
"And this Megan is an idealized version of someone how?"
"She gets shilled, has…or rather, used to have…magic that exceeds everyone else's,-" Kada took out Megan's locket to emphasize his point. "-gets to be close to Majorin and Her Majesty DESPITE getting into the former's face and bossing her around to be more like how she wants her to be…and the list goes on!"
"I'll just take your word for it," Shadow Tourbillon replied, "So when do you suppose I'll finally get to challenge Light Queen's Super Witch Form? And I would also like to take down Black Queen…permanently!"
"Patience, Shadow Tourbillon." Kada turned to the group. "First, we need to develop a proper base of operations. Until then, we're stuck." He then took out a card, one that had what seemed to be a spikey pink shell with a similarly colored blob inside. "We can create distractions while we build it up. With your magic and mine and SKaj's powers working in tandem, we can have it finished by the end of the month."
"And what about money?" Shadow Ruka asked, "Won't we need that for supplies?"
"We can't just rely solely on magic to get this job done!" Shadow Isabelle complained.
"Steal it," Skaj suggested, "Turn in wanted felons and collect rewards. Get an honest job…whichever is faster." He smirked. "Personally, I like the first option most!"
"We'll worry about money later," Kada warned, "For now, let's just…manipulate some events to distract the Ojamajos." An uncharacteristic sneer crept onto his face. "Much like how I manipulated Her Majesty into bringing the Verz to life in the first place…"
The three Shadow Witches sighed in annoyance. In truth, Shadow Isabelle and Shadow Ruka wished for Kada to have failed in his side of the deal.
If one were to elaborate, Kada challenged Shadow Tourbillon, Shadow Isabelle, and Shadow Ruka to a 'contest' of sorts; if the two Shadow Witches got Shadow Tourbillon out of her prison first, they would be left to their own devices and Kada and Skaj would leave them alone. However, Kada had pulled some strings and, since there were no real rules, was able to ensure that he had them under his command. Unfortunately for him, the threesome was largely nominal in their allegiance to the dark orange Puer Magi, particularly Shadow Tourbillon.
In short, the weaker of the Shadow Witches had more freedom than Kada would have liked…and he was unable to do anything about it.
Another day, another time. By now, it had been exactly nine days since the end of the Verz Incident. Things were going slow for the girls in both working at the Maho-dou and with Dueling, more so the latter.
Doremi had just completed a beaded basket…only to forget to tie it off. As a result, the entire thing fell to pieces.
"Oh…" Doremi groaned, "Not again…"
The other Ojamajos sighed. Same old Doremi is same old Doremi. But…she was their Doremi…and she was still their best friend.
It was hard to believe that a little over a week ago, she was wielding a lot of power from the Verz itself. And even though she had long since relinquished that power, she was still seemingly stronger than ever before. It was a huge step for her, having overcome all the hurdles that had been placed before her recently.
"Is anyone gonna help me with this?" Doremi asked, impatiently.
"Oy!" Hana shouted, "Hana-chan will help Doremi!" At once, the white Ojamajo jumped to her feet and left her post to assist her mother. Somehow…she ended up causing an even bigger mess than before, prompting her to curl her lips into a sheepish smile. "Gomennasai."
Doremi sighed. "I defeat the Verz, return it to the deck, and even get Jou-sama to make amends. And yet I'm still the unluckiest pretty girl in the whole world!"
"Hana-chan too…"
Onpu giggled. "It's good for everything to be back to normal," she remarked, smiling, "Seeing Doremi-chan like this…because there is no crisis right now."
"Maybe for you," Doremi retorted. She puffed up her cheeks. "Fuu, fuunu, FUU!"
Momoko got up from her chair. "You know something, Doremi-chan?" she began, "Now that you're more experienced, maybe you can finally defeat Kotake-kun?"
Doremi shot a deadpan look at the yellow Ojamajo. "I'm over it already," she replied. Her expression changed; it now showed a bit of competitiveness. She took out her deck and looked through it until she found Metaion. "But…I would like to win against him…just this once."
"That's if you can win," Pop replied, "You gotta remember that Flame Stars are really powerful as an archetype. There's a reason they're on the various tier lists."
"I know, Pop-chan. Demo ne…if I can beat Flame Stars…then I can brag!"
The Ojamajos gave an exasperated sigh as Doremi got stars in her eyes. Her deck was still reeling from the change in the format taking out a lot of her best power cards. It would be even more unlikely for her to win against such a matchup.
"However…" Doremi continued, "I…I really kinda want it to be one of those duels. Not where we sit down and play the cards on a mat, but-"
"You know we can't really do that, Doremi-chan," Hazuki warned, "If we did, then we would be giving away the secret…and we need to keep it as that: A secret."
"I know…Wait!" Doremi spun around, thinking she saw someone looking in through the window. "Oh. Nevermind. I thought I saw something. But anyway, I think we can Duel like that…at least, in our dreams!"
"That's gonna need a lotta magic," Aiko warned, "And there's the possibility that Kotake-kun will wake up in the middle of it all and see us."
"Relax, Ai-chan," Onpu replied, "Let's give Doremi-chan this chance."
"And who knows?" Momoko added, "Maybe Kotake-kun wants to have a Duel like that too?"
Doremi smiled. "You guys are the best!"
Outside the Maho-Dou, three familiar boys -Kotake, Yada, and Takao- were walking away. They had overheard the Ojamajos speaking of something, but weren't sure what to make of it. All they knew was that the girls had done something big recently…but what?
"I believe Doremi-chan wants to duel you again," Takao surmised, "And from what the others were saying, well, she seems to have gotten better!"
"I'll duel her again tomorrow," Kotake replied.
"Even though you haven't dueled her in over a week?" Yada deadpanned.
"I'll make up for it with that game!"
Takao looked back at the Maho-Dou. "What are the odds that they really do have something to hide?" he asked, "I know we've investigated, but…"
"We got nothing," Yada replied, "And with the way things are going, I think it's going to stay that way…"
The trio reached a crossroads.
"Well, this is where we part ways," Kotake stated, "See ya tomorrow!"
"Same!" Takao replied.
Yada simply waved his goodbye.
And with that, the trio split off, intending to meet up again tomorrow to continue investigating the girls. And maybe this time, they will gain a few more people to add to their group…
The girls hovered over Kotake's house. They had transformed and were now poised to help Doremi out with her dream duel. By now, Kotake had fallen asleep, making this the best opportunity to set the plan in motion.
"Are you ready, Doremi-chan?" Onpu asked.
"Un!" Doremi replied, nodding.
"It'll only take three of us," Pop pointed out, "So maybe we can minimize the magic used?"
"That's a great idea, Pop-chan!" Momoko called.
"Momo-chan!" Aiko warned.
The yellow Ojamajo smiled sheepishly. "Eh heh, gomen ne?"
The other girls shook their heads.
"Paipai Ponpoi shinyakani!" Hazuki chanted.
"Pururun Purun Suzuyakani!" Onpu chanted.
"Pippito Purito Hograrakani!" Pop chanted.
"Magical Stage!" the three girls half-shouted, "Let Doremi-chan go into Kotake's dreams and duel!"
The spell did the trick. A portal opened up just outside Kotake's window. Doremi flew toward it, stopping only to turn back to her fellow Ojamajos.
"You better get going, Doremi-chan," Aiko said, "We didn't stay up all night just to see you walk out now!"
"Hai hai!" Doremi replied.
"We'll be watching the duel from outside, Mama!" Hana added, "Ganbare!"
Doremi nodded in thanks. And with that action, she entered Kotake's dreams…
Kotake was have the time of his life. Before him was a big-name soccer team while his own team was standing by his side. The score was even, twelve seconds on the clock, and the ball was in the middle of the field.
The blue-haired by quickly lunged for the ball, expertly dodging the opposing team and quickly began the difficult task of getting the ball to the other team and scoring the winning goal. His opponents wouldn't let up, staying on him the whole time. But his team stayed with him too and managed to keep the opposing players off his tail. And with five seconds to go, Kotake let loose a powerful kick to the ball.
It was a score!
The opposing goalie could barely leap in time to get stop the ball. Kotake's team wins the international championship! Everyone was celebrating, cheering for Kotake for a game well played. And he was feeling like telling Do-
"Kotake-kun!" Doremi -the real one that is- called. Suddenly, the dream sequence was interrupted, disintegrating and changing to a cloud in space. The pink Ojamajo approached him. "Gomen ne, Kotake-kun."
The blue-haired boy shot Doremi a strange look. "Uhh, Doremi-chan?" he asked, "Why…What. Are. You. Wearing?"
Doremi looked over herself and quickly realized that Kotake' dream world did absolutely nothing to change her clothes. She was literally still in her apprentice uniform, complete with her poron and hat. She thought quickly and managed to make an excuse to cover it up.
"Uhhh, this is your dream and you dreamed me wearing this cute outfit?" Doremi sputtered, sheepishly.
Kotake stared in disbelief. "Why would I dream you wearing that?" he deadpanned, "I don't even know what it's supposed to be."
Doremi sighed. "Well you don't have to be so deadpan about it!" she griped. She then puffed up her cheeks. "Fuu, fuunu, FUU!"
"Oh well, if you're here," Kotake mused, "May as well have a bit of fun."
"Oh! That reminds me!" Immediately, she raised her poron. "Pirika Pirilala Poporina Peperuto! Duel Disk, come out!"
Her spell did the trick, causing a generic Duel Disk to appear from a puff of smoke. Even though it was still the dream world, Doremi had still originated from elsewhere. So not only did she still have her magic…but her clothes would remain the same. Regardless, she took the conjured Duel Disk and threw it to Kotake; the young boy caught it.
"Uhh, Dojimi?" Kotake began, staring in disbelief at the Disk, "What's this for?"
Doremi cracked a wry smile. "I want to duel you!" she challenged. And to emphasize her point, she inserted her poron into her bracelet, transforming it into her own Duel Disk. "Are you up to it?"
Kotake's jaw dropped. "HEY!" he complained, "Why do you get the cooler Duel Disk?!" Then, his lips curled into a sly smirk. "I was going to beat you tomorrow…but I guess I can do it here in my dreams anyway."
"Arigatou, Kotake-kun!"
"Demo ne…Dojimi?" Kotake gave a light laugh. "No D-Gazers?"
"Do we even need them?!"
Kotake sighed. "Fine, whatever."
Both of them inserted their decks into the proper slot, causing them to auto-shuffle. And upon drawing their opening hands, their Life Point meters raced to 8000.
"Duel!" both shouted.
"So this is going to be like those duels on that TV show, right?" Kotake inquired. Doremi's nod gave him reassurance. "Then let's see how far I can send you flying! Boku no turn! Draw!" The blue-haired boy took his card, grinning. "First, I summon Speed Fire Star – Taihyo!"
No sooner did he place the card on his Duel disk, a wall of fire appeared before him. Appearing from it was a being sheathed in those very fires (0/200). And once he settled down, the flames took the form of a leopard.
"Whoa!" Kotake remarked, "This is even more intense than I thought…even if this is just a dream!"
"You'll get used to it…" Doremi replied.
The young boy raised an eyebrow at the pink Ojamajo but thought nothing of her comment. "Anyway, I activate Taihyo's ability! Since I normal or special summoned him this turn, I can tribute any Flame Star monster to set any Flame Dance spell or trap directly from my deck!" Taihyo quickly called upon the fiery spirit by his side; the duo vanished in a puff of flame that took the form of a set card. Kotake followed by inserting another card into the slot. "Next, I activate Flame Dance – 'Tensu'! With this, I can normal summon another monster so long as it's another Beast-Warrior! And don't forget: All Beast-Warriors on my field gain an extra 100 ATK!"
Doremi braced herself. Even though Kotake was going first, she had dealt with that card numerous times whenever she dueled against him during break back at class. And she had witnessed him using it to bring out his most powerful and dangerous monsters…
"Come on, Flame Star Master – Choten!" At once, a small spirit that was wreathed in flames appeared (500-600/200). "And when this guy is summoned, I can bring back any FIRE monster from my graveyard that has 200 or less DEF! So come on back, Taihyo!" At once, Choten conjured several runes and arranged them into a circle. They quickly burst into flame, burning a hole to the netherworld and drawing the once-fallen Flame Star back (0-100/200). "I can't attack this turn except with Beast-Warriors," Kotake explained, "But now…I tune Lv3 Taihyo with Lv3 Choten!"
Seconds later, Choten flew higher into the air and was quickly followed by Taihyo. The former turned into a trio of fiery rings that the latter passed through.
"Synchro summon! descend from the skies, Flame Star Marquis – Hoshin!"
A flash of light followed by a burst of fire sounded the arrival of a powerful member of the Flame Stars. He rode a horse that was made form pure blue flame (2200-2300/2200).
"Uhh, no summon chant?" Doremi asked, "Not even a little one?"
"Are those even needed?" Kotake retorted.
"…touché."
"In any case, Hoshin no kouka hatsudou! When Synchro Summoned, I can special summon any Flame Star from my deck! And I have a good idea who!" The Horse Prince acted quickly and held up a horn. He blew into it, calling another of his comrades to his side. This one had what seemed to be a chicken made entirely of blue flames as his spirit companion (1500-1600/100). "Come on, Steadfast Flame Star – Tokai!" Suddenly, the spirit flared up. "And when special summoned by a Flame Star, Tokai can add any Flame Star to my hand!"
Kotake looked through his deck and added the card.
"Next, I activate the Tenki my Taihyo set!" He declared. Immediately, his face-down card revealed itself, prompting both of his monsters into a stance (Hoshi: 2300-2400/2200) (Tokai: 1600-1700/100). "And I take it you know what this does?"
"It was powerful enough to get semi-limited…" Doremi deadpanned.
Kotake took a Lv4 Flame star from his deck and added it to his hand. "I set one card," he said. A reversed card appeared before him. "Turn end."
Doremi looked over Kotake's field. She knew that Flame Stars were a dangerous archetype to go up against and that they could strike hard at any moment. Even if she could draw her cards right, she still might not have a chance to win.
She thought about using her Resonance to get whatever cards she needed only to realize that Kotake lacked such a thing. Even though his deck was powerful enough to be considered a tier deck, he still cannot manipulate his draws. Sure, his deck was consistent, but it was no substitute.
Ultimately, she decided against using her Resonance powers and let the cards come to her naturally.
"Atashi no Turn!" Doremi finally shouted, "Draw!" She took her next card and gave it a hard look. She smiled upon realizing her preferred combo. "First, I activate Foolish Burial! This lets me send any monster from my deck to my graveyard!" She took a monster and inserted it into her graveyard slot. "Next, I activate Gagagarevenge! And I will use it to bring back the Gagaga Magician I just sent!"
And with that, a rune-covered coffin burst out of the cloudy ground. It opened up, allowing the juvenile Magician to emerge and stretch (1500/1000).
"Here it comes…" Kotake said, dryly.
"Next, I summon Gagaga Girl!" Moments later, another juvenile magician appeared (1000/800). She took Magician's side and eyed Hoshin. "And now, I activate both of their abilities! And I will use them to make both Lv5!" Gagaga Magician channeled his strength into himself followed by Gagaga Girl channeling her own power into copying his own. Then, both nodded and transformed into bolts of purple energy. "And with these two Lv5 monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"
"Yeah, yeah," Kotake replied, "You summon your best card, drop my ATK to zilch, burn for a lot of damage, and then run over it for even more."
Doremi sighed and nodded. As she did so, both of her monsters entered a galaxy-like vortex in the sky. And upon vanishing, the vortex burst with a rainbow explosion that was quickly followed by the descent of the floating city that the pink Ojamajo liked to use often (2400/1500).
"Awareru…Number 33: OOPArts Super Weapon – Machu Mach!" Doremi announced, "And Gagagarevenge gives it an additional 300 ATK!" The residual energy flowed from the coffin and into the floating city, empowering it (2400-2700/1500). "And since I used Gagaga Girl with Gagaga Magician to Xyz summon it, she can reduce one of your special summoned monsters ATK to 0! Go, Zero Zero Call!"
And with that, Girl's visage appeared over Machu Mach and quickly typed in a number on her cell phone. In seconds, the waves coming off it encompassed Hoshin, destabilizing his flaming horse (2400-0/2200).
"Here it comes!" Kotake shouted, His tone was equal parts fear and hot-blooded anticipation.
Doremi nodded. "And now I activate Machu Mach's ability! By detaching one Overlay, I can target one monster you control whose ATK is different from its original ATK!" Machu Mach took aim at Hoshin. "Go get him! Infinity Cannon!"
At once, one of the lights orbiting Machu Mach vanished into the spire on top. Then, several cannons emerged from the hole along its ring and fired. All of them hit Kotake hard, dropping him to 5800 Life Points.
"Kotake-kun?! Daijoubu!?" Doremi shouted.
Kotake's laughter could be seen. "This…this is even more intense than I thought!" He shouted, happily, "If only this could be done in real life…!"
Doremi sighed. If only you knew, she thought, Then maybe you could become an apprentice and then we could do a lot of other things together… She returned from her stupor and met Kotake's look; he seemed to want another strike. "Don't forget, Kotake-kun," Doremi warned, "Machu Mach gains the damage as ATK as well!" Machu Mach absorbed the lingering energy from its own attack (2700-4900/1500). "Ok! Machu Mach! Take down Hoshin! Fire if Vril!"
And on that command, Machu Mach sent a thick beam of blue plasma into the sky. Seconds later, it opened up…and a giant meteor began approaching the Horse Prince. Kotake looked up at it with an expression that basically said "Maybe this isn't all it's cracked up to be…" or something along those lines. Regardless, the meteor struck, completely crushing Hoshin and blowing Kotake back, knocking him to 900 Life Points in the process.
Kotake got back up, but he was more than a little shaken up. "Damn!" he remarked, "You're doing better against me than usual. Much better!" His lips curled into a frown. "Why?!"
Doremi smiled sheepishly at his remark. "I've been practicing," she replied, "And I know better how to use Machu Mach now!"
"Yeah. Otherwise, you would've never taken this big a chunk out of my Life Points, this early!"
Doremi grinned at that. She had him on the ropes now. All she had to do was damage him with a big monster again and she finally beats him. However, she knew she couldn't get too cocky; Yuushi was one of the most powerful monsters to have on hand. And knowing the Tenki plays, Kotake likely added that card too…
"I set one card," Doremi said. A reversed card appeared before the pink Ojamajo. "Turn end."
Kotake looked and grinned mischievously at his hand. "Boku no Turn! Draw!" he called. He took his next card and frowned slightly. "Oh well. I activate the effect of Dragon Ruler of Flames – Blaster! From my hand! By discarding him and any other FIRE monster, I can destroy any card on the field!"
"EH?!" Doremi gasped. She had heard of Dragon Rulers and how incredibly overpowered they were…but to see one of them in Kotake's deck? Not entirely out of the question, given their splashable nature. "You can't be serious…!"
"I am!" Kotake replied.
Immediately, the powerful dragon appeared right in front of Machu Mach (2800/1800). Following him was another Taihyo. And together, the two pooled their combined might into one powerful blast, completely blowing Machu Mach to smithereens.
Gomen ne, Machu Mach… thought Doremi.
"Next, I'll activate Flame Dance – 'Gyokko'!" Kotake declared, "With this, I can target any set spell or trap card you control and seal it in addition to boosting my monster's ATK!" At once, blue flames encompassed the reversed card, much to Doremi's shock. At the same time, those same blue flames prompted a change in Tokai's stance (1700-1800/100) "And if you were thinking on chaining it, think again! Gyokko prevents you from activating that card to this one's activation!"
Doremi grit her teeth. That trap card was her only defense against attacks and a possible ticket to victory. But to have had that card on hand…he was drawing pretty good himself.
"Next, I will summon Crane Crane!" At once, a large crane in the shape of a massive bird appeared (300/900). "And with his ability, I can bring back any Lv3 monster from my graveyard! So come on back, Taihyo!" And just like that, the Crane went to work, dropping a massive hook on a chain into the ground and puncturing a hole to the netherworld. It then retracted it, taking the Flame Star back to the land of the living (0-300/200). "Next, I use Taihyo's ability to set a Flame Dance from my deck!"
And with that, Taihyo once again called upon the power of his fiery familiar, vanishing in a puff of flames as he did so. Those same quickly became another concealed card.
"And I think I'll activate it! Go, Tenki!" Kotake declared. At once, the newly set card flipped over, prompting his monster to go into another stance (Tokai: 1800-1900/100). At the same time, another Flame Star began its approach. "Tenki lets me add any Lv4 or below Beast-Warrior-type monster to my hand." The blue-haired boy added his card. "But first…!"
Moments later, Crane Crane and Tokai transformed into bolts of energy and spiraled upward. A galaxy-like vortex opened up, through which the two monsters entered.
"With these two Lv3 monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" Kotake shouted. And no sooner than he did, both monsters had vanished into the vortex. It exploded with a rainbow light, followed by the emergence of a massive sealed form that was much like a coil of scaly tails complete with six wings. It quickly uncoiled itself, shifting its wings and allowing a five-horned head to protrude. The dragon roared menacingly when it finished unfolding (2000/0). "Appear now, Number 17: Revice Dragon!"
Doremi sighed. Number 17 was always a generic rank 3 monster. However, it was still dangerous in that it could get stronger every turn so long as it had overlays to devour. But still, it remained common, though not as much as it was back when Xyz monsters first came out.
"And I now I'll-!" Kotake began.
"You're gonna activate Number 17's ability to give it 500 ATK?" Doremi guessed, "No offense, but that card can only really do one thing."
"Just making sure you knew, Dojimi," Kotake retorted. Revice Dragon consumed one of the blue lights that orbited it, glowing from the surge of energy that came with it (2000-2500/0). "So now I'm gonna use Tensu to summon Minute Flame Star – Ryushishin!"
The active Flame Dance card he had out glowed brightly. Seconds later, another Flame Star descended. He brandished his fire-tipped staff as the flames surrounding him assumed the form of a none-headed dragon (1800-2200/400).
"And guess what Ryushishin can do," Kotake challenged. Doremi, knowing Kotake was going to use the effect anyway, didn't answer and therefore prompted an annoyed sigh from the blue-haired boy. "By sending two Flame Dances I control to the graveyard, I can bring back any Flame Star! So by sacrificing both of my Tenkis, Ryushishin can bring back Tokai!"
At once, the dragon-based Flame Star took all of the energy from the two stances (2200-2000/400) and concentrated them in one powerful blast. But instead of sending it at Doremi, he used it to open a portal to the netherworld. Tokai answered and quickly returned to the field and got into formation (1500-1700/100).
"And don't forget what Tokai does when he's special summoned!" Kotake warned. Tokai's rooster familiar let out a call that attracted the attention of another Flame Star. "And now…Ryushishin! Attack Doremi-chan directly!"
Ryushishin obeyed his master's command and lunged forward. And right before he could swing, his dragon familiar breathed a nine-fold jet of fire followed by a wave of flames. Doremi was struck by the attack, dropping her to 6000 Life Points.
"Go get her, Number 17!" Kotake shouted, "Vice Stream!"
And just like that, the Number drew its head back and unleashed its breath weapon. Doremi ducked for cover but could not avoid it. In the end, she was blown to the ground, her Life Points plummeting to 3500.
"Last one for the turn. Go get her, Tokai!"
Doremi braced herself for the attack, but it hit hard nonetheless. One would expect a chicken to hit like an empty bag…until Basilicock and its (usually) 2500 ATK is taken into account. In any case, the pink Ojamajo felt a flaming beak on her arms followed by several quick jabs. She was sent reeling just as her Life Points were sent down to 1800.
"I'll have you next turn," Kotake declared, "Turn end!"
Doremi looked at her hand. And if he has what I think he has, she thought, He may as well be right! With just these cards…I think I can get something big out. But if I could draw the right card…! She shook her head. No! I can't use DESTINY DRAW, even if it is a dream! Kotake-kun doesn't have it and using it would make the duel unfair, no matter how powerful Flame Stars are.
Doremi sighed as she spotted an annoyed look from Kotake. She was able to read it loud and clear.
What are you taking so long for, Dojimi?
"Atashi no Turn! Draw!" Doremi shouted. She took her next card and smiled. "Yosha!"
"That's one way to spoil a good hand…" Kotake deadpanned.
"But do you have a way to stop it?" Kotake shook his head at Doremi's retort, earning an excited smile from her. "Okay! I activate Reinforcement! And I will use it to bring this to my hand!" No sooner did the pink Ojamajo add her card to her hand, she placed that same card on her Duel Disk. "I summon Golbindbergh!"
Moments later, three planes appeared (1400/0). They were carrying a six-sided crate.
"And when he's normal summoned, I get to bring out any Lv4 monster from my hand! So come on, Summon Priest!" And with that, the goblin-piloted planes dropped the crate. It split open, revealing the Priest himself (800/1600). "And by discarding any spell card, Priest can special summon any Lv4 monster from my deck!"
Kotake looked on in bemusement. "And…why are you planning to Overlay 3 Lv4 monsters?" he asked, "Do you even have any such monsters in your Extra Deck?"
"Not that you've seen!" Doremi replied, smiling.
In fact, Doremi had never once summoned her second favorite monster against Kotake. Her reason for doing so? She wanted to keep it a surprise for later. And by "later", she meant "right now"!
"Anyway, Priest!" Doremi called, "You know who to call!"
Priest nodded and quickly went to work, gathering his powers and using the energy of the sacrificed spell to fuel his might. Once he finished, a portal opened up, allowing another Astell Drawn to emerge. Then, all three monsters transformed into bolts of energy and spiraled upward.
"And with these three Lv4 monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" All three monsters entered the gold vortex. Once inside, it exploded with a burst of starry darkness. And to Kotake's and Doremi's surprise, she herself was enveloped in that same darkness. "When all turns against one, the powers that be will unite! Become the sole survivor and cleanse the world of evil! Xyz summon!" Doremi chanted. Moments later, the massive form of the Xyz monster emerged from the vortex. It screeched in preparation for battle (2500/2100). "Awareru…Vylon Disigma!"
Moments later, the visage of Astell drawn appeared over Disigma's form.
"And since Drawn was used for an Xyz summon, I can draw a card!" Doremi exclaimed.
"Umm," Kotake began, "You do realize you could've gone for Shock Ruler, don't you?"
Doremi nodded. "I know, Kotake-kun," she replied, "Demo ne…Disigma…well, you wouldn't believe me even if I told you! Eh heh!"
"Try me."
Doremi shook her head. "Right now, we have a duel." She looked over the field and began strategizing. I could have Disigma run over one of his Flame Stars, she mentally mused. She then looked at the concealed card on his field. But that card…What if it's Tensen? If that's the case, then I would only be killing Disigma for nothing. I can't take that chance! She then looked over his three monsters again. Demo…there are two different attributes on Kotake-kun's field…and Disigma can only absorb once per turn.
She looked at her own set card and sighed. It was still sealed by Kotake's Gyokko. If Kotake hadn't played that card, then she would've won the duel by now. But alas, that was not the case.
Gonna have to go for broke, Doremi thought, Sorry Disigma. "I activate Disigma's ability! By detaching one Overlay, it can absorb any Attack Position Effect Monster you control!" Within moments, the powerful Vylon siphoned energy from one of the lights orbiting it and activated its tractor beam. Tokai was struck by it and pulled in. He was subsequently turned into energy and absorbed. "Any monster Disigma battles that have the same attribute as the absorbed monster is no match for it!"
"I know," Kotake replied, sighing, "But it can't do much right now."
"It can stop you from getting out some of your big monsters later," Doremi reminded, "Disigma! Attack and destroy Ryushishin!"
Disigma saluted Doremi and began its attack. The dragon-themed Flame Star defended, but the Vylon used the same fiery rooster familiar that Tokai had to fight him with. And with the data gained from the rooster-themed Flame Star, it was perfect against the fire warrior.
In seconds, he was thrown to the ground. However, Disigma did too well of a job and wasn't able to focus on inflicting damage.
"Turn end." Doremi sighed.
"I guess you really have gotten good at this game, Doremi-chan," Kotake applauded, "You even anticipated one of my sets for once! But now…Boku no Turn! Draw!" He took his next card and smirked. "And like I said on my last turn: I have game!"
Doremi clenched her fist. She was all but certain Kotake had that Flame Star in his hand now. And why wouldn't he? It was one of the better Flame Stars to have on hand.
"First, I summon Brave Flame Star – Ensho!" Kotake shouted. Moments later, another of the Flame Stars appeared by the blue-haired boy's side. The cloud of flames surrounding him quickly turned into the gorilla that was his familiar (1600-1800/1000). "And I will use Tensu to summon Dark Flame Star – Yushi!" Moments later, Ensho's counterpart of sorts arrived thanks to the stance he was in. Once he did, the flames surrounding him arranged themselves into a bear that was the companion spirit to him as he joined Ensho in the Flame Dance (1600-1800/1200). "I know that it would be simpler to take out Disigma now and attack directly, but I like getting style points!"
"Bring it on," Doremi replied.
"With pleasure!" Yushi and Ensho nodded heads and immediately turned into red bolts of energy. "So with these two Lv4 Beast-Warrior-type monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"
Both monsters spiraled upward and into a red vortex. Once both had vanished inside, it burst with a red light. It was followed by the emergence of powerful Flame Star. An aura of white flames surrounded him and quickly took the form a massive, ferocious tiger while he took his stance (2200-2400/1800).
"Whoa! I didn't think Leader Flame Star King – Soko looked this badass in this form!" Kotake remarked, "I don't think I'll be using his effect though."
Doremi looked at the Flame Star King. She had seen Kotake play it enough times to know what it can do. He could have set another Flame Dance from his deck and given it another slight boost. She has also seen him using its other effect to null everything she had on more than one occasion. But with the field the way it is…he could simply gloat now and win.
"Number 17: Revice Dragon! Attack Vylon Disigma! Vice Stream!" Kotake commanded. Doremi saved her incredulous reaction for later; Kotake wanted to do this this time and wouldn't have had it any other way. Disigma fired a blast of fire in the shape of Tokai's familiar at Revice Dragon's breath weapon. Both impacted one another before finally brushing past each other. Unfortunately, neither of them could evade the attacks and both were vaporized. "And then there was one! Soko! Let's end this!"
Soko leapt up and quickly drew his burning fan. Doremi braced herself for the hit, even though it was going to take out the remainder of her Life Points.
"Reverse card, open!" Kotake called, "Flame Dance – 'Tensen' hatsudou! And I'm using it during the Damage Step! Tensen gives 1 Beast-Warrior-type monster of my choice 700 ATK…and gives 300 ATK on top of it all!" Soko quickly assumed a new stance and became empowered by the powers of the trap itself (2400-3400/1800). "Gomennasai, Doremi-chan. But…this is still a dream, so I'm not really hurting anyone, right?"
Doremi sighed. Kotake was going for overkill just to get some style points. Sure, it was a dream…but he didn't know the Doremi he was facing had actually invaded his dreams just to duel him. Ultimately, it was just going to be another loss on her part. But That was just the way his deck was: A powerful tier deck that is one of the more common archetypes to run in tournaments.
She smiled. "Good game, Kotake-kun," Doremi said, bravely, "Come at me, Soko!"
Soko continued his attack and spread a wave of fire right into the pink Ojamajo. She held her ground firmly even as her Life Points fell to 0.
Kotake wins!
And with that, the dream began coming apart.
"If tis hadn't been a dream," Kotake remarked, "I would've been very impressed! This is the first time you got me to below 1000 Life Points!"
"Yeah," Doremi replied, "And who knows? Maybe it'll happen again tomorrow? At school?"
Kotake smiled. "I'd like to see that. Sayonara!"
Doremi nodded as the dream finally faded…
Kotake woke up with a start. It was quite early in the morning, even going so far as to still be dark out. He felt like he had woken up from a nightmare…but nightmares aren't supposed to be pleasant. At all.
"What a weird dream," Kotake said to himself, "Oh well, back to bed!"
And with those words, Kotake fell back to sleep…
Outside Kotake's window, the portal Doremi used to enter Kotake's dreams with appeared once again to allow the pink Ojamajo to return to the real world. The other six Ojamajos were there to greet her…and they had all donned their M-D-Gazers. Doremi wondered why…until she saw Majo Toron with them.
"Majo Toron?" Doremi asked, "What brings you here?"
"I finally found a way to make sure you can see the monsters in Ningen Kai when someone here duels!" Majo Toron half-shouted, "Shall I apply it?"
Doremi tilted her head in confusion. "Huh?!"
"Majo Toron explained it to us," said Onpu, "She says it's a kind of tattoo that can vanish when you don't want it there."
"But can you control it, Onee-chan?" Pop asked.
Doremi looked at the eager inventive Witch. "I have no other way to see the monsters in Ningen Kai unless I waste magic to make them visible," Doremi muttered, "Alright, Majo Toron. Let me have it?"
Majo Toron nodded. "This may sting a little," she warned.
And on that note, she quickly produced a vial. After applying some magic to it, a pink liquid flowed out of it and glowed brilliantly. Then, it raced to Doremi's left eye faster than she could dodge.
Doremi clenched her teeth, easily biting back a small scream. Majo Toron wasn't kidding; it really did sting somewhat. And just as quickly as it came, the pain vanished.
"It's done," Majo Toron said. She then produced a small mirror. "Have a look."
Majo Toron handed Doremi the mirror, allowing the pink Ojamajo to see her reflection. To her surprise, her left eye was surrounded by a pink tattoo that had the rough shape of…a bean. One just like her crystal. And her eye had turned blue as well.
"Why did mine have to take this form…?" Doremi pouted. She narrowed her eye…and saw the tattoo vanish and her eye return to its normal color. "So…why does my tattoo look like a bean?" Majo Toron shrugged. "It's fate! I really am the unluckiest pretty girl in the whole world!"
"Relax, Doremi-chan," Onpu replied, soothingly.
"Yeah, Onee-chan!" Pop chimed in, "At least you get a M-D-Gazer Tattoo while we're stuck with these things!" She pointed at her M-D-Gazer to emphasize her point. "You don't have anything to keep track of!"
"Actually," Majo Toron began, "This is a bit of a prototype. I'll have a superior version of it ready after some time. But…you did have a point, Pop-chan: It may be hard for Doremi-chan to control it."
The group sighed.
"Let's go home, everyone," Doremi suggested, "We did what we came here for."
The group nodded and quickly split up, returning to their homes.
This adventure was finally over, but more were to come. That much they were sure of. However, only time will tell if they will at all be just like this one or something else entirely. The cards have become a part of the Ojamajos' lives as much as magic itself. And where one side stands, the other will stand too.
The Verz Incident has been averted…but a team of five beings waits in the wings…
Featured Duel: Doremi Harukaze vs. Tetsuya Kotake
Doremi LP (8000) – Kotake LP (8000)
Kotake's turn:
Kotake has Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Leopard, Fire Formation – Tensen, Fire Formation – Gyokkou, Fire Formation – Tensu, and Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Spirit as his opening hand. He draws Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos.
Kotake summons Leopard. He then uses his effect, tributing him to set 1 Fire formation – Tenki from his deck. He then activates Tensu and uses it to normal summon Spirit. He uses Spirit's effect to revive Leopard. He then tunes Lv3 Leopard with Lv3 Spirit to Synchro Summon Brotherhood of the Fire fist – Horse Prince; he uses Horse Prince's effect to special summon a Rooster from his deck. He then uses Rooster's effect to add another Leopard to his hand. He then activates his set Tenki and uses it to add Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Dragon to his hand.
Kotake sets Tenken and ends.
Doremi's turn:
Doremi has Magic Cylinder, Summoner Monk, Gagagarevenge, Gagaga Girl, and Reinforcement of the Army as her opening hand. She draws Foolish Burial.
Doremi activates Foolish Burial and uses it to send Gagaga Magician to her graveyard. She then activates Gagagarevenge and uses it to revive Magician. Next, she summons Gagaga Girl. She follows by using both of their effects to make them Lv5. Doremi overlays both to Xyz summon Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech; Girl drops Horse Prince to 0 ATK while Gagagarevenge gives Machu Mech 300 ATK. She then uses Machu Mech's effect, detaching Magician and burning Kotake for 2200 damage.
Doremi attacks Horse Prince with Machu Mech, destroying it.
Doremi sets Magic Cylinder and ends.
Doremi LP (8000) – Kotake LP (900)
Kotake's turn:
Kotake draws Crane Crane.
Kotake uses Blaster's effect, discarding him and Leopard to destroy Machu Mech. He then activates Gyokkou, targeting and sealing Doremi's set Magic Cylinder. Next, he summons Crane Crane and uses its effect to revive Leopard. He then tributes Leopard to set Tenki from his deck. He activates it, adding Gorilla to his hand. He then overlays Crane Crane with Rooster to Xyz summon Number 17: Leviathan Dragon; he activates its effect, detaching Rooster to boost its ATK by 500. He then uses Tensu to normal summon Dragon. He uses his effect, sending both Tenkis to his graveyard to special summon Rooster; Rooster adds Bear to his hand.
Kotake attacks Doremi directly with Dragon, Number 17, and Rooster.
Kotake ends.
Doremi's turn:
Doremi draws Pot of Duality.
Doremi activates Reinforcement of the Army and uses it to add Goblindbergh to her hand. She then normal summons it and uses his effect to special summon Summoner Monk. Next, she uses Monk's effect to special summon Star Drawing from her deck, discarding Pot of Duality to do so. She follows by overlaying all three to Xyz summon Vylon Disigma; Drawing gives her Pot of Duality. She activates its effect, detaching Monk to equip Rooster to itself.
Doremi attacks Dragon with Disigma. During the Battle Step, Kotake activates Tenken, targeting Dragon, destroying via Disigma's effect it since it and Rooster are FIRE monsters.
Doremi ends.
Doremi LP (1800) – Kotake LP (900)
Kotake's turn:
Kotake draws Bear.
Kotake summons Gorilla and uses Tensu to summon Bear. He then overlays both to Xyz summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Tiger King.
Kotake attacks Vylon Disigma with Leviathan Dragon; both have the same ATK, so both are destroyed. He then Doremi directly with Tiger King. During the Damage Step, he activates Tensen and targets Tiger King.
Doremi LP (0) – Kotake LP (900)
Kotake is the winner!
They thought the Verz was the end of it all. They were wrong.
The Resonance itself is a very fickle thing. Even though it was Her Majesty who brought it to life in the first place, it has since combined with the Shadows' magic and now helps them too. And considering what happened…one could get the idea that the Resonance needs to go.
Megan, however, wanted to see it gone because she wanted the spotlight back. Her reasoning is justified since her Real Self tended to place her in the middle of it all, starring her, and writing the stories for herself. So when she's in a situation where she cannot participate, she is forced to give up the attention for someone else.
So she decided to try and have the Resonance removed for those reasons rather than because it would've been good for everyone else. However, her attempts failed because A) the Ojamajos, as well as Her Majesty and Majorin, were neither powerful enough nor truly willing to do so, and B) because the monsters themselves didn't want to be killed off. Even with the resonance was still there, peace would reign now, now that the Verz has been dealt with. It should last, correct?
Did it not occur to them how fragile such a peace would be? That is was possible that the Resonance could be twisted by even the smallest of missteps? All it would take is one careless Witch or Witch Apprentice to destroy that and bring about a new crisis.
And one such group already has. Let's just hope these Ojamajos can actually succeed again…
The Crisis of the Orichalcos is beginning to stir…
A/N: As was said in the stinger, another story will be coming soon. However, it will have to wait until certain cards that I wish to use are finally produced in the OCG. This is primarily because I have other projects to attend to. The earliest I can manage is probably around late December, after the next set of lists have been announced. But rest assured it will be here soon enough.
In the meantime, what are your final thoughts on this redux when compared to the original?