Chapter 10: Two Against Two
"The howl of the wind deafens. The chill in the air bites hard. The sheets of falling snow blind. How can winter be an abstract concept when it's so physically vicious?" Bryan always hated English literature and never found a use for poetry, but he had strong feelings about being cold. His feelings were justified: Whiteout conditions were present in Yasna, but that didn't change the schedule for the clash of the god cards. He and Matt forced their way through the tundra, wondering if the snow had actually gotten deeper since they first arrived.
The relief of entering Sanjan's Citadel was tremendous, and yet the thought filled Bryan with visceral anger. The temperature inside the citadel was close to zero on the Fahrenheit scale, and he was happy to have it! Compared with the twenty below outside, he might as well jump in a swimming pool! And that conundrum infuriated him to no end! Suddenly no thought sounded better than walking into the atrium and pummeling everyone there, simply strong-arming them for their god cards and going back home, or at least to Duel Academy where he could hop in the hot springs.
"I think I might not have gotten enough sleep," he confessed to his best friend.
"An hour of dozing while sunlight beamed through the layered curtains straight into your face wasn't sufficient?" Matt replied with heavy sarcasm, also feeling a little grumpy. Neither was going to enjoy dueling with god cards while feeling so groggy. "Maybe luck will favor us and no one else slept well, either."
They entered the heart of the citadel, the location of the dueling stage and looked around. Everyone who was still standing at the end of the previous day's duels were present already, apparently waiting for Bryan and Matt yet again. Ren looked perturbed by the delay, but his features betrayed no indication of sleep deprivation. Contained as he was to hide his nuance and mannerisms, Zeke actually looked more full of life than the average eight-year-old.
"Good morning, guys!" shouted someone who looked remarkably like Garry would if he were taken into witness protection and forced to change his features. He couldn't be Garry, though: This guy had a full, robust beard that would take Bryan weeks to replicate. Plus, Garry was never so vigorous.
"Who the hell are you?" Bryan spoke. It came out sounding more like a statement than a question, indicating he knew the answer but wanted a quick explanation for the changes.
Garry rubbed his chin. "Yeah, my razor wasn't as helpful in this climate as I thought. The extra protection on my face is actually pretty nice, though. I've always been able to grow facial hair quickly. For once, it comes in handy."
"It's been four hours. Are you a yeti?" Bryan hadn't shaved since arriving either, but he only grew enough hair to darken the color of his face. Matt, by contrast, looked the exact same, though he was slightly fuzzy to the touch.
"What? No." Garry narrowed his eyes at Bryan for a moment. "I can't really tell if you're being serious or not. If it makes you feel better, I normally need to shave twice a day or I'll look like another person before the next morning."
"Mission accomplished," Matt assured him.
Bryan grabbed Matt and spun him away from Garry so they could talk without him hearing Bryan say, "I want it."
"His beard?"
"It's glorious! Can you imagine how warm it must be under that thing?"
"Can you imagine how many critters could nest in there without his knowing about it?"
"Even more warmth for me! What are the chances I can steal that mojo from him if I duel against him next?"
Matt smirked. "You'd send him to the Shadow Realm over a beard?"
"In a heartbeat!"
The dueling stage was set up in the citadel's fallen courtyard. The outer walls remained high, built to last against the erosive force wind and ice offered in conjunction with one another. For the most part, those walls kept the wind away from the duels, though they could do little to stop snow's accumulation with no overhead protection. Remnants of a crumbled lower wall, perhaps cordoning off a garden once, offered narrow space to take cover from the occasional wind that descended upon the duelists. Sadly, the only visual respite from the eternal shades of gray that filled Yasna came from the clothes worn by the visitors.
Except for the Joker. He wore the same white bodysuit he had hours earlier when Bryan spied on the Hellfire meeting. Whoever the Joker was beneath that mask, he clearly held a high rank in the secretive Hellfire Club, and Bryan was almost certain he'd met the man before. Joker was the one who stepped forward and signaled to Matt that he was part of the first duel.
The second man he signaled removed his hood and revealed his face: young, with long blond hair and pointed facial features.
"Joseph Titus!" Matt exclaimed. "How is he here?"
Bryan agreed, "Shouldn't he be in jail facing drug charges?"
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Evidence came forward during the GX Tournament," Bryan explained to Garry, "that implicated Titus and his company in drug smuggling. They supposedly use the coffee grounds to help them smuggle the drugs internationally."
Garry said, "I know all that. I read the news, apparently more than you do. The charges against Joseph Titus were dropped."
One of the Numbers grabbed Matt's shoulder and pulled toward the duel stadium. "It's time for the duel to begin."
"Hang on," Matt resisted. "Why were the charges dropped?"
"Someone in the company confessed to leading the drug smuggling ring. His testimony about his operation absolved Joseph Titus and the rest of the company of the crime. He claimed none of the higher-ups knew what was going on."
Matt growled, "Obviously just a fall guy."
Garry shrugged. "That can't be proven, so Joseph Titus is a free man."
The Number began pulling on Matt's arm again, more forcefully this time. Bryan quickly leaned in and pointed out, "The Aesir. Iñaki only played one of them, didn't he? We thought that was because Zeke never gave him the chance to play more. But what if he didn't have them? That means Titus has two god cards over there!"
"Two god cards?" Garry repeated. He knew someone would end up with all the god cards by the end of the tournament, but he never really stopped to consider the power of having two god cards in his deck. "If he has two gods, then he'll be twice as dangerous as anyone else."
"Don't worry," Matt replied. He had a stern look on his face. "I also have two." With two Numbers dragging him to the duel stadium, Matt finally hopped up on the platform to join his opponent in battle.
Titus grumbled, "It's about time." Under the roar of the winter wind, Matt almost missed it.
For some reason, Titus's comment really bothered him. "You're lucky to be a free man."
"I don't know what you're talking about. The American justice system is the best in the world. It successfully acquitted an innocent man." Every denial of his culpability infuriated Matt further. "Perhaps you think condemning a man without proof is acceptable?"
"About as acceptable as hiring a man to take the fall for illegal activities."
"That would be a terrible thing for a guilty man to do."
"I'm glad we agree on that. Now let's do this."
Both duelists drew their opening hands and looked to their new judge for guidance. As determined by Joker, Titus received the first turn.
"I'll start by setting one card face-down and one monster in defense mode."
Matt looked at his cards and immediately realized he potentially screwed himself up already. His hand was full of spells that wouldn't even help him with summoning monsters. The only monster he held in his hand was a high-level monster that had no attack power. It was better than nothing, but he was going to need more. His deck worked best with monsters in the Graveyard.
He closed his eyes for just a moment, an act which could easily be mistaken for an attempt to fight off the cold, and focused on the presence of Ahura Mazda inside his body. Now that Angra Mainyu had helped to awaken some of Ahura's memory, Matt found it easier than ever to connect their two consciousnesses.
Yet still Ahura resisted. "I'm going to need your help," Matt grumbled to Ahura. "This guy is supposed to be the best duelist in all of Titus Industries, plus he's got two of those Aesir god cards in his deck!"
"I know," Ahura's spirit replied. "That is why my strength must be conserved. Allow yourself the opportunity to see what your opponent is capable of. If we withhold my power until such time as he summons his god cards, then we will be most poised for a counterstrike."
Matt's first instinct was to argue that hitting hard and fast was the best approach, but then his curious side kicked in. He did wish to see the Aesir god cards in action. Loki had been a fascinating creature. What must the other two be like?
"Okay then. I'll play Charge of the Light Brigade." A bright light flashed on the field. But it was no simple light: It was a tunnel reaching through space-time and bringing forth a warrior adorned in shining armor. "With this, I send three cards from my deck to the grave, and then I move one Lightsworn monster to my hand."
"Lightsworn cards?" Titus repeated. His face peeled into an amused grin and he nodded slowly. "I was told your deck was a mishmash of Cyber Dragons and hand control cards. It would appear you've stepped up your game since Ignacio dueled you."
"He told you about me?"
"Ignacio is a talented duelist, and with ten more years of practice, he may even be better than I am. Yes, he told me all about your duel. Considering your reputation going in, he was sorely disappointed."
Matt smiled widely. "Good. Then allow me to keep going. I'll also play Solar Recharge. By discarding that Lightsworn monster I just moved to my hand, I draw two more cards from my deck by sending another two cards from my deck to the grave."
"Soon enough the duel will end at this rate," Titus provoked, "simply because you sent all your cards to the Graveyard."
"The duel will end before that happens. I'll summon Metaion the Timelord (10/0/0)." A heavy, purple haze covered the field, obscuring Logan's vision of Matt's card. What he could see was human in shape, but it did not look entirely human. The arms were like pieces of pipe attached to enormous claws. Its chest was purple and reflective, appearing to show the image of a human face. "That's all for now."
"A monster with zero attack points?" Titus noted. "A high-level one, but no monster is capable of protecting your Life Points once it's destroyed. I'll flip Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts (3/800/1100) to attack mode, and his effect lets me summon Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts (3/1200/800) from my deck." First appeared a large, two-toed goat with powerful horns and black fur. A second goat appeared, identical save for the white fur. "Lose the Timelord," he spoke as the black goat charged the field.
An instant before those powerful horns rammed their target, Tanngnostr's reflection appeared alongside Tanngrisnir on Metaion's chest. The goat collided with the force of a bulldozer, but Metaion's body resisted absolutely. "My Timelord can't be destroyed by battle," Matt pointed out. "However…" Metaion's body disappeared and turned to purple mist, spreading across the field and consuming the two goats. "All other monsters return to the owner's hands, and you take 300 points of damage for each one."
Titus merely grumbled, "How irritating."
Matt 8000: Titus 8000 – 600 = 7400.
"My turn," Matt said as he drew. "First, Metaion is shuffled back into my deck." He withdrew his monster from the field and shuffled his deck. "Since you were kind enough to leave your field wide open, I'll summon Jain, Lightsworn Paladin (4/1800/1200)." His warrior appeared wearing a full suit of white armor and wielding a sword that, although short in length, was brilliant in luminance. With one swift lunge, Jain struck directly on the field avatar and drained a portion of Titus's Life Points.
Matt 8000: Titus 7400 – 1800 = 5600.
"You've struck first and you've struck well," Titus said. "Perhaps your reputation holds some merit. But I notice your ability relies on trickery, which always falls to power. I'll play Dark Hole." Instantly, all the air in the arena began to pull toward the center of the field. The drop in pressure caused Matt's ears to pop and he felt the force of gravity on him and his monster. Jain lost his footing and slipped into the growing black hole, disappearing from sight. The relief Matt felt when the card's effect ended was slight, yet very real.
"What's going on?" he wondered.
"What's going on is your monster was drawn inside the Dark Hole and destroyed. Now I'll set one card and then summon Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant (4/1200/400)." He summoned a winged woman with demonic red eyes and a scythe as tall as her body. With one swift motion, she drew the scythe, spun it twice, and struck Matt's avatar directly.
The appearance was so realistic Matt could feel the blade as if it moved through his body. He let out a gasp of pain and gripped his shoulder tightly.
Titus noticed the pain on Matt's face. "Are you suffering from my monster's attack? Perhaps you should forfeit now before I summon God to the field."
Matt 8000 – 1200 = 6800: Titus 5600.
"Wouldn't that be nice for you," Matt replied sarcastically. He slapped down a card on the duel station and watched as stone columns rose from the ground, wrapped in ivy and drawing up walls adorned in red velvet. A red carpet led straight to Matt's avatar, now seated in a marble throne. "Welcome to Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. I imagine you're quite familiar with this place."
"I am. I have visited it."
Matt's eyebrow popped at the sound of that. "When you say you've 'been there,' do you suggest you have seen it in a Norse museum, that you have experienced an incorporeal transition to another plane, or that you are in reality several thousand years old?"
Titus offered no direct response to the question. "Continue your turn."
"Alright. Darklord Zerato (8/2800/2300) will grace the Hall thanks to its ability to Special Summon any fairy-type from my hand when I have no other monsters in play." A muscular fairy descended slowly to the field with his red cape that expanded like wings. He brandished his saw-toothed blade in Titus's direction as he prepared to strike at Vanadis.
"It should upset your plan slightly when I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device." Titus's Trap sprang directly beneath Darklord Zerato's feet and propelled him completely from the field back to Matt's hand.
"That…" Matt wanted to bluff but realized the futility of it considering he had no cards to set face-down, still no monsters he could summon, and Valhalla's effect only worked once per turn. "…does hurt me a bit. I could play that, but given my failed attack, it would be better for me to hold it. I end my turn here."
"Ridiculous," Titus commented. "I'll set a monster and another card face-down, and I'll let you feel the wrath of Vanadis (1200) once again." The Nordic woman again whipped her scythe through Matt's body using the momentum of the heavy weapon to give it power. And again, Matt felt as if the blade had slid straight through his own body.
Matt 6800 – 1200 = 5600: Titus 5600.
With a heavy cough to clear his throat of what felt like blood, Matt felt his body for lacerations. "Chest still connected to the shoulders," he noted. He checked his hand where he coughed. "No blood. Must just be a phlegm buildup in response to what my body perceived as a scythe attack." He wiped his hand across his coat. "I suppose I can continue. I'll use the effect of Valhalla again to summon Darklord Zerato (8/2800/2300) back to the field." His caped angel descended to the field once more. "Vanadis (1200) seems a good target for him." Matt braced himself for Titus to activate one of his face-down cards, but he allowed the attack as Zerato cleaved Vanadis in half in a rather bloody fashion.
With a hum of pleasure, Titus asked, "Did you notice that I do not flinch when your monsters attack mine whereas you appear to suffer greatly each time you are attacked by these holograms?"
Surprised, Matt replied, "Are you saying you understand what's going on?"
"Your weakness is showing, boy." He dropped a card from his hand. "When one of my monsters is destroyed in battle, I can summon Tanngnjostr of the Nordic Beasts (3/800/1200) from my hand." The black goat from earlier in the duel bounded back onto Titus's field.
"That's it?" Matt scoffed and set a card face-down. "I'll take my chances."
Matt 5600: Titus 5600 – 1600 = 4000.
"As you wish. First, I flip Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts (3/1200/800)," revealing his white goat a second time. "My Call of the Haunted will bring Guldfaxe of the Nordic Beasts (4/1600/1000) from my Graveyard." Rising from the grave at speeds almost unseen by the human eye came a black horse with a brilliant, golden mane. "Would you care to guess what happens next?"
"It's rather obvious. You have ten stars on the field now that you've summoned a tuner monster."
"Correct. Guldfaxe (4), Tanngnjostr (3), and Tanngrisnir (3) will combine their spirits so I can summon the Synchro god Thor, Lord of the Aesir (10/3500/2800)." Just as the clouds turned jet-black and lightning began sparking between them, Titus began to chuckle. "This should provide you adequate reason to tremble. I do hope you are able to withstand lightning strikes."
"Yes. Well, I've never actually tried it. I imagine it to be rather uncomfortable and tingly. But what I meant to say was this." Suddenly an old man with a beard that reached his chest and clothed in a silver robe appeared on the field. He swung his arm across his body and dispersed the storm clouds instantly. "By paying half my LP, Solemn Judgment will negate the summoning of your monster and destroy it." He cracked a grin. "I suppose even a god can hardly stand against the power of a card with equal divinity."
"There is one thing more powerful than divinity," Titus replied. "I respond with Dark Bribe." A shady-looking man appeared and slunk across the field to the side of the silver-robed man. He knelt down as if paying homage, and then he produced a very large piece of gold. Trying to be subtle, he slipped the gold inside the old man's sleeve. The shady man then struck a position of one pleading for compliance. The old man lowered his powerful arm and disappeared from the field.
"No!"
"Do you see the truth of the world yet? With all the time you've invested in your duel deck—time studying at school and honing your craft—money can produce even more power than that in an instant! Even your divine entities retreat when offered money. And all of that power comes to me without paying the mental and physical cost that you have had to suffer. Money is the true proof of power in this world."
The storm rolled right back in. Snaps of thunder accompanied every flash of light that swooped across the sky. A huge bolt struck right down on the duel station, blinding and deafening the witnesses as Thor, Lord of the Aesir descended. Standing tall as the field and almost as wide, Thor was armored only by a heavy breastplate and a hammer of such girth that only he could possibly wield it. Next to this Nordic God, Darklord Zerato appeared as a child.
"Brace yourself. The attack of a god is always a brutal experience."
Thor was not particularly swift when moving those bulky muscles of his, but his power was unstoppable. He dashed toward Zerato and spun around, swinging his mighty hammer into the Darklord's body. The force of the collision sent Zerato flying back toward Matt. Thor had swung so hard that he also spun around. Following through with the momentum, he hurled his heavy hammer directly in line with Zerato's falling body, grabbing the Darklord and carrying him even farther until he was smashed between the wall of the duel station and Thor's hammer.
Matt took in a deep breath and tightened every muscle he could control to reduce the pain he anticipated.
"You will be safe, Matt." Ahura Mazda's voice rang within his mind. "Look at your monsters. They all have your strength of spirit, and they use it to protect you through this duel. Direct attacks have given you the only pain you've felt to this point because your monsters do whatever they can to protect you."
Sure enough, Matt felt no pain from the initial strike on Darklord Zerato. But as strong as the fallen angel was, he was unable to absorb all of the power behind Thor's hammer, and the residual power spilled over into Matt's body. The pain was intense and it felt as if Matt were hit by a falling vending machine, but he had felt worse in the face of the god cards.
Titus looked displeased, however. "Hmm. How disappointing. Considering how pathetic your response was to Vanadis's attack, I expected Thor to kill you on the spot."
"No such luck," Matt grunted. He coughed heavily to clear his throat. "Is it my turn yet?"
"Go ahead."
Matt 5600 – 2800 – 700 = 2100: Titus 4000.
As soon as he touched the top of his deck, Matt said, "Now!"
"Yes. Now is the time. Bring forth Polymerization!"
Matt pulled the card from the top of his deck and smiled. It was just as he needed. "First, I'll use the effect of Valhalla to Special Summon Honest (4/1100/1900)." An angel in blue brought with him a brilliant light to pierce the darkness brought by Thor's storm. "Next, Glow-Up Bulb (1/100/100) revives itself from my Graveyard when I exchange one card from the top of my deck." The second monster appeared as a plant bulb showing just the first stages of bloom.
"No doubt sent to the Graveyard on your first turn when you played those Lightsworn cards," Titus noted.
"Indeed it was. Many cards are easier to access when I know exactly where they are in the Graveyard. But finally, I'll summon Dark Grepher (4/1700/1600) from my hand." His warrior appeared as a human with charcoal skin. "When I have three monsters of different attributes in play, I can use Super Polymerization to fuse them together into one sort of all-encompassing entity." To activate his spell, he discarded one card, and then both duelists watched the three very different monsters merge into something else entirely.
A heavy mist appeared on both sides of the field, but no other creature appeared than Thor. "What have you done?" Titus asked. "Has your fusion somehow failed to produce a monster?"
"Zurvan (10/3500/3000) is the god of alchemy. He is every element simultaneously. He is time and space. He draws power from each and every living thing. And you will not see him until he attacks."
Titus scoffed, pretending not to care about such threats. After all, faced with incarceration for drug smuggling, he ultimately had little to fear. And here, he had the power of Thor to aid him, as well. "Then let him attack. The duel station shows me that Zurvan's attack points are equal to Thor's."
"Check again. For any monster on the field that has the same attribute as one of the fusion materials used to summon Zurvan, my god gains an extra 500 points."
"But Thor is an Earth monster."
Matt grinned. "So was Glow-Up Bulb. That means Zurvan's (+4000) power is actually four thousand, which enables me to bring an end to Thor's presence on the field with one attack." Upon Matt's command for attack, the entire citadel went quiet. All eyes bore intensely upon the mist that represented this unknown god, and all were eager to see what kind of attack would land. Silence filled the air—silence that might have driven even Titus's hardened heart mad had it lasted any longer. With a sudden and mighty roar, an invisible figure moved through the mist and struck Thor and opened a gushing wound across the belly. Though it was brief, he caught a glimpse of the shape formed by the shifting mist: It was of a lion-headed man, tall and muscular and quicker than a lion itself!
Thor attempted to swing his mighty hammer to counterattack, but he simply swept the mist away as Zurvan moved in to strike again, this time biting down into Thor's trapezius from behind. With two wounds that would not easily close, Thor slowly fell to the ground and vanished from the field. Zurvan likewise vanished into the mist again.
"I'll set one card face-down and end my turn."
"That was unexpected," Titus admitted, "but even if I could not foresee your ability to take down a god card, it does not mean I was ill-prepared. By banishing Guldfaxe from my Graveyard, I can revive Thor (3500) and punish you by 800 points for striking him." A powerful bolt of lightning struck the field and ripped open a hole to the Graveyard, giving Thor avenue to escape. Enraged at his pain and energized by the storm's power, he pulled his hammer behind his shoulder.
"Uh oh."
Thor hurled his hammer, and its mass gained great speed at it slammed into Matt's avatar on the field. The force transferred directly to Matt's body. He couldn't even properly interpret the attack. Every muscle tightened, every joint locked, and every heartbeat was excruciating. Matt fell back to the edge of the platform and began vomiting over the side into the snow. Though it was a physical interpretation to a perceived attack, Matt's body truly suffered this time, and he saw the stream of blood spill from his lips.
Matt 2100 – 800 = 1300: Titus 4000 – 500 = 3500.
"I am surprised," Titus moaned. "I had expected that to be sufficient to kill you, yet you even remain on your feet. Every assessment I made of you so far has underestimated whatever strength of spirit you hold within. Your performance here is almost enough to make me believe in a power greater than money, but let's not get ridiculous." He whipped his card dramatically from the top of his deck. "I'll just have to increase the punishment for you!"
Something in the way Titus moved made Matt think he was growing frightened. Matt defied every one of his expectations so far. If his opponent were smart, he would start to doubt his current assessment of Matt's power. And that doubt would lead to fear, which would cause Titus to take bigger chances. Either he'd slip up and give Matt an opening for victory, or he'd become even more dangerous.
"Does your unknown god of alchemy prevent the effects of Spells and Traps?" Titus wondered aloud. "Let's find out. I'll play Mind Control!" Matt's god had no physical form for the strings of a puppeteer to take hold of, but the display board of the duel station showed his monster card shifting to Titus's side of the field. "It appears it does not. My marionette strings may not be able to grab your monster to allow me to attack, but your monster also cannot defend you without taking corporeal form. If it does, my strings will take control. Either way, Thor is free to attack you directly."
Titus stopped just long enough to notice Matt's face-down card. "Just in case, I'll summon Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts (3/1200/800)." The powerful white-furred goat bounded onto the field for the third time in the duel. "I'll lead the attack with Tanngrisnir." He assumed Matt would activate his face-down card on the goat and leave himself open for an attack by Thor.
And why disappoint him, Matt thought to himself. "I'll play Flute of Summoning Kuriboh. With this card, I summon Winged Kuriboh (1/300/200) to my side of the field." The sounds of a wind pipe chimed with a cheerful tune, and a brown fluff-monster with wings appeared on Matt's field. "Feel free to attack, if you wish."
Everyone knew what happened with Winged Kuriboh on the field. Matt's Life Points were safe no matter what happened. The fact frustrated Titus, but on the other hand, his Life Points being safe did not mean he wouldn't feel the effects of an attack. "Tanngrisnir (1200) will destroy your pathetic defense card, and then Thor will attack you directly."
"Are you daft?" Matt asked him. "Winged Kuriboh's effect activates once it's in the Graveyard. All battle damage to me is reduced to zero. Thor's attack is useless."
"I wouldn't say that." Right after the white goat body slammed Winged Kuriboh and sent it to the grave, Thor jumped across the field and pounded his heavy hammer into Matt's avatar. Even if the battle damage was reduced to zero, it was still a direct attack from a god card. The spiritual damage was sure to be immense! "Kill him," Titus grumbled.
To his dismay, Matt spoke clearly and calmly, "Do you know why you feel the need to express your killing intent out loud? It's because you aren't sure you can control the power of Thor." Thor's attack had done nothing to him! Matt could see the disbelief on Titus's face. "Surprised? Well, like I just said: You can't control Thor's power. See?" He pointed to the Life Point avatar on the field. It had white, powerful wings surrounding it like an impenetrable cocoon. "Winged Kuriboh might not be on the field anymore, but my monster still protects me."
"How can the spirit of such a weak monster defend against the almighty Thor?"
Matt scoffed. "Are you kidding? Winged Kuriboh may be small, but his spiritual energy is almost of legendary proportions. I'm starting to wonder about you, though."
Titus did well to maintain his emotional state against Matt's taunts. He was already frightened by Matt's power. It would do no good to lose focus, too. "I return Zurvan to your control, but know for certain I will prove my power to you on my next turn. I will eliminate you."
"We'll see," Matt remarked.
Matt 1300 – 500 = 800: Titus 3500.
He drew a high-level monster. No good. But he still had Zurvan (+4500), who gained another 500 points because Tanngrisnir was also an Earth monster. "It was nice of you to leave Tanngrisnir (1200) in attack mode. It'll make a good target for Zurvan's attack." In exactly the same fashion as before, the lion in the mist struck the white goat while no one saw the attack, but they witnessed the result.
Matt 800: Titus 3500 – 3300 = 200.
"Did you consider that I left an open target on purpose?" When the white goat vanished, it left behind two Nordic Beast Tokens (3/0/0)—a black sheep and a white sheep. "With one sacrifice, I received six stars on the field. When I summon Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant (4/1200/400), I have the energy on the field to summon my second god: Odin, Father of the Aesir (10/4000/3500)!" Wearing a wizard's hat, a glorious red cloak, and a beard down to his belly and wielding a long, golden spear, Odin was the very image of wisdom-with-age. And he was as big as Thor!
"He did have two gods," Matt realized.
"Of course I did. Having two gods gives me a noticeable advantage during this contest. Do you feel their power?" It was hard not to. With two gods on his field simultaneously, plus a third god on Matt's field, the aura pressure in the citadel was intense and delicately balanced. For the moment, Zurvan's power was enough to hold back Odin's and Thor's combined pressure, but with the slightest push one way or the other…
Titus laughed, "This is a good time to activate Thor's special ability! Once per turn, he can negate the power of all the monsters on your side of the field!" Suddenly Thor began producing an aura so powerful it perfectly matched and countered Zurvan's. As a result, Zurvan (-3500) lost his attack point boost. "That puts Odin All-Father in the lead on the power scale. Not only that, but as the all-powerful Father of the Aesir, Odin is more than capable of striking even an incorporeal god like yours." Odin held in his hand a spear as tall as the citadel. Shifting the flow of his energy into the spear, its shaft began to shine with Odin's aura. When he hurled the spear, it shot through the air so quickly it disappeared from sight. All was silent for a moment when suddenly the spear reappeared soaked in blood and mist. Blood spilled to the ground and the mist lifted as Matt's invisible god faded from the battlefield.
"Do you feel their power?" Titus repeated. He was on the verge of losing control of his emotions. If he did that, he might also lose control of his gods. An eruption of auras that powerful could hurt the duel's spectators. Matt couldn't allow that.
"In all my duels, I've heard a lot of stories. But those god cards came out of nowhere last year. What are they?"
"They are the Aesir!" Bad move. Titus was getting more excited, not less. "These gods are the embodiment of the great Tree of Knowledge! Cut from its bark by Norse duelists, the Aesir are the link between Earth, the Shadow Realm, and a plane of existence beyond either one. If it were possible to internalize their unbridled knowledge, one would undoubtedly become a god in reality!"
"Cut from the Tree of Knowledge?" Matt repeated. He asked Ahura Mazda, "Does that mean anything to you?"
"No," Ahura Mazda answered at the same time Titus shouted, "I just said it, you idiot!" Ignoring the opponent temporarily, Ahura continued, "I should, but it is another memory I cannot recall. But Joseph Titus appears to guard his secret well. We must learn more about the Tree of Knowledge to understand his cryptic message."
Titus laughed as he spoke, "You needn't worry about the Tree of Knowledge. Thor will eliminate you now. He has already prevented your monster effects on the field, and you have no more Kuribohs guarding your avatar. You will die now!"
Matt gasped sharply as Thor pulled back his hammer for another launch. His stress level skyrocketed, effectively inflicting pain even before the attack hit. He feared what would happen to him when the attack landed. Bryan would be left here all alone. Rory would wonder why he never came back to her. And Zeke would never get the chance to know his brother.
Zeke leaned toward Matt as if to offer comfort. "Here's a little exercise for you to try that Mom and Dad recommended to me when I was seven. Go find a quiet space with a little bit of white noise and just meditate. That hypnogogic phase of consciousness right before you fall asleep is one of the most attuned states your mind will ever be in. That's when you're most likely to see Ahura."
Thinking back on how he spent most of his free time during the fall semester, Matt commented, "I've had enough meditation for a while. It didn't work for me. All I figured out eventually is how to use some of Ahura's power to influence what card I draw."
"That's helpful. But when you and Ahura become one, you'll already know how the duel will go." Zeke sighed and offered a gentle shrug. "If meditation isn't your thing, what's always helped me is taking a deep breath."
"That's it?" Matt asked, giving his twin an incredulous expression.
"A deep breath when you're stressed can make the world slow down. That can make it easier to hear what your spirit has to say. Of course, it helps if Ahura actually wants to talk, so you could just be out of luck. But seriously, that should be your goal. When you and Ahura Mazda are able to merge even for a moment, you'll see things you've never seen. Spirits abounding, the colors of duel energy, thoughts and emotions tinting the air around people…"
Zeke's advice! Was it worth it? He had been talking with Ahura Mazda. Would absorbing his power do anything to change the situation? With no other options, he took in a long, slow breath.
And the world did slow down.
Everything around him once appeared as a white, snow-covered ruin with shadows interspersed, but now the environment was on a yellowscale and nothing was motionless. Joseph Titus appeared across from him as deep red. Each pump of his heart caused the color in his body to pulsate and the air around him to blacken. The walls of the duel stadium were bright orange with the light of duel energy shooting through them sporadically. Thor and Odin each appeared as one explosion of light after another. Their auras seemed as a black mist connecting the two gods to the duelist who summoned them. Overhead he could see the form of a giant ash tree looming in the sky. It was not there a minute ago. Its drooping branches looked just like the flowing auras coming from the Aesir. Was this what Zeke saw when he dueled? It was as if Matt could see the very life that flowed through everything around him.
And he understood. He had to impose order on the world around him, to quell the chaos between the Earth and the spirits of god cards that didn't belong.
"Your monsters do whatever they can to protect you."
Ahura's words rang in his mind then. "The effects on the field were negated," Matt noted, recalling how brutally Zurvan was destroyed. "But effects in the Graveyard still activate!"
Suddenly Thor dropped his hammer while it was still pulled behind his shoulder. He was lucky to avoid any backlash. A warrior clad in spiked armor was faintly visible outside Thor's hand. He had jammed his spiky armor into the tendons in Thor's fist before he could throw the hammer. "Necro Gardna," Matt explained. "Such a wound is hardly noticeable for a god and will heal almost instantly, but it is severe enough to negate the attack for now. It looks like I will get one more turn after all."
Titus growled loudly. "How many lucky moves do you have, boy?!"
"That's actually how my deck is registered at Duel Academy. Search for my profile, and under 'deck theme' you'll see the words 'lucky move.' It might make a good nickname, too. Call me 'Lucky Move' Luther. Yeah?" He looked pleased for a moment, but disgust quickly drew across his face. "No. What was I thinking? Never call me that."
"I'll call you 'Out of Lucky Moves' Luther. What could you possibly do now? Your god card is gone and you stand against two gods on my field! There are no more lucky moves that can help you bring down this kind of power!" With every word he shouted, the link connecting his aura to that of Thor and Odin became stronger. In essence, Titus was becoming one with his god cards.
Matt nodded solemnly. "You're almost right. I have nothing that can overpower those two gods. Their power is remarkable. Whatever their origins, they draw power beyond much of what I've seen so far. But you are losing yourself to them."
"What does that mean?"
"You don't see it? Your consciousness is merging with theirs. When there was one god on the field, combining your power didn't do as much to you. But now that you've split your consciousness in two, you are being absorbed by their power. I will find the way to rescue you."
"Rescue me," Titus scoffed.
Finally learning to speak without being verbal (so no one else could hear him), Matt asked of Ahura Mada, "What would happen if I destroyed his god cards?"
"To do so without either Zurvan or Spenta Mainyu, I suspect the aura choking Joseph Titus would fade, though there is the risk severing the connection would shock his system in such a way he may not recover."
"What if I deplete his Life Points with a direct attack from Spenta Mainyu?"
"Almost certainly, his purified soul would immediately perish from the strain of two gods drawing him in."
"I see. Then we take the option with the highest chance of survival."
Matt rearranged the particles of the top card from his deck before picking it up. "I'll play Trade-In. I drop Darklord Superbia (8) into the Graveyard to draw two new cards." He rearranged the particles again and took his two cards. "These two cards are all I need. First is Monster Reborn: It revives Darklord Zerato (8/2800/2300)." Matt's now-familiar fallen angel with the red cape appeared on the field with his saw-tooth blade at the ready. "My other card is Darklord Desire. By discarding it from my hand, Darklord Zerato destroys every monster on your field!"
Finally, Darklord Zerato had a chance to show off his real power. He drew in dark energy from the card Matt dropped. His skin darkened to the color of ash while his sword gleamed brighter. Taking to the air, he shot across the field like a caped missile.
"You idiot!" Titus screamed. "A monster like that doesn't have the power to battle with the gods! One alone would be too powerful!"
Matt held out his hand with his palm up and said, "We will see." Aura particles collected in his palm, instantly transferring into his monster. Zerato's aura grew brighter as he approached the two towering gods. Dark clouds billowed along the ground behind him like a tidal wave, consuming Zerato's body and concealing him from view. Thor and Odin had been prepared for battle, but now they faced an opponent they couldn't see.
Engulfed in the darkness, Thor and Odin struck fighting positions, attempting to predict the movements of the fallen angel that threatened them. But as powerful as they might be, they were blinded by the darkness as Zerato cut them: slowly, randomly, and repeatedly. Thor was the first to fall to his knee when Zerato sliced his heel, and then he disappeared from the field completely underneath the dark clouds. Lamenting the loss of his son, Odin reached into the clouds, grabbed Zerato by the collar, and hurled him out of the shadows. Zerato stood back to catch his breath while he watched Odin prepare to strike. With his spear poised to strike, he charged across the field, his feet like lightning. Just as the tip of the spear reached Zerato, the fallen angel received another burst of Matt's aura. With one swift and flawless motion, Zerato flipped over the spear, rolled along the shaft, and swung his sword with the force of an army. Odin stumbled and dropped his spear. Before he could fall to his knees, his entire body split in half.
"Impossible," Titus uttered. His expression was long and sallow. The destruction of his gods devastated him.
Disbelief aside, Zerato stayed on Titus's side of the field, hovering in the air behind Titus's avatar. "And now that your field is empty, Zerato (2800) can attack you directly." With one swift move, Zerato sliced through the avatar and dropped the last of Titus's Life Points.
Matt 800: Titus 200 – 2800 = 0.
Matt expected something more dramatic. Titus passed out on his feet. His aura was weak, and he may have been comatose while upright. He was certainly not dead, however. Time would give him the opportunity to recover. Depending on the influence Matt's aura had on him, he could awaken to be a better man, or he could turn out to be a purely base creature.
Joker retrieved the two Nordic Gods from the duel station and turned Titus over to the medical staff. He handed the two gods to Matt, who graciously accepted them. But before letting go of the cards, Joker grabbed Matt's wrist with his other hand. The action surprised Matt, but Joker held firm.
"Know this," he spoke. "Even if you are unable to place these gods in your deck, they will still be your wager for each coming duel."
Curious, Matt leaned in. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Actions speak louder than words," was Joker's cryptic reply. He released Matt's wrist with the Aesir in his hand and signaled to the next two duelists to begin.
"How odd," Matt muttered. "I'm quite certain he was trying to tell me something."
Suddenly Matt's vision became uncertain. Visions of lives not his flashed through his mind. The images were jumbled and flowed out of order, but he recognized a few images. The god cards being removed from the deadnettle grove by hand, for one. The Shadow Realm restlessly struggling against a physical entity. A young couple converses about the approaching apocalypse. A man surrounded by wealth suddenly has a stroke at home. Maximilian Pegasus views the trunk of a tremendous ash tree. A traveling monk journeys between spiritual locations. And an altar in the middle of stone ruins shines as brightly as the sun.
Given the sudden mental overload, Matt crashed face-first into the snow.
This chapter was fun to write. I hope I did okay with the gameplay rules because I feel pleased with it. I didn't spend too much time on Titus's acquittal because there is only so much to say about it without turning this into a very different type of story–plus the whole drug thing came on the spur of the moment during Part IV, anyway. Next week, we'll see two members of the Hellfire Club duke it out on the duel field, including one who may not be what he says he is. Or perhaps he is exactly what he says he is. How will the others take the news?
Trivia: The chapter title doesn't actually match the course of events in the duel. Originally, Matt's chosen cards when he played Trade-In would be Monster Reborn and Spenta Mainyu. He would revive Superbia and use its effect on Zerato and then use both as Tributes so Spenta Mainyu could attack directly; hence, Matt used two gods to defeat Titus and his two gods. Right after I started writing that, I thought how silly it was not to use Zerato's effect. In the canon, the only true win against the god cards is to destroy them, after all.