Chapter 28: The Birth of a God
"You called me?" Dr. Kevin Lankford asked sternly as he walked into Dr. Gabrielle Houtz's office. The room looked like a makeshift laboratory, with Bunsen burners and test tubes and the like hanging around on the same desk as paper files like they weren't violations of the fire code. Former Sgt. Roger Baker and headmaster Dr. Corbin West were already in the room waiting.
"Thank god you finally arrived," Roger said. "She wouldn't tell us what this meeting was about until you got here, but that didn't stop her from making us guess." Based on her outfit—a black blouse, black skirt, black boots, black necklace, and a white lab coat—Kevin might have guessed it was Halloween-related.
"Do you want to take a guess?" she offered Kevin.
He simply moved his head to the side once. "Nope. What have you got?"
Gabby put on a huge grin before she started speaking. "I took a sample of Matt's blood from the clinic and extracted a coding of his DNA, and then I ran it through the database to see what kind of match I could find."
Roger pointed out, "Did you get anything at all? Not many people have DNA in the system."
"That's true, but the proportion of people living in this community who work directly for Kaiba Corp. is fairly high. Some of them are faculty and staff members at the Academy, some are contractors who regularly do work on campus, and some are on retainer for one reason or another. It was a good place to start."
Kevin didn't make an audible groan, but his displeasure was obvious by the look on his face. "Are you aware how much it costs to use all that equipment?"
"Ten bucks?" she suggested. From Kevin's glare, she guessed her estimate was a little off. "The exact number doesn't matter. What does matter is that I found a partial match: seven out of thirteen markers in common. That means a direct, blood relative."
"Who is it?" Corbin asked.
Gabby just grinned like a little kid who had a secret. "I'll give you a hint. He's got tenure, and his name is shorthand for Malus domestica."
"Where are we going, Dr. Apple?" Matt wondered. It was odd enough when Dr. Apple led him off campus, but now they were headed into the woods—to that special grove where the spotted white deadnettle grew—and Matt was beginning to entertain thoughts of slasher flicks in which the friendly and somewhat eccentric killer convinces everyone that he has no intention of killing anyone right before he shares that one spot in the woods that he likes to kill teenagers.
"Call me Oscar," Dr. Apple requested. "Do you know the significance of this location on the island?"
Matt's eyes wandered to the base of a tree nearby, where the dirt still looked like it was disturbed fairly recently. "No."
Oscar seemed hurt by that response. "Are you sure? Do you not feel the energy in this area? What do you think causes these flowers to grow in this one spot on the island?"
"Teenage blood?"
"I will not kill you," Oscar said with a laugh. "It is the energy of this island that makes the soil fertile. It is no coincidence that so many stories of magic originate at Duel Academy. The island basks in its own spiritual energy year-round, and duelists bring even more energy with them."
Matt made a face. "Forgive my rudeness, but didn't you say you had information about my parents? Do you even know who they are?"
"I've met your mother many times," Oscar admitted. "I'm just not sure you are emotionally ready to know who she is and what she did to you that caused her to abandon you."
"What she did to me?" Matt repeated curiously. "Tell me. I can handle it. I'll prove it through a duel if you want."
Oscar looked surprised. "A duel? Isn't your deck a mishmash of card themes right now?"
"I don't care. If it will prove my mental fortitude to you and let me finally learn something about my birth, I'll duel you with a pack of baseball cards. We can even cut our LP in half if it will speed things along—whatever you want!"
With a grin, Oscar agreed, "Very well. Prove to me you are ready for this information."
Oscar drew most quickly and took the first turn. "I'll start off with the Continuous Spell card Infinite Wisdom." A card bearing the image of an elderly man with somewhat feline facial features and an open book in his hand rose, and a white mist covered the field. "By the effect of this card, I get to see your hand for the rest of the duel. Now let's see the power of your opening draw."
"You don't even have to pay anything?" Matt asked as his cards appeared in front of him: Change of Heart, Cyber Dragon, Giant Rat, Sinister Serpent, Mystical Space Typhoon.
"I'll activate the second effect of Infinite Wisdom. By paying 1000 Life Points, I can discard any card from your hand. I choose Mystical Space Typhoon."
"Good choice, since I would only use it to destroy that annoying Spell."
"Yes, I considered that possibility. I will now summon Twelve Commanders – Scorpio (Water-4/2000/0) and place one card down to end my turn." A giant, reddish-orange-colored scorpion scuttled onto the field with its tail arched overhead and ready to strike.
Matt 4000: Oscar 4000 – 1000 = 3000.
Matt drew, and Ring of Destruction appeared on the field in front of him where Oscar could see the rest of his cards. "This is bogus," he commented. "What fun is the duel if you know what your opponent has? Where's the real challenge for you?" His excitement slowed some as he added, "And besides that, I can't mount a decent sneak attack this way."
"I'm sure you'll try, though."
"Of course. It wouldn't be any fun to quit. I'll use its special ability to summon Cyber Dragon (5/2100/1600) straight to the field." His favorite, serpentine dragon slithered onto the field and coiled itself in preparation for attack. "This monster is strong enough to destroy Scorpio (2000)." With a single blast of energy from its mouth, Cyber Dragon smothered and destroyed Scorpio. "Next I'll place Giant Rat in defense mode and place Ring of Destruction facedown." He wasn't going to pretend he was fooling Oscar by setting cards he already saw.
Matt 4000: Oscar 3000 – 100 = 2900.
"Allow me to open my set card," Oscar said. "Seven Demons – Moon allows me to pay 1000 Life Points to summon Twelve Commanders – Cancer (Water-7/2100/2000) from my deck to the field." The moon that appeared above the field had a design drawn on its face; it was a systematic design that connected to the moon's borders at five points. On the field, a giant, ruby-colored crab scuttled onto the field, constantly snapping its pincers as if to threaten its opponent. "When Cancer card is Special Summoned, I get to summon any and all Twelve Commanders monsters in my hand. I hold Aries (Fire-4/1800/1000)," a ram with diamond horns, "Taurus (Earth-4/0/2200)," a bull with emerald horns, "and Libra (Wind-1/300/100)," a soft-skinned woman wearing a white toga and carrying green scales.
"Four monsters I've never heard of?" Matt asked.
"I wield a greater power than you realize," Oscar said. "Take this card, for instance. Seven Demons – Venus gives us each 1000 Life Points, but it also gives me an additional 1000 Life Points for each Twelve Commanders monster on my field." The image of the yellow Venus, bearing the same pentacle symbol from before, appeared over the field and emanated a glow of light over both duelists and each of the Twelve Commanders monsters.
"Holy crap!" Matt said. "You just got 5000 Life Points. That's nuts!"
"Hardly a crazy move. The idea is to give myself more Life Points, isn't it?"
Matt made a face. "I actually just meant that getting such much at one time is tough for me to overcome."
"Oh, yes, of course." Oscar laughed at his misunderstanding. "Now allow me to explain the abilities of my monsters. You have already been introduced to the first effect of Twelve Commanders – Cancer (2100). He has another: when there is an earth monster on my field, I can move a Twelve Commanders monster from my deck to my hand once per turn. I'll choose Capricorn."
"Your cards are all named after astrological signs," Matt commented. "Except the Spells; they're astrological planets."
"Even the moon?" Oscar asked.
"Dumb as it sounds, in astrology, the moon is like a planet. From an astronomer's perspective, it's a satellite because it orbits a planet instead of the sun, but in astrology, the moon and the sun are treated as heavenly bodies like the other planets."
"Very good. And I didn't even teach you about that in class. Tell me: Do you believe in astrology?"
"You mean using planetary alignment to determine a person's future? Not even sort of. So if you've chosen your monsters to give me a hidden message, skip it. I don't believe in astrology or predestination."
"You'll discover the only deeper meaning of my deck soon enough," Oscar said. "Allow me to continue. Aries (+2400) gains 600 points if I have a wind monster on my field, and he can attack once for any Spell or Trap on my field. Taurus (2200) can only be played in defense mode, and you must attack him. In addition, he is protected by the presence of a water monster such that you cannot destroy him in battle. Libra (300) has the ability to attack you directly, and a fire monster allows her to increase the damage by 300. Now I'll summon Twelve Commanders – Capricorn (Earth-2/800/500)." This monster was a small, white-colored creature with the torso of a goat and he lower body of a fish. "With this card on the field, you can only activate cards that have been set for a turn, and with a water monster on the field adding a second ability, you can only activate one set card per turn."
"Then let's use one now," Matt decided immediately. "I already set Ring of Destruction, and so I'll activate that to destroy Capricorn (800) and deal its points as damage to both of us." A stone ring wrapped around Capricorn's neck, sprouting eight dwindling points of fire like short fuses.
Oscar laughed as his monster exploded. "I guess I wasn't expecting that. You are full of surprises. But now I'll start my onslaught. Aries (2400) will destroy Cyber Dragon (2100), then Cancer (2100) will destroy your facedown Giant Rat (1100)." The ram charged and butted heads with Cyber Dragon, destroying it instantly, and then the crab reached out and crushed Matt's rat in its powerful pincers.
"My Rat's ability lets me summon an earth monster to my field, as long as it has 1500 points or fewer. I'll summon Exiled Force (4/1000/1000)," a team of armed villagers ready for battle.
"Tricky card," Oscar admitted. "I'll let Libra (300 + 300) attack you directly, then I'll end my turn." The toga-clad woman released a burst of energy from the scales, and it traveled past Matt's monsters to hit him directly.
Matt 4000 + 1000 – 800 – 300 - 300 = 3600: Oscar 2900 – 1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 1000 + 1000 – 800 = 6100.
"Let's see what I can muster," Matt said and drew Pot of Greed. "I'll use Pot of Greed to draw two cards." The green jar with a goofy grin gave Matt Sakuretsu Armor and Breaker the Magical Warrior. "It looks like I haven't lost my touch. I'll summon Breaker the Magical Warrior (4/+1900/1000)." Breaker was a knight wearing deep red armor with a matching cape and equipped with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. "He gets a Spell Counter to increase his points by 300 just for being summoned, but I'm going to remove it to activate his other ability. I get to destroy a Spell or Trap on the field, and Infinite Wisdom is the only one left." The spell counter on Breaker's armor disconnected and fell into the void; the resulting shockwaves destroyed the mist of Infinite Wisdom.
"Your hand is your own secret now," Oscar told him.
"Thank you. First I'll Tribute Exiled Force to activate its effect to destroy Taurus." The team of men charged at the heavy bull and pummeled it at the cost of their own lives. "Now I'll use my Change of Heart to take control of Twelve Commanders – Aries (2400)." A young woman with long hair—half blonde, half brunette—and one angelic wing and one demonic wing appeared on the field; she floated across the field and spiritually infested the body of the diamond-horned ram. "He wouldn't do you any good anyway because he can only attack if there is a Spell or Trap on the field; I'll set one to fulfill that requirement. That means Aries (2400) can destroy Cancer (2100), and Breaker (1600) can destroy Libra (300)." The ram butted its diamond horns against the ruby crab, and Breaker slashed at the woman with the scales. "That ends my turn."
Matt 3600: Oscar 6100 – 300 - 1300 = 4500.
Oscar smiled as he drew his card. "Fortune is on my side. Aries (-1800) returns to my side of the field, and I drew the Card of Sanctity. We both draw until we hold six cards in our hands. I'll begin this turn with the Field Spell card Infinite Space. With this on the field, I am able to summon monsters into my Spell and Trap Zones."
"Seriously?" Matt asked. "Then you can potentially have ten monsters?"
"Exactly. I'll summon Twelve Commanders – Gemini (Wind-1/200/400)," a green toga-clad woman, "and when this monster is played, she creates a Gemini Token (4/1600/1000) equal to a monster on your field." A second toga-clad woman appeared on the field, but her toga was crimson and bore a slight resemblance to Breaker's armor. "To follow up, I'll place two cards facedown and attack with Aries (+2400)."
"You already knew my Trap was Sakuretsu Armor," Matt said as Breaker's armor spiked and impaled the ram before it made contact. "That destroys your monster before you can do anything to mine."
"But now your Trap is gone and I don't need to worry about it anymore. I'll end my turn."
His Gemini Token must not be able to attack, Matt realized. Otherwise, that would have been able to destroy Breaker and leave Matt defenseless. And sacrificing his ram to remove Matt's Trap meant Oscar dueled by the same basic philosophy Matt followed: Doing nothing accomplishes nothing.
"Let me start this turn by playing Future Fusion," Matt said. A green time warp appeared on the field and drew in two metallic serpents. "I'll send two Cyber Dragons from my deck to the Graveyard and in two turns, I can summon Cyber Twin Dragon. Now I'll summon my Different Dimension Assailant (4/1700/1600) to attack your Gemini Token (1600)." A platinum blonde wearing tight, white clothes and wielding a large cleaver appeared on the field and bolted straight for the red toga-clad woman, cutting clean through her with the cleaver.
"I'll activate my Trap card Seven Demons – Saturn." A beige planet with mighty rings wrapped around it and a pentacle symbol on its face hovered in the sky over the field. "With this on the field, my monsters are revived at the end of the turn they are destroyed in battle."
Matt laughed. "That's almost too cool to be annoying. These are some wicked cards you're playing. It's not all that rare for people to play cards and I don't the effects, but I can think of only one other time since I became a serious duelist that someone played cards I never even heard of." He looked at his Duel Disk with a grin. "Actually, she gave me this Duel Disk." He remembered the card he wore around his neck—one he encased in hard plastic and threaded a lanyard.
"Enough sentiment. I'll dent your Life Points now by letting Breaker (1600) attack Gemini (200)." His red knight slashed again, cutting through the green toga-clad woman. "I'll set a card and end my turn."
Matt 3600: Oscar 4800 – 100 – 1400 = 3300.
"Saturn brings Gemini (200) back to my field," Oscar commented as the green toga-clad woman reappeared. "Now I'll summon Twelve Commanders – Sagittarius (Fire-3/1700/1800)." His new monster was a turquoise-colored centaur carrying a bow and arrow. "My squad doesn't end there. I'll play my facedown Seven Demons – Mercury to summon Twelve Commanders – Scorpio (+3000) from the Graveyard." A small, orange planet with the pentacle symbol appeared overhead, and the light from it revived the giant red-orange scorpion. "You never got to see his effect last time."
"No, but I can see it now," Matt said as Oscar's other monsters got stronger.
"Scorpio can share his points with the other monsters on my field, so Sagittarius (+4700) and Gemini (+3200) gain 3000 points each. Scorpio gains 1000 attack points for an earth monster being on the field."
"You don't have an earth monster," Matt commented as he double-checked the verity of that statement on his Duel Disk. "Oh, but I do: D.D. Assailant."
"You're quick to catch on," Oscar complimented as he put his finger to his temple. "Now I'll activate Gemini's effect that is inspired by a fire monster on the field: I get to summon a Gemini Token (4/+4700/1600) to mimic your D.D. Assailant (1700), plus Scorpio (3000) shares its power." A new woman wearing a white toga and carrying a large cleaver appeared on the field. "Now I'll use Sagittarius's ability to increase my Life Points by 600 for each monster on my field, but the effect is doubled when there is a wind monster on the field."
"That's 4800 more points," Matt sighed. "I could have beaten two duelists already. It'll take forever for me to beat you now. Any chance I can convince you to tell me about my parents before the duel ends?"
"We'll see how well you mount a counterattack," Oscar replied vaguely. It's like he enjoyed watching Matt squirm for information. "I'll play Seven Demons – Mars." A red planet bearing the pentacle symbol appeared in the sky over the field. "This allows all my monsters to engage in battle this turn, and its effect can't be negated by any other. That means even Scorpio (3000) and D.D. Assailant Token (4700) are allowed to attack, despite their usual inability to do so."
"I don't see how a normal duelist could survive this turn," Matt said.
"A normal duelist?" Oscar repeated. "Does that mean you think you can?"
"Of course. When I have ever given an empty threat? Not counting that time I failed to actually bring it on like Donkey Kong. My facedown card is a very special one called Book of Moon." A blue book with the golden image of a crescent moon on it opened on Matt's side of the field and drew in the giant scorpion before it closed. "This spell forces one monster on the field into facedown defense position. I'll choose Scorpio. A facedown monster has no active effect, so your other monsters return to their normal attack powers."
"Impressive move," Oscar said. "I'll settle this turn having Sagittarius (1700) destroy Breaker (1600)." His centaur fired an arrow that pierced Breaker's crimson armor. "I'll also set a card on the field. And Mercury's effect only remains for one turn, so Scorpio is destroyed again." Matt 3600 – 100 = 3500: Oscar 3300 + 1200 + 1200 + 1200 + 1200 = 8100.
"Lucky me," Matt said. "Let me see if I understand this ability. I'll play Brain Control and pay 800 Life Points to control Sagittarius for a turn." A pair of green hands appeared on the field and reached over the brain transposed overtop of Sagittarius.
"I'm afraid it won't be that easy. My facedown card is Seven Demons – Jupiter." A massive, orange planet with the pentacle symbol appeared over the field. "With a face-up Sagittarius or Pisces, I can negate the activation of any card you play and destroy it."
"Good card," Matt said, "but I have another. It's called Snatch Steal, and it lets me take control of your monster indefinitely." This time, a man ran from Oscar's field to Matt's field, dragging Sagittarius with it. "The only cost is you gain 1000 Life Points during each Standby Phase."
"You would give me more Life Points?"
"Just watch. I'll summon Hand of Nephthys (2/600/600)." A fair-skinned woman wearing gold and orange priestly clothing and a headdress with a phoenix feather in it stepped onto the field. "So with three monsters on my side of the field, and Gemini being a face-up wind monster, I gain 3600 Life Points." He smiled as his Life Point meter rose. "I can see why you like these cards."
"They are quite useful," Oscar agreed, "though I generally prefer it when my cards aren't played against me. It makes me think you may be awakening already."
"I'm not sure what you're saying, but I think I figured out that deeper meaning to your cards. It's alchemy, right? You gave a lecture on duel alchemy in the duel history and ancient duelists classes. Your cards all play off the elements of others, combining for new special abilities."
"I knew you would figure it out."
"Uh huh. And that means you are the one who created Ouroboros, Nigredo, Albedo, and Citrinitas. Is there a fifth one?"
Oscar made a face and tilted his head. "Technically, no. They are, in fact, all stages of the same homunculus achieving personality development."
Matt was surprised to find out the clone theory was correct after all. "A homunculus?"
"Yes—an entity that represents all characteristics of a human being without actually being one. But his existence circles a single purpose, and only one purpose."
"What purpose is that?"
Oscar just smiled. "Retake the lead and maybe I'll tell you more."
Matt huffed. "You want me to take the lead? I'll Tribute Hand of Nephthys and Twelve Commanders – Sagittarius to summon from my deck the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys (8/2400/1500)." The Egyptian priestess cast a spell that turned her and the centaur into energy; the energy reformed into the shape of a large, golden, bipedal bird covered in flames. "Now my Snatch Steal is gone so your Life Points won't increase. They will decrease, however, when I attack your Gemini Token (1700) with my Phoenix (2400), and Gemini (200) with D.D. Assailant (1700)." The flaming bird grabbed the cleaver-bearing, white toga-clad woman and incinerated her, and then the Assailant whipped her own cleaver through the green toga-clad woman. "That will end my turn."
Matt 3500 – 800 + 1200 + 1200 + 1200 = 6300: Oscar 8100 – 700 – 1500 = 5900.
"You are every bit as powerful as I expected," Oscar said. "Your ability to control my creatures and use their effects to your advantage is what brought you this far. Now allow me to send the game to a new level."
"That doesn't sound good," Matt said.
"The power of Saturn brings Gemini (400) back to the field in defense mode." This time, the woman in the green toga covered her face with one arm to indicate defense mode. "Now I'll activate her special ability. With a fire monster on the field—your Phoenix—I can summon a Gemini Token (8/2400/2000) that mimics your monsters." A second Gemini woman appeared again, and her toga was golden-red and in flames. "I'll end by activating Seven Demons – Sol." A bright, yellow sun appeared in the sky. "Now during my End Phase, I am allowed to summon any Twelve Commanders monster from my deck. I choose to summon Twelve Commanders – Pisces (2/700/800) during my End Phase," a blue, prismatic fish.
Matt scoffed, forgetting about Oscar's promise in light of the duel's intensity. "Let's see if you remember this one: Future Fusion activates at this time! That means I get to summon my Cyber Twin Dragon (8/2800/2800)." A mechanical serpent slid onto the field, but this one bore two necks and two heads. "This bad boy gets to attack twice, so let's see what we can do, guys!"
"Hold on," Oscar interrupted. "When I send Pisces to the Graveyard, it negates an attack and ends the Battle Phase immediately." The fish circled Matt's field and covered it with bubbles that blinded Matt's monsters.
"You can't stay lucky forever," Matt told him.
"The same thing could be said about you, don't you think? How often do you win duels with a one-in-a-hundred draw just before your opponent finishes you off?"
"Every week," Matt answered. "And usually one right around Christmas."
Oscar grinned at Matt's humor. "That is testament to the power you have sleeping inside of you. Every time you begin to feel as if things are hopeless, you draw upon the energy sealed deep within and use that to reshape the duel to your own ending."
"If I'm that good, then why did I lose to Naoto this year?"
"Deep down, you wanted Naoto to win. It doesn't take an expert to see how badly he wanted your rank, and you know you have two more years to be the top-ranked student."
Matt scoffed, but he couldn't really argue; a part of him did want Naoto to win that duel, though Matt doubted he threw the duel in any way. "You're forgetting about Bryan. He's just as good as I am, and probably a little better."
"We both know that's only temporary," Oscar replied with a laugh. "Although I admit your sworn brother is immensely talented with a Polymerization card, he does not have the dueling spirit within him that you do. Your mother believed that your friends are what make you stronger and that without them, you will never truly awaken. I believe friends are a crutch and the only way to achieve real power is to find and draw it out on your own. For that reason, if you win this duel, I will share information about your birth with you."
"All I have to do is win?" Matt repeated. He clenched a fist and said, "Bring it on! I'll place two cards down and a monster in defense mode."
"Good. I'll play Pot of Greed to draw two cards." Now the green pot offered Oscar two more cards. "Allow me to summon Twelve Commanders – Aquarius (Wind-4/1400/1600)," a muscular man carrying a jug full of water. "With his power, I get to take control of a monster on your field until the end of the turn." The man poured water from the jug over Matt's mechanical dragon, and the body corroded. "I'll take your Cyber Twin Dragon."
"No, you won't. I'll play De-Fusion to split my dragon into two Cyber Dragons (2100)." A burst of energy caused the two-headed dragon to split, and two serpentine dragons took its place. "Now the target of your effect has disappeared, and so the effect goes with it."
"I'm impressed. I'll have Aquarius (1400) attack your facedown monster." The man poured water from the jug again, but this time with enough quantity to flood the field.
"It was Sinister Serpent (250)."
"I know; I've been counting your cards. I'll set one and end my turn. Now Sol's effect activates during my End Phase, and I get to summon Twelve Commanders – Leo (Fire-8/2400/1800) from my deck." A yellow-green lion rushed onto the field from the sunlight. "With him, I am allowed to revive up to three Twelve Commanders monster from my Graveyard. I'll choose Taurus (Earth-2200), Cancer (Water-2100), and Scorpio (Water-20003000)." The bull with the emerald horns, the red crab, and the red-orange scorpion all returned to the field.
Matt 6300: Oscar 5900 – 500 = 5400.
"I hate that card," Matt said. "With that in mind, let's activate my other facedown card." A large piece of machinery appeared on the field, and its wires connected the two Cyber Dragons. "It's called Photon Generator Unit, and it lets me Tribute my two Cyber Dragons to summon Cyber Laser Dragon (7/2400/1800)." Another, bigger mechanical serpent slid onto the field and raised its tail, revealing a powerful laser device.
Oscar looked at the monster and expressed surprise. "There's a card few people ever use."
"Yeah, I know. I think Rory's been messing with my deck when I wasn't looking. Regardless, I claimed I could beat you with anything and so I shall. I'll activate the ability of Cyber Laser Dragon (2400) which lets me destroy any monster on the field with attack equal to or higher than his. I'll choose Scorpio (3000)." The dragon's tail aimed at the scorpion and fired straight through it. "Now I can attack, starting with D.D. Assailant (1700) against Taurus (2200)." D.D. Assailant attacked the bull; when the bull resisted the first attack and gored through the Assailant's armor, she managed to stick her cleaver in the bull's belly before being destroyed; both monster were removed from play. "Now my Phoenix (2400) will destroy Cancer (2100)." The bird grabbed the crab with its talons and incinerated it. "That's all for now."
Matt 6300 – 500 = 5800: Oscar 5400 – 300 = 5100.
The planet with the rings began to shine again and light the field, returning the ruby crab. "The power of Saturn brings Cancer (2100) back to the field. Next I'll activate Infinite Power, which makes my monsters invincible; none can be destroyed in battle." The sun began shining brightly, as well. "I can also pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon a monster that was destroyed by a card effect, like Taurus."
"But I removed that from play."
"Yes, but Sol's power does not specify the location from which a monster may be summoned."
"Once again something that could have been brought to my attention yesterday!"
Oscar smiled. "Don't worry. The duel will end soon I have exactly the cards I need. I'll send three of my monsters to the Graveyard to summon Zurvan—The Time (10/5000/5000)!"
The air suddenly became heavy and stiff. It felt like time stopped, and a warp hole opened in the sky where a monster with indistinct features descended onto the field. It resembled a purple demon with the face of a lion, bat-like wings, and a lengthy tail, but its aura was purely ethereal.
"What is that?" Matt asked, gripping his chest lightly.
"This is my god of time, holding more power than the Egyptian Gods." Oscar's field exploded, and all cards disappeared except for Zurvan and his Spells and Traps. "In Zurvan's presence, other monsters are not worthy, and so they are all sacrificed out of respect. Now I'll have Zurvan (5000) destroy Cyber Laser Dragon (2400)." The demonic beast cast a spell of blue energy that surrounded the Cyber Laser Dragon underneath and obliterated it. Matt grunted as his monster was blown away and the Duel Disks sent shockwaves in every direction. The force was immense.
Oscar pointed out, "Now by Zurvan's effect, I can play Infinite Wisdom from my Graveyard. That means you reveal your hand to me again. Now I will use Sol's effect to bring Twelve Commanders – Virgo (Earth-2/500/500) to the field." Now he brought out a young woman wearing a white toga and covering herself with feathery wings. "But like I said, no other monsters can exist in Zurvan's presence, so Virgo is destroyed instantly."
Matt 5600 – 2600 = 3000: Oscar 5100.
By Sinister Serpent's ability to return from the Graveyard to his hand during a Standby Phase, Matt's hand held Sinister Serpent, Spirit Reaper, and Mystic Wok. "I'll place Spirit Reaper in defense mode and set Mystic Wok to end my turn."
"It's my turn again," Oscar said, "and I've decided to end this duel. If you wish to stop me, then release your power."
"Stop saying that rubbish," Matt requested. He felt a little angry each time Oscar said it—like he suggested Matt wasn't trying his hardest and that these cards weren't designed to be totally unfair in favor of the owner.
"I will stop when your power is unleashed," Oscar promised. "For now, I'll play God of Death which activates when I have a fire, water, wind, and earth monster in my Graveyard."
"Here it comes," Matt noted.
"I can summon Zurvan—The Fate (10/+3600/+3600). This monster's power is equal to 300 times the number of Twelve Commanders monsters in my Graveyard." The second, red-and-green Zurvan monster was small and impish, with the face of a lion and wings like a peacock's tail.
"How coincidental you played all twelve," Matt commented dryly. Then he noticed Saturn and Sun were destroyed, leaving only the Zurvan's and the 'Infinite' cards. "What happened there?"
"When Zurvan—The Fate is summoned, he destroys all cards on my field except those still standing. Now, I will bring you to the very edge, forcing you either to awaken your power or to lose this duel and a piece of your spirit. Zurvan—The Time (5000) deals half-Piercing damage, so even though Spirit Reaper (200) is not destroyed, you take plenty of damage—specifically, half the difference between my attack power and your defense power." The lion-faced man turned to mist and attacked, but the skeleton wearing the purple robe and wielding a large scythe resisted the destructive attack; the mist still poured past him and struck Matt, however. "And when Zurvan—The Fate destroys a monster like your Phoenix, you lose 800 Life Points, and that's all she wrote."
"Not just yet," Matt said. A giant wok appeared on the field, and his phoenix settled into it before turning into flames. "I'll play Mystic Wok to Tribute my Phoenix (2400) for the purpose of increasing my Life Points by her attack points. I still get one more turn."
"Then take your final turn."
Matt 3000 – 2400 + 2400 = 3000: Oscar 5100.
Matt grunted and said, "This sucks. I almost had him several times."
He couldn't think of any escape plans at the moment; he hadn't really touched his deck since he fell asleep in Rory's room a second time the night she dueled Citrinitas. But then, his deck was in such disarray at the moment that maybe he could find a helpful card. It was clear from the presence of cards he never considered before that someone else was messing with his deck, too.
Suddenly a circle appeared around the area—beyond the holographic reaches of the Duel Disk—and blue energy began channeling and circulating back and forth. It flowed through Matt's feet and all the way to his fingertips.
"What's going on?"
Oscar smiled. "It's about time. It seems Rubedo's time has ended. Now that he has lost a duel, the transmutation circle is complete." Each of the five points on the island—the Marufuji building, the deep woods of the island, the path to the hot springs, the Red Dorm, and the northeast beach—connected to one another through light, and the pentacle symbol that represented each smaller circle appeared on the circle that now covered half the island… and Matt stood in the exact center.
Matt felt his body begin to burn. It felt like his lungs were filled with golden air, and no matter how he breathed, he felt like he was growing.
"Finally, you are about to meet the god that sleeps within you…"
Matt wrapped his arms around himself in a bear hug to reduce the pain he felt. When he opened his eyes again, he still felt the burn, but he didn't see Oscar standing in front of him, and he didn't see the grove. All he saw was white everywhere, stretching to infinity in all directions. It really made his blue trench coat stand out.
But there was one other person who stood out, though not as prominently. A man dressed in a white cloak and a white hat. Matt couldn't see much of his face behind the enormous white beard. He could only notice the bright, blue eyes; they perfectly matched the feathers of the headless bird the man in white rode.
"All this spiritual energy," the man's deep, booming voice echoed. "I will finally awaken. I can finally combine with your strength more completely. All that remains is for our spirits to merge."
Matt felt a familiar air coming from this man. "I know you?"
"You borrowed a portion of my power to counter the Shadow Realm."
"You kept me safe when I forfeited against Maya," Matt realized. "Who are you?"
"I am the Uncreated. My breath formed the spirits of this world. It is through my revival that the world will be saved."
"Saved from what?"
The man in white began to fade and Matt felt himself pulled away. "You will understand when the time draws nearer. For now, return to my father and use my newly awakened power to defeat him in battle."
Now Matt felt like maybe there were some magic mushrooms growing in this grove. What else could produce such a profound hallucination? He stared at the top of his deck, curious about what the man in white said. There was new energy coursing through his veins—power he felt only briefly before when resisting the Shadow Realm. Could it really influence the outcome of a duel?
"Shake it off, bro." He drew and found Card of Sanctity. He stared blankly for a moment and felt the power continue to flow. "Coincidence," he decided.
When he placed it in the Duel Disk, gold coins began falling from the sky on the field. "I'll play Card of Sanctity so I draw five more cards." Forbidden Chalice, Reinforcement of the Army, Zero Gravity, Double Spell, and Tribe-Infecting Virus.
Matt smiled, and Oscar breathed a sigh of relief knowing Matt was not giving up yet. "I'll summon Tribe-Infecting Virus (4/1600/1000)!" A swirling haze barely visible to the naked eye appeared on the field. "Let me tell you how this works. I discard one card from my hand—Sinister Serpent—and then I can declare one type of monster; all monsters on the field of that type are destroyed. I choose Warrior, which means both Zurvans are now banished from the field!" The haze covered lion-headed demon and imp, causing them to wretch and writhe and ultimately disappear.
Oscar nodded. "By destroying both my monsters simultaneously, you have unlocked the absolute power of the father of the gods. I move The God of Resurrection from my deck to my hand, and I skip my next Draw Phase."
"Good," Matt said. "I'll set Zero Gravity and Forbidden Chalice, and attack you directly with Tribe-Infecting Virus (1600) and Spirit Reaper (300)." The haze covered Oscar's field momentarily, and then the robed skeleton swung its heavy scythe, grabbing one of Oscar's cards and sending it to the Graveyard. "When Spirit Reaper hurts you, you discard one card randomly. That ends my turn."
Matt 3000: Oscar 5100 – 1600 - 300 = 3200.
"Now is the time," Oscar said. "I'll activate The God of Resurrection by sending Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Space, and Infinite Power from my field to the Graveyard. Now I can fuse together Zurvan—The Fate and Zurvan—The Time to summon Zurvan—The Absolute (12/+8600/+8600)!" A mist traveled slowly onto the field, and as soon as it landed in front of Oscar, the particles reshaped themselves into a naked man covered only by a serpent wrapped around his lower body; the man's face resembled that of a lion—a pronounced chin, thick hair, and piercing eyes—and his back was marked by angelic wings.
"With Zurvan's true form comes ultimate power. His points are equal to the combined strength of my two lesser Zurvans. The Absolute is unaffected by Spells, Traps, and effects, and it can attack all your monsters."
"Activate Zero Gravity," Matt said. "Your monster may be unaffected, but mine switch to defense mode."
Still, the particles that made up the haze exploded. "Your Virus is destroyed, and because it was destroyed by The Absolute, you lose 800 Life Points."
Matt grunted, then said, "At least Spirit Reaper can't be destroyed."
"Whenever Zurvan is unable to destroy a monster in battle, it is removed from play for two turns and you take damage equal to that monster's attack power." The robed skeleton was drawn into a black hole, but as it tried futilely to climb out, its scythe struck Matt's LP.
Matt 3000 – 800 – 300 = 1900: Oscar 3200.
Matt laughed loudly at the field. "That has got to be the strongest monster ever created. It has all those strengths and nearly no weaknesses. Even Armityle isn't that powerful. But I said nearly no weaknesses."
Matt drew and the card he wore around his neck began to glow softly. "I just got an interesting idea," he said. "I'll play Double Spell, a card that lets me discard Reinforcement of the Army to play a card from your Graveyard. I'll take Card of Sanctity, and so now we both draw until we hold six cards." He looked at his hand and realized that it was, in fact, Rory who was last fooling around with his card deck.
"Get anything good?" Oscar asked hopefully.
"I did," Matt replied. His eyes possessed a certain shine as his body resonated with the transmutation circle still present on the ground. "I realize now that I have no hope of winning with my cards. They fall largely short on the cohesion scale, and it really is like a jumble of booster packs thrown together by someone who doesn't know what he's doing."
"What are you suggesting?" Oscar asked. "You can't win?"
"I'm saying my cards won't grant me victory; instead, I'll ask permission to use yours." He shrugged and added, "Actually, that's just a formality. I don't need your permission to play Monster Reborn. This Spell allows me to revive a monster from either Graveyard. But which monster is strong enough to take down that one?"
"I have no other monster of this caliber," Oscar said.
"Wrong. You do. Let me show you, when I revive Twelve Commanders – Gemini (200)!" Matt laughed when the woman wearing the green toga hit the field. "You remember her effect, right? I get to summon a Gemini Token (12/12200/12200) that mimics the power of a monster on your field." A twin woman, wearing a toga that appeared to be made of a lion's mane.
"True," Oscar admitted with a bit of a shock, "but a Gemini Token cannot attack."
"I'll get to that. First, I have to prepare to wipe out your Life Points. For that, I need to Tribute Gemini to summon a card lent to me by a stubborn friend: the White-Horned Dragon (6/+3400/1400)." The dragon that descended to his field was large, and the bright, white horn on her forehead made her red scales shimmer. "She removes from play four Spells in your Graveyard to increase her points by 300 per card. Now to address your other concern, I'll play Forbidden Chalice; the effects of one face-up monster are negated. You know what that means? Gemini Token, also called Zurvan—The Absolute Token (+12600), can attack!" A green chalice appeared on the field, and the toga-clad woman drank from it. "Her points don't reduce at all because the Token doesn't have any effect other than it can't attack; it was specifically summoned to have as many points as your monster. And when she and Zurvan (12200) collide, your monster is destroyed." The woman floated forward as a mist and overwhelmed the lion-faced Zurvan. The Duel Disks sent shockwaves so big the entire woods shook. When the dust cleared, Matt was still standing with his monsters in front of him.
"It is about time you awakened," Oscar said. "Zurvan has long awaited the day his son would return to the earth. I'm only sorry it took this long."
"Shut up," Matt told him. "I'm dueling here; not some bearded bird-man. I guess Rory is playing a little, though. The field is clear, and Rory's White-Horned Dragon (3400) still has an attack to land."
Matt 1900: Oscar 3200 – 400 - 3400 = 0.
The energy from Zurvan—The Absolute added to the transmutation circle, and Matt felt another surge of heat through his body just before the energy stopped cycling through. When the energy subsided and he had a moment to recover, he felt almost stronger than before. He almost felt like he could fly.
"Congratulations," Oscar said. "The ritual is complete. Ahura Mazda is awakened; the rest of his development is up to you." He stepped up and offered a handshake.
Matt took Oscar's hand and held it for a moment. For whatever reason, he felt like he just chugged an energy drink. He felt a surge of adrenaline along with a lump at the top of his stomach. When he let go, Oscar offered one of his cards, but placed in a plastic display with a lanyard, just like the Spenta Mainyu card Matt already wore around his neck.
"Zurvan—The Absolute?" Matt said. "I can't take this."
"Please keep it," Oscar requested. "Not as a prize, but as a souvenir. From this moment on, you are even stronger than you were before. Your power has increased infinitely. We have reached the limit on where my guidance will get you. From this moment, you must figure out what to do with your new power."
Matt shook his head a few times, struggling to understand what Oscar was saying. "What is that spirit inside me?"
Oscar put his hand on Matt's shoulder. "The first step is self-awareness. Explore the new feeling you have and learn how to use it. You will understand its purpose eventually."
That was really long. It was surprisingly easy to write this duel considering how obviously imbalanced the Zurvan cards were. I usually try to make up cards a little more realistically, but Zurvan is supposed to be the absolute god and father to the creator, and so I felt like it was fair to make this deck a little too good for reality. It made for some interesting action, I think.
The next and last chapter will wrap up some social loose ends of the arc and provide a lead-in to the next arc. I won't post a list of Zurvan cards until after the next chapter because I'm obsessive and I have to put all the story chapters together before I include any addenda.
Credits:
Darius Mantzios...tiramisu19
Jason Maxim...Maxim and Knight
Nathan Zislaw...Mavrik Zero
Hillary Delaney...Nodqfan144
Lili Von...Happy2BMe
Carter Jade...Jaden2010
Mitsuro Itachu...Titanic X
Sean Bivins...DarkVestroia2
Naoto Kurotsuki...Kurotsuki Haru
Hayley Wilson...TeamRocketDiva
Maikeru Stone...onyxshade7
Victor Rocks & Abel Shinzou...Iron-Arm-V
Alister Kazama & Jessica Parks...ZaneKazama001
Synthia Spencer...Madly Chessur
Leila & Linear Lockhart...Windraider
Romulus Malligan...Maximus1
Logan Wilson...MercWithTheMouth13
Everyone else so far...YamiRuss