Thank you one and all for your feedback! It's great to be back and I'll keep writing no matter how old I get! And Jay, you be nice. I do appreciate you backing me up though! I don't know what a "Gary Stu" is, and to be perfectly honest, I REALLY don't care. If someone doesn't like OUR characters or my storyline or how im writing this, I could give 3 drops of monkey piss. After all, I am NOT forcing them to read it. Now that I got that off my chest, enjoy the next chapter!
Disclaimer:The following is a non-profit fan-based parady. Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds are all owned by Kazuki Takahashi and his animation team. The created characters are owned by me and my friends. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE!
The purple and black colored clouds began to surround Termina as the reddish orange sun began to set. The Red Rose, the royal airship of Lancaster, cut through the dusky skies as on its way back to it's homeland. Yugi was in quite a hurry to return home. He needed to get Simon to his Meditation spot so that he may cross dimensions to find Isaac.
Yugi stood firmly at the helm as the ship sped through the skies. Jonouchi and Honda sat in the cabin area, no doubt planning their next plan of attack. Simon joined Yugi on the bridge.
"Do not worry, your highness. We WILL track down that fiend of the darkness and we WILL…"
"I'm not too worried about Teana." Yugi said. "They know I wont duel for my puzzle should any harm befall her. My concern is how long we waited until the Shadow Clan decided to make their move. Who knows how much darkness has spread throughout the world and we didn't even realize it."
"You mustn't punish yourself, my prince." Simon said.
"Grr… but I must! Had we have prepared, this never would have happened to Teana! They never would have taken us by surprise!" Yugi said as he slammed his fist against the railings.
"All the preparation in the world wouldn't have prepared us for today, your highness." Simon said. "As you know, I've been fighting the Shadow Clan since the times of your father. They always seem to his us when we least expected it. But do not worry. Now that the new Chosen One has been revealed, this age-long battle between light and darkness will finally end!"
Yugi nodded as he looked forward into the dusky skies. "Tenacious, you bastard. Wait for me. once I catch you, I will crush you and send you into the darkest of darkness from whence you came!"
Jonouchi joined the two on the bridge. "Hey! We're entering Lancaster territory! We'll be back at the castle in 2 minutes!"
Yugi nodded.
Lancaster Castle, a large, thriving castle community town, soon came into view. Little did the heroes know, their problems were about to get a whole lot worse. Because just then, a large beast from the darkness emerged as if from out of nowhere, blocking the path of the Red Rose. The airship came to an abrupt stop as the large beast let out a loud, blood curdling screech! It was a large, phoenix like monster with sharp, deadly talons, and a mane of fire that went around it's head. It's beak was as dark as the night sky, which matched it's black and purple feathers.
The impact of the sudden stop through everybody to forward in the ship. Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda, and Simon ran outside to the deck of the airship to go into the control room to see why the sudden stop, but it didn't take long for the Nightmare Phoenix to catch their eyes.
"! W-WHAT THE HELL IS DAT THING?" Jonouchi shouted in terror.
"WHOA!" Honda screamed as he fell backwards. "HE'S LARGE AND IN CHARGE!"
"It cant be!" Simon shouted. "A beast from the shadows! No doubt, the work of Tenacious!"
"Tenacious, you bastard! You think a monster like that is going to distract me from hunting you down?" Yugi said. It didn't take him long to strap a duel disk to his arm. Jonouchi followed his example. Honda ran over to a call box that was attached to the entrance to the cabin area.
"ALL HANDS ON DECK! ALL HANDS ON DECK!" Honda called. "WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! ALL SOLDIERS, TO ARMS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"
Seconds after Honda made the announcement, a dozen guards stampeded out of the cabin and had their duel disks on and ready. Chills ran up each of their spines as they saw the Nightmare Phoenix sizing up the airship, as if it was picking a spot to attack.
"MY SOLDIERS!" Yugi shouted. "DARK TIMES ARE UPON US AGAIN! LET US FIGHT ANY AND ALL BEGINGS OF THE DARK WHO STAND IN OUR WAY!" Yugi then turned to the Nightmare Phoenix. "So let it be written, so let it be done!"
Jonouchi threw his fist into the air. "FOR LANCASTA!"
Honda and the soldiers did the same. "FOR LANCASTER!" They all shouted.
Jonouchi, Honda, and the soldiers all lined up next to Yugi, while Simon stood in front of the door to the cabin, acting as a last line of defense. Everyone activated their duel disks and drew cards in unison. The dark phoenix gave one more ear drum shattering screech, and all hell broke loose!
X X X X X
The beautiful town of Cedar Falls. Some may call this the new Carta Vista, due to the fact that the original town was destroyed in the riots a year ago. For the most part, the old and young folks all lived in harmony with one another. The Duel Academy, which used to sit in the center of Carta Vista, was rebuilt in the Turanga Mountains. 24/7 trolley services ran to take the students to and from school. Clean, crisp, lavender scented air blew throughout the town. Every spring, the wind would blow in the newly grown Jasmine petals which grows in the mountains. This is what makes Cedar Falls the perfect retirement town, and the ideal place to raise a family, as well as beautiful scenery that you would see captured on a calendar or a post card.
On this day, Cedar Falls holds its annual Star Carnival. This happens only once a year at the beginning of spring, to welcome in the new plants, as well as a new turning point for people's lives. It's a carnival that also holds numerous Duel Monsters tournaments. Of course, above all the people, the students of Duel Academy look forward to the Star Carnival the most, as it's also the time to spend that one magical night with that special someone, as well as compete in the tournaments to hone their dueling skills.
Today was a very important day. It was the day of the Graduation Duel. It was held in the school gymnasium. This is the most important duel tournament in the school because it would prove who was the top student in the graduating class. Of course, its only for Obelisk Blues. The top 8 overall students would compete in tournament style duels, until only two were left. Every student that attended Duel Academy would attend the Graduation Duel. The winner graduates at the top of his class, placed in the Duel Academy Hall of Fame, and would be offered a Pro Dueling contract. Duel sponsors from Kaiba Corporation and Industrial Illusions, and other Duel Monster related franchises gathered here in secret to scope out the next star Duelist.
The tournament waged on. The crowd was electric. Some might say it was like watching a Pro Duel. This year's class has really raised the bar. When the dust cleared, it was finally time for the finals… Isaac Monclaire vs. Damian Revior! No one believed that Isaac would make it as far as he would. But his Adventures in Termina made him into the Duelist that he is today. He surpassed all of his peers. But today, he would find out if he's ready to be known as a top Duelist. Today, he duels the one duelist he could never defeat… his best friend.
The Obelisk Blue teacher gave a rousing speech before the final duel of the school year. Isaac sat in the visitor side locker room, staring at his deck.
"Ok guys… this is it… everything we've been been through… every duel we fought… every trial we overcame… all lead to this moment. I know we've never beaten Damian in a duel before today, but lets go out there and make today be the day!" Isaac said.
"Giving a pep talk to your deck Isaac? You must be focused!"
Isaac turned around to see Sakura and Koichi walk into the locker room. They were all wearing their Obelisk Blue Uniforms: blue trench coat like blazers with pants and shoes (a skirt in Sakura's case).
"Hey guys… yeah this is it. The most important duel of my life… against the rival I've never beaten." Isaac said to his friends. "But I've been practicing. I was up all last night putting together a winning strategy to use against Damian."
"Really?" Koichi asked. "I mean you two dueled a lot and I'm sure you have each other's decks and strategies memorized…"
"Exactly. I've went over each duel I've seen Damian duel in, each duel he's dueled me in, and I think I've finally got it." Isaac said with a g smile. "And if I don't win… well… at least I tried."
"That's the way." Koichi said, patting Isaac on the back. "Just go out there and duel with all your heart like you always do."
"You know…" Sakura said. "You both are my best friends… so it wouldn't be right to take sides. However, you've never won, so I'll be rooting for you!"
"Thanks Saki." Isaac said with a confident smile.
Meanwhile, on the home side locker rooms, Damian prepared for his final duel. He was there with a girl name Ariana, another Obelisk Blue student.
"One more Damie! Just one more and You'll be in the hall of fame!" Ariana said.
Damian shuddered. "DO NOT Call me Damie!" he said. "And this is the moment I've been waiting for! Ever since I first attended Duel Academy, ever since I first walked through the Hall of Fame, I knew that some day, I would be in there. And this is it. All I have to do is beat Isaac and my dream will have finally come true!" He looked at Ariana. "Then, and only then, the sky's the limit!"
"Awesome!" Ariana said. "I know you can do it baby!" she moved in to kiss him, but Damian quickly turned away.
"Why wont you ever… I mean, we get along great together… were going to graduate… ugh! Damian! WHY DON'T YOU WANT TO BE A COUPLE!" Ariana shouted in frustration. Her voice echoed throughout the empty locker room.
Damian gave her a stern look. "Look Ariana, we've been through this a thousand times. Every time… EVERYTIME I get close to a girl, I end up losing her! Michelle… Shizuka… I'm not going through that again. It's better for me to just be single."
"You wont lose me! How will you know if you don't give us a chance?" Ariana demanded.
"And now… for the moment you've all been waiting for… the Graduation Duel Final Bout! Damian Revior vs Isaac Monclaire!" The principal said.
"This is it… wish me luck!" Damian said. He fixed his duel disk one last time, then walked out to the duel arena.
"…Good luck." Ariana said staring hopelessly at him.
Isaac and Koichi slapped five. "Do it to it Isaac!" Koichi said.
"OH YEAH!" Isaac said.
Sakura gave him a kiss. "For good luck." She said smiling.
"Th-thanks Saki!" Isaac said. And with that, he walked out to the floor.
The students in the gym began cheering as if they were at a Pro Duel as Isaac and Damian walked out and meet in the center of the arena with the Principal. They immediately shook hands, and Damian pulled Isaac in for a friendly hug.
"Hey man. No matter what happens, no matter the outcome, we're always gonna be best friends." Damian said.
"No doubt man. Good luck to you." Isaac said back. The students all cheered at the good sportsmanship going on down below. At that moment, Isaac and Damian went from friendly to serious. From this point on, they were rivals, both fighting for the same goal.
"And now for the shuffling." The principal announced.
Isaac and Damian both handed each other their decks and shuffled them. They handed the respective decks back, shook hands one more time, then walked to the sides of the dueling arena. They both got into a dueling position.
"AND NOW! LET THE FINAL ROUND BEGIN!" The Principal declared.
"LET'S DUEL!" Isaac and Damian said in unison.
Isaac – 4000 LP / Damian – 4000 LP
The students and teachers cheered as Isaac and Damian drew their five cards. "I'll start us off!" Isaac shouted. "Draw!" He pulled a card and took a look at it. He then slapped it on the plate of his duel disk. "I play Elemental Hero Knopse in defense mode! Then I'll throw down a face down! That ends my turn!"
Isaac's field – Elemental Hero Knopse - 1000 DEF, 1 Face Down Card
"My move! DRAW!" Damian shouted as he drew his card. He added the card to his hand and pulled another one from his hand. "I summon Guivre in attack mode! Then I attack Knopse! Go, Red Flare Bullet!"
Damian's Guivre Dragon took to the air, then fired a barrage of fireballs at Elemental Hero Knopse. Isaac shielded himself as his monster was destroyed.
"Now I activate Guivre's special effect! Whenever it destroys an opponent's monster, I add one Wyvern token to the field!" Damian said as a small clay dragon emerged on his side of the field. "I'll also add one card face down! that's its for now! Your move, Isaac!"
Damian's Field – Guivre – 1300 ATK, Wyvern token – 0 ATK, 1 Face Down Card
"Nice move!" Isaac said. "Draw!" he drew a card, then added it to his hand. "I summon Elemental Hero Woodsman to the field!" Isaac said. Elemental Hero Woodsman, a large hero who looked to be half man, half tree, appeared in front of Isaac. "Next, from my hand, I activate a spell card, Miracle Fusion! By removing the fusion material monsters from my hand, field, or graveyard, I can fuse them together and summon them to the field! I remove Elemental Hero Knopse from my graveyard and Woodsman from my field in order to summon… ELEMENTAL HERO GAIA!"
Knopse and Woodsman disappeared into Isaac's removed zone, and out came a larger monster which looked like a wood golem built for fighting, Elemental Hero Gaia.
Isaac's field – Elemental Hero Gaia – 2200 ATK, 1 Face Down Card
Damian growled as he stared down Gaia. "Grrr… you and your fusion!"
The crowd went ballistic. Even Koichi, who was cheering from the doorway to the visitor side locker room was going nuts. "RIGHT ON ISAAC! WAY TO PULL OUT A SIX STAR MONSTER ON YOUR SECOND TURN!"
Sakura however had a stern look on her face, as if she knew what was happening. "That… was too easy." She thought.
"COME ON DAMIE!" Ariana screamed from the home side locker room entrance.
Damian stood tall, pretended he didn't hear the name "DAMIE" come out her mouth.
Isaac clinched his fist. "I activate Gaia's special ability! When successfully summoned, Gaia decreases the attack of an opposing monster, then absorbs what it took!"
Gaia pointed its arm at Guivre and fired what looked like a tractor beam, hitting it directly and drained it's attack points. Guivre slumped down as smoke began to emit from it.
Guivre – 650 ATK / Elemental Hero Gaia – 2850 ATK
"C'M ON GAIA! ATTACK WHAT'S LEFT OF GUIVRE! CONTINENTAL HAMMER!" Isaac ordered.
"Yeah, NO! I ACTIVATE MY FACE DOWN CARD! DRAGON'S DESCENT!" Damian shouted.
"CRAP!" Isaac said as he took a step back.
"Once you see what I'm about to do, that what's gonna be in your pants!" Damian said. "By sacrificing two dragons, I can summon a Level 7 or higher Dragon!"
"Uh oh… I should have known it was too early to celebrate!" Koichi said.
"Hang in there Isaac…" Sakura said.
On the other side of the gym, Ariana beamed with pride. "WOO HOO! THAT'S MY DAMIAN!"
"NOW EMERGE FROM THE DARKNESS… DARK END DRAGON!" Damian shouted.
Guivre and the Wyvern token disappeared from Damian's field, and an area of darkness surrounded the field. Dark End Dragon then emerged, and let out a loud roar.
Damian's field – Dark End Dragon – 2600 ATK
"Phew…" Koichi said as he slumped to the ground. "Gaia still has more attack points. Looks like the only thing Damian did was…"
"Hey. Koichi." Sakura interrupted. "Ever hear of the term SPECIAL ABILITY?"
Koichi gulped.
"I activate Dark End's special effect! By sacrificing 500 of it's own attack and defense points, I can send one opposing monster straight to the graveyard!" Damian said.
"N-NO!" Isaac shouted.
"YES!" Damian said back. "I'll give you props for that summoning though, Isaac! Now come on, Dark End! Dark Evaporation!"
A large mouth opened in the middle of Dark End Dragon's stomach, and it fired off a wave of darkness which engulfed Elemental Hero Gaia. There was nothing left on Isaac's monster zone.
Isaac growled. "Your little stunt just activated my trap card, New Recruit!" Isaac said as his face down card rose. "When one of my monsters are sent to the graveyard, I can summon a level three or lower Elemental Hero! And the hero I choose is Elemental Hero Frost Blade! I summon him in Defense mode!"
Isaac's field – Elemental Hero Frost Blade – 900 DEF
"This little guy also comes with a big special ability! No monsters level four or higher cant affect him! Also, he cant be destroyed in battle!" Isaac said.
Damian gave Isaac an icy glare.
"I throw down one more face down and end my turn! You're up Damian!"
Isaac's field – Elemental Hero Frost Blade – 900 DEF, 1 Card Face Down
"Draw!" Damian said as he drew a card. "Isaac, what in the devil are you doing? Are you trying to by yourself some time with that weak monster? Sorry to rain on your parade, but I'm not gonna let you do it! It's time to light a fire under your ass."
"I summon Dynamite Dragon in Defense mode!" Damian said. "Then from my hand, I activate a spell! Dragon's Wrath!"
Isaac growled.
"Now, whenever my dragons attack a monster in defense mode with an attack higher than that monster's defense, the difference is dealt to you as damage!
Damian's field – Dark End Dragon – 2100 ATK, Dynamite Dragon – 1500 ATK, Dragon's Wrath – SPELL
"Dynamite Dragon, ATTACK! Minefield Blast!" Damian ordered. Dynamite Dragon took to the air, then dropped a barrage of bomb like energy balls on Elemental Hero Frost Blade. Isaac quickly shielded himself from the damage.
Isaac – 3400 LP
"NEXT I ATTACK WITH DARK END DRAGON!" Damian shouted.
"OH NO!" Sakura shouted.
"ISAAC!" Koichi shouted.
Isaac had a look of shock on his face. His hand trembled as Dark End Dragon took to the air.
"GO, DARK MIST!" Damian shouted. The mouth on Dark End Dragon's stomach, as well as the one on it's head opened, then blasted a stream of dark mist at Elemental Hero Frost Blade. Isaac once again shielded himself, almost getting knocked off his feet. Once the attack subsided, he dropped to his knees.
Isaac – 2200 LP
"Isaac… you knew from day one how badly I wanted this!" Damian said. "I'm not holding anything back on you just because you're my best friend! I'M HITTING YOU WITH EVERYTHING I GOT!"
Isaac stood up and stared Damian down, as if becoming a different person. "And YOU know how badly I wanted this too! You can hit me with everything you've got Damian… BECAUSE I'M GOING TO PAY YOU BACK IN SPADES!"
"THEN BRING IT ON!" Damian shouted. "I play one card face down! That ends my turn!"
Damian's field – Dark End Dragon – 2100 ATK, Dynamite Dragon – 1500 ATK, Dragon's Wrath – SPELL, 1 Face Down Card
Isaac looked down at his hand. "Man, Damian's stronger than ever! Dragon's Wrath came completely out of left field. Didn't see it coming at all… and what's worse, I don't have a card in my hand that can save me from his Dark End Dragon. Yugi… Jonouchi… Honda… Teana… Becca… Leon… Everyone, lend me your strength…"
He drew a card, then looked at his hand. "Spell book from the Pot. This could be my saving grace. Damian and I both draw three cards… I may help him, but that's a risk I'm going to have to take."
"Alright Damian! Lets do this! From my hand, I play the Spell Card, Spell Book from the Pot!"
Isaac and Damian both drew three cards. At the same time, smirks appeared on both of their faces.
"Thank you Isaac. Couldn't have gotten this without you!" Damian thought as he grinned at the dragon monster he just drew.
"Just the cards I was hoping for!" Isaac thought. "Here I go! I play Polymerization from my hand! I fuse together Elemental Hero Frost Blade on my field, with Elemental Hero Ocean from my hand, in order to summon one of my favorite heroes! It's time to get artic up in here! I fusion-summon Elemental Hero Absolute Zero!"
Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, an ice type monster who looked like a knight of ice who held a lance in once hand and an ice shield in the other, took form after the fusing of Elemental Heroes Frost Blade and Ocean and took form in front of Isaac.
Isaac's field: Elemental Hero Absolute Zero – 2500 ATK, 1 face down card
Damian growled and took a step back. "Absolute Zero? I've never seen you play that one!"
"That's what you get for trying to predict my deck! You think I would just waltz into a duel of this caliber unprepared!" Isaac said.
"Yes! After all, it is YOU!" Damian said.
"I'm gonna make you eat those words!" Isaac shot back. "Now I activate another spell card from my hand! Element Conversion! I can choose the type of all monsters on the field… and the type I choose is water!"
Damian growled again as he saw the holographic cards on his field turn from Dragon type to Water type.
"Now I activate Zero's special effect! For every water type monster on the field, regardless of who they belong to, it's attack increases by 500 points!" Isaac said.
Isaac's field: Elemental Hero Absolute Zero – 3500 ATK, 1 face down card
"Since you have two dragons on your field, Zero's attack jumps to 3500!" Isaac said.
"Dammit!" Damian said to himself.
"Let's do it to it, Zero! Attack Dark End Dragon with Artic Slash attack!" Isaac ordered as he pointed at Light End Dragon.
Absoulte Zero dashed toward Dark End Dragon and bright it's lance down hard, slicing the dragon in two. It then shattered into nothingness. Damian turned his head and shielded his face from the aftermath of the attack.
Damian – 2600 LP
"Bullseye!" Isaac said.
"Nice." Damian said. "Isaac… you truly are my rival. WHICH MEANS NOW I HAVE TO COME AT YOU HARDER! ACTIVATE FACE DOWN CARD! DRAGON'S LAIR! When one of my dragons are destroyed, I can special summon another one that's the same level as the one you destroyed!"
"No friggin way…" Isaac said.
Damian threw his arm upwards. "LIGHT END DRAGON! SHINE ON!"
Damian's Field – Light End Dragon – 2600 ATK, Dynamite Dragon – 1500 ATK, 1 face down card
The student body and the teachers all went wild, as Isaac and Damian's duel kept them on the edge of their seats. Koichi, Sakura, and Ariana, each still on their respective sides, watched on in anticipation.
"Ok Sakura… be honest with me… who do you think is going to win?" Koichi asked Sakura.
"It's really hard to say." Sakura said. "They're both so evenly matched… it's uncanny!"
"I agree. I've never seen any of them duel this hard up until now. Its inspiring really? Can you imagine the what the lower classmen must be thinking? I bet they'll all be inspired to compete at this level, huh?" Koichi said.
Sakura nodded. "It's a shame we wont be here to see that. But some day…"
On the other side, Ariana watched on. "I had no idea Isaac was this tough… the way his weaker monsters support one another… but its ok! Damie will pull through this! Then he'll be at the top of Duel Academy!"
Back on the duel field, Isaac was preparing to wrap up his turn. "Ugh!" he shouted out of frustration. "I play one card face down. That ends my turn!"
Isaac's field – Elemental Hero Absolute Zero – 2500 ATK, 1 face down card
"My move!" Damian said as he drew his card. He looked at it, then added it to his hand. "Take this, Isaac! I'll activate Light End's special effect! By lowering it's attack and defense points by 500, I decrease Absolute Zero's attack and defense by 1500!"
"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Isaac shouted.
"NO IM NOT!" Damian shouted back.
Isaac's field: Elemental Hero Absolute Zero – 1000 ATK, 1 face down card
Damian's field: Light End Dragon – 2100 ATK, Dynamite Dragon – 1500 ATK, 1 face down card
"LIGHT END DRAGON! ATTACK ABSOLUTE ZERO! SHINING SUBLIMINATION!"
Light End Dragon's body light up a bright light, then began to fire a beam of energy at Absolute Zero. The Elemental Hero braced itself.
"ACTIVATE TRAP CARD! RESIDUAL REFLECTION!" Isaac shouted as he activated his face down card. The spirits of Elemental Heroes Ocean and Frost Blade appeared behind Absolute Zero but in front of Isaac. The beam of energy diminished Zero, but the attack was stopped and absorbed by Ocean and Frost Blade.
"WHAT? WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?" Damian shouted.
"Your attack triggered my trap, Residual Reflection! By removing Elemental Heroes Ocean and Frost Blade from my graveyard, I take no damage this turn!" Isaac explained.
"Tch! Blast you!" Damian shouted. "I place one card face down! Turn end!"
"Here we go!" Isaac said as he drew a card. He looked at it and his eyes watered. "Beautiful… absolutely gorgeous…" he said to himself. He looked up and glared at Damian. "You ready Damian? Because now it's time for you to meet my favorite monster! And one you know very well!"
"What are you talking about? You cant be thinking of summoning who think your thinking! You removed half your monsters from play, remember?" Damian said.
"Yes I do! And there's a way around that!" Isaac said. "From my hand, I play the spell card Parallel World Fusion! I can fuse together monster that I've removed from play!"
Koichi's eyes watered as well. "NO WAY! HERE HE COMES!"
Damian shook his head in disbelief as he gritted his teeth.
Elemental Heroes Woodsman and Ocean appeared for a second, then jumped into a dark vortex that appeared above head. The lights dimmed for a moment.
"I fuse together Elemental Hero Woodsman and Elemental Hero Ocean from my removed zone in order to summon my most valuable partner… ELEMENTAL HERO TERRA FIRMA!"
Terra Firma, a gravity type monster that resembled Elemental Hero Neos, emerged from the dark vortex and landed on the ground. Damian shielded himself from the impact, then clinched his fist as he saw the large hero standing in front of him.
Isaac's Field – Elemental Hero Terra Firma – 2500 ATK, 1 face down card
"YEEEAAAHHH BABY!" Koichi shouted as he jumped up with his fist up high.
"OH YEAH!" Sakura said as she clapped her hands. "Isaac's trademark monster! Terra Firma!"
"The grits are about to hit the fan!" Koichi said.
"…what?" Sakura said as she looked at him.
"It's a southern thing." Koichi said, grinning.
On the other side of the field, Ariana didn't give up hope. "Come on Damie! So what if Isaac has Terra Firma out there! You still have your ace in the hole too!" she cheered.
"TAKE THIS DAMIAN!" Isaac shouted. "I ATTACK LIGHT END DRAGON WITH TERRA FIRMA!"
Terra Firma dropped to one and pounded his arms together, like a football player about to sack a quarterback. It began to run a few steps, jumped up into the air, and flew on a direct course with Light End Dragon.
"TERRA FIRMA IMPACT!" Isaac shouted.
Terra Firma went clear through Light End Dragon. The monster was blasted in half, then destroyed. Once again, Damian shielded himself from the impact.
Damian – 2200 LP
"YEEAAHHH BUDDY!" Isaac shouted. "Now we're tied! I throw down another face down, and end the turn!"
Isaac's field – Elemental Hero Terra Firma – 2500 ATK, 2 face down cards
"DRAW!" Damian shouted as he drew his card. His eyes bulged as he saw what he drew. "And so it ends." Damian said to himself. He looked up at the field. "If Terra Firma is the all star of Isaac's deck… then you're the all star of mine… Light and Darkness Dragon!" He added his card to his hand.
Isaac suddenly began to shudder. "Damian's expression just changed dramatically… that could only mean…" Isaac's eyes suddenly bulged. "Dammit! He must have drawn Light and Darkness Dragon! If he plays that card, the full potential of my Elemental Heroes will be useless!" Isaac closed his eyes. "Throughout all my battles with Damian, I haven't found one card that can combat that dragon's special ability! Crap!" Isaac's eyes then shot open. "I can NOT let Damian summon that dragon! No matter what it takes, I cant let him bring out Light and Darkness Dragon! If he does… I'm finished!" He glanced over at Elemental Hero Terra Firma. "I've got Terra Firma by my side… we'll do this together!"
"HEY!" Damian shouted. Isaac shook his head. "Stop daydreaming over there! I want you fresh for when I BEAT you!"
"YEAH!" Ariana shouted from the sidelines. "YOU TELL HIM DAMIE!"
Again, Damian chose to ignore Ariana. "I switch Dynamite Dragon from Attack mode to Defense Mode! Then I summon Red Wyrm in defense mode! I'll place one card face down and end my turn!"
Damian's field – Dynamite Dragon – 900 DEF, Red Wyrm – 1600 DEF, 1 face down card
Damian closed his eyes. "Everything is now in place… get ready everybody… The Fall of Isaac Monclaire starts right now!"
"I know what your trying to pull! I wont let you do it! Reveal face down card! TERRA FIRMA GRAVITY!"
"WHAT?" Damian shouted in disbelief.
"WHEN ACTIVATED, THIS CARD SWITCHES ANY DEFENSIVE MONSTERS YOU HAVE ON YOUR FIELD TO ATTACK MODE, THEN THEY AUTOMATICALLY DO BATTLE WITH TERRA FIRMA... FOUR STAR MONSTERS OR LOWER!" Isaac said.
"HELL NAW!" Damian shout.
"HELL YES!" Isaac shouted back.
The crowd once again erupted as Red Wyrm and Dynamite Dragon switched to attack mode, then was sucked in like a vacuum towards Terra Firma. The Elemental Hero prepared itself as the dragons we're pulled toward it, then it punched both of them, taking them out in once fell shot.
"AAAARRRGGG!" Damian shouted as he was hit by the aftermath.
Damian – 400 LP
The crowd then started to chant Isaacs name as the smoke cleared.
"DAMIAN! NOOO!" Ariana shouted in worry.
Sakura and Koichi cheered along with the crowd.
"NICE MOVE, ANIKI!" Koichi shouted.
"WAY TO GO!" Sakura shouted.
Damian quickly regained his composure. "IF YOU THINK I'M GOING TO BE BEATEN SO EASILY THEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET HIT BY A BITCH SLAP OF REALITY! ACTIVATE FACE DOWN CARD! DRAGON'S BOND!"
The crowd continued to cheer, but this time for Damian, as he activated his face down card.
"THAT'S MY MAN!" Ariana said with a smile.
"If a level four or lower dragon monster is destroyed, I can summon a level four dragon from my deck straight to the field! And the dragon I pick is Wish Dragon!" Damian shouted. He pulled the card from his deck and placed it on the field.
Damian's Field: Wish Dragon – 700 ATK, 1 face down card
"Now remember those dragon's you destroyed? Well they left you with a little parting gift! First, since Wyrm was destroyed, you take 500 points of direct damage!" Damian announced.
A fireball appeared from out of nowhere and hit Isaac directly. "OOF!" he shouted.
Isaac – 1700 LP
"Now it's time to find out why they call him Dynamite Dragon! The monster that destroyed it loses 300 attack points!" Damian said.
"NO!" Isaac said in peril.
Once again, from out of nowhere, a bomb catapulted itself and hit Terra Firma, dropping it's attack power.
Isaac's field – Elemental Hero Terra Firma – 2200 ATK, 2 face down cards
"Man… I cant stop shaking." Koichi said on the sidelines. "Just when you think one duelist has the advantage, the other one comes back from out of nowhere! I feel like I'm watching the Battle City DVDs all over again!"
"That's what makes Isaac and Damian such good friends." Sakura said. "They push each other to do that much better. It really is hard to say who's going to win this. However… if Damian somehow summons Light and Darkness Dragon…"
"Isaac is boned." Koichi said.
Isaac drew a card. "YES!" He thought to himself. "From my hand, I activate a spell card… Hero's Legacy! Since I have more than two level four or higher heroes in my graveyard, I can draw three cards!" Isaac then drew his three cards. However, before he could look at the cards he just drew, Damian intervened.
"ACTIVATE TRAP CARD! DRAGON'S ROAR!"
Suddenly, Wish Dragon let out a sonic roar so loud, everyone in the arena was forced to covered their ears!
"DAMIAN, WHAT THE HELL?" Isaac shouted.
"Check out my Dragon's Roar trap card! During this turn, your monster's cant attack me!" Damian said, smiling maniacally.
"Dammit!" Isaac said. He looked at his cards and gritted his teeth. "I didn't draw any monsters either! Crap! I didn't get a damn thing done this turn! I END MY TURN!"
"GOOD! MY TURN!" Damian shouted as he drew a card. "This is it, Isaac."
Isaac gulped.
"I activate Wish Dragon's effect! By tributing it, I can special summon two dragon tokens! But these tokens wont be with us very long! Because I sacrifice them in order to summon MY trademark monster!"
"HERE IT COMES!" Ariana squealed.
"WHOA!" Isaac shouted. "ACTIVATE THE TRAP! POWER SHACKLE!"
"AS I WAS SAYING!" Damian shouted in an annoyed manner. "I SUMMON… LIGHT AND DARKNESS DRAGON!"
The crowd went wild as Light and Darkness Dragon, a monster whos one side is dark black, and the other side was a bright white, took form on Damian's field. They then began to chant his name.
Damian's Field: Light and Darkness Dragon – 2800 ATK
Isaac began to tremble as he stared into the dark red eyes of Light and Darkness Dragon.
"NOW GIVE ISAAC A TASTE OF YOUR POWER, MY DRAGON!" Damian shouted. "TWILIGHT BEAM!"
Light and Darkness Dragon roared, then fired a beam of light and darkness at Elemental Hero Terra Firma, obliterating it, as well as Isaac's hopes for victory.
Isaac – 1100 LP
"GOTCHA!" Damian shouted.
"No…" Isaac said silently.
"Isaac…" Sakura said.
"Never give up! Trust your instincts!" Koichi shouted to Isaac.
Ariana jumped up and down with joy. "THAT'S THE WAY DAMIE! WE'VE GOT HIM ON THE ROPES NOW!"
"Power Shackle… a continuous trap. The effect of monsters will be negated. It's a continuous trap! And that includes light and darkness dragon! But if you pay 500 life points you don't have to worry about it! You only have 400 life points, so that wont help you at all!" Isaac said.
"So what are you going to do with a trap like that now, Isaac?" Damian asked sarcastically. "I end my turn!"
"Damian's right." Isaac thought. "If I don't draw a monster, I'm going to lose! I cant let that happen… I'm going to have to place my hopes on this last draw…" Isaac then drew a card. "I play the card I just drew! Pot of Greed! I'll draw two more cards!" Isaac then drew two new cards.
The arena was hushed as Isaac made what could be his last move of the duel. Everyone knew that if Isaac didn't defend himself, he'd lose the duel.
A lose of relief passed across his face. He felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. Damian rose his eyebrow.
"You aren't safe." He said. "Go ahead and make this last move a good one."
"I summon Card Ejector in defense mode!" Isaac shouted. A small spellcaster who wore a red dress and a had that resembled Dark Magician Girl's appeared on Isaac's field. However the hat looked to be a size too big and flopped over her eyes. She lifted her hat up and grinned.
Isaac's field – Card Ejector – 400 DEF
"Activate face down card! Dragon's Gaze!" Damian said as he activated his face down card. "I can destroy one card on your side of the field! And the card I choose is Power Shackle!"
"NO!" Isaac shouted.
Light and Darkness Dragon glared at the Power Shackle trap card, and it immediately shattered.
"No your toast, Isaac!" Damian shouted.
"I'm taking you down once and for all Damian!" Isaac shouted. "From my hand, I play the spell card Signal of Urgency!"
"Til my end phase, I can special summon an Elemental Hero from my graveyard! An I choose…"
"I THINK NOT!" Damian said. "I activate Light and Darkness Dragon's special effect! By sacrificing 500 attack and defense points, I negate your spell card! Isaac you let me down! You of all people should have known this was coming! Its over!"
Damian's field: Light and Darkness Dragon – 2300 ATK
"Signal of Urgency has another ability!" Isaac said.
"What? You cant!" Damian said.
"I can! By sending the top card of my deck to the graveyard, I can send this card back to my hand!" Isaac said. "And with that, let's try this again! I activate Signal of Urgency! Now Damian, do you activate this abilty? OR DOES LIGHT AND DARKNESS DRAGON ACTIVATE ITS ABILITY AUTOMATICALLY?"
"WHAT? NO!" Damian shouted.
Isaac continued to try to play his Signal of Urgency spell card, and the effect of Light and Darkness Dragon continued to activate, until finally…
Damian's Field: Light and Darkness Dragon – 800 ATK, 400 DEF
Damian's hand began to shake. The feelings of anger and helplessness surged through his body. Sweat beads began to roll down his face. The end was truly near… but not for Isaac, like he thought.
"Damian." Isaac said. "In order to activate Light and Darkness Dragon's ability again, you would need to sacrifice 500 attack and defense points. But your dragon only has 400 defense points left… so it cant drop it's attack anymore."
"No… NOOOOOOOO!" Damian shouted.
"DAMIAAAAANNNN!" Ariana shouted.
"HERE WE GO! ONE LAST TIME! I PLAY SIGNAL OF URGENCY! TIL THE END OF MY TURN, I CAN SPECIAL SUMMON AN ELEMENTAL HERO FROM MY GRAVEYARD! AND I CHOOSE… ELEMENTAL HERO TERRA FIRMA!"
Terra Firma once again appeared on the field in front of Damian.
"This… this cant… THIS CANT BE HAPPENING!" Damian shouted in disbelief.
"I ATTACK LIGHT AND DARKNESS DRAGON WITH TERRA FIRMA! TERRA FIRMA IMPACT!"
Terra Firma charged into Light and Darkness Dragon and destroyed it with tremendous force. The impact knocked Damian to the ground. A buzzer went off and the holograms disappeared.
Damian – 0 LP
The Principal ran out on the arena. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN… WE HAVE A WINNER!" he said into the microphone. "YOUR WINNER… AND DUEL ACADEMY TOP GRADUATE… ISAAC MONCLAIRE!"
The roof of the gymnasium nearly blew off from cheers as the crowd cheered. Not just for Isaac, but for Damian as well, for both of them hit each other with everything they had.
"I… I did it…" Isaac said to himself. "I… I won. I beat Damian… I actually… BEAT… DAMIAN…" Emotion and joy suddenly flooded Isaac's body as he lost control of himself. He jumped up into the air. "I DID IT! I WON! I FINALLY BEAT DAMIAN!"
Damian slumped to his knees. "Everything was going according to plan… how did I lose… how?" he muttered to himself. Ariana walked over to him and hugged him from behind.
"You did great Damian. I am so proud of you right now. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You dueled your hardest out there." She said to him.
"I-Im not ashamed Ari. I'm really not." Damian said.
Koichi ran in and hugged Isaac. "YOU DID IT ANIKI! CONGRATULATIONS MR. TOP GRADUATE!" He shouted.
"THANKS BRO!" Isaac said.
Sakura ran in for a hug as well. Isaac hugged her, lifted her up from her waist and spun her around. "I CANT BELIEVE THIS DAY FINALLY CAME!"
Sakura laughed playfully. "Congratulations Isaac! You deserve it!"
The three of them went over to Damian. Isaac offered his hand. "Damian… I cant tell you how much this duel meant to me. I cant even put it in words. All I can say is, I feel like we both won. Thank you so much for an awesome duel."
"He's right. You did great out of there! You looked like a Pro Duelist!" Koichi said.
"You should bask in the glory too! In my eyes, you both are top graduates of this class!" Sakura said.
"Your friends are right, Damie! Be proud! After a duel like that, you should both be in the Duel Academy Hall of Fame!" Ariana said.
"I definitely agree with Ariana!" Isaac said.
The principal came to the group holding a plaque for Isaac. "Isaac, on behalf of Duel Academy, I would like to present you with…"
Suddenly, Damian stood up and snatched the plaque from the Principal. Some students in the crowd gasped. A hush quickly passed through the gym. Damian turned to Isaac and handed him the plaque. Isaac took it proudly, teary eyed. "Thanks man." He managed to let out. Damian grabbed Isaac's arm and held it up in victory. "GIVE IT UP FOR OUR CHAMPION!" Damian shouted. The two of them began to bask in the glory. Damian turned to Isaac.
"Great duel man! That's all I can say! You pushed me to my limit! I'm so glad I can call you my best friend, as well as my rival. I'm proud of you, bro!" Damian said.
"Thank you. You pushed me WAY beyond my breaking point and took me to a level I never knew I had. Thanks a lot bro!" Isaac said.
"Yep! There's some business I need to take care of, so I'll see you all at the Star Carnival tonight!" Damian said as he turned and began to leave the arena.
"Damie, wait for me!" Ariana said as she started to go after him.
"No Ari. I need to be alone for a while. I'll see you tonight. And STOP with that Damie crap!" Damian said.
"Oh… ok…" Ariana said. Her, Isaac, Sakura, and Koichi all watched as Damian left the arena.
Unbeknownst to anyone, standing in a dark corner on the far side of the gymnasium, a tall, slighty muscular man who wore a dark black trench coat, black shades, and had blue, spiky hair, was watching the whole duel. He gave a smirk with his hard, muscular face.
"Well well," He said to himself. "The Master was right to send us to watch the Chosen One and his little friends. They've got some serious skills going on. Looks like it's a fine time to make our presence felt. Heh heh heh." And with that, the man disappeared into a pillar of darkness.
Meanwhile, Damian walked through the Duel Academy Hall of Fame. He stopped at the area with the newest graduating class, and saw the large empty spot where the winner of the Graduation Duel would have their picture.
"After everything I've been though… all those rivals I've been… all those hours putting my perfect deck together… I lost. Did Isaac want it more than I did? No. NO! that's not it at all… the better man won today. Nothing more." Damian said to himself.
He took out his deck, then pulled out Light and Darkness Dragon. He gave it a smile. "Sorry L&D. Looks like we wont be graduating at the top like we were gunning for." He put the card away and took one last look at the empty spot. "Why…" Emotion flooded his body as he punched the wall.
"WHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Damian's voice echoed through the quiet Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, school finally let out, and a crowd of students crowded Isaac as he, Sakura, and Koichi walked out of the academy. They gave him praises and pats on the back, and challenges at the Star Carnival. Isaac was on top of the world. This was the first time he was given so much attention at school, other than his dream meeting with Yugi Muto back in Ra Year.
Once Isaac and friends got away from the crowd, they began to walk to the Trolley Terminal.
"Well Mr. Popular. Looks like you wont be catching a break tonight. Think you can squeeze in time from your busy schedule to ride the Blue Eyes White Coaster with me?" Sakura teased.
"For you I'll cancel all my duel appointments!" Isaac laughed. "So hey, do you guys think Damian will be ok?"
"Of course. I think he just needs to take the time to digest what happened. He'll come around tonight at the carnival." Koichi said.
"Yeah you're right. Damian's a tough guy." Isaac said.
"Mm hm. Well you guys, I think its about time I went home and got all girled up. Wink wink." Sakura said. This shot a hot feeling throughout Isaac's body.
"Y-yeah!" Isaac said, trying to contain himself. "I should get home myself. Gotta tell dad about my duel with Damian! Man he is going to flip when he hears this!"
"Alright! Then let's all meet tonight at 7pm in front of the Star Carnival entrance!" Koichi said.
"Let's do it to it!" Isaac and Sakura said in unison. And with that, the three of them walked inside the Trolley Terminal.
"Yugi… Jonouchi… Becca… Leon… I wish you all could have seen my duel! No doubt you would have enjoyed it!" Isaac thought to himself. "I wonder what you guys are up to right now…"
X X X X X X X X X X
Chaos had erupted on the Lancaster border line. The Red Rose, the royal airship of Lancaster, was brought down hard, thanks to the Nightmare Phoenix. Everyone survived the landing. Soldiers were wounded in the battle. Some were pulled from guarding Shizuka and the ladies in the cabin to join the fray, but soon, they were wounded to the point where they couldn't continue. Soon, only a couple soldiers, along with Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda, stood as the last line of defense, facing the Nightmare Phoenix. Even Simon was forced into the fight.
"Oh man… I don't think my butt can take much more of this kicking!" Honda said.
"IT CAN AND IT WILL!" Jonouchi said. "FOR LANCASTER!"
Yugi grunted. "This thing is so strong! We've barely even landed an attack on it! How could the darkness have gotten so strong so fast?"
"Don't worry your highness!" Simon said. "We'll take this foul beast down! Then we'll make it to the castle, come what may!"
Yugi nodded. "We'll win together…" he then looked up at the phoenix. "Or together we'll fall!"
"I dunno know about you guys," Jonouchi said. "But I aint neva ran from a fight before and I'm damn sure not about to pay a day to start!"
"INCOMING!" Honda shouted.
The Nightmare Phoenix shrieked, then attacked with dark flames. The last two solders, who acted as defenders, summoned the Ring of Defense Trap Card, which cancelled out the Phoenix's attack.
One of the defenders dropped to his knees. "Forgive me, my Prince… I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!"
"Get some rest!" Yugi said. "And thank you for all your hard work!"
"Yeah! You busted your ass for us, so we're gonna bust ours for you!" Honda said.
Simon helped walked the guard away
"OK! NOW!" Yugi shouted.
Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Flame Swordsman, Red Eyes Black Dragon, Super Robo Yaro, and Ghoul with an Appetite jumped to the front lines.
"ATTACK!" Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda shouted.
The monsters all attacked at the same time. The Nightmare Phoenix, however, saw the attack coming. It took to the sky and shrieked, firing off a barrage of dark feathers that looks to have exploded from the bird and cancelled out the attack.
"DAMMIT!" Jonouchi shouted. "IT DID IT AGAIN!"
Yugi growled. "Brace yourselves!"
"CRAP!" Honda shouted.
The Nightmare Phoenix dove at the last three Duelists. The Duel Monsters rain to their masters side, ready to fight.
Sudden out of nowhere, a bright, crystal colored dragon appeared and stopped the bird in its tracks.
"STARDUST DRAGON! ATTACK WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"
"What the hell is that?" Jonouchi shouted.
"And who said that?" Honda asked.
Stardust Dragon took a deep breath, then fired a majestic beam of energy that pierced a hole right through the Nightmare Phoenix.
Jonouchi's mouth dropped.
Suddenly, another monster appeared. This one looked like an intergalactic superhero that kind of resembled Isaac's Elemental Hero Terra Firma card.
"Elemental Hero Neos! Finish it off!"
"What's that monster?" Yugi asked, as he watched in amazement.
Elemental Hero Neos flew upwards and straight through the Nightmare Phoenix. The monster was instantly destroyed!
The wounded soldiers watched in disbelief, then cheered. Shizuka clapped in happiness.
Stardust Dragon and Elemental Hero Neos landed in front of Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda. Suddenly, the sound of a motorcycle could be heard coming closer and closer. A strange looking motorcycle with a duel disk sticking out of it veered into view and stopped right in front of the two monsters. Two duelists stepped off. One was wearing a red jacket, blue pants, red shoes, and had short brown hair that looked kind of like a bowl cut.
"Sweet! You were right, Yusei! There was a darkling here after all!" the first duelist said.
The other one, a taller, slightly muscular guy, who almost resemble Yugi, stepped off the motorcycle. He had black hair that was streaked with yellow, and wore a blue jacket, black pants, boots, and a muscle shirt underneath.
"Yeah. We were lucky this time Jaden. We weren't too late." He said.
"Stand your ground, people!" Jonouchi said.
Yugi stepped forward.
"Yugi! What are you doing? We don't know those guys!" Honda said.
"They saved our lives. They aren't in league with the Darkness. And that is good enough for me." Yugi said.
"… Yeah, ya knucklehead!" Jonouchi said.
"HEY SHUT UP!" Honda shot back.
"You have my deepest thanks. My crew and I are grateful for your help." Yugi said to the two duelists.
"This is Awesome!" Jaden said. "You're Prince Yugi of Lancaster, aren't you!"
"Yes, I am…" Yugi said with caution in his voice.
Yusei stepped forward. "Don't be alarmed. We were sent to find you. Please… you must fight with us… or let us join your crusade!"
Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda, and Simon were speechless.
"The darkness is coming… we have to fight it together!" Jaden said. "And with all of us, we're prepared to kick some darkness TAIL!"
Who are Jaden and Yusei, the two mysterious new Duelists? And who is this mysterious man stalking Isaac and his friends? Find out next chapter of Duel Monster Frontier: Rebirth! Please R&R if u have the chance!