Mizutsu LP: 4000
Codarus: Sea Serpent-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 1600/DEF 1400
Spell & Trap Card Zone: A Legendary Ocean [Field Card]
Matt LP: 2400
At the sound of his opponent's mocking voice, Matt forced himself to his feet, his duelist instincts kicking in. He was Matt. He was undefeated. He was not going to let some random guy push him around.
Ever since he'd arrived in the city, he'd been winning duels left, right and centre. Even when he'd briefly been possessed by Number 51, it had changed nothing. He had been unbeatable. In fact, that had proven to be more of a curse than a gift, and for the longest while he'd actually been looking for the person that could defeat him.
Now things were different because he was different. He wasn't looking for that person because he wanted people to stop seeing him as an idol. That was over. Instead he was looking for someone who could truly match his skill level – who could give him a duel to remember.
'Leah…' he thought, hesitantly. In that last duel, she had come the closest anyone had ever come to defeating him in recent years. Perhaps she - or even any one of the Deltas – might be the one to defeat him... to match him... to become his equal...
But it wasn't this guy. Of that he was certain.
"Ah, good to see'ya back on ya feet again, pal." Mizutsu grinned. "I Set one card and end my turn."
Matt just glared at him. His doubt wasn't completely gone, but it was greatly diminished. "Keep talking, buddy," Matt retorted. "You won't beat me."
"I'm thinking that you ain't in any position to be threat'ning me, kid!" Mizutsu shouted. "Just go!"
*MEANWHILE*
Dan had finally stumbled out of the caves. "Jeez," he said to himself, clambering over rocks to get back to the beach. "Where's a Tour Guide when you really need one?" His feet touched sand, and he breathed a sigh of relief, glad to feel it again.
It was only then that he became aware of a disturbance some ways down the beach. He looked more closely, squinting through the light from the sunset, trying to discern what it could be.
It was green...
It was fuzzy and flickery...
An augmented reality field!
Immediately, Dan set off running towards the source, his exhaustion forgotten, sand flying in all directions. The duel itself was a long way away, but the augmented reality field covered a large area. The moment he was close enough, he tuned his D-Gazer into the duel and brought up the current status. What he saw confirmed his fears.
Mizutsu LP: 4000
Matt LP: 2400
It was happening. One of them had found the Number holder, and engaged them in a duel. And was losing.
Without stopping, Dan cycled through options on his D-Gazer to set up a call with Katie, James and Leah. They were quick to answer, and all wanted to know what was wrong.
"Dan, have you found it?"
"Are you dueling? Where are you now?"
"Did you find the-"
"Listen." Dan said, still running, the duel looming closer every second. "I can't waste time. Matt's found the Number holder and has already engaged him. They're currently in turn three."
There was a clamour of voices from the other end of the line, but James' voice overrode them. "He what? Why didn't he contact us?"
"I'm not sure," Dan replied, now aware of simulated water splashing around his legs. "I'll ask him when I get there. In the meantime, follow my tracker and get here as soon as you can, ok?"
He suspected that they all wanted to know more, but after a brief pause, they all answered the affirmative and hung up. Dan flicked his D-Gazer back into duel observation mode. Nothing had changed, but the turn count had ticked over to four. He was starting to feel uneasy...
*BACK AT THE DUEL*
"My turn, draw!" Matt was starting to get back into his flow. "I Summon Knight of Eoseuleum – Na Ito!" Kishi's twin appeared on the field. It had an inverse colour scheme, and the Eoseuleum's crest was on its right shoulder.
Knight of Eoseuleum – Na Ito: Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000
"Battle! Knight of Eoseuleum, attack Codarus!" The Knight splashed its way forward and swung its sword, just as its twin had done in the last turn. And with the same result. Codarus was cleaved in half, and let out a desperate roar before exploding.
"GWAAAAHH!" This time, Mizutsu was the one thrown back.
Mizutsu LP: 4000 → 3700
Matt grinned. Their roles had been reversed rather quickly. "I activate Na Ito's effect. When he destroys a monster by battle, I can add any card with Eoseuleum in its name from my Deck to my hand. I choose Hero of Eoseuleum – Eiyu. Then I'll Set one card and end my turn."
By this point, Mizutsu had just about made it to his feet again, the number symbol shining brighter than ever. "You... ya'll will pay for that!" But before he could make true on his threat, they both became aware of someone running towards them. Both duelists turned to see Dan hurrying across the sand towards them. "Who's this one then? Friend of yours?"
Dan stopped a few meters clear of the duel, panting from all the exertion. "What... Matt, what's going on? Why're you dueling already? Why haven't you contacted us?"
Matt didn't know what to say. Instead, he said nothing, and turned his attention back to his opponent.
"Reinforcements, huh... well they won't help ya here! This here duel is just you an' me! It's my turn, draw!" Mizutsu cackled with delight. "I activate the Spell Card, Surface. It lets me revive any Level three or lower Fish-Type, Sea Serpent-Type, or Aqua-type monster from my Graveyard. So welcome back, Drill Barnacle!" The oversized crustacean, the first monster that Matt had destroyed, reappeared on the field.
Drill Barnacle: Aqua-Type/WATER/Level 3/ATK 300/DEF 0
Drill Barnacle: Level 3 → 2/ATK 300 → 500/DEF 0 → 200
"Then I'll be Tributing my Drill Barnacle, to Tribute Summon my ultimate denizen of the deep!" Drill Barnacle dissipated on the spot. Matt looked around warily, waiting for the monster to appear. The wind had picked up. The surface of the water was starting to get choppy. Matt felt something huge shift below the water's surface.
"Appear! Levia-Dragon – Daedalus!" Without warning, there was a huge eruption of water behind Mizutsu, and the colossal leviathan rose out of the water, to settle behind its Summoner.
Levia-Dragon – Daedalus: Sea Serpent-Type/WATER/Level 6/ATK 2600/DEF 1500
Levia-Dragon – Daedalus: ATK 2600 → 2800/DEF 1500 → 1700
"Y'see, since A Legendary Ocean downgrades all WATER monsters on the field and in our hands by one, Levia-Dragon was a Level six monster while in my hand, so it only needed a single Tribute to Tribute Summon."
"I'm aware," Matt retorted. "Just go."
"Oh my, mind ya temper there, pal." Mizutsu laughed. "Anyway, Levia-Dragon's effect activates. By sending Umi from my field to the Graveyard, every other card on the field is destroyed!"
Matt gasped as the waters began to recede once again, and Levia-Dragon let out a roar of pre-emptive triumph. 'If I let that effect go through then I'm finished,' he thought. "I activate the Trap Card, Fiendish Chain! I target any monster on the field, then that target can't attack or apply its effects."
Chains shot from small portals that had opened up around Levia-Dragon, ensnaring it. The serpent roared and thrashed about violently, but couldn't escape the chains.
"Why you..." Mizutsu growled.
"And to make things better," Matt continued, "sending Umi to the Graveyard is a cost. That means you have to pay it, regardless of whether Levia-Dragon's effect was able to resolve or not." Sure enough, the water continued to drain away, and very soon the field was back to normal once again.
Levia-Dragon – Daedalus: Level 6 → 7/ATK 2800 → 2600/DEF 1700 → 1500
"Don'cha be getting cocky, pal," Mizutsu snarled at him. "That was a lucky move is all. The real fun's just starting. I activate the Field Spell, Lemuira, the Forgotten City!"
"Not another one..." Matt muttered, as the water level rose again. The waves washed over Dan, who was still standing helplessly at the edge of the field. This time, the dilapidated city had taken on a slightly different appearance, and was now visible on a strip of land just above the water's surface.
"That's right. Welcome to the third level." Mizutsu exclaimed gleefully. "So let's dive right in. Like my other Field Spells, this one grants all WATER monsters on the field 200 extra ATK and DEF points."
Levia-Dragon – Daedalus: ATK 2600 → 2800/DEF 1500 → 1700
Matt grinned. "Actually, if I'm honest, that's exactly what I was hoping to see."
"Ya what?" Mizutsu said, confused.
"I activate the effect of Hero of Eoseuleum - Eiyu in my hand." He showed the card to Mizutsu, and a faint image of it appeared behind him. "When my opponent activates a Spell Card, I can Tribute one DARK monster I control to Special Summon this card from my hand. I Tribute Knight of Eoseuleum – Na Ito!" The Knight distorted and disappeared, only to be replaced by a new monster. This one wore much less armour, but still sported the same black-and-white patterns around its body. It carried a hand-and-a-half sword, and was far more muscular than Na Ito. It bore the Eoseuleum insignia on its helmet.
Hero of Eoseuleum – Eiyu: Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 2400/DEF 1600
"Who cares?" Mizutsu spat. "That thing's still weak! I end my turn."
Matt went to draw, but was interrupted by shouts from nearby. Dan and both duelists turned to observe the newcomers: the three remaining Deltas. All were out of breath, but still seemed determined to give Matt a hard time.
"Matt!" James shouted. "What the hell are you doing? Why didn't you contact us before you started this duel?"
"We're supposed to be a team, Matt." Katie added, standing next to her boyfriend for support. "Stop acting like a lone wolf."
Once again, Matt ignored them. He didn't have any clue what to say to them, mostly because he wasn't entirely sure why he hadn't called them. They were right. He was being selfish. But he was also being strong. "It's my turn, draw!"
"Matt..." James groaned in frustration, but he wasn't even listening anymore.
'Hmm…" Matt considered his move. 'Mizutsu's right, I can't destroy Levia-Dragon. But as long as Fiendish Chain is still binding it, it can't do anything to me either.' "I'll just Set two cards and end my turn." Matt's two face-down's appeared.
"My turn, draw! I activate the Spell Card, Big Wave Small Wave!" As Mizutsu's card materialised, the water beneath Levia-Dragon turned a dark orange colour. "With this card, I destroy all WATER monsters I control, then replace them with an equal number of WATER monsters from my hand."
A torrent of water leapt up, completely submerging Levia-Dragon. Fiendish Chain disappeared. When the raging orange water subsided, there was a new monster in Levia-Dragon's place: it was a mermaid, but it was carrying a vicious-looking sword and shield.
Mermaid Knight: Aqua-Type/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1500/DEF 700
Mermaid Knight: ATK 1500 → 1700/DEF 700 → 900
"Eh? Mermaid Knight?" said Dan, scratching his head in confusion. "Why would he trade in Levia-Dragon for that?"
Mizutsu cast Dan a piercing glare. Dan shivered: there was real bloodlust in those eyes. "Oh, all of ya'll will find out real soon. Next, I Normal Summon Tetraform Mollusc!" This was a curious little creature. It was a spherical shell with four spikes poking out from around the side. A single eye was visible at the front, peeping through a gap in its shell.
Tetraform Mollusc: Aqua-Type/WATER/Level 4/ATK 1100/DEF 1900
Tetraform Mollusc: ATK 1100 → 1300/DEF 1900 → 2100
Mizutsu began to laugh. "Yes... it's happening... it's really happening! I activate the effect of Lemuria, the Forgotten City! Once per turn, I can increase the Level of all WATER monsters I control by the number of WATER monsters I control. Since I control two, both my monsters gain two Levels.
Mermaid Knight: Level 4 → 6
Tetraform Mollusc: Level 4 → 6
Matt was just as perplexed as everyone else. This strategy didn't seem to be getting Mizutsu anywhere. But Mizutsu was very confident... for some reason...
Then it hit him. "No!" he cried.
His opponent grinned maniacally. "Too late, pal. Level six Mermaid Knight and Tetraform Mollusc, Overlay!" Both monsters turned fully blue and shot upwards. Below them, the waters began to spin. Slowly at first, but getting faster all the time, until the water level dipped and a fully formed whirlpool was visible, spinning at a ridiculous speed. The sides of the whirlpool were faintly outlined with the edges of a galaxy-style portal. "I use these two monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" Both monsters flew into the whirlpool and were immediately lost, spinning into its depths. "Rise up, the depths of my soul! Number 36: Mermonstrosity!" The glowing number 36 on Mizutsu's cheek flashed in response.
Then the whirlpool exploded. There was no warning; the centre of the underwater tornado simply erupted upwards, showering everyone with water. And out of the whirlpool rose... something. It was a giant mess of armour, slime and scales, loosely held together with clumps of seaweed. Slowly, the seaweed started to dissolve, and the monster sealed within the monstrous mass began to shift and push against its restraints. As more of the seaweed disappeared, more of the monster began to become visible: a frilled tail, and armoured midriff, a green muscular torso... with a cry, the monster freed itself and shook its head. It was some kind of hideous merfolk. It wore a helmet, but that nothing to hide its inhuman and frankly horrific face. It wore a metal collar, with three broken chains dangling from it. Finally, in addition to its two muscular arms, there were also two tentacles stretching out of its shoulders, each ending in a strange orange claw. Two blue Overlay Units circled it.
Number 36: Mermonstrosity: Beast-Warrior-Type/Xyz/WATER/Rank 6/ATK 3000/DEF 2200 – 2 OLU
Author-made cards:
Knight of Eoseuleum - Na Ito
Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1900/DEF 1000
If this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate any Spell Cards until the end of the Damage Step. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Eoseuleum" card from your Deck to your hand.
Hero of Eoseuleum - Eiyu
Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 2400/DEF 1600
When a player activates a Spell Card: You can Tribute 1 DARK monster you control; Special Summon this card from your hand. This card is unaffected by Spell effects.
Fun Fact #18: Mizutsu isn't a recurring character. He's just another Number holder. Don't get too attached to him. Unless you want to, which we will totally understand. I mean seriously, his hair is the best.
Fun Fact #19: No, we're not putting the descriptions for Tetraform Mollusc or Number 36: Mermonstrosity in this chapter. We're putting them in the next chapter. We wouldn't want to spoil the suprise, would we?
Fun Fact #20: Apparently, Microsoft Word 2010 registers mythological Greek names, like Daedalus, as actual words. Well, that's good to know.