*Baxton Tower, New York, New York 12:00 PM LST*
Baxton Tower was falling apart. A major fire was consuming the mid-levels and climbing upward. Damage from the duels had left the top of the tower in shambles. In Clyde Edwards' office, Asharu Skyler had just arrived on the scene.
Asharu: Clyde, you still like an ulgy mother****er.
Edwards: Skyler, how dare you attack my tower? !
Asharu: Hey, I asked nicely, but your goons attacked me and I had to defend myself!
Alice: W-Wait, you're Asharu Skyler?
Asharu: That's me, and you must be Dorothy's little girl.
Alice: Wait, you knew my mother?
Nick: Oh, this whole grand meeting is great and all, but maybe we should leave before we're all burned to a crisp!
Asharu: We can't yet.
Nick: Why not?
Edwards: Because I still have this!
Edwards holds out the White Rose Paladin Soul Card.
Edwards: This is why you came, isn't it Skyler? ! Well I hate to break it to you, but the card doesn't work! I've done the summoning requirements countless times and it never appeared on the field! That's why I have Miss Knightley here! She's going to tell me how to summon the card!
Alice: That's the whole reason you came after me?
Edwards: That's it, indeed.
Asharu: You dumbass! Only the White Rose Guardian can summon the White Rose Paladin! DUH!
Edwards was speechless and there was an awkward silence in the room. Everything the characters went through because of him could have been avoided had he known that one simple fact.
Alice: …
Crow: …
Nick: …
Cyla: …
May: …
Edwards: …
Asharu: Dot, dot, dot.
Edwards: No matter! I'm not going to surrender this card! And if I get the chance to take down the former Azure Rose, then so be it!
Nick: Former Azure Rose?
Edwards: Come, Bianca! Let us take him down!
Asharu: o_o ? Who the hell's Bianca?
Edwards prominently raised his arm and showed his Duel Disk, which had a diamond-crusted plating.
Edwards: This is Bianca, she's my double-Duel Disk. The only one of her kind I can defeat you with two different decks in one duel!
Asharu: Well, that could be problematic. Looks like I need a tag partner. Miss Knightley, would you care to join us?
Alice: M-Me?
Asharu: Sure, you can beat this guy all by yourself; I'll just give you a hand.
Edwards: You can't anyway! I disabled their Duel Disks! There's no way she can duel!
Asharu: Are you sure?
Asharu's Deck started to glow a bright blue azure. Then Alice's Duel Disk started to glow that same color and activated.
Asharu: Well, there you go.
Edwards: Fine, let's just duel!
The three of them readied their Duel Disks.
Asharu (LP 4000): Miss Knightley, be careful, the Spirit World's veil is weak here. That
means all damage will be real.
Alice (LP 4000): But why is that?
Edwards (LP 8000): Enough stalling! I'm going first! *draws* I'll start off by summoning Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV4 (Lv.4 1600/1000) in attack mode and setting one card face-down!
Asharu: *draws* Ooh, I'll start off by summoning my favorite, Knight of Aurora Raven (Lv.4 1600/1200)!
Knight of Aurora Raven was a Female warrior who wore a Black tunic, a black mask that covered her mouth. She drew a sword that was curved and it resembled a Crescent moon.
Asharu: Now here's a taste of Raven's effect!
Raven swings her chainblade at Edwards' face-down card and sliced it in two.
Asharu: Because your face-down is a Trap, it's removed from play for two turns! And when you get it back, its shuffled back to your Deck! And that's my turn right there!
Edwards: Well, come on, Bianca! Let's show him what we can do!
The part of Edwards' Duel Disk that contained two decks rotated to the other deck and the section where cards were set or summoned flipped over.
Edwards: *draws* And now I summon Armed Dragon LV 3 (Lv.3 1200/900)! And then I'll activate not one, but 2 Level Up! Spell Cards! I'll level my Armed Dragon to LV 5 (Lv.5 2400/1700) and Horus to LV 6 (Lv.6 2300/1600)! Now, I'll discard a Monster Card from my hand to activate Armed Dragon's effect! Since it was another Horus LV4, I can destroy your Raven!
Edwards discarded another Horus from his hand and Armed Dragon destroyed Raven with its effect.
Edwards: And I'll finish with one more face-down!
Alice: *draws* I summon Cheshire Cat (Lv.4 1700/1400) in attack mode!
A pink and purple striped cat with a creepy smile appeared on Alice's side of the field.
Alice: Then I equip him with the Equip Spell AD 52! This increases his attack by 700 and once per turn, I can send a card from your hand to the Graveyard, inflict you with 500 points of damage and draw a card! So I now activate AD 52!
Edwards was forced to send one of the cards in his hand to the Graveyard and took 500 points of damage.
Edwards (LP 7500): Grr!
Alice: *draws* Then I set a card face-down! Then I'll have Cheshire Cat attack your Horus!
Edwards: Go, Disarmament Trap! This destroys all Equip Spells on the field!
Cheshire Cat lost its 700 attack power boost and was destroyed by Horus, inflicting Alice with 600 points of damage.
Alice (LP 3400): I'll set one card face-down and end my turn!
Edwards: Now that it's the End Phase of the turn Horus destroyed a monster in battle, he levels up to Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8 (Lv.8 3000/1800)!
Horus grew in size and power after destroying Alice's monster.
Edwards: *draws* Now both of you are completely defenseless! Now should I choose to attack you individually or one of you with both of my monsters? Hmm, decisions, decisions. I'll think I'll have both of them attack YOU, Skyler!
May: But no! He'll lose!
Asharu: I Special Summon the Tuner Knight of Aurora Estellise (Lv.2 0/800)!
Knight of Aurora Estellise appeared on the field. She was a lovely young lady with Pink hair and a White Royal dress, The Crescent moon mark was on her dress and fit on rather well.
Asharu: When you attack me directly, I can summon her to end the Battle Phase!
Edwards: Damn you! Fine, I end my turn!
Asharu: *draws* I summon Knight of Aurora Eagle (Lv.4 1700/1500)!
Eagle wore a white tunic and a gold hood with a white mask
Asharu: Now I'll tune Knight of Aurora Estellise with Knight of Aurora Eagle to Synchro Summon Knight of Aurora Master Warhawk (Lv.6 2400/1650)!
Amerindian warrior with a crescent moon symbol tattoo on his face appeared on Asharu's side of the field.
Asharu: Now that Warhawk's been Synchro Summoned, you take 800 points of damage for each card used to summon him!
Two wolf spirits appeared and attacked Edwards, inflicting him with 1600 points of damage.
Asharu: And now Eagle's effect activates! When he's used as Synchro Material for a Knight of Aurora Synchro, I can Special Summon 1 Knight of Aurora from my hand and I choose Knight of Aurora Koon (Lv.5 2000/1600)!
Koon was a warrior clad in gray samurai-like armor with a crescent moon symbol on his shield and a curved short sword.
Asharu: And now I'll use Koon's ability! I can remove him from play to summon a Knight of Aurora from my Graveyard! And I'll bring back Knight of Aurora Eagle! Since I now have a Level 4 Knight of Aurora, I can Special Summon the Tuner Knight of Aurora Kendo (Lv.3 800/700)!
Kendo was like a bald man wearing traditional Japanese clothing with a kendo stick.
Asharu: Now I'll tune Knight of Aurora Kendo with Knight of Aurora Eagle to Synchro Summon Knight of Aurora Master Lionheart (Lv.7 2600/2500)!
Lionheart wore medieval heavy armor with a red lion painted on the chest and he had a sword as big as he was. His sword had the Crescent Moon mark on it.
Asharu: Since I used Eagle for a Synchro Summon again, I can summon another Knight of Aurora from my hand and I pick Knight of Aurora Elric (Lv.3 1500/1200)!
A suit of armor with a crescent moon symbol on the breastplate appeared on Asharu's side of the field.
Asharu: Um, seeing as how my hand's a little empty now, I'm going to use Kendo's effect! Since he was used as Synchro Material, I can add a Spell or Trap to my hand! *adds card to hand* And now the effect of Master Lionheart activates! If I used a Knight of Aurora monsters to Synchro Summon him, I can bring Eagle back!
Eagle returned to the field.
Asharu: Now I activate Polymerization to fuse Knight of Aurora Elric with Knight of Aurora Eagle to create Knight of Aurora Paladin Steelhawk (Lv.7 2600/2400)!
A different form of Knight of Aurora Eagle wearing Elric's armor appeared on the field.
Edwards (LP 5900): Are you done yet? !
Asharu: Hey, be patient! This is a very complex strategy! Now I use Steel Hawk's ability! If Knight of Aurora Raven is in the Graveyard, he gains 400 attack points! Now Steel Hawk will attack your Horus!
Steel Hawk charged at Horus with his steel claw, but Horus blasted his black flame at him. However, Steel Hawk was still able to reach Horus, slash him and they were both destroyed.
Asharu: Now Lionheart will attack your Armed Dragon!
Lionheart swung his mighty sword and cut Armed Dragon's head off, destroying him and inflicting Edwards with 200 points of damage.
Asharu: And now Warhawk will attack you directly!
Warhawk took a spirit axe and threw it at Edwards. Even though the axe landed near his feet, he still took 2400 points of damage.
Edwards (LP 3300): Are you trying to make a fool out of me by holding your attack? !
Asharu: No, with the Spirit Veil so thin here, the damage is real and that axe would have cut you in half.
Edwards: o_o Eep!
Asharu: And finally, I'll activate my Trap Lunar Spirit! This allows me to tribute a Knight of Aurora to inflict you with damage equal to its attack points!
Asharu tributes Lionheart to inflict Edwards with 2600 points of damage.
Asharu: That ends my turn!
Alice: *thinks: Holy crap! That was his whole turn! How long has it been since he drew his card? ! That's unbelievable!*
Cyla: I guess he certainly earned his reputation.
Nick: What reputation?
Cyla: Industrial Illusions Magazine named Asharu Skyler his generation's King of Games.
Crow: This guy? Pfft, all he did was a lot of Special Summons! I can do that with my Blackwings!
May: Can you take away 70% of your opponent's Life Points in one turn? I didn't think so.
While the peanut gallery kept bickering, Edwards made his move.
Edwards (LP 700): *draws* I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Armed Dragon LV5! Then I use Level Up! To power him up to Armed Dragon LV7 (Lv.7 2800/1000)! Then I tribute him to summon Armed Dragon LV10 (Lv.10 3000/2000)! Then I activate his effect! I discard a card from my hand to destroy all face-up monsters my opponent controls!
Warhawk was destroyed by Armed Dragon's effect.
Edwards: Now attack Asharu directly!
Armed Dragon lunged his claw at Asharu but he lifts up his arm, which got cut by the claw. His jacket was also cut up a bit at the sleeve.
Asharu (LP 1000)": Aw man! This was a brand new jacket and I was really attached to it… Oh yeah, I'm bleeding, too.
Asharu looked at his arm and pressed down on the wound.
Asharu: Is that the best you've got? 'Cause that ain't gonna be enough! Right, Alison?
Alice: *draws* I now summon the Tuner monster Alicia Liddel (Lv.1 500/300)! And then I use her effect to Special Summon Delilah the Royal Spirit (Lv.4 1900/1800)! Then I activate my face-down Call of the Haunted Trap to bring back Cheshire Cat! Then I tune Alicia Lidel with Delilah and Cheshire Cat to Synchro Summon Redd, Bloody Queen of Wonderland (Lv.9 3200/2500)!
An elegant woman wearing a royal-looking red dress and held a red rapier appeared on the field.
Alice: When she's Synchro Summoned, I can add Cheshire Cat from my Deck or Graveyard back to my hand! *adds card to hand* Then I activate the Equip Spell Queen's Scepter!
Redd's rapier was replaced with a magical scepter.
Alice: This increases her attack power by 1300! Now, attack Armed Dragon!
Redd used the end of the scepter to stab Armed Dragon in the throat, destroying him and reducing Edwards' Life Points to 0. Edwards fell bak word into his chair and sat their.
Edwards (LP 0): Well there you go...
Asharu: Feel like talking buddy? Cause we got a lot to talk about.
Nick: Shouldn't we get outta here? Ya know, BEFORE we Get burned to a crisp? !
Asharu: Oh right...the fire...I'll take care of it.
Asharu ran out of the room to...take care of it...I guess...
Typhon sat in the hallway, just below the smoke, and trapped in the path of the cynical fire.
Typhon: It figures...I spend my life as an Arsonist and I'm gonna burn to death...oh well, one more cigarette won't kill me...any faster...
Typhon grabbed his last smoke and put in his mouth, then grabbed his lighter, only his lighter wouldn't like.
Typhon: Great!
Typhon tossed his lighter across the ground in frustration. Then something lit up in front of him. His cigarette was lit by a small green flame, when he looked up he saw Raza kneeling down in front of him.
Raza: Their ya go. Smoking in a fire. How original.
Typhon: Who the hell are you?
Raza: Your best friend. I'm gonna take you out of here.
Typhon: I don't think so.
Raza: A man with your talents shouldn't die here. You can be part of something greater. Like the Umbra.
Typhon: What the hell are you talking about?
Raza: You have a passion to burn things. Fire is interesting isn't it?
Raza's entire hand was engulfed in his green flame to demonstrate his point.
Raza: It's always hungry. Consuming everything in its path until Nothing left remains.
Raza's hand returned to normal.
Raza: And you have a passion to burn. Burn everything in your path isn't that want you want? Or would you rather have a cure for your cancer?
Typhon: How did you-
Raza: Either Way-we can help you...well?
Raza held out his hand, and without a second thought Typhon took his hand and the two disappeared within the green flames.
Asharu arrived right before the smoke and fire and pulled out a card.
Asharu: Alright Aurora! Time to play Fire fighter!
The card started to glow a bright azure color and a small sphere appeared and the fire simply died. The Sphere floated throughout the building and put the fire out. Once the fired was gone the sphere returned to the card and the glow vanished.
Asharu: Alright! We Rock!
Asharu then returned to the office and found Edwards Tied to his Chair and the others hanging around him.
Alice: How do you like being tied to a chair, Creepy McCreeperson? !
Nick: You are gonna pay for all the shit you Put us through!
Cyla: Mr. Clyde Edwards, you are hereby charged with Fraud, Theft, Kiddnapping, Attempted murder, and Conspiracy against-
Edwards: Save me the B. S. We are all just Pawns in Ringford's little game.
Asharu: Ringford? What about the Umbra? Aren't they using him?
Edwards: Yes they are. But He knows that, so he's using them.
Crow: How so?
Edwards: When he formed Team Shadow, he met with the good Commissioner and Promised him world Domination. I was at the Meeting at the time, Raza talked about Gods, and Roses, and the World Tournament-I thought the Man was Bonkers!...Then I saw it for myself...the Soul. His Masked friend played it. The sheer Power...it was amazing.
Asharu: Keep goin...
Edwards: They Promised Ringford World Domination if he follows their instructions to the letter. And once he's filled his role, they're going to kill him.
Crow: No surprise there.
Edwards: They plan to open a way to the Spirit world and Once they duel, Ringford will use the opportunity to acquire his own Soul card.
Asharu: Anything else you can tell us?
Edwards: Yeah, turn on the T.V.
There was a Large Plasma screen T.V. that was knocked off the wall due to all of the chaos. May pushed a button and turned the T.V. on. It still worked.
T.V.: -That is up next! And Later Team Rose takes On Team Iron Legend for a chance to duel the #1 Ranked Team Shadow! On the Duel Monsters Network.
Asharu: The NDC Duel towers!
Edwards: Only 3 more need to be activated. One in Milwaukee, where that duel is taken place. One Washington D.C. Where they plan to have the Final Duel with Team Shadow...
Nick: And the 3rd one?
Edwards: RIGHT HERE! YOU WERE DUELING INSDIE IT THE WHOLE TIME! AND NOW THIS LAND IS STAINED WITH OUR BLOOD!
SLAP!
Alice Slapped Edwards across the face to shut him up!
Alice: So you Planned all of this! You did all this to help those sick bastards with their plans!
Edwards: I am a Business Man. I wanted to protect my Business. It was all BUSINESS!
Alice: And White Rose Paladin? Did you just steal it to lure all of us here? !
Edwards: No...I thought I could use it. I guess it knows our souls aren't compatible.
Asharu: I guess that's it. Alright you kids, let's get out of here.
Alice: Sector Security can deal with you!
The group turned to leave the office. Asharu picked up the White Rose Paladin and followed them.
Edwards: WAIT! There is one more thing you need to know.
The group turned back around toward Edwards.
Edwards: The Red Rose. They want the Red Rose!
Nick: Kennat? Why?
Edwards: Because he's the final piece of the puzzle. They can't enter the Spirit world without him. Because The Red Rose is the only one who can summon the Spirit Rose.
Nick remembered the Spirit rose. The Rose with the Different colored Petals, the very thing that defeated the Gods that long time ago.
Nick: The Spirit Rose? What do they plan to use it for?
Asharu: The Spirit Rose. Dorothy told me about that. It's supposed to be central piece of the Rose Guardian's powers and can also act as a key, to doors sealed long ago.
Edwards: It's the last piece of the puzzle that's all I know. And Once they have it...they won't need the Roses Anymore.
Asharu's Cards
Knight of Aurora Raven
Warrior/Effect (ATK 1600 DEF 1200)
Level 4/LIGHT
Once per turn, you can activate this card's effect when your opponent Sets a Spell/Trap Card. If it is a Trap Card, it is removed from play. That card returns to the Deck during your opponent's next Standby Phase. If Knight of Aurora Eagle is face up on your field, Increase this cards ATK by 400.
Knight of Aurora Estellise
Warrior/Tuner (ATK 0 DEF 800)
Level 2/LIGHT
When this card is used as a Synchro Material Monster for a "Knight of Aurora" Synchro Monster, you gain 2000 Life Points. When your opponent declares a direct attack, you can Special Summon this card from your hand, then end the Battle Phase (If you activate this effect, you cannot use the first effect).
Knight of Aurora Eagle
Warrior/Effect (ATK 1700 DEF 1500)
Level 4/LIGHT
When this card is used as a Synchro Material Monster for a "Knight of Aurora" Synchro Monster, you can Special Summon 1 "Knight of Aurora" monster from your hand. If Knight of Aurora Raven is faces up on the field, increase this Monster's ATK by 400.
Knight of Aurora Master Warhawk
Warrior/Synchro/Effect (ATK 2400 DEF 1650)
Level 6/LIGHT
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned, inflict 800 points of damage to your opponent for each Synchro Material Monster used to Synchro Summon this card.
Knight of Aurora Koon
Warrior/Effect (ATK 2000 DEF 1600)
Level 5/LIGHT
You can remove this face-up card to Special Summon 1"Aurora" monster from your Graveyard.
Knight of Aurora Kendo
Warrior/Tuner (ATK 800 DEF 700)
Level 3/LIGHT
If you control a Level 4 or lower "Knight of Aurora" monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. When this card is used as a Synchro Material Monster for a "Knight of Aurora" Synchro Monster, you can add 1 Spell or Trap Card from your Deck to your hand.
Knight of Aurora Master Lionheart
Warrior/Synchro/Effect (ATK 2600 DEF 2500)
Level 7/LIGHT
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
If a "Knight of Aurora" monster was used as a Synchro Material Monster to Synchro Summon this card, you can Special Summon that monster from your Graveyard (If 2 or more "Knight of Aurora" monsters were used, choose one).
Knight of Aurora Elric
Warrior/Effect (ATK 1500 DEF 1200)
Level 3/LIGHT
If this card is used as a Synchro Material Monster, Special Summon this card from your Graveyard during your opponent's End Phase.
Knight of Aurora Paladin Steelhawk
Warrior/Fusion/Effect (ATK 2600 DEF 2400)
Level 7/LIGHT
"Knight of Aurora Eagle" + "Knight of Aurora Elric"
If "Knight of Aurora Raven" is in your Graveyard, this card gains 400 ATK.
Lunar Spirit
Trap
Tribute 1 face-up "Knight of Aurora" monster you control. Inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK.
Alice's Cards
Cheshire Cat
Wonderlanian/Effect (ATK 1700 DEF 1400)
Level 4/DARK
When this card is summoned, place 1 Imagination Counter on this card for each monster on your field (Max. 6). You can remove 2 Imagination Counters from this card to have this card attack your opponent directly this turn.
AD 52
Spell/Equip
The equipped monster gains 700 ATK. Once per turn, you can select one card in your opponent's hand and send it to the Graveyard, inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent and draw 1 card.
Redd, Bloody Queen of Wonderland
Wonderlanian/Synchro/Effect (ATK 3200 DEF 2500)
Level 9/EARTH
1 "Wonderlanian" Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card is successfully summoned, you can add 1 "Cheshire Cat" from your Deck or Graveyard to your hand. When a monster is summoned, place 1 Imagination Counter on this card (Max. 4). You can remove 2 Imagination Counters from this card to inflict 1000 points of damage to your opponent. When this card declares an attack, you can send all cards in your hand to the Gravyard to halve the ATK of the attack target.
Queen's Scepter
Spell/Equip
This card can only be equipped to a "Wonderlanian" monster with "Queen" in its card name. Increase the ATK of the equipped monster by 1300. You can send this face-up card equipped to a monster to the Graveyard to Special Summon 1 "Grand Muse Dragon" from your Extra Deck, equip the monster that was equipped with this card to "Grand Muse Dragon" and increase its ATK and DEF equal to the ATK and DEF of the monster equipped to it.