Boss Rush
XXIII: Alchemy Cycle
At the same time as the beginning of monumental negotiations in another dimension of the spirit worlds, there were other, far more mundane things going on in the Movement itself.
"We're understaffed!" Kaido was currently haranguing Satoshi over the phone. "Shut up, Shinamori! I got a perfectly good place to be when you're on that bloody island, so stuff it and play like you mean it!"
"Bad argument?" Koichi commented as Kaido threw the phone back into its cradle.
"Don't ask," Kaido snarled. "So, you give me a bill from a bar as work expenses?"
Koichi shrugged. "Suzuki talks a lot when drunk."
Kaido's eyes narrowed, and Koichi shifted under his all-seeing gaze before the former gave a dismissive sniff. "I think only Tsugare wears that cologne."
Koichi swallowed. "I ran out. He offered."
Kaido looked at him, eyes low. There was a betting pool of whether the Boss learned to be terrifyingly condescending from Kaido or vice versa. "Of course you did. So, the Excalibur?"
"Kisaragi bought it himself, with a lot of money in notes of small denomination," Koichi answered quickly. "He was also talking a lot about his new employment. A wannabe gentleman, to quote Suzuki."
"A gentleman..." Kaido considered as a loud bang could be heard on the floor below.
"I wanna go to the GeneX I wanna go to the GeneX I wanna go to the GeneX!"
"Finish your work first!" Rick's strident voice broke in.
"But it's boring!"
"It's necessary!"
"Both of you shut up!" Rose's roar echoed.
"Are they alright...?" Koichi murmured.
Kaido gave a half-hearted shrug. "Who knows. Anyway, keep an ear out. Boss will want to know what's happening." A hand was applied to his face, narrowly missing the wire-rim glasses. "Why was I left here...?"
Somewhere within the Movement building, the receptionist blinked as three people passed through. Although the first floor was open to the public, the presence of strangers in the lobby was still unusual, and none of them had had an appointment.
Discreetly, she pressed a button below the counter and went back to analysing the security monitors.
Natashi Kiyomi was hiding a smirk as he clicked the lift button for the floors. "We're in."
Behind him, Lilith scowled. "Right..."
Within seconds, there was a soft ding before the doors scrolled open and the two, plus Ryuuga, paced through.
"Ex," Ryuuga remarked at the dark tiles as all three turned a corner to be faced with a Kurosaki Ichigo cosplayer and a dark-haired girl in the middle of a shouting match.
"I wanna go I wanna go I wanna go!"
"No you can't!" the cosplayer bellowed. "From now on, all your opinions are rejected! Got that, dumbass?"
"W- What the hell is that? What kind of tyranny is this?"
"Shut up! The one behind on their work doesn't get to complain! Just sit down and do your ****ing work!"
"8C ****!"
"..." Ryuuga gaped. "Kurosaki Ichi-"
"No!" Rick yelled at them. Then, the two arguers realised those three.
The girl's eyes widened at Kiyomi, and Kiyomi recognised her. "Shit."
"Natashi Kiyomi!"
The three ran the moment she yelled, and the Americans gave chase.
"You know them?" Lilith cursed.
"Anna Shiloh used to hold Areadbhair," Kiyomi elaborated. "Split up!"
"Got it!" All three split, the psychics giving chase.
Ryuuga cursed a few moments later as he reached a dead end, turning back to be faced with a black, silver and gold machine-like thing and the Kurosaki lookalike scowling at him.
"I have no idea who the hell are you," the psychic grumbled. "But, for breaking and entering, you're under arrest by the Arcadia Movement."
"I don't want to be told that by a Kurosaki impersonator," Ryuuga scowled as he activated the DuelDisk. "Do we Duel?"
"Yes," Rick answered. "You know, I like Neo Domino City for one reason."
"Oh, which one?" Ryuuga snorted.
"The Arcadia Rights Bill," Rick smirked. "Less messy."
"Duel!"
Kiyomi snarled as he was confronted by Anna later.
"Payback time, bastard!" Anna screamed.
"Duel!"
In another area, Liliana Arden, or Lilith as she thought herself as, cursed as she came face to face with Rose. "I don't think we can negotiate?"
"No," Rose shook her head slowly.
Liliana tapped a finger on her DuelDisk, before pulling out a taser. "What's stopping me from using this?"
"Me," the taser was consumed by fire in a flash as Liliana dropped it.
"Oh my," Liliana murmured as Kaido advanced.
"Got tipped off when the shouting match stopped," Kaido grumbled. "Koichi's already left, and Tsugare's with him... you are?"
"Does it matter?" Liliana questioned as swarms of insects seemed to appear around her.
"Well, then let's get to business," Kaido shrugged. "Liliana Arden, you are under arrest for breaking and entering, as well as being stupid enough not to surrender."
Liliana's eyes were fevered, as if she was insane. "And how are you going to keep me in cuffs, then?"
"Duel!" both declared.
Liliana: LP 8000
Kaido: LP 8000
"Draw!" Liliana called. "I summon Inzektor Dragonfly [1000/1800] to the field. With that, I equip Inzektor Hornet in my hand to Dragonfly. Then, I set a card and end my turn."
"Draw!" Kaido called. "I summon the Spellbook Magician of Prophecy [500/400]."
"Huh?" Liliana groaned as the grouchy magician appeared. "What's that?"
"The magician is the card that commences the road. His effect allows me to grab a Spellbook Spell card, such as Spellbook Star Hall," Kaido neutrally answered. "I then activate the Continuous Spell, Spellbook Star Hall."
The scene changed to one, of a starry-themed room, ornate and classic in design.
"With that, I play Magical Dimension!" Kaido called. "I tribute Spellbook Magician to special summon Temperance of Prophecy [1000/1000] from my hand and destroy your Inzektor Hornet. Temperance is patience, something you can learn."
"When Hornet is sent to the grave while equipped to Dragonfly, Dragonfly allows me to special summon another Inzektor monster, such as Inzektor Centipede [1600/1200]," Liliana interjected.
"Then I activate the Field Spell, The Grand Spellbook Tower," Kaido announced. "When a Spellbook Spell is activated, Temperance can be tributed to special summon a level five or higher Spellcaster Type monster with either Light or Dark Attribute. Come, High Priestess of Prophecy!"
In a flash, the pink-haired Spellcaster materialised [2500/2100].
"I activate the Spellbook of Secrets, to search out a Spellbook of Eternity to add to my hand," Kaido declared. "Banishing Spellbook of Secrets, I use the effect of High Priestess to destroy Inzektor Dragonfly."
Liliana held up her arms to shield herself. "Amusing. But you have only secured yourself a high-level monster."
"When a Spellbook card is activated, Star Hall gains a Spell Counter, which gives all Spellcasters one hundred attack power boost [2500/2100 → 2700/2100]." Kaido called. "Battle! High Priestess, destroy Inzektor Centipede with Arcana Force!"
Liliana: LP 8000 → LP 6900
Kaido: LP 8000
"Now, I activate Spellbook of Eternity to return a banished Spellbook Spell card, such as Spellbook of Secrets, to my hand," Kaido called. "I set a card, turn end."
"Draw," Liliana scowled. "I summon another Dragonfly, which allows me to equip Hornet from the grave. I send Hornet to the grave, and activate Dragonfly's effect to special summon Inzektor another Centipede. With that, Hornet's ability activates to destroy your High Priestess. To Inzektor Centipede, I equip the Hornet to Centipede. Sending Hornet to the grave once more, I destroy The Grand Spellbook Tower!"
"The effect of Grand Spellbook Tower, when destroyed, I can special summon a Spellcaster from my hand or deck with a level equal to or less than the number of Spellbook Spells in the graveyard," Kaido announced. "There are Eternity, and now the Tower, so I choose Stoic of Prophecy [300/200] in defence mode. The tower has been struck."
"Ha!" Liliana gave a laugh. "Dragonfly!"
The monster was easily made short work of.
"And, then Centipede!" Liliana boasted as the monster swooped in.
Kaido: LP 8000 → LP 6400
Liliana: LP 6900
"When Stoic is sent to the graveyard, I take a level three Prophecy monster, such as Hermit of Prophecy and add it to my hand," Kaido shrugged off the pain. "You done?"
"Turn end," Liliana seemed displeased. "Don't you feel the pain?"
"Draw," was the only answer. "I summon Hermit of Prophecy [1200/700]. Activate the set card, Spellbook of Life. I banish Spellbook Magician in the grave, revealing Spellbook of Secrets in my hand as the cost, and the special summoning Temperance and increasing her level by five. Hermit gains two levels to level five. Overlay both Temperance and Hermit, Exceed Summon! Come, Empress of Prophecy!"
Liliana looked vaguely unimpressed as the green-robed empress [2000/1700] appeared. "And?"
"Activating the effect of Empress," Kaido declared. "By detaching one Exceed unit, I shuffle my deck, before revealing the top five cards of it and then destroying as many monster on the field up to the number of Spellbook Spells revealed this way, before I return the cards in any order. Come, deal the hand of fate!"
Liliana stared as he shuffled with speed and precision, before revealing the terrible glimpses of green amongst the five cards.
"Three Spellbook Spells," Kaido noted as the insects blew up. "Then, I activate Spellbook of Secrets to gain Spellbook of Power. Activate Spellbook of Power, Empress gains one thousand attack points. On top of that, my Empress gains three hundred attack power for every Exceed material attached to a monster I control, including itself, and six hundred now from Star Hall [2000/1700 → 3900/1700]."
"Three thousand?" Liliana mouthed.
"Battle!" Kaido commanded as the Spellcaster lifted her hand. "Imperatrice!"
Liliana: LP 6900 → LP 3000
Kaido: LP 6400
"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" Kaido commented as Liliana staggered up.
"Uh... you... you're..." Liliana growled. "Monster..."
"That would depend on your definition of the term," Kaido answered. "Is a monster someone who uses their powers without problems, and yet is outcast? Or is it someone who wears the mask of civilisation? Liliana Arden, disaster struck early from a young age. Led astray to the Underground, found herself addicted to the dark side. Her identity became one with the Underground, as the prominent member Lilith. The first member to fall, you joined Central soon after, and used your teaching position to lead other students down the same dark path you fell down."
Liliana stared at him, her wide eyes showing dilating pupils. "H- How do you know all that?"
"Poor thing," Kaido murmured. "I set a card, turn end. Empress's attack goes back to normal and I search for a Spellbook Spell card [3900/1700 → 2900/1700]."
"D- Draw!" Liliana shook her head. "Well, whatever monster's tricks you have is not enough. I summon my last Dragonfly [1000/1800]! Equip Hornet from the graveyard, and I send Hornet to the graveyard to destroy your Empress!"
"Quick-play, Spellbook of Wisdom," Kaido announced. "I choose to use the effect that my Empress is unaffected by all other Spells for this turn. Since the effect of Inzektor Hornet was as an Equip Spell, the effect is valid and Empress is not destroyed. Furthermore, since a Spellbook Spell card was activated, Star Hall gains one more counter and therefore Empress gains more attack power [2900/1700]."
"But, I can special summon another Centipede," Liliana protested as the monster appeared. "Equip Hornet once more, and repeat, destroying Spellbook Star Hall!"
Kaido shook his head as they returned to the hallway lined with polished full-length windows. "With that, I take a level seven or lower Spellcaster Type monster from my deck and add it to my hand, gee, thanks. Let's go with something I haven't tried before, but to do it... I'll take Fool of Prophecy for now."
"I set a card, turn end!" Liliana spat.
"Draw!" Kaido called. "Activate Spellbook of Secrets once more, to search out Spellbook of Life. I banish Hermit and reveal the other Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere to special summon Temperance of Prophecy as a level six monster. I tribute Temperance of Prophecy, to activate the effect of Temperance to special summon Reaper of Prophecy!"
The slick-slick sound of a very sharp scythe seemed to ring, the Spellcaster summoned dark and malevolent against the brightness of the Empress of Prophecy [2000/1600].
"The effect of Reaper of Prophecy is threefold," Kaido began. "Let's recount... Tower, two Secrets, Power, two Life, not to mention the Spellbook Star Hall, and I have five or more Spellbook Spells in the graveyard. When I have three or more, Reaper gains six hundred attack [2000/1600 → 2600/1600]. When I have four or more, I get to add a Spellbook Spell card from my deck to my hand, and I'll add Spellbook of Fate. When the Spellbook count reaches five or more, I can special summon a level five or higher Light or Dark Attribute Spellcaster to the field, such as Prophecy Destroyer, though the last is kind of inapplicable at the moment. It is quite a misunderstood card. The Reaper, or Death, symbolises change, conclusion, an end that brought about change.."
"Quit playing games with me!" Liliana snapped. "If you want to play, then I'll get the Duel Match Death-rope. Then we'll play by my rules."
"Perhaps you misunderstand me," Kaido commented, hardly seeming perturbed. "Well, a fortune-telling is a contract, and so... I activate Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere. Since I have five or more Spellbooks in the graveyard, I can reveal the top two cards of the deck, and add any revealed Spellbook Spells in my hand and reshuffle the rest into the deck. Of course, I was allowed to edit my deck earlier thanks to Empress, and so I add both into my hand. With that, I activate the effect of Empress, detaching one Exceed material to shuffle my deck and reveal the top five cards of my deck. Come, deal us the hand of fate..."
"Stop that about fate already!" Liliana spat. "I don't care about fate! You don't decide my fate!"
"Of course I do not," Kaido answered as he revealed the cards in hand. "However, there are forces that rule over destiny, and it is unwise to offend them. Nothing in this world is coincidence; everything is hitsuzen. Continuing, we have ourselves two Spellbooks, one of Fate, and one of Sepher. Quite unusual here, really."
Liliana twitched as her monsters were destroyed. "Quit your yap."
"Activate Spellbook of Fate," Kaido announced. "I banish a Spellbook of Secrets in the grave to bounce that set card back to your hand."
Liliana tried to hide a scowl as her Impenetrable Attack was bounced.
Kaido pointed. "Empress, direct attack with Imperatrice!"
Liliana: LP 3000 → LP 1000
Kaido: LP 6400
"Reaper, shatter those chains of words," Kaido murmured.
Liliana: LP 1000 → LP 0
Kaido: LP 6400
"H- How?" Liliana whispered as she slowly began to back to the window.
"Your style is very distinctive, Lilith," Kaido shrugged. "Thankfully, neither of us know each other's decks, hence you could hardly have formulated a plan as fast as I had. Furthermore, though I do not know your strategy, Duel Monsters is as much a mind game as anything else. In a sense, you are trying to use words to trick people into the crevices of their own hearts, and when they lose it is to the weakness of their own heart. To people like us, we need foreknowledge to work, and it is because of the curse of these eyes that I have that advantage, Liliana Arden, or Lilith as you seem to fancy yourself."
Her breathing rate was increasing as the dark wings of the Inzektor monsters appeared.
"Oh my~" Kaido bared his teeth in a savage smile. "Liliana, Liliana... do you know what's going to happen?"
Liliana screamed, backing away as she hit the windows, pounding and smudging the impeccable Plexiglass before she ran for the emergency panels. "Stay away, stay away!"
A hysteric shriek followed as she reached for the emergency hammer and broke through the fire panel. The shrill fire alarm, the crash of breaking glass and screams as a warm body tumbled out from the tenth storey and crashed...
From above, Kaido shook his head at the hole. "Damn. Madame Shimotsuki wasn't joking when she said that humans are idiots."
At the same time when Kaido was playing mind games, Koichi was suffering. Not only was Tsugare being distractingly flirting, or acting like it to fool their informer, but the psychic's natural talent and grace made it look like he was being lavished attention of the most high.
Sweet, for who would not miss something like a beauty devoted to them, but also torturous, because even though Tsugare's choice of clothes made it clear that he was male, there was something about him that was also distinctly feminine to the eye that could cause questions of anyone's sexuality. In short, the most exquisite torture that was unfortunately compulsory because of the damned Shimotsuki Setsuka.
Suzuki had laughed as the stool pigeon left. "Have fun with your boyfriend."
"I'm straight!" Koichi yelled desperately after the informer.
Behind the counter, Rally snickered. "You should give him a break, Tsugare-san."
"But he gave beautiful results," Tsugare cast a look of fake innocence over the Margarita he had ordered.
Koichi looked at the lager he had been nursing for an hour, and from the screwed expression on his face, he could have been mentally debating the chances of repeating the same thing that led to him meeting Misawa Tsugare for the first time. From the long sigh he gave a heartbeat later, the conclusion was evident.
"Been celibate for long?" Rally gave the detective a sympathetic look as he set the familiar Screwdriver, the vodka and orange juice beckoning to Koichi.
"Hard to find a girl as a detective," Koichi affirmed as he took the glass to down it. "Especially one as pretty or as intelligent as Tsugare-san here."
"Why thank you," Tsugare inclined his head. "Many people focus on the pretty part more than the intelligent part. Boss has a way of focusing on both."
Koichi coughed. "So, you were in London, right?"
"Long story," Tsugare shrugged. "I failed. We were supposed to get a guy in for corrupt practices and human trafficking. It was reported as sexual harassment."
"Huh?" Koichi gaped. "You were deported?"
Tsugare groaned. "No, I was the one being sexually harassed, which led to the discovery of corrupt practices and human trafficking. I failed because I got the guy on the wrong charge in the first place."
"Wrong as in, he's going to be released or wrong as in...?" Koichi trailed off.
"Wrong as in the kind Boss uses to drive her point in," Tsugare groaned. "Completely useless and uke are going to be party terms. When she gets shirty, she might even use... irony."
Koichi shifted his left arm across his chest. "It's... well... okay, it is bad. Ever thought about getting another job?"
Tsugare's laugh now was bitter. "Before I came to the Movement, there was no one outside the dark world who'd hire me because of my powers or my family. Sometimes... no, I don't want to talk about it. The Movement is the only place I know. You know... the prospect of leaving the Movement was raised sometimes. Seeing the world, meeting new people, the like. Yes, I've seen the worst of society. Yes, I've met new people after my ass or beating them back with monsters. D- Did you ever feel like that, that you can't think of what lies outside of the Movement?"
"The Arcadia Movement...?" Koichi shook his head. Somehow, the bar had cleared, leaving relative privacy as Rally left to attend to more customers. "I was never officially affiliated with it. Sure, having connections to the terrifying psychic was useful, but I first met Shimotsuki and Kaido in a case. I was attached to the European Movement, and I left soon after because I could only see spirits, including my Cloudians. My powers were best used where I could reach people, rather than isolated. Shimotsuki completely agreed, and loaned me the capital to repay it. Well, I was lucky enough to repay her with a few big jobs."
Tsugare gave a hiccough, the scent of orange liqueur wafting from him. "Oh, that... Rally, another one. Erm, where do I start... I was born the first son of the family. My family, we're all cursed."
'Cursed?' Koichi mouthed quietly.
Another sniff as the Margarita glass bore the brunt of Tsugare's steady look. "I got the curse of having two different eyes, the first since Great-Grandfather Eri. Ryokai was born a year later, and soon Mother died. Father never paid attention to me. When I was growing, I was deemed unsuitable as material for the family and thrown out, although I was already destroying things with Duel Monsters then. I was found by the Madame, and brought to the Movement. To receive such kindness... I tried, I really tried... That time, I had a high school diploma, I finished uni, and... and the Madame died."
The detective looked noticeably more flustered as Tsugare seemed to break down. "The Madame?"
"I- I didn't know what to do," Tsugare whimpered quietly. "And, the Missy was so assured, even when Nowaki came... the Missy became Boss today. I- I can't see beyond the darkness, but the Missy... the Missy has l- led us to the light at the end of the tunnel. Even if I- I want to leave, even if I'm e- encouraged... I- I can't see past it. It's like f- fog over everything, blinding and h- hiding." A thud as the glass met the counter.
Koichi groaned as the clearly very wasted Tsugare laid his head on the counter. "How much did you have to drink...?"
"W- Why am I even telling you this, anyway...?" Tsugare's mumble could be heard from Koichi's seat next to him. "Y- You're straight, you d- don't... need me..."
Koichi shook his head, rubbing the knuckles of his free hand on his brow since his other hand was being nuzzled by Tsugare. "Warm..."
Worse than a flirty Tsugare, was an emotional, roaring drunk and clearly affection-starved person that even the seemingly omnipotent Shimotsuki Setsuka could not provide for. "Guess it's just us lonely men tonight," Koichi murmured, using the hand being nuzzled to brush Tsugare's cheek.
As police cruisers gathered around the drowned body of the white-haired woman, Kiyomi slipped away into the shadows, muttering a variety of curses in German, Italian, and oddly enough Urdu as he dialled quickly on his phone.
"Boss," he gave a curt greeting once the dial tone switched off. "Satonaka got himself caught covering me, and Arden's dead. Again."
Silence except for Kiyomi's panting. "What? Satonaka? No, I don't know if he lived. Myself, I only narrowly won against Shiloh again. I don't know what happened to Arden, but it's enough to get Ms Mind Games screaming and throwing herself down ten stories. We're still proceeding?"
More silence. Then... "I understand, sir. I'll head to Academy Island right now."
Overhead, under the continuous whine of helicopter rotors, Satonaka Erika could hardly sleep. Every once in a while, she kept peeking out of the windows towards the skyline of Neo Domino City, the Infinity Monument visible but just barely. Nearing to them was a dark spot, with just barely enough light to show that it was Duel Academia Central in the distance. Academy Island was here...
"Satonaka-san?" Kaiba Kisara murmured. "Don't worry. You should catch some sleep."
"I cannot sleep, Missy." That was the truth at least.
Below them was another dark spot, this one a ferry. On this ferry currently headed for Academy Island, Shinamori Satoshi was slightly worried.
Okay, very worried. As was becoming a recurring pattern for two years, the source of his worry was in the very same building that had once contained the woman Satoshi had hated with all his heart. Kaido had wanted to explore the place where the Three Phantom Beasts were supposedly held, Satoshi was completely not prepared to have Kaido see anything he should not have, and an argument was prompted. Kaido won by calling his cellphone from that building when Satoshi was about to embark on the ferry.
Over the horizon, the Arcadia Movement building's air-plane lights winked, as if mocking him.
"Dios mios," the other man aboard this anomalous ferry yawned. He has relatively short black hair with the front waved up and his fringe dyed orange over amber brown eyes. Over his right hand, he has a long scar, and another X-shaped scar was prominent on his left cheek. With tanned skin and an athletic build, the khakis he wore with his own natural mixed Hispanic features seemed to lend the air of the Indiana Jones adventurer. "Stop worrying already."
"Viper, shut up if you have nothing constructive to offer," Satoshi countered. "Argh, why did Blazeus have to leave at this time?"
The other Duellist, one Adrian 'Viper' Rodriguez, frowned. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen the flaming lizard anywhere... no wonder it's so oddly quiet. Where did the flaming lizard go?"
Satoshi gave a shrug. "Something about a conference. Then he flew."
A dark presence gathered about Adrian, coils of smooth and dry reptilian skin curling about as a woman's voice intoned with a side of sibilant hiss: "Here we are... once more..."
The pieces gather. The board is being set.
I feel that somehow, I couldn't grasp the true personality of Adrian. For those who found the new guy familiar, Adrian Rodriguez is a character from Serpentdragon I loaned for the purposes of this tournament, or arc, or the rest of the fic. He appeared first in YuGiOh 5Ds: World's Ascension, which was a collaboration fic between Serpentdragon and Barett M107 that was mysteriously deleted and reposted again, only to be deleted the moment I decide I want to see how the character was originally interpreted. Now I have to reconstruct Adrian based on the few impressions by memory.
Speaking of which, is it me, or that Koichi Yamamoto's profile would fit a certain Drake Lancaster...?
OC applications are open once more! Please include:
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Occupation:
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Please review!