Chapter Two – E
Hyden Park was a little out of the way, on the edge of town and well away from the shopping district where Tanion worked. Because of this, he arrived at 10 minutes later than the designated meet up time. However, aside from a blonde girl standing in the middle of the park, the place seemed empty. Although it wasn't unusual for the park to be quiet, it was coming into summer, and so Tanion was surprised that no one was around.
"I take it you're E?" he said as he approached the blonde girl.
"You're late," was her reply.
"I'm assuming the park being empty is your doing?" Tanion asked, earning a nod from the girl. "Okay, now tell me what the hell is going on here. Who are you? Who was that guy in the shopping centre?"
"We're duelists," the blonde girl replied.
"Duelists? That guy said he'd never seen someone Synchro Summon before when I dueled him," Tanion said exasperatedly. "What do you even want with me anyway?"
"We need your help, Synchro user Tanion," E said. "But first, I need to test your strength."
"Why? I already beat your friend, isn't that enough?"
"He's learning fast, but he's still miles away from those like me," E said. "Your duel against him was simply to see if you could Synchro Summon using the disk. Very few in this world possess that ability."
"What does that even mean?" Tanion asked angrily.
"You want answers?" E asked, tossing him the same duel disk from before. "Beat me in a duel and I shall give them to you."
"And if I lose?"
"Then our business will be concluded," E said. "Now let's do this.
DUEL!
"Ladies first," E said quickly. "I summon Risen Soldier Vai (Lvl:4/ATK:1000/DEF:0). Next, I activate the spell card Polymerisation, fusing Risen Soldier Kyn and Risen Soldier Jur in my hand! Fusion Summon! Appear, Risen General Hol! (Lvl:7/ATK:2800/DEF:0)."
"A fusion summon? I didn't expect that after your friend didn't use any extra deck monsters," Tanion admitted.
"I told you, I'm far above his skill level," E replied. "Risen Soldier Vai's monster effect activates! If I Fusion Summon a monster while this card is face up on the field, I can increase it's attack by 800 and inflict 800 points of damage to my opponent. Take this, Tanion!"
"I activate the effect of Magical Knight Merlin in my hand," Tanion replied. "If I would take effect damage, I can discard this card and draw one card for every 500 points of damage I would've taken. Thus, I discard Merlin and draw one card."
"Nice dodge," E commented.
"It's called luck," Tanion replied. "This is a card game, lady. Ever heard of 'luck of the draw'? That's all it was."
E smiled. "If that's what you want to believe," she said. "I place one card face down. Your turn."
Tanion – 4000 LP
E – 4000 LP
"Using all the cards in your hand in one move," Tanion noted. "Do you not know anything about card advantage? For someone who claims to be far better than that guy I dueled before, your not coming off as being far superior."
"Take your turn and let's find out," came E's reply.
Tanion curled his lip. Her comment about the luck of the draw was odd, but it was something he could ask her about once this was over. For now he just had to focus on winning the duel, and his first obstacle was the two monsters in front of him.
"My turn," Tanion said, drawing a card. "First off, I activate the effect of Vampiric Knight in my hand. I tribute your Risen Soldier Vai in order to special summon it in defence position, and in doing so, it's attack becomes half of Vai's attack."
"Using your opponent's monsters against them. A clever strategy."
"I sacrifice Risen Soldier Vai," Tanion said. "Come forth, Vampiric Knight! (Lvl:6/ATK:900/DEF:1800). Because I special summoned Vampiric Knight using this effect, you take no battle damage for the rest of the turn."
"But you have something else in mind, don't you?" E said.
Tanion smiled. "You bet I do," he said. "I summon the Tuner monster Handmaid of the Knights in attack mode! (Lvl:2/ATK:600/DEF:800). Now, I tune my Level 6 Vampiric Knight to my Level 2 Handmaid! Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! Royal Knight! (ATK:2500)."
E smiled slightly. "That's the monster you used to defeat Darrien," she commented. "I'm assuming that's your ace monster then?"
"It's certainly my favourite, but no one deck should focus solely on bringing out just one monster," Tanion said. "I activate the effect of Magical Knight Merlin in my graveyard. By banishing it, I can special summon one 'Knight' monster from my graveyard, but it cannot attack and it is destroyed during the End Phase. Appear now, Handmaid of the Knights! (DEF:800)."
"Are you planning on doing another Synchro Summon?" E asked.
"I am," Tanion said. "It's how my deck works, after all. I activate the effect of Soldier of the Knight in my hand. If I control two or more 'Knight' monsters, I can special summon this card, but it's ATK and DEF becomes 0 and it is also destroyed during the End Phase. Appear, my Soldier! (Lvl:4/ATK:1300/DEF:1300)."
"Another Synchro Summon then," E said.
"I tune my Level 4 Soldier to my Level 2 Handmaid. Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 6! Shadow of the Knight! (Lvl:6/ATK:2200/DEF:1800). Next, I activate Royal Knight's effect!" Tanion said. "I destroy your General and inflict half his attack points as damage. Go, Royal Knight!"
"If you think that'll kill it, you're sorely mistaken," E muttered.
Royal Knight's blade slashed through the pulpy, rotting flesh of Risen General Hol, and he hit E with 1400 points of damage, reducing her life to 2600.
"Risen General Hol's monster effect activates!" E said. "When this card is destroyed and is sent to the graveyard, I can banish two 'Risen Soldier' monsters and special summon it! Appear before me once again, Hol!"
"You can revive it that easily?" Tanion gasped.
"Hol's effect continues!" E said. "When revived by this effect, I can inflict 800 damage to you, and reduce one of your monster's attack power by 800. Get them, Hol!"
The shock-waves from Hol's attack were far superior to the ones Tanion felt before against Darrien, and he was fortunate it was only a smaller amount of damage, otherwise he could've easily been thrown off of his feet by the impact.
"What is your plan now, Tanion?" E questioned. "Neither Royal Knight nor the Shadow can attack, and you can't deal any battle damage anyway."
"I never planned on OTK'ing you," Tanion answered. "I play the Field Spell Card The Round Table! This increases Royal Knight's ATK to 2200 and Shadow's to 2700. I also activate The Round Table's other effect. I equip Divine Blade Felmiir to my Royal Knight from my deck, increasing it's ATK by the number of 'Knight' monsters on the field times 400, giving it an attack of 3000!"
"An impressive set-up," E admitted. "But not, I think, good enough."
"We will see," Tanion replied. "I place two cards face down and end my turn."
Tanion – 3200 LP
E – 2600 LP
"I see you are out of cards too," E commented.
"Maybe so, but my field is set up a lot better than yours is," Tanion said.
"We'll see about that. My turn," E said, drawing. "I activate the spell card Call from Beyond which, for the cost of 1000 of my own life points, allows me to call Risen Soldier Jur back from beyond the graveyard."
"Your reviving a banished monster?" Tanion said, gasping. "But for 1000 life points... that's a steep cost."
"Wars are won by sacrifice," E said as her life point trickled away. "And having the courage to give your own life in service for others gives others something to rally behind. Appear before me now, Risen Soldier Jur! (Lvl:6/ATK:2350/DEF:0)."
"Just who are you?" Tanion whispered under his breath.
"Jur's effect activates!" E said through her panting breath. "When this monster is special summoned, it destroys one monster on your field. Destroy Royal Knight!"
"Shadow's monster effect activates!" Tanion said resolutely. "I can equip it to Royal Knight, giving it 800 extra ATK and making it immune to targeting!"
"Jur doesn't target, however," E said humorously.
Dammit. "I activate Shadow's other ability!" Tanion said desperately. "I can sacrifice this guy in order to save my Royal Knight, and in doing so, raise it's attack by another 500 to 3500 in total!"
Jur's gunfire slammed into the Royal Knight, but the Shadow appeared before him, blocking the bullets and saving him from destruction.
"You think you've won, don't you?" E asked.
"I'm sorry?"
"Your Royal Knight has 3100 ATK thanks to Divine Blade Felmiir, The Round Table and the Shadow, putting his attack high above either of my monsters," E said calmly. "There's one thing you must learn, Tanion, if you are to help us. A single card can change the course of a duel, for better or for worse."
"I know that," Tanion replied. "You still have your face down card."
E nodded in acknowledgement. "I activate the trap card Brotherhood of the Risen Soldiers, and activate it's first effect. By tributing Jur, his ATK is added to Hol's until the next of my next turn, thus giving Hol 5150 ATK!"
"You and Darrien like boosting the attack of your monsters," Tanion commented.
"Where we come from, it works," E replied. "Next, I activate the effect of Call from Beyond in my graveyard. By banishing it and paying another 1000 life points, I can destroy all of your spell and trap cards. Call them to their grave!"
A sudden wind blew in from nowhere and tore up the field, as Tanion's four spell and trap cards were destroyed. Through gritted teeth, Tanion sent them all to the graveyard, and watched as Royal Knight's ATK tumbled from 3100 to 2200.
"Battle! Risen General Hol, attack Royal Knight!"
Tanion dug his feet into the ground as the blast came, and he was fortunate to take a tumble as the shock-wave from Hol's attack washed over him. By the end of it all, he had no cards left on the field, and his life points were far too low for comfort.
"So what will you do now, Tanion?" E asked, genuinely curious. "I have a monster with over 5000 ATK on my field, and you don't have a single card on the field or in your hand."
"I dunno," Tanion admitted. "But I'll think of something."
Tanion – 250 LP
E – 600 LP
"You claim that it's luck that determines what you draw," E said to Tanion. "But what if it's not? What if it's something more?"
Tanion smiled. "I don't need this draw to beat your monster," he said defiantly. "I've already got you right where I want you."
"I struggle to see how that could possibly be true," E said, arms crossed as best as she could with the duel disk on. "You have nothing in your hand and on your field."
"I'm about to show you. My turn," Tanion said, drawing.
No way, Tanion thought to himself as he looked at the card he drew. There's no way that this is the card I drew. This is exactly what I needed to win...
"I... I activate the effect of Castle of the Knights in my graveyard," Tanion said after recovering from realising the card he drew. "I must thank you for destroying my cards, as it will lead me to victory. Due to Castle's effect, by banishing it from my graveyard, I can special summon one 'Knight' Synchro monster from my graveyard with its effects negated. Appear before me once again, Royal Knight!"
"You're summoning him again?" E asked, seemingly amazed. "But it matters not. It still fall far short of Hol's attack power."
"Throne of the Knight's secondary effect!" Tanion said. "By banishing the Throne, I can return Shadow of the Knight from my graveyard to my extra deck to add it's original attack power to Royal Knight until the end of the turn. Thus, Royal Knight's attack rises to 4700!"
"That's still not enough!" E retorted. "You still can't beat Hol!"
Tanion smirked slightly. "That's just it," he said slowly. "I got lucky."
"Don't tell me that the card you drew..."
"I activate my final card, Camaraderie of the Knights!" Tanion exclaimed. "By targeting one 'Knight' monster on my side of the field, I can have it gain attack equal to the amount of 'Knight' cards in my graveyard times 300. And since I have Vampiric Knight, Handmaid of the Knights and Soldier of the Knight as well as Camaraderie, Royal Knight's attack rises by 1200 to 5900!"
"So you win thanks to top-decking that card, and you call it luck..."
"Royal Knight, attack Risen General Hol. Sacred Blade!"
Royal Knight's sword plunged deep into the flesh of E's monster, before erupting in a mighty explosion. E simply smile softly as the damage hit her and her life points hit zero, although the was no shock-waves emitted from the battle, as both of them knew that the fight was over.
"You have a gift, Tanion," E said as the holograms disappeared. "You drew that card exactly when you needed it in order to win the duel."
"It was luck," Tanion said defiantly. "There's no skill in top-decking, especially when cards are shuffled randomly at the start of the duel."
"We will debate that at a later time," E said. "But now I owe you some answers don't you? You did defeat me after all."
"That's true," Tanion said, putting his deck back in its box. "Okay, first off, who the hell are you? Who's Darrien? Where are you from? Why are you here?"
"My name is Elise, an Elite operative in the Coalition back on my home world. Darrien is my student, and we are here to find someone who can save our world, and I believe that someone is you."