Hey guys! i just wanted to say thank you again on the support of this fic. I know it's not for everyone, but I am very grateful for all the support it has received. Rest assured that I have no plans on slowing down with writing this fanfiction, but the next couple weeks and a good chunk of January are going to be busy for me, so please excuse me if there's a bit of a gap between chapters. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 27 – Power Within
Tanion – 4000 LP
Zera – 4000 LP
Tanion was barely able to comprehend what he was hearing. In front of him was one of the leaders of the Grand Order, one of the people responsible for all the destruction that had been caused over the past five years, and yet she seemed more concerned with the shrine than she did their identity. I have to win this duel, he realised suddenly. This isn't just about buying time for Elise and Darrien anymore. I have to win this to bring justice for everything the Order has done. Even if I've only recently joined the fight, they must be held responsible for everything they've done…
"How did you know we were here?" Tanion asked her.
"About a day ago, I felt some disturbance in the energies surrounding these shrines," Zera replied. "I came here as fast as I could, only to find the three of you already here. Once I have dealt with you, I will find your friends."
So she can sense Duel Energy like Yugi then, Tanion noted. But how did she acquire such a power? Yugi said he was able to do it because the God Cards gifted it to him. A more pressing concern, though, what that she had said that she had felt the disturbance a day ago, and yet he and Elise hadn't arrived until a few hours ago. Does that mean that the duel essence could sense us coming? Was it sentient enough to foresee that?
"So you protect the shrines," Tanion stated. "Does that mean your power comes from these shrines? Did you also gain the power of Fusion from such a shrine?"
Zera nodded. "I did, and that is why I am fully aware of the dangers that come with entering a shrine like this," she said ominously. "I protect them in order to keep the entities that live within the Energy at bay, because they could cause more havoc to the world than man ever could. Given the chance, they would become gods amongst men as they gained more and more power. That is something I will not allow."
"That's very noble talk coming from someone who has aided in committing mass genocide," Tanion grumbled.
"You, and the rest of the Resistances, know nothing about who we are and what we aim to achieve," Zera retorted. "Even though some of our men have gone too far in their actions time and again, our goal has always been a noble one. Do not think that starting this war was our first choice of action."
Seto and Irene mentioned something of the sort, Tanion remembered. She had approached Seto long before the war actually began, but it seemed Seto knew that the end result would be war anyway. Not only that, but he is allowed to set up refugee camps as well, so it's clear that it's not as clear cut as I first thought. But I'm still missing too much information to know what's going on, and I somehow doubt Zera is going to tell me now.
"My turn then," Tanion grunted, drawing a card. "Since you control a monster and I control no cards, I can special summon this card from my hand. Appear, Woodsman Knight! (Lvl:5/ATK:2100/DEF:1200)."
"So now you focus on the duel," Zera commented. "Very well then. Show me what you can do."
"I now normal summon the Tuner monster, Knight's Squire! (Lvl:3/ATK:1000/DEF:1000)," Tanion continued. "And then, I –"
"I activate the continuous trap card, Envoy Judgement!" Zera said in response to Knight's Squire's summon. "And I choose to activate it's effect immediately. Once during every turn, I can return one 'Envoy' card from my graveyard to the deck in order to destroy one card on your side of the field. Therefore, I return Quandron, Envoy of the Oxen to my deck in order to destroy your Knight's Squire!"
She knew what was coming, Tanion thought as Knight's Squire was destroyed. She clearly has a grasp of the game fitting her position as a Commander for the Grand Order, but now that she's used up that face down, I can proceed with my attack. It's just a shame that it came to this so early in the duel…
"I activate the spell card Knight's Bond!" Tanion countered. "By banishing Knight's Squire from the game, not only does Woodsman Knight gain its attack until the end of the turn, but he now cannot be destroyed by card effects!"
"3100 attack?" Zera said with a raised eyebrow. "How unexpected…"
"Battle! Woodsman Knight, attack Kine, Envoy of the Dinosaur!"
"I activate the effect of Nalihal, Envoy of the Fish in my graveyard!" Zera countered. "By banishing it, I can negate the attack and then special summon one Level 4 or lower 'Envoy' monster from my hand. Appear before us now, the Tuner monster, Andraxia, Envoy of the Fairy! (Lvl:1/ATK:200/DEF:1300)."
"Wait, Tuner?!" Tanion gasped. "You can…"
"I told you, I am the protector of Duel Energy shrines around the world," Zera said sternly. "This includes Standard, Fusion and Synchro Energy shrines, not just any single one."
She can use both Fusion and Synchro… "How powerful is she?" he whispered to himself.
"Don't forget, since another 'Envoy' monster was summoned to my field, Gathering gains another counter," Zera said, as the counters on the card became 6. "So now, Dinosaur has 3000 ATK!"
Tanion gritted his teeth. "I set one card face down and end my turn," he said. "Woodsman's ATK therefore returns to 2100."
"You tried admirably, but I'm afraid that will not be enough to stand against me," Zera warned.
"I won't lose to you," Tanion countered. "I can't. I have to pay you back for everything you've done, and I won't stop until I have."
Tanion – 4000 LP
Zera – 4000 LP
"My turn," Zera said, drawing a card so that now she had one in her hand once more. "I think you know what comes next, don't you?"
"Just do it."
"Hmph," Zera grunted. "I tune my Level 7 Kine, Envoy of the Dinosaur to my Level 1 Andraxia, Envoy of the Fairy! Power of the heralds, converge here and now in order to call forth a devastating force! Combine your individual strength to awaken the being of legend and revive its overwhelming might! Synchro Summon! Descend from your family in the sky, Level 8! Caranith, Envoy of the Dragon! (ATK:2800/DEF:2400)."
Tanion watched as the fairy and dinosaur ascended into a light that had grown above Zera, and moments later a dragon appeared from within. It had scales red as blood and golden eyes that shone with the knowledge obtained through a millennia of life. The age of this dragon was also evident from the grey hair that flowed from various places of its body, and Tanion knew that it was a creature of incredible power.
"Not only does Gathering gain another counter, raising it to 7 and therefore pushing Caranith's ATK to 3500, but the effect of Andraxia now activates!" Zera told him. "So now, for every 'Envoy' card on the field or in my graveyard, you take damage equal to that amount times 100, and I gain life equal to that same amount!"
"And you've been milling Envoy cards since the start…" Tanion realised.
"In addition to the Judgement, Gathering and Caranith I have on my side of the field, I also have Andraxia, Kine, Jalyth and Scaram in my graveyard. This means you take 700 points of damage!"
Tanion grunted as he took the damage head on. "And now your life points go to 4700…" he muttered angrily.
"Now, Caranith's monster effect activates!" Zera continued. "Since I have at least 4 'Envoy' monsters in my graveyard, I can shuffle all 'Envoy' monsters in my graveyard back into the deck before drawing another card."
"So your plays are all reset now," Tanion noted. Just how good is she?
"Now, Caranith, Envoy of the Dragon, attack Woodsman Knight!" Zera commanded. "Golden Rage!"
"I activate the trap card Knight Bulwark!" Tanion countered. "This turn, 'Knight' monsters I control cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects!"
Zera smirked slightly, sending a chill up Tanion's spine. "Caranith's other effect activates! During the turn this card was Synchro Summoned, it deals double battle damage!"
"Double?!"
Tanion was barely able to hold his ground as both he and Woodsman Knight bore the brunt of the mighty dragon's flames. Woodsman Knight survived the assault thanks to the effect of Knight Bulwark, but Tanion was feeling worse for wear, as 2800 of his life points had been wiped out in an instant.
"Standing up to Caranith's attack is no mean feat," Zera said, commending him. "You're stronger than I thought, Tanion."
"How do you know my name?" he demanded.
"You were a part of the group that assaulted Eravand, remember?" Zera said. "I am a Commander of Lady Irene's army. I know everything there is to know about you, even details of your life back in Eden. I was the one who sent that man to you after all."
"You… you were the one who threatened by family?" Tanion growled.
"It was necessary," Zera protested. "This is war, Tanion. The ends justify the means, and although we didn't capture you that day, we still brought you here in the end. You and your power are still within our grasp."
"Why you…"
"I set one card face down and end my turn," Zera said. "At this moment, I believe the effects of Knight Bulwark end. Be careful how you play this next turn, Tanion. It could mean life or death for you."
Tanion – 500 LP
Zera – 4700 LP
"All this time… you were the one responsible for bringing me here," Tanion whispered. "You put my family in danger. You've aided in destroying the balance of this world. You…"
"I have done what has been necessary, Tanion," Zera repeated. "This world wasn't able to accommodate our peaceful plan. So, we had to take a more forceful approach."
"You bastard! I'll never forgive you! My turn!" Tanion roared, drawing a card. "From my hand, I summon the Tuner monster, Marksman Knight in attack mode! (Lvl:3/ATK:1400/DEF:200)."
"Tuner?"
I hate you, Zera… Tanion cursed in his mind. I hate you for everything that you've done. Not just to my family and I, but to all the people of this world. How could you destroy everything they had built so carelessly? He clenched his fists and forced himself to hold back a roar of anger. She was going to pay for it all. And now was the time to do it.
"I activate the spell card Revival of the Knight!" Tanion thundered. "I special summon Woodsman Knight back to the field! (Lvl:5/ATK:2100). However, since I have done that, I now take his ATK in damage!"
"But that means you lose!"
"I activate the effect of Magical Knight Merlin in my hand!" Tanion countered. "By discarding this card, I can negate the damage and then draw cards equal to every amount of 500 damage that I would've taken!"
"You get to draw 4 cards off one effect?!" Zera gasped in disbelief.
"I do," Tanion replied, drawing his cards. "And now, I activate the effect of Marksman Knight! Since I control another 'Knight' monster, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on your side of the field. Say goodbye to Envoy Judgement!"
As the trap card left the field, Tanion couldn't help but debate whether or not that was the right move to make given the situation. Gathering gives her more fighting strength, but Judgement was just too dangerous to ignore, he rationalised. I couldn't allow her to hold onto that sort of firepower.
"And now I tune my Level 5 Woodsman Knight to my Level 3 Marksman Knight!" Tanion said, not giving Zera a chance to think. "Synchro Summon! Appear, Level 8! Royal Knight! (ATK:2500/DEF:2000)."
"And so the ace appears…"
"I also activate the field spell card The Round Table!" Tanion grumbled, his anger heightened as how nonchalant Zera was behaving. "This increases the ATK and DEF of all 'Knight' monsters on my field by 500, meaning Royal Knight goes to 3000 ATK!"
"Caranith has 3500 ATK, Tanion," Zera said. "You can't touch me."
"I activate the second effect of The Round Table, equipping one 'Divine Blade' spell card from my deck to Royal Knight! The one I choose is Divine Blade Opin, which doubles his ATK since I have over 2000 life points less than –"
"I activate the effect of Envoy Judgement in my graveyard!" Zera cut in. "By banishing it, I can banish Divine Blade Opin from the game!"
Why you… "I equip Divine Blade Maglir from my hand to Royal Knight and activate its effect!" Tanion continued. "I return Woodsman Knight to my deck, and for the rest of this turn, Royal Knight gains his ATK, meaning that he now has 5100 ATK!"
Zera's eyes widened a little. "Wait… this pressure…"
"Battle! Royal Knight, attack her dragon with all your might! Sacred Blade!"
Tanion's eyes flashed a murderous red as Royal Knight moved in for the attack. Zera braced herself for what was to come as the Knight's Blade sliced through the red scaled dragon and drove itself into the very ground as it did so, the shockwave knocking Zera off her feet and sending her sprawling. It took Tanion a moment to realise what he had done, his anger dissipating in an instant as he did so. That was…
"You broke through the limits of a normal duel," Zera acknowledged as she regained her feet. "Look at the ground, Tanion. It was torn in half by your monster's attack. Your anger brought Royal Knight through in his real, tangible form. That's something very few people can do."
My anger did that? "It's just like in Eravand," he realised, recalling Yusei's assault on Seto and Irene. "Did I really just do that?"
"Your anger was justified," Zera told him. "I will not pretend as if you have no right to be angry at me. You do. But I never expected you to be able to accomplish that which even the best of us struggle to do so…"
"I… I activate the spell card Protection of the Knight," Tanion said, bewildered by what had happened. "Until your next End Phase, Royal Knight can no longer be destroyed by battle or card effects, and any damage I would take from a battle with him becomes 0. I then set one card face down and end my turn."
"Before you do, I activate the trap card Envoy Return!" Zera said, revealing the face down. "So now, every 'Envoy' monster that was destroyed by battle this turn returns to the field!"
"What?!"
"Return to my side once more, Caranith, Envoy of the Dragon!" Zera called, and the red dragon appeared beside her once again. "Additionally, since another Envoy has been summoned, Gathering gains another counter and Caranith's attack becomes 3600!"
"All that for nothing," Tanion said, gritting his teeth. "Since the turn has ended, Royal Knight goes back to 3000 ATK, but thanks to Protection of the Knight, there's nothing you can do to me."
Zera simply smiled. "We will see."
Tanion – 500 LP
Zera – 3100 LP
"My turn then," Zera said, drawing.
"Didn't get what you wanted?" Tanion said, noticing the frown on her face.
"You don't always get the card that you want," Zera told him. "But no card is useless. Every one that I have in this deck has a purpose, including the one I just drew."
"Sounds like something Yusei would say," Tanion noted.
"That's because there are those on both sides who have the same ideals," Zera replied. "It is simply the cause that we fight for that divides us."
"Those who have the same ideals shouldn't fight each other."
"You wouldn't understand, child of Eden," Zera muttered. "You have suffering there, but it is nothing like what we have gone through. It changes people, warps them and forces them to become something they may not have wanted to be."
Yusei… "So how did it change you then?" Tanion asked her. "What has suffering and loss done to you?"
Zera closed her eyes. "It's given me the strength to fight for my people," she said. "I switch Caranith, Envoy of the Dragon to defence mode, before setting one card and ending my turn."
"That's it?" Tanion asked, bewildered. "What happened to getting past Royal Knight?"
"Not every turn can change the tide of battle," Zera replied. "Sometimes one must be patient before they can strike."
"Then I'll press my advantage home."
Tanion – 500 LP
Zera – 3100 LP
Tanion balled his free hand into a fist. That attack by Royal Knight before shocked me out of my anger, but now I have to refocus, he thought to himself. That dragon of hers has 3200 DEF. Although Royal Knight can get over it through Maglir, I need to strike at your life points and keep her on the back foot. I have to win this, for everyone…
"My turn," Tanion said, drawing a card. "The Round Table's effect activates! From my deck, I equip Divine Blade Pinrith to Royal Knight!"
"And what does this one do?" Zera said as the knight replaced his shield with a second sword of different styling and size to the first.
"Now, Royal Knight can do piercing damage," Tanion told her. "Not only that, but any time Royal Knight does damage, I gain life points equal to the damage he dealt!"
"You think that will be enough, do you?" Zera asked him.
Tanion scowled. "It's a start," he replied. "First, I return Marksman Knight with Maglir's effect in order to raise Royal Knight's ATK to 4400! Battle! Royal Knight, attack Caranith, Envoy of the Dragon! Sacred Sword Dance!"
"I activate the continuous trap card Envoy Guard!" Zera countered, revealing her trap card. "Now, all 'Envoy' monster I control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects!"
"What an effect…" Tanion whispered, stunned, before regaining his composure. "Well, even if Caranith isn't destroyed, you still take the damage!"
Royal Knight swung multiple strikes at the dragon, and it howled out in pain as every blow hit, but thanks to her trap, Zera and Caranith endured the blow as she lost 1200 life points and Tanion regained just as many. Alright, we are almost back to even life points, Tanion thought to himself. Now, if I can just get one more hit in –
"You know, Tanion, I expected more from you," Zera said, interrupting his thought process.
"What do you mean?"
"I know all about you, Tanion," Zera said. "You have beaten my men in the past, you stood against dozens of soldiers alone in Eravand, and risked your life to help Yusei and the Synchro user named Jorann escape. So where is that power now?"
"I'm not sure I follow."
"You've played this duel as if it is the one you played back on Eden," Zera told him. "You've let your emotions control you, that's true, but you've lacked the conviction to bring forth your true power. I wonder why that is."
My true power? "You're not making any sense, Zera."
"Duel Monsters is more about the cards you have, Tanion," Zera said. "It's about your belief in those cards, you're trust in them. That trust will be rewarded in time, and you know this, that much has been evident. And yet you still treat your cards as mere tools, weapons to bring you victory. While that works for a soldier, that's not what you are. You've proven that. So why are you treating your cards as if they are tools?"
"I…" Tanion trailed off, having no answer as Zera's words echoed the ones spoke by Jorann in the past. "They aren't tools."
"They have been to you in this duel," Zera retorted. "You've lacked the strength within and the trust in them to have the strength to defeat me. Your friends would be disappointed."
"I…"
She's right though, Tanion realised. Even when I was blinded by anger, I wasn't even considering trusting in my cards, I was simply trying to find the best combinations from the cards I drew, and yet I got them from my deck answering to my will, something I didn't even consider. Tanion sighed to himself, recalling what Jorann had shown him at Devil's Lake. I know that you're all real…
"I end my turn," he whispered, Royal Knight returning to 3000 ATK.
Tanion – 1700 LP
Zera – 1900 LP
"I will show you what true conviction and belief can do. My turn," Zera said, drawing a card. "At this point, Envoy Guard's effect activates! I take 1500 points of damage in order to keep this card on the field!"
"You would risk taking 1500 damage just to keep Caranith on the field?" Tanion gasped.
"There is no risk," Zera countered. "For I trust my deck and my cards, and they have come through for me just as I knew they would."
Tanion shook his head in frustration. Despite everyone telling me the truth about this world and Duel Monsters… Elise, Darrien, Felirae, Jorann, Yusei… despite all of them telling me the truth, I still haven't got it into my head yet. What is wrong with me? You knew it to be the truth, and yet you still don't trust in that truth? This isn't home! This is different! This is the reality here? Why can't I get that through my head?!
"From my hand, I summon the Tuner monster, Folrent, Envoy of the Primate! (Lvl:1/ATK:0/DEF:0)," Zera continued. "I will then use its effect immediately, which allows me to summon one 'Envoy' monster from my deck. I summon Quandron, Envoy of the Oxen, however, his effects are negated, his ATK and DEF becomes 0 and his Level becomes 1."
"A Synchro Summon…" Tanion realised.
"Since I just summoned two 'Envoy' monsters, Envoy Gathering now has 10 counters!" Zera proclaimed. "And now, I tune my Level 1 Quandron to my Level 1 Folrent! Synchro Summon! Appear before us now, Level 2! The Synchro Tuner, Dagan, Envoy of the Light! (ATK:500/DEF:500)."
Synchro Tuner… wait a second! Tanion nearly gasped in realisation. Is this what she meant by inner strength and conviction in your cards? Yusei, Jorann and now Zera. All with strong connections to their deck, all with Synchro Tuners ready to evolve their Synchro monsters… is this what she meant by showing my true power?
"Dagan's monster effect activates! If Synchro Summoned, it places 2 'Envoy' counters on an applicable card I control, meaning Gathering gains 3 counters in total, including the one for his summon, to go to 13 counters!"
She could end it right here and now, Tanion realised. Thanks to Envoy Gathering, Dagan has 1800 ATK while Caranith has 4100 ATK. But you're set on showing me the true power of Synchro user, aren't you, Zera?
"I tune my Level 8 Caranith, Envoy of the Dragon to my Level 2 Dagan, Envoy of the Light!" Zera declared. "Light of our bonds, shine upon your comrades and give rise to a power of myth and fable! Revive the destructive force lying deep within your heart and lay waste to those that would defy your will! Accel Synchro! Appear before us now, the flame of ruin! Level 10! Piscai, Envoy of the Boundless Phoenix! (ATK:3300/DEF:2500)."
Tanion looked on as the phoenix descended from above. As tall as the walls of the monastery he stood in, its body was covered in flames that gave off incredible heat, causing him to shy away slightly from it. Zera, however, seemed completely untroubled by the raging inferno behind her, her body silhouetted against its flames.
"This… this is the power of a true Synchro user, Tanion," Zera told him, her expression deadly serious. "I may control both Fusion and Synchro, but I have made it my mission to master both. A true Synchro user must be able to call forth powerful creatures like this to their side, as they are the symbol and the trust and connection they have in their deck."
"And I haven't…" Tanion whispered.
"Piscai's monster effect activates!" Zera said. "I target Envoy Gathering. Now, for every 'Envoy' monster in my graveyard or on my field, it gains one counter in addition to the 14 it now has thanks to Piscai's summon!"
"Primate, Oxen, Light and Dragon are in her grave…" Tanion recalled. "But that means… 19 counters in total?!"
"And with those 19 counters, Piscai's attack rises to 5200!" Zera finished.
The flames of the phoenix growing hotter as it's attack rose, and Tanion suddenly realised what was happening. The flames are real, he thought to himself. She's called Piscai forth in its true form. If I take an attack from such a monster… it's the size of the monastery. There's just no way that I…
"Battle! Piscai, Envoy of the Boundless Phoenix, attack Royal Knight!" commanded Zera. "Cleansing Blaze!"
Tanion braced for the worst as Piscai roared and ascended into the sky, ready to seemingly dive into the monastery itself in order to wipe everything from the field, including Tanion. If what I thought about Piscai is real, then there's no way I survive this, Tanion realised in horror. He allowed himself a glance at Zera, who's eyes were lit up with fervent conviction. There's just no way.
A hand clamped down on his shoulder, causing Tanion to gasp and turn to see who it was. Before he could though, and just as Piscai began its descent towards the monastery, Tanion felt his stomach lurch, and then the entire world collapsed in on itself.
Coming Soon - The Calm Before the Storm