Chapter 29 – A Rebellion United

The flight to Ming's base near Eravand was disturbingly quiet. Jorann, Elise and Darrien barely spoke as they flew, occasionally checking their cards or their disks to make sure that everything was alright, although it appeared to be more out of nervousness than anything. Since he wasn't exactly sure what he was going to be up against, it seemed to Tanion as if he was the calmest person on the jet. Just what are they expecting to hear when we land at their base? Tanion couldn't help but wonder.

His answer came into view soon enough. As they finally approached the entrance to the cave system from which Ming's rebellion operated, Tanion could clearly see the hive of activity happening outside the entrances to the caves themselves. The fact that they were operating so openly spoke volumes about the situation at hand. To not care about being seen or attacked this close to Eravand… they really must be treating this as the Grand Order's endgame, otherwise they'd never take such a risk. However, as they got ready to descend, he began to make out the banners on the side of many of the different aircrafts, and there was four different flags among them. Every rebellion has aircrafts here… just how much resistance are they expecting?

"Be prepared to move when we touch down," Jorann warned. "Things are going to be moving very quickly out there, and you're going to want to keep up."

Jorann was more correct than he realised. When they touched down, the door was opened the very instant they came to a standstill and were ushered into an awaiting jeep. From there, they were driven rather hurriedly toward the largest of the caves, and once they were inside Tanion barely had any time to take in the sheer size of the cave, which had been converted into a hangar, before they were led to the back of the cave where a large metal bunker of some kind was embedded into the wall. Upon entering, they found Ming, Rafael, Quinn, Felirae and a bunch of other people gathered around a table, on which was a live feed of the current situation near Eravand. And what Tanion saw horrified him.

"What's the situation?" Elise asked as they entered.

"Far worse than we anticipated," Ming answered. "The number of troops around the object has tripled since we left Stromberg a few hours ago. It doesn't seem like any more troops are coming, but that's not the worst of it."

"So what is the worst of it?" Jorann asked worriedly.

"Take a look for yourself," Ming said, motioning toward the screen. "The object, or 'energy conduit' as Yugi put it, as grown to over three times what was saw previously."

"So how large is it now?" Darrien asked.

"We estimate it to be around 35 storeys high," Ming said. "We assume that, if what Yugi says is true, that the controls for the conduit will be at the top of the tower."

"Then we need to bring that building down," Jorann stated. "However, I'm assuming that's easier said than done."

"That is correct," Rafael said for Ming. "We've tried bombing it already, but even our stealth jets were seen by the Order's tech. Not only that, but out of the few jets that have managed to get through their defences, none have managed to actually get a hit on the tower itself. It seems to be protected by some kind of shield, no doubt powered by Duel Energy as it can counter projectiles summoned from Duel Energy."

"So the building must be powered by the Synchro Users that they caught," Quinn added. "Otherwise there's no way they could've been able to make a shield like that."

"How would they even create something like that though?" Tanion asked, confused.

"We are assuming that they found a way to extract Duel Energy from people," Felirae replied. "Humans naturally replenish their Duel Energy from the atmosphere, something nothing else seems to be able to do. If the Grand Order has found a way to harness that, they've had five years to abuse the absorbing powers of Synchro Users to fuel both the shield and the conduit itself."

"But that's all speculation, isn't it?" Jorann said sceptically.

"It's the only explanation we've been able to come up with for what we're witnessing," Rafael said curtly. "Given our timeframe, we can only go with assumptions at this point."

"So what is the plan?" Elise asked. "I'm assuming you geniuses have come up with something."

"The Three believe that the only way we can get through to the tower is by an Omni-directional assault on the area,' Felirae said, glancing over the live feed of the conduit. "Hopefully, we can scatter their forces long enough to get some people inside to stop whatever is happening in there."

"That's a flimsy plan," Jorann commented.

"Have you got a better one?" Felirae snapped. "We don't have time to worry about formulating a precise attack. For all we know, that thing could come to life at any moment. Yugi had already sensed fluctuations in Synchro Energy before we arrived here, and he reckons they're only getting stronger as time goes on."

"Speaking of the Three, where are they?" Tanion asked the room.

"They've elected themselves to be amongst the group that goes into the conduit thing," Quinn said. "They also said that they want to see the four of you, for some reason."

"Where can we find them, then?" Jorann asked.

"Far west cave, back left wall," Ming answered. "Since you're all caught up, I want you to report there immediately. They will be waiting for you."

Following Ming's instructions, Jorann, Elise, Darrien and Tanion headed for the cave where the Three were supposedly waiting, although it took them a bit of searching to find the right one. As they approached the bunker, Tanion noted a familiar looking Duel Runner parked outside of the building that the others seemed to recognise as well.

"That's Jack's Runner," Elise said in shock. "What in the world…?"

"I believe I can answer that question for you," a voice came from behind them, and they turned to see Yusei walking towards them.

"Yusei? Why aren't you with the others inside?" Jorann asked.

"I had something to give to the leaders," Yusei answered. "I'm surprised I didn't cross paths with you since I've been told you just came from there."

"I doubt we took the same route," Darrien said. "So why is Jack's Duel Runner here?"

"When the war began, I tracked down my friends and gave them devices linked to our satellites," Yusei replied. "Activating the devices meant that they were in need of help, and would transmit their location to the rest of us. I used mine to try and gather everyone to help, but…"

"I'm sorry to hear that, Yusei," Elise said comfortingly. "I'm sure even though they didn't come that they're doing alright."

"I can only hope," Yusei answered. "Anyway, Jack being here gives us some much needed firepower. We should head inside."

Yusei took the lead as they entered the room, and they found Jack sipping on a drink of some sorts while they were discussing the same live feed of the structure from the leader's room, which was being projected onto the wall behind them. Where did Jack manage to find tea at a time like this? Tanion couldn't help but wonder as he forced himself not to be awestruck by meeting another of the characters from the show.

"And you're sure that Rafael and the others will be okay with this?" Jack asked them.

"They don't have to be," Jaden retorted. "This is the only way we are going to stop that thing from going off."

"Have we figured out who's inside the building yet?" Yusei asked, and the others already in the room turned and took note of the newcomers with varying reactions.

"We have thanks to Yubel," Jaden answered. "It seems as though only four people are inside the building itself, although getting inside seems to require some form of password. From what we can tell, the Twin Commanders, Seto and Irene are all present within the building. For them all to be in one place… this has to be it."

"Yusei, did you give that card to the leaders?" Jack inquired.

"I have, and I've informed them of our plan," Yusei answered. "They will be waiting for us to come to them at the transport."

"Could someone inform us as to what is going on?" Jorann demanded.

Yugi glanced at him before looking back at the screen. "The shield protecting the building allows people to pass through, but not objects summoned via Duel Energy, meaning if we get close enough we can enter the building," Yugi began. "Our plan is to have a co-ordinated strike coming from the east. Jack has agreed to lead us in, and will carve a path directly to the building with our soldiers causing as much chaos as they can to distract those not directly in our path when he does so. Then, our transport will be escorted to the edge of the building, where Jack, Jorann, Elise, Darrien and the leaders will form a defensive perimeter around the building itself. Yubel in confident she can get us inside, and so Yusei, Yugi, Tanion and I will enter the building to try and stop whatever is going on."

"Wait, me?" Tanion asked in surprise. "Why me?"

"Tanion, you're a great duelist, but your prowess in on a battlefield is basically unproven," Yugi answered. "And after what happened with Theta, we aren't sure how your Energy would react to an attempted summon off your own energy."

"But in the duel with Zera, I summoned out Royal Knight for real," Tanion reminded them.

"Doing that is different to a Duel of Strength," Yusei cut in. "In situations like that, you are using the Duel Energy from your active Duel Disk in order to summon a monster in its true form, an over-summon of the monster if you will. It's a different thing to a summon from your own energy."

"You're asking me to duel people way above my strength," Tanion protested. "It's suicide. Erial nearly took one Jaden with one attack, I couldn't stand up to Zera, and Seto and Irene took out both Jorann and Yusei! What am I supposed to do?"

"You're supposed to stall until one of us can get there," Jaden said. "We realise that you aren't as strong as us, but you might be useless anywhere else and we're stretched thin as it is. It's been made clear that you're pretty resourceful and your deck trust you, so we know you should be able to hold your own until one of us arrives."

"Hmm… you seriously want me to do this?" Tanion asked again, still disbelieving.

"The leader will have their hands full with the main fight," Yugi said. "Jack and the others have vast experience on the battlefield and their help with keeping the enemy away from the building will be invaluable. We need you to do this."

"Okay," Tanion huffed, psyching himself up. "What do you want me to do? Who am I fighting?"

"Erial is mine," Yusei muttered bitterly. "I'll have him answer for everything he's done."

"I will deal with Zera," Jaden said. "I feel as though I am the best match up for her."

"And I will talk with Seto," Yugi said, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "It appears there is much we have to discuss."

"No," Tanion retorted. "I am not fighting Irene alone."

"I agree," Jorann said angrily. "Yusei, you saw the power that woman possesses. There's no way any one of us can stand up to her."

"That's exactly the point, Jorann," Yusei countered. "The XYZ Summon is something we know of, but know little about. Tanion, however, knows all about it, don't you?"

"I do know a lot about how they work," Tanion admitted. "They're prevalent back home, but it's nothing like this."

"Tanion, we didn't see her XYZ Summon coming last duel, and so we had no way to counter it," Yusei pressed. "You will be able to see them coming far before we ever could, because it's something that we've never had to deal with before."

"And remember, we aren't tasking you with beating her," Yugi continued. "We just want you to keep her busy until we can join you."

"But…" Tanion trailed off. "Are you sure this is the only way?"

"It's the best way," Jaden replied. "For all we know, if you tried to summon a monster from your own strength you could simply collapse. This way we will be able to make use of your talents in a way that can't backfire."

"I still won't allow this," Jorann repeated. "Tanion isn't ready for this."

"Jorann, its fine."

"Tanion, listen to your superior!" Jorann snapped.

"I am, and it's not you," Tanion countered. "I'm deferring to the Three on this one. If they believe that this is the right course of action, then I will do what I must."

"I… You're either very brave, or very stupid," Jorann muttered. "If this goes wrong, it's one your heads."

"We are aware," Yugi said. "But now is not the time to be bickering amongst ourselves. We have a plan. Let us execute it."

"Take these," Jaden said, grabbing earpieces off the table and handing them to those in the room. "This will provide direct communication between everyone guarding the building and those inside. Jack, you can use this to call in your back-up when you think the time is right."

Jack smiled. "Let's give those bastards hell."

From her position atop the Energy Conduit Tower, Irene glanced across the open plain that lay between Eravand and the tower. The initial process of bringing the construct to the surface had gone off without incident, but she knew that it wouldn't be long before the various rebellions caught on to what was going on. If only there had been a way to do this more discreetly…

"Irene, the boot-up phase will begin in half an hour," Seto informed her from the control panels in the middle of the floor, a giant pillar extending upward into the sky. "Weather is clear and will be for many hours yet."

"Thank you, Seto," Irene said, a light breeze causing her hair to billow slightly.

"How are your treatments going?" Seto asked. "I hear that there has been little progress."

Irene glanced down at her now slightly-wrinkled skin. "No treatment can recover what I have lost," she muttered before looking away. "But it will all be worth it once this is all over."

"Will it?" Seto asked sceptically. "You said that we would have finished this almost three years ago. Is five years of war really worth all of this?"

"Yes," Irene answered immediately. "I know what horror awaits my people, and I don't care what is necessary in order to save them. I will make it happen."

Just then, a speck of white appeared on the edge of the plain, something that Irene had barely caught and would not have seen at all if it weren't for the reflection that came off it. Raising the pair of binoculars around her neck to her eyes, she focussed as best she could on the white object that was moving at an incredible pace towards the wall of Grand Order soldiers below her.

"Seto, get over here right now," Irene demanded. "I thought you said that the former Signers had been eliminated."

Seto's blood ran cold. "I was told that the last of them was killed off over five months ago," Seto said, taking the binoculars from Irene and looking at the approaching object. "What? That's… no, that's impossible!"

Before Irene could say another word, there was an explosion of red above the white object, and from it came the roar of what she could only describe as a demonic dragon.

You tell me to not hold anything back. Yusei, do you really think I would ever hold back at a time like this?

Jack Atlas sat in his Duel Runner as it moved at top speed towards the line of soldiers before him. In the distance, he could see his target looming high above the plains, its shadow cast over much of the battlefield as the sun began to rise. In his hand he held one card, ready to summon it when the time was right, but he knew that he had to wait so that it could be co-ordinated with the aerial assault that was coming from every direction. I hope you know how to use that card that I entrusted to you, Rafael, Jack thought to himself. It had been a gift from Greiger, the one who had helped him fake his death to escape the pursuit of the Grand Order. I owe you once more for this, Greiger.

"Jack, do you read me?" came Ming's voice through his earpiece.

"Is it time?"

"Thirty seconds," Mind said. "I'm high above the battlefield and our jets are one minute out. Jack, put the fear of the devil into them."

"It's time they saw what true power is like," Jack muttered to himself, a sly grin on his face.

"Now, Jack, do it now."

"The King and The Devil, here and now shall become as one. A Raging Spirit! Lift up the very cries of Creation itself!" Jack chanted before placing the card on his duel disk. "Appear, Red Nova Dragon!"

Jack watched on as his dragon appeared in all of its powerful glory. Draped in fire, the black and red combination of demon and dragon roared as it descended onto the battlefield, and Jack could sense the fear that had been struck into the hearts of the soldiers in front of him. Yusei mentioned that a Level 12 had never been summoned to a battle like this before… show them your true might, my mighty dragon!

"Red Nova Dragon, charge into battle!" Jack commanded as the rumble of jets came into earshot. "Burning Soul!"

"Seto, what the hell is happening?!" Irene screamed as the red dragon began to tear through her soldiers as if they were nothing. "Jack Atlas is supposed to be dead!"
"And as far as I knew he was!" Seto snapped back before bringing up an image of the battlefield before them. "What the hell…"

"What is it now?" Irene demanded.

"We're tracking 40… no, 50 jets coming in from every direction except Eravand," Seto said, his eyes growing wider in fear. "Where the hell did they get so much firepower so quickly?"

"They must not have been as separated as I thought. Fuck," Irene muttered. "Get everyone over from Eravand, right now."

"But without any defences –"

"Fuck Eravand!" Irene shrieked. "If we fail now then it won't matter is the city is standing or not. Make. It. Happen!"

Seto gritted his teeth. "Yes, ma'am."

"There's only one hour to go, Seto," Irene said, watching anxiously as the battle below began in earnest. "We cannot fail now, not when we are so close…"

Tanion watched on as the missiles from the jets began to descend upon the soldiers below, tearing apart what little resistance many of them possessed. It had been clear from the start that the Grand Order had intending on holding off any attack through sheer numbers alone, and despite the severity of the attack, he felt like they hadn't even made a dent in their overall numbers.

"I'll keep bombing them from up here," Ming's voice came through his earpiece. "Get in behind Jack and follow him to the tower. We only get one shot at this."

"Roger that," Elise replied, steering the helicopter transport into position. "Jack, do you read me?"

"What is it?"

"Our estimate is that we will be at the building in three minutes. Can you have a path cleared by then?"

"Of course I can, or my name isn't Jack Atlas!" came the defiant reply.

"I can't believe he brought Flying Fortress SKY FIRE with him," Yusei muttered to himself. "To think he was hiding with Greiger all this time…"

"Two minutes people," Elise informed them all. "Get ready. This could be rough."

As they began to descend onto the battlefield, Tanion looked out the closest window to see the absolute chaos that was unfolding below them. Jets roared through the air, dropping bombs onto the enemies below while also doing their best to hold off the air support that the Grand Order itself had called in. Their troops had finally landed on the edge of the seething mass of Grand Order soldiers and were beginning to fight each other. However, below them was a clear line through the enemies as Jack carved a path with Red Nova Dragon, a path that rebels had already begun to secure as a way to get in amongst the enemy soldier and cause havoc in their ranks.

"You're a brave man for doing this," Jorann said to Tanion suddenly. "Putting yourself at risk like this is not something I expected you to do again so soon."

"This is war," Tanion said to him. "I can't afford to let you all down now."

"We will make sure that you all aren't interrupted," Jorann promised. "Speaking of…"

Tanion watched as Jorann got out of his seat and opened the door of the transport. He went to protest as to what the old man was doing, but he stopped himself as he saw Jorann go to place a card on his duel disk. He's going to help Jack clear a landing space for us, Tanion realised.

"Come to my side, High Dragon Edilisna!" Jorann commanded as he placed the card on his duel disk and jumped from the transport.

Tanion looked out the window as the old man flew past on the back of his dragon, before descending onto the battlefield with Edilisna blasting away the soldiers near the edge of the shield that surrounded the tower. As Elise began her descent to land just outside of the tower, Tanion could see that Jack and Jorann had taken up positions that guarded the space that they had created as they intercepted any attacks thrown their way with blasts from their dragons. As they came below the level of the tower itself, Tanion could see that many of the soldiers were seemingly scared to approach them, with piles of their fallen comrades in between them and the tower. They possess so much power…

"Alright, we're down!" Elise announced as Tanion felt the transport's wheels touch the ground. "Everybody out, let's move!"

Tanion waited until last as all the leaders beside Ming, along with Elise, Darrien and The Three made their way out of the door that Jorann had already opened. By the time he stepped out, everyone had already called out their respective monsters and had formed a protective ring around the tower itself.

"I already disabled the lock on the entrance," Jaden announced as Tanion met up with the Three. "Let's move in."

With a hint of doubt still in his mind about going up against Irene, Tanion followed the legendary duelists into the tower as the battle behind him raged on.

Coming Soon - Genesis of the Grand Order