Chapter 5
Unlike the others, Saphon had a very short trip. His flight took him across a huge country, until he landed in a white landscape. And it was cold there. Unbelievable cold. The three soldiers that followed him, where shivering and sniffling and trying everything to keep each other warm, what looked pretty ridiculous most of the time.
Saphon could not afford to look weak. Enough that the soldiers that were now cuddling in the snow and were following him, had rioted about an hour ago, wanting the destruction of the Emperors, and Saphon. Also, he was the third to newest of the Emperors. The only ones that came after him were Malin, who, however, had no problems to adapt to the others and soon outstripped Saphon, and Nitak, who was the youngest among them, but had no problem finding his voice against the others. Especially against Belle, who Saphon was really frightened off.
But that wasn't a big thing. Saphon has always been frightened. Of the war, of the other Emperors, lately even of Nitak. Now he was afraid of the coldness, of the Legendary Numbers they were after, and most important, of the fact that he was so eager to find this ruin. He couldn't await it to come here. He had never experienced such a need before, such a need for a location. And this was frightening like never before. Because he was literally drawn here. And that by such force, that he couldn't resist. If that was the power of the Legendary Number … well, then Saphon had to brace himself.
After the group of four had wandered to the snow for maybe an hour, with Saphon doing his best not to look that supercooled he felt, they reached was he felt to be the Number Ruin.
Well, ruin was too much said. It was more of a village, however, hardly recognizable. Most of the houses were destroyed, collapsed or otherwise uninhabitable, a thick layer of snow covering most of them. Saphon gave the soldiers a sign to wait on the outskirts and went into the small village. He looked through every house that still had a door, but besides snow, some furniture and even more snow, he found nothing.
But when he reached the center of the town for the fourth time or so, that changed.
"Is it really that difficult finding me?" a calm voice said suddenly and Saphon turned into all directions to find its owner. But no one was there.
It took a few seconds before it spoke up again: "I give it up. Well, here I am."
When he heard a noise from behind him and Saphon turned around. A pile of snow was moving and a human figure walked out of it. It was a man, with a light blue skin and blue lips. His hair was white and he was wearing a worn-out shirt and pants.
"My name is Tosh. I will be your opponent," he said and a D-Pad, made of Ice, was growing on his arm.
The cold air around them made it difficult for Saphon to speak: "S-so you are o-one of these N-Numbers G-G-G-Guardians?"
"Och, is someone feeling cold?" As Tosh spoke, Saphon could see that his mouth was not giving up fog, unlike Saphons. "Now you know how I felt back then, when you were sitting in your warm house. But you got what you deserved."
"W-What?" Saphon had no idea what this guy was talking about. He had never seen him before and he had never lived in a warm house, in this world, as he assumed that he wasn't talking about the Barian World.
"You don't know anymore, do you? Well, it was kinda stupid, to think you would remember someone like me." He was still talking silent and calm, but his voice was carrying anger and malice like Saphon never heard before. It was bloody vicious. "But don't worry, a duel will certainly help your memory. And I make sure, that you meet the same fate as I did."
"I h-h-have no idea w-what you are talk-k-king about, but f-f-fine." He pulled his D-Pad out and put it on his arm. It resembled a gravestone, with the card zones being stone crosses.
Tosh: 4000 LP
Saphon: 4000 LP
"I'm going to take the start, bastard." Saphon flinched at being called this way. He was used to getting picked on by Belle and Intaka, but he never had been hated that open.
After Tosh had drawn his card, he took another one out of his hand: "I Normal Summon 'Cold Hunter'!" A human figure appeared on Toshs side of the field, being completely wrapped in dirty white fabric, Saphon assumed it was against the cold, and held a long dagger in his hands.
Cold Hunter / Effect / Level 3 / WATER / Warrior-Type / 800 ATK / 600 DEF
"Next I activate my Spell Card 'Frozen Egg' and place one additional card face-down. Turn end." His Set Card appeared next to him, also an egg-like object made of ice rose up behind him.
"M-my turn, draw." Saphon was still very cold, but the adrenaline he received from the duel, made talking easier. "I Normal Summon 'Gozuki'!" A muscular, bull-like figure appeared on his side of the field, wielding a huge hammer.
Gozuki / Effect / Level 4 / EARTH / Zombie-Type / 1700 ATK / 800 DEF
It was weird. Saphon was afraid of so many things, the only thing he was never afraid off, were Zombies. And especially his Zombies.
"I activate my face-down card." Tosh said, and his cards flipped up, while the ground was covered in a plain layer of ice. "'Eisbahn'. Now, if a Monster is summoned and I control a WATER Monster, I can switch yours to Defense Position."
Saphon watched helpless as 'Gozuki' slid on the ground and fell.
"Nonet-t-h-h-... I activate 'Gozuki's ef-f-f-fect to send one Z-Z-Zombie from my Deck to the Graveyard." Saphon said, his shaking fingers pulling 'Mezuki' out of his Deck and inserting in into his Graveyard.
"I place one card face-d-d-down and end my turn." It took him a few moments to get the cold card inserted into his D-Pad.
"Then its my turn again. I start with Normal Summoning 'Cold Enchanter'." A female magician, in white clothing, wielding a snowflake-shaped wand emerged from the card.
Cold Enchanter / Effect / Level 4 / WATER / Aqua-Type / 1600 ATK / 1200 DEF
"And I immediately use its effect. I discard one card," Saphon could see that Tosh inserted a copy of 'Snowman Creator' into his Graveyard, "to place one 'Ice Counter' on 'Gozuki'." A piece of Ice grew on 'Gozukis' Leg.
Gozuki: 1 Ice Counter
"And for each 'Ice Counter' on the field, my 'Cold Enchanter' will gain 300 ATK."
Cold Enchanter: 1600 ATK → 1900 ATK
Saphon already braced himself for a direct attack of 'Cold Hunter' after 'Cold Enchanter' had destroyed his Monster, but it came entering different.
"'Cold Hunter', attack 'Gozuki'." The cloaked warrior darted forward and pierced his dagger into Saphons Monster. And, much to his surprise, it fell and disappeared.
"What w-w-was this?" Saphon couldn't manage to say any more, it was just to cold around. But he hoped that Tosh understood. 'How could 'Cold Hunter' destroy my Monster, even if they share 800 ATK and DEF, respectively?' was what he wanted to ask.
Fortunately, his opponent understood. "It was its effect, stupid brat. If it battles a Monster with an 'Ice Counter', that Monster is always destroyed. That may sound unfair, but I didn't have any chance back then, too." During the last sentence, the anger in Toshs calm and cold voice rose up again.
'What is he talking about? I never saw this guy before!' Saphon thought, but couldn't say it out loud, because just in this moment, 'Cold Enchanter' fired a blue blast of Light towards Saphon, knocking him into a pile of snow behind him, and thus, the last bit of warmth out of his body.
Saphon: 4000 LP → 2100 LP
Then, while Saphon was still getting up, he noticed that the egg behind Tosh had changed, as a piece of Ice had grown on it.
Responding to the questioning face Saphon gave, Tosh explained. "See, your 'Gozuki' had an 'Ice Counter when it left the field." His voice was mockingly soft, as if he was talking to an amateur, or to a toddler, "And due to my cards effect, this 'Ice Counter' moves to 'Frozen Egg' now. Thus, 'Cold Enchanter' hadn't lost its ATK Bonus when it attacked you."
Saphon dared to take a thought into the next turn. He had to summon a Monster, that was clear. However, it was sure to be changed to Defense Position, as long as 'Eisbahn' was on the field. He could set a Monster, nonetheless, but he was sure that Tosh had something up his sleeve to flip it face-up. Then, 'Cold Enchanter' would place a 'Ice Counter' on it and boost itself to 2200 ATK, 'Cold Hunter' would wipe his Monster out, and the Enchanter his remaining Life Points.
"I place one last card face-down and end my turn. Yours, Bastard." His face-down appeared next to 'Eisbahn'.
"My turn, draw."
When Saphon drew his card and looked at it, his face lit up visibly. Well, as much as it could, since it was still very very cold.
Saphon started with flipping up his Trap Card, being to cold to talk. It was 'Ghostly Reinforcements'.
"Ah I see. To cold to talk, but still able to do pointless plays. So, now you are..." Tosh waited for a moment, to read the cards text. "Paying 1000 Life Points, to summon two Zombies?"
Saphon nodded and in the same Moment, two bull and horse like creatures rose up on the field, one wielding a hammer, the other one wielding an axe.
Saphon: 2100 LP → 1100 LP
Gozuki / Effect / Level 4 / EARTH / Zombie-Type / 1700 ATK / 800 DEF
Mezuki / Effect / Level 4 / EARTH / Zombie-Type / 1700 ATK / 800 DEF
Saphon had summoned them in Defense Position on purpose, since 'Eisbahn' would have switched them there anyway.
"E-E-Effect." Saphon muttered, pointing on Gozuki. His shaking hands pulled 'Des Priest' out of his Deck, showed it to Tosh and inserted it into his Graveyard.
"X-Xyz Summon!" Saphon yelled, as much as he could, but he recited his usual summoning chant in his head, as 'Gozuki' and 'Mezuki' turned fully orange and shot into the galaxy-shaped portal. 'In requiem to all of our fallen friends and comrades, here and in the Barian World, arise, 'Number 105: Ghost Deity Aurora'!'
When the portal exploded, a huge cross, made of stone emerged from it. After it had hovered above the duel for a few seconds, it seemed to open. Its front opened up like a door, and from it a cloaked figure emerged. It was fully covered into a grey cape and hood and bandaged wings were coming out of its back, giving the Number the look of a distorted angel. It slowly flew down to Saphons side and removed its hood then, revealing a womans head, with dirty bandages covering her eyes and dusty blonde hair. Two yellow Xyz Materials cycled it.
Number 105: Ghost Deity Aurora / Xyz / Rank 4 / LIGHT / Zombie-Type / 2500 ATK / 0 DEF / 2 Xyz Materials
"Fool," Tosh said, seeming unimpressed by the new Monster. "I use 'Eisbahn', to switch your Number to Defense Position."
"N-no." Saphon was still shivering, but having his Number by his side was making him feel much warmer, again. "I us-s-se the effect of 'Des Priest'. I b-b-banish it from my G-G-Graveyard, to negate your cards effect and destr-r-roy it." Tosh looked dumbfounded as his Trap burst into Light particles.
"I-I Normal Summon 'Cursed Twins'! When one of them is Normal Summoned, I can Special S-S-Summon another one from m-my Deck." Two female puppets appeared on Saphons side of the field, one with a red and the other one with a blue dress.
Cursed Twins / Effect / Level 4 / DARK / Zombie-Type / 1000 ATK / 1000 DEF
Cursed Twins / Effect / Level 4 / DARK / Zombie-Type / 1000 ATK / 1000 DEF
"I-I use the effect of my Number! I d-det-tach one Xyz M-M-Material from it, to let it a-attack once for every Z-Z-Zombie I control!" The Angel absorbed one of its Xyz Materials through its Wings and then seemed to drain Energy from the two dolls underneath it
Saphon grinned. As he calculated, this was a One Turn Kill. With all the adrenaline flowing through him, the frost was gone, he screamed to Tosh: "'Number 105: Ghost Deity Aurora', attack 'Cold Enchanter'! 'Undead Wave'!" The Angel charged a wave of Light in its hands, ready to shoot it onto the other side of the field, when suddenly a blue flash came out of the ground and completely engulfed it into ice.
Saphon was looking at his entombed Monster in shock and disbelief and could feel the cold returning, his face turned numb again.
He took a look at Toshs side of the field, and saw that a Trap Card had flipped up. "Nice, right? That is the effect of my unbelievable 'Cold Grave'. It renders your Monster unable to move and places an 'Ice Counter' on it, during each of my End Phases."
But Saphon wasn't listening to the last words he said. The world around him, was spinning in a mind-blowing tempo, ever since he first looked at the Trap Card. He could have vomited on the ground easily, but refused to do so. Shortly after, his feet collapsed and he fell down into the snow, that had turned into a soft yet cold pillar and drifted away.
When he woke up, he found himself digging, although he couldn't affect his. He just digged, Saphon could do what he wanted, but his body was not controlled by him. At least he thought so.
"I hope you are finished with it, I have our next customer here." Saphons body stopped to dig and looked up. He noticed that he was standing in a square hole.
"Yes I am. Give me the ladder." Saphon flinched at what his body said. Because it was clearly he who said this, but he had no effect on the words. It was like he would be in his own body to watch a scene that happened some time ago, although he could not remember living through this. However, the real Saphon decided to lay back and watch.
After he had climbed out of the hole, what he recognized to be a Grave, he looked into the face of another man, his size, maybe a little bit taller. He was wearing various layers of clothing, against the cold, since they were still in the snowy land of Siberia. Behind him, Saphon could notice a cart, with something on it, that looked like a package of fabrics.
"Another child?" The Body-Saphon asked.
"Yep. Frozen to death. No idea if she had family. The town handed her to me after he could find no relatives." The other guy said sad, and the Mind-Saphon suddenly knew what was lying there on the cart. And he was right with his thought, as they took the package from it, lay it into the hole, removed the fabric and buried the girl who came out of it.
Suddenly, the Mind-Saphon blacked out again and when he woke up, he saw himself standing opposite a huge man, not the one from before.
"I'm very sorry about your partner. He was too young." the man said, with the Mind-Saphon adding in his thoughts 'No, he wasn't.' since he couldn't get the image of the dead girl out of his head.
"Yes, it is very sad," the Body-Saphon responded, his voice shaking.
"I'm very sorry, but I am not here for condolences only. I have work for you." Two other man carried a pack of fabrics in, just like the one on the cart, just bigger. "My cousin. He died a few days ago, frozen to death."
The Mind-Saphon could notice that the mans voice started to sound nervous, also he had some pearls of sweat on his head. It was oblivious that he was lying. But the Body-Saphon did not notice. Maybe he was just to sad, due to his friend's death.
"I'm taking care of him," he said and after the man left, he loaded the package onto a cart and drove it into the snow, digging a grave and burying the man. However, when the Body-Saphon removed the fabric, the Mind-Saphons heart stopped dead.
Down there, lying in this grave in a reality Saphon never knew existed, was Tosh.
Author-made Cards:
Cold Hunter / Effect / Level 3 / WATER / Warrior-Type / 800 ATK / 600 DEF
If this card battles a Monster with an "Ice Counter" on it: Destroy it without Damage Calculation.
Des Priest / Effect / Level 4 / DARK / Zombie-Type / 1900 ATK / 0 DEF
If this card is in your Graveyard when a Zombie-Type Monster is Special Summoned, except from the Graveyard: You can banish this card; Target 1 face-up card your opponent controls, negate its effects and destroy it.
Cursed Twins / Effect / Level 4 / DARK / Zombie-Type / 1000 ATK / 1000 DEF
If this card is Normal Summoned: Special Summon 1 "Cursed Twins" from your hand or Deck. This card and the Special Summoned Monster cannot be used as Xyz Materials for an Xyz Summon during the turn you activate this effect.
Number 105: Ghost Deity Aurora / Xyz / Rank 4 / LIGHT / Zombie-Type / 2500 ATK / 0 DEF
2 Level 4 Zombie-Type Monsters
If this card has Xyz Materials: Your opponent cannot target other Zombie-Type Monsters for an attack. Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: This card can attack a number of times during this turns Battle Phase, up to the number of face-up Zombie-Type Monsters on the field. During the turn you activate this effect, if this card battles, it loses 500 ATK at the end of the Damage Step, until the End Phase.
Frozen Egg / Continuous Spell Card
If a card with a "Ice Counter(s)" is removed from the field, place its "Ice Counter(s)" on this card. You can send this face-up card to the Graveyard: Distribute "Ice Counter(s)" among face-up Monsters equal to the number of "Ice Counter(s)" on this card, then, you can add 1 "Frozen Egg" from your Deck to your hand.
Wild Flashback appeared! What will you do? [ ] Read [ ] Other Story [ ] Bag [ ] Run
You will encounter more wild Flashbacks on your journey through the next chapters, so choose carefully!
**** you Konami censors! I can put Stone crosses wherever I want them!
Anyone who knows Gozuki? He's the bull brother of Mezuki. I know that his Manga effect supported Yokais, not Zombies and so did Ghostly Reinforcements, but since every released Yokai is suddenly supporting Zombies, they are doing it this way too.
Ice Counter Decks really need some new support. I mean, something like Cold Hunter or Frozen Egg, or another card appearing in the next chapter, Grey Glacier, could make them at least no pain to play.
Tosh's name is taken from the japanese word Tōshi (凍死), what means Cold Death. Fitting, I think.