Chapter 10
They were moving quite through the forest, loaded bows in hand, quivers on the back. They had just tracked a deer, they were after for days now. Finding it, would earn them enough money to live through the next weeks. "Shh..." Hayk suddenly said, before pointing a finger first at Belle, then at a different direction. He wanted to cut the deer's way. Belle and her brother parted and soon after, a deer was lying at their feet, an arrow impaled in its eye. It was dead just the moment the arrow hit it. Hayk has always been a brilliant archer, like Belle was able to track any animal living in these forest. As a family, they were the perfect hunting duo.
They carried the deer to their hideout, a cave near the town, because their own house wasn't big enough to store all the meat and fur, also, it always had a chilling cold down here, so the meat wouldn't rot that fast. However, the cave was still linked to their house, by a tunnel, Hayk and a few friends digged last year. Well, they got enough pay for that. Since their parents died, no one was sure why, the only thing they knew was that they had a fatal illness, Hayk had always cared for Belle, while on the other hand, Belle helped her brother whenever possible. For example, Hayk was a horrible cook, at least according to what Belle said.
"A good deer. Strong, not too old, no diseases," Hayk said, "We will get a good price."
"Do we have to sell it at whole? I wouldn't complain having some game to eat. If we would sell it in parts, we might gain more profit," Belle threw in. It was easier getting higher prices if you had more stuff to sell.
"I thought about selling it to the butcher as whole," Hayk answered, "He always makes a good price, you know. I think I can talk to him to give us some of the game, additional to the money. This way, we wouldn't have to cut it by ourselves. If we would make a mistake with it, the price goes down drastically."
"True again, big bro. However, that sounds like a plan, so why don't we..." Belle was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. She got up to open and see who it might be, but before she could, their door was smashed open.
Belles eyes snapped open. This scene she had just been living through was like a long forgotten memory, however, she saw Hayk in it, called him brother. But today, she was sure she saw him for the first time. This story can't be true. That must have been an illusion. What kind of mind tricks was this Guardian playing?
Belle:
3700 LP
Laval Magma Cannoneer / Effect / Level 4 / FIRE / Pyro-Type / 1700 ATK / 200 DEF
Spell / Trap Cards: Volcanic Wall (face-up)
Hayk:
2200 LP
Number 72: Doomlight Archer / Xyz / Rank 6 / LIGHT / Fairy-Type / 2900 ATK / 2800 DEF / 3 Xyz Materials
Spell / Trap Cards: 1 face-down
"What kind of sick, twisted mind game was that?" Belle yelled at her opponent, as soon she got to her feet again.
"None," Hayk answered, visibly hurt, "What you saw where your true memories, not that lie you were living through the last years."
"My life was no lie!" Belle shouted, as loud as she could. Many of the people that had watched their duel already ran away when the Legendary Number appeared, with this scream, three more were gone. "This vision was a lie! YOU are a lie!"
Her opponent stumbled back, as if Belles shouts would have knocked him. "I am no lie. And I am going to show you, how real I am. 'Number 72: Doomlight Archer', blow my sister out of her own little world. 'Angelic Aim'!"
While the Number took an arrow out of the quiver on its back and aimed at 'Laval Magma Cannoneer', Hayk continued speaking: "And I might explain the effect of my Monster. Just like the skilled archer it is, it will always hit the opponents Monster at its most vulnerable: Its DEF. That means that, even though your Monster is in Attack Position, your Monsters DEF will be used to calculate the Damage."
It took Belle a few seconds to realize what that meant, but when she realized, she just yelled: "What?!"
Then, the Angel fired, its arrow piercing through Belles Magma Cannoneer, which exploded into Light Particles and kicked Belle off her feet and sent her flying, so that she almost fell of the pyre.
Belle: 3700 LP → 1000 LP
"I place one card card face-down. Turn end. I highly advise you, lil sis, to Summon something with more DEF for your next turn," Hayk said, while the Angel settled behind him.
"Oh, I will. Draw!" When Belle took a look at the card she had just drawn and the other one she held, 'Rank-Up-Magic Barians Force', she smiled.
"I activate the effect of 'The Blazing Mars' in my Graveyard! By banishing 'Pyrotech Mech – Shiryu', 'Volcanic Slicer' and 'Laval Magma Cannoneer' from my Graveyard, it can Special Summon itself. She took the three Monsters out of her Graveyard and in the same Moment, a huge dragonic head appeared on Belles side of the field, a humanoid torso on top of it.
The Blazing Mars / Effect / Level 8 / FIRE / Pyro-Type / 2600 ATK / 2200 DEF
"This is a card from the 'Legendary Planet' Series. I am very proud of having it," Belle said with a little bit of brag in her voice. "But the next card is equal exciting: 'Blazefire Birth'!" Belle inserted the Spell Card into her D-Pad, before blueish-black flames engulfed 'The Blazing Mars'.
"This Spell Card lets me Summon a FIRE Xyz Monster, using only one Monster I control as Xyz Material. So now, I overlay 'The Blazing Mars'!" Belles enormous Monster turned fully red and shot into a galaxy-shaped portal, while Hayk watched curios.
"Xyz Summon, 'Number 104'! Lift the curtain to the hottest fire in the Barian World! Arise, 'Darkfire Pyre'!" The portal in the sky exploded and a huge piece of wood flew down to the duel. Once it reached the ground, it shattered into several smaller pieces, which all collected themselves behind Belle and formed a huge pile. Suddenly, there was a spark in it and a fire started to burn. It increased in size and once it was big enough it formed something like a humanoid torso, but with four arms and a demonic face. It let out malicious laughter and crossed his four arms. One red Xyz Material cycled it.
Number 104: Darkfire Pyre / Xyz / Rank 8 / FIRE / Pyro-Type / ATK 2700 / DEF 3000 / 1 Xyz Material
This changed things. Maybe Belle could burn Hayk for his remaining Life Points this turn, if not, her Numbers DEF was high enough to withstand attacks from Hayks Monster. Or, maybe she could speed that up. She took the last card out of her hand and inserted it into her D-Pad.
"I activate 'Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force'! Chaos Xyz Change, 'Number C104'..."
"Chain!" Hayk cut Belle off in her speech: "I activate my face-down card 'Angelic Choir'!" Belles Monster had already turned red, but now formed back into its original form., when singing voices could be heard "It shuts down Special Summoning for the rest of the turn and, at the same time, halves any Damage players take until the End Phase. But at the same time, we both have to draw once and reveal these cards."
Belle drew her card speechless, while she was both impressed and horrified that Hayk managed to counter the Barians trump card that easy. She showed Hayk her card 'Half Unbreak', while he showed her his, 'Cards from the Sky'.
"Well," Belle continued, while trying to catch her thoughts, "then I have to continue with this: 'Volcanic Wall'!" She took the top three cards from her Deck and revealed them, again: 'Royal Firestorm Guards', 'Swords of Revealing Light' and another copy of 'Laval Magma Cannoneer'. Two Pyro-Type Monsters, so the Spell Card shot a medium sized flame, however, its size was decreased by the same singing voices that stopped the activation of 'Barian's Force'. However, Hayk was still knocked backwards.
Hayk: 2200 LP → 1700 LP
"And at last, I use the effect of 'Number 104: Darkfire Pyre'. I detach 1 Xyz Material from it to Damage you 400 times the Number of FIRE Monsters in my Graveyard." One of the Monsters Materials was absorbed into its wooded part, before it formed balls of fires on its hands.
Number 104: Darkfire Pyre: 1 Xyz Material → 0 Xyz Materials
Now, Belle had to count. She detached 'The Blazing Mars', but to summon him, she already removed three Monsters from play. She sent two, due to the effect of 'Volcanic Wall' and there was still one 'Volcanic Counter' left, so four overall. That was a damage of 1600, but it was halved by the effect of 'Angelic Choir', so only 800. But still, the Fireballs shot by the Number did more impact to Hayk than the attack of 'Volcanic Wall', as he struggled to get back on his feet.
Hayk: 1700 LP → 900 LP
"I am finshed, I just place one last card face-down."
Hayk, however, seemed unwilling to continue this duel, when he drew his card, instead he said: "Sister, please, believe into the history you have seen. I might be here to guard the Number, but in the first place, I am here to make you remember!"
"Stop calling me that way! I am not your sister! These whole memories, they were not real! They can not be real," Belle articulated every word clear, as she had to convince herself.
"It is real. It really happened. You just weren't allowed to die, you were sent to the Barian World instead. You didn't see the whole memory yet, right?"
"No, yes, no, I, just, stop talking! This is not real! You are not real!" Belle was screaming now, the last spectators were running.
"I am not real?" Hayk repeated, "I am not real. You say I am not real. I am going to show you, how real I am. I discard 'Cards from the Sky' to activate 'Double Spell'." He inserted one Spell Card into his Graveyard, before he placed the other on the Angel wing.
"And the purpose of this move is … what? I only have 'Swords of Revealing Light', 'Hidden Explosives'," then it hit her, "Oh no. No Hayk no, please not! You cannot..."
She wanted to continue pleading, but her opponent cut her off: "Oh I can. I use 'Double Spell' to activate 'Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force'!"
He did it. Hayk just activated the one Spell Card, Telgu had given to Belle in his last afford and just because she was not able to keep an eye on it. Whatever happened now, it was her fault.
"I Rank-Up 'Number 72: Doomlight Archer'! Chaos Xyz Change!" As he said this, the Legendary Number looked down onto Hayk with a mixture of anticipation and horror in its face, before turning fully yellow and shooting into another galaxy-shaped portal.
"'Chaos Number 72'! When the fallen angel ascends from the depths, hell will break lose in heaven! Arise, 'Demonic Archerfiend'!" After the portal exploded, the sky crackled with lightnings, as if something unspeakable was done. This time, the angel did not descend in a sealed form, it came out of the portal as it was, combat ready. Its previous white and blue armor was now black and dark red, but they were still similar to each other. The monster still had its bow and its quiver, however, the biggest change was the Monsters skin. Previously white, it now had a dull grey and its eyes had gained a red glow. The wings still had the same color, however, some feathers were ripped out of them and in these places, the wings were now bleeding. Belle noticed some resemblance with Hayks D-Pad. Four yellow Xyz Material cycled the angel, looking out of place beneath the Monster, that radiated a black shine.
Author-made cards:
Number 72: Doomlight Archer / Xyz / Rank 6 / LIGHT / Fairy-Type / 2900 ATK / 2800 DEF
3 Level 6 Fairy-Type Monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle, except with a "Number" Monster. If this card battles a face-up Attack Position Monster your opponent controls: Apply that Monsters DEF for Damage calculation only. Once per turn: Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card and discard any number of cards. This card gains 1 additional attack this turn for each card discarded. It cannot attack your opponent directly this turn.
Number 104: Darkfire Pyre / Xyz / Rank 8 / FIRE / Pyro-Type / ATK 2700 / DEF 3000
2 Level 8 Monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle, except with a "Number" Monster. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can activate up to two of the following effects. Each effect of "Number 104: Darkfire Pyre" can only be used once per turn: ● Discard 1 FIRE Monster to inflict 100 Damage to your opponent for each of the discarded Monsters Levels. ● Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to inflict 400 Damage to your opponent for each FIRE Monster in your Graveyard. If you activate this effect, this card cannot declare an attack this turn.
Blazefire Birth / Continuous Spell Card
Target 1 face-up FIRE Monster you control; Special Summon 1 FIRE Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck, then attach the target to that Monster as Xyz Material and equip it with this card. If this card is removed from the field, destroy that Monster, and if you do, inflict 1000 Life Points Damage to both players. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase while you control this face-up card.
Angelic Choir / Normal Trap Card
Both players draw 1 card and reveal it. Until the End Phase, neither player can Special Summon Monsters, also, any Damage taken by a player is halved. You must control a face-up Fairy-Type Monster to activate and resolve this effect.
Well, that escalated quickly.
Props to 'Angelic Choir' for being the first card to negate a Rank-Up. It isn't that difficult, I am wondering why it didn't happen before in the Anime.
I know that 'The Blazing Mars' had no Type or Attribute in the Manga, but come on, it looks totally like FIRE Pyro-Type.
No Don Thousand Game with this Flashback, it will come next chapter.