"...Whew... (Must remain focused... Must remain calm... listen to the voices within the wind... Let the voices of the spirits guide me...)"
A few days have passed since Kageru had began his training, leaving the young girl; Midori Ayashi alone as she awaits for her time to be reunited with her brother. It was late night. The young girl sat right below the floor of her slightly lit hotel room, passing her time through what appeared to be a form of meditation.
"Isamu... I hope that the spirits are protecting you as well, and I hope you aren't to worried about me..." Her thoughts and concerns centered on her older brother, as she concentrated hard. Her calmed, closed eyes suddenly twitched, as an ominous feeling began to befall her.
"(Uh!?)" Midori continued on concentrating, trying to figure out what was causing her to feel uneasy. She slightly opened her eyes, as a small, armored, green-feathered bird spirit, bearing a medal with a silver, whirlwind-shaped crest on its chest appeared beside her.
"Kurrraaa!" The bird gave out it a worried cry in response to the Midori's distressful expression. The spirit was indeed attached to her.
"Gusto Egul.." Midori turned towards the small, worried bird perched on her shoulder as she called out its name. She tried not to get it too concerned, and reassured that she was fine. "Oh did I worry you?... I'm sorry... Don't worry, I'm alright..." She pet the small creature on its head, staring down with a look of concern. "I just feel that something awful is going to happen soon... I saw Isamu.. fighting against some other person around his age... And the more I look... The more it looks like that... that boy that helped me out a few days ago... I just hope they're both okay..."
Midori continued petting Egul, as she looked up towards the night sky, wondering of the visions she had just seen, and hoping that all will go well. "So it is true... The ancient lore of the great terminal war will be starting soon..."
Chapter 36: Rebirth by Fire Part 3: Sister's Shadow; The Phantom Flamvells
"M-my... Move!" Kageru drew his card with a grimace, still feeling the burning heat from Noire's last attack. He tried hard to ignore the intense sweat and pain swelling over his body, and put all focus on the current match. One major concern still looming however, was the question regarding the deck the woman played. "(She's definitely using Flamvells, question is, how much of it is mine? Akane, used a lot more cards that punished people for destroying her monsters. She also used burn effects and also stuff that banished the opponent's graveyard. That spirit said I have to beat me at my own game, so the chances are... this build is definitely mine)".
As Kageru looked over the cards in his hand, he knew well what he was going against. "(Knowing me... those two cards are most like ATK boosting traps or something that punishes people for playing defensive. Meaning, they're only useful when she's attacking... Hehehe, got cha!)"
Kageru, having come up with a play, made his move, feeling confident that Noire's set cards would not pose a threat to him this turn. "(I'll rush you down before you even get me! You think that I'm the type to not know his own deck?!) I'll start by summoning Prominence, the Molten Swordsman in Attack Position!"
A magma-bodied swordsman wielding a dark-grey flame sword landed onto the field, proudly wearing its armor that bore the insignia of the Laval tribe.
Prominence, the Molten Swordsman LV4 FIRE/Warrior
ATK 1800
DEF 400
"I'll activate Prominence's special ability; Once, during either player's turn, I banish one Laval monster from my grave to increase its ATK 300 until the End Phase. I'll pay the cost, by banishing Laval Burner."
The swordsman raised its blade high, and channeled the soul of the monster in Kageru's graveyard into its steel in order to increase its own power."
Prominence, the Molten Swordsman ATK 1800+300=2100
"Next, I'll play the Double Summon spell card! This spell allows me to perform an extra normal summon this turn. Say hello to Laval Cannon!"
A blue, magma-bodied warrior, brandishing a large cannon on its left arm was summoned, yelling out a cry for battle.
Laval Cannon LV4 FIRE/Warrior
ATK 1600
DEF 900
"When Cannon is normal or flipped summoned, I can activate its effect; I can special summon one of my banished Laval monsters. Guess who? Laval Burner!"
By his command, Laval Cannon raised its arm cannon, absorbing heat energy from the area, after charging the shot it fired, converting the energy into the form of the once banished Laval Burner. The magmatic creature with burning red hair and large, burning arms roared proudly on the field.
Laval Burner LV5 FIRE/Pyro
ATK 2100
DEF 1000
"Hmm..." Noire along with Blaine and the Laval Judgment Lord watched with fascination at how Kageru was handling the deck, having instantly summoned three monsters in a single turn.
"Impressive..." Blaine praised. "Not only had he used the method of converting his monster's spiritual entity for another form of power, but he also managed to reconvert it back to its original form. "I'd say he's the perfect candidate to lead you, do you not agree great spirit of the Laval tribe?"
The Laval Judgment Lord kept its focus on the young, fiery duelist, and replied "Indeed... however, what matters to me right now are results... And until I get the results, I will not decide whether or not he's ready to lead." He turned his eyes towards Noire who seemed calm, inspite of facing a large number of monsters readying to attack her. "Your little puppet over there seems slightly unfazed by this... Let us see where this little game goes."
"Here I come!" Kageru prepared his monsters for battle. "Battle Phase! I'll have Prominence attack Firedog!"
The swordsman swiftly somersaulted into the air, before skillfully cutting the grey, fire hound in pieces. The burning debris from the battle, damaged Noire slightly.
Noire LP 8000-300=7700
"Here comes the next one! Burner! Attack Grunika!"
The molten creature, roared wildly, as it rampaged towards the dark flame dragon. THe two beasts clashed into an intense burning fistfight, aiming at each other's vital points. Unfortunately for Grunika, its fists were frail in comparison, leading to its imminent demise.
Noire LP 7700-400=7300
"Here comes the last one! Laval Cannon attack directly! Molten Cannon Shot!"
The warrior aimed its arm cannon directly at Noire, and fired as the strength of the artillery recoiled and pushed him slightly.
"Ungh!" Noire shielded herself, trying to endure teh strength and heat of the attack. Her armor and heat-resistant cloak proved the be quite sturdy.
Noire LP 7300-1600=5700
Noire, without a second thought, quickly played her counter. "I play my trap... Punishing Flare! This trap activates when I have taken 2000 or more damage this turn, and at least two or more of my monsters have been destroyed... Now I get destroy monsters on your field equal to the amount that you destroyed, and inflict damage to your lifepoints equal to half their original ATK."
"What!?" Noire's sudden move had caught Kageru off guard, not only because of the damage that it was about to inflict, but also due to the fact that it was a card that not he, but someone else he once knew used. "(It can't be! That's one of the traps Akane used to play... Tcch!)"
Unbeknownst to him, the burning blast from Noire's trap suddenly swallowed the damage that was inflicted to her, and was now aimed towards Laval Burner and Prominence, the Molten Swordsman. The blast instantly vaporized Kageru's monsters, and damaging Kageru as well.
"AAaaghh! Aaaaahhhh! AarrrghhH!"
Kageru LP 6300-1050-900=4250
Kageru rolled over the edge of the arena. He had barely managed to dodge a fatal plummet below the sea of lava flowing underneath. His clothes were partially burnt and decorated with ash and the scent of smoke. After a few seconds of struggle, he managed to stand and move over to the field again, still breathing hard and holding up his wounds.
"Hmmm?" The Laval Judgment looked at the battered and burnt duelist with interest. "Interesting..."
Noire took notice of the spirit's same intriguing interest, and saw the look on her opponent's eyes. Kageru's pupils suddenly began to glow a burning yellow hue. "(...This... is what I've been waiting for... Your true potential... Just a little more now...)"
Kageru spent a moment tryign to regain his breath before placing a few more cards down. "I'll set two cards... And end my turn.."
"My move... Draw..." Noire looked over at the next card she drew, and placed it on the side, as if she was now making preparations for it this turn. "I shall summon Neo Flamvell Shaman in attack position.."
A staff-wielding, blue-masked creature with a grey, feline-like body hopped out wildly onto Noire's field. It rose its staff high and cried out for battle.
Neo Flamvell Shaman LV3 FIRE/Pyro
ATK 1700
DEF 200
"Next... I'll activate the spell, Inferior Mentor... This allows me to select a monster on my field, and then special summon a monster from my deck with the same attribute, and a LV higher than the one I selected, however that monster's ATK points must be lower than the one I chose as well... In other words... Since my Shaman is a LV3 FIRE monster, I can special summon a lower ATK LV4 FIRE monster from my deck. I special summon... the tuner monster; Flamvell Magician..."
With the power of her spell, Noire looked over through her deck and special summoned a dark grey-hued version of Kageru's Flamvell Magician from her deck. The magician growled upon entering the field, proudly breathing the burning air and sulfur around the area.
Flamvell Magician LV4 FIRE/Spellcaster
ATK 1400
DEF 200
Now having a both a non-tuner and a turner in her field, Noire assembled her monsters to summon forth an even more powerful monster. "I shall now tune my LV4 Magician, and LV3 Shaman..."
The burning bodies rose over Noire's field, all in the arena watched as their bodies began to form blackened stars that aligned into a row of large rings, before flashing as a new body formed from within. Kageru observed closely at the type of mosnters she used.
"(Shaman is a Pyro monster, and both their LVs total 7... Ungh! Nooo... Impossible!)" Kageru's attention turned towards Noire who suddenly began to recite what seemed t be a summoning chant.
"Burning souls of those who perished... Let your fury and all your numerous sacrifices bring a new unshaking power... Let my foes know the fury of a hundred fires!... I synchro summon... the burning god of fury... Rise and incinerate... Ancient Flamvell Deity!"
An enormous pillar of flame erupted on Noire's field, and from within, a colossal being covered with raging dark-grey flames, and a darker hued body, aligned with many symbols rose. Its yellow eyes stared deep into Kageru's soul.
Ancient Flamvell Deity LV7 FIRE/Pyro/Synchro
ATK 2500
DEF 200
Kageru could not help but look in frighteningly at the monster Noire had summoned. "Deity... That's... big sis's ace monster... Could this deck really be?... "
"I activate Ancient Flamvell Deity's special ability; when he is synchro summoned, I can select cards from your graveyard up to the number of cards in your hand, and banish them from the game... I select your Lavals Magma Cannoneer, Miller, and Burner and banish them... Also... Deity gains 200 ATK for each one banished as well."
Deity rose both its burning arms, and began to absorb the very souls of Kageru's resting monsters. Upon converting the flame from each of their bodies, its own fire intensified.
Ancient Flamvell Deity ATK 2500+600=3100
"Urgh!..." Kageru clenched his fist tightly, still unable to grasp the fact that he was dueling the very deck his late sister once used. Many questions began to cloud his mind, as he waited for Noire to prepare her next attack. "(These moves... these monsters... all of them... Urgh... their all Akane's... She plays exactly like her... Their just like in my memories... And she's using them against me... Like some pretender... Damn you... Test or not... I won't let you get away with copying Akane!)"
Blaine and the Laval Judgment Lord continued to watch as Kageru's body gradually began to glow with energy. Upon observing, they knew that whatever this surging power resting within was, with the proper push, it will soon awaken.
"That's right Kageru..." Blaine whispered as he watched on. "Let your raging soul take its form... And soon you shall be ready..."