Bright streams of the sun's rays come shining down the grounds of Heartland during a new afternoon hour, and focus turns down an alleyway in the more building-congested part of the city, where we see a familiar soot redheaded elder teen taking on a random contender of the World Duel Carnival.
"Slam 'em, Hammer Bounzer! Take that duelist down!"
Excitement danced within his purple irises - his left one gold yellow thanks to the duel gazer tattoo - as his hammer-handed monster with the appearance of a rabid hyena goes charging forward, releasing a wave of energy from one opposing arm to go cutting through the ground, and hit the poor unsuspecting teen with spiky brown hair dead-on.
"Uuuaaaaaaahhhhh!"
They go flying to the ground on their side hard...but Nistro was far from done.
"Get up! I'm not finished with you yet!"
The younger male shakily rises onto his feet, and begs for mercy from the older.
"I-I'll never cheat in another duel again, Nistro! I-I learned my lesson; please, lemme go!"
"Not 'til you pay, punk, in full!"
"That's enough, Nistro. Back off."
He grits his teeth and glances behind himself at Dextra, who was also present for this match, her left milk chocolate iris a light green shade thanks to her purple duel gazer tattoo that contrasted her partner's burgundy.
"Don't forget about our real mission, which is to track down Number Cards."
Growling, the redhead heeds the young woman's words and turns to face the younger brunette while stating with a bite of reluctance,
"You're getting off easy, but don't let me see your face in Heartland City!"
Nodding his head frantically, the duelist spins on his heel and makes a break for it.
"Pathetic slime..."
...Yet, unbeknownst to the pair, the fear reflected by that brunette was actually a ruse, for he was a part of a certain gang member's group acting as an inside spy to get a scope for what his boss should watch out for as the tourney progressed!
Once he was sure he was far away enough from that alley, the brunette catches his breath, hmphs a bit more calmly, and slips off the plain, purple button-up shirt he was wearing, revealing a white tank top with a black hole symbol plastered in the middle. Tying the shirt around his waist, the kid then slips a pair of black hoop earrings out of his black pants pocket to fasten on his right ear, then a single, spiky fingerless glove on his left hand.
"Man...I always get stuck with the dumb acting jobs. (Wry smirk) But then again, I guess someone's gotta do it."
Now that he was back in his more regular attire, the brunette pulls out his duel gazer to contact his leader.
(Riiing, riiing-beep)
"What's up, Spear?"
"I just got knocked out of the tourney, boss, by that flunky pair of Heartland's. They're getting wiser to cheaters and dirty players...almost too wise. I think someone tipped them off about you."
"That right? Tch, had to have been Berserker, no doubt...That all you gotta say to me?"
"Other than t' maybe steer clear of my end of town for a spell, don't think so...I'll report anything else if I come across it."
"Good work, Spear. Now get a move on, and be ready for when I call you and the others for that, 'special mission'."
"Aye-aye, boss. Catch'ya later."
With that, the two members of the Fallen Stars Gang hang up on eachother, and the brunette - identified as Spears - starts jogging out of the area...and unknowingly runs under a tree which a more friendly if mischievous duelist was currently resting in. The sudden rush of steps would startle them awake, causing them to slip off the branch and fall to the ground.
"Whaaah!"
The sound would catch Spear's attention for a second, stopping to look back, and see Flip's groaning form.
Huh? Was that guy in the tree the whole time?...Looks like he was sleepin' on his own job.
Shaking his head with a mumbled,
"Idgit," the brunette keeps moving, dubbing the other young male as harmless to his own plans...
Grasping the side of his head, the shorter boy suddenly freezes, and jumps to his feet - showing that he was still wearing that fancy cerulean blue suit ensemble - with a nerve-wracked expression, his forehead turning blue and beading with sweat.
"Heeey, the tournament!...Aww maaan! Last thing I remember was checking out the opening ceremonies of the Duel Carnival with Addy and the gang...I wanted to find a spot so I could hide. Then I could spy on the other duelists, and get an edge on their matches."
Clenching his fists, the bespectacled boy then moans to the skies,
"But instead of dueling, I've just been do-o-o-ziiing! I'll have to bust a move if I want to win all the Heart Pieces to make the finals."
Flip makes a motion to start his run for catching up...but pauses when he realizes,
"Then again, I'm starting really late. Alot of the weaker duelists have probably dropped out, (drops to a sit) which means there's more chance of me losing. It's gonna be much harder to collect pieces now. I'll never win this thing..."
...But then an idea pops into the boy's head, making his glasses flash alongside the very sneaky grin that formed on his face.
"Unless, I can pull a Flip-Flop!"
...
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Athena and Tiffany were walking down one street as the former fiddled with her tournament ante to see if she could now find the right combination for her own Heart Pieces.
"Hm, turn that one clockwise, shift that one to the right...Aha, finally!"
Now satisfied with her four Heart Pieces clicking together in harmony, her lips form a small smile of accomplishment.
"Took a while, but I found the puzzle position that works. Now I can officially say I have four Heart Pieces."
"I'm surprised that you didn't take the piece Cameron had. I mean, the whole situation atop the airship did get nuts, but you still did earn that piece by beating him fair and square..."
Slowing her pace a bit and feeling her smile falter, the girl with long shaggy black hair tipped copper red replies,
"Maybe I did, but, something about the way it all ended...my gut didn't feel right in taking the Heart Piece. It would've been more worth to take if I wasn't battling for all our lives, you know? Less stressing..."
"So it was the drama that prevented you from taking it, (knowing smile) or is there a special Addy lesson hidden somewhere?"
"Heha, you got me there, Tiff...Yeah, there is a sort of hard advice laced into that jewel bit left behind."
"Which is...?"
Glancing over at her friend with the black bob of hair and cornflower irises shining with curiousity, Athena smirks mysteriously and just answers,
"That's something Cam's gonna have to figure out for himself...but between us, it's to do with the phrase 'There are no short cuts in Life'."
Tiffany's eyes widen slightly, before she smiles and nods in a silent sort of understanding...She then asks,
"What does Astral have to say about your decision?"
"Well, I'd ask and then tell you...'cept he's not out here right now."
"Oh? Is he inside your pendant then?"
"Probably..."
Athena's lips twitch into a slight frown of concern as she adds,
"Thought I saw one of those faraway looks in his eyes just as we were leaving the-uh, heh, crash site...Might just need a bit of solitude to process whatever that latest Number's showed him."
"Mm, I suppose that makes sense...Hope it wasn't another bad memory..."
"Me too..."
As the girls continued their walk through downtown with their thoughts bouncing back and forth between the WDC and their friend from beyond this galaxy, our eyes cast within the Golden Key and inside the mysterious airship, as Astral once again goes over what has been returned to his memory banks so far, added further by his time on Earth.
"The Numbers are fragments of my memories, and with the help of Athena, I have been fortunate enough to regain many of them...Yet I am still uncertain of so much..."
Small Time Skip
Zooming back out into the big wide world, attention is zeroed in on yet another familiar yet seldom seen individual, who was currently looking under benches and behind bushes in the park complex for someone whom had recently done him wrong.
"Gruh, where is that snake? He's gotta be hiding somewhere..."
"...Spencer?"
The dark-haired brunette looks up to see none other than Athena and Tiffany heading his way, the first-spoken girl asking with a raised brow,
"What the heck are ya doin'?"
"I'm looking for someone...Hey, have you guys seen Flip?"
"Not as of late, why?"
Settling into a folded leg position on the bench with his arms crossed, Spencer replies with a disgruntled glare,
"He ripped me off..."
Flashback
As it turned out, he and the bespectacled boy had met up earlier, the latter once again using the former as an unfortunate test subject to his otherwise shady schemes, using flattery as a base cover.
"He-e-eeey, Spencer! I know you're gonna rule this Duel Carnival!"
"Yeah, those other duelists better watch out!"
"I bet you collected lo~ads of those shiny Heart Pieces by now."
Smiling more sheepishly, Spencer replies,
"Eh, actually, I've only got two so far, and I can't fit them together yet..."
Chuckling a little to himself, the shorter brunette then looks around to make sure no one was watching, before leading the other to a more secluded area.
"Step this way!"
"Huh? Whadda ya want?"
Once they were shielded from the public eye, Flip then pulls out a plastic bag full of what 'looks' to be dozens upon dozens of Heart Pieces!
"Feast your eyes."
"You won all of those?!"
"Lemme see your piece."
Making a sound of protest as his ante is robbed from his hand, Spencer says to the other,
"Huh? Hey, wait, that's mine! Give it back, Flip!"
Ignoring the gullible boy, Flip hms and forms a pleased grin when he sees that the other's fragment fits with his own.
"A perfect fit..."
He then turns to Spencer with a more sly upturn of mouth.
"How would you like to make a deal, Spencer my friend?"
"Uhm..."
"I get to keep your piece and in exchange, you can have all the pieces that you want from this bag!"
Though the young man was obviously taken aback by such 'generosity', he decides to go along with the deal.
End of Flashback
But based on his expression during this minute, it seems that he and Flip's little business transaction did not go the way he expected, which Athena could sense right away. Frowning, she inquires,
"You actually switched Heart Pieces with Flip?"
"Uh-huh. It would've taken forever to collect all the Heart Pieces I needed if I had to duel for 'em...But later I found out that the pieces I got from him were phony!"
Pulling out his Heart Piece frame, we see that four out of five jewel pieces had...melted and warped together?
"They're made of candy!"
The girls exclaim with new expressions of disbelieving anger,
"Candy?!"
Spencer mutters with a woebegone expression,
"I thought it was weird that the pieces were so sticky, haaaah, and they melted in my pocket."
Shaking her head in disappointment, Athena then reaches out to bop the boy's forehead with the heel of her palm.
"Ouch!"
"For god sakes, Spencer, you have to be the most gullible boy I know! Didn't you learn from last time Flip tricked you to never trust his deals?!"
Retracting her arm with an exhaled puff of irritated air, the girl with red irises adds while pinching the bridge of her nose,
"Criminy, I dunno who I should be more mad at: you or the one responsible for this."
So much for turning over a new leaf...Damn, you're really gonna let your old habits die hard, aren't you, Flip?
Tiffany's tone was not as overly agitated, but nonetheless felt her scolding side take over.
"As much as I want to feel sympathy for you, Spencer, I feel this is a very teachable lesson as well. Taking shortcuts doesn't end well for anyone."
"I know, I do deserve this...but will you please help me get my pieces back from Flip?"
Feeling a little bad for the boy, and seeing he already had enough punishment dealt to him, Athena sighs and grumbles,
"Fine, fine, we'll see what we can do...but only because knowing Flip, he's gonna get himself into deep shit if he finds more victims for his scheme besides you."
...Unfortunately, her prediction was already coming to reality, as three more young duelists are hit with Flip's trickery.
"Disgusting!"
"He tricked me!"
"They're fake!"
One boy with short honey-brown hair and wearing a yellow shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a white collar, brown shorts and white sneakers was already itching to find the one who duped him, stomping down a road with a furious expression on his face.
"Just wait 'til I get my hands on that Flip...!"
But suddenly, Nistro and Dextra appear in front of the young duelist.
"Stop."
"Huh?"
The former then asks,
"What happened?"
As the the disciplinary committee of the World Duel Carnival hears out the boy's troubles, the one responsible for this new problem was chuckling to himself over his success while sitting atop a tall building deep in the downtown.
"This candy piece scam is working out sweet for me! I've already collected four Heart Pieces that fit, and I only need one more to make the finals!...Hmm..."
An alternative idea came to his mind:
"I guess using one piece of candy to complete my Heart Piece couldn't hurt..."
He holds one of the sweets up for his eyes, grinning while thinking aloud,
"I'm sure no one will find out..."
Of course, two of his friends are already wise to his plans, and were running through the city trying to find him.
"Hah, hah, we better find that idiot before it's too late...!"
"He, hah, already has a good head-start...and if he's scooped up enough pieces by now..."
The girls freeze, and look at one another in realization while exclaiming,
"He'll get into the finals!"
...
And true to their guess, Flip had made his way through the streets of the city to the gates leading into the inner section to swindle his way inside...where Nistro and Dextra were waiting.
"I got my pieces, all five of 'em, look!"
The soot red-haired male mutters,
"Bingo," and waits for the academy student to reach him and attempt to smooth-talk his way into the finals...
"My Heart Piece is complete."
"My, that's impressive. It didn't take you very long."
"Am I the first duelist to make the finals then...?"
Flip forms a huge smile and cheers,
"Amazing! Woo-hoo! I'm number one!..."
...But his happiness would be cut short when Nistro proposes,
"Unless...that's made out of candy!"
Pausing his bouncing steps, Flip feigns innocence to such a question.
"What? I don't understand. Are you suggesting that this Heart Piece could be a fake? I would never pull a trick like that, sir."
Seeing the lie in the smile displayed, the older teen comes up with a clever test to expose the boy.
"Prove it isn't candy then, by tasting it."
"Uh, (nervous smile) o-okay. I'll show you it's real!"
So with a bit of reluctance, Flip began lolling his tongue against his ante, doing his best to avoid the piercing gaze from those violet irises...
"Huh? This tastes good!...And, it's, melting! No! It's...candy!"
Nistro was not fooled by the overacting in the least.
"Knock it off, kid! I caught ya!"
The level of the shout causes Flip to trip backwards and fall to the ground.
"I'm innoceeent!...Uh!"
He then realizes his hat...and the bag of candy underneath it had fallen off his head, eliminating any chance of him playing further ignorance! As the young boy began to whimper nervously, Nistro quirks with a knowing frown,
"Now what do we have here?"
"I, I've been framed! I swear, sir! Auh! Someone planted those pieces in my hat!"
Athena's POV
Dammit, I better not have to play Flip's rescuer, or that boy's gonna get an earful...and a fistful.
Running as fast as I could up the stairs towards that same gate I chased Chrome-Dome to a few days ago...I'd quickly find out that I was a little late in stopping my doofus swindler of a friend.
What, the, hell...?
As it turned out, those Heartland stooges Nistro and Dextra already caught Flip red-handed, and by caught, I mean the former literally hog-tied my stupid friend in rope and was currently dragging him away to that gate! I could just barely catch some sort of muffled sounds of protest from Flip, which got no sympathy from Nistro.
"Settle down!"
...Agh, damn people, the things I gotta do...
"Hey! Stop!"
Flip hears my strong call and pivots his head to my direction, his eyes screaming in desperation behind his specs.
"Addy, help!"
Nistro does slow his pace for a moment, and I took that as a sign he was listening...
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Nistro? I know Flip did wrong, but that rope you got on him looks like overkill."
He sends me a rather bitter expression over his shoulder, asking,
"What's it to you?"
Dextra cuts in when she remembers,
"Wait, Nistro: I recognize her. That girl's gotten in our way before..."
I retort evenly,
"That girl has a name, you know. It's Athena...but nevermind that. Explain to me right now what you both are going to do with my friend."
Holding up Flip like he was the catch of the day, Nistro replies,
"This cheat made fake Heart Pieces. He's gonna pay with his deck, and he'll be banned from this and all future Duel Carnivals! Plus I'm kicking him out of Heartland City, and he can never duel here again!"
...Okay, one out of three consequences, I can see, but the other two? That's just going too far!
Forming a firm glare, I make my opinion known:
"That's far over the limit for punishment and you know it! I could easily call you out on murdering a duelist!"
Tiffany gasps at my word choice, and I could've sworn I saw Heartland's stooges widen their eyes a little in recognition to my accusation...Even so, Nistro would not budge:
"He violated our sacred rules of conduct! Now he'll suffer the consequences!"
I growl in anger, and the redhead starts his walk again, making Flip cry out,
"Nooooo! I'm sorry, honest! I'll never violate the rules again!"
...Oh that's it.
"Hey! Don't you walk away from me, Nistro!"
He stops and turns to face me again...
"I won't disagree with you that Flip did wrong and needs to pay a price for his tricks, but to rob him of his deck and kick him out of the city's going way too far..."
Clipping off my duel disk from my hip to hold up, I propose,
"So as far as I see, there's two ways we can do this. Either release Flip right now on the charge of being banned from this and future World Duel Carnivals, nothing else...or, if you wanna prolong your own wrongdoing, we can put both our ideals to the test with a duel, see who's more honourable."
My friends give me expressions of shock for my calling out, while Nistro looked like he was gonna burst out laughing from being challenged.
"You duel me? Get real. I'm way better than you!"
I reply smoothly with a neutral frown,
"Overconfidence is any fighter's endgame, no matter how skilled or how many on each side."
Nistro forms a glare at my lack of backing down...but Dextra seemed interested by my word choice.
"Is that so? Then how about we have a two-on-one match?"
"...What are the stakes?"
"You'll duel Nistro and I together, and if you beat either one of us, then you win the match, and your friend will only be punished to the degree you proposed...But if you lose, then you get the exact full-length punishment as him."
...For most people, this would be where panic and hesitance sets in...but I'm not one of those people. I found myself chuckling in a bitter matter at her threat, making her and everyone else look at me a bit strangely.
"What's so funny?"
"Let me put it to you this way, hon..."
I look straight at her with a very dark smile and quirk,
"The only way that you, or anyone for that matter, will ever rob me of my deck, is by prying out of my cold, lifeless hands."
"Uh...!"
My face contorts into an expression that spoke of volumes beyond my young body.
"You have absolutely no idea how much physical and mental torture I've gone through in but a few short years, just to protect the monsters that call my deck home. They in turn have formed a silent promise to have my back as long as I have theirs, a promise that I've carried on for the people I've connected with outside the AR."
My friends quietly mutter my name in a mix of awe and worry, and I finish by stating strongly,
"I consider my deck as a lifeline that keeps my heart beating steady, like many duelists do...so if you and Nistro have to 'kill' me before 'killing' Flip, then all I'll say is you can damn well try!"
The area grows silent for half a minute...before Nistro grins and says,
"Keh, once again, you surprise me, kid. Let's start! You have no chance, but this could be amusing."
I smirk and counter,
"You're not wrong...for it will be tremendously amusing after I clobber the both of you! Duel Disk, go! Duel Gazer: show me the impossible!"
"Get ready, to feel the heat!"
Letting Flip go so he could scramble to the sidelines with Tiffany's aid, Nistro would snap on his duel disk first, it flying out and forming onto his arm in a design format that matched his fiery personality. Dextra's in contrast, had a more graceful appearance, reminding me of, butterflies of all things.
"Let's get down to business."
I also noticed that they each had their own duel gazer tattoo rather than the traditional physical form, his a burgundy red while hers was purple.
Hm, that's becoming popular...
I wonder...do they have any relations to Kite? I'd say Quattro and Trey, but...they don't share eachother's vibes.
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"(All duelists) Let's Duel!"
As the three of us readied ourselves for the first move, Tiffany asks me from her vantage point,
"Um, Addy?"
"Yeah?"
"...Has Astral come out?"
"Nope."
"...Sooo, you're dueling solo."
"Yep."
While she may have resided with those facts of the situation, Flip sure didn't.
"Astral isn't here?!...Well then this match is over! Come on, Addy, you can't be serious in taking them on without him!"
Pivoting my head to his direction, I shoot him a glare and retort,
"You wanna risk getting a fist to the gut after the match? Keep making comments like that, Flip; I dare you."
Sensing my serious tone in the threat, he cringes before exclaiming with a nervous smile,
"Uh, what I meant to say is that you can beat 'em both, Addy!"
Smirking at him knowingly, I call back,
"That's a better attitude," and focus back in front of me while adding,
"Besides, you're talkin' to the girl who's survived spars as high as five or six against one. This'll be pretty tame in comparison...but enough of that. It's my move; I Draw!"
Swiping up a card, I gaze over my hand before deciding on the following move.
"I'm starting off this duel by placing one monster face-down in Defense Mode, and follow it with another card also face-down...That'll be all for this turn."
As I expected, Nistro mocks my tactics:
"Ha! For someone who talks big, it sure looks like you don't have the cards to back it up!"
"Hmph, believe what you like, but I know what I'm doing."
As long as I believe in my cards, nothing can go wrong...
Dextra makes herself the second player:
"I'll go next...I Draw, and summon Morpho Butterspy!"
Definitely called it on the butterfly theme...
Her monster was a Level Four with 1200 Attack Points, and held the appearance of a warrior humanoid Blue Morpho wielding some sort of sickle-like weapons...Readying another pair of cards, she sets them face-down.
"And with this, I'll end my turn. You're up, Nistro!"
I'll admit the butterfly warrior looked a bit cool, but I chose to keep a neutral frown so my opponents couldn't throw me off.
"(Shrug) Eh, not impressed."
"Hmph, then maybe this'll wipe that poker look off your face, kid! I Draw! First, I summon Hammer Bounzer!"
The ground shakes and cracks, releasing a rather wild-looking beast with hammer head hands to pounce onto the field. What nearly threw me off was that it was a Level Six with 2300 Attack Points.
How'd he summon something that strong so early without a tribute?
He must've sensed my confusion, and clears it by stating,
"I can summon this monster when you have cards on the field but I don't. My Bounzer is a real beast!"
Ah. That explains it...
I hear Tiffany and Flip's worrisome comments of,
"Hoh boy, that's a strong one...!"
"He's not foolin' around; that monster's a Level Six...!"
"I turn it over to you, Athena! Let's see if you have the guts to strike!"
My lips curve into a snide and bitter smirk as I thought,
Oooh, the stories I could tell him regarding grit...but anyway.
I look over at the opposite field's setup:
Dextra's monster may look average, but those two face-downs must make up for the lack of scare...
Or, it may have an ability that would not only benefit her, (glance) but Nistro too, not that he needs any real help currently.
His monster's packing some serious strength...but that must mean it has a weaker defense.
Turning my eyes back to my current hand before my next draw...I quickly figure out a fair counter.
"Okay! I Draw! First things...I'm switching my face-down Defense to a face-up Attack! Head for high gear, Rai Rider!"
Nistro jeers,
"Heh, 1200 Attack Points. If that's your best monster, then this duel will be over quick!"
I counter with my own sardonic smile,
"Gee, I was about to say the same thing to you regarding your strategy of psyching out your opponents. Don't you know you're just setting yourself up for questions about insecurity?"
"Grh! Insecurity?! Why I oughta...!"
Chuckling quietly to myself, I note,
And when people see that, they can turn your cocky attitude into your worst enemy.
"Next, I summon Tasuke Knight!"
My Level Four monster with 1700 Attack Points rises with a spin-jump to the field, and I mentally go over my goal for this turn one more time.
That insect's an easy target, which I'm betting is what Dextra's intent is, and is really hiding a counter.
I could just leave things here and end my turn...but I wanna see just how far she and Nistro are willing to push the envelope to meet their desire for punishment.
So while this may end up with alot of 'pain' on my side...I'm gonna risk an attack to try and clear her field.
"Rai Rider, standby! Tasuke Knight, attack Morpho Butterspy with Power Push!"
...But just as that one part of me was anxious about, Dextra would have a card ready for the assault.
"I activate the Trap, Butterflyoke! And with it, I'm putting the breaks on your Tasuke Knight's attack, because when Butterflyoke equips onto your monster, it switches it from Attack to Defense Mode!"
My teeth clench the slightest, but I remain calm and remind myself,
It's alright. You expected this to happen...Only thing you can do now is prepare.
(Pulse...)
"Huh?"
Suddenly...I felt this strange beat run through my veins, like a shot of cold water from the shower first thing in the morning. It settled a bit quicker than it came...but it also left me unsettled.
"...Addy...?"
I barely acknowledge my friend Tiffany by glancing behind me at her, before automatically reaching for my key, and staring down at it...for I think it's where the heartbeat-like pulse came from.
...Astral?
Astral's POV
The longer I stood still in this space within the golden airship, the higher my frustrations began to climb over the mass mystery that was my own clouded perceptions. It actually took a good portion of my self-control to prevent myself from emulating one of Athena's bursts of temper...though a very small part of myself remains tempted to release in such a manner.
Haaah, there must be a way to relieve some of this uncertainty...
Wait a moment.
"Athena's chipped memories have been restoring based on specific situations, acting as stimulants to erase the trauma blocking them..."
I wonder...could it work on my own mind?
The idea was worth a go:
"Let me see if the memories I do have trigger anything new..."
Closing my eyes, I recall every memory that the Number Cards collected so far have returned to me, from my apparent birth, right down to these disturbing attacks on my homeworld, which much to my continued surprise, is a scene that my human friend shares in recollection. We are still in the process of figuring out why she had been granted this knowledge...among other things...but what we do know is that it has something to do with her torturous days spent locked away in that unnamed laboratory more than two years prior to now...
Such vague facts, however, were not helping current affairs.
"No use. I cannot piece together more memories. I need answers...and so does she..."
The both of us are suffering from this unprecedented mess...
"It seems clear that my purpose is connected with Athena in ways I still cannot fully grasp. There is a bond between us, so strong that it can generate a great transformation...but will it also bring destruction?"
I sadly recall how frightened my poor friend was after the Zexal transformation was complete, and how I had to calm her down so we could use the power in our duel against Kite.
Yet that fear had more to do with her previous experience of power beyond her understanding...an experience that she is still in the dark about.
...What happened to you, Athena?
Speaking of her, I suddenly sense a shift vibrating into this temporal space from the outside world.
"Uh! Athena has begun a duel! I must go."
...But just as I make the motion to exit:
"Leaving so soon, Astral?"
Uh! No...it cannot be!
I dart my head up to where I heard that voice, and saw noneother than Black Mist - he copying my own physical form - looking at me from across the way in front of where the other Number Cards rested with a smirk plastered onto his face.
"You again...Number 96!"
Flashes of our last encounter stream through my mind, from when he possessed my own being and captured Athena, to when he was narrowly defeated thanks to a collective plan of deception made by myself, she and Jamal...Yet oddly, the one part of that day that stood out more prominently against the rest, was the tail end when the Number tried to attack Athena before I sealed him away. I recall feeling rather, angered, and very protective of my friend in that moment...but I do not fully understand why, for it did not feel like, a normal protective behaviour a friend has for another.
It felt like, more than that...But I will have to figure out the meaning another time.
Focusing my attention back to reality, I inquire,
"How is it that you're here? Did you break your seal again?"
"Correct. We all decided it was time to act."
"You all?...Uh!"
I then notice that the seals of the other cards were glowing...except for one.
Utopia...He is remaining dormant...
Avoiding making that observation obvious to the fiendish Number, I ask him,
"Does this mean that the other Numbers are giving you their power?"
He does not hesitate in his answer:
"Naturally. We all agree that the time has come. It is time to act...and to destroy!"
"Destroy?! Are you saying that we exist in order to bring destruction to the world?!"
The mere idea sends shivers down my spine, but Black Mist seemed to relish in it, countering,
"What other purpose could you and I have?"
I could only glare with clenched teeth at him, for as much as I want to disagree...I could not offer a clear alternate...
"Your destiny lies with us. Remember your mission."
...What is he talking about...?
His laugh only made my body stiffen with more unease, and he repeats,
"The time has come. Come and join us...Astral!"
Suddenly, he sends his tendrils right for me at such a high speed, I would not be able to dodge to the side fast enough to escape!
(...SLASH)
Thankfully, just as I wince and shield myself with my arm, someone did come to my aid, in the form of the one Number that was not on Black Mist's side, much to his shock as well as my own.
"What?!"
"Uh!...Utopia...!"
They glance down at me with a reassuring look, before turning a glare towards our current enemy, he sneering back.
"Number 39. You refuse to join us in our mission of destruction? Well then...I will have to have you join us by force!"
With that threat in the air, 96 would then summon forth his own true copy...
"Subdue Utopia, Black Mist!"
With his other form fully manifested, he directs it to start battling Utopia, leaving me to watch while feeling an apologetic sort of anxiety rising in my chest directed for the one person I was being blocked from.
I...I am sorry, Athena...but you will have to battle on your own for a while.
My gaze turns cold as I look back at the fiend responsible, adding a bit more bravely,
I will not allow Black Mist to rise up and put your world in danger...Moreover...I must protect you from him.
Athena's POV
What, was that?...And why do I suddenly feel on edge?
No, wait...This isn't my feeling. It's separate from mine...Uh! It must have been Astral!
...But, why is he on edge? Is something going on inside the Key?
"Hey! Wake up, kid!"
"G-Gh!"
I jolt back to reality to the sound of Nistro's voice harshly calling me to attention, and look over at him as he says to me with a frown,
"Quit starin' into space and end your turn! You obviously have no other moves to make!"
Mph...he's right. I don't have any reasonable options at present.
Puffing out a sigh, I mutter reluctantly,
"I end my turn."
Of course, my friends being who they are, could easily see through my body language and tone that something wasn't right with me.
"Addy, what's wrong?"
"What's the matter?...Hang on...has Astral still not shown up yet?!"
I shake my head numbly, and I hear both Tiffany and Flip cringe...Dextra ignores us and starts her next turn:
"My move! I Draw! I summon Swallowtail Butterspy in Attack Mode!"
This next butterfly-themed monster was about the same as the first one, except it held a stronger 1800 Attack Points, and reflected the features of the Swallowtail species with claw-like weapons in their hands.
"Then I'll use my Butterflyoke Trap again and activate its second effect! Once a turn, this card allows me to change the Battle Mode of the equipped monster, so I'm switching your Tasuke Knight to Attack Mode."
"And lemme guess, you're gonna have your new butterfly take down Tasuke Knight?"
"Correct...but not before activating Morpho's special ability! If your monster changes Battle Mode, once a turn, Morpho wipes out 1000 of its Attack Points."
Watching as that glitter shower flapped at my knight reduces his strength down to 700, I think,
Well, this sucks. Sorry, Tasuke...Still, it'll only be 500 Life Points gone. I'll live.
"Morpho Butterspy, take out Tasuke Knight with Blue Scale Stream!"
Using its curved blades, the assassin insect charges in a spin against my monster, taking them out in a well-timed slash of pixels. I remain strong and maintain a neutral glare, my hair swept up a little harshly from the brushing impact as my Life Points drop to 3500...Dextra wasn't done (no surprise there).
"And I'm also triggering Swallowtail's special ability! Now one of your monsters loses Attack Points equal to the damage you just took!"
Since Rai Rider was my only other monster, he would pay the price and have his strength plummet to 700 also! Flip exclaims from the sidelines,
"Call a mechanic, 'cause that biker's breaking down!"
Maybe, but that doesn't mean I have to...
...My monster glances over his shoulder to lock his gaze with mine, and we both nod slightly but firmly.
Your sacrifice will not be in vain, Rai Rider...Thank you.
"Get set, Swallowtail! Attack Rai Rider! Venomous Scale stream!"
Those claw-like weapons transform and extend into some seriously-sharp lance blades, before they are enveloped in a yellow-orange glow, and fly in a lunge for my motorist, who bravely meets the challenge, futile though it was...He would be destroyed by the slash marks, which then carry on to hit me where my torso was, but I prepped in advance with an arm cross to reduce the life-like impact and prevent myself from flying off my feet for the ground. 2400 would be where my Life Points sat as I fought to catch my breath, my body positioned in a lean towards my left side with my elbow on my upper leg for steadiness.
"Hah, hah, hah..."
Now that, was a more impacting attack...
"Addy!"
"We're gonna get tossed if she loses! Guess I better start packing my suitcase..."
Straightening up, I call back to them a bit annoyed by their prolonged worries,
"Chill out, you two! I'm just getting warmed up!"
"Ha! What a lousy way of covering your streak!"
I whirl back in front of me to glare hard at Nistro for that comment, he adding with a smirk,
"You're running out of Life Points fast, Athena, and you still haven't scored a hit against me or my partner! Give it up!"
"Nadda chance! If anything, this is where the duel really begins, so I suggest you two prepare yourselves for the real battle coming!"
"Ha, really?"
"Really really...I activate Rai Rider's special ability! Because you went wheel to blade with him, your Swallowtail can't battle come your turn again."
Nistro continues to mock my choices:
"Teh, what difference does it make? Your field is empty anyway. Your special ability is useless right now."
"Is it? We'll see, and just because I have an open field, doesn't mean I'm completely defenseless."
Quirking up a small smirk, I add cryptically,
"You never know what could be lying in wait for the right conditions..."
He gives me a momentary expression of confusion, before brushing it off with a snort of derision, which made my smirk grow the slightest.
Tha~t's right, keep underestimating me...Just gotta wait for the exact second...
No POV
As the girl with long, shaggy black hair tipped copper red kept stretching her limits in dragging out her opponents for what she hoped would be a big turnaround, the situation inside her golden pendant was growing more violent by the minute, as Number 96's monster copy kept their assault strong against Number 39, sending one of their demon-clawed hands to lunge at the latter, forcing them to block with their blade...
"Take hold of Utopia!"
Black Mist's copy complies with the order, stretching its twisting, misty arms upward before shooting them at their target again, only to be repelled once more by Utopia's swords whirling back in a counter!
...
The impact of energy emits a wave to go bouncing towards the outside world, which unknown to Athena, was the true source of that strange pulse vibrating through her veins like someone plucking a harp string.
"Mph...!"
There it is again...What's going on?...Astral, can you hear me? Are you alright?
She'd receive no response through the telepathic bond, but before she could attempt another, her red irises were forced to focus back on her duel as Nistro began his next move.
"It's my turn! (Swipes up a card) Haaah! I summon, Blade Bounzer!"
The monster that rose to the field with an all-mighty roar was Level Four with 1800 Attack Points, housing the guise of a lightly-bulked humanoid panther, wearing leather armour on its legs and arms, the latter piece held together across its upper torso with two buckled strips, and carried very long, curved blades extending from the wrist.
"Then Hammer Bounzer's gonna attack you directly! And don't think you can protect yourself either: when there are no Spell or Trap Cards on my field and this card attacks, you can't activate any Spells or Traps!"
Athena says nothing, her eyes reflecting a calm glare...
"You're totally at my mercy now, Athena, and I'm not in a forgiving mood. Attack, Hammer Bounzer! Knuckle Knockdown!"
The young teenager remains mute, watching stock-still as Nistro's monster leaped up and charged down at her with their weaponized appendages raised to strike.
Wait for it...
A collision is met, creating a foaming smoke cloud to obscure Tiffany and Flip's view of their friend's side of the battlefield.
"Addy!"
"She's almost done for!"
The older teen male with soot red hair laughs, drawing similar conclusions.
"Haha, that girl may have guts, but she's out of her league! One last attack from Blade Bounzer, and this duel is over!"
"...Don't count your chickens before they hatch, smart guy!"
"Huh?"
The gritty air clears...revealing Athena's panting but smirking form, her Life Points settling at only 1600!
"Hah, hah...Was that all you got?"
"What?! How did-You should've taken more damage!"
"Yeah, see, here's the thing: I have this little issue with how sitches 'should' go down...and so does Gardna."
She was referring to the new monster that was occupying a space in front of her, Level Four with 1500 Attack Points and with the appearance of a male with medium-length spiky pink hair tucked under a black/silver helmet, teal irises glaring protectively from the area not covered by the large orange kerchief pulled to his face, and wearing a rather rugged outfit that somewhat mirrored a stereotypical motorbiker. He was also holding up a rather large shield, standing about as tall as he, decorated with a dark magenta border while the rest was dominantly black with yellow and aqua blue, and had the red-orange Gagaga symbol printed on the top-middle.
Upon recognizing the monster, Tiffany cheers,
"Alright! Gagaga Gardna's here!"
"Rightly so, Tiff, for whenever I'm attacked directly, I'm allowed to special summon him from my hand to help protect me. And by discarding one card, I can prevent him from being destroyed."
In this case, I'm afraid you and I will have to part ways, Overlay Eater...for now.
Once his shock wore off, the male with bluish-purple irises scoffs,
"Tuh, but you'll still take damage if my monster is stronger. Your Gardna has 1500 Attack Points; my Blade Bounzer has 1800! Blade Bounzer, strike! Use your Straight Slash!"
His monster starts sprinting towards Athena's...but she wasn't afraid.
"Fine by me! I'll just discard another card and use Gardna's special ability again!"
So while her monster may have been protected by a shield dome shining like a transparent rainbow, she would still receive damage in the after-impact, crossing her arms and bending her knees with a wince from the push her body felt as her Life Points dropped to 1300! Tiffany cries out her battling friend's name with worry as Flip notes,
"She lost another 300 Life Points!"
"Just a minor setback, Flip!"
Straightening up, Athena adds in firm belief,
"My monsters depend on my life as much as I depend on theirs, and when it comes down to it, they matter more than I do. If that means I continue to teeter dangerously close to the end, so be it."
Nistro calls back in a jeer,
"Heh, you might wanna rethink that idea, once I activate my Blade Bounzer's special ability!"
He rids himself of a Spell Card to activate it, causing a blazing energy to ring around the panther...
"By discarding a card from my hand, Blade Bounzer can clobber your monster all over again!"
Athena grinds her teeth a little:
What a brute...
Meanwhile, the young man with bespectacled-covered black irises comments in dismay,
"Gardna is a goner! Nistro has four more cards after this, so he can keep on attacking!"
Said subject of worry starts obliging to the predicted strategy.
"Once again, Blade Bounzer: attack Gagaga Gardna! Straight Slash!"
"Hang in there, Gardna! I discard another card from my hand to activate your ability again! Go, Gardna Guard!"
The same attack and counter-block scenario plays out again, and Athena would struggle against the current of the blacklash, falling to one knee as her Life Points dropped to 1000...
"You just played your last card, kid. Now Gagaga Gardna can't use his special ability again!"
"Grrrh...!"
"It was a total route: you choked, and now you're out of the Carnival!...Strike again, Blade Bounzer! End this duel now! Straight Slash Attack!"
Nistro's monster obeys, charging forward with a roar for what could be the final blow...
"Stay strong for me, Gardna! We can do this!"
I dunno if I'll be able to save you...but I can still find a-
(PULSE)
"GH!"
Suddenly, in the moment Blade Bounzer leapt into the air with one curved blade held up high...the world around Athena seemed to freeze for that second as a much stronger pulse of energy ran a river through her veins, and she felt her mind sinking, her vision plummeting out of this plain. Here, her friends would witness her sharply drawing a haggard breath, before her head lolled downward in a limp.
"Hauh! Addy!"
"Addy, what's wrong?! Are you okay?! Say something!"
...She does not respond...and peering under the shadow cast over her face by her curtaining hair, we see a faint glow of gold and white ringing around her red irises...
But delving into the inner dimensional space of the Golden Key...
"(...Blink) Uh!...Huh?"
What, happened...?
Athena would quickly discover that she was no longer in tune with her duel, and would soon become wise to the other battle occurring in the background. Rubbing her eyes with a fist, she mutters,
"Uuh man, I feel dizzy...Rh, wait...the ground...Sand?"
And not just any old sand, either...This is...Wait, no.
...No way!
Darting her head up, the girl gasps, spotting a familiar and mysterious apparatus a distance away from her proximity.
It's that golden airship!...Which, which means...
Oh god...I'm inside my Key!