Starting Notes:
Welcome back! In this chapter, we return to the Ritual Dimension. There's a duel between two characters that I've wanted to duel ever since I planned this story, and the Professor finally makes a decision about what to do with the other dimensions. The duel in this chapter is perhaps one of the easiest duels I've ever had to write, and the character interactions were certainly fun! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 4: The Angel Duelists
In the Fusion Dimension:
The Professor was pacing in his throne room, considering the report that had been sent back by Sora Shiun'in and Shino Gitsune. Obviously, the two were just students, so anything that they reported had to be considered with a grain of salt, just in case it was hyperbole. Still though, the report of a boy with a dragon named 'Magnetic Current Link Dragon', who seemed to love dueling and entertaining others with dueling…
How could that not concern him?
That boy felt like the Demon Duelist's avatar in the making, from the description that Shino had provided.
He hadn't asked either Shino or Sora to look for the girl that shared his daughter's face—after all, the existence of these counterparts was reserved only for his most trusted soldiers, and he wasn't sure if he could trust those two children yet. Even so…
"I'll need to identify the girl," he muttered. "But how do I do that if I cannot tell others…"
"I am here at your disposal, Professor."
"... Marufuji-kun."
From the shadows, a young man with dark blue hair walked forward, hands in his pockets. His eyes were cold and steely, but the Professor had never been deterred by that—Ryo Marufuji was the kind to do anything necessary to achieve the goals he set out for himself. "This is pertaining to one of the girls with the same face as Serena, correct?"
"... correct."
"I see." Ryo gestured towards the report. "Is there not enough information about who she is there?"
"No." The Professor cleared his throat. "Even so, I… have made my decision. From the reports, the Ritual Dimension seems to be the weakest of the dimensions, not including Standard. As such, conquering it can wait for now. As for the Link, Synchro and Xyz Dimensions…" He felt a headache coming on. "Roget has reported that he's rising up remarkably fast in the ranks of the defence force of Synchro, so that much shouldn't be a problem. We can leave Synchro for now, and have Yuri grab the girl when it's necessary."
He went silent for a moment.
"And the Xyz and Link Dimensions, Professor?" Ryo prompted, a calm look on his face.
"... the Link Dimension has technology that seems to outstrip our own by a mile." The Professor sighed. "... if possible, I would prefer if we settle things peacefully with them for now. I do not want our forces to be exhausted fighting against more than one foe at once."
"So one dimension at a time." Ryo stood up. "The Xyz Dimension first, then."
"Yes." The Professor stared at the images of the Xyz Dimension that they had received. "... Ryo. If possible, I would like you to go to the Link Dimension. Retrieve a Link Monster and bring it back here so that we can figure out how to manufacture more of them. And… find out who the girl with the same face and bracelet as Serena is."
"And the real name of the boy with the dragon? I'm assuming Mugen no Umi isn't his real name." Ryo glanced at the name 'Boundless Sea', speaking out the kanji for the obvious pseudonym to point out how ridiculous it was.
"If possible." The Professor was looking at another report now. "... tell me, Marufuji-kun. Do you believe in destiny?"
"Destiny?" Ryo scoffed. "My apologies if you believe in that kind of superstition, Professor, but we all make our own destiny."
The Professor nodded. Ryo left a moment later.
The Professor took a step forward.
The pictures on the sheet of paper that he was looking at displayed four sets of faces.
Yuri. Serena.
Yuto. Ruri Kurosaki.
Yugo. Rin.
Yuji Fujita. Chiaki Katsuya.
What was the likelihood that four of his daughter's reincarnations would become good friends with the Demon Duelist's reincarnations? It had taken him a while to convince Yuri to stop visiting Serena, and that had been purely for the sake of his own heart—he felt like he was going to have a heart attack every time that he saw the two of them near each other. What about the other two pairs that he knew nothing about? Were they that close?
He'd have to wait for the report to come in from the Link Dimension first. The Standard Dimension could wait. He had seen how weak it was with his own eyes before he had left, after all.
For now… he'd wait.
He had waited years to meet her again. He could wait a little while longer.
And meanwhile, he could wait for the next reports from the Ritual Dimension and Xyz Dimension as well.
In the Ritual Dimension:
"You mean that you built an entire deck around Ritual Summons, with some of the most ludicrous Ritual Summon effects I've ever heard of," Chiaki said, even as Kyorin bit her lip, looking slightly embarrassed. "And their effects only work on Fusion Monsters? Which are way less practical than Ritual Monsters, and also way more difficult and thus never learned by anyone?"
"Well," Kyorin said, "I… uh, like ice?"
Chiaki sighed, turning to Asuka, who happened to be sitting right there. "She likes ice. Asuka-san, it's over to you. What do you think about Fusion Monsters?"
Asuka looked like she was fighting hard not to laugh, which Chiaki didn't really understand. "Uh… do those monsters really only work on Fusion Monsters?"
"Well, she said 'Extra Deck Monsters'," Chiaki said, rolling her eyes. "But what else is going in the Extra Deck other than Fusion Monsters, anyway?"
Asuka's eyes widened, and she turned to Kyorin. "... your deck is a counter to the Extra Deck?" She actually sounded impressed, and Chiaki was mildly confused—did Asuka think that Fusion Summoning was really good just because it was difficult? Because the answer was just… no. It was not good.
"Um. Yes." Kyorin seemed to fold in on herself, before she turned towards Asuka in a faint attempt to shift Chiaki's attention to someone else. "How about you, Asuka-san?..."
"Right!" Chiaki snapped her fingers. "It's been a week and a half, Asuka-san! You haven't even dueled any of us yet!"
Asuka and Johan had begun hanging out with them after they had last met the two of them—and suddenly, lunch meetings that had just been between her and Yuji were shared between five people. Not that Chiaki actually minded any of them—she would have made her opinion heard if she didn't like that, and so would Yuji. Still though, Johan was definitely the most outgoing. Asuka and Kyorin, who were a lot more mellow, brought proper balance to the group.
"I guess not." Asuka shrugged. "I… like ice too? But I don't use an ice deck."
"Oh? You don't?" Chiaki stood up, holding out a hand in challenge. "Care to show me? The boys won't be back for a bit." Johan and Yuji had gone off to buy cold drinks, since the weather was burning hot today.
"... sure?" Asuka stood up. Kyorin turned to watch them duel again—despite having a deck, the girl with light blue hair was strangely dueling-averse. "I won't go easy on you." Her duel disk activated, looking like the same model as Johan's—a bright, light blue sword-like disk.
"Oh, I'd be offended if you did." Chiaki couldn't help but smirk. "I like challenges, after all!"
[DUEL!]
Chiaki Katsuya: 4000LP
Asuka Tenjoin: 4000LP
[Turn 1: Asuka] [H:6]
"I'll start," Asuka said. "I'll Normal Summon Cyber Petit Angel!" A cute pink angel appeared, with blue wings. It was clearly made out of metal, from the seams along the metal shell of its face, and the way that the 'feathers' slid over each other like metallic plates.
[Cyber Petit Angel (2*/300/200/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]
"... cute," Chiaki said casually. "LIGHT Fairies, huh?"
"Yes. The same as you." Asuka gestured to Cyber Petit Angel. "With Cyber Petit Angel's effect, since it was Summoned to the field, I can add a "Machine Angel Ritual" or a "Cyber Angel" monster from my deck to my hand!" She took a card from her deck, before she placed it down. "Activating the Ritual Spell, Machine Angel Ritual! I will tribute the Level 2 Cyber Petit Angel on the field and the Level 5 Cyber Tutubon in my hand! Angel of light hiding the powers of renewal. Stand on this field now with your lovely form! Descend! Level 6—Cyber Angel Idaten!"
A pink-skinned woman appeared, cloaked in rather revealing black clothing around her chest and legs, with a dark red helmet on her head, and metallic spokes in a wave around her skull.
[Cyber Angel Idaten (6*/1600/2000/LIGHT/Fairy/Ritual/Effect)]
"Since Idaten was Ritual Summoned," Asuka continued, "I can add a Ritual Spell from my deck to my hand. And with Tutubon's effect, I can add a Ritual Spell from my graveyard to my hand."
Chiaki blinked in surprise. Two Ritual Spells at once, huh?
"I will then activate the Field Spell, Ritual Sanctuary." Next to Asuka, the green-bordered card revealed itself. "Once per turn, I can discard a Spell to add a LIGHT Ritual Monster or a Ritual Spell from my deck to my hand!"
So, she had avoided bricking up her hand with Ritual Spells, huh?
"I will activate the Continuous Spell, Incarnated Machine Angel," Asuka continued. "Over to you, Chiaki."
[Turn 2: Chiaki] [H:6]
"Draw!" Chiaki glanced at Asuka's field. These Cyber Angel monsters… honestly, they would have fit into Chiaki's theme easily. Did she and Asuka play similar decks then? Interesting. "I will activate the Spell Card, Pre-Preparation of Rites. I will add a Ritual Spell and a Ritual Monster that is specifically listed in that Ritual Spell from my deck to my hand." She picked up two cards from her deck. "I will activate the Continuous Spell, Heritage of the Light. Then, I'll Normal Summon Diviner of the Herald." The same pale-skinned angel appeared, multi-coloured wings flaring out behind her.
[Diviner of the Herald (2*/500/300/LIGHT/Fairy/Tuner/Effect)]
"And with her effect, I will send my Herald of Perfection to the graveyard. I can then increase Diviner's Level by the Level of the monster she sent to the graveyard!" Once again, rainbow light surrounded Diviner, and she floated in the air, giving off an imposing aura.
[Diviner of the Herald: 2* + 6* = 8*]
"I will activate the Ritual Spell, End of the World," Chiaki declared. "I must tribute monsters whose Levels exactly equal the Level of the Ritual Monster I'm about to Ritual Summon!" A dark blue portal appeared behind her, flashes of a dystopian city spinning around her. It looked like a spinning wheel—flashing images that appeared and disappeared every second, not seeming concrete in the slightest.
"I'll tribute the Level 8 Diviner to Ritual Summon!" The angel dissolved into rainbow particles that swirled around Chiaki, before they settled in front of her, slowly forming a large, ornate red axe. "Arise now, queen that dictates the end of the world! Advent! Goddess of the end of the world, Ruin, Queen of Oblivion!"
A pale hand reached out from the shadows of the blue portal, grabbing the handle of the axe. Then, a pale woman stepped out of the portal. She had pale, silver hair, like spun silk. There was a stern look in her eyes, extremely cold and callous—all in all, the monster was a cold, pallid queen.
[Ruin, Queen of Oblivion (8*/2300/2000/LIGHT/Fairy/Ritual/Effect)]
"Ruin has her own archetype," Chiaki explained, as Kyorin and Asuka both stared at the pale woman in surprise. "However, I did like her design, so I included her in my deck as well." She chuckled. "And either way, she has a very powerful effect, so I figured, why not? Diviner's effect triggers! Since she was tributed, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Fairy monster from my deck! Appear—Light Law Medium!"
The innocent-looking pink-haired angel appeared, smiling gracefully as she floated next to Ruin.
[Light Law Medium (2*/400/300/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]
"Then, Heritage of the Light has its effect trigger. Since a monster was Ritual Summoned while there is a Ritual Monster on the field, I can draw one card." Chiaki glanced at the card text of the Continuous Spell. There were so many unfamiliar terms there. People had speculated that the 'Synchro' and 'Xyz' monsters mentioned had been planned card types that had later been scrapped. In practice, Chiaki had only ever been able to trigger this card with Ritual Summons. "I will have Light Law Medium attack your monster! And with her effect, I will negate the attack and inflict damage to you, equal to half of Idaten's attack points! Refract Law!"
Asuka raised a hand, as though to shield her eyes from the light. Light Law Medium laughed, and then she tossed down a ball of light.
Asuka: 4000 - 1600 / 2 = 3200LP
"When I take battle or effect damage," Asuka declared, "I can activate the effect of Incarnated Machine Angel!" Her Continuous Spell glowed, and then a golden light surrounded Idaten. "I can tribute a "Cyber Angel" Ritual Monster I control, and Special Summon a "Cyber Angel" Ritual Monster from my hand. This is treated as a Ritual Summon! I will tribute Idaten!"
She held out a card in her hand—likely the card that she had searched with Ritual Sanctuary's effect the last turn, as far as Chiaki could tell.
"Angel of light hiding healing powers. Bring recovery with your lovely form. Descend! Level 5! Cyber Angel Nasateiya!" The Ritual Monster that appeared was… a centaur. Wearing golden armour, the top half of the monster was a beautiful red and white-haired woman, with four blue-skinned arms, two of which were covered with golden gauntlets. A black and red cape floated in the wind behind her. At the end of her horse-like bottom half, there was a silver-white tail, the same colour as the white parts of her hair.
[Cyber Angel Nasateiya (5*/1000/1000/LIGHT/Fairy/Ritual/Effect)]
"Interesting," Chiaki said. That monster was clearly weaker in terms of stats, which was why Asuka had summoned it in Defense Position but—
"When Cyber Angel Idaten is tributed, all Ritual Monsters I control gain 1000 attack and defense points! Baton Pass!"
[Cyber Angel Nasateiya: 1000 + 1000 = 2000ATK/DEF]
… never mind.
Chiaki stared at the monster curiously. Well, she could always try and see what would happen if she attacked. "Ruin attacks your Nasateiya! Oblivion Swing!" Ruin charged forward, that sinister red axe crashing down from the sky towards Nasateiya.
"While I control Incarnated Machine Angel, my "Cyber Angel" Ritual Monsters can't be destroyed by battle!" Asuka declared. Nasateiya stumbled back under the force of the blow, and Ruin looked disappointed as she moved back over to Chiaki's field.
An invincible shield… well, that was actually really impressive.
"I'll end my turn," Chiaki declared.
Asuka glanced at her field, before she drew a card.
[Turn 3: Asuka] [H:3]
"Draw," Asuka said, seeming somewhat nervous. Why?
If Chiaki was rude enough to give a rating to her opponents out loud, Asuka would probably rank at seven or eight on a scale of ten. That had been a good move, last turn. The only better move would've been to Ritual Summon Idaten in Defense Position in the first place, but maybe Asuka had wanted Nasateiya on the field for another reason.
"I will activate the effect of my Field Spell, Ritual Sanctuary!" Asuka took out two cards from her graveyard—Pre-Preparation of Rites and Machine Angel Ritual. "By shuffling any number of Spells into the deck, I can revive a LIGHT Fairy monster with a Level equal to the number of Spells I returned to my deck! Return—Cyber Petit Angel!" The metallic pink angel returned to her field, innocent black eyes blinking slowly.
[Cyber Petit Angel (2*/300/200/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]
"With Cyber Petit Angel's effect, I will add a "Cyber Angel" Ritual Monster from my deck to my hand!" Asuka picked up the card. "And then, I will Normal Summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands." The same silver fairy that Chiaki used appeared, its red eyes glowing and hands writhing.
[Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (4*/1400/1000/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]
"With Manju's effect, I'll add a Ritual Spell to my hand! I will add and activate Machine Angel Ritual! And I'll tribute the Level 4 Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands and the Level 2 Cyber Petit Angel!" The two monsters dissolved into silver light. "Angel of light hiding limitless creativity! Let your fortunate gaze fall upon the worthy! Descend! Level 6! Cyber Angel Benten!"
A black-haired woman appeared, with a golden headdress. Her long black hair was tied at the bottom, consolidating it at the ends. She was in a light blue and black skin-tight jumpsuit, and she had a large red fan in her left hand, attached to a long chain.
[Cyber Angel Benten (6*/1800/1500/LIGHT/Fairy/Ritual/Effect)]
"Since you Ritual Summoned a Ritual Monster while there's a face-up Ritual Monster on the field, I can draw another card," Chiaki said. Asuka nodded. "Also, it's relaxing to know that I'm not the only one that Ritual Summons cards without saying the words Ritual Summon."
"I will change Nasateiya to Attack Position!" Asuka revealed another card in her hand. "I will activate the Spell Card, Merciful Machine Angel! I can tribute a "Cyber Angel" Ritual Monster in my hand or on my field, and draw two cards, before placing one card on the bottom of my deck!" She revealed the last card in her hand. "I will tribute another copy of Cyber Angel Idaten." She drew two cards, before returning one to the deck, leaving her with one card in her hand. "And since Idaten was tributed, Benten and Nasateiya both gain 1000 attack and defense points! Baton Pass!" Another blue and white glow surrounded both monsters.
[Cyber Angel Benten: 1800 + 1000 = 2800ATK; 1500 + 1000 = 2500DEF]
[Cyber Angel Nasateiya: 2000 + 1000 = 3000ATK/DEF]
"Then, I'll activate Nasateiya's effect. Once per turn, I can target a monster I control and gain life points equal to half its attack points! I will target Nasateiya herself! Radiant Blessing!" A shower of light surrounded her.
Asuka: 3200 + 3000 / 2 = 4700LP
"3000 attack points?" Kyorin gasped from the side. Chiaki, however, simply raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement.
"Nasateiya—"
"Are you starting your Battle Phase?" Chiaki asked.
"Yes?..."
"I will activate the effect of Light Law Medium," Chiaki said. "I will target Cyber Angel Benten and Cyber Angel Nasateiya. And this turn, they must attack Light Law Medium, as long as she's face-up on the field! Compelling Light!" Light Law Medium twirled through the air, and pink light shone down on the two Cyber Angels, a pink tinge surrounding them.
"... so its negation effect doesn't just activate when it's the one attacking?"
"No," Chiaki said. "So? Who will attack first?"
"Benten," Asuka decided. The black-haired woman leapt forward, slashing towards Light Law Medium, who idly darted out of the way.
"When Light Law Medium battles a monster in Attack Position, once per turn, I can negate the attack and inflict damage to you, equal to half the original attack points of the monster that she battled! Refract Law!" Another ray of golden light shot towards Asuka.
Asuka: 4700 - 1800 / 2 = 3800LP
"But your monster is done for! Cyber Angel Nasateiya will attack your Light Law Medium!"
The centaur warrior charged forward, slamming up a leg into the pink-haired angel's side, destroying her. Chiaki's life points fell as she grimaced at the shockwave of the hologram.
Chiaki: 4000 - 2600 = 1400LP
"I'll end my turn!"
[Turn 4: Chiaki] [H:6]
Chiaki drew a card, glancing at the field. Ruin shifted, seeming restless.
Alright. She had an idea of how she was going to do this. She had no monsters in her deck that could face off against a monster with 3000 attack points. However, she did have a chance at countering her opponent's moves.
"I'll Normal Summon my own copy of Manju," she said. The same silvery monster appeared in front of her.
[Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (4*/1400/1000/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect)]
"With Manju's effect, I will add a Ritual Spell to my hand." Chiaki placed down the Spell immediately. "I will activate the Ritual Spell, Hymn of Light! I will tribute the Level 4 Manju on my field and the Level 2 Herald of Green Light in my hand!"
"I haven't seen that Ritual Spell from you before…"
"This is my ace," Chiaki said, and Asuka's eyes widened. "She… is the first card that I ever had. My brother got her for me for my eleventh birthday—my first birthday after he adopted me. Yuji and I didn't have time to think about dueling before that."
Though Yuji did have that dragon of his, which was remarkably strong—though she had never seen Yuji Ritual Summon it once. Score one for her unmotivated best friend, then. He would probably never Ritual Summon it until he found a proper motivation to duel to his full strength.
"It represents my bond with my brother," Chiaki continued. "I do love her, but usually, I give my opponents a little less respect and don't bring her out. Still though, Asuka-san—I don't mind you." She would never say something as overly mushy as 'I like you' or 'you're my friend', but she was pretty sure that the sentiment had carried through anyway. "Accept my sacrifice and pull open the gates of divinity, angels that preside over heaven! Advent! Imperial justice, Saffira, Queen of Dragons!"
In front of her, the silver dragon appeared, angelic wings spreading out around her, feathers gleaming with holy light. There was something avian to her, yet something humanoid as well—and yet, despite all of that, she was still clearly something ethereal, still clearly a dragon. Golden armour surrounded the middle of her body and the top of her wings, and two golden horns could be seen on the top of her head.
[Saffira, Queen of Dragons (6*/2500/2400/LIGHT/Dragon/Ritual/Effect)]
"So this is your ace," Asuka said. "She's… lovely."
"Thank you." Chiaki smiled, a little smug. "I know that." Kyorin choked on her water at that—and Asuka raised a hand to her mouth, laughing. The blonde looked surprised at her own laughter. Chiaki couldn't help but smile a little wider at that. Ruin and Saffira stood side by side on her field, both of them looking rather imperial. Two queens—the Queen of Oblivion and the Queen of Dragons. Rather fitting. "I'll use the effect of Heritage of the Light to draw another card." She looked at the four cards in her hand again. Good.
"Her attack points aren't high enough though."
Chiaki shrugged. "I've never been the kind of brute to focus only on attack points," she said.
She certainly went after bullies and thugs, but that had always been somewhat reactive. Yes, that was the word for it. She was… reactive, in most parts of her life, and that included her dueling too. She enjoyed setting traps, she enjoyed countering her opponents, and she rarely ever struck first. Attack points were nice, but they hardly mattered without a solid foundation.
"I'll set one card facedown and end my turn again—and with Saffira's effect, since she was Ritual Summoned this turn, I can choose one of three effects. I will choose her first effect, to draw two cards and discard one. Angelic Miracle!" She was surrounded by bright light from Saffira's wings.
"You're not going to attack?" Asuka said, sounding confused.
"Well, I don't have a way to accomplish anything." Chiaki smirked. "And I think it's a given at this point that when someone attacks me, they often lose more than they gain."
[Turn 5: Asuka] [H:2]
"Draw!" Asuka looked at Chiaki's field. "... I will activate Nasateiya's effect. I will gain life points equal to half her attack points again! Radiant Blessing!" Light surrounded her again, and her life points shot up.
Asuka: 3800 + 3000 / 2 = 5300LP
"Her life points have gone back to full—and more!" Kyorin bit her lip. "Asuka-san might be as good at defence as you, Chiaki…"
"I'd consider myself someone who enjoys going on the offence, actually," Asuka said, smirking confidently.
Chiaki chuckled—she did enjoy dueling smug opponents more. Specifically, she enjoyed winning against smug opponents. And yes, she was well aware that she herself was rather smug and confident, but she'd like to think that she was strong enough to have that attitude.
Asuka glanced at her cards, and then she pointed forward. "Attack Saffira, Benten!"
"I'll activate the effect of Honest in my hand," Chiaki declared. "By sending him to the graveyard, my LIGHT monster gains attack points equal to the monster that she is battling until the End Phase!" Saffira glowed, and she seemed to emanate power as she raised up her clawed hands.
[Saffira, Queen of Dragons: 2500 + 2800 = 5300ATK]
"Counterattack! Regal Eminence!" Saffira struck back at Benten.
Asuka whipped out her hand, gesturing to Incarnated Machine Angel. "My "Cyber Angel" monsters cannot be destroyed by battle!" Saffira breathed out a blast of light that hit both Benten and Asuka.
Asuka: 5300 - 2500 = 2800LP
"And now that your defences have been used up, Nasateiya attacks your Ruin!"
"I will activate the Trap Card, Draining Shield!" Chiaki called. "I will negate your attack and gain life points equal to the attacking monster's attack points!"
Chiaki: 1400 + 3000 = 4400LP
"I'll set a card facedown!" Asuka said. "Over to you, Chiaki…"
"Since a LIGHT monster was sent from my hand to the graveyard this turn, I will activate Saffira's effect," Chiaki said. "I will choose the third effect and add a LIGHT monster from my graveyard to my hand!" She picked up the card swiftly.
[Turn 6: Chiaki] [H:5]
"Draw," Chiaki continued.
"You know, Chiaki," Asuka said after a moment, "with your… um, demeanour… I wouldn't have expected you to be a defence specialist."
"Because I beat people up?" Chiaki said bluntly, laughing as she said it. It sounded ridiculous to say it aloud. "I never fight anyone who doesn't deserve it. I guess you could interpret this as me only striking back at those who strike at me first." She placed down another card. "I'll activate the Equip Spell, Glass Slippers. I will equip it to Ruin. And since Ruin is a Fairy monster, she gains 1000 attack points!" Transparent, elegant glass slippers appeared on Ruin's feet. The card was an obvious allusion to Cinderella, but while it was certainly created for the rare 'fairy tale' deck, it was also easily splashable in other Fairy decks.
[Ruin, Queen of Oblivion: 2300 + 1000 = 3300ATK]
"And of course, I understand that I can't make it through your field because of your Continuous Spell, so let's fix that! I'll activate the Spell, Twin Twisters! By discarding a card, I can destroy two Spells and Traps on the field!" She pointed to Asuka's set card and Incarnated Machine Angel, which were both blown off the field. "And now, Ruin will attack Benten!"
"Benten?" Asuka's eyebrows creased in confusion. "But—"
"Are you negating it?"
"... no?"
Chiaki nodded. "Do it, Ruin! Oblivion Swing!" The axe cleaved straight through Benten, cutting her in two.
Asuka: 2800 - 500 = 2300LP
"I understand your confusion, Asuka-san. It's because Ruin is the only monster I have that could have beaten Nasateiya, right?" Chiaki held up a finger. "So allow me to introduce you to the frightening power of the Queen of Oblivion! Once per turn, when she defeats a monster in battle, she can perform a second attack in a row! Go! Destroy Nasateiya as well! Oblivion Swing!" Ruin spun her axe through the air, before moving forward swiftly. Nasateiya didn't have any time to react before the axe sliced straight into her. However, she wasn't destroyed.
Asuka: 2300 - 300 = 2000LP
"I banished Machine Angel Ritual from the graveyard," Asuka explained. "So I negated Nasateiya's destruction."
"I see," Chiaki said. She smiled. "That's a good move, Asuka-san. But unfortunately, I win."
"Huh? But…"
Chiaki's smile turned to a smirk. "Remember what effect I activated last turn? Saffira attacks your Nasateiya! And when a LIGHT monster battles, I can send Honest to the graveyard and increase the battling monster's attack points by the attack points of its opponent!" She revealed the card that she had added back with Saffira's effect, sending it to the graveyard again.
[Saffira, Queen of Dragons: 2500 + 3000 = 5500ATK]
"Regal Eminence!" The ray of light shot down, destroying Nasateiya and eliminating the rest of Asuka's life points.
Asuka: 2000 - 2500 = 0LP
Winner: Chiaki Katsuya!
Asuka was staring in surprise. Chiaki walked back over to her and Kyorin, shrugging.
"Our decks really are remarkably similar," she said. "Give me a moment." She tossed her bag on the ground, sitting down and pulling out a binder. Asuka sat down as well, peering at her curiously. Chiaki flipped through the binder, before she pulled out a card. "Here you go." She handed it to Asuka, who took it, before her eyes widened.
"This is… your Diviner of the Herald!"
"I mean, I do have multiple copies of Diviner." Chiaki held up a finger. "I figure that Diviner'll work well in your deck too, if our decks are so similar, yeah? Count it as a gift from me."
Asuka looked… surprised. She clutched the card to her chest for a moment. Unbeknownst to Chiaki, Asuka's thoughts were filled with wonder, but they were also filled with guilt. After all, her intentions when she had decided to befriend Chiaki and Yuji hadn't exactly been pure—they were on the orders of the Professor, to pay attention to any exceptional duelists in the Ritual Dimension. When they had reported their encounter with Chiaki and Yuji to the Professor, he had surprised them by asking them to continue paying attention to the two of them. Johan had thrown himself into the role easily, but Asuka couldn't help but feel guilty.
These were two teenagers who clearly didn't talk much to people other than each other, and yet they had welcomed Asuka and Johan to be their friends, despite their clear distrust of other people.
Asuka liked Chiaki. She liked Kyorin, who despite not dueling, seemed relatively easy to be around as well. She even liked Yuji, despite how withdrawn the white-haired boy was. Asuka had met many people back in Academia, and many of them had complimented her dueling and tried to hang out with her—but how many people had really just wanted her around because she was… herself? When she was here, she was able to drop all of those additional identities that she had gained in Academia—the identity of an Obelisk Blue, the identity of an Honor Student, the identity of the school's most popular girl. Here, she had talked to someone and been accepted as just… Asuka.
It was an easy acceptance that no one other than Ryo, Johan and her brother had ever given her.
Asuka… really liked Chiaki. And Chiaki was skilled too! Asuka had even thought about asking the Professor to try to recruit Chiaki and Yuji, since the two of them were so skilled. And Asuka really didn't want to fight her friends, if the Professor decided to invade the Ritual Dimension.
It was a wishful thought. And if Chiaki would someday become Academia's enemy, then it would be foolish of Asuka to do what she was currently about to do.
And yet, her hand moved to her bag as well, and she retrieved a card from her spare cards, holding it out to Chiaki.
"Then we'll trade," Asuka said. Chiaki blinked in surprise, taking the card. She looked at it.
"Ritual Sanctuary, huh?" The red-haired girl nodded. "Alright then."
"Keep it as a sign of our friendship," Asuka said. Despite how abrasive Chiaki normally was, as the red-haired girl turned her head away, Asuka saw a warm, genuine smile on the girl's face.
It only made Asuka feel more conflicted.
What should she do?
"So, what's going on between you and Chiaki?" Johan commented as they begun to walk back from the grocery store. Yuji sighed, understanding the insinuation and just feeling bored by it at this point.
"Childhood friends," he said.
"Really?" Johan whistled. "Cool. Asuka and I are childhood friends too."
"... I did get that feeling from the two of you."
Johan chuckled. "Like recognises like, eh?" He sighed. "... there were four of us that lived in the same neighbourhood. We all wanted to go to the same school."
Yuji nodded. "... you said you lived somewhere further away."
"Mm." Johan sighed. "Sho's older brother and Asuka's older brother were best friends, so the two of them hung out with each other most of the time… and then it was the four of us in the backyard. We had fun." He chuckled. "Still do, really… it didn't feel the same anymore though, after a while. Still don't know why, but we all drifted. Asuka and I still hang out, but we don't talk to the other two much anymore. Don't think they talk to each other either."
Yuji glanced at Johan and sighed again. He considered his words for a moment, before he spoke. "That's a pity," he said. "... childhood friends are precious."
"Yes, they are." Johan cleared his throat. "... say, Yuji. Do you have any strong connections in this di—city at all? You really just seem to drift around… not that there's anything wrong with that, of course!"
"Chiaki," Yuji said immediately. "My guardian… Chiaki's brother. Kyorin." There was an awkward silence as he looked forward. "... you and Asuka. That's it."
Johan actually looked somewhat touched. "Aww, Yuji—"
"Do not get mushy on me," Yuji said, immediately smacking Johan's shoulder. Johan snickered, but he followed Yuji along the road anyway.
"... you're serious," Yuji said, his voice just as deadpan as usual.
"Yes." Chiaki gestured to Kyorin. "Her deck counters Fusion Monsters! Only Fusion Monsters!"
Kyorin cleared her throat. "Extra Deck monsters," she said shyly.
"... so Fusion Monsters." Yuji shook his head. "... I'll have to see this for myself someday."
"Do you want to duel now?" Asuka suggested. Yuji shook his head at the same time as Kyorin. Kyorin raised her hand, reaching over for a high-five. Meanwhile, Chiaki rolled her eyes.
"Duel-averse, both of you. If someone trapped you in a room and told you to duel with all your might to get out, you'd both starve to death in there."
"Luckily, that's a completely hypothetical situation that would never happen," Yuji said, rolling his eyes too.
"Agreed!" Kyorin chirped. "So we don't need to worry at all!"
"Yo, Asuka."
Asuka looked up from her laptop. The two of them had managed to book a room in a hotel—it seemed that despite the dimensions being so different, all of them shared the same currency, which was… an odd commonality. Johan was glancing out of the window, a contemplative look on his face. Asuka waited for him to speak up again, which he did, after a few seconds.
"Do you feel like we're doing something wrong?" Johan finally asked, dropping the smiling facade that he had been putting on. Asuka recognised the conflict in his eyes—it was the same conflict that had rooted itself in her heart.
"... that's treasonous talk, Johan."
"I know." Johan pressed a hand to his chest. "But I… feel that way. And I can tell that you do too. How long have we been friends for again?" He managed a smile. "I can tell that you're worried too."
"I don't want them to be hurt," Asuka said after a moment.
Johan looked at her, and then he moved over to the laptop. "Then we'll ask for it," he said. "We are Honor Students after all, aren't we?"
"He probably won't agree…"
"But we can try." Johan's smile was still somewhat wobbly. "At least then, we won't feel like we've done nothing."
The two friends, both loyal to Academia, both holding doubts but unable to turn against all that they had ever known, turned back to the laptop.
"Let's give it a try," Asuka said, allowing herself to have hope.
In the Fusion Dimension:
The Professor stared at the letter that had been attached to the report, contemplating his options.
| To: The Professor:
| We understand that this is not proper procedure. However, both of us have a personal request. Whether or not you choose to fulfil it, neither of us will hold it against Academia. We are, and will always be loyal to the Arc-Area Project. While in this dimension, the two of us have encountered two skilled duelists and a non-combatant. If possible, we would like to request for Academia to take these three out of the war—to either spare them, or to recruit them.
| We understand that this is a selfish request, but we cannot help but make it.
| — Johan Andersen and Asuka Tenjoin
He had already greenlit the invasion of the Xyz Dimension. In about two weeks, the first wave would head into Heartland and begin the Arc-Area Project. Yuri and Dennis would capture Ruri Kurosaki, and bring her back to Academia.
And now, these complications had come out of nowhere.
In that case…
He could not afford to lose Honor Students like Johan and Asuka over a disagreement. While they had claimed that their loyalty to Academia would remain, Leo knew all too well how a small seed of doubt could bloom into rebellion. And if Asuka deserted Academia, who knew what Fubuki would do? No. It was better to reconsider how he was going to deal with things.
"Yuji Fujita," he said, his eyebrows creasing with annoyance. "... Tenjoin-san said that you were lacking in willpower. I wonder…"
After a while, he made his decision. He walked to the desk at the side of the room, and he spoke into the microphone there, transmitting his voice across the school.
"Yuri. Please come to my office."
Duel 1 Summary: Chiaki Katsuya vs Asuka Tenjoin
Format: Normal Duel
Turn 1: Asuka Tenjoin
Asuka Normal Summons Cyber Petit Angel. (2*/300/200) With Cyber Petit Angel's effect, she adds the Ritual Spell Card, Machine Angel Ritual from her Deck to her hand. Asuka activates Machine Angel Ritual. By tributing the Level 2 Cyber Petit Angel on the field and the Level 5 Cyber Tutubon (5*/1800/1600) in her hand, she Ritual Summons Cyber Angel Idaten (6*/1600/2000). Since Cyber Tutubon was sent to the graveyard, Asuka adds a Ritual Spell (Machine Angel Ritual) from her graveyard to her hand. Furthermore, since Cyber Angel Idaten was Ritual Summoned, Asuka adds a Ritual Spell from her Deck to her hand. Then, Asuka activates the Field Spell, Ritual Sanctuary. By discarding a Spell (Machine Angel Ritual) from her hand, she adds a LIGHT Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell from her Deck to her hand. Then, she activates the Continuous Spell, Incarnated Machine Angel. Asuka ends her turn.
Turn 2: Chiaki Katsuya
Chiaki draws. Chiaki activates the Spell Card, Pre-Preparation of Rites. She adds Ruin, Queen of Oblivion (8*/2300/2000) and the Ritual Spell, End of the World from her Deck to her hand. She activates the Continuous Spell, Heritage of the Light. Then, she Normal Summons Diviner of the Herald. (2*/500/300) With Diviner's effect, she sends Herald of Perfection (6*/1800/2800) from the Deck to the graveyard and increases Diviner's Level. (DOTH: 2* + 6* = 8*) Then, she activates End of the World. She tributes the Level 8 Diviner to Ritual Summon Ruin, Queen of Oblivion. With Diviner of the Herald's effect, she Special Summons Light Law Medium (2*/400/300) from her Deck. Then, she uses Heritage of the Light's effect to draw 1 card.
Light Law Medium attacks Cyber Angel Idaten. With Light Law Medium's own effect, the attack is negated and Asuka takes damage equal to half of Idaten's attack points. [AT: 4000 - 800 = 3200LP] Asuka uses the effect of Incarnated Machine Angel to tribute Idaten and Special Summon Cyber Angel Nasateiya (5*/1000/1000) in Defense Position, treating it as a Ritual Summon. Since Idaten was tributed, Nasateiya gains 1000 attack and defense points. (CAN: 1000 + 1000 = 2000ATK/DEF) Ruin attacks Nasateiya, but due to the effect of Incarnated Machine Angel, "Cyber Angel" Ritual Monsters cannot be destroyed by battle. Chiaki ends her turn.
Turn 3: Asuka Tenjoin
Asuka draws. Using the effect of Ritual Sanctuary, she shuffles Machine Angel Ritual and Pre-Preparation of Rites from her graveyard into the Deck to revive Cyber Petit Angel. With the effect of Cyber Petit Angel, she adds Cyber Angel Benten to her hand. She Normal Summons Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands, and with Manju's effect, she adds Machine Angel Ritual to her hand. She activates Machine Angel Ritual, tributing the Level 2 Cyber Petit Angel and the Level 4 Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands to Ritual Summon Cyber Angel Benten. (6*/1800/1500)
Chiaki draws 1 card with the effect of Heritage of the Light. Asuka changes Cyber Angel Nasateiya to Attack Position. She activates Merciful Machine Angel to tribute Cyber Angel Idaten in her hand, and draws 2 cards. She then returns 1 card to the Deck. Then, since Idaten was tributed, Benten and Nasateiya both gain 1000 attack and defense points. (CAB: 1800 + 1000 = 2800ATK; 1500 + 1000 = 2500DEF) (CAN: 2000 + 1000 = 3000ATK/DEF) Using Cyber Angel Nasateiya's effect, Asuka gains LP equal to half of Nasateiya's effect. [AT: 3200 + 1500 = 4700LP]
During the start of the Battle Phase, Chiaki activates Light Law Medium's effect to force Nasateiya and Benten to attack her. Benten attacks Light Law Medium, and Chiaki uses Light Law Medium's effect to negate the attack and inflict half of Benten's original attack points to Asuka as damage. [AT: 4700 - 900 = 3800LP] Nasateiya attacks and destroys Light Law Medium. [CK: 4000 - 2600 = 1400LP] Asuka ends her turn.
Turn 4: Chiaki Katsuya
Chiaki draws. Chiaki Normal Summons Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands. (4*/1400/1000) She adds the Ritual Spell, Hymn of Light, to her hand and activates it. She tributes the Level 4 Manju on the field and the Level 2 Herald of Green Light (2*/300/500) in her hand to Ritual Summon Saffira, Queen of Dragons. (6*/2500/2400) Using Heritage of the Light's effect, she draws 1 card. She sets 1 card and ends her turn. With Saffira's effect, she draws two cards and discards one.
Turn 5: Asuka Tenjoin
Asuka draws. She uses Nasateiya's effect, targeting Nasateiya herself. [AT: 3800 + 1500 = 5300LP] Asuka has Benten attack Saffira. Chiaki discards Honest (4*/1100/1900) from her hand to let Saffira gain attack points equal to Benten's attack points. (SQOD: 2500 + 2800 = 5300ATK) Benten is protected by Incarnated Machine Angel, but Asuka still takes the damage. [AT: 5300 - 2500 = 2800LP] Nasateiya attacks Ruin, Queen of Oblivion. Chiaki activates Draining Shield to negate the attack. [CK: 1400 + 3000 = 4400LP] Asuka sets 1 card and ends her turn. Chiaki uses Saffira's effect to add Honest back to her hand.
Turn 6: Chiaki Katsuya
Chiaki draws. She equips the Equip Spell, Glass Slippers to Ruin. (RQOO: 2300 + 1000 = 3300ATK) She activates Twin Twisters, discarding one card to destroy Asuka's set card and Incarnated Machine Angel. She has Ruin attack Benten. [AT: 2800 - 500 = 2300LP] Since Ruin destroyed a monster by battle, she can attack a second time. She attacks Nasateiya. Asuka banishes Machine Angel Ritual from the graveyard to protect Nasateiya. [AT: 2300 - 300 = 2000LP] Saffira attacks Nasateiya. Chiaki discards Honest from her hand to use its effect. (SQOD: 2500 + 3000 = 5500ATK) [AT: 2000 - 2500 = 0LP] Chiaki wins!
Different Card Effects from TCG:
Cyber Angel Nasateiya - Uses its anime effect, which says "Cyber" monster instead of "Cyber Angel" monster for the negation effect. That effect isn't used in this duel though. Uses its Japanese name, since it's more true to the original inspiration behind the monster.
End Notes:
Please note that Chiaki's opinions of Fusion Summoning are obviously ironic, and do not represent mine. Predaplants and Albaz Dragons are two of my favourite decks, and fun fact—the first deck I ever played was Cyber Dragons! I once tried to plan a SI OC fic for Arc-V, but then I realised that every deck that I enjoyed writing was a deck that someone in Arc-V already used, and I gave up on that. In fact, out of the four main character decks here, I had no experience with any of them until I began plotting out this fic. I just read up on what others had to say, built a deck and dueled with each deck on them on a simulator until I felt comfortable using them.
This duel was so much fun to write. Bless Duel Links for imprinting the effects of the Cyber Angels in my brain.
The Cyber Angels use their anime effects in this duel—for most of the cards that are used by characters in Arc-V proper, the anime effects are used, even if I'm more familiar with the TCG/OCG effects. However, there are some exceptions—namely, if a card's anime effect is a lesser version of its TCG effect. For example, in the anime, Cyber Petit Angel can only add Machine Angel Ritual to the hand, but in real life, it can add a "Cyber Angel" monster as well. Therefore, I'd treat it as its TCG effect, and assume that Asuka just never chose to add a "Cyber Angel" monster instead. In general, if an effect seems a bit different from the anime effect, it's probably because the TCG effect is just the anime effect + some additional stuff! If a card doesn't take its TCG effect, it'll be listed above.
Asuka also doesn't have access to Dakini or any of the higher Level Cyber Angels in this duel yet. I'd like to think that she redid her entire deck and focused it more on Ritual Summons later on, but for now, she's just absurdly lucky in this duel to not brick, because she has a lot of her GX cards still in the deck.
Also, I don't know if this is something that others might feel is a problem, but I am well aware that Chiaki has gotten more screen time than Yuji so far. Rest assured that I'm not neglecting Yuji—it's simply that my outline happened to give Chiaki more screen time, purely because I wanted to establish a bit of a friendship between her and Asuka. Plus, Yuji gets more duels near the end of the first arc. Right now, as mentioned in the story itself, he's not the kind of person that really enjoys dueling for the sake of it. Of course, the ending of this chapter is… concerning, but eh, I'm sure it's nothing! ;) On a completely unrelated note, I've already finished my first drafts for the next chapter and the one after that at this point, and let's just say that the duels for both gave me a migraine to write.
The benefit of writing an Arc-V fic at the specific time that I'm currently writing is that almost every single one of the Arc-V archetypes that were only a few cards (*cough cough* Windwitches, Lyrilusc) have gotten a lot of support, which means I don't have to make as many OC cards! For example, as of the time that I'm writing this, we're due for the release of more Superheavy Samurai monsters in the OCG, which is great!... Even though that's one of the decks of the Arc-V Lancers that I can't write. :
Out of curiosity, what kinds of decks do you all hope to see in this story? I already basically have an outline for the whole plot, and I probably won't be taking suggestions for major characters, but I'm still curious to see what you all think :) I might at most be able to put those decks in for Academia members, etc. :D Also, are the duels in the story so far fine? Duels are probably my favourite part to write—but they're also the hardest part. *sweatdrops* Funnily enough, the Standard duels are going to be the hardest for me, because I have no experience with like 80% of the decks there. Meanwhile, I've played basically every Fusion, Xyz and Synchro deck in Arc-V for fun. *sighs*
Thank you for reading!