In loving memory of David Cannon
(March 5, 1983 - July 28, 2023)
And on we go. So I asked a friend on this site, Menatron the Angel of Ideas, which heir he would like to see next. Since you can see the chapter name in the chapter index, you can see which one he chose. If you clicked it without reading it, look at it again or look down below. I'm not saying who it is until after this opening note. I've had a LOT of stupid people coming through with orders at work, and this site is my designated rant location (when I'm not lecturing idiot truck drivers about parking on a busy street on Facebook. Good times).
Chapter Eight
The Heir of Alito
"A really strong woman accepts the war she went through, and is ennobled by her scars."
-Carly Simon, musical artist
Asuka, betrayed by her former comrades and exiled from the world of the Shinobi, has been pulled into another world with her friend and former rival, Homura, and their new friends Akiru and Kotori Hirasu. Upon their arrival, Akiru and Homura were revealed to be the heirs of two of the seven Barian Emperors. After their safe arrival at the Dragon Sanctuary of Barian and reuniting with other friends from their Shinobi lives, Asuka and Homura were surprised to find that one of them was the Heir of another Emperor. This is their story...
(Sanctuary, capital of Barian World, High Emperor's Palace)
Standing over a balcony overlooking the city, a female figure with yellow, light blue, and white skin, shoulder pauldrons, and long blue hair stared out over the world, lost in thought. 'Brother, where have you gone?' As she closed her eyes and sighed to herself, two more figures joined her. One was a tall, muscular male with dark grey skin with a yellow bird pattern on his chest, his mask resembling a soldier helmet, with a mohawk hairstyle colored green, and red eyes. The other was a male with tentacle-like red hair, red skin, and light grey eyes.
Looking at them, the female said in greeting, "Girag, Alito. I could use some good news." The muscular one, Girag, replied first, "Vector contacted us from the Dragon Sanctuary, Marin. The Heirs have reached Barian." Marin asked, "And? Have any of them awakened to their Barian forms?" Alito replied, "Yes, three of them. Vector's Heir, then the Heir of Dumon and the Heir of Mizar." The female Emperor nodded, satisfied. "I'm glad for that, at least. The remaining four still have some protection if we aren't able to help them."
Looking at Alito, she asked, "What about your search for Nash? Have you found any clues?" The red Emperor sighed. "The only lead I have at this time is that he's somewhere in Tokyo, or the surrounding area." Marin sighed to herself. "If we're going to counterattack the rebels and end the war, we need my brother's leadership." Girag chimed in, "At the very least, his Heir is in Barian, though we don't know if they can achieve their awakening without him." The blue-haired Emperor looked at him with an annoyed expression in her eyes. "That doesn't help us, Girag." He replied, "Sorry, Marin."
Looking out over the balcony again, the temporary leader of the Emperors said, "Alito, go to the Dragon Sanctuary and bring the Heirs to the city. If Mizar has a problem with that, he can discuss it with me." Alito nodded. "I'll leave immediately." Marin looked at him. "Before you go, tell me a good starting point for Nash's possible whereabouts. I'll continue the search myself." He nodded. "A good place to start would be Shibuya. It's well populated. He could easily hide there if he needed to." She nodded in understanding, and Alito opened a portal, leaving the balcony.
Looking at Girag again, she said, "I want you to have a place prepared for the Heirs when they arrive. Make sure there's plenty of room for all of them." He nodded. "I'll get to work on that right away." Marin replied, "Thank you." As he left, she looked over the city again, seeing the people within going about their daily lives, smiling under her mask. "I wish you were here, Nash. We could all use your leadership right now." Closing her eyes, she added, "I'm looking forward to introducing my daughter to you."
(Dragon Sanctuary, bed chamber)
Akiru watched with amusement as the girls were talking about Shiki's transformation, very surprised by what they saw. Leaving them to their own devices, he went over to his sister, and sat beside her. She looked at him with a tearful expression. He understood immediately. "You miss Mom, don't you?" She nodded. Gently putting an arm around her, he said, "I'll always miss her, because I know that I can't go back to her now." As his sister looked at him in surprise, he added, "She knew that Dad was a Barian. He told her after I was born."
Kotori looked towards the others, then back at her brother. "I'm scared, Akiru. I'm not a good Duelist like you are. I can't fight to protect this place." Her brother replied, "How do you become a good Duelist?" She thought it over, then asked, "How?" Akiru replied, "You practice. You learn what combos work and which ones don't. You learn to make use of what you have. The Deck you chose isn't one of the strongest, true, but it's not among the weaker decks, either. A single card can make all the difference, whether it's strong or weak. It all depends on how you use it."
His sister looked at her brother's Deck pouch, then took her own Deck out of her pocket, looking over some of the cards, coming across her favorite and ace monster. Akiru waited for her next words. Facing him, she asked, "Any card can make a difference?" He nodded. "It's not about how hard you hit, but how smart you play." With that thought, he handed her a card. Looking it over, she gasped at what she saw. "I didn't know this card existed!" Her brother chuckled. "It was a recent release. I was saving it for your next birthday, but now is a good time."
Asuka and Homura walked over just then. Sitting nearby, Homura asked, "So your father was interested in your Blue-Eyes White Dragon during that match with Corwan earlier, something about the artwork. What's so special about it?" Akiru replied, "It's one of the three original Blue-Eyes White Dragons. I have them all." Both girls stared in shock. "You have the originals?!" He explained, "It's a long story that requires some context." Asuka replied, "I can't wait to hear this." Chuckling with a small smile, Akiru retracted his mouth guard and put his hands on his lap as he told the story.
(Flashback, ten years ago)
A young Akiru Hirasu sat in front of the TV, watching an interview of Seto Kaiba, who had announced his decision to retire from Duel Monsters. The reporter doing the interview asked him, "I assume you're planning to pass the Blue-Eyes White Dragons to your daughter?" The businessman shook his head. "No. She doesn't have any interest in Dueling. Besides, I've thought of something better. In two days, a new booster pack will be hitting store shelves, but only for a couple months."
Grimacing, he added, "I wanted to call it, 'Legend of Blue-Eyes White Dragon', but Pegasus insisted on calling it 'Duelist Pack: Kaiba'. Within three of these packs are the Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards, one in each." Looking towards the camera, Kaiba added, "I hope that whoever gets them treats them with the respect they deserve. I didn't make this decision lightly. There are plans to make a newer version of Blue-Eyes, with new artwork, but those won't be quite as rare. Look hard enough and you might just become the proud owner of a Blue-Eyes, but fate will decide who gets the originals."
The boy shrugged as he turned off the TV and went to his room for bed. "I have Galaxy-Eyes. He's enough for me." Getting into bed, he went to sleep that night with a smile. A couple days later, Akiru entered the card shop, looking for a certain card. When it wasn't there, he shrugged, then noticed the Duelist Pack: Kaiba packs on display. Thinking it over, he thought, 'I doubt I'll get the Blue-Eyes, but mayble I can get the XYZ Dragon Cannon monsters.' Picking up three packs, the boy figured, 'I'll have better odds of getting them this way.'
After making it home, he sat at the table while Mira worked on dinner, his mother noticing the packs. "I thought you didn't care about the Blue-Eyes?" He answered, "I don't. But there are some cards in the set that I'm looking for." He opened the first pack, finding Fusion Sage, Battle Ox, Judge Man, and Polymerization, but his heart stopped when he saw one of the original Blue-Eyes White Dragons right in front of him. "N-No way..." His mother leaned forward for a closer look, very surprised. After a minute, she faced her son, saying, "Yes, my eyes can't be fooled. That's one of them."
Opening the second pack, he was shocked to find the second Blue-Eyes as the first card. "Huh?" Mira gently gripped her son's shoulder. "One is lucky enough, but two of them? You'll be a legend with those." Gently putting the three Flute of Summoning Dragons aside with the Monster Reborn from the second pack, he opened the third, ignoring the Vorse Raider and the Lord of Dragons within, gasping in shock at the third card. "I don't believe it..." Mira gasped as well. "You..." Akiru gently picked up the third of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons in sheer shock, a tear rolling down his cheek.
His mother gently brushed it away as she held her very shocked son, telling him, "It's okay, Akiru. You got them fair and square." Looking at the other two cards in the third pack, the boy looked at his mother in surprise. "How did I get the Blue-Eyes, but not the cards I actually wanted?" His mother replied, "I don't know, sweetie." Opening a nearby drawer, she pulled out a small case and handed it to him. "How about we put them in this so that they don't get damaged?" He nodded, and they put them in neatly, before closing the case, the boy putting the case in his card collection chest.
(End flashback)
The former Shinobi stared at Akiru in shock, the red-haired girl speaking first. "So you got insanely lucky, is what you're saying." The young man replied, "Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it. I never did manage to find Z Metal Tank, though I did find the other two." Asuka blinked in response. "You'd rather have a Z Metal Tank than a Blue-Eyes?" He replied, "Z Metal Tanks don't draw unwanted attention. I only added the three Blue-Eyes to my Deck when I was sixteen, after I finally told a couple friends about them. They were surprised about it, yeah, but agreed not to tell anyone. I don't want attention just because I own a famous card."
Kotori chimed in. "I almost squealed on him on accident once after I found out. Mom barely stopped me in time." Akiru sideways glanced at his sister, deadpanning, "Yes, and you were very lucky that she did." His sister rolled her eyes. Shiki came over just then, sitting nearby. "What's this about a super rare card you have?" He held up the three Blue-Eyes, to which she gasped in shock. "How did you-?!" He interrupted, "Let's just say I'm either insanely lucky or insanely unlucky and leave it at that." The Heir of Vector was unsure how to respond to that, so she kept quiet.
Mizar walked over, looking at the Blue-Eyes for a moment, then at Akiru. "You found them in packs, of all things." His son deadpanned, "Both a blessing and a curse. I wanted the pieces of XYZ Dragon Cannon." His father tilted his head. "Did you ever find those?" Akiru replied, "I found X Head Cannon and Y Dragon Head. I never found Z Metal Tank." The Dragon Emperor chuckled. "Intriguing how you found the Blue-Eyes first, and never finished the set of the cards you did want." The young man shrugged. "I got over it eventually, but it goes to show how annoying card hunting can be." (A/N- Sad, but true)
The yellow-eyed brunette spoke up. "So how often do you use them?" He replied, "Not very often. I usually just keep them in my hand if I don't need to play them. It's not the safest play, sure, since there are cards that let your opponent look in your hand, and even take cards, but it's safer than the Graveyard because Monster Reborn revives a monster from any Graveyard." She nodded in agreement. "That's fair." Kotori spoke up, looking at her father. "So that dragon I was playing with earlier... Is that going to be a new card for me?" Mizar replied, "That remains to be seen. Some dragons are friendly, but would rather not participate in Duels."
Akiru thought that over, looking at the Blue-Eyes again, then facing his father. "Is there a Blue-Eyes in Barian?" The Dragon Emperor faced his son, curious. "Yes, the original that inspired the cards is indeed one of the dragons in the Sanctuary. Why?" His son replied, "Because I'd like to meet him. I want to see if he'll be willing to talk to me." Mizar chuckled, saying, "I would advise you bond with your Galaxy-Eyes Dragons first. You're more likely to use their power than that of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon." The young man looked at the Blue-Eyes again, before putting them back in his Deck and pulling out Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, looking at the card.
Looking at his father, he asked, "How do I bond with them?" The Dragon Emperor replied, "Go into a meditative trance. The Galaxy-Eyes you've chosen to bond with will be waiting for you." Akiru nodded, and closed his eyes. As he did, he felt himself being pulled into a void, looking around for a moment, his mouth guard forming. Looking forward, he saw a bioluminescent light blue dragon with dark blue scales in certain places, and red horns, its light blue galaxy-shaped eyes focused on him. Looking at him closely, the Galaxy-Eyes dragon spoke to him in a deep voice. "Long have I waited for this day, Akiru, Heir of Mizar."
The young man's mouth guard vanished, his long blue hair flowing behind him as he stood up, golden eyes looking forward. "I'm glad I gave you something to look forward to, Galaxy-Eyes." The dragon let out a deep chuckle, before saying, "Please, as we are sworn brothers with a common goal, call me Etoirir." The Heir of Mizar smiled and replied, "Fine with me, Etoirir." Sitting cross-legged, he asked, "I have to know. Why did you choose me?" Etoirir replied, "One chooses their partner for their heart." The young man replied, "My heart isn't without fear." The dragon replied, "Without fear, there cannot be courage. And when we stand together, it is our enemies who should feel fear."
Standing up, Akiru lifted up the Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon card and asked, "And are we together, as one?!" Etoirir roared as he was enveloped in energy and absorbed into the card, his master recoiling from the shockwave that followed. Turning the card over after it was over, the young man said, "Thank you, Etoirir, Galaxy-Eyes of Space." The young man opened his eyes in reality, everyone gathered around him, concerned, Asuka speaking up first. "Akiru? Are you okay?" He grinned under his mouth guard, teleporting behind her, then back to the bed. "Surprise." Mizar grinned in approval. "Well done, Akiru. You've formed your first bond with a Galaxy-Eyes."
Kotori asked, "How did he teleport like that?" Her father explained, "By bonding with his dragons, he gains their powers as his own." The young man was grinning the entire time. "I'm going to have a lot of fun with that." Homura faced her father, who was watching this, and asked, "Can the rest of us gain powers from our Numbers?" Dumon replied, "It's possible. I have gained power from my Number. Before I teach you to commune with yours, however, there is something else I must teach you." She nodded in understanding. As Dumon turned towards Mizar to ask something, a portal opened in the room, Akiru and Homura forming their Duel Disks in response.
Out of the portal stepped a familiar face to the present Emperors, Dumon speaking first. "Ah, Alito. How pleasant of you to join us." The newly arrived Emperor replied, "My pleasure, Dumon. I'm here with an order from Marin. We're to bring the Heirs to Sanctuary as soon as possible. She wants to ensure their safety." Kotori spoke up. "What about those of us who aren't Heirs?" Alito faced her, tilting his head. "Before I answer that, may I ask who you are?" Mizar spoke up in response. "This is Kotori, my second child." The red-skinned Emperor replied, "Oh, I see." Facing her, he answered, "Marin never gave specific instructions, but I see no reason that you can't come."
As he spoke, the blue-haired girl stepped forward, recognizing his voice. "Dad?" He looked at her, his mask vanishing to reveal his smile. "I'm glad you're safe, Yozakura." His daughter embraced him, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cried joyfully upon being reunited with the father she thought she'd lost. Yumi and the others looked on with smiles, while Akiru simply watched from the side. Asuka leaned over to Mizar and asked, "You said there were seven Emperors?" The Dragon Emperor nodded. "Yes. Four Heirs have now been revealed, with three having awoken to their Barian forms."
Asuka asked, "Do you think I'm one of the Heirs?" Mizar replied, "You do bear a hidden power similar to an Emperor, but if you are an Heir, only your Barian parent can identify you if that's the case." She nodded in understanding, watching everything go down. Alito spoke up while holding his daughter. "Get some rest, everyone. We'll be leaving for the city in the morning." Looking at Yozakura again, he handed her a card and said, "This is for when the time is right." Patting her shoulder, he added, "You'll know when that time is." Everyone climbed into a bed each and went to sleep, recovering strength for the journey ahead.
(Barian Rebels hideout)
Corwan stood before the leaders of the rebellion, who were very disappointed in his lack of success against the Heirs of the Emperors. Staring him down, the leader said, "It is clear that you are not as skilled as you make yourself to be. Your loss of two of the Galaxy-Eyes dragons was a complete failure on your part." Corwan knelt to the floor. "Leader, I'm sure I can still be of use to you. The boy's Number's abilities-." The leader interrupted, "I will suffer no excuses! Defeat the Heir of Mizar, and take his Number, or your place amongst us is forfeit! Am I clear?!" Corwan replied, "Yes, my lord."
The other members of the council whispered amongst themselves, stopping when the leader announced, "Silence!" Looking at Corwan again, he said, "Go. I sincerely hope that I hear that you succeed this time." Corwan bowed, saying, "As you command, my lord." As he departed, the leader faced another member of the rebellion, saying, "Morris, give your report." Morris rose, holding up a card. "It is done, my lord. The last Galaxy-Eyes is in our possession." The leader grinned under his mask. "Excellent news, Morris. I'm sending you to engage Mizar. Take his Galaxy-Eyes dragons. Once we have all six, no one can stop us. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
(Barian wilds, the next morning)
The four Emperors led the group on the path to Sanctuary, everyone traveling at a good speed. As they walked, Yumi asked, "So what kind of person is this Marin you mentioned?" Alito replied, "Kind of like you, really, but she's a little more aggressive when it comes to Duels." Realizing what he just said, he added, "Please don't tell her I told you that." Everyone laughed at his remark, and Mizar chimed in, "Since the disappearance of Nash, Marin has been leading the Emperors in his stead." Akiru spoke up, "What's the name of the seventh Emperor?" Dumon answered, "That would be Girag. He presides over the Shogun Province."
Homura asked her father, "What's your province?" He replied, "The Pegasus Province." The young man quipped, "Charming." Homura's father chuckled in response. As they walked, two portals opened in front of them, Corwan and Morris stepping through, both shocked to see each other, Corwan speaking first. "What are you doing here?" His fellow rebel replied, "I was about to ask you that!" Akiru simply raised an eyebrow. The red-haired girl asked him, "You're not gonna make a gay joke?" He shrugged, replying, "I don't have a good one right now." Corwan replied, "Perhaps that's a good thing." The young man deadpanned, "Give me time. I'll think of one."
The newcomer snickered into his hand. "I like you, boy. Such a shame we have to be enemies." Akiru replied, "You don't have to be a rebel, you know. They might be willing to make a deal." Morris answered, "I'm a soldier, my lord. I'm no good without a war to fight." The young man sighed in response, saying, "There doesn't need to be war. There are other careers you can choose, like a public speaker or something, mister...?" The rebel replied, "My name is Morris." Akiru nodded, adding, "Well, obviously, I can't change your mind. I do regret having to hurt you, though." Morris replied, "You have my respect, Heir of Mizar, one Duelist to another."
Mizar spoke up. "I admire your respectful attitude. It's just a shame you chose this path." He formed his Duel Disk in response. Yozakura, who had been quiet up until now, stepped forward as well, activating her own Duel Disk, Akiru putting an arm forward to stop her. "It's going to be rough. Corwan's favorite card isn't to be taken lightly." The blue-haired girl replied, "I have a strong urge to face him. I'm no stranger to risks." With a deadpan tone, the young man replied, "Yes, I can tell." Forming his own Duel Disk, he asked, "Anyone want to help her? I think I should help my father." Asuka readied her Duel Disk, stepping forward. Akiru nodded, then went to stand with his father.
Morris, seeing that he would be facing them both, said, "It is a rare honor to do battle with two Galaxy-Eyes masters." The Dragon Emperor replied, "Flattery will get you nowhere." His Duel Disk formed as Akiru added, "There is no darkness that can stand against light," his own Duel Disk forming as well. Meanwhile, with Yozakura and Asuka, Corwan softly growled. "My mission was to defeat the Heir of Mizar, not waste my time with small fry like you." The blue-haired girl replied, "I'll enjoy making you eat those words." The yellow-eyed brunette got ready, declaring, "You're going down, Corwan." The Barian rebel formed his Duel Disk and got ready.
(Corwan: 8000)
(Asuka: 4000)
(Yozakura: 4000)
The rebel accounced, "The first turn will be mine!" Drawing his card, he said, "I activate the Spell Card Xyz Rising! As some others here already know, this Spell Card lets me Summon the required monsters needed for an Xyz Summon from my Deck, then immediately Xyz Summon afterwards!" Asuka sighed. "Here we go..." Corwan announced, "I Summon three Dark Blades from my Deck!"
(Three Dark Blades appear: each level 4 with 1800 ATK)
The rebel laughed maniacally as he said, "I Overlay three level 4 Dark Blades! With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network, and Xyz Summon Crossroads Reaper!" The normal portal exploded and out rose a large skeletal figure in a cloak holding a scythe, letting out a horrifying shriek.
(Crossroads Reaper appeared: a Rank 4 Xyz monster with 2700 ATK and 3 Overlay Units)
Yozakura grimaced. "That thing is ugly." The yellow-eyed girl replied, "Just wait until you see what comes next." Corwan announced, "I activate Crossroads Reaper's ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I can activate one of three abilities! The catch is, I can only use each of them once per Duel. I'll use the ability that your friend expects, and cut an opponent's Life Points in half! You will suffer for standing with her, miss Asuka!" She grimaced as the force of the energy knocked her back, and she got up slowly.
(Asuka: 2000)
Homura was quick to understand what he was doing. 'He thinks that Asuka is the bigger threat.' The rebel called out, "I end my turn!" Asuka drew her card, and said, "Don't get cocky, Corwan. I Summon Upstart Golden Ninja!"
(Upstart Golden Ninja appeared: a level 4 monster with 500 ATK)
There was a brief pause before Corwan burst out laughing, saying, "You're going to stop me with that puny thing?!" Asuka smirked in response. "Don't underestimate my monsters, Corwan. But most of all, don't underestimate me. I activate Upstart Golden Ninja's ability! By discarding a Trap Card from my hand, I can Summon a level 4 Ninja monster right from my Deck in Defense Mode! I'll Summon another Upstart Golden Ninja in Defense Mode, as specified on the card!"
(Upstart Golden Ninja appeared: a level 4 monster with 1800 DEF)
The rebel immediately shut up upon seeing that. "I see... I spoke too soon." The brunette declared, "I'm not done yet. I Overlay two level 4 Upstart Golden Ninja!" The two monsters were enveloped in yellow light, before shooting upwards, as a triple-ringed portal opened in front of Asuka, the girl saying, "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network to Xyz Summon one of my favorite cards!" As the two streams of light flew into the portal and it exploded, the brunette said, "I Xyz Summon Blade Armor Ninja!" From the explosion came a ninja in purple armor with yellow highlights dual wielding katanas, taking a battle stance.
(Blade Armor Ninja appeared: a Rank 4 Xyz monster with 2200 ATK and 2 Overlay Units)
Corwan looked it over, thoughtful. "I see. Impressive, but I can't say it is a game-changing card, seeing as how it stands at 2200 Attack Points, compared to my Crossroads Reaper." Crossroads Reaper's 2700 Attack Point bar appeared beside it to emphasize his point. Asuka smirked, saying, "I wouldn't worry about that. I can't attack you anyway. I'll put two cards Face-Down, and end my turn." Yozakura made her move. "I Draw!" Looking over her options, she said, "I Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Rhino!"
(Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Rhino appeared: a level 4 monster with 1700 ATK)
Seeing how Asuka had had a trick up her sleeve, Corwan waited to see what she would do next. She did not disappoint. "Next, I activate Fire Formation- Tenki!" As the continuous Spell appeared on the field, Yozakura explained, "When it's activated, I get to add one Fire Fist monster from my Deck to my hand. I'll go with another Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Rhino!" The rebel chuckled. "Impressive. We'll see how that works for you." Yozakura replied, "Just you wait, buddy. For now, while Tenki is in play, all Beast-Warrior type monsters gain 100 Attack Points!"
(Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Rhino's ATK: 1800)
"I'll end my turn by putting one card Face-Down." With the Face-Down appearing on the field, Corwan drew his next card, and said, "I will activate Crossroads Reaper's second ability, using one Overlay Unit to have each of us draw one card, then discard one card." As all three Duelists did so, Asuka discarding a certain water-themed ninja, Corwan made his move. "I now equip my Crossroads Reaper with the Equip Spell Card known as Mist Body! While equipped to a monster, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle." Kotori gasped when she saw it. "Whoa! That's one of the rarest cards in the game!"
Asuka grimaced. "That's not good." Corwan declared, "I now have Crossroads Reaper attack Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Rhino!" Yozakura acted faster than Asuka was expecting. "I activate Rhino's ability! When a Fire Fist monster is attacked or attacks, I can send one of my Fire Formation Spell or Traps from my field and one Fire Fist monster from my hand, then have the battling monster gain Attack Points equal to that of the monster I discard! I'm discarding the Rhino I added to my hand with Tenki, giving the Rhino on my field an extra 1700 Attack Points, putting him at 3400!"
(Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Rhino's ATK: 3400)
Corwan replied, "Fortunately for you, I cannot call off the attack in this manner. Rgh!" As he grunted, Crossroads Reaper shrieked in pain while Corwan gripped his shoulder.
(Corwan: 7300)
Alito laughed from where he was. "That was an excellent counter-attack!" The blue-haired girl replied, "I am your daughter." Asuka grinned in response. "That was awesome, Yozakura!" The aforementioned girl blushed from the praise. Corwan got up, looking at her with newfound interest. "You're certainly more skilled than I was expecting." Looking over his options, he said, "But that will not save you. I will put this card Face-Down and end my turn." Asuka drew her card, and said, "I Summon Ninja Grandmaster Sasuke to the field!"
(Ninja Grandmaster Sasuka appeared: a level 4 monster with 1800 ATK)
Continuing, the brunette said, "I'll now activate my Face-Down, Ninjitsu Art of Dancing Leaves! By sacrificing a Ninja monster on my field, like Sasuke, I can Summon a Ninja monster from my Deck, like Yellow Dragon Ninja!" As she spoke, a man garbed in yellow appeared, looking forward at Corwan.
(Yellow Dragon Ninja appeared: a level 8 monster with 3000 ATK)
Corwan flinched at seeing it. "That's a much more powerful monster than I was expecting." The brunette replied, "How do you like this, then? By having Blade Armor Ninja use one Overlay Unit, Yellow Dragon Ninja can attack twice this turn!" The rebel looked at her in shock. "Two attacks?!" Asuka declared, "Yellow Dragon Ninja, attack Crossroads Reaper! I know your Reaper will survive, but you're still taking the damage!" Corwan grimaced, knowing she was right. Continuing, Asuka also said, "I'll also activate the Quick Play Spell Card Rush Recklessly, giving Yellow Dragon Ninja an extra 700 Attack Points until the end of this turn!"
(Yellow Dragon Ninja's ATK: 3700)
(Corwan: 6300)
The brunette declared, "Now for the second attack!" The ninja lunged for Crossroads Reaper again, Corwan grimacing.
(Corwan: 5300)
Asuka grinned, satisfied. "I'll end my turn with that." Yozakura drew her card and said, "I activate the Continuous Spell Fire Formation- Domei! When it's activated, I can Ritual Summon a Beast-Warrior-type Ritual monster, by sending monsters from my hand or field to the Graveyard whose levels either match the level of the Ritual Monster, or exceed it! I'll discard Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Snake and Dragon, to Ritual Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Eland!" As she spoke, a samurai-like warrior appeared, staring down Corwan as he took a battle stance.
(Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Eland appeared: a level 6 Ritual monster with 2400 ATK)
Continuing, Yozakura said, "I'll also activate my Trap, Fire Formation- Kaiyo! While it's in play, all Beast-Warrior-type monsters gain 300 Attack Points, and when they attack a monster in Defense Mode, they inflict piercing damage!"
(Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Rhino's ATK: 2000)
(Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Eland's ATK: 2700)
Corwan stared at her with a deadpan expression. "I have no monsters in Defense Mode." Asuka chimed in. "Not yet~! I activate my other Face-Down, Enemy Controller, to put Crossroads Reaper into Defense Mode!" The rebel cursed under his breath, muttering, "I need to stop speaking too soon..."
(Crossroads Reaper's DEF: 1300)
Yozakura grinned and said, "Just what I needed. Thanks, Asuka!" The brunette replied, "No problem." The blue-haired girl ordered, "Rhino, ram that reaper!" Corwan braced himself for what was coming.
(Corwan: 4600)
Continuing, Yozakura ordered, "Eland, deal more damage!"
(Corwan: 3200)
Yozakura grinned at Corwan's dropped Life Points. "How does that feel? My second turn, and we've already got you down to less than half of your Life Points. It's only a matter of time now. I end my turn!" The rebel got up, and started laughing. As both girls stared on in confusion, Corwan said, "You two have put on quite the performance! However, don't get too confident. This isn't over yet." Drawing his card, he said, "I activate the final ability of Crossroads Reaper! By using its last Overlay Unit, my Life Points are doubled!" Both girls' eyes widened in shock, Yozakura exclaiming, "What?!"
(Corwan: 6400)
The rebel remarked, "It seems I'm not the only one who can speak too soon. I'll switch Crossroads Reaper back into Attack Mode!" Asuka grimaced. "Great..." Corwan then ordered, "Crossroads Reaper, attack Blade Armor Ninja!" Asuka was quicker. "I activate the ability of Aqua Armor Ninja in my Graveyard! When my opponent attacks while I have both Aqua Armor Ninja and another Ninja in my Graveyard, I can banish Aqua Armor Ninja to negate the attack!" As a wall of water intercepted the reaper, Corwan sighed. "Not bad, but that won't save you in the long run. I end my turn."
Looking at her hand, Asuka thought to herself, 'He's right. I need to find some way to get rid of that stupid Mist Body so we can get rid of Crossroads Reaper.' Drawing her card, she said, "I Summon Flame Armor Ninja!"
(Flame Armor Ninja appeared: a level 4 monster with 1700 ATK)
Continuing, the brunette said, "When he's Summoned, I can have a Ninja monster on my field go up by one level! I'll give the level to Flame Armor Ninja!"
(Flame Armor Ninja's level: 5)
Asuka continued, "Now I'll activate Double Summon, to Summon another monster this turn! So I'll bring out another Flame Armor Ninja!"
(Flame Armor Ninja appeared: a level 4 monster with 1700 ATK)
The brunette declared, "And like last time, I'll level up another Ninja monster, like the Flame Armor Ninja I just Summoned!
(Flame Armor Ninja's level: 5)
Asuka then said, "I Overlay two level 5 Flame Armor Ninjas!" The two monsters were enveloped in red energy, then shot upwards, as the brunette added, "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" As she spoke, a galaxy-shaped portal opened in front of her, the two monsters soaring into it, the brunette finishing with, "I Xyz Summon Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja!" A massive shuriken rose from the exploding portal, then transformed into a red-armored ninja holding a single blade in a reversed handgrip, the Number 12 blazing in orange on his chest.
(Number 12: Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja appeared: a Rank 5 Xyz monster with 2400 and 2 Overlay Units)
Corwan felt a jolt do down his spine upon seeing the monster. "A Number Card. Of course." Asuka then ordered, "I'll activate Blade Armor Ninja's ability again, letting Yellow Dragon Ninja attack twice this turn!" As the last Overlay Unit was used up, Asuka ordered, "Yellow Armor Ninja, let him have it!" Corwan braced himself.
(Corwan: 6100)
The brunette declared, "Again!"
(Corwan: 5800)
The rebel got up and said, "I'm getting annoyed with that Blade Armor Ninja of yours..." Asuka rolled her eyes. "Just try getting rid of him. I end my turn." Yozakura drew her card, then said, "I Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Caribou!"
(Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Caribou appeared: a level 4 monster with 1100 ATK)
Corwan rolled his eyes. "Hardly a challenge." Yozakura got ready to do something, then heard a voice in her head. 'No. Wait one more turn.' Looking at her Extra Deck box, Yozakura was confused, but said, "I end my turn." Corwan drew his card, then said, "Crossroads Reaper, destroy Blade Armor Ninja!" Asuka reacted, "I activate Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja's ability! By using one Overlay Unit, during this turn, Blade Armor Ninja isn't destroyed! Unfortunately, I'll still take the damage." She grimaced as she felt her Life Points drop.
(Asuka: 1500)
Corwan sighed. "Well played, for now. I end my turn again." Drawing her card, Asuka ordered, "I'll put Blade Armor Ninja in Defense Mode, then have Yellow Dragon Ninja attack Crossroads Reaper again!" The rebel grimaced in response.
(Corwan: 5500)
Looking at the card she drew, Asuka thought it over, then said, "I'll put this card Face-Down for later. Go ahead, Yozakura." As she drew her card, she said, "I don't care how long it takes. I'm punching that stupid reaper out of the game for good!" As she said that, the voice from earlier spoke up and said, "It has taken far too long." Looking at Asuka, the blue-haired girl asked, "Did you he-?!" Then dropped to the ground holding her head, screaming in pain. The voice continued, "Nothing can be gained from restraining yourself. Sieze your victory, and embrace who you really are!"
Yozakura got up as her body was enveloped in blue flame, before it dispersed to show her Barian form, similar to her father's, but with the short blue hair, blue skin, and dark blue eyes, the left eye turning red. As Corwan stepped backwards in fear, the newborn Barian declared, "I Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Gorilla!"
(Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Gorilla appeared: a level 4 monster with 1600 ATK)
Alito looked over the lineup. "Three level 4 monsters..." Yozakura called out, "I Overlay level 4 Brotherhood of the Fire Fist- Rhino, Caribou, and Gorilla!" The three monsters sailed into the air in crimson energy, as a galaxy-shaped portal appeared with Yozakura's next declaration, "With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" Closing her eyes, she chanted, "Arise from the depths of the world, and tackle our foes head on! I Xyz Summon Number 112: Brave Heart!" From the exploding galaxy portal came a massive beating heart, which reformed into a muscular warrior, brandishing an axe, taking a battle stance, the Number Crest in red on his right shoulder.
(Number 112: Brave Heart appeared: a Rank 4 Xyz monster with 2800 ATK)
Corwan gasped in fear when he saw it, "Impossible..." Yozakura declared, "Brave Heart, attack his Crossroads Reaper! Freedom Slash!" The warrior swung his axe at the reaper, as Asuka called out, "I activate the Quick Play Spell Card Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy Mist Body!" Corwan cried out, "No!" as his monster was destroyed.
(Corwan: 5400)
Yozakura yelled out, "Eland, attack him directly!" Corwan was slammed as he tried to get back up, grunting in pain.
(Corwan: 3000)
The rebel got up as Yozakura said, "I end my turn. Now get up, so I can knock you back down!" Drawing his card, he said, "I activate Monster Reborn, to bring back Crossroads Reaper!"
(Same as before)
"Now, I'll also activate Rush Recklessly, letting Crossroads Reaper gain an extra 700 Attack Points during this turn!"
(Crossroads Reaper's ATK: 3400)
In anger, the rebel yelled out, "Crossroads Reaper, attack Brave Heart! I know he'll survive as a Number, but you'll still take the damage!" Yozakura grinned under her mask, saying, "Strikeout. I activate Brave Heart's ability! When he's attacked, I can use one Overlay Unit to double his Attack Points!"
(Brave Heart's ATK: 5600)
Corwan gulped in fear as his monster was chopped in half right in front of him, gripping his own shoulder from debris hitting it.
(Corwan: 800)
The rebel made up his mind. "I end my turn..." Asuka drew her card and yelled out, "Crimson Shadow Armor Ninja, attack him directly!" As the ninja slashed him, Corwan let himself fall through a portal as his Life Points dropped.
(Corwan: 0)
(Asuka: WIN)
(Yozakura: WIN)
The girls both sighed in relief as everyone gathered around, taking note of the Duel happening with Akiru and Mizar against the other rebel.
(Morris: 1200)
(Akiru: 4000)
(Mizar: 4000)
Morris called out, "I Overlay two level 8 Hieratic Seal of the Sun Dragon Overlords!" As a normal Xyz portal opened in front of him, he called out, "With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network and Xyz Summon Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon!" As he spoke and the portal exploded, a dragon with rainbow-like wings and red eyes rose and roared in defiance.
(Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon appeared: a Rank 8 Xyz monster with 3000 ATK)
The Heir of Mizar narrowed his eyes. "So that's the last one." The rebel called out, "I activate his ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I gain control of one of your monsters!" Akiru was faster. "Think again, buddy! I activate Galaxy-Eyes Plasma Dragon's ability! By discarding a card from my hand, I can negate your Galaxy-Eyes' ability, and put it back in the Extra Deck!" Morris grimaced, and Akiru continued, saying, "I'll now choose a monster from your Deck to Summon in its place!" Looking over the options, he said, "I'll go with that last Hieratic Seal of the Sun Dragon Overlord that you've got."
(Hieratic Seal of the Sun Dragon Overlord appeared: a level 8 monster with 0 ATK)
Morris knew he had lost. "I end my turn." Akiru drew his card and called out, "Galaxy-Eyes Plasma Dragon, attack his Hieratic Seal! Plasma Scourge of Destruction!" The dark and blue dragon let out a massive beam of blue energy that ripped its target to shreds, Morris flying back.
(Morris: 0)
(Akiru: 4000)
(Mizar: 4000)
As the rebel got up, dropping Galaxy-Eyes Cipher Dragon on the ground, he said, "Well done, Lord Akiru. You are a worthy opponent. I look forward to our next Duel." With that, he opened a portal and vanished, the young man picking up the last Galaxy-Eyes, looking it over before putting it in his Extra Deck, his father watching in pride, both looking over as Yozakura was brought into a nuggie by her father, everyone laughing around them.
A/N
Before anyone tries to yell at me about Kaiba's Blue-Eyes, I'd like to point out that this is FanFiction. It doesn't matter if I follow canon or not. This is obviously AU, anyway. Now, as for the name I gave to Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon, Etoirir, it's a real dragon name meaning, "Champion of the blue". I looked through a list of 200 names and that was the best one for him.
OC Cards in this chapter
Number 112: Brave Heart
Attribute: FIRE
Rank: 4
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2100
Summoning requirements: 3 level 4 monsters
Effect: When this card is attacked, you can Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; this card's ATK is doubled until the End Phase. If this card has no Xyz Materials, double its ATK, but it cannot attack your opponent directly.