Hallways - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
Yuya, Zuzu, and Riley were walking up a seemingly endless flight of stairs. They eventually saw a doorway of light at the top.
"Look. That must be the way out." Following Yuya's logic, the three started to sprint up the stairway.
Meanwhile, at the T-junction where the flight of stairs ended, Dennis and Gong's group was walking down the hall and approaching the entryway for the stairs.
"You sure we're goin' the right way?" Gong curiously asked, unsure if they were going in the proper direction.
"Yes. According to the map, we have to take a detour to reach the others, so we don't encounter any of Madame Chaos' teleportation traps."
"Just be patient, Gong. Yuya's gonna be fine."
Just as Dennis said that, Yuya, Zuzu, and Riley reached the top of the stairs.
They were at first surprised by the unexpected appearance, but Dennis' expression quickly turned into a beaming smile. "Well, whatddya know?"
Yuya, Zuzu, and Riley took notice of the voice addressing them. Seeing the familiar faces made them smile too.
"Gong! Dennis!" Yuya called out when he saw his two friends. He waved to them with Zuzu and Riley beside him.
Gong was quick to let tears out once he saw his two childhood best friends, especially Yuya. And without any thought, as usual, he rushed to them and quickly hugged Yuya, burying his face deep into his chest that made it hard to breathe.
"Yuya! Gong's so happy to see your alright! Gong's been so worried about ya!" Gong then started bawling waterfall tears like a toddler.
"Good see you too, Gong! Real close up!" Yuya said in a muffled voice.
"I told you chum that Yuya would be okay." Dennis separated the two before Gong suffocated Yuya in his overly emotional hug. He then turned to the latter with a smile. "Hey, Yuya."
"Zuzu and Dad told me everything. I'm glad to have you back on our side, Dennis." Yuya returned Dennis' smile with his own, genuinely happy to have his fellow dueltainer friend back.
"Where's Declan, Lulu, and your dad?" Dennis asked, noting that they were supposed to be with Zuzu and Riley the last time he saw them.
"We got separated because a wall dropped down out of nowhere." Zuzu answered.
"That was probably Madame Chaos' doing." A renounced female Duel Academy explained from behind Dennis.
"Speaking of that..." Yuya looked behind Dennis and Gong, finally getting a good look at the people who were accompanying them. Judging from their Duel Academy Duel Disks, Yuya could only make one conclusion.
"Are these guys on our side?" Yuya asked, trying to confirm his suspicions.
"Yeah. Aster too." Gong finally delivered his good news to Yuya.
"He did?!" Yuya exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course, it mostly has to do with you, Yuya! Both you and your dad really changed his mind." Dennis informed Yuya while he patted the latter's back.
"We were able... to change his mind...?" Yuya uttered slowly, still in shock. But his surprise soon turned to happiness. He then remembered what Mr. Sheppard had told him with a smile, knowing that he was right.
"He may not show it, but I can tell that his heart has been moved by your duel with him."
Meanwhile, Yugo's group had finally found their way into the building and were now walking down the halls. They hadn't said a word as they walked down the seemingly endless corridor.
After a while, Alexis finally broke the silence. "Rin. Can I ask you something?" Rin was briefly surprised that Alexis wanted to ask something out of nowhere. "Sure, what?"
"Well, it's... it's that... how could you use Fusion Summoning with all that you've been through."
"Why? Don't you use it?" Yugo was puzzled by the question, as were Sylvio, Jack, and Rin. "Yeah. Isn't it a custom for everyone here in the Fusion Dimension to be able to Fusion Summon?" Sylvio asked.
Jack then realized what Alexis meant. "Wait. Are you saying that you haven't since you left this place?"
"Yes." Alexis sadly admitted. "Learning what the Academy's been doing, innocents being hurt by fusion monsters and being turned into cards. It's been hard not to use Fusion Summoning without remembering all that has happened."
"I guess you have a point." Understanding what problem Alexis was struggling with now, Rin gave her advice. "Well, I don't know if what I say will help. But while I was locked up, Yuya and I had a talk. He told me that just because Duel Academy uses Fusion Summoning, it isn't a reason to view the summoning method itself as bad. He helped me understand that what defines something as bad is how the person in question uses it."
Hearing Rin's opinion made Alexis softly smile as they reached a X-junction. "Thanks. That might be the most helpful advice I've heard. But focusing on my personal problems isn't the most important thing right now. We've got to bring the fight to the Professor."
"Or to me. Unless you're too scared to have some fun."
Looking the direction of the new voice, the group saw that Lady Ceto was waiting for them from the left corridor. She wore a mischievous smile as she suddenly launched a chain that transformed into a red strand that gripped Alexis' Duel Disk, activating it. She then dragged Alexis to her with astonishing might, causing the blonde girl to become separated from the group.
"Alexis, no!"
Rin's cry was then met with a massive fence gate that rapidly descended from the ceiling, separating Alexis from the group completely.
"Lookie here! A traitorous rat has hit the stage, and she will feel my rage. Looks like it's just you and me, Lexie." Lady Ceto then snickered. "And guess who did their homework? Oh, that's right. I know all about you. You faced and defeated every duelist at Duel Academy to reach the top of the class. Story around school was that you could beat the elite without skipping a beat." Lady Ceto remembered how Alexis was able to defeat many male duelists and that girls would adore her as she stood victorious over the boys she'd beaten. "But here's what you haven't done: You've never faced someone like me." Lady Ceto gave a maniacal laugh.
"Just who is this brat?" Jack asked, irritated at the fact they couldn't help Alexis. Yugo then answered his question. "Judging from the witch costume, I'm guessing she's that Lady Ceto Declan told us about."
"Guys, go!" The others looked at Alexis as she gave them an order. "I'll take care of Lady Ceto. You keep moving! Find the Professor and stop him! Now go!"
"Alright, but please be careful!" Yugo then then turned to the others, all of them simultaneously nodded in agreement.
Lady Ceto then snickered. "Sorry~. But you're about to find that your plan is going to have one of our little tweaks." Snapping her fingers, a hole opened up below Rin out of nowhere.
In their respective groups, a similar hole opened up below Zuzu, Lulu, and Celina. With a scream, the girls fell down their holes before anyone could do anything.
"Zuzu!" Yuya yelled. "Yuya!" Zuzu's cry echoed as she fell down the hole, which sealed up right after she entered.
"Zuzu!" Yuya then began helplessly banging on the spot where Zuzu plummeted. "Open this up right now!"
At the same time, at the sealed-up spot where the hole Lulu had fallen down once was, Declan made his own prediction. "It would seem that we've been walking in our enemies' hands this entire time." He said his theory with bitterness in his tone.
"Yusho Sakaki! Declan Akaba!"
Declan and Yusho turned when they heard their names called out. They were surprised when Aster's group rushing toward them with a worried face.
"Aster?" Yusho wondered aloud.
Meanwhile, Yugo was repeatedly punching the floor where Rin had fallen. It was sealed up too. "You loser! Give back RinRin right now!" Yugo yelled in frustration at Lady Ceto.
Lady Ceto just laughed at the furious Yugo. "Sorry, but that's not happening."
"Let's cool down for a moment." Jack suggested, putting a hand on Yugo's shoulder. "Getting fired up over this isn't gonna help anyone."
"But what if Rin gets into trouble?!" Yugo protested at Jack, great worry for his childhood friend evident on his face and in his tone.
"If Rin's an important part to the Professor's plan, she'll be fine." Sylvio calmly assured Yugo. "And if we make our way to him, we'll eventually find Rin."
Acknowledging that fact, Yugo and the others left. As they left, Alexis watched them leave over her shoulder before preparing to duel.
"Ta-ta! I'll take care of them later. But first things first, I need to take down the cream of the crop, but that shouldn't be too challenging." "I wouldn't be so sure of that." "Yeah. Thanks for warning me."
Lady Ceto then remembered something. "Oh!" She then dug into her pocket and pulled out a bound deck with Duel Academy's emblem on the band that held it together. "Recognize this?"
Alexis recognized it immediately. "An honor deck!"
"Right you are! Only the top Duel Academy students get one, so naturally, me, my girls, and Yuri each have one in our possessions. But we have never, ever dueled with them before." Lady Ceto then pulled out her personal deck in her other hand and looked at it as she continued her explanation. "I mean, why would we when we have our own superior decks? But..." She then put her entire attention to Alexis as she held both decks to her. "You know what? I'll let you choose which deck I play."
Alexis replied sharply, "I don't need a handicap! Play your usual. Duel me with your deck!"
With a sigh, Lady Ceto said, "I knew you would say that. But... very well." After the pause in her answer, Lady Ceto then out her honor student deck away in her back pocket and put her usual deck in her Duel Disk, which was then shuffled. "But you might come to regret not having that advantage."
Both female duelists activated their Duel Disk blades, Alexis' blue and Lady Ceto's white.
"I'm ready when you are." Lady Ceto told Alexis before they began the duel.
[Let's duel!]
"Since I have seniority, I will go first! I summon this, Cyber Petit Angel(Fairy/LIGHT/ATK: 300/DEF: 200/LV: 2)! This little guy lets me add Machine Angel Ritual to my hand as soon as it's summoned." As soon as the ability was used, Alexis quickly added the Ritual Spell to her hand.
"Next, I'll activate Machine Angel Ritual! I tribute Petit Angel and Cyber Gymnast(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 400/DEF: 1800/LV: 4)! I Ritual Summon! Come on out, Cyber Angel Idaten(Fairy/LIGHT/ATK: 1600/DEF: 2000/LV: 6)!" Idaten rocketed onto the field with the two boosters underneath her hair and was put into Defense Mode. "And when I successfully summon Cyber Angel Idaten, I can get Machine Angel Absolute Ritual added to my hand!"
After she added the Ritual Spell to her hand, Alexis held up one of the three remaining cards in her hand. "Now I play Pot of Greed! As you know, this spell will let me draw two cards from my deck!" Alexis saw that she had drawn a trap card and one of her Cyber Angel Natashas(Fairy/LIGHT/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000/LV: 5). "And by activating Machine Angel Absolute Ritual, I can Ritual Summon again by tributing Cyber Tutu(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 1000/DEF: 800/LV: 3) in my hand, and returning Petit Angel in my graveyard to my deck. I Ritual Summon! Descend from the heavens, Cyber Angel Natasha!" Cyber Angel Natasha arrived, rearing her front legs in Defense Mode.
"And my Cyber Angel Natasha will make beating me even tougher for you. Especially when she can infuse my life points with half of Idaten's attack points." Alexis' Natasha brought her upper hands into a focusing pose as she glowed, giving her 800 life points.
ALEXIS LP: 4000 = 4800
Alexis then set the only trap card in her hand. "I'll now end my turn with a face-down. You're up."
"Not bad for a first turn. But not great." Lady Ceto simply said as she began her Draw Phase. She then looked at her hand after adding the card and picked one of the monsters she had. "But I can do better...
First I summon... Gishki Abyss(Fish/WATER/ATK: 800/DEF: 500/LV: 2)!" Gishki Abyss emerged like a charging shark, the dorsal fin breaking the water before it leapt out, spinning within a swirling vortex of water. It then assumed a pose similar to its artwork.
"When this deep-sea creature surfaces, I'm allowed to draw another Gishki monster from my deck, so long as it has a 1000 defense points or less. It's like getting two cards for the price of one. Love it! La-di-da-da-da. So I choose to add the ritual monster Gishki Zielgigas(Aqua/WATER/ATK: 3200/DEF: 0/LV: 8) to my hand!" Lady Ceto showed off the card she just drew.
"So, you're a ritual duelist." Alexis theorized, giving a glare at Lady Ceto, who just smiled at her. "Yes. This will be a duel to prove who is the better duelist that specializes in Ritual Summoning. You, or me." "Duel Academy has already hurt so many people with Fusion Summoning. I'm not gonna let you hurt others with Ritual Summoning. That's a promise!"
"Wish you luck on that. But the tide's turning. You see, I'm really gonna send your skills to the deep end, with these two cards!" Lady Ceto then revealed the two pendulum monsters she had to Alexis. "I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale Risebell the Summoner(Psychic/WIND/ATK: 800/DEF: 800/LV: 3/PS: 2) and Scale 5 Magicalibra(Spellcaster/WATER/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000/LV: 5/PS: 5)!"
"So... you've been able to gain the power of Pendulum Summoning." Alexis summarized as she watched the two monsters take their places in the Pendulum Zones.
"Correct! Now I can summon as many level 3 and 4 monsters as I like! But I only need one! Say hello to... Risebell the Star Adjuster(Psychic/WIND/ATK: 800/DEF: 800/LV: 3)!
When Star Adjuster is summoned, I can increase the level of one of my monsters by three. And I choose... Gishki Abyss!"
Gishki Abyss(Fish/WATER/ATK: 800/DEF: 500/LV: 2 = 5)
"And Pendulum Ability of the Risebell in my Pendulum Zone will help Abyss gain another level."
Gishki Abyss(Fish/WATER/ATK: 800/DEF: 500/LV: 5 = 6)
With a hint of a smirk, Lady Ceto revealed a spell card. "So now what do you say that I activate my own Ritual Spell, Gishki Aquamirror. And then I tribute Risebell the Star Adjuster and Gishki Abyss to summon the monster... that I just got!" Alexis gasped at Lady Ceto's declaration as she began her Ritual Summoning. "Beast from the deepest depths of the sea, arise to devastate the surface world!" After she finished her chant, Lady Ceto brought her staff's mirror head to her face as if she was peering into it. "I Ritual Summon... Say hello to Gishki Zeilgigas(Aqua/WATER/ATK: 3200/DEF: 0/LV: 10)!" The massive humanoid creature with two sets of arms hissed as it appeared on the field from a darkened shadow.
"I'd say I'm acing this turn. I activate Zielgigas' ability! By paying a modicum of a mere 1000 life points, Zielgigas sends your Natasha back to your deck!" Alexis growled as she was forced to watch as Zielgigas used its fists to create a line of powerful geysers that caused her Natasha to fly into the air before disappearing back into her deck, which was then shuffled.
LADY CETO LP: 4000 = 3000
"Because Natasha is no longer on your field, there's nothing you can do to stop my Zielgigas from completely destroying your Idaten this turn. Oh, but you know that already, right? I forgot you were one of the brightest cadets here before your betrayal. Of course, you know what the punishment is for deserters like you... It's permanent expulsion!" As Lady Ceto said her last sentence, Zielgigas slammed Idaten with all four of its fists. The force of the impact sent Alexis into the gate with a scream.
Sitting against the fence, Alexis cringed as she activated her face-down. "Thanks for that. Because of that, I can activate the trap Machine Angel Rebirth! Now I can bring out a Cyber Angel who has the same level as the one that you just destroyed! Time to illuminate this battle, Cyber Angel Benten(Fairy/LIGHT/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1500/LV: 6)!" Benten spun around and displayed her Japanese war fans as she struck a pose in Attack Mode.
"Why you — !" Lady Ceto then played the only card in her hand. "Well, maybe this will make things more difficult! I play the spell Aquamirror Harvest! Normally, I can only activate one of this card's effects per round, but because I have Zielgigas, I can activate both of them! First, I get to draw cards equal to the level of a WATER monster in my graveyard. So by choosing my level 2 Gishki Abyss, I can draw two cards!" Lady Ceto added two cards as she explained the first effect of her Continuous Spell. "And finally, I get to add a WATER monster whose level is double the level of Gishki Abyss to my hand!" Due to the effect, Lady Ceto added Gishki Beast(Beast/WATER/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1300/LV: 4) to her hand.
Even after adding three cards to her hand, Lady Ceto groaned. "Of all the terrible luck! But come to think of it, maybe that's not the worst thing in the world. I do enjoy tormenting you so, but I am on the clock." Lady Ceto then placed two of her cards face-down to end her turn.
"So make your moves quick, dear. The faster we finish this, the sooner I can catch up with the rest of your friends." Lady Ceto then eagerly said, "Hurry up now! Make it snappy!"
Training Facility - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
"Stay where you are!" Ethan screamed at the mysterious duelist with glowing yellow eyes, who was approaching him. But the duelist didn't heed the order as he sent the terrified Duel Academy student backing up against the trunk of a holographic tree. "I'm warning you!"
Grabbing his deck, Ethan threw at the advancing hunter. "Take that!" But it had little effect. The mysterious duelist simply growled and activated the Human Sealing Technology, causing Ethan to cower and scream before he was sealed into a card, which fell to the ground at the base of the tree.
Hallways - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
"Poor, poor Alexis. Try as you might to defeat me, it's all for naught. In the end I'll just be adding you to my ever-growing card collection!" Lady Ceto taunted.
"You sure like the sound of your own voice. It's time for me to silence it!" Alexis then proceeded with her Draw Phase. "Now I... draw!"
Looking at the card she just drew, Alexis nodded as she made her play. She put the card she had drawn with the other one in her hand and played the latter. "I activate Preparation of Rites! This lets me add a level 7 or below ritual monster and a Ritual Spell from my graveyard to my hand. So from my deck, I add Cyber Angel Dakini(Fairy/LIGHT/ATK: 2700/DEF: 2400/LV: 8). And from my graveyard, Machine Angel Absolute Ritual!" Alexis quickly added the two cards from their respective places.
Alexis then activated the Continuous Spell she had gotten from her Draw Phase. "It's time to turn this duel around, 'cause I'm activating Cyber Angel Sacrosanct! This will bless my Cyber Angels with invulnerability from any effects that you may use to do them damage!"
Alexis then picked the Ritual Spell in her hand and played it. "But the best has yet to come! Because thanks to Cyber Angel Sacrosanct, I can treat the Cyber Gymnast in my graveyard as the entire cost for my spell Machine Angel Absolute Ritual! So by shuffling her back to my deck, I can Ritual Summon! Enlighten our foe, Cyber Angel Dakini!" Dakini spun her weapons around in her hands as she arrived in Attack Mode with a yell and assumed a pose that displayed her elegance and weapons.
"And since she was Ritual Summoned, I can activate Dakini's ability! Which forces you to send one of your monsters to the graveyard! But you only have one monster. Say goodbye to your Gishki Zielgigas!"
"Wrong! 'Cause that's not gonna happen. Shudder as I activate Light-Imprisoning Mirror! This sucks up all hope and lights from the field!"
As the trap card created a mirror that was shaped like the Eye of Horus, it not only sucked in the light from the field, it also caused all the lights in the hallway to disappear as well, leaving their corridor of Duel Academy dark.
"But that's not the only effect of this trap! Now all LIGHT monsters, whether they're on the field or in the graveyard, lose their special abilities. So now, your Cyber Angels are as useless as angels who have had their wings clipped!" As the effect happened, Alexis' Cyber Angel Benten and Dakini lost a bit of their colors, making them look like they had just been drained of their radiance.
Alexis growled as she powerlessly watched her monsters become weak. "In that case, I activate another effect of Cyber Angel Sacrosanct! I can draw a card for every ritual monster on the field!" Because there were three ritual monsters, Alexis' two Cyber Angels and Lady Ceto's Zielgigas, Alexis drew three cards. She saw that she had drawn three spells: Luminescent Machine Angel, Fusion Destruction, and Polymerization.
"I activate the spell Luminescent Machine Angel! By tributing Dakini, I can weaken your Gishki equal to her attack points!" As Dakini was tributed, she glowed bright and took on a brightly lit celestial form that launched itself at Zielgigas. Zielgigas punched the astral body, which dissipated and covered Zielgigas with a holy aura that weakened it greatly.
"Oh, this is madness!" The little childish witch exclaimed as her only monster was left a shell of its former self.
Gishki Zeilgigas(Aqua/WATER/ATK: 3200 = 500/DEF: 0/LV: 10)
"No way!" Lady Ceto exclaimed. "Luring away from Duel Academy is bad enough, but now you're snatching from our monsters, too?"
"How do you think I felt when you turned my friends into cards!? Maybe now you'll understand what it's like to lose something important to you."
"Something important to you?" Lady Ceto asked quietly, clenching her right hand into a fist tightly as she said it.
"Time to bring this duel to a close! Cyber Angel Benten, attack Lady Ceto — "
"I don't think so, Lexie." Lady Ceto interrupted Alexis mid-declaration as she activated her final face-down. "For you see, I'm activating the trap card Aquamirror Inheritance! This precious little trap card allows me to save my Zielgigas. Unfortunately, Gishki Zielgigas loses its special ability."
"It is unfortunate." Alexis agreed before continuing her attack. "Because you're still gonna take damage! Cyber Angel Benten, put that muscle-head on the hook! Angel Flight!" Even though her monster couldn't be destroyed, Lady Ceto was still sent back by the attack, falling on her face.
LADY CETO LP: 4000 = 2700
"Outstanding move." Lady Ceto admitted. "But I still haven't even played my key card yet."
"If you mean Polymerization, forget it!" Lady Ceto let out a confused "huh?" upon hearing Alexis' rebuke. "Looks like I hit the bullseye. But it wasn't that hard to figure out. Everyone knows that Duel Academy plus Fusion Dimension equals summoning monsters with Polymerization. But I'm gonna put the kibosh on that and defeat you and Duel Academy so that you'll never turn any of my friends into cards again!" Alexis remembered how her friend had been carded during their escape as she made her proclamation.
"We'll see about that." Lady Ceto rebuffed. "Especially since the other effect of my Aquamirror Inheritance trap card activates. It lets me tribute my Zielgigas so I can summon monsters whose combined levels are equal to Zielgigas! I select Gishki Vanity(Aqua/WATER/ATK: 1000/DEF: 800/LV: 2), Gishki Avance(Spellcaster/WATER/ATK: 1500/DEF: 800/LV: 4), and Gishki Emilia(Spellcaster/Spirit/WATER/ATK: 1600/DEF: 800/LV: 4)! However, when I summon monsters using this trap, they lose their special abilities."
Alexis then held up the Polymerization in her hand. "I hope you weren't counting on them to Fusion Summon. 'Cause by sending this Polymerization to my graveyard, I can activate the spell Fusion Destruction! It lets me banish up to three Polymerizations in your deck to the graveyard, and deal you 300 points of damage for each one!"
"My, my Lexie. I never knew you were so heartless. First you reduce my monster to nothing, now you take my Polymerization cards." Lady Ceto lamented.
"That's nothing compared to what you did." Alexis softly, yet firmly, said. "You turned my closest friends into cards. You did it without even blinking. You and Duel Academy took them all away." Alexis tightened her right hand into a fist as she said her last sentence. Lady Ceto let out a soft gasp as Alexis made her statement.
"But there's one thing that Duel Academy could never take from me, Lady Ceto."
"And what's that, Lexie?" Lady Ceto gripped her right hand into a fist as she angrily asked the question, her body quaking as she knelt on the ground with her hands holding her up.
Alexis said smoothly, "They could never take away my hope."
"Well, there's no hope for me. Nor for the Shadow Hunters. We've done too many... things."
"But you're wrong." Alexis told her after she walked over to Lady Ceto's fallen form and stood over her. "It's never too late. You have to believe what I'm saying, Lady Ceto."
"Sorry... but I can't." Lady Ceto slowly turned to look at Alexis who looked at her with a smile.
"You can walk away from here, just like I did." Then Alexis offered her hand to the short, young girl. "And you'll be free!"
"Walk away...? From Duel Academy? Free...?" Lady Ceto quietly said before her face became furious. She then abruptly swatted Alexis' hand away and backflipped away from her. "Things like freedom and hope were forsaken by me and the Shadow Hunters years ago!"
Past - The Facility - New Domino City - Synchro Dimension
Lady Ceto flashed back to the time when she took the Facility during Duel Academy's invasion. After she had secured the outer defenses, she had waltzed right into the complex with the three Shadow Flame that accompanied her and looked at the many cells that housed those imprisoned there.
"Hey there." One of the guards waved as he approached her. "What's with the outfit? You lookin' for a place for trick-or-treating?"
"No." Lady Ceto emotionlessly told him. "I'm taking over."
The officers laughed at that. "Yeah, right! As if the Director would allow some child in a stupid costume to boss us around!"
Insulted, Lady Ceto questioned the guards. "First, who said anything about Roget? And second, did you just call my outfit stupid, you idiotic excuses for guards?"
The guards just stopped laughing and glared at the childlike girl. "Look kid, if you want to play pretend, you've come to the wrong place." "Yeah, this isn't a playhouse, ya know."
"Don't care. Because either way..." Lady Ceto looked up at them, revealing a small devilish smile underneath her veil. "All your lives are about to become a nightmare!"
It wasn't long before the guards laid on the ground, battered from their duel with her. She then walked slightly towards them with a devilish grin before she carded them. "And to the victor... go the spoils! Fantastic. I was able to collect the prison guard fools set." She then looked at the carded guards in her hand with a cruel smile as their horrified images appeared on the cards.
One of the terrified prisoners that watched the duel and what happened then nervously approached her. "Um, here." He then proceeded to give her a rare synchro card. "Take this and let me go, 'kay?"
"You're trying to pay me off after I beat them?" Lady Ceto asked her the prisoner, anger becoming evident in her tone. "How dare you insult me with such a pitiful action!" The girl's small growl was filled with an energy aura with such rage that the man couldn't help but let out a small gasp of fright.
"Nothing insults or enrages me more than duelists who give up their own cards! It's like saying that part, if not your entire existence, is worthless! It's the ultimate form of admitting you're insignificant!" A light blue aura of intimidating fury was emitted from the ritual duelist as she spat out her feelings about the action. She then carded the terrified man without even giving him a second to act.
After she did that, she then turned to her posse, her huge amount of fury evident. "Card every single one of these insects! No mercy, no exceptions!"
The three Shadow Flame saluted, scared slightly by the childlike figure's aura. "U-understood!"
The whole Facility was then soon filled with screams and stampeding guards and prisoners running for their lives. The carded being scattered around the floor with their rare cards as Lady Ceto spun gleefully on them, maniacally laughing as cards of both rare and victimized rained down around her.
Hallways - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
With the same crazed smile she had at the Facility, Lady Ceto announced, "The only thing we thirst for now is the absolute destruction of our enemies and the fear they feel!"
Lady Ceto then revealed to a floored Alexis something else that surprised her. "Now that our little chitchat's all done, let's continue! And here's a news blast: Your little Fusion Destruction won't work because I don't have a single Polymerization card in my deck!"
"But that's impossible!" Alexis exclaimed. "Everyone here in Duel Academy has that card!"
Laughing, Lady Ceto explained, "My deck doesn't because I made sure it was a Polymerization-free deck! You didn't really think I'd rush into a duel blindly with a deck I hadn't prepared ahead of time did you? Oh, wait! You actually did!" Lady Ceto gave a maniacal laugh as Alexis stared at her in shock. "You are so gullible!"
"So all along, you were lying to me." Alexis accused.
"Don't think of it as lying, Lexie, I was just bending the truth a widdle bit!" Alexis trembled with anger as she was forced to let Lady Ceto do her Draw Phase, increasing the number of cards in her hand to four.
"This battle is over! I overlay my level 4 Gishki Avance and Gishki Emilia to build... the Overlay Network! You'd thought that a Fusion Summoned monster was going to be my decisive card. Well... you're wrong! This is it! I Xyz Summon! Blow this traitorous scum away, Tornado Dragon(Wyrm/WIND/ATK: 2100/DEF: 2000/RK: 4/OU: 2)!" The dragon made entirely of violent whirlwinds emitted a draconic roar mixed with loud, howling winds as it was conjured. The beast loomed over Alexis intimidatingly as it loomed over her.
"There's no way I can stop that thing!" Alexis uttered, before she growled at Lady Ceto, who was sinisterly giggling.
"That's the point! I must admit, I'm almost sorry I have to turn you into a card. Almost." Lady Ceto gave a sinister look that contradicted her reluctant words.
"I thought you could change, but I was wrong."
"So sorry to disappoint. I activate Tornado Dragon's effect! By using one overlay unit, I can destroy one of your spell or traps! So your Cyber Angel Sacrosanct is about to be gone with the wind!" After it ate the overlay unit, Tornado Dragon blasted a twister at Alexis' Continous Spell, destroying it.
"Next, I'm gonna get prepped and primed by bringing out my Gishki Beast! This monster allows me to return one Gishki in my graveyard back to my field in Defense Mode. I choose Gishki Abyss! And like before, summoning Abyss means I can add another Gishki to my hand from my deck. And I know the perfect card to choose." Lady Ceto quickly added the monster she selected to her hand and showed it to Alexis. "Just like me, this Gishki Vision(Sea Serpent/WATER/ATK: 700/DEF: 500/LV: 2) is full of surprises! When I use it to summon a WATER-Attribute ritual monster, I can cover the entire cost by itself!"
"Oh, no!" Alexis gasped.
"I use a second copy of Gishki Aquamirror and tribute my Gishki Vision to Ritual Summon! All-consuming darkness, twist the goodness within to grant unbelievable power! I Ritual Summon, Gishki Psychelone(Fiend/WATER/ATK: 2150/DEF: 1650/LV: 4)!" The ritual monster emerged, sitting on a black chair-like structure that had a the symbol of the Steelswarm on it. The fiendish woman smiled maliciously as she arrived on the field, flicking her long whip-like tail and holding her corrupted Gishki Aquamirror staff.
"But I'm not done. I once again activate the Pendulum Ability of Risebell the Summoner to raise Abyss by one level." Lady Ceto once again repeated what she had done with Gishki Abyss when it was used for a Ritual Summon.
Gishki Abyss(Fish/WATER/ATK: 800/DEF: 500/LV: 2 = 3)
"And now for the Pendulum Ability of Magicalibra! I can lower one monster's level so I can raise another's by the same amount. So while Gishki Beast loses a level, Vanity gains a level!"
Gishki Beast(Beast/WATER/ATK: 1500/DEF: 1300/LV: 4 = 3)
Gishki Vanity(Aqua/WATER/ATK: 1000/DEF: 800/LV: 2 = 3)
"I now once again build the Overlay Network with my level 3 Gishki! From this trinity will come one, and will raise a mighty warrior from the deep! I Xyz Summon, Tri-Edge Levia(Sea Serpent/WATER/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1500/RK: 3/OU: 3)!" Levia brandished its spear just like Black Ray Lancer would in Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal.
"I should use an overlay unit to lower Benten's attack by 800." Lady Ceto smirked in an overly cocky way as another thought cross her mind."But, I guess it wouldn't be wrong to let her have one more turn before dealing the final blow."
"Tornado Dragon, flatten Cyber Angel Benten! And leave Lexie with nothing left!" Tornado Dragon slammed its fist into Cyber Angel Benten and sent Alexis flying into the fence behind her.
ALEXIS LP: 4800 = 4500
"You said that there was hope for me, Lexie. But you couldn't be more wrong. Me, the Shadow Hunters, we'll never change because we're perfect just the way we are!" Lying on the ground, Alexis lifted her head to look at Lady Ceto. As she talked, the childlike duelist had a sinister shadow that seemed to be coming out of her while her eyes glowed completely blue. The emerging shadow seemed to be a malevolent one, demonic even. "The Professor was so right to pick us out of everyone to do his bidding. With the power we possess, all will fall to us! All will be turned into cards until there is no more threat!"
Tri-Edge Levia and Gishki Psychelone then continued each of their attacks, both leaving Alexis with barely above 500 life points and on the ground covered in bruises.
ALEXIS LP: 4500 = 550
"You have no cards in your hand, no monsters to defend yourself with. While I have three powerhouses that are just waiting to finish you off! I know there's only one monster you have that has a smidget of a chance to beat me now, but you don't have the guts to play it. Nor do you have any cards to help you summon it. So why don't you accept your inevitable fate and give up! It's all over!" Lady Ceto let out a cackle at the obvious advantage she had one Alexis, who was now lying on the ground, unresponsive.
Alexis gripped her left hand into a fist and slowly pushed herself up. Her body trembled from the injuries "No." She firmly said. "I won't give up. If I do that... it would mean that everything... everyone who put their lives on the line for me... meant nothing!" As she made her resolve clear, she thought of her friend who had been turned into a card and her teacher.
"Whatever." Lady Ceto said dismissively. "You'll be crushed by my monsters soon enough. So now I'll end my turn."
"I... draw!" Alexis slowly turned the cards over and mentally cheered when she saw what she got. "Yes! Just what I need!"
"I activate the spell card Price of Fusion! It lets me get the monsters I need to Fusion Summon. But I have to destroy my Fusion Destruction as a cost." Even though Alexis' Continuous Spell was destroyed, she was able to get Etoile Cyber(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1600/LV: 4) and Blade Skater(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1500/LV: 4). "Next, I pay half my life points to banish Price of Fusion Polymerization from my graveyard to activate Polymerization's effect.
Lady Ceto was stunned that Alexis was able to turn the tide of the battle with one draw. "That means..."
"That means I can now fuse Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater!" As her two monsters entered the Alexis clasped her hands in a similar manner when the Tyler Sisters Fusion Summoned. "I Fusion Summon! Time to take to the ice once again, Cyber Blader(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 2100/DEF: 800/LV: 7)!" Cyber Blader entered the field in Attack Mode in an elegant way. She skated across what seemed like a clear lake at night and performed a twirl after skating backwards.
"I did not see this transpiring!" Lady Ceto yelled in a panic.
"My friends all showed me that if I want to move forward, I need to accept the past." Alexis briefly remembered what Rin had told her before being dragged into the duel. "If anyone is imperfect, it's you!" Lady Ceto growled at the accusation Alexis made on her.
"Since you have three monsters on the field, Cyber Blader's special ability, Shining Cyber Light, is gonna light up your world! It negates all the card effects you have out!" The mirror created by Light-Imprisoning Mirror cracked, dissipating all the darkness caused by it.
"NO! That means the effect of my Light-Imprisoning Mirror is cancelled!"
"That's right! And Cyber Blader's not done yet. Her attack points double too!"
Cyber Blader(Warrior/EARTH/ATK: 2100 = 4200/DEF: 800/LV: 7)
"It's over! Your power has failed you! You've lost this duel! And now, Cyber Blader! Attack Tri-Edge Levia with Whirlwind Rage!" Cyber Blader began spinning toward the Sea Serpent-Type monster until she became a tornado. Once she was close enough, she emerged and struck the opposing monster with an ice skate kick to the head. The strike also depleted Lady Ceto's life points to a mere 300.
LADY CETO LP: 2700 = 300
"And don't think this show's over yet! Thanks to the other effect of my Price of Fusion spell card, my Cyber Blader gets to attack twice this turn. Go, Cyber Blader! Take down Tornado Dragon and bring this to a rousing finale!" Cyber Blader charged at the blustering WIND-Attribute monster and delivered and upperkick to the creature ending the duel with Alexis' victory and its destruction. Lady Ceto was sent flying back from the blastwave. As she was sent back, her mask cracked in half, revealing her very light blue eyes and thin light blue eyebrows that were filled with shock. "How could this happen? The chances of this transpiring were so low it was improbable!"
LADY CETO LP: 300 = 0
Panting, Alexis wiped her brow in triumph. "I did it. I kept my promise." She said softly.
"How...? How could you come out even when there wasn't any hope of survival?" Lady Ceto asked her as she lay on the ground, confused and weakened from her defeat.
"Because I've learned that so long as there is hope, there is always a way to survive." Alexis said it without a hint of
"Then maybe... you can save us... from ourselves." Alexis was confused even more.
"Listen, Lexie. The Shadow Hunters weren't always like this. We've been at Duel Academy all our life, groomed to be the best. But with every win, we felt like we lost friends. Until one day we all realized we were alone, always looking on from the outside. Never part of the crowd." Lady Ceto remembered how she saw a young Yuri, who sat all alone on a bench before a couple of boys ran by him. From where he sat, Yuri observed a young Alexis being surrounded by boys. "But that's when the Professor showed us the way. He was the only one who appreciated our talents. Our talents to... hurt people. He used us. How could we have been so blind? What have we done? I regret that we fell for his lies. He ruined my life. And now it's too late!"
"But, Lady Ceto, you might think it's too late, but I know you can change, believe me. Because once you realize your mistakes and hit rock bottom, there's only one way to go and that's up."
"No... there is no way up for me. Because the truth is... I'm a 'doll spirit'. I was brought to life from a doll that belonged to Yuri's only twin sister, Yume." "Wait. You mean that you're actually a toy?" Alexis was surprised and confused at Lady Ceto's confession.
"Yes. And now that I've lost, the power that brought me to life is leaving me. It won't be long before I return to my original state." Lady Ceto suddenly began to glow as she stated the fact of her inevitable fate.
"Lexie... please... save them..." With those last words, Lady Ceto became enveloped in a blue light. Her body then shrunk into a plushie doll that greatly resembled Gishki Ariel.
Walking over to the doll, Alexi picked it up and looked sadly at it. "What do you mean 'save them'?"
Training Facility - Duel Academy - Fusion Dimension
Meanwhile, Crow and Moon Shadow found Ethan's carded form. Picking up the card that was once Ethan, Crow mused, "Looks like another student bit the dust. I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Did the tides of friendship turn?" Moon Shadow questioned. "Something's not right."
"Whaddya mean?" Crow asked.
"I do not think that the cadets are turning against each other this early in the duel." Moon Shadow stated. "They had us outnumbered, giving them the advantage. We know that their main priority is to take us down, so it wouldn't make sense for them to destroy what would give them the upper hand. I believe there may be some unknown enemy in this jungle with us."
Crow agreed with that logic. "Makes sense. That duelist is lurkin' around, pickin' everybody else off."
"And would explain why we have found these three like this." Moon Shadow looked at Ethan's card in one hand as he looked at the defeated cards of Theo and Bernie in the other. "This rouge duelist is taking us down one by one, whether it's Lancer or cadet."
"That's gives us an even bigger reason to find Iggy, before — " Crow's reasoning was silenced by Moon Shadow, who held a finger to his lips. "Shh! Someone's here."
Now wary of their surroundings, Crow and Moon Shadow looked extra carefully at their surroundings. As the area became quiet, a duelist glared at the two Lancers and breathed heavily, hiding in a bush.
Crow gasped as he and Moon Shadow saw Emma and Jacob emerge from the virtual vegetation. "Huh! There they are." "Easy pickings." The two Duel Academy cadets readied to duel the Lancers.
"If you're looking for a duel, you've got one!"
"Wait!" Moon Shadow halted Crow and the two Duel Academy students challenging them. "There seems to be another foe that's hunting both of our sides. And he has already taken down three of your friends." The ninja then showed Emma and Jacob the three carded Duel Academy cadets.
Emma scoffed. "Ha! Like we'd ever believe something like that!"
"Believe me or not, but none of the Lancers would ever sully their honor by turning their foes into cards, even if that enemy is Duel Academy. May I be so bold as to propose a temporary truce until this mysterious force is defeated?"
"Yeah, right! What do you think we are? Stupid? We're not falling for that old trick!" Jacob stubbornly told them.
"Well, it was worth a try." Crow sighed. Nodding to a Moon Shadow, who answered with his own disappointed nod, the two Lancers prepared to duel.
[Duel!]
{INTRUSION PENALTY: 2000 LIFE POINTS}
Hearing the intrusion penalty before they could duel, the duelists stopped and looked around for the intruder. But they didn't see anyone who could've encroached on the duel.
"It seems that our secretive hunter has arrived." Moon Shadow observed with a whisper that only Crow heard.
"Hmm, must be some sort of glitch." Emma theorized as she looked at her Duel Disk. "You think?" Ethan asked her as he did the same.
"That's ridiculous!" Crow shouted, angry with the fact that they weren't listening to them. He then made his challenge out to their hidden opponent who watched them from the shadows. "Come out! Show yourself or I'm comin' in after ya!"
My OC Cards:
Aquamirror Harvest(Continuous Spell): Once per turn, if you control a WATER monster: Activate one of these effects, or if you control a WATER ritual monster, you can activate both of these effects, in sequence; 1) Select one level 4 or below WATER monster in your graveyard, add one WATER monster who has a level that is double the level of the selected monster from your deck to your hand. 2) Select one WATER monster in your graveyard, draw cards equal to that monster's level.
Machine Angel Rebirth(Normal Trap): If a Cyber Angel monster you control is destroyed in battle, special summon another Cyber Angel from your deck with a different name with the same level as the one that was just destroyed. This is treated as a Ritual Summon. You can only activate one effect of Machine Angel Rebirth once per turn.
Cyber Angel Sacrosanct(Continous Spell): Your Cyber Angel ritual monsters cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects. If you would Ritual Summon a Cyber Angel ritual monster using a Machine Angel spell, you can use one Cyber Girl monster for the entire cost. Once per turn, if you control a Cyber Angel ritual monster, draw one card for every ritual monster on the field.
Luminescent Machine Angel(Normal Spell): Tribute one Cyber Angel ritual monster from your hand or field, then target one monster your opponent controls. The selected monster loses attack and defense points equal to the attack and defense points of the monster had when tributed, until the end of this turn. You can only attack with the monster targeted with this effect this turn.
Aquamirror Inheritance(Normal Trap): If a WATER ritual monster is attacked, negate its special abilities. It cannot be destroyed this turn. Then at the end of the Battle Phase, tribute the monster selected by this card and special summon as many WATER monsters from your deck equal to the tributed monster's level with their effects negated.
Price of Fusion(Normal Spell): Send all face-up spell and trap cards on your field to the graveyard and reveal to your opponent one fusion monster in your Extra Deck. If you do, add the Fusion Materials listed on the revealed card from your deck to your hand. The monsters selected by this spell cannot be summoned. You can pay half your life points to banish this card from your graveyard and one Polymerization card in your graveyard to activate that card's effect. The fusion monster summoned using this card gets to attack twice the turn it was summoned.