Black Wing Keep:
While Zane and Cassandra had taken their groups to the Still Ruins, Dorian Parvus who led the remaining group which consisted of Daylen, Zevran and Theorn went with the militia group to their main base camp near the Venatori stronghold in the old ruined keep known as Griffin Wing Keep. According to Cullen, this keep was just a small outpost built by the Warrior Faction after the fall of the Dragon Faction which was meant to hold off assaults from the Fiends and the Zombies which came out of the Abyssal Rift, a large chasm that opened up and allowed these monsters to pour out corrupting the land. Griffin Wing Keep was a small outpost built to hold the line but when the much larger fortress known as Adamant Fort was built, the small keep was abandoned and then after many years, the Warriors abandoned Adamant as well due to the costs of running it when it wasn't in the Warrior's official territory. Now the Venatori had occupied both keeps.
Griffin Wing Keep was now used for the Venatori to keep a watch on the militia while they explored the other ruins in the area. This made Griffin Wing Keep a prime target which is why the militia was meeting for their plan of action to attack the keep but it wasn't the only target in the area. The Venatori had also occupied the old prison of Coracavus which led into the chasm just east of Griffin Wing Keep. This Chasm had two large doors that blocked access which the Venatori had seized and locked making travelling between them impossible since the doors could only be opened from the side the Venatori occupied. Now the only way in was to the north in a mountaintop lookout but just like before, the path went over some sulphur plains which made travel impossible due to high levels of toxic fumes. The militia would have to build a bridge but that was impossible until Griffin Wing Keep was taken from the Venatori.
Right now, the Militia leadership was meeting in a tent at a large camp they had established just after the bridge they had originally built to transport troops and supplies in order to discuss their plans to Assault Griffin Wing Keep. This included Cullen, leader of the Warrior Faction, Fiona and Anders, co leaders of the Spellcaster Faction and their new ally, the Gravekeeper Chief who led an army of Gravekeeper monsters.
"Griffin Wing Keep has stood strong against assaults from monster attacks since the time of the war against the Fiends and Zombies." Fiona stated
"Even though it is smaller than Adamant, it is still strong since it is built into a natural rock formation." Anders added.
"But the outer walls were built before modern siege equipment." Cullen replied. "A good blast at the walls should be able to take them down."
"And my Gravekeepers can protect us from anything they send down at us." The Chief added
"That is the good news." Fiona stated
Dorian looked at her "And what is the bad news?"
"I've figured out who the Venatori leader stationed there is." Fiona replied. "It is a powerful spellcaster called Macrinus. He was once a member of us and while not powerful, he was very interested in Fiends and Zombies. That eventually led to him getting expelled from our academies back when he was still learning."
"I bet that interest of his was what got him noticed by the Venatori." Anders added. "One time a patrol of ours caught him in the Bufferlands during the war raising an army of demons and zombie monsters. It may not just be the Venatori there but also the monsters they have summoned through a ritual."
"And Griffin Wing Keep is very compact." Cullen added "There is only one way in and out, the old well has been sealed up so we can't enter that way. Once we break down that gate, we'll probably be faced with a fierce resistance in the main courtyard. The only way to cut off the reinforcements is to get to Macrinus and defeat him. That will probably cut off the access to his summoned fiends and Zombie monsters."
"And how can we do that?" Theorn asked. "How can we break through all that slaughter and get to the top of the keep?"
Everyone looked at each other trying to come up with a solution until eventually, Zevran broke the silence "We could fly up." He suggested and everyone looked at him. "I could use one of my Blackwing monsters to get up onto the top of the keep and take out Macrinus myself. You would have to provide a distraction so they don't see me and try to take me out but I can get to the top of the keep and take out Macrinus while the battle is going on."
Dorian looked at him, "Zevran, you do realise how dangerous that is?" he asked. "You'll have no back up and if you get caught before you make it to the keep, you'll be left to fight on your own."
"Well it's a risk I'm willing to take," Zevran replied. "I want to get some payback against the Venatori. For Leliana. This is not just about the Venatori, this is personal for me now."
"I also don't really see much choice." Daylen added. "Zevran's right, someone has to get onto the top of the keep and take out this Macrinus and Zevran is the only one who has monsters that can fly and get in."
Dorian sighed and reluctantly nodded "Alright Zevran, wait on one of the rocky outcrops and when the time is right, fly in and do what you can do to take Macrinus out." He stated "We'll draw their attention and keep the Venatori pinned down."
"Just try not to take too long otherwise we'll take heavy losses which we cannot afford that this early in the conflict." Fiona added
"We know what we're doing, now let's get a move on, we've got a battle to win." Cullen added
...
On top of the main part of Griffin Wing Keep which was built on a natural rock formation, the Venatori leader known as Macrinus looked over the walls of where he stood and watched the gathered army of the militia nearby. He knew it would only be a matter of time before they came to him and he was determined to ensure that even if he did fail, he would cost them a lot before he fell. Who knows maybe he would even defeat the militia here and be rewarded for his loyal services. But he knew that he if failed then not only would Servis' mission be in trouble but he would be punished for his failure so he decided he would stay here and die if he failed. Better to die here than live and be killed for failure.
Macrinus was now in a talk with the Great one himself, Corypheus the Elder One through a communication crystal.
"Master, the Militia has arrived here in force." Macrinus stated "We fight till the last man; they will not get past us as long as a single man here still stands ready."
"Good Macrinus." Corypheus replied through the crystal "Hold the line as long as you can and it will give Servis the time he needs to finish his mission. As for their friend, she won't be their friend for much longer."
"Master, you might want to inform Servis that he should withdraw soon." Macrinus stated "If we fail here then Servis will be trapped."
"Servis is close to uncovering the location of the final Old God Card." Corypheus replied "He will leave when he finds it. Focus on your job and Servis will focus on his."
"As you wish master." Macrinus replied and he ended the call. He then looked out over the horizon at the Militia's camp. Unlike others, he was not scared at all, even if he did fall then his master would reward him when he ascends to the heavens as a god and rewards him in the next life. He would fight until the end.
...
The next day, the attack would begin. Cullen led his warrior faction on the right flank of the army while Fiona led the spellcasters on the left flank. The Gravekeeper Chief had brought his vast army in the centre which consisted of many Gravekeeper Spear Soldiers and Guards with a few Cannonholders to help blast the door down and the Chief himself was leading them. Gravekeeper Shaman was leading a group of Spiritualists, Priestesses and Heretics. Gravekeeper Assailant, Descendant and Commandant stood with the Chief. Dorian, Theorn and Daylen stood at the centre of the battle area with the Chief.
Dorian took a look at Griffin Wing Keep and saw the heavy door that blocked their way. Dorian hoped that the Gravekeeper Cannon holders and the spellcasters could blast that door down. Dorian thought that maybe they should have brought Chazz with them, his union monsters in particular his VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon could have brought that door down easily or even Crowler's Ancient Gears could have done some serious damage to those walls but they were both unavailable for now. Dorian could also see that the walls were swarmed with numerous Zombie type monsters, in particular a lot of monsters like Armoured, Clown and Dragon Zombies as well as several Paladin of the Cursed Dragon and many other low level zombie monsters that made up the bulk of the army. While these monsters may have been weak, they would most likely be used by the Venatori to summon more powerful monsters like Despair from the Dark.
Dorian nodded to the Gravekeeper Chief and he called out "It's time!" he yelled out to his forces "Cannon holders, bring down those gates!"
The Gravekeeper Cannon holders marched forward and began blasting the walls with their cannons. Gravekeepers Heretic and Priestess helped by sending magical blasts which was reinforced by blasts from the Spellcasters monsters included Fiona's El Shaddoll monsters. The Warriors meanwhile got their own monsters ready with numerous familiar monsters like the King, Queen and Jack Knights, Marauding Captain, Celtic Guardian, Twin Sword Marauder and Black Knight. Cullen got his Satellarknight monsters out ready to try and summon his more powerful ones.
The Venatori forces within Griffin Wing Keep stayed put for now since there wasn't much they could do since Zombie type monsters struggled to fight from a distance and they wanted to draw the militia into the keep where it would be harder to fight. Eventually, the Gates of the Keep were brought down.
"Charge!" the Chief roared and then the entire militia began charging towards the gate while the Zombie monsters within charged towards them. Most of the monsters fighting were low level and almost equal in terms of attack points. Dragon Zombies quickly devoured lower attack point monsters while Armoured Zombies swarmed others. Clown Zombies had more problems since they were weaker but were often used as a distraction for the militia. The most dangerous however were the Paladins of the Cursed Dragons since they had the ability to swoop in from above. Dorian knew that these Paladins would be a major problem and he looked at Daylen and Theorn.
"We need to take these Paladins out!" he ordered
"I'm on it." Daylen replied "I use Dark Magic Curtain in order to summon out Dark Magician." Daylen's iconic Dark Magician appeared on the field "And with the spell Dark Apprentice, since Dark Magician is out, I can summon Dark Magician Girl as well." The female magician appeared on the field as well.
"And I'll back you up by sacrificing Dalish Archer to summon Dalish Halla Keeper." Theorn added as his archer which he had summoned earlier was replaced with his elven woman dressed in furs. "And when she is summoned, I can summon two Hallas to the field." Two of Theorn's white deer like creatures with silver curved antlers appeared as well. "Keeper, give assistance to Daylen, Halla, provide help on the field." The two Hallas charged towards to battle trampling several zombies while Halla Keeper got a bow and arrows set out and fired at the Paladins along with the two magicians who fired blasts at them. Dorian also began to summon out his Brotherhood of the Fire Fist monsters who charged into the battle cutting down the zombies.
On a nearby rock face away from the battle, Zevran watched the battle go ahead waiting for the Venatori to be concentrating on that that he could then go ahead with his plan to get into the keep. He had to time this right, too early and he could be spotted and attacked. He also had to use one of his weaker and smaller monsters to avoid being seen. The Paladins of the Cursed Dragons were what worried him the most since they had more of a chance of spotting him.
Zevran watched as the Paladins soon got distracted thanks to Daylen and Theorn so now he decided was his chance. He active his duel disk and got the card he wanted "I summon Blackwing- Oroshi the Squall." A large black bird with blue feather eyebrows, a yellow beak and a red pouch under it appeared. This Blackwing looked more like a simple bird rather than a bird-warrior hybrid like other Blackwings which was why Zevran chose it since it could blend in better with the native wild birds flying ahead. Oroshi cawed and then Zevran climbed onto his back, it felt weird climbing onto his monster which in this world was real while back home they were just holograms. It was like the stories of dragonriders which Zevran realised could probably be done here. "Fly!" he called and the Oroshi unveiled his wings and ran towards the end of the cliff flapping his wings and giving a big jump as he leapt into the air and began flying towards the Keep while the battle went on below.
...
On the top floor of the Keep, Macrinus looked over the railings as the battle went ahead, nearby was a glowing orb that kept the portal open allowing the zombies to keep coming back. This could mean that he could keep going even as the Zombie monsters which were often seen as the weakest monsters and little more as cannon fodder kept coming back and wearing down the militia. This could allow them to potential win the battle and badly weaken the militia making the Elder One's plan to conquer the world much easier as soon as he had the final Old God card.
It was distracted when he heard a loud squawk and saw a large bird fly close to the keep and saw a man fall off and onto the roof and the bird disappeared, it was a duel monster.
Zevran glared at the man "Your plan ends here!" he snarled at Macrinus.
"And who might you be?" Macrinus asked in a laugh as if this was all just a joke.
"The name's Zevran Arainai." Zevran replied "And I'm here to stop you. I know about the portal and what you're doing with it. I intend to close it."
"And do you know who I am?" Macrinus laughed
"I know you're a member of the Venatori," Zevran hissed. "Which makes this personal for me. My friends and I may not be from this world but you messed with us all. You folks took Solona from us and we all intend to get her back. A friend of mine, Alistair, was lost in the war between the Warrior and Spellcaster factions. And just as we were about to get him back, you snatched his crystal. But then, one of yours also took my good friend Leliana from us. This is for them!" He activated his duel disk.
"Well, if you insist." Macrinus replied. "Soon enough you will join your friends." He activated his own duel disk.
"DUEL!"
Zevran: 8000
Macrinus: 8000
"I'll make the first turn," Zevran spoke as he drew his hand. "First, I activate the Spell card, Pot of Duality. This allows me to take a look at the top 3 cards of my deck. Then I choose one of them to put into my hand, while the other two will get shuffled back into my deck. The only catch is, I can't special summon this turn."
Zevran put the cards left in his hand into his pocket so he could pick up the top 3 cards of his deck. He revealed the cards to be Blackwing – Elphin the Raven, Black Whirlwind and Black Thunder. "Oh nice! I'll choose Black Whirlwind," he smiled. He put Black Whirlwind into his hand and then shuffled the other two cards into his deck. "Then I'll activate it. Then I normal summon Blackwing – Zephrus the Elite in attack mode." An orange and black bird flew onto Zevran's field. (Level 4: 1600 ATK, 1000 DEF)
"Now Black Whirlwind's effect activates. You see if I normal summon a "Blackwing" monster, I can then add a "Blackwing" monster from my deck to my hand. And I'll choose Blackwing – Kalut the Moon Shadow. I'll place a card face-down and end my turn."
"Then it's my move then," Macrinus sneered as he drew his sixth card. "I'll start by activating the Continuous Spell card, Call of the Mummy. If I happen to have no monsters on the field, I can special summon 1 Zombie type monster regardless of its summoning requirements. And I choose to bring out Endless Decay!" he called out as a creature covered in bandages descended onto the field. (Level 5: ? ATK, 0 DEF)
"Err, what are his attack points exactly?" asked Zevran.
"Ah, you noticed its attack points are questioned." Macrinus said. "Endless Decay's attack points are equal to half of your own life points. Since you currently have all 8000 of your life points, its attack points become 4000. (ED: ? – 4000 ATK)
"What!? A monster with 4000 attack points already!?" Zevran gasped.
"And that's just the beginning, I summon Goblin Zombie in attack mode." Macrinus spoke as a boney looking creature with a sword appeared on the field. (Level 4: 1100 ATK, 1050 DEF)
"Now, Endless Decay, attack his Zephrus now!" He called.
As the attack approached, Zevran looked at his hand. 'I could use Kalut's ability to increase Zephrus' attack by 1400.' He thought. 'But it would only bring its attack points to 3000, that won't be enough to take on Endless Decay. Oh well, no pain, no gain' Endless Decay wrapped its bandages around Zephrus, suffocating him until he disintegrated. Zevran covered his face as smoke billowed from the destruction.
Zevran: 5600
Macrinus: 8000
"Now Goblin Zombie, attack him directly," called Macrinus as his bone monster slashed at Zevran, knocking him to the ground.
Zevran: 4500
Macrinus: 8000
"Just look at you, Already you're feeling the anguish of being overpowered!" cackled Macrinus. "What did you say earlier? That "this is for them?" This is how you repay, by being so weak."
Zevran got back on his feet, "No, it's choosing when the best time to strike was. You see, I was trying to draw you to a false sense of security and it looks like I've achieved just that."
"How?" Just as Macrinus spoke, he looked at his monster. His Endless Decay got smaller in size."
"As you said earlier, your Endless Decay's attack points are equal to half of my life points. Now that my life points have decreased, so do your Endless Decay's attack points," Zevran declared. (ED: 4000 – 2250 ATK)
"Whatever, I activate Goblin Zombie's special ability. Since he inflicted damage to you, you have to send the top card of your deck to your graveyard." Macrinus declared as Zevran looked at the top card of his deck which happened to be a Spell card. "I end my turn for now."
"Then I'm up then," Zevran said as he drew a new card. "I summon Blackwing – Shura the Blue Flame," He called out as a large blue bird appeared on his field. (Level 4: 1800 ATK, 1200 DEF)
"Now Black Whirlwind's effect activates again, so I can now add Blackwing – Bora the Spear to my hand. Then since I have a "Blackwing" monster on my field, I can summon him straight to the field." A second bird, this time one equipped with a drill appeared on the field. (Level 4: 1700 ATK, 800 DEF)
"Now Shura, attack his Goblin Zombie," he called as his blue bird flew into the air and let out a blue fireball which disintegrated Goblin Zombie.
Zevran: 4500
Macrinus: 7300
"When Goblin Zombie is sent from my field to my graveyard, I can add 1 zombie type from my deck to my hand, as long as it has 1200 or less defence points. I choose Immortal Ruler," Macrinus declared.
"I activate a special ability as well!" responded Zevran. "You see, since Shura the Blue Flame successfully destroyed a monster in battle, I can summon another Blackwing monster from my deck with 1500 or less attack points. However, the monster that gets summoned this way can't use its abilities. Now come out, Blackwing – Vayu The Emblem of Honour." A small bird on a pair gold studs appeared on the field. (Level 1: 800 ATK, 0 DEF)
"Now Bora the Spear, attack his Endless Decay!"
"You fool! Your Bora is weaker than my Endless Decay."
"For now." Zevran said. "Remember the Blackwing monster that I added to my hand last turn?"
"Yeah, why?" Macrinus asked.
"You see, the Kalut the Moon Shadow that I added to my hand last turn can activate its effect. By sending it from my hand to my graveyard, my Bora gains an extra 1400 attack points for the rest of this turn." Bora's drill increased in size symbolising its attack strength. (BBtS: 1700 – 3100 ATK)
"What!?" Macrinus yelped.
"Bora, continue your strike!" called Zevran as his Bora drilled a hole right through Endless Decay's bandages, causing its destruction.
Zevran: 4500
Macrinus: 6450
"I may as well have you get a third strike. Vayu, attack him directly!" Zevran commanded. His small bird swooped down and struck Macrinus on the head with its claws.
Zevran: 4500
Macrinus: 5650
Rubbing his head, Macrinus growled, "You'll pay for that!"
"We'll see," responded Zevran. "My Vayu also happens to be a Tuner monster so guess what happens next.
"So you can Synchro Summon," replied Macrinus. "Mine though are far superior to yours."
"Big talk!" hissed Zevran. "Now I tune my level 1 Vayu The Emblem of Honour with my level 4 Bora the Spear." The two birds jumped into the air as 1 circle surrounded 4 bulbs of light. A powerful beam of light surged into the sky. "I Synchro Summon Blackwing – Gram the Shining Star!" A silver bird with black wings and a large sword descended from the sky. (Level 5: 2200 ATK, 1500 DEF)
…
Down below, Daylen caught Zevran's synchro summon out the corner of his eye. 'Looks like Zevran is pulling up his end of the bargain,' he thought. But he then focused back on the battle surrounding him. Although most of the zombies were powerless against his Dark Magician, they were enough Clown and Dragon Zombies surrounding them that he was pretty much distracted, trying to destroy each one.
Meanwhile, Theorn realised that the Paladins were starting to overpower his Halla Keeper so he decided to bring a little extra firepower. "I activate the Spell card Advance Force! If I sacrifice a level 5 or above monster for a Tribute Summon, it counts as 2 sacrifices, so by sacrificing my Halla Keeper, I can bring forth Dalish First!" A large warlord replaced Theorn's archer.
Dorian's Fire Formation cards were helping his Fire Fists get a bit of an advantage but he noticed that the zombies kept coming back over and over again. "If they keep resurrecting, it's only going to be a matter of time before they can bring out their big guns!" he boomed.
"If only we could stop them from resurrecting themselves," Daylen said.
"They're resurrecting from being destroyed, but how about if they leave the field without getting destroyed," Cullen asked.
"If you think that could be a weakness, exploit it," said Dorian.
…
Meanwhile, back on the top of the keep, Zevran continued this turn. "I activate Gram The Shining Star's special ability; since he was synchro summoned, I can bring out another "Blackwing" monster from my hand by negating its special abilities. Now rise, Blackwing – Mistral the Silver Shield in defence mode!" he called as a small blue bird with a shield-shaped body kneeled down on the field. (Level 2: 100 ATK, 1800 DEF)
"It's your move," Zevran declared.
"My move," Macrinus spoke as he drew a new card. "I'll first activate Mystical Space Typhoon. This lets me destroy 1 spell or Trap card on the field so say goodbye to your Black Whirlwind, I'm not going to allow you to combo off again!" Macrinus' typhoon blew away, Zevran's Black Whirlwind. "Then since Call of the Mummy is still on the field, I can now special summon my Immortal Ruler!" A ghoul with a dark blue and golden cloak appeared on the field. (Level 4: 1800 ATK, 200 DEF)
"Next I activate the Spell card Foolish Burial Goods. This allows me to send 1 Spell or Trap card from my deck to my graveyard. So I'll send away my Zombie World."
"I would understand sending monsters to the graveyard to activate their abilities. But why send one your own spells to the graveyard?" asked Zevran.
"That's where Immortal Ruler's special ability kicks in. By sending himself off to my graveyard, I can target the Zombie World that I just sent to my graveyard and then add it to my hand," answered Macrinus as his monster disappeared and he got his Zombie World into his hand.
"I activate the Field Spell, Zombie World," He spoke as the top of the Keep they were standing on transformed into a dark, gloomy wood with a pile of creepy faces separating the two duellists. Zevran noticed as the field spell took effect, his Blackwing monsters started to change appearances. The feathers on their wings started to fall off, they each lost an eye and their bones become more exposed.
"Hey! What's happening!?" shrieked Zevran.
"They're all transforming into zombies," giggled Macrinus. "When Zombie World is on the field, all monsters on the field and in our graveyards become zombie-type monsters."
"You're joking!" called Zevran. 'Oh man, since all my monsters will become zombies, I can't synchro summon most of my Blackwings as they require Winged-Beast type monsters. And to make matter worse, I can't activate my Black Wing Revenge Trap Card' He thought to himself.
"Next I normal summon Pyramid Turtle," Macrinus declared a four-legged turtle with a yellow pyramid shaped shell crawled onto the field. (Level 4: 1200 ATK, 1400 DEF)
"Now attack his Gram the Shining star!" he ordered as his turtle walked towards Gram.
"Hang on, your turtle has less attack points than my Gram. But if you insist on attacking him, fine!" declared Zevran. "Gram, dismantle that Pyramid Turtle!" Gram saw the turtle coming and swung its sword at the turtle causing the pyramid shell to dismantle, destroying him.
Zevran: 4500
Macrinus: 4650
"Why would you destroy your own monster?" Zevran asked.
"Because that triggers Pyramid Turtle's special ability. You see when it's destroyed in battle, I can summon a zombie-type monster with 2000 or less defence points," Macrinus responded with a grin on his face. "Prepare to meet the mean devourer of my zombies, come forth Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon!" a large creepy version of a familiar looking dragon flew onto the field. (Level 7: 2400 ATK, 2000 DEF)
Zevran looked up, "Wait, isn't that Red Eyes Black Dragon?" he asked.
"Just a meaner and scarier version of it. Besides, you should be more worried about your own monsters, Zombie Dragon, attack Gram the Shining Star. Devour Fire Blast!" Macrinus declared as his dragon shot a black fireball at Gram, destroying him.
Zevran: 4300
Macrinus: 4650
"And there's more, when Zombie Dragon destroys a Zombie-type monster in battle, it can automatically bring out that zombie back to my side of the field. Since Zombie World is on the field, all your monsters are zombies so your Gram is now mine!" Macrinus snickered as Zevran's synchro monster arose but went to Macrinus' field. (Level 5: 2200 ATK, 1500 DEF)
"You're using my monsters against me!?" questioned Zevran.
"I will beat you using any means necessary! Gram, attack his Shura the Blue Flame," Macrinus commanded as the monster he stole from Zevran swung its sword at Shura, causing its body to fall apart.
Zevran: 3900
Macrinus: 4650
"I think you've suffered enough for this turn," Macrinus sneered.
"Then I draw!" Zevran shouted as he drew this card. 'I've got to make a fast fight back, the longer this duel goes on, the more those guys will have to keep fighting as that portal will just keep making those zombies come back over and over again,' he though as he looked in the courtyard below. 'If only I could get rid of that Zombie World! If he keeps destroying my monsters with that Zombie Dragon, he'll just keep stealing them.'
"I activate the Spell Card, Cards for Black Feathers. By removing a "Blackwing" monster from my hand from play, I can draw two cards." Zevran chose to remove Blackwing - Hillen the Tengu-wind from his hand and drew two cards. He looked at them in disappointment "I can't use these right now, I end my turn," he said.
"It's my turn," Macrinus spoke as he drew a card. "Zombie Dragon, attack his Silver Shield! Devour Fire Blast!" His dragon shot another fireball, eliminating Mistral the Silver Shield. "Now you know what happens next, I can summon your Silver shield to my side of the field." Level 2: 100 ATK, 1800 DEF)
"Now feel the wrath of your own monster, Gram, attack him directly!" Gram swung his sword out at his own master but as he was about to hit him, a silver force field formed around Zevran.
"Nice try Macrinus, but since you destroyed Mistral the Silver Shield in battle this turn, I don't take any damage from the next attack," Zevran spoke with his arms folded on his chest.
"Whatever!" said Macrinus in boredom. "Because now I can use the monsters that I stole from you to my advantage. I now tune your level 2 Mistral the Silver Shield and your level 5 Gram The Shining Star to form a frightening new evolution of zombies, one who will feed on all of your weaknesses." Zevran's two Blackwings flew into the air and formed 5 bulbs of light around 2 circles.
"You're really using my monsters to Synchro Summon?" gasped Zevran.
"Dragon feeding on the dead, use of the strengths of the fallen to send our enemy fleeing with dread! I synchro Summon Red-Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon!" Macrinus chanted as the silhouette of a red eyed dragon descended from skies above. (Level 7: 2400 ATK, 2000 DEF)
"Oh great, now I have two zombie dragons to deal with," said Zevran.
"And it'll get worse for you. My Zombie Necro Dragon gains 100 attack and defence points for each zombie type monster on the field and in our graveyards. And remember, my Zombie World treats all the monsters in your graveyard as zombies. So, since there are 2 zombies on the field, 4 in my graveyard and 6 in your graveyard, he gains 1200 attack and defence points." The Necro Dragon feasted on all of the zombies in the graveyards. (REZND: 2400-3600 ATK, 2000-3200 DEF)
"I end my turn."
"I'm up then," Zevran spoke as he drew a new card. "First, I activate the Continuous Spell card, Black Feather Whirlwind. Then, I'll activate the special ability of Vayu the Emblem of Honour from my graveyard, by removing it and another "Blackwing" monster from my graveyard, I can bring out a Synchro monster whose level is equal to the levels of Vayu and the other monster that I remove with this effect. I remove my level 1 Vayu and my level 5 Gram the Shining Star!"
"So you can summon out a level 6 Synchro Monster," Macrinus spoke as the spirit of Vayu and Gram left Zevran's duel disk.
"Precisely, now go as these two birds remove themselves to give rise to a mighty bird of prey! Now come forth Blackwing Armed Wing!" A warrior looking bird with a red shotgun appeared on the field with its feather off from Zombie World. (Level 6: 2300 ATK, 1000 DEF)
(REZND: 3600-3500 ATK, 3200-3100 DEF)
"However, due to Vayu effect, Armed Wing's special abilities are negated but that's OK because now Black Feather Whirlwind's effect gets triggered. When a "Blackwing" Synchro Monster is summoned, I can then summon a monster that was removed from the game as long as it has equal or less attack points than my Synchro Monster. So come back, Blackwing – Gram the Shining Star." (Level 5: 2200 ATK, 1500 DEF)
(REZND: 3500-3600 ATK, 3100-3200 DEF)
"Next, since I have a "Blackwing" monster on my field, I can now normal summon this chap without having to make any sacrifices. Now come out, Blackwing – Elphin The Raven!" A large blackbird flew onto Zevran's field. (Level 6: 2200 ATK, 1200 DEF)
REZND: 3600-3700 ATK, 3200-3300 DEF)
"Now I activate Elphin the Raven's special ability, now I can change the battle position of one your monsters. So I'm switching your Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon to Defence mode." Zevran pointed at the weaker of the two Zombie dragons which then kneeled down into defence mode. (2000 DEF).
"Next I'll equip my Gram the Shining Star with the Equip Spell card, Glowing Crossbow. This card gives a "Blackwing" monster an extra 500 attack points." Gram's Sword was upgraded to an archer's bow which gave him more power. (BGtSS: 2200 – 2700 ATK)
"Now, Elphin the Raven, attack Red Eyes Zombie Dragon!" Zevran's raven used its claw to pierce Zombie Dragon's face. The dragon groaned at it disintegrated.
"You've set off my Zombie Necro Dragon's ability. Once a turn, if another Zombie-type monster is destroyed, I can bring out a Zombie-type monster from either player's graveyard, so come back, Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon!" Macrinus called as his dragon came back. (Level 7: 2400 ATK, 2000 DEF)
"Actually, I had a feeling you'd bring it back which is why I was prepared with Glowing Crossbow. Now Sham the Shining Star, attack his Zombie dragon!" Gram fired an arrow at Zombie Dragon, destroying him for a second time.
Zevran: 3900
Macrinus: 4350
"And since your Necro Dragon can only use its effect once per turn, it can't bring it back again. And now Glowing Crossbow's second effect activates, since the equipped monster successfully destroyed a monster in battle, you have to discard one random card from your hand. Since you've only got 1 card, you have to discard it," Zevran spoke again.
As Macrinus looked at the card in his hand, he smirked. "Actually, it would be my pleasure." Zevran gasped as Macrinus spoke. "The only card in my hand is Glow-up Bloom," Macrinus showed the card to Zevran. "When this card is sent to my graveyard, I can add a level 5 or higher Zombie-type monster from my deck to my hand. But if Zombie World is out on my field, I can summon that monster."
"You do what!?" Zevran yelled.
"Now arise my almighty Despair from the Dark!" Macrinus yelled as a huge black shadowy monster with glowing yellow eyes and yellow mouth descended onto the field. (Level 8: 2800 ATK, 3000 DEF)
(REZND: 3700-3900 ATK, 3300-3500 DEF)
"And, you just keep allowing my Necro Dragon to get stronger," Macrinus sneered. "You just keep getting played to my advantage."
"We'll just see, I'm not afraid of some shadow monster!" hissed Zevran. "I'll place 1 card face-down and end my turn."
"You honestly think you can stop me. Looks like your friends don't have much hope left, especially if they've left defeating me to you," Macrinus laughed as Zevran looked down below and saw that Daylen, Theorn, Dorian and the rest of the militia had their backs against the wall.
…
Down in the courtyard, the zombies had overpowered many of the strongest monsters Daylen and Theorn had. Dorian was trying to keep the zombies back with his Fire Formation cards. Meanwhile, Cullen had assembled Satellarknight Deneb, Altair and Vega on his field. "They keep coming back if they get destroyed, but what about if they get bounced back to the hand," he asked to Dorian.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he replied.
Daylen remembered something from when Cullen duelled Neria. "It'll be risky sending everyone's cards back to the hand including our own monsters, but if you think it's worth a try, go for it!"
"Alright, I overlay level 4 Satellarknight Denab, Altair and Vega!" Cullen called as his three knights sank into the ground as a large beam spiralled up. "I Xyz Summon Stellarknight Triverr!" he yelled as his Xyz monster appeared. "When he is summoned, all other monsters are returned to their opponents hands." He declared as all the other monsters disappeared, including the zombies.
"Did it work?" Gravekeeper's Chief asked as the courtyard became empty. AS they waited a few seconds, one by one, the zombies started coming back again.
Theorn groaned, "Guess that's a no." He didn't want to sound angry at Cullen. He knew he had to find a weakness in the zombie army but sending them to the hand wasn't the one.
"I'm sorry guys," Cullen said.
"It was a gamble but didn't work," Daylen assured. "But that means we can't give up, keep trying!" Daylen then looked up to the Keep where Zevran and Macrinus were duelling. 'Zevran, you've got to hurry up!'
…
"I draw," Macrinus sniggered as he drew a new card. "Now Necro Dragon, attack his Elphin the Raven! Ghouling Darkfire!" The Necro Dragon let out a gust of dark wind which collided with Zevran's Raven, resulting in a large explosion, knocking Zevran to the ground.
Zevran: 2200
Macrinus: 4350
As Zevran go back to his feet, Macrinus spoke again. "Now My Necro Dragon's ability activates, so rise once again, Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon!" (Level 7: 2400 ATK, 2000 DEF)
"Him again!" Zevran growled.
"Now, Despair from the Dark attack his Gram the Shining Star!" Macrinus called as his yellow eyed shadow monster let out a powerful blast from his mouth.
"I don't think so! During the Damage Step, I activate my Trap card, Blackwing – Bombardment. Now by sacrificing a "Blackwing" monster on my field, I can then target a Synchro monster and it will gain attack points equal to the monster that I sacrifice until the end of this turn. So I sacrifice my Blackwing – Armed Wing to give its 2300 attack points over to Gram the Shining Star!" Zevran's Armed Wing disappeared while Gram's crossbow got larger, symbolising the attack point boost. (BGtSS: 2700 – 5000 ATK)
"5000 attack points!?" gasped Macrinus.
"That's right, and since this was done in the Damage Step, you'll take the hit instead." Gram intercepted Despair from the Dark's attack and sent it right back at him, causing an almighty bang.
Zevran: 2200
Macrinus: 2150
As Macrinus recovered from what happened, he seethed with anger. "Why you! Now you're really getting on my nerves!"
"You were already on mine you fiend!" shot back Zevran. "Hope you're feeling proud of yourself for stooping so low as to support a mass murderer and a kidnapper!"
"You fool, you really think we would just going after Miss Solona Amell just for her Old God card. Want to know a secret?"
"I'd never keep a secret to myself but whatever you say, I won't believe you!"
"Well let's just say in a few moments time, your friend will no longer be your friend," Macrinus laughed.
"And just how and why will that be!?" bellowed Zevran. Macrinus didn't reply so as not to give away the Elder One's plan. "You're lucky Daylen isn't duelling you right now, he would cobble you if you told him that!" he spat angrily.
"I believe you mean to clobber, to cobble is to make a shoe," Macrinus replied.
"Oh whatever!" Zevran yelled. "Let's back to it, since Gram was still equipped with Glowing Crossbow when it destroyed Despair from the Dark, you have to discard a card from your hand. You know what to do." Macrinus was forced to discard the card he just drew which was the Trap, Haunted Shrine.
"In that case I have to end my turn." Macrinus said.
"Now Blackwing – Bombardment's effect wears off so Gram The Shining Star's attack points return to normal," replied Zevran. (BGtSS: 5000 – 2700 ATK)
"I draw. I activate Pot of Greed, this allows me to draw 2 more cards from my deck." As Zevran drew the two cards, he looked at them very closely. "Gram, attack his Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon one more time!" he called as Gram shot another arrow at Zombie Dragon, causing its destruction yet again.
Zevran: 2200
Macrinus: 1850
"You know what happens next, my Necro Dragon will now resurrect my Zombie dragon once again," Macrinus sneered.
"Oh no you won't!" called Zevran. "From my hand, I activate the special ability of D.D Crow. By sending this card from my hand to my graveyard, I can remove your Zombie Dragon from the duel which means your Necro Dragon can't summon it back!" As Necro's dragon's target was no longer in the graveyard, Macrinus couldn't bring it back. And since 1 zombie left Macrinus' graveyard but another was added to Zevran's, Red Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon's attack points remained at 3900.
"Next, I activate the Spell card, Double Cyclone. This will allow me to destroy 1 Spell or Trap card on both sides of the field. I'm going to destroy by Glowing Crossbow along with your Zombie World!" Zevran declared as he pointed at Macrinus' duel disk.
"You can't!" cried out Macrinus.
"But I can!" responded Zevran as Gram's crossbow disappeared but so did the dark, gloomy wood with a pile of creepy faces. Additionally, the feathers on Gram's wings became normal again. (BGTSS: 2700 – 2200 ATK)
"And now that your Zombie World is gone, my monsters are no longer treated as Zombies so now your Zombie Necro Dragon's attack points decreases!" Zevran pointed at Macrinus' Necro Dragon. (REZND: 3900 – 3200 ATK, 3500-2800 DEF)
"With that, I end my turn."
"Then it's my move," Macrinus spoke as he drew a new card. "Zombie Necro Dragon, attack his Gram the Shining Star! Ghouling Darkfire!" The Necro dragon let out a fireball which engulfed Gram The Shining Star. The heat built to an explosive level, resulting and in a big bang, knocking Zevran over onto the ground.
Zevran: 1200
Macrinus: 1850
Macrinus laughed. "This really all you can handle?"
"Of course not!" yelled Zevran as he got back up. But as he did so he almost lost his footing as the force of the stack had pushed him closer to the edge of the Keep.
"Then I don't think your friends can save you if you fall down," mocked Macrinus as he pointed at the courtyard below. Zevran could see that the militia were almost worn down to the bones from the repeated summoning of the zombies.
…
Dorian's Fire Formation Cards had been extinguished by all the zombies. Suddenly, two of the zombies merged together into a whirlpool over and formed a large menacing looking monster with razor sharp claws. (3000 ATK)
"How do we stop that thing?" cried out Gravekeeper's Assailant.
"I've got an idea. Cullen, could I borrow your Stellarknight Triverr for this?" asked Daylen. Cullen nodded his head, giving his approval. "I activate the Spell card Polymerisation! I fuse Cullen's Stellarknight Triverr with my Dark Magician in my hand." Cullen's monster and Daylen's dark magician swirled together in their own whirlpool. "Magician with the power of darkness and the courage of the warrior with power of the stars, now become 1 and channel your inner loyalty! I Fusion Summon Dark Cavalry!" A magician riding a horse appeared in the courtyard to stand up to all the zombies. (Level 8: 2800 ATK, 2300 DEF)
Theorn looked up as he saw Zevran lose his footing on the keep above. "Whatever Zevran's doing, he has to do it quick!"
"We can't hold these out much longer," Fiona spoke as all she had was El Shaddoll Construct to help out.
…
Back on top of the Keep, Zevran was able to get up as he devised a new plan. "I activate my Trap card, Black Wing Revenge. This trap activates if a Winged-Beast type monster gets destroyed in battle. Now I can summon 2 Black Crest Tokens to my field in defence mode," he spoke as two small birds appeared on Zevran's field. (Level 2: 0 ATK, 800 DEF)
"Like I care about them weaklings. I'll end my turn," Macrinus spoke.
"Then it's my move," Zevran spoke. "I activate the Spell card Pot of Desires. I remove the top 10 cards of the deck face-down, then I can draw 2 cards."
"I won't let you, I activate the special ability of Ash Blossom and Joyous Spring from my hand. This card can activate if you activate any card that allows you to draw or add cards from your deck to your hand. Now by discarding this, your Pot of Desires is negated," sniggered Macrinus as the spirit of his Ash Blossom stopped Zevran's spell. "And since Ash Blossom is a zombie type monster, so Red-eyes Zombie Necro Dragon gains 100 attack and defence points." (REZND: 3200-3300 ATK, 2800-2900 DEF)
"Damn it!" cursed Zevran. "I have no choice but to end my turn."
"Then I'm up," Macrinus spoke. "I summon Shutendoji in attack mode. A red monster with blond hair appeared on his field. (Level 4: 1500 ATK, 800 DEF)
(REZND: 3300 – 3400 ATK, 2900-3000 DEF)
"I activate his special ability, by removing 2 zombies from my graveyard from play, I can draw 1 card. So I'll remove Pyramid Turtle and Endless Decay." As the 2 zombies left Macrinus' graveyard, he then drew a card but Necro Dragon lost a bit of strength.
(REZND: 3400-3200 ATK, 3000-2800 DEF)
"Now both of my monsters, attack his Black Crest Tokens!" Macrinus called as both of his monsters destroyed Zevran's 2 tokens. "You're lucky I didn't get what I needed to end this duel. I'll set this card face-down and end my turn."
"Then it's my turn." Zevran called as he drew a new card. "I activate the Spell card, Card of Demise. Now I get to draw cards until I have three cards in my hand. However, at this turn's end phase, I have to discard every card in my hand and you won't take any damage this turn." Zevran drew until he had three cards in his hand. "Next I summon Blackwing – Blizzard of the Far North!" A white bird flew onto Zevran's field. (Level 2: 1300 ATK, 0 DEF)
"When this monster is successfully summoned, I can bring out a level 4 or below "Blackwing" monster from my graveyard so rise Blackwing – Bora the Spear in defence mode!" he called as a Bora shielded itself with its drill. (Level 4: 1700 ATK, 800 DEF)
"Since I have a "Blackwing" monster on my field, I can also summon Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust from my hand." A long-legged bird walked onto the field. (Level 2: 800 ATK, 800 DEF)
"That's a lot of monsters in just 1 turn," Macrinus spoke.
"And they'll all join together. Level 2 Blizzard the Far North, tune with level 4 Bora the Spear and level 2 Harmattan the Dust!" Blizzard sent out a large spiral storm cloud into the air while the other two monsters flew right into it. "Gust fiercely, storm! Gain the will of steel and the speed of light to sublime your form! I Synchro Summon Blackwing - Silverwind the Ascendant in defence mode!" A large bird with a huge sword flew onto the field (Level 8: 2800 ATK, 2000 DEF)
"You call that you big move and you summon it in defence mode!?" laughed Macrinus.
"I'm just trying to play safe as I can't deal you any damage. Remember, now that I summoned a Synchro monster, I can use the effect of my Black Feather Whirlwind that's still on my field. Now I can bring out a "Blackwing" monster that was removed from the game so now rise Blackwing – Hillen the Tengu-wind in defence mode!" Another blackbird appeared on the field. (Level 5: 0 ATK, 2300 DEF)
"Now I activate Silverwind's special ability, now I can destroy up to 2 monsters on your field whose defence points are equal or less than Silverwind's attack points. Silverwind has 2800 attack points so both of your monsters are destroyed!"
"Say what!?"
"Go Perfect Storm!" yelled Zevran as Silverwind jumped and slashed at both of Macrinus' monsters, eliminating Zombie Necro Dragon once and for all. "I'll place this card face down and end my turn."
"I draw," Macrinus growled as he drew a new card. "First I activate my face-down, the Trap, Needlebug's Nest. Now I can send the top 5 cards from my deck to my graveyard."
"Why would you do that?" asked Zevran.
"Because, some cards as you know can activate card effects from my graveyard. But before that, I my own Pot of Desires so by removing the top 10 cards of my deck face-down, I can draw 2 cards." Macrinus did just that. "Next I summon Tatsunecro in attack mode!" A small baby dragon looking monster rose onto the field. (Level 3: 500 ATK, 1700 DEF)
"Now one of the cards that I sent to my graveyard from Needlebug's Nest was my Mezuki. Now by removing this card from play, I can bring back a Zombie-type monster from my graveyard so rise once more, Goblin Zombie!" Level 4: 1100 ATK, 1050 DEF)
"Next since I Normal Summoned Tatsunecro, if I use it to Synchro Summon, 1 monster in my hand can be used as 1 of the other materials. So I tune level 3 Tatsunecro with level 4 Goblin Zombie on my field and level 3 Beast of the Pharaoh from my hand!"
"You do what!?" yelled Zevran as the three monster jumped into the air.
"Zombie with piercing red blood eyes, come and provide your strength to reinforce our army! I Synchro Summon Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon Lord!" A gigantic black dragon with a blue silhouette around its wings descended from the skies. (Level 10: 2800 ATK, 2400 DEF)
"And since Beast of the Pharaoh was just used to Synchro Summon, I can bring back a level 4 or below Zombie Type monster from my Graveyard. So rise Shutendoji!" (Level 4: 1500 ATK, 800 DEF)
"And since Goblin Zombie was sent from my field to my graveyard, I can add a zombie-type monster from my deck straight to my hand so I'll choose Ghost Belle and Haunted Mansion. Then I'll use Shutendoji's ability again. So now I can remove 2 zombies from my graveyard to draw another card." Macrinus removed Red Eyes Zombie Necro Dragon and Immortal Rulerto draw a card. "Next, I activate the Spell card Night Beam. Now I can destroy one face-down Spell or Trap card on your field and you can't activate that card in response." Macrinus' Night Beam eliminated Zevran's face-down card. But, instead of worry, Zevran smiled as his face-down got destroyed.
"Big mistake Macrinus!" Zevran laughed as Macrinus fell for his bait. "The card you destroyed was Blackwing – Boobytrap. When this card is destroyed by your card effect, not only do I get to draw a card, but you take 1000 points of damage!" An explosion erupted causing Macrinus to be blown backwards towards his portal.
Zevran: 1200
Macrinus: 850
Macrinus got up as he prepared to strike. "In that case; from my graveyard, I activate the effect of the Plaguespreader Zombie that I sent to my graveyard from Needlebug's Nest. Now, by placing 1 card in my hand back onto the top of my deck, I can bring it out to my field from my graveyard." A small purple monster appeared on the field. (Level 2: 400 ATK, 200 DEF)
'Since Ghost Belle was the only card in his hand, that must have been the card he put to the top of his deck,' thought Zevran.
"The only catch is, next time it goes to my graveyard, it's removed from play instead but that's fine because now I can tune my Level 2 Plaguespreader Zombie with my level 4 Shutendoji!"
"2 Synchro summons in 1 turn!" called Zevran.
"I Synchro Summon Doomkaiser Dragon!" Macrinus called as a black and grey dragon skeleton appeared on the field. (Level 6: 2400 ATK, 1500 DEF)
"Red Eyes Zombie Dragon Lord, attack Blackwing – Silverwind the Ascendant!" He bellowed as his Dragon lord send a blue fireball at Zevran's Synchro Monster. But much to his surprise, Silverwind stayed where he was. "What!?" Macrinus shouted.
"Sorry, but while Silverwind is on my field, the first time a "Blackwing" monster would be destroyed, it isn't destroyed," Zevran spoke.
"Then my Doomkaiser Dragon will finish it off. So go, rip it apart!" Doomkaiser Dragon swiped its tail at Silverwind, causing it to groan before engulfing in a major fireball. Luckily, he took no damage. "All you have left is one monster, I end my turn."
"Alright, it's my turn I draw!" Zevran yelled as he drew a new card.
"Hang on a minute, Red-eyes Zombie Dragon Lord's special ability activates. Once a turn during your turn, I can bring out any Zombie Type monster from my graveyard back to me field. So rise again, Despair from the Dark!" (Level 8: 2800 ATK, 3000 DEF)
"Oh great!" Zevran groaned.
"And it looks like you're in just as bad a spot as your pathetic friends down there," Macrinus cackled gleefully as he pointed down into the courtyard. Zevran looked down and saw that Daylen, Theorn, Dorian, Cullen, Fiona and the Gravekeepers were surrounded as the overwhelming zombie army had boxed them all in a corner.
"We can't hold them any longer!" yelled Theorn.
"We're done for!" yelped Cullen.
"Do something!" called Daylen as a Despair from the dark was about to munch on him.
Zevran gasped and stared at what was happening below. 'If I don't beat him this turn, they're goners and we all will have failed Solona. It's now or never!' he thought. "I summon Blackwing – Jetstream the Blue Sky!" he called as a blue bird with a red face flew onto Zevran's field. (Level 1: 100 ATK, 800 DEF)
"I tune level 5 Hillen the Tengu-wind with my level 1 Jetstream the Blue Sky!" Zevran called as his 2 birds flew into the air.
Below, Fiona looked up as she saw the two birds fly, "Whatever he's doing, he better do it fast!" she said.
"I Synchro Summon Blackwing - Boreastorm the Wicked Wind!" Zevran called as a new purple bird with metallic wings appeared on the field. (Level 6: 2400 ATK, 1200 DEF
"Next I activate the special ability of Blackwing – Zephrus The Elite from my Graveyard, now by sending the Black Feather Whirlwind that's on my field back to my hand, I can summon him back to the field." An orange and black bird flew back onto Zevran's field. (Level 4: 1600 ATK, 1000 DEF)
"However if I summon him this way, I must take 400 points of damage," Zevran spoke again as his monster slashed at him.
Zevran: 800
Macrinus: 850
"You idiot! Dealing yourself damage for that thing?" laughed Macrinus.
"As I said before, I was waiting for the right time to do it to gain a big advantage!" shot back Zevran. "And this is the ideal time to use Zephrus. Because now I activate Boreastorm's special ability, by sending a "Blackwing" monster from my deck to my graveyard, I can change Boreastorm's level to match that of the one that I send away with this effect. So I send level 5 Blackwing, Siracco the Dawn to my graveyard so Boreastorm becomes level 5." Siracco was sent away and Boreastorm dropped to Level 5.
"And that's not all, Boreastorm is also a Tuner monster. Now I tune my now level 5 Boreatorm the Wicked Wind with my Level 4 Zephrus the Elite!" Boreastorm let out a large gust of wind in which Zephrus flew right into in order tune together. "Blackwings, combine your strengths to call upon the harbinger of disaster! I Synchro Summon, my latest aerial arsenal. Assault Blackwing – Kusanagi the Gathering Storm!" a huge red bird with huge brown wings and a large weapon flew through the storm cloud and onto the field. (Level 9: 3000 ATK, 1800 DEF)
"Impressive but even if you attack my weakest monster, I'll still survive this," Macrinus laughed.
"Not if I activate Kusanagi's special ability you won't!" declared Zevran. Macrinus gasped as he said that. "If I used a Synchro Monster to Synchro Summon Kusanagi, he gains the attack points of that Synchro monster used. So since Boreastorm had 2400 attack points, Kusanagi's attack points go up by that same amount." Kusanagi's absorbed a lightning strike as he gained the power of the storm (ABKtGS: 3000 – 5400 ATK)
"5400 attack points!" gasped Macrinus.
"That's right, you're finished Macrinus! This is for Alistair and Leliana! Kusanagi the Gathering Storm attack Red Eyes Zombie Dragon Lord and end this duel! Tornado Blowaway!" Zevran yelled as his Kusanagi spun quickly around which evolved into a tornado which continued along its path along the duel field which swallowed up Zombie Dragon Lord and spun it around. The resulting tornado blew Macrinus off his feet into the air.
Zevran: 800 (winner)
Macrinus: 0000
The tornado blew Macrinus backwards and Zevran watched in shock as he was flung into the portal. Macrinus screamed as he fell through and was immediately swarmed by numerous zombie type monsters that began pulling him. He tried to fight them off but he was unable to as he was dragged away into the abyss and darkness. Zevran could only watch in horror as the zombies began tearing him apart, not wanting to watch this, he ran over to the crystal like artefact that kept the portal open and smashed it to the floor and the portal stuttered and shook before closing.
...
The closing of the portal had an immediate effect because as soon as it closed, the zombie monsters were cut off from their source and collapsed to the ground before shattering into golden particles. The Venatori members all watched in horror as their army disappeared and without them, they were powerless against the militia. Dorian knew this meant one thing, Zevran had succeeded and taken down Macrinus and destroyed the portal and they could not stay reborn with the portal closed. The Venatori members tried to fight on but were quickly taken down. Dorian, Theorn, Daylen, Cullen and Fiona then walked over to the top of the keep where they found Zevran breathing heavily.
"Zevran." Theorn greeted "You did it."
"Yeah." Zevran said taking deep breaths "It was a tough battle but I did it."
"Where is Macrinus now?" Fiona asked
"Dead." Zevran replied "I didn't mean too but my last attack threw him into the portal where he was devoured by his own zombie monsters. I hope I never have to see that again, stuff like that belongs in film and tv."
"Well we did it here." Cullen stated
"But we still have the Venatori hold on the ruins to the north." Fiona added
"Plus this other fortress you mentioned, Adamant." Dorian stated
"Adamant can wait as it will a huge army to take that fortress." Cullen replied "Plus it is quite some distance away. The northern ruins will be our priority now and since we have the keep, we can build the walkway to get to the secret entrance in the mountains."
"So I guess we'll just have to wait for the others to arrive from the Still Ruins." Daylen stated "Let's hope this doesn't take too long, we need to find a way of helping my sister."
...
At the Elder One's hideout, Daylen had no idea just what was about to happen to his sister. Titan and Frenic had laid several large red orbs around her body and Camula poured a large jug of blood around the orbs and around the slab where Solona lay on. Corypheus laughed and then he took one last orb and smashed it to the ground and the other orbs began glowing which spread to the blood forming a magical barrier of red light.
"And now it is time for your true self to come out of the prison she was cast in long ago." Corypheus snarled "With this ritual, you shall be reborn."
Solona just glared at him "It doesn't matter what you do to me!" she hissed "My friends will come after you and stop you."
Corypheus laughed as the red barrier glowed brighter and pillars of light emerged from the orbs "In just a moment, you will be more than willing to go after them yourself." He laughed as the red lights suddenly flew into Solona's chest. "There is nothing you can do girl, because now, you belong to me. Be reborn my beloved queen."
Solona could only scream as her body shook in pain and her mind felt like it was being attacked by a severe stabbing pain. Solona tried to fight it but she quickly became weaker and weaker and felt very drowsy and soon enough, her vision went blank.
Chapter end:
Notes: Well another chapter down and one left before the Western Approach Arc is complete. I have given Zevran another duel, the first since his introduction back when he was the Shadow Rider Blackbird in the original Dragon X story. I am currently working on a chapter of the Wolf Awakens next.