Big thanks to Matsumoto-san, tsukikami02, Bia1230, Ulrich362, Big duels, dvdryms, KuriMaster13, Sakura Matou for reviewing the previous chapter.
I'm sorry for the late update. I injured my hand from falling on stairs, so I couldn't type much until I'm fully recovered. I hope this chapter can satisfy you after a long wait, even for a bit.
Thank you KuriMaster13 for pointing out the mistake in the previous chapter.
Answering a question from Matsumoto-san: Rush Duel is fine, I guess. I watched SEVENS and Go Rush, but I'm not too fond of the series like I am with the previous ones, so Rush Duel doesn't interest me much.
TEMPLE OF DRAGONS – INNER CORE – DUEL MONSTER REALM – DIMENSION PULSE
Exiting the temple, Yuya and Yuri were welcomed by Kuribohder and Winged Kuriboh. Neither Kuribohs didn't waste time to latch themselves on to their respective masters. They had been waiting for their masters to clear the trial and come out. Yuya and Yuri pat their Kuribohs to assure them that they were alright.
"Thank you for waiting for us. Let's go back now to where everyone is." Yuya told Kuribohder and Winged Kuriboh. Yuya then turned to Yuri. "You know where the others are, right?"
"Yeah. They should be waiting for us at the Village of Holy Elf." Yuri answered.
A glowing light above Yuya and Yuri gave them a pause. Dappled Light came out from above, golden rays dripping upon the whole temple. Yuya and Yuri, basked in those rays, felt a sense of serenity, a peace that invited itself into the soul and made itself at home. In the warmth there was a sense of rising hope. Blessings from Ma'at already filled them with powers beyond the imaginable, and this light felt that it reinforced those blessings.
Then they heard voices. They couldn't make out what the voices were saying, but just listening to those voices, Yuya and Yuri could somehow feel those voices were filled with hope and wishes. Their voices could be few or many, yet around them they felt more capable. Even as the voices faded away together with the light, those feelings were still etched in Yuya and Yuri's hearts.
"What was that...?" Yuya finally uttered, still not understanding what just happened.
"The prayer of the Holy Elves."
Yuya and Yuri turned around to the voice behind them and saw Sho was standing there with a concerned look.
"Sho!" Yuri called out in surprise. He was sure that Sho wouldn't show up again after their conversation.
"You know him, Yuri?" Yuya asked, looking at Yuri and the other guy back and forth.
"We can get to that later. Now, you don't have much time. Apophis' offspring are attacking the Holy Elf village right now. You must go immediately and help your friends." Sho informed them hastily.
"Serena and the others are attacked?!" Yuri had thought of the possibility of the enemies coming to this realm somehow, but to think they're attacking right this moment was not what he had expected.
"You must go to their side. Now." Sho said in a firm tone.
Yuya and Yuri didn't need to be told again. Yuya still has some questions, but that could wait for another time. Their friends need them now. Yuya and Yuri headed towards the exit at full speed. However, Yuri stopped for a second, looking back at Sho was still there behind him.
"Sho, I'll keep my promise. I'll bring back Ryo-san." Yuri reaffirmed the promise made between them. This would be the last time they ever met. There won't be any next time for them. At least for as long as Yuri was alive. That's why Yuri wanted to make it clear to Sho not to worry about his brother anymore until the day they can meet again.
"I know you would. I trust you, Yuri." Sho smiled tenderly. His form faded out until there was nothing left of him.
Yuri closed his eyes for a second before heading out as well.
"We will win this war. I swear!"
VILLAGE OF HOLY ELF – DUEL MONSTER REALM – DIMENSION PULSE
"Battle! I attack directly with Heatleo! Heat Soul!"
Ifrit declared Battle Phase, directing Heatleo towards the defenseless Apophis soldier. Heatleo burned the soldier to crips, incinerating it until there was nothing left behind of the soldier.
Ifrit turned to Artemis and Elias behind him. They were still unconscious after losing the Duel against Rowan. As for the man in question, before he could take him on, Rowan suddenly just left, leaving his subordinates to do the clean up on their own. From Rowan's behavior, it seemed that he was being ordered to return rather than by his own will. Thanks to that, it was much easier to dispose of the remaining soldiers since they were just small fires. However, their bigger numbers made it troublesome because he gradually started to become tired.
He could tell that the enemies' numbers have diminished than before thanks to Benmaru and Ginger helping him as well. They only needed to defeat several more soldiers and this battle would end. He had to admit though that it was quite a challenge to fight while protecting Artemis and Elias. Even if they woke up, seeing their injuries, they wouldn't be any help.
"If only we could call a reinforcement..." Ifrit murmured.
Just as he said so...
"Battle! I attack with Starve Venom Fusion Dragon!"
"Battle! I attack with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
Ifrit blinked when he heard those voices, which were followed by screams of Apophis soldiers as they were blasted away and disappeared. Two footsteps coming nearer. Ifrit stood his ground, not letting his guard down until he knew for sure the people who were coming to him. Seeing the two figures running closer, he recognized them.
"Venom and... Yuya Sakaki?! You're alive?! No, a ghost?!" Ifrit went agape when he recognized the green and red-haired boy running next to Yuri.
"Yes, I am alive. No, I am not a ghost." Yuya calmly answered the disbelieving Crimson Duelist who was pointing finger at him. "Venom, who is this?"
"A new comrade. Further details can wait later. Ifrit, what's the situation?" Venom didn't beat around the bush and asked Ifrit. That question snapped him from his shock.
"The Superheavy Samurais already evacuated the Holy Elves to safety. The Apophis offspring, Rowan, returned for some reason, but still left his subordinates to wreak havoc in this place. We have dealt with most of the soldiers, but there are still some of them around." Ifrit explained as brief but concise as he could.
"Rowan retreated and left his subordinates by themselves? What was he thinking?" Venom couldn't help but be suspicious of Rowan's sudden retreat. Yuya and Ifrit also shared the same opinion that there was something not right. There was something ominous.
"Because I ordered him to return."
Apparently, they didn't need to think hard. Someone just gave them the answer to their question. The person who answered them, however, was the last person that they expected to come to this place directly on his own.
"Kurt!"
The former crown prince smiled at his three adversaries. There was nothing hostile nor sinister in that smile. That's precisely why that smile felt so sickening. The way he greeted them like it was just his daily routine frightened them in a way they couldn't describe with words. This young man could induce intimidation without even trying to do so spoke of his incredible skill and power hidden within.
Despite the chilling sensation, Venom glared at the young man who had stolen his body. Seeing somebody else using his body and wearing his face like that was truly unpleasant. Almost disgusting even. He felt himself wanting to puke. He won't say as far as that he hates Kurt, but he wanted to clobber the guy at least once when they returned to their respective bodies.
Kurt paid no heed to the negative reception he was receiving. His attention fully focused on Yuya, whose presence astonished him.
"Look who's here. Someone just came back from the dead." Kurt referred to Yuya.
Venom quickly stood protectively in front of Yuya, blocking his Pendulum Counterpart from Kurt.
"I am offended that you ignored me after stealing my body." Venom smiled angrily at Kurt.
"My apologies. It's not my intention to ignore you. And I won't call it stealing, I'm simply borrowing your body for a while. I promise that I'll return it to you after my plan comes to fruition." Kurt replied smoothly without a tinge of guilt.
"When you take something without the owner's permission, then it's stealing. And I couldn't care less about your oh so grand plan, I'm taking back my body now. Right at this moment." Venom raised his Duel Disk. This is the perfect opportunity. He didn't need to go out of his way to look for Kurt. He'll expel this man from his body and get it back.
An arm stopped Venom from stepping forward. Ifrit stepped up, facing Kurt in Venom's place.
"Sorry, let me handle this guy. You take care of Artemis and Elias." Ifrit told Venom and Yuya.
Hearing their comrades' names being mentioned, they finally turned to where Ifrit was pointing and saw Artemis and Elias' unconscious bodies.
"Artemis! Elias!"
Yuya and Venom ran to their fallen comrades, checking their injuries. There were burns and cuts, but nothing serious that'll impact their real bodies, but it'll most likely give them psychological damage and exhaustion. They were relieved that it's not life-threatening. But as Ifrit said, there were still enemies around, so they mustn't leave them unprotected.
"Ifrit, as much as I want you to beat this guy to a pulp, it might damage my body if you go overboard, so please restraint your attack." Venom told Ifrit.
"Maybe you forgot, but it's possible that this guy is not here in flesh like your Pendulum friend there. It could be that he logged in through LINK VRAINS like we are." Ifrit reminded the way they entered the realm in the first place.
Venom and Yuya paused. They forgot about that because they were too caught up in the moment. True. Kurt won't get anything good from coming to the Duel Monsters Realm physically. It would place too much risk on himself when he and Apophis were on each other's radar, even if Kurt had placed a countermeasure in his own body that Apophis was currently using.
"In that case, you have my full permission to beat him up without mercy. Go ahead." Venom granted Ifrit his approval. As long as his body wasn't damaged, then Kurt could suffer a broken bone or two online for all he cares.
"You heard him, Your Highness. I hope you won't mind enlightening me with a Duel." Ifrit gave a polite bow like how anyone does to a royalty before raising his Duel Disk.
"I do not mind at all. I came here because I am curious about you, so dueling you has been my objective from the beginning." Kurt activated his Duel in return.
[MASTER DUEL]
"I'm going first. I summon Destroymare Evelees (ATK: 0 / DEF: 0 / LV: 2)." Kurt summoned Evelees in Attack Position in the Main Zone.
"Appear, the circuit that open the unseen realm." Kurt immediately opened the Link Summoning Circuit.
"Arrowhead confirmed. The summoning condition is 1 Troymare Monster. I set Destroymare Evelees on the Link Marker. Circuit combined." Kurt set Evelees on the Bottom Arrow Link Marker.
"Link Summon. Appear. Link 1. Troymare Mermaid (ATK: 1000 / LINK: 1 / LM: Bottom)." Kurt summoned Troymare Mermain in Attack Position in the Link Monster Zone.
"When this card is Link Summoned, I can discard 1 card to Special Summon 1 Troymare Monster from my Deck." Kurt summoned Orphegel Troymare (ATK: 100 / DEF: 2000 / LV: 7) in Attack Position in the Main Zone.
"I set 2 cards and end my Turn." Kurt concluded.
Yuya had been warned before Kurt's Deck. He had defeated Serena and Carl, and coupled with the fact that Apophis considered him an equal despite his hatred for humans was more than enough proof that Kurt was not to be taken lightly. Now, he got the opportunity to watch Kurt duels with his own eyes.
"Are you sure you don't want to join in, Venom?" Yuya asked his Fusion Counterpart. He thought that Venom would insist on taking on Kurt himself.
"Trust me, I want to beat him up myself. But I'm more worried about Artemis and Elias. Besides, I can learn about Kurt's Deck from this Duel for the next time we fight." Venom answered without taking his eyes off Kurt and Ifrit.
"You think Ifrit is going to lose?" Yuya had never seen the Crimson Duelist duel, so he didn't know Ifrit's skill as a Duelist.
"I don't know either. It hasn't been that long since we met. But it doesn't matter who's going to win or lose. Kurt would still return to my body in the real world. We're going to face him again either way." Venom knew that even winning against Kurt now wouldn't change his situation.
Winning or losing, Kurt would just simply log out and return to Yuri's body in the real world out of his reach. The only way for him to get his body back is to confront Kurt directly in the real world. They're bound to fight again later. That's why Venom would use this Duel to assess Kurt's skill as a Duelist for his inevitable battle against Kurt soon.
"May I ask you something, Your Highness Kurt?" Ifrit asked, not yet starting his Turn.
"By all means, go ahead. Answering it depends on your question though." Kurt nodded in approval.
"Do you know my real identity offline?" Despite the importance of the question, Ifrit didn't look the slightest bit nervous when asking. Rather, he looked as if he was expecting Kurt to know him. From the spectators' side, Yuya turned to Venom, silently asking the same question. Venom shook his head, not knowing any better of the Crimson Duelist's true identity.
"I have an inkling on who you are. Nothing definite yet, however." Kurt answered.
"Is that so? I'll have to be more careful then." Ifrit was more amused than surprised by the former prince's answer. He didn't look bothered by the fact that Kurt possibly found out his offline identity. This didn't go unnoticed by Yuya and Venom. It made them more curious about the Crimson Duelist's identity.
"My Turn! I activate Salamangreat Meer's effect in my hand! By discarding a Salamangreat card, I can Special Summon Meer!" Ifrit discarded Salamangreat Parro to Special Summon Meer (ATK: 800 / DEF: 600 / LV:) in Defense Position in the Main Monster Zone.
"From my hand, I summon Salamangreat Wolvie (ATK: 1700 / DEF: 0)!" Ifrit summoned Wolvie in Attack Position in the Main Monster Zone.
"I set Meer and Wolvie on the Link Markers! Circuit Combined!" Ifrit set Meer on the Top Link Marker and Wolvie on the Bottom Link Marker.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 2, Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf (ATK: 1800 / LINK: 2 / LM: Top, Bottom)!" Ifrit summoned Sunlight Wolf to the extra monster zone.
"As I've Link Summoned a Salamangreat Link Monster, I can Special Summon Salamangreat Mole from my hand!" Ifrit summoned Mole in Defense Position in a zone pointed by Sunlight Wolf's Link Arrow.
"As a monster was normal or special summoned to a zone that Sunlight Wolf points to, I can activate Sunlight Wolf's effect to add a Salamangreat Monster from my Graveyard to my hand." Ifrit added Parro from his Graveyard to his hand.
"I set Salamangreat Mole and Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf on the Link Markers! Circuit Combined!" Ifrit set Mole on the Bottom-Left Link Marker and Sunlight Wolf on Top and Bottom-Right Link Markers.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 3, Salamangreat Heatleo (ATK: 2300 / LINK: 3 / LM: Bottom-Left, Top, Bottom-Right)!" Ifrit summoned his Ace Monster in Attack Position in the Link Monster Zone.
"I activate Heatleo's effect! When it was Link Summoned, I can shuffle a card in my opponent's Spell and Trap Zone to their Deck! Resounding Roar!" Ifrit chose one of Kurt's two face-down cards. He chose the one on the right, returning it to Kurt's Deck.
"Battle! I attack Orphegel Troymare with Heatleo! Heat Soul!" Ifrit declared Battle Phase. Heatleo whirled its body with its flame, forming a tornado of flames towards the Troymare Monster.
"I activate Troymare Mermaid's effect! When this card is on the Field, other Monsters on the Field lost 1000 ATK and DEF unless they are co-linked!" Kurt declared, decreasing Heatleo's ATK from 2300 to 1300 and Orphegel Troymare's DEF from 2000 to 1000.
"Also, Orphegel Troymare cannot be destroyed by Battle with a Link Monster!" Kurt added as Orphegel Troymare blocked Heatleo's attack, though Kurt still took damage from it.
KURT LP: 4000 = 2800
"When I received damage while controlling a Troymare Monster, I can activate Trap Card: Trojan Revival! I can choose a Monster from my opponent's Deck and summon it on my Field with their effects are negated!" Kurt opened Reverse Card that Ifrit chose not to destroy.
"A Monster from my Graveyard?!" Ifrit was taken aback. He watched as Kurt took Salamangreat Sunlight Wolf from his Graveyard.
"I set a card and end my Turn." Ifrit concluded.
"My Turn. I'm activating a Magic Card: Tome of Dark Magic. I pay 1000 LP to Special Summon a Magician-Type Monster from my Deck to my Field." Kurt sacrificed some of his own LP to summon Black Magician (ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2100 / LV: 7) in Attack Position in the Main Monster Zone.
KURT LP: 2800 = 1800
"Appear, the circuit that opens the unseen realm." Kurt summoned the Link Summoning circuit.
"Arrowheads confirmed. The summoning condition is 2 or more Monsters with different names! I set Sunlight Wolf, Black Magician, and Orphegel Troymare on the Link Markers! Circuit Combined!" Kurt set the Link 2 Sunlight Wolf on the Top and Right Link Arrows, Black Magician on the Left Link Arrow, and Orphegel Troymare on the Bottom Link Arrow.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 4, Troymare Gryphon (ATK: 2500 / LINK: 4 / LM: Left, Top, Right, Bottom)." Kurt summoned Gryphon to the zone pointed by Troymare Mermaid's Link Marker in Attack Position.
"I activate Troymare Gryphon's effect. If this card is Link Summoned, I can discard 1 card to target 1 Spell or Trap Card in my Graveyard and then set it on my Field, but it cannot be activated this Turn." Kurt discarded the only card in his hand and then set Trojan Revival from his Graveyard back to his Field.
"If this card was co-linked when this effect was activated, I can draw 1 card." Kurt drew a card from his Deck following its effect.
"When the total Link Rating of the Link Monsters on the Field is 8 or more, I can Special Summon Astroymare Idoriese from my hand." Kurt summoned Astroymare Idoriese (ATK: 2100 / DEF: 2000 / LV: 9) in Attack Position next to Orphegel Troymare.
"Appear once more, the circuit that opens the unseen realm!" Kurt conducted a Link Summon for the second time this Turn. He set Astroymare Idoriese on the Top Link Arrow and Orphegel Troymare on the Bottom Link Arrow.
"Link Summon! Appear, Link 2, Troymare Phoenix (ATK: 1900 / LINK: 2 / LM: Top, Right)!" Kurt summoned phoenix-like Troymare Monster in Attack Position in the Main Monster Zone next to Troymare Gryphon.
"Is there any point in summoning them? Due to Troymare Mermaid's effect, all Monsters will lose 1000 ATK and DEF." Ifrit asked. His Heatleo's ATK became 1300 due to Troymare Mermaid's effect. Following that effect, Troymare Gryphon and Troymare Phoenix's ATK will be reduced to 1100 and 900, respectively. Heatleo still has higher ATK than any of Kurt's Monsters.
"Have you forgotten what I've told you? That effect only works on Monsters that are not co-linked. Now, how about you take proper look at my Field?" Kurt reminded, spreading his arms to emphasize the current condition of his Field.
Ifrit, Yuya, and Venom looked at Kurt's Field, specifically his Link Monsters. Only then did they realize what Kurt meant. Troymare Mermaid's Bottom Link Arrow co-linked with Troymare Gryphon's Top Link Arrow. And Gryphon's Left Link Arrow co-linked with Troymare Phoenix's Right Link Arrow. All of Kurt's Link Monsters were co-linked with each other, meaning Troymare Mermaid's ATK-reducing effect won't be affecting them.
"Dammit..." Ifrit smiled uneasily as the realization hit him.
"Battle. I attack Salamangreat Heatleo with Troymare Gryphon!" Kurt declared his Battle Phase.
Troymare Gryphon flapped its wings, forming purple gales that were pushing back Heatleo, blowing away its flames.
"I activate Trap Card: Energy of Fire! I shuffle a Salamangreat Monster from my Graveyard to my Deckand gain LP equal to its ATK and the Monster I control can't be destroyed until the end of this Turn!" Ifrit opened his Reverse Card and then shuffled back Wolvie to his Deck, increasing his LP by 1700.
IFRIT LP: 4000 = 5700
Heatleo endured Gryphon's attack, still standing on the Field.
IFRIT LP: 5700 = 4500
"Next, I attack with Troymare Phoenix!" Kurt made his second attack. Troymare Phoenix's entire body was covered in burning red flames and flew towards Heatleo, crashing it down next to Ifrit.
IFRIT LP: 4500 = 3900
"By increasing your LP and preventing your own Monster's destruction, you minimized the damage you'd take from my two consecutive attacks. It was a smart move. If not for that, your LP would've already been close to red." Kurt was sure that he could reduce more than a half of Ifrit's LP on this Turn. For the Crimson Duelist to defy his expectation this much was a feat.
"I end my Turn." Kurt concluded.
Ifrit knew that though his LP was much higher than Kurt, it won't be long until Kurt wipes out the rest of his LP with his Monsters. Fortunately, he already thought of a way to counterattack. With Heatleo still on his Field, he could use his move.
"My Turn! I activate Field Spell: Salamangreat Sanctuary! When I Link Summon a Salamangreat Link Monster, I can use a Monster with the same name as Link Material instead!" Ifrit performed another Link Summon with Heatleo. Unlike the usual Link Summon, instead, a red magic circle appeared above them and Heatleo entered that circle.
"Reincarnation Link Summon! Appear, Link 3, Salamangreat Heatleo!" Ifrit summoned another Heatleo in Attack Position, replacing the previous Heatleo.
Heatleo that was Link Summoned using another copy of Heatleo as a material can target 1 Monster on the Field and 1 Monster in the Graveyard and the ATK of the targeted Monster on the Field becomes equal to other target until the end of Turn.
"I'll use Heatleo's effect to make Troymare's ATK equals Orphegel Troymare's ATK. That way, Kurt will receive 1200 damage. He'll still has Gryphon and Phoenix, but with only two of them, my LP would still be enough to survive until my next Turn even if Heatleo is destroyed." Ifrit readied his strategy for his counterattack.
"I activate Salamangreat Heatleo's effect–"
"Not happening!"
Kurt interrupted Ifrit before he could activate his ace monster's effect.
"Due to Troymare Gryphon's effect, when it was Co-linked, Special Summoned Monsters cannot activate their effects unless they are Linked!" Kurt revealed, effectively sealing Heatleo's means to activate its effect.
"What?!" Ifrit, Yuya and Venom exclaimed in surprise. Not only Heatleo's ATK was lowered by 1000, but now Ifrit also couldn't activate his Monster's effect unless it was linked.
"Things has gone even worse than before...!" Ifrit bit his lip lightly. He had no other choice then.
"Then I attack Troymare Mermaid with Salamangreat Heatleo! Heat Soul!" Ifrit chose to destroy the Troymare Monster that has lowered his Monster's LP. Once it's gone, at least Heatleo's ATK will return to normal.
Heatleo unleashed flaming blast towards the mermaid-like Link Monster, burning its entire body.
KURT LP: 1800 = 800
However, gradually, the flames faded away, revealing Troymare Mermaid still in shape on Kurt's Field.
"What?! It's not destroyed?!" Ifrit exclaimed in shock.
"When Troymare Phoenix is Co-linked, Co-linked Monsters I control cannot be destroyed by Battle." Kurt revealed, glancing at his phoenix-like Monster.
"And as I've taken a damage while controlling Troymare Monsters, I activate Trap Card: Trojan Revival. I can Special Summon a Monster from my opponent's Field with their effects negated." Kurt once again activated his Trap and then summoned the Salamangreat Heatleo that was used as Link Material.
"Okay...I'm really in a pinch now." Ifrit had to admit that he couldn't do anything in this situation. His Monster's ATK is lowered by 1000, he couldn't activate its effects unless it was Linked, and he couldn't destroy Kurt's Monsters for as long as they were Co-linked. Kurt has sealed most of his movements. His LP won't be enough to allow him to survive until his next Turn.
Venom could see that even though Ifrit was still smiling, he's starting to become nervous. He hated to admit it, but Kurt was stronger than he imagined. And this strategy was only a shred of what he could do. He still has those Black Magician Monsters archetype that he hasn't used in this Duel. Troymare was already deadly enough, if he's also using Black Magician Monsters, it'll be more difficult for him.
"I set a card and end my Turn." Ifrit concluded. "I can only depend on this Reverse Card. As long as he's not doing anything else, I can still make it out alive by activating this card."
"My Turn. Draw." As Kurt began his Turn, he looked at Ifrit's Field.
He only has Heatleo on his Monster Zone and a single Reverse Card on his Spell and Trap Zone. Ifrit should know that Heatleo won't stand a chance against Gryphon, and afterwards Kurt could perform Direct attack with Mermaid and Phoenix, ending his LP. However, Ifrit's eyes didn't look like the eyes of someone who has given up. Which means...
"I'll have to destroy the only chance he has..." Kurt murmured; eyes locked on Ifrit's Reverse Card.
"Appear, the circuit that opens the unseen realm!" Kurt opened the Link Summoning Circuit. He set the stolen Heatleo to Left, Bottom, and Right Link Markers, combining the circuit.
"Link Summon! Link 3, Troymare Unicorn (ATK: 2200 / LINK: 2 / LM: Left, Bottom, Right)!" Kurt summoned a yellow unicorn with a girl dressed in black to his Field in Attack Position, Co-linked to Gryphon's Right Link Arrow.
"He's summoning another Troymare Monster? Why?" Yuya wondered. Kurt already has more than enough Monsters on his Field to end Ifrit. Why did he summon a new Monster again?
"I activate Troymare Unicorn's effect! When this card is Link Summoned, I can discard 1 card to target 1 card on the Field and shuffle it into Deck, and if this card is Co-linked when this effect is activated, I can draw 1 card!" Kurt discarded the card he just drew and then chose Ifrit's Reverse Card, shuffling it back to his Deck.
"No way...Ifrit's only Spell or Trap Card is gone now!" Yuya yelled in dismay as Ifrit's only hope of surviving this Turn has been blown away.
"There's no escaping, Ifrit." Kurt stated.
Ifrit clenched his fists. So much for trying to survive this Turn. He didn't have anything left now. This is truly the end for him.
"Battle! I attack Salamangreat Heatleo with Troymare Gryphon!" Kurt declared Battle Phase.
Gryphon sent out wind slashes, cutting Heatleo's limbs before striking through its body directly, destroying the Salamangreat Link Monster for good.
IFRIT LP: 3900 = 2700
"And then, I attack directly!" Kurt declared his next attack.
Troymare Phoenix flapped its wings, blowing away Ifrit. Troymare Mermaid then followed up, unleashing a stream of water that drowning Ifrit until his remaining LP was reduced to nothing.
IFRIT LP: 2700 = 0
"Ifrit!" Yuya immediately went to Ifrit's side, helping the injured Crimson Duelist.
"You are strong, Ifrit. I can say that you are strong enough to defeat Apophis' lieutenants. Had you and Rowan dueled, Rowan wouldn't stand a chance against you." Kurt gave genuine praise to the Crimson Duelist. It was the right decision to send back Rowan.
"Yuya-kun. You must be careful. Apophis is not the type who would let go of his prey until they're dead. Once he learned that you're still alive, he'll have his eyes on you." Kurt warned the Pendulum user.
Yuya quietly gulped at the warning. He wouldn't be surprised if it ever came to that. Apophis had demonstrated what he could do and what he wanted to do. He had experienced it in person. No doubt Apophis would come after him and wouldn't stop until the Dragon made sure that he was dead. Apophis was not someone who you can talk out to. Nothing could convince the Dragon of Calamity to stop his conquest. The only way to stop him is by killing him for good without leaving any shred of him.
"We won't let Apophis have his way. We will defeat him." Yuya declared determinedly. That one lost was enough. He won't lose against Apophis again. Never again.
"Now, that's the fire I love to see in your eyes. I have high hopes for you the next time we meet, Yuya-kun." Kurt's eyes gleamed from seeing the determined boy. Before, Kurt could see uncertainty and naivety in the boy. Now, though his soft heart remained, the uncertainty was no more. He would be a challenging adversary for sure.
Kurt then turned to Venom, who had been glaring at him since the beginning.
"You don't need to be in such a hurry, Venom. As you said, the time will come for both of us to fight. When that time comes, I'm expecting that you'll put up a good fight, even better than when you faced Apophis, and not losing your cool like Serena-chan did when she faced me."
For anybody else, Kurt's words might've sounded provoking. It might look like he was trying to rile up Venom. Truthfully, that was never Kurt's intention. He was simply stating out what he wanted and the facts. Venom had already gotten used to noticing when someone was being belligerent, so he could tell that Kurt wasn't trying to be mean to him in the slightest. And that's precisely why the former crown prince vexed him.
"I promise you that I'll put an end to you and get my body back." Venom made his vow.
"I'm looking forward to that." Kurt took that as his cue to leave. The Troymare user gave a noble bow as his body disappeared in a blue digital light, logging out from the realm.
Yuya let out a sigh of relief. He had been holding his breath since the Duel started. He didn't want to imagine what would happen had Kurt decided to fight them next.
"Are you okay, Ifrit?" Yuya asked the Crimson Duelist who was still sitting on the ground.
"No worries. I'm not gonna die from this. Thanks for your concern. A bit weird getting it from the supposed dead guy." Ifrit joked, patting Yuya's back repeatedly to get the boy to loosen up.
Once Ifrit stood up with Yuya's help, the two of them went to Venom's side, the Fusion user was still on standby protecting Artemis and Elias.
"That's a rather one-sided Duel. I don't get why you don't look bothered by it." Venom commented.
"It's frustrating, but he is a worthy opponent and I felt exhilarating throughout the Duel, so no hard feelings. Besides, I'm still in one piece." Ifrit chuckled cheerfully. He really didn't feel bothered by the fact he just lost. And against an enemy who could've ended his life.
"Anyway, you must've learned a bit about Kurt from that Duel. Do you think you can win against him? We all know he's not yet showing all his cards." Ifrit asked. His tone was more serious than usual.
Venom went quiet. Yes, he knew that Kurt was still not yet going all out in that Duel. Even just that fraction, Venom knew that it would be hard for him to go against Kurt with the way he is now. But that didn't give him a reason to give up. Every Deck must have a weakness and that includes Kurt. And Venom still has untapped potential in himself. He'll unlock that potential and use it to defeat Kurt when the time comes for them to fight.
"Of course. I will win." Venom declared confidently.
"Mm..."
Artemis stirred in Venom's arms. Next to them, Elias also slowly opened his eyes.
"Artemis, are you okay?!" Venom asked worriedly.
"Venom? You're back?" Artemis needed to blink a few times before she could properly see Venom's concerned face.
"Yeah. With Yuya." Venom turned to Yuya who was equally concerned for her and Elias.
"Yu...ya...?" Artemis uttered trembly. She didn't even feel the pain in her body anymore and stood up immediately. Her steps were wobbly, but Venom quickly helped her stand, holding her by the shoulders while she walked closer to Yuya.
"Venom...am I dreaming...? Or am I seeing things right now...?" Artemis asked. She couldn't believe that the person who was standing in front of her was Yuya. Her friend who was pierced through the heart by Apophis.
"No, you're not. Yuya is standing in front of you." Venom told her. Usually, he would've already made fun of her, but he knew better now wasn't the right time. Artemis was still confused. Her mind needed more seconds to process what was in front of her. To make sure that she was not being delusional.
"Hey! Are you guys, okay?!"
They all turned to Yuhei who was running towards them while waving his hand. Behind him were Ginger and Benmaru. If they were here, that means they had already defeated the remaining enemies, meaning there was no enemy left in the village. That's good news.
Upon seeing Yuya, they slowed down. The three of them had their mouths open and eyes widened.
"Yuya...?" Yuhei's trembling hand was pointing at Yuya in disbelief.
Yuya chuckled at their expressions. Not that he could blame them. It must be surprising after they all believed he had died.
"I'm sorry for–"
"Aaaaahhh!" Yuhei screamed, startling Yuya and the others. "G-ghost! Yuya has returned as a ghost!"
"That's your reaction?" Yuya was a bit hurt that instead of being joyful seeing him, Clear Wing was instead terrified. "Yuhei, you got it wrong. I'm still alive–"
"Alright Yuya, I admit that I was the one who secretly ate your snacks before! Please have it in your heart to forgive me! I'll give you snacks on your grave in return, so please rest in peace! I swear I won't do something like that again!" Yuhei was too caught up by the idea of Yuya being a haunting ghost that he couldn't listen to what Yuya was saying and just blabbed out the guilt he had been hiding from the Pendulum user to seek forgiveness.
Thankfully, Venom was there to snap out the Synchro Dragon from his imagination through the use of his typical punch on the back of the head that he usually liked to do to Yugo.
"Look closely, you fool. He is a living person. The one and only Yuya in flesh." Venom told Yuhei with barely concealed annoyance.
"For real?!" Yuhei looked back and forth at Venom and Yuya. He then leaned closer to Yuya, pinching his cheeks.
"O-oww! Yueeiii!" Yuya complained as Yuhei was still pinching his cheeks.
"It's real. You're...you're really alive..." Yuhei finally let go after feeling the undeniable warm flesh.
"..."
Everybody else went quiet as they continued to stare at Yuya. The Entermate user started to feel nervous from the attention. He thought they were going to have a merry reunion, but nobody was saying anything now that they learned he was still alive. Everything that Yuya wanted to say also stuck on his throat under the pressure. But he couldn't let the atmosphere stay this way.
"Everyone–"
"YUYAAAAA!"
Yuya's attempt to start a talk was engulfed by a tight affectionate hug from Benmaru. The big guy was typically bawling his eyes out while wrapping his arms around his best friend whom he had thought had died. Yuya felt his body was almost crushed from the hold and he had difficulty breathing, like usual whenever Gongenzaka hugged him. For once, Yuya wouldn't complain. Though it wasn't supposed to be that long they hadn't seen each other, Yuya deeply missed this exchange between them.
"I-I-I MISS... YOU! I THOUGHT... YOU REALLY...REALLY...!" Benmaru couldn't put his words together properly between his sobs and sniffs.
Yuya didn't say anything and gently patted his best friend's back until he calmed down enough to stop crying and let go of his grip. That wasn't the end of the hug for Yuya, however. After Benmaru let him go, now it was Ginger's time to tackle him with a hug of his own. Not finished with just a hug, the Fusion user gave him light punches on his chest and rib. Again, Yuya didn't do anything, merely smiling softly at his friend who no doubt also missed him.
"Do you know how much you made us cry, you moron?! Who told you to die like that, you stupid jerk!" Ginger said with tears slowly trickling from his eyes. His arms slowly fell to his sides, and he began to cry on Yuya's shoulder.
"Sorry. I'll become stronger from now on, so it won't happen again." Yuya smiled down at Ginger. In respond, Ginger let go, wiping his tears with his sleeve and then finally smiled back happily at Yuya.
"Not just you. All of us will become stronger from now on." Artemis corrected him.
Artemis gave Yuya a brief but strong hug and a pat on his back. She then held his hands together. Her hold was firm, as if to make sure that he was truly there with them before letting go. She wiped the tears that were about to fall with her finger and then smiled together with everybody else.
"Welcome back, Yuya." Artemis said.
Seeing his friends welcoming him, in that moment, all the world is put on a pause. He felt a glow of warmth within. To be with his friends again after that fear of separation overwhelmed him, internal peace had alighted in him. Gone was the fear that took ahold of him before. Gone was the hesitation that chained him down. All that left was a soft sense of happiness that had made itself at home in his features.
"I'm back, everyone." Yuya replied, smiling even brighter than before.
He won't run away. He will face Apophis again.
And when that time comes, he won't lose again.
For the sake of protecting their smiles.
Next Chapter Preview:
The Imprisoned Phantom Knight – Yuto is held captive by Yubel with Dante being tasked to watch over him. Under Apophis' order, Dante challenges Yuto to a Duel.
LIST OF ORIGINAL CARDS:
TROJAN REVIVAL – When you take damage while controlling a Troymare Monster on your Field, you can choose one of your opponent's Monsters in their Graveyard, summon it to your Field.
TOME OF DARK MAGIC – Pay 1000 LP to Special Summon a Magician-Type Monster from your Deck. That Magician Monster will be destroyed at the end of Turn.
Honestly, I feel like I should write more for this chapter, but I just couldn't come up with anything else, so I ended it like this. When I have time, maybe I'll do some Yu-Gi-Oh anime watching marathon for inspiration.
I got ideas for a new story and already wrote the ideas all from the very first chapter down to the ending. I already decided not to publish any new story until I'm finished with The Last Supreme King Dragon because I'm afraid I'll get distracted too much that I put aside this story again. But should I try writing two stories at once for a challenge? Or should I at least publish the first chapter of the new story first and see how it is?
I apologize if there's any error in this chapter.
Please don't forget to review this chapter for your reviews become my motivation!