AN: Hello, I have the next chapter here. So, fun fact, I almost lost this chapter entirely because my laptop has a bug where if it sleeps, it bricks the file I had open at the time. Luckily, I had a moment to save a backup before the file was dead, so that was nice. Anyway, this chapter is cool. It has a nice balance between character development and duel action. Hope you enjoy this chapter, leave a review with your comments and questions, and have a nice day.

See Datasheet Chapter for cover art details.

Chapter 56 – The Necrovalley

Walking through the woods, Emerald and Mercury moved with the dark pro duelist having his hands in his pocket. However, the pickpocket pro duelist was swatting away bugs, "I hate this place so much!" she said before stepping into a mud puddle, "Gah, what did I do to deserve this?"

"I don't know, karma for stealing a whole bunch of rare cards from chumps," Mercury commented.

"Hey, don't judge me." Emerald responded with a scowl, "I already told you, if I didn't steal and sold them afterward, I would haven't had the money for food."

"Or new shoes," Mercury said with a smirk.

"Okay, how much do I have to pay you to shut your mouth." Emerald said before a sigh, "Look, we are just here to beat those past key holders, so they don't interfere with Cinder's plans." She said before looking away, "I wasn't strong enough to help her them, but I will aid her now."

"Even if that does mean the world ends?" Mercury said with Emerald going silent, "I guess you can make your choice when the sky turns black."

"…I said I would help her with her goals, and I meant it." Emerald answered, her mind flashing to see Cinder in an alleyway, "She gave me the ability to leave my old life of constant running. Now, I will repay her with everything I have to offer." She said with a focused gaze, then turned to a noise in the distance. The two examined it to see Bastion walking down a different path, "I remember him from the arrival party."

"He's only a Ra Yellow," Mercury said with a smirk, "You want to take him on together."

"As if would ever tag team with you," Emerald responded with half open eyes.

Mercury shrugged, "Suit yourself, I'll go on my own then." He said before walking away with a wave, "Good luck, don't lose too quickly." He said with Emerald sticking her tongue out at him.

Bastion continued to walk down the path before stopping at the sight of Emerald, "Hello," The pickpocket pro duelist said with a smile, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Likewise," Bastion responded, then grinned, "But I assume it is not to exchange pleasantries."

"Oh, you are smart." Emerald said with a grin as well, "Okay, let's cut to the chase then." She said before readying her duel disk, a dark green model with sharp edges and dangling chains.

"Agreed," Bastion said as he equipped his duels disk and deck.

"Du-" both said at the same time but were cut off by a flash and clicking sound, "Huh?"

"Dang it, I forgot to turn the flash off." A voice said with the two looking over the area for the origin of the flash, but Bastion focused on a bush with a set of long brown bunny ears.

"Velvet?" Bastion asked.

"Eep!" the bunny ears stood up, followed by Velvet standing up, "Uh, hey." She said with a slight wave, "I wasn't staking or anything! I was just hoping to get a good shot and thought that if you knew I was here you would pose more, and it would make it unnatural. So, I had to hide but I forget the flash and I'm so sorry!"

"I-It's okay, I understand." Bastion said.

"Do you?" Emerald asked, "I am still leaning towards stacker." She said before crossing her arms.

"She's a photographer." Bastion responded to Emerald said before looking back to Velvet, "But I thought you would be helping get photos for Coco."

"I uh, I wanted to… but-" Velvet said as she blushed.

"Can we get back to our duel!?" Emerald called out.

"Right, my apologies." Bastion responded, then looked back to Velvet again, "You don't have to hide, I think it makes you feel a bit uneasy." He said with a smile, "If your calm, then your photos will be more natural in your eyes."

"You're right, thank you." Velvet said with a smile, holding her camera, "Then, may I?"

"Of course," Bastion responded, then looked to Emerald, "Are you okay with this as well?"

"I don't like to be photographed, so you can just look at him." Emerald said as Velvet blushed again, "Now, can we?"

"Yes," Bastion said as they readied their duel disks again.

"Duel!" both said as the match had begun.

Bastion: 4000 Life Points

Emerald: 4000 Life Points

"Since you kept me waiting, I'll go first." Emerald said as she drew, "I set a monster and play the continuous spell Gravekeeper's Servant." She said as the image of a reaper in a cemetery was seen, "That's all for now."

"Then it is my turn," Bastion said as he drew, "I play the spell Double Summon, allowing me to perform two normal summons this turn." He said before taking two cards out of his hand, "I now summon Hydrogeddon and Oxygeddon in attack mode." He said as a pool of brown liquid turned into a dinosaur, (1600 ATK / 1000 DEF). Next to it formed a winged dinosaur made of green air, (1800 ATK / 800 DEF). "Now, Hydrogeddon attacks your set monster."

"Hold on, before you can do that." Emerald responded, pointing to her Gravekeeper's Servant, "You must send the top card from your deck to the graveyard."

"Very well," Bastion said before doing so, sending a monster. In looking at it, it appeared to be Prime Material Dragon. Hydrogeddon then unleashed a stream of brown liquid from its mouth, revealing the set monster as a young man in a dark rob with white hair, holding a stone tablet, (1000 ATK / 1000 DEF). The monster was overwhelmed by the attack and destroyed, causing Bastion to take a card from his deck, "Since Hydrogeddon destroyed a monster, I can summon another one from my deck." He said as a second Hydrogeddon was seen.

"How fitting, the Gravekeeper's Nobleman you destroyed now lets me set a new monster from my deck as well," Emerald said before setting a monster as well.

"Oxygeddon now attacks your set monster." Bastion said before sending another card from the top of his deck, allowing his monster to unleash a stream of wind. Another monster revealed itself, one with a matching aesthetic to the nobleman, but with a black turban over his hair. However, this one weathered the wind and remained to stand, (1200 ATK / 2000 DEF).

Bastion: 4000 – 200 = 3800 Life Points

"My Gravekeeper's Spy is too much for your monster to destroy. And now, his flip effect activities, allowing me to summon another Gravekeeper from my deck," Emerald said as she took a card out from her deck, "I now summon Gravekeeper's Guard in defense mode." She said as a bald overweight man with a staff was seen next to the spy, (1000 ATK / 1900 DEF).

"My turn is not over yet." Bastion said as he took a card out of his hand, "I play Bonding H2O, allowing me to merge my three elements to create Water Dragon!" he said as the two Hydrogeddon and Oxygeddon combined into an aqua serpent with red eyes, (2800 ATK / 2600 DEF). "I will now set one card to end my turn." He said with his arms crossed with one card in his hand still, followed by Velvet taking a picture.

"You gave up three monsters for that?" Emerald said before she drew, smiling at the result. She put it in her hand before taking out a different one, "Allow me to show you how it's done. I play Double Spell, which by discarding a spell card lets me use your Double Summon from the last turn." She said before taking two cards out of her hand, "Frist, I will summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier." The pickpocket pro duelist said as a person with a long spear was seen matching in traits of the Guard and Spy, (1500 ATK / 1000 DEF). "And I can tribute all three for Gravekeeper's Oracle!" the three Gravekeeper then faded away as the ground erupted. Emerged on a stone throne was a massive man. His golden-like hair matched the shade of his serpent staff. His robes were more detailed in design, but his scowl was fiercer than the others, (2000 ATK / 1500 DEF). Suddenly, a flash was seen as Emerald scowled, "Hey!"

"Sorry," Velvet responded, her bunny ears flopping.

"Impressive, but it still has fewer attack points than my Water Dragon." Bastion committed.

"Heh, and here I thought you were smart." Emerald responded, "Oracle gain 100 attack points for each level of the monster I used for its tribute." Emerald responded, "While I could have used just one, I can use more for addition effect. The second doesn't matter, but the third will lower your monster attack points by 2000." She said as Water Dragon gained a deep red aura lowering its head, (2800 – 2000 = 800 ATK). "But I will give my monster a bit more of a boost. I play the field spell, Necrovalley!" Emerald said as the forest was replaced with a valley, but two mountains hugged the area as the sun shined with an orange glow, "Now, all my Gravekeepers gain 500 more attack and defense points." She said with Oracle gaining a golden aura, (2000 + (12 X 100) + 500 = 3700 ATK). "Go, attack with Order of the Throne." The pickpocket pro duelist said as she pointed, causing Oracle to aim his staff with the snake head coming to life before expelling a yellow beam.

"Not so face, I reveal my trap card Sprit Barrier." Bastion counted as a yellow aura bubble appeared around him, "As long as I have a monster on the field, I take no battle damage." He said before Water Dragon was obliterated by the beam, but he was safe, "And now, Water Dragon allows me to summon out its elements from the grave." The Posh Ra Yellow said before reaching into his grave, but was repealed by a golden aura, "What's this?"

"Necrovalley has another effect," Emerald responded, "While also being the home of my Gravekeepers, it prevents anything from messing with what has been buried. You cannon special summon your monster from the grave or move them from your deck."

"Tsk!" Bastion gritted his teeth as Velvet had a look of worry.

"I end my turn," Emerald said as she had no cards in her hand.

"I draw," Bastion said as he played card, "I summon Mathematician in attack mode." He said as a mage with a long white beard, (1500 ATK / 500 DEF). Suddenly, a card to eject from his deck, "Thanks to his effect, I can send a monster from my deck to the graveyard." He said before sending the card, ending his turn.

"That's fine, you can dig your own grave if you want." Emerald said before she drew, "I summon Gravekeeper's Curse." She said an as dark-robed man with a staff was seen, (800 ATK / 800 DEF). "Necrovalley gives him a boost, but his effect also burns you for 500 damage." She said before her monster gained a golden aura, (800 + 500 = 1300 ATK). Curse then raised his staff, causing a shockwave that pushed Bastion back.

Bastion: 3800 – 500 = 3300 Life Points

"And now, for a double attack!" Emerald said as Oracle blasted Mathematician apart.

"When destroyed, my monster allows me to draw a new card." Bastion said as he started to get up, "And with Spirit Barrier, I took no damage."

"But without any monsters, you cannot stop this damage," Emerald said as Curse raised his staff again, causing Bastion to fall back to the ground with his body convulsing.

Bastion: 3300 – 1300 = 2000 Life Points

"Bastion!" Velvet said as she ran over, helping him up, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, thank you." Bastion said before focusing on Emerald, "The damage is real, she made this a shadow game." He thought before standing up, "My turn," the posh Ra yellow smiled as he took the three cards in his hand, "I play Litmus Doom Ritual, offering Water Cluster Dragon for my Litmus Doom Swordsman!" Bastion said as the masked swashbuckler appeared, (0 ATK / 0 DEF). "With a face-up trap, he gains 3000 attack points." He said the swords gained a dark aura, (0 + 3000 = 3000 ATK). Bastion milled a card before pointing, "Go attack Gravekeeper's Curse!" The masked swashbuckler rushed with his blades, cutting the staff in half with the monster.

Emerald: 4000 – 1700 = 2300 Life Points

"That was a good hit but doesn't matter." Emerald said as she drew for her turn, "It is weaker than my Oracle." She said before the ultimate Gravekeeper unleashed his beam again. However, Litmus Doom Swordsman crossed his blades to block the hit, "What!?"

"Litmus Doom Swordsman cannot be destroyed by battle and is unaffected by trap card effects." Bastion responded.

"Tsk," Emerald said as she ended her turn with nothing.

"I draw." Bastion said as he saw the card, then set it in his spell and trap zone, "I end my turn."

Emerald drew, then grinned at the result, "I summon Gravekeeper's Descendent." She said as it seemed like a younger version of the Oracle appeared on the field, (1500 ATK / 1200 DEF). Like the others, he gained a yellow aura with Necrovalley, (1500 + 500 = 2000 ATK). "And with him, I can tribute my Oracle to destroy your Swordman." She said as both monsters gained a yellow aura, "Afterwards, I will be able to attack you directly for game."

"Not so fast, I reveal my face-down card. Mystical Space Typhoon." Bastion countered, "Now, I can destroy your Necrovalley." He said as a cyclone storm destroyed the field space, returning them to the forest. The chain continued as Oracle faded to the grave and Litmus Doom Swordsman was destroyed. The smoke was clearing with Descendent as the only monster on the field, but his aura was gone, (2000 – 500 = 1500 ATK).

"Gr, I can still attack you directly with Descendent!" Emerald called out with her Gravekeeper holding out his staff, firing a beam that hit Bastion in the chest to push him back into a tree.

Bastion: 2000 – 1500 = 500 Life Points

"Bastion!" Velvet called out again, then glared at Velvet, "Something's wrong, I think you're hurting him."

"You're a naïve girl to not put it together by now." Emerald responded, "This is the only way for me to repay her, to show her I have value in her eyes," She said before pointing, "I AM NOT WORTHLESS!"

Velvet had a look of panic before seeing Bastion push himself up, "An individual's value is not something for others to determine." He said while returning to the duel.

"It's that individual who proves their value to themselves first." Emerald responded with a scowl, "You can't trick me with that hopeful life crap. I have lived in this world in a way you can never understand. I know people care more about others than themselves because they have the only opinions that matter in life." She said before crossing her arms, "If they hate you, then you become hated. No amount of self-love can fix what others say about you."

"But you can just-" Velvet spoke but was cut off.

"Ignore them? Ha!" Emerald responded, "I have tried, but it still happens. You can't escape it by ignoring it. All you can do is let it eat away at you until you finally stop caring and fall into darkness." She said while looking down, but then had a smile form on her face, "But Cinder gave me a light to follow, and become something with value again."

"Cinder!?" Bastion thought as he gasped, "She just said Cinder, but could this have been in the past? Or is Cinder still-" He thought before tightening his fist, "No, I must focus on that right now. My formula could be thrown off and I would lose." The posh Ra Yellow then took a breath, "Right now, I need to win before anything else, but…" he then spoke with remorse in his eyes, "Emerald, does doing this make you happy?"

"What!?" Emerald said before the words Mercury told her before came back into her mind, "It doesn't matter, I just need to do this for her. Then she can praise me for my good work." She said with a forced smile on her face, "That's all I want, and I will do anything to get it." The pickpocket pro duelist then took a card from her hand, "I set one and end my turn."

"…I see," Bastion said as he drew, "Then, it is my turn!" Upon seeing the result, he reached for his graveyard, "With Litmus Doom Swordsman and Ritual in the graveyard, I can shuffle both backs into the deck to draw one card."

"Not so fast, I play my continuous trap card, Sacred Temple of Necrovalley!" She said as a stone mausoleum appeared behind her, "With this card, I can active Necrovalley again by moving it from the grave into my field spell zone." She said as the valley reformed, "You cannot get anything past me!" Emerald said before laughing manically.

"Are you sure, because I have a trap card." Bastion said as the facedown revealed itself, "Cursed Seal of The Forbidden Spell!" he said before discarding the Exchange he drew, "By discarding a spell I can negate yours from activating." The posh Ra Yellow said before pointing, "As well, you are unable to play spell cards with that name for the rest of the duel!"

"WHAT!?" Emerald shouted as the valley fell apart again, returning to the graveyard, "Impossible, when did you set that card? There was no way you could have tricked me, you cheated!"

"No, you did not know all of Litmus Doom Swordsman's effects." Bastion responded, "When destroyed, I can set a trap from my graveyard."

"But when did that trap-" Emerald said before looking at her field, seeing Gravekeeper's Servant, "Tsk!"

"I of course need Necrovalley destroyed first, which is why I waited for the right moment to play my Mystical Space Typhoon." Bastion spoke before drawing a card from the effect resolving, "And now, I will use the effect of the monster I sent with Mathematician before, Carboneddon. I can now banish it to special summon Seiyaryu from my deck in defense mode" he said as a pink dragon was seen on one knee with its body shielded by its wings, (2500 ATK / 2300 DEF).

"That's-" Velvet said as her mind flashed back to last night.

Walking around the school perimeter, Velvet with her camera in hand. She then found Bastion sitting on a rock while typing on a laptop, "Oh, hello there." Bastion spoke as she approached, "I'm sorry, I was working on the final touches of the formula."

"No worries, I was just looking around." Velvet said as she looked up at the sky, "It's almost a full moon, will probably be complete tomorrow."

"Indeed," Bastion responded, looking up at the sky, "But, I like to look at the stars more." He said with Velvet turning to him in confusion. "I heard our greatest minds alive were star gazers. They would look up at the night sky and let their mind ponder all the possibilities." He said with a smile forming, "Whenever I feel I am not looking at the big picture, I look to the stars to remind myself how vast something can be." He said before pointing to a blinking star, "Then, I can focus on one point, that is where I know the solution to my formula is."

"Wow," Velvet said before her face went slightly red, breaking eye contact, "I mainly like the moon for that rabbit fairytale. You know, the one with mochi?"

"Yes, I've heard of the one." Bastion said, "It's a tale of kindness and rebirth." He said before pointing to the moon, tracing with his finger, "You can even see the outline of the rabbit pounding mochi if you look at it this way."

"Yeah, you can see it!" Velvet said her ears stood up, "I tried showing it to Coco before, but she couldn't no matter how much I tried to show her." She said before looking to his laptop, seeing a list of cards, "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. You're working on your formula; I shouldn't bother you."

"I don't mind, perhaps you can help me." Bastion responded, repositioning the laptop, "Your eyes are very astute. Are there any cards that jump to you?"

"Uh, I don't know." Velvet said as she pointed, to a normal monster, "How about Rabidragon?" She said before Bastion expanded the image, showing a dragon with the fluff and ears of a rabbit, "…On second thought, maybe something a bit…less nightmary for me." The rabbit girl said before seeing another card, "Oh, Seiyaryu sounds like a pretty name." she said before the card was expanded to show the pink dragon, "Wow, it is really pretty!"

"This is a rather old card, but I do believe I have a copy." Bastion said, "It could work as a replacement for Hyozanryu." He said before noticing something in the notes, "What's this, it's part of an archetype? How so?" the posh Ra Yellow said before searching the cards, then smile, "This is it; my new formula can work with them!"

"Really, you can get those cards that quickly," Velvet asked.

"I have a few favors from the card shop, it should be no problem." Bastion said with a smile, "But thank you Velvet, you opened my eyes to the answer I need."

"N-no problem," Velvet said as she broke eye contact, hiding her blush.

In the present time, Velvet watched Bastion with a smile before taking another picture.

"I will set one card and end my turn." Bastion said, "Your end is near."

"I am not done yet," Emerald said as she drew, "I play Pot of Greed, getting two more cards." She said before grinning at one of them, "I said before how Oracle could only need one sacrifice before. Well, so does this monster. I tribute Descendant to summon Gravekeeper's Visionary!" She said as her monster faded, replaced by the throne again. However, the man sitting on it was not the same as before. He had more armor with the face of an Anubis, (2000 ATK / 1800 DEF), "And like Oracle as well, he gains attack points. However, Visionary gains 200 for each Gravekeeper in my graveyard. And as of now, that makes seven." She said as the Anubis head gained a white aura, (2000 + (200 X 7) = 3400 ATK). "Attack his monster with Tomb of Torment!" the pickpocket pro duelist said before the snake staff was raised again. This time a concentrated white beam was fired that went through the diamond skin.

Bastion's monster was destroyed as Emerald ended her turn. He looked down at his deck as his heart raised, "The formula is almost complete, but I need the last part right now. If any other outcome, I lose." He thought before drawing, then saw the card with a smile. "Now, it is time for the final play. I reveal my face-down card, Starry Night Arrival! With it, I can special summon a level seven light dragon from my hand."

"Another one like that monster I just destroyed?" Emerald responded, "How is that going to help you?"

"You shall see," Bastion said as he played the card he drew, "Arrive, Starry Night, Starry Dragon!" ascending from the sky was another dragon, this one with similar features to Seiyaryu. However, its body was a bluish white. Its feathers and wings radiate a type of stardust with each flap. With one roar, it appeared for a moment that the stars shinned through the daylight in the sky, (2500 ATK / 2300 DEF). "Starry Dragon gains an effect on summoning, allowing me to target and destroy one card on the field."

"Ha, that's all?" Emerald said she took the last card out of hand, showing it as Gravekeeper's Shaman, "I can discard a Gravekeeper to save Visionary from destruction." She sent the monster to the graveyard, causing her monster's aura to get stronger, (3400 + 200 = 3600 ATK). "Now what can you do?"

"Starry Dragon attack with Celestial Flame!" Bastion called out as his monster unleashed a solar-burning wind from its mouth, "And with its other effect, I can banish the monster it attacks at the start of the damage step." He said as Emerald gasped, seeing her Visionary fade away, "And what's more, Starry Dragon can then make a second attack." The Posh Ra Yellow said there was only one other thing to target.

"No way," Emerald said before she was engulfed in the cosmic flames, her life points hitting zero.

Emerald: 2300 – 2500 = 0 Life Points

Emerald fell to her knees as Bastion let out a sigh of relief. He heard a camera shot again, turning to see it was Velvet, who looked back at him with a smile. The two then looked back to Emerald, who gritted her teeth as she looked at the ground, "You performed well in our match." The posh Ra Yellow spoke as he walked over, then extended his hand, "That's a reason you should stand tall."

"Shut up, it's not your approval I need." Emerald said as she stood up, taking his hand, "And you will lose soon enough." She said before noticing a camera shot, turning to witness Velvet with her camera, "What did I say?"

"Sorry, I thought it was a nice moment," Velvet said as Emerald let go and walked into the woods,

"Hold on, I wish to ask you more questions." Bastion responded, "About who you mentioned in our match."

Emerald halted before looking back, "Oh, I don't recall that." She said before walking away, "You must have been hearing things."

"Wait!" Bastion called out, but Emerald was already gone, "Tsk," he gritted his teeth, then looked back to Velvet with an uneasy smile, "Sorry, that was a bit unrefined of me."

"It's okay," Velvet spoke, then looked into the woods, "That girl, I wanted to at least give her some pictures."

"I think she still needs time," Bastion responded, "Hopeful, this loss will open her mind to more perspectives." He said his smile became genuine, "Like how it was your perspective that lead me to Starry Dragon."

"I-I didn't do much!" Velvet responded, "I mean, I picked the other monster that was destroyed earlier."

"But it was seeing that card that lead me to discover this archetype." Bastion responded, looking at his duel disk, "I owe you for helping me find Starry-" he said before seeing something missing, "Impossible, where is my ace monster?"

"Huh," Velvet said the two searched the ground for the card. Suddenly, Velvet looked back at her camera. In seeing the last image, she gasped, "Look!" the rabbit girl said as she showed it to Bastion. The frame showed Emerald shaking his hand with one of hers, while the other had snagged the card from the duel disk, "She stole it."

"We need to catch up to her right now." Bastion said with Velvet nodding, causing the two to run into the woods.

However, as they passed by one tree, Emerald emerged from behind with a smirk, "Heh, easy chumps." She said before looking at the Starry Dragon, "This is what I'm only good at, not dueling." The pickpocket pro duelist said before sighing, "Then maybe, I can do this to help Cinder. If I take her enemy's cards from under their noses. Then they will be no match for her."

Suddenly, a voice was heard, "Oh, is that how you want her to praise you?" Emerald turned to discover it was Yuri, "I think she would hate you for tampering with their duels." He said with a smirk, "Especially since you already lost."

"Shut up, runt." Emerald responded, "Cinder told me it's not about overpowering the enemy-"

"It's taking away what power they have; she said the same to me." Yuri responded, "However, you were just scavenging. Taking the crumbs of the aftermath to fill your belly." He said with his hands behind his back, "It's survival, but it is also pathetic."

"Pathetic!?" Emerald responded, then showed Starry Dragon, "I have his strongest card!"

"That is meaningless to Cinder, as he can still duel." Yuri responded, "Just as you are now meaningless to her for losing so early in this tournament." He then giggled to himself, "You even blurted out her name, what a fool you are." The sadistic Obelisk Blue said before closing his eyes, "Here is a saying I like. If you are hungry, you will eat what you need to live until the next day. But if you are starving, you eat believing there was no next day for you." Yuri then opened his eyes with s sinister smile, "And it is that greed that pushes one to change from a scavenger to a predator." The sadistic Obelisk Blue said before taking out his duel disk, "But perhaps a demonstration is better for you." He said with Emerald backing up, her eyes then widening in dread.

In the distance, Bastion and Velvet continue their search for the pickpocket pro duelist. However, a noise was heard, "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" They knew the scream was from Emerald and ran to her position. As they approached, a violet light flashed and blinded them. Upon the light faded and making it to the origin of the noise, nobody was there. Rather, Velvet noticed something on the ground and handed it to Bastion. It was a card, his Starry Dragon. However, Bastion and Velvet still wondered what had happened to Emerald as they looked around.

Walking away in the woods, Yuri looked down at a card in his hand, "I should have known she couldn't be enough to make Super Polymerization." He said before tossing the card aside into a shrub, "Truly worthless." Yuri walked away as the image of the card showed Emerald, her screams unable to be heard now as the look of terror was permanently on her face.

AN: There you go, Emerald gets carded as well, poor girl. The duel with Bastion was originally going to be a tie, but after some thought, I changed the outcome here. However, Yuri was always going to turn her into a card at the end. With her deck, it was always hard for me to think of what she should play. However, once I realized she was partly based on Aladdin from Arabian Nights, it does fit for her to play Gravekeepers, which has had a lot of support over the years. I do wish I could have made the fusion here, but all other bosses are still cool. Speaking of Nights, I decided to incorporate the Starry Night dragon into Bastion's deck. I do like the cards, and they oddly fit him like Prime Material did, at least for me. The flashback with him and Velvet was also cute, I do like the British bunny ship here. We now are two-thirds done with this chunk of story, and the next duels are doing to be intense. That is all for now, thanks for reading, and hope to see you in the next chapter.

Now, time to answer some questions. A lot of people talked about Blair with Twilightsworn and thought she was next, but she is just rooming for the time being. I already had her duel and will save her next match for later. But yeah, you all know her deck upgrade now. Devil's Gate structure deck has some neat reprints, but I don't care for Dark World, (That basically deconfirmed if Salem plays those as well). Those were all the questions I had, feel free to ask more, and I will answer them in the next chapter.

EDIT: Added a bit more of a reaction to Cinder's namedrop here.