"What did you say?!" Shun took a step back out of shock, not believing what Yuto said to be true.
"I said Ruri is here, Shun. In this dimension, in this prison." Yuto informed Shun once again that Ruri was here.
"RURI!" Shun shouted as he ran to the door of his cell and started banging on it. "Let me out you bastards!"
"Stop, Shun! That isn't going to do anything except possibly get us in trouble." Yuto said. "Listen, I want just as much as you to get Ruri, but unfortunately, we have to wait and bide our time. So please, Shun…"
Shun stopped banging on the door. He wanted nothing but to rush out and save his sister. He didn't want to lose her again. He didn't want to lose this chance. However, Yuto could have gotten in danger thanks to his recklessness in Standard. It is best not to do something like that. Life wouldn't be the same without Yuto, even with Ruri in it.
"I-I" Shun stuttered as he was at a loss for words. Finally, he sighed and gave in. "Alright. I will wait. But not for long. Soon, I'm barging out of here to save my sister."
Yuto let out a soft chuckle. Although, he was still very surprised. Shun actually listened without arguing. Although Yuto could feel Shun dislike the idea, he still went with it. He shrugged this off and put a hand on Shun's shoulder to comfort him.
"Don't worry. I will help you reunite with Ruri...if it is the last thing I do…"
With Ruri and the others-Facility
"So you're here?" An unknown person with a scar and a mark on his face spoke when he noticed Ruri and the others. "Our boss, Tokumatsu, has called you out himself."
"Tokumatsu?" Crow repeated the name as he slipped into his thoughts. He could have sworn he had known someone named Tokumatsu.
"And where does he get off calling us out personally?" Sawatari questioned, getting slightly ticked off for being forced to come here.
"What was that?!" Both men rose their guards, as if they wanted to fight Sawatari for acting disrespectful about Tokumatsu.
Dennis moved close to Sawatari, a smile not present on his face. "You shouldn't fight against these guys here. It'll just make this a hassle!" Sawatari simply scoffed in response, not even bothering to face Dennis.
"Bring them out." The man now known as Tokumatsu commanded. "Your Cards!"l
"Cards?!" Ruri repeated in confusion.
"If you want to enjoy your life here you better bring some over!" The henchman of Tokumatsu in light blue told them.
"I refuse!" Ruri bellowed with determination strongly present in her voice.
"Excuse me!?" The henchman in green widened his eyes. Tokumatsu, who had his eyes opened his left eye to look at Ruri.
"I also refuse! If it's just giving out Cards to only get on the good side of the boss, then I, the man, Gongenzaka, don't have one Card for that purpose!" Gongenzaka states his opinion alongside Ruri.
"I-no, WE have to get out of here as soon as possible! We are not planning on settling down and enjoying ourselves here! Even if we did, I don't think it would be possible in a place like this!" Ruri added to Gongenzaka. They had just got here and they were required to do SO much. Plus, Ruri just wanted to see Yuto and Shun again.
"Boss!" The green prisoner next to Gong clapped his hands together out of worry.
"It's fine, stay quiet." Gongenzaka said.
"Listen up. I'm the boss here, which means I am the top of this place! So that means I make the rules! You're all beneath me so you can obey me! That's the common sense of this world!" Tokumatsu spoke in a slow, cold voice, void of emotion.
"That's the common sense of the world' my ass! If you're the boss here, that means that you have to act like a symbol for the people you rule over! That doesn't mean treat them like crap!" Shark yelled as he threw his hand to the side. "And seriously? You want us to give you our Cards, the most important thing to a Duelist?! Cards are not meant for bribery or anything to be stolen. They are meant to be used for Dueling!"
"More brats who won't listen to reason…" Tokumatsu muttered out of sheer disappointment. "I am a symbol to those below me...a symbol of power! Take a look at this!" Tokumatsu gripped his hands on top of what everyone except the henchmen thought was a table. He launched himself off as the henchman revealed what was underneath the white cloth. It was multiple stacks of Cards. So many Cards! Ruri wouldn't surprised if there was more than a thousand Cards!
"Those are…" O'Brien ushered quietly in shock as he saw the table of Cards. When Tokumatsu hit the ground, strong dusts of wind threw themselves at Ruri, Crow, Shinji and the Lancers as they struggled to stand up, with the exception of Gongenzaka, who stood up as he looked at Tokumatsu in shock.
"Do you know what this is? These are the Cards of those who have lost when they challenged me in Duels in the 10 years I have ruled here!" Tokumatsu informed the group who was in awe.
"Duelists who've lost?! Just how many people as he Dueled?!" Ruri exclaimed in shock.
"Here, Cards are the proof of who's on top! And Dueling is a sign of power!" Tokumatsu spoke nonchalantly.
"A sign of power…" Ruri murmured. "No! That's not right! Duels are not meant to be used to fight, they are meant to be used for fun!" That is what she learned from Sakaki Yusho. She already knew before he came that Duels were meant to be fun. However, her beliefs had strengthened significantly since Sakaki Yusho came. Even when the war started, when Ruri had to start to a Duel to survive, Ruri still kept those beliefs stuck inside her head.
"What?!" Tokumatsu slightly weakened his sharp gaze on Ruri.
"For fun, she says!? Boss, this girl says Dueling here is for fun! Hahahahahaha!" The henchman in green laughed, a tear forming in his eye.
"Don't show me that disgusting cackling face of yours!" Tokumatsu shouted at his subordinate, scaring the poop out of the poor guy.
"S-sorry!" The man immediately got in a formal position.
"If you had just given your Cards to me I would have let this slide, but, I've changed my mind. Guard!" Tokumatsu called out to the blonde haired guard.
"Yes, yes, what do you need?" At that moment, Tokumatsu threw a Magic Card at the guard, it landed on one of the bars of the cell. Just by this action, the guard jumped out of fright.
"Bring me some Duel Disks." Tokumatsu commanded sternly. "We're going to Duel now."
"Th-this is a rare Card!" The guard gawked. He gave Tokumatsu a grateful smile. "Yes, I'll bring it right away!"
"Here, it is said that the Cards determines your fate. If you won't listen, you'll have to learn the hard way. You better prepare yourself." Tokumatsu threw out a finger pointing at Ruri. "I'll knock some sense to you through a Duel!"
Later-When the Two Duel
Ruri and Tokumatsu faced each other dead in the eye, while the others stood off to the side to spectate on the Duel.
"It seems that you don't get it yet. Those who fight against those on top are always crushed!" Tokumatsu lifted up his hand and formed a fist with it.
"We'll see if I get crushed or not!" Ruri exclaimed as she pulled out the Duel Disk she had received from the guard and activated it.
"Brat...let's go!" Tokumatsu also activated his Duel Disk in response.
"DUEL!" Both Duelists declared in unison.
Immediately, Tokumatsu took a step forward and crouched down to assume a familiar stance to Crow and Shinji.
"Hey, that stance is…" Shinji whispered to Crow, memories coming back to the both of them.
"Yeah. I've seen him somewhere before." Crow nodded his head in agreement with Shinji.
"My turn!" Tokumatsu wasted no time and he declared having first turn, causing Riri to grit her teeth, as she works better when she goes first. Tokumatsu showed a Magic Card from his Hand to Ruri. "I play the Magic Card Hana Awase! This Card allows me to Special Summon four Cardian Monsters with 100 Attack from my Deck in Attack Position!" Four board like Monsters with a drawing in them combined together and slid onto the Field. "I Summon the Cardians Matsu, Susuki, Yanagi, and Kiri!"
Matsu: Level 1, 100 Atk, 100 Def
Susuki: Level 8, 100 Atk, 100 Def
Yanagi: Level 11, 100 Atk, 100 Def
Kiri: Level 12, 100 Atk, 100 Def
"He Summoned four Monsters as once!" Sawatari noted, slightly worried about what he was going to do.
"Furthermore I activate the Magic Card Hanazumi! This Card allows me to choose 3 Cardian Monsters from my Deck and arrange them on the top of my Deck in the order I choose! The Cards I choose are Cardians Susuki ni Tsuki, Kiri ni Houou, and Yanagi ni Ono no Michikaze!" Tokumatsu took his desired Cards out of his Deck and ordered them and placed them on top.
"Those 3 Monsters have similar names to 3 of the ones on the Field." O'Brien pointed out.
"And here, I activate the effect of Cardian Matsu ni Tsuru from my Hand! With this, I am able to release Matsu and Special Summon it!" Tokumatsu took Matsu off his Duel Disk and swiped his new Card onto his Duel Disk in its place.
Matsu ni Tsuru: Level 1, 2000 Atk, 2000 Def
"Now, I get to draw a Card! Next I release Susuki to Special Summon Susuki ni Tsuki!"
Susuki ni Tsuki: Level 8, 2000 Atk, 2000 Def
"When it is Special Summoned I draw a Card! Like last time, I release Kiri to Special Summon Kiri ni Houou!"
Kiri ni Houou: Level 12, 2000 Atk, 2000 Def
"When this Card is Special Summoned I can draw a Card! Next I activate the effect of Yanagi ni Ono no Michikaze! I release Yanagi to Special Summon this Tuner Monster!" Tokumatsu placed the Card onto his Duel Disk. A board appeared with a person and dark leaves on it appeared.
Yanagi ni Ono no Michikaze: Level 11, 2000 Atk, 2000 Def
"Amazing!" Dennis exclaimed as he looked at the Field in awe. "He got four Monsters with over 2000 Attack in an instant!"
"When this Card is Special Summoned, I get to draw a Card!" Tokumatsu showed Ruri the Card he drew. "The Card I drew was Cardian-Sakura ni Maku! However, there is no Sakura Card on my Field. So, this Card is sent to my Graveyard. Now then…" Tokumatsu stamped a foot onto the ground. "I'm not done yet! I'm just getting started! I activate the effect of Yanagi ni Ono no Michikaze! When this Card is used as Synchro Material, it makes all Monsters Level 2!"
"A Synchro Summon!" Ruri readied her guard.
"Let's go! I tune my Cardian-Matsu ni Tsuru, Susuki ni Tsuki, Kiri ni Houou with my Level 2 Tuner Monster Yanagi ni Ono no Michikaze!" Tokumatsu lifted his hand to the air, where his Monsters broke apart and started to tune with each other. "Rain of tears! Become light and rain down! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Level 8, Cardian - Ameshikou!" A man with an umbrella and in a blue kimono appeared.
Amenshikou: Level 8, 3000 Atk, 3000 Def
"I set two Cards and end my turn!" Tokumatsu concluded as two set Cards appeared for a moment before disappearing in front of him. "Brat! I'll say this again! Cards is the sign of those on top and Dueling is the sign of power!"
"I don't care how many times you say it! I will never change the beliefs that I have held onto for so long! My turn, draw!" Ruri glanced at her drawn Card. However, she put her eyes on Tokumatsu when he started talking.
"You naive brat! I activate Ameshikou's effect! When my opponent draws a Card, they are dealt 1500 damage!" Tokumatsu's Monster threw the umbrella up into the air, yellow Cards rained down on Ruri, who covered herself with her arm as she grit her teeth.
Ruri: 4000-2500 LP
"So this means that when she draws a Card, Ruri is going to take huge damage." O'Brien said as he continued to watch and analyze the Duel.
"So that means Ruri has to defeat him or destroy his Monster either this turn or next turn." Sawatari deduced from the situation.
"Hmph. Ruri won't have to worry about destroying the Monster." Shark told the group, who all except Dennis looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean, Shark?" Gongenzaka asked his fellow Lancer.
"Oh, I know what he is talking about! Ruri's Monsters aren't very strong. However, they make up for some incredible defensive ability! Heck, her ace Monster can Attack directly!" Dennis answered the question instead of Shark.
"Also, Tokumatsu isn't the only one who can Summon tons of Monsters." Shark said that sentence loud enough so Tokumatsu could hear.
"What?!"
"He's right!" Ruri confirmed. "I will show you now! I Summon Lyrical Luscinia - Cobalt Sparrow from my Hand!" A humanoid sparrow flew to the Field.
Cobalt Sparrow: Level 1, 0 Atk, 100 Def
"Hahahahaha! A Monster with 0 Attack! What can she do with something so weak?!" One of Tokumatsu's henchman cackled.
"I don't want to hear your high-pitched cackling playing in my head!" Tokumatsu gave his minion 'the eye' and he immediately shut up.
"When I control a Lyrical Luscinia Monster, I can Special Summon this Card from my Hand along with another Level 1 Lyrical Luscinia Monster! Come forth, Lyrical Luscinia - Sapphire Swallow, and with her I Special Summon Turquoise Warbler!"
Sapphire Swallow: Level 1, 100 Atk, 0 Def
Turquoise Warbler: Level 1, 100 Atk, 0 Def
"When Turquoise Warbler is Special Summoned, I get to Special Summon a Level 1 Lyrical Luscinia Monster from my Hand! Come forth, Cobalt Sparrow!"
"Not so fast! Continuous Trap, Fraud Freeze! When I control a Cardian Synchro Monster and you control Monsters Special Summoned from the Hand, your Monsters are returned to your Hand!" Tokumatsu exclaimed as a gust of wind blew Ruri's Monsters off the Field.
"No!" Ruri reluctantly put the Cards of the Monsters back into her Hand.
Everyone gasped in shock while Dennis spoke. "Her usual Special Summon slam strategy just got shut down like it was cheating!"
"So that means as long as that Card exists, Special Summoning from the Hand for Ruri in general would be considered cheating…" Shinji murmured under his breath as he looked at Tokumatsu.
"Don't forget, Tokumatsu has Amenshikou on his Field. Every time she draws, Ruri will suffer from 1500 points of damage." Crow summarized Tokumatsu's strategy of defeating Ruri.
"Dueling has changed during the 10 years I've been in here it seems. But I'll take my undefeated Dueling from the past 10 years and break it like nothing!" Tokumatsu clenched his fist as he stared down Ruri.
"He's changed." Crow suddenly said. "This isn't Enjoy Chojiro's Dueling style."
"Enjoy Chojiro?" Shark, O'Brien, Ruri, Dennis, Gongenzaka and Sawatari repeated in a confused manner.
"Don't you dare use that name!" Tokumatsu snapped at the group who used the name. At this point in his life, he had walked the path away from Enjoy Chojiro. Now, it was as if the name was taboo. Enjoy a Chojiro was just a little memory from the past stuck inside a little piece of his heart. Crow and Shinji both gasped at Tokumatsu's rejection of the name. "I am now Chojiro of the Autumn Rain now."
"Everyone who has Dueled the boss have been driven off in defeat, thus losing their Cards and shedding tears of sorrow." The follower of Tokumatsu in blue spoke with a smile on his face. "That is why he goes by that title."
"You don't even have any defensive Monsters now." The other follower of Chojiro stated. It's only a matter of time before you shed your own tears of sorrow!"
Little did he know, that Ruri has long since shed her own tears of sorrow during the war.
"I set a Card from my Hand and end my turn." Ruri inserted a Card into her Magic and Trap Zone.
"Ready an umbrella so you won't be drenched by your own rain of sorrow! My turn! If I draw now, the effect that Ameshikou has that inflicts 1500 damage will be negated. However, due to Ameshikou's effect, I can choose to give up my draw." Ruri gasped when she heard this. "When you draw in the next turn, you shall take 1500 damage. Tumble down the slope of self-destruction."
"Great, boss! Your victory combo's decided!" One of the henchman cheered.
"I know that without you telling me! No need for cheering!" Tokumatsu scolded, causing the guy to flinch from terror. "I don't need cheers or support. Winning Duels. That's enough to show that my strength puts me on top!"
"What a weird guy. Cheers are proof that you're exceptional." Sawatari said.
"That's just you." Gongenzaka told Sawatari in an annoyed tone.
"My lethal combo is already complete. If you surrender and hand over half of your Cards. I'll pardon you." Tokumatsu proposed to Ruri.
"Your combo may be complete, but I haven't lost yet." Ruri refused to surrender. "There is still a chance, a chance for me to turn this Duel around into my favor!" She didn't give up in Heartland. She didn't give up when she had to spend time locked up in Academia, so why should she give up now?
"There is nothing you can change in the fact of overpowering strength!"
"As I said, if I don't give up, I could still turn around and win this!" Ruri countered.
"Looks like I'll have to make you understand after all! Battle! Ameshikou, attack her directly!" From under the umbrella, Ameshikou revealed a sword, which he used to try and hit Ruri with.
"I can't Special Summon from the Hand, but I can straight from the Extra Deck! Reverse Card, open! Trap Card, Lyrical Xyz Recite, activate!" Ruri clicked a button on her Duel Disk and opened her set Card. "When a direct attack is declared on me, I can activate this Card! I get to target Monsters with the same Level in my Hand or Grave to use as Xyz Materials for the Summon for an Xyz Monster!"
"What? A new Summoning method?!" Tokumatsu widened his eyes in shock.
"I overlay from my Hand the 2 Level 1 Cobalt Sparrows, Turquoise Warbler, and Sapphire Swallow! Birds with beautiful wings! Gather on the battlefield and take brilliant flight! Xyz Summon! Dance in the sky! Rank 1! Lyrical Luscinia - Assembly Nightingale!" Ruri chanted as her beautifully Xyz Monster gracefully flew to the Field.
Assembly Nightingale: Rank 1, 0 Atk, 0 Def
"First of all, Assembly Nightingale's effect activates, for every overlay unit attached to this Monster, she gains 100 Attack. There are 4 overlay units, so Assembly Nightingale gains 400 Attack! Then, I will chain the additional effect of Lyrical Xyz Recite, when the Monster is Xyz Summoned, the Battle Phase immediately ends!" Ruri explained the additional effect of her Card as Tokumatsu's Monster halted and backed up.
Assembly Nightingale: 0-400 Atk
"I end my turn." Tokumatsu concluded.
"My turn." Ruri drew her Card and looked at it. It was another Cobalt Sparrow. Just then, Tokumatsu's Monster activated its effect, inflicting 1500 damage to Ruri, who cried out in pain as she was assaulted by multiple drops of Cards, which dissipated when they hit the ground.
Ruri: 2500-1000 LP
"This isn't good, Ruri only has 1000 life left." Crow viewed the current situation Ruri was in, it seemed hopeless.
"I'm not giving up! Battle! Due to her effect, Assembly Nightingale can attack directly, and she can attack for every overlay unit she holds. She has 4, so she can Attack 4 times!"
"What?!" Tokumatsu grit his teeth.
"Go, Assembly Nightingale! The first hit!" Ruri declared as Assembly Nightingale flew over Tokumatsu's Monster and kicked him on the chin, causing him to grab his face in pain.
"The second hit!"
Tokumatsu was blown back by a gust of wind coming from Assembly Nightingale's wings, he covered his himself with his arms and held his ground.
"Take another one!"
At Ruri's declaration, Assembly Nightingale kicked Tokumatsu in the stomach, causing him to double over.
"Now, take the fourth and last attack!"
Assembly Nightingale sent a kick to Tokumatsu's face, causing him to fall backwards to the ground. He groaned in pain as he lost his life points.
Tokumatsu: 4000-2400 LP
"Boss!" The henchmen exclaimed out of concern.
"Stay back!" Tokumatsu yelled at them harshly.
"Oi! They were just trying to support you! To reject support like that is unforgivable!" Gongenzaka told Tokumatsu sternly.
Tokumatsu ignored this. "Is that all?"
"I end my turn." Ruri ended her turn as she looked at Tokumatsu.
"It's over." Crow closed his eyes.
"Yeah." Shinji also doubted the chances of Ruri surviving.
"My turn. Due to Ameshikou's effect, I won't draw. I attack your Assembly Nightingale with my Monster!"
"I activate Assembly Nightingale's effect! If this Monster were to be destroyed, I can detach an overlay unit instead, I also take no damage!" Assembly Nightingale was hit by Ameshikou's sword, but she still stood strong and remained on the Field. "Due to the loss of an overlay unit, the Attack of Assembly Nightingale decreases."
Assembly Nightingale: 400-300 Atk
"It matters not. In the next turn, when you draw a Card, your life will immediately to 0, it is over. There is nothing you can do. I end my turn. Now, draw! Draw your Card of defeat!" Tokumatsu urged Ruri.
"He's changed so much…" Crow talked to Shinji while the Duel was going on.
"Yeah, he's way different from his past self." Shinji agreed.
"What did you say about enjoy?" Dennis decided it was the time to ask.
"Enjoy Chojiro. A Duelist from our childhood we admired." Shinji answered simply.
"Admired? Are you sure we are talking about him?" Ryoga asked.
"Yeah. Appearance wise, this is the same guy. The star of hope for the Commons. He didn't care about winning or losing. Even when he was in a pinch he never forgot to enjoy Dueling."
"ENJOY!" The words still played on in Crow's head.
"With a deciding draw, he'd create a miracle and clinch victory. Even after becoming a famous Duelist, he would teach the Commons kids how to Duel. I went to a lot of those Dueling classes too. If the street kids got in a fight...he would stop it."
"Fighting is mindless behavior. Stop. If you have so much violent energy, the Duel! Dueling is not merely a game. You understand your opponent, as well as yourself in a Duel. Because of that you form bonds. That is what Dueling is."
"Chojiro! Chojiro! Chojiro!"
"ENJOY!"
"But how did he get like this? Harshly Dueling, not accepting the cheers and waiting for his opponent to self-destruct." Crow asked the question everyone was thinking.
"If he was that successful, why is he in the detention facility?" Gongenzaka questioned the fact.
"Don't know." Crow replied, putting a hand on his hip.
"He was completely done in by a Tops Duelists." Shinji said almost emotionlessly. "After that, no one knew where he had gone. We heard he had fallen into ruin, but…"
"You understand that anything you do now is pointless, right? Give up, this Duel will end in your defeat." Tokumatsu proclaimed.
"I haven't lost! Nothing has been decided yet! And until something is decided, I am not giving up! Who knows what could unfold to the end. That is why Duels are so fun!"
"Shut up! There is no meaning in enjoying Dueling!" Tokumatsu denied his old side and persona of Dueling.
"There is! It's to make sure everyone is happy and safe! So they can escape from the harsh realities of life and feel happy, even if it is just for a little while!" Ruri told Tokumatsu.
"Don't prattle! The flow of this Duel can not change! No matter how you try, fate can't change! Trying is futile!" Tokumatsu shouted out of anger. "They talk about equality on the surface, when the fact is the Tops are on top and Commons are at the bottom! I loathed that class difference. I will demolish that wall with Duels! In Dueling, there are no Tops and Commons. I can definitely change the situation."
Tokumatsu paused before continuing.
"With that mindset, I challenged the Tops Duelists to a Duel. However...the only thing waiting for me was snipes at the hands of a group who used their money to attain strong Cards! The cheering of the audience soon changed into booing, and in the end, ridicule. I thought, if it's all come down to booing and ridicule, I have no need for anymore cheers! No need for smiles, either!" The negative responses from the audience played in his mind and were ingrained the moment he heard them.
"I stakes my comeback on my next Duel. That was my last chance. In my haste to not lose no matter what, I cheated." He remembered taking a Card that would have helped him instead of a Card from the top of his Deck. "At that moment, I knew it was over. Dueling won't open up the future. Nothing can be changed. From then on, Dueling simply became a means to survive in this prison. I threw away Dueling that depended on the luck of the draw. I the. Worked out this lethal combo."
He thought about being imprisoned and thrown into the facility.
"Resigned to an unchanging and unchangeable fate, I spent 10 years accumulating this strength! You cannot change that!" Tokumatsu exclaimed fiercely.
"I don't know if I can change it but...let's settle this!" Ruri placed a Card on the top of her Deck, praying that she would get the right Card that would help her in the Duel. "Draw!"
"It ends with this! Take 1500 damage by Ameshikou's effect!" Tokumatsu bellowed as the eyes of his Monster glowed. Ameshikou lifted his umbrella, multiple droplets formed like Cards rained down on Ruri.
"I drew the Monster Card Lyrical Luscinia - Coa Pecker! When damage would be inflicted to me, I can discard a Card in my Hand to negate the effect, and destroy the Card along with attaching this Card as an overlay unit!" The droplets disappeared and Ameshikou was destroyed, an image of Ruri's Monster appeared. It was a girl dressed up as a woodpecker with black fur. The bird also had a small raincoat draped over it. The Monster turned into an overlay unit and began to orbit Assembly Nightingale. "Since there is another overlay unit, that is another 100 points for my Nightingale."
Assembly Nightingale: 300-400 Atk
"He did it!" Both of the prisoners in red and green jumped up out of joy.
"A raincoat and a song that won't be drenched by sorrowful rain." Gongenzaka said wisely.
"You destroyed my Monster…" Tokumatsu looked on in shock.
"And if you try to Summon a Monster with a similar effect, then feast your eyes on this!" Ruri pointed to her Monster with a smile creeping up on her face. Is this how Sakaki Yusho felt when he Dueled? All eyes were on her right now, an audience that she had to satisfy. "When Coat Pecker is attached as an overlay unit, I cannot take any effect damage!"
"What?!" Tokumatsu gaped out of shock.
"So as long as Assembly Nightingale remains on the Field, she can stay in the game! Also, Ameshikou is gone now! He will only have one Card in his Hand when he draws! He can hardly do something with that! It's Ruri's win!" Sawatari exclaimed prematurely.
Shark smiled. "Nice job, Ruri."
"H-he…" The minion in light blue started.
"He survived the boss's lethal combo!" The minion in green finished.
"It looks like the flow of the Duel has changed after all! Now, Assembly Nightingale, unleash 4 fearsome attacks directly on Tokumatsu!" Ruri declared as she pointed at her opponent. Four deadly kicks were released onto the poor man's face and chin as he fell onto his bottom.
Tokumatsu: 2400-800 LP
"This tomfoolery…" Tokumatsu growled in anger.
Meanwhile-With the Other Prisoners
"Hey! Guard guy! I got a good Card for you!" A prisoner in blue clothes waved a Card in front of a cramped cell. It was currently very loud in the Facility after the rumors of Tokumatsu Dueling were spread.
"Ahh you are so noisy!" The guard walked up to the cell.
"I can't help but be interested in Tokumatsu-san's Duel! Please, with this!" The guard turned in multiple directions to hear more people begging him to let them out to see the Duel.
Back at the Duel
"They're going at it!" A voice was heard. Everyone turned towards the entrance to the cell to see prisoners coming to watch the Duel, yet they were still locked outside.
More expressions of joy at being able to watch the Duel were heard.
"Boss's fame is a pretty big deal." The subordinate of a Tokumatsu commented at the sight of the humongous crowd gathered outside of the cell just to see Tokumatsu Duel.
"I end my turn. Since our audience has grown up a bunch in number, we need to lighten the mood! If I can hear, people are all here for you, Tokumatsu."
"I swear I will smash you down so much and so fast that they won't even get to enjoy it!" Tokumatsu held up his Duel Disk, prepared to draw a Card. "My turn!"
"Without Ameshikou, he won't be able to skip his draw." Gongenzaka noted.
I can't believe that after several years of giving up my draws, I have to bet it all on one again. Looks like fate has a cruel way of hitting you with nostalgia. Thinking about, it has been several years. I used to bet it all with one draw...with these two fingers. At this moment, Tokumatsu actually cracked a smile.
"Did the Boss just smile!?" Both of Tokumatsu's subordinates bellowed out of shock.
Since that fateful day I decided to cheat, no matter how much I tried, I could never draw that Card. It was as if the Card abandoned me. Tokumatsu let the cheering of the prisoners sink it.
"CHOJIRO! CHOJIRO! CHOJIRO!" They constantly chanted.
They have all been riled up...Tokumatsu thought as he made his decision. He pulled out a grin on his face.
"Idiots! All of you have such glistening eyes!"
No, it is not just them.
He drew his Card. He bet it all on that Card. Something he hasn't done in several years. Yet here he was…
"ENJOOOOOOOOOOOOOY!" He shouted as he drew his Card.
"SHIVERS!" All of the prisoners exclaimed out of joy.
At hearing the prisoners, Shark and O'Brien noticeably flinched, while Gongenzaka immediately thought of a certain boy back at the Standard Dimension who would shake his butt when saying the same thing.
"It's here! I activate the Magic Card, Chokoikoi!" Enjoy Chojiro revealed his drawn Card as it appeared in front of him.
"Alright!" Crow grinned.
"The miracle draw!" Even Shinji was getting amped up.
"With this Card's effect, I can draw three Cards from my Deck and Special Summon any and all Cardians I draw! However, non-Cardian Cards are sent to the Graveyard and I take 1000 damage for each one." Tokumatsu stated the downside. He took a step forward, ready to take a risk.
"Go, the draw that I staked my fate on!" Multiple cheers came from the audience, they had been waited for this moment for a long time. And with that, Tokumatsu started a speech. "Dueling is life!" At hearing this, the crowd got hyped, knowing what the speech was. "If there are days you win, there are also days to will lose! Don't be ashamed of defeat! Do not be proud of victory! All in all, let's enjoy!" Tokumatsu threw out his hands.
"ENJOY!" The prisoners, Crow, and Sinji yelled out. Even Sawatari found himself calling it out. Gongenzaka, O'Brien, and Shark gave him a weird look while Dennis just sweatdropped.
"What? It sounds cool." Sawatari admitted as he closed his eyes.
"Now, the first draw!" Chojiro announced.
"Come on! Come on!" Light blue minion did the Tokumatsu arm waltz.
"Come on! Come on!" Green minion did the same.
"ENJOY!" Chojiro drew his Card with a smile glowing on his face. He revealed the Card. "Cardian-Hagi ni Inoshishi!"
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"The second draw!"
"Come! Come! Come! Come!" Both minions of Tokumatsu built up the Tokumatsu hype train.
"ENJOY!" Chojiro cried out. "Cardian-Momiji ni Shika! And the final one!"
"COME! COME! COME! COOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMME!" The minions made a grabbing signal with their hands.
"ENJOY! Cardian-Botan ni Chou!" The Card was shown for all to see.
"All three are Cardians!" Gongenzaka exclaimed out of amazement. Just how lucky was this guy?"
Botan ni Chou: Level 6, 1000 Atk, 1000 Def
Hagi ni Inoshishi: Level 7, 1000 Atk, 1000 Def
Momiji ni Shika: Level 10, 1000 Atk, 1000 Def
"That's Enjoy Chojiro for you!" Someone whistled.
"How's that! My draws are in better shape than ever!" Next, due to Chokoikoi's effect, the Attack and Defense of all Special Summoned Monsters are reduced to 0! Their Levels also become 2! I tune the Level 2 Hagi ni Inoshishi, Momiji ni Shika with the Level 2 Tuner Monster Botan ni Chou!" Tokumatsu declared a Synchro Summon.
"A second Synchro Summon?!" Ruri was shocked, however she kept a small smile on her face.
"As ferocious as an boar! As galant as a deer! As beautiful as a butterfly! Synchro Summon! Level 6! Cardian - Inoshikach!" Tokumatsu Synchro Summoned his new Monster to the Field.
Inoshikach: Level 6, 2000 Atk, 2000 Def
"Trap Card, Cardian Revival! When I control a Cardian Synchro Monster, I can revive a Monster in my Grave! Revive, Ameshikou!" A portal opened, and Tokumatsu's Monster flew out of it. "The revived Monster can attack 3 times, however, it is destroyed at the end of the turn. Now, use all of your attacks my Monsters, to get rid of all for the overlay units Assembly Nightingale has!" Ameshikou struck Ruri's Monster three times while Inoshikach hit it once, all of the overlay units disappeared, however the Monster stayed.
Assembly Nightingale: 400-0 Atk
Ruri added her Coat Pecker back to her Hand to due to the effect.
"Ruri's Monster has no more overlay units!" Gongenzaka widened his eyes out of realization.
"It's fine." Shark assured him with his arms crossed.
"I end my turn. At this moment, Ameshikou is destroyed. You're at 1000 life. You have no plans give up, do you?"
"You're right about that." Ruri confirmed. "Now, let's end this! My turn!"
Now, just Chojiro did, I need to bet it all on this one draw. Please, my Deck, I am counting on you.
"Draw!" Ruri glanced at her Card and grinned. "Awesome! From my Hand, I activate Rank-Up-Magic Whole Step Force! Using this Card and Assembly Nightingale as Material, I can Xyz Summon a Monster whose Rank is 1 higher than Assembly Nightingale's. Bird with wonderous and beautiful wings! Evolve into a new bird and go on the path of victory! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Fly onto the Field before us, Lyrical Luscinia - Evolved Nightingale!"
Evolved Nightingale: Rank 2, 0 Atk, 100 Def
"Evolved Nightingale gains 200 Attack for each overlay unit she contains. She has 2!"
Evolved Nightingale: 0-400 Atk
"Like Assembly Nightingale, Evolved Nightingale can attack directly, but the damage is halved this time. Go, Evolved Nightingale!" Ruri's Monster flew to Tokumatsu and headbutt him in the chest, he stumbled backwards from the impact.
Tokumatsu: 800-600 LP
"It ends with this! When she deals damage from a direct attack, I can detach an overlay unit from this Card to destroy a Monster you control, then, I deal damage to you equal to the destroyed Monster's Attack!" Ruri raised her hand to her Monster, who struck Inoshikach in the back, destroying the Monster. Chojiro closed his eyes and smiled. He had fun. He finally truly understood what Dueling meant now.
Thank you...Ruri
Tokumatsu: 600-0 LP
Card Catalog
Lyrical Xyz Recite, Trap: When a direct is declared on you, target any number of Monsters in your Hand or Grave with the same Level, Xyz Summon a Monster from the Extra Deck using those Monsters as Materials. When the Monster is a Summoned, immediately end the Battle Phase.
Lyrical Luscinia - Coat Pecker, Level 1, 0 Atk, 0 Def, Winged-Beast, Wind: When you would be dealt damage, discard a Card except this one, negate the damage and attach this Card as an Xyz Material to an Xyz Monster you control. While this Card is attached to an Xyz Monster, you don't take any effect damage. When this Card is sent to the Graveyard as Xyz Material, add it to your Hand.
Cardian Revival, Trap: If you control a Cardian Monster, Special Summon a Monster in your Grave. It can attack 3 times this turn but it is destroyed at the End Phase of this turn.
Rank-Up-Magic Whole Step Force, Magic: Using this Card and a Lyrical Luscinia Xyz Monster you control as Material, Xyz Summon a Lyrical Luscinia Monster whose Rank is 1 higher than the targeted Monster.
Alright! Another chapter done. I actually kind of enjoyed writing this chapter even though Tokumatsu's Deck is a pain to write.
Although I don't like his Deck, I really do like Tokumatsu as a character. I mean, he didn't really do anything, but he was someone I just liked, there was nothing special about him, I just like him.
Preview.
After Tokumatsu is defeated, the group comes up with a way to escape the prison. They would have an Entertainment Duel between Sawatari and Tokumatsu, however, what would happen if you throw Dennis and a reluctant Shark in the mix in the middle of it all? Meanwhile, Yuto and Shun bide their time, waiting to escape and find Ruri. Finally, while in her cell Aki…
VioletStarVN: I actually saw this username and thought that it looked familiar, so when I saw the stories you wrote I was surprised to see the fanfic 'Zarc returns,' which was actually one of the fanfics that drew me to this site and into making account and making my own story and stuff. So...thank you?
That's all for now guys. Hope you guys ENJOYED the chapter.
Take care, goodbye!
All aboard the ENJOY train!
