If you like this story, please check out "The Disastrous Chance Noir" by Wei, Jia Jun, available for purchase on Amazon. I chose a Chinese pseudonym to make it more exotic and make it distinct from my fanfiction works. I'd really appreciate it if you, the reader, buy it, as it allows me to continue telling stories like this. Thank you.
The Disastrous Chance Noir:
Andreus Lyon had long been an admirer of his father, and his father before him, and so on. He loved the stories his mother told to him in his childhood before she passed away. Stories of knights and kings, of honor and chivalry, a time where the world was enchanted with the souls of societies. Stories of Roland, the Prefect of the Breton March, of how he bravely stood his last stand.
Yet Andreus does not live in those times. He lives in modern Paris, a city gone to ruins. A place whose people does not share his veneration of the old culture and its old glory. And he has no chance to prove himself to be someone who could live up to the dignity of his forefathers.
Until chance happened and bestowed upon him a mysterious ring that can enhance his physical capabilities. His strength became equal to ten men, his foot as light as a feather, and his eyes as sharp as the owl or the cat hunting prey in the night.
And when he met a certain baxter who has been terrorized by the local gang, this was his chance to prove himself that he would've been just as noble and brave as Roland.
"That was amazing!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Oh my God! I never knew your nerdy card game could've been so spectacular!"
Cassandra was still going on about it, even as they were currently on board their private jet. The team of skilled chefs with their gourmet meals couldn't distract her, the onboard massage therapists couldn't distract her, hell, not even the high-speed internet thirty-thousand feet up in the air couldn't distract her. That spectacle was all that was on her mind.
"Surely it can't have been that great?" Sidney was sitting next to him, his sister across the table. "I've seen holograms, and I've never really been impressed. And that's counting the latest State-of-the-Art holograms."
"It's even better! I really thought I was on the moon!" Cassandra said. "I couldn't even tell where the walls were anymore, let alone seeing the shadows of those framed paintings! Whatever you saw as State-of-the-Art is nothing compared to what we've seen! I'm going to buy some N.V.K. stocks right now before it gets even higher and it'll cost me an arm and a leg to buy!"
"NO!" Eugene screamed impulsively. He was not going to let his sister contribute to the wealth of the scumbag who called their mom a whore. "Screw that guy! I won't allow you to buy them! What did I just tell you!?"
"Urghh…! This again? Are you sure that's even the same guy all those years ago? That guy was a bum! His clothes had holes in them and he was stinky! Worst of all, that attitude of his could've never convinced anyone to do something he wanted, let alone convincing people to invest millions of dollars into his company! Someone like that could never be anyone other than some loser looking for his next brawl on the street!"
"I know what I saw!"
"Are you sure? Because you didn't even recognize the guy until he beat you at your own game! I think you're just being a sore loser."
Eugene knew what he saw. He was absolutely sure of it. Who cares if his sister didn't believe him? That won't stop him from using every single one of his connections to crush this little insect under his foot and grind his company to the ground. Better yet, Eugene was going to steal that company and erase the name Raymond Novak until nobody even remembers a time when he was once its founder. Eugene was going to make a small fortune on top of his massive one on the sweat, blood, and tears of that cockroach.
"Cassandra, come on. Eugene isn't like that." Sidney defended him.
"Sidney, you're engaged to him! How do you not know that this is exactly what he's like?" Cassandra reached for the champagne to pour herself a glass.
Eugene immediately grabbed the bottle before her nimble fingers got to it. "What do you think you're doing? You're not old enough to drink."
"Oh, come on! We're above international waters! Nobody's going to check my identification! Every reasonable country has their legal drinking age at eighteen!"
"Well, our legal residence isn't in one of those 'reasonable' countries, is it? If you do something flat-out stupid while you're drunk and I didn't stop you, that's on my head because you're my sister, you got that?"
At first, it was just a faint furrowing of her brow, a slight tightening of her lips as she glanced around the cabin. But as those words came out of his mouth, her irritation intensified. "Oh, so you think you're incapable of doing something flat-out stupid, huh?"
"What do you think the headline in the news would be if I got drunk and did something stupid? Mockery! You? Legal troubles!" She was too old for this. Thankfully, she was not the heir, otherwise everything would be burning and collapsing around her as soon as she would've taken the reins.
Cassandra scoffed at this serious matter. "Just get our lawyers; what else do we pay them for?"
Another example of her short-sightedness. Eugene tsked. "There are factors more than mere words on pieces of paper. If everyone starts learning that one of us is a loose cannon, they'd assume we're all a liability because family always cover for each other. Try getting investors to stay on when they hear that one of the family members of the CEO and President likely to get into legal trouble! They'd start wondering if we're wasting resources that could've otherwise gone to the profit margins. That'll always be in the back of their minds, no matter how much you assure them!"
They'd jump ship on the news of something that was out of any human control, like a death or sickness; they'd jump further and never look back on the news of something that was completely avoidable.
"Whatever." Cassandra then gave him the cold shoulder.
Sidney said nothing because she couldn't say anything. Any side she picked would've been bad for her. If she sided with Eugene as she naturally should have, she would've made an enemy out of Cassandra, whom she has been getting along with for a long time now after the first couple of years of indifference. And there was no way she was going to side with Cassandra when she was going to be his wife in a few months.
Eugene would've called off the entire engagement if she actually did that. Imagine what else she'd do further down the line. Four years of dating would've done down the drain, but better four years wasted than tied together with a harpy.
Eugene poured himself and his fiancée a cold, refreshing glass of champagne then he leaned against the window. It was nighttime and they were flying over international waters just as Cassandra said, so everything was literally blackness save for the sky full of stars and the full moon shining down on the ocean. But it was more to cool off than to look at anything pretty outside. And it was working, the usual sense of calm that came with this activity washed over him, a welcome distraction.
Amidst the countless twinkling little lights, one in particular caught his eye—a shooting star streaking across the heavens in a blaze of brilliance. Tail of shimmering ribbons, racing across from east to west. Well, technically it was going from west to east, the same direction his private jet was going. He meant east to west like it was on the Greenwich map, from Macau on the far eastern side to his home on the far western side.
"Sidney," Eugene lightly tapped her. "Look, it's a shooting star."
"Really?" Her face lit up and she climbed over his body to get a good look at where he was pointing. "Wow, it is!"
Ah, her fragrance… if it weren't for the fact that his sister was here, he could've put out his fire right now. "Make a wish."
A faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. With a quiet reverence, she made a silent wish upon it, her heart full of hopes and dreams. He wanted to ask what she wished for, but then it came to mind that a wish upon a shooting star might work the same as a birthday wish. If she said it out loud, it wouldn't come true. Sidney opened her eyes once more, an aura of confidence exuding from her. "It's your turn, Eugene."
He looked to the shooting star once more. But what could he wish for? He had love, he had happiness, he had success in all his endeavors, and the strength to overcome any obstacles that lay in his path. He could wish for a lot of children, he supposed, but that wasn't really necessary in the first place. That was what the honeymoon was for, and he was going to get busy.
He was in the envious position where he could afford to waste his wish on something nonsensical and trifle. So, what should he waste it on? A new private yacht? Open up his own casino? A free chocolate factory? So many choices, yet so few interested him. Until a name popped up in his mind.
Raymond Novak.
Eugene closed his eyes and made his wish.
Let Novak's company go bankrupt. Let Novak's friends abandon him. Let Novak's family be nowhere to be found. Let him find himself on the street begging for food and have people piss on him whenever he tries to sleep. The worn-out blanket will give him no warmth, the shoes he wears will not save his feet from the uncomfortable concrete. May everyone mock him wherever he may go, and if he has a lover, have some other man seduce her away. Let no one, not even the kindest-hearted people, give a damn about him, and let those kind-hearted people laugh as he dies cold and alone in a nameless grave.
So let it be written, so let it be done.
Eugene opened his eyes once more, to see Sidney and Cassandra chatting it up, as if that argument before had never even happened. Cassandra had completely forgotten her anger at Eugene and she passed him some of the snacks the attendant left for them to eat.
No thanks. He wasn't feeling it. Champagne and potato chips do not mix well for his palette. He just went back to watching the shooting star. It was the most interesting thing to watch now, honestly. Movies could be watched at any time, and he had years ahead of him conversing with his sister and his soon-to-be-wife. But this was something that Eugene would see once in a lifetime.
Was it just him? Or was that comet getting just a little brighter and just a little faster? No, that couldn't be it. It was just a trick of the eye.
"It's been five minutes and the value of my N.V.K. stocks have already doubled!" Cassandra excitedly showed off her brokerage account to Sidney.
"Cassandra! What did I just say!?"
"What are you talking about? This is a completely different N.V.K. company we're talking about here. You're just being paranoid." Cassandra thought she was being coy.
Eugene looked to the comet again for that chilling effect. Again, the comet looked to be a bit bigger and brighter.
"Says here in this interview that this Raymond Novak guy might want to run for President in the future."
"You mean, Prime Minister?"
"No, President."
"I thought he was Canadian."
"He's a dual citizen. He got his Canadian one from his mother and his American one from his—oh my God…"
It was not a trick of the eye. That comet was definitely getting larger and larger with each passing moment. It was not a comet. It was a meteor!
"Eugene! It's Dad!"
His heart skipped a beat as he realized with growing unease that the shooting star might just be heading straight for their jet. This was not the time to care who Novak's dad was, Eugene would never meet him anyway. But what they should do is, "Grab the parachutes! NOW!"
"Eugene! He's our half—"
BOOM!
"ARGH!" The shockwave split his ears as the windows, reinforced by the highest quality durability money could buy, shattered in his face and the exploding light blinded him. In a split second, panic surged through him as he instinctively grabbed onto whatever object he could get his hands on.
He couldn't see… he couldn't see!
All he could hear was the deadly screaming of his sister and his love.
As they plunged into the cold waters below.
This can't be happening… this can't be happening! This was all a bad dream! She was going to wake up next to Richard and everything was going to be alright. Like it always was alright. They had the perfect life! This was just her brain trying to stimulate her other emotions because she had been in ecstasy for so long that it had become mundane to her.
"Mom."
That's right… that's right! Eugene was still safe in his bed, oversleeping as usual because he hated being a morning person. Or she was the one oversleeping this time and Eugene had already gone out with his friends, maintaining close connections with whatever business partners Richard had him make this time.
"Mom!"
Cassandra was safe too! She—
"MOM!"
Sweet Courtney broke her out of her trance. Her spirit was violently pulled back to earth, back to that limousine they were riding with Richard and their children. They were on their way to the hospital, the closest one from the coastline of California.
"It's going to be alright, Mom."
Courtney took her trembling hands into her own. She gently soothed them, tracing her fingers along the veins of her aging hand. Missus Ramsey crumbled into her own daughter's warmth, her heart heavy with grief and fear. It wasn't supposed to be like this, it should be the other way around. She should be comforting her children; they deserve an unbreakable rock which they could tether themselves to in the midst of turmoil.
But look at her. Pathetic. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clung to her daughter, seeking solace in the comforting embrace of family amidst the chaos of tragedy. Her daughter held her close, her own eyes brimming with tears as she whispered words of comfort and reassurance.
"Courtney's right." Richard placed his two hands surrounding them. "They're in critical condition, not dead. I called in some favors; the best doctors are saving their lives right now."
"That's right, Mom!" Courtney seized on what Richard said. "The fact that they even survived at all is a miracle! The plane was down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but the rescue team still managed to find them! If the hardest part is already behind us, then it can only go up from here!"
And just as the words left her mouth, the limousine stopped. Richard peeked out the windows and opened the door for the rest of them. "We're here."
They all made their way to the emergency room. Vincent and Cohen had not said a word since they also got the news that Eugene and Cassandra's jet was destroyed and everyone on that plane was in critical condition. But they too had that same grief-stricken look on their faces. The doctor, one of Richard's friends, was still in operation, so the hospital staff had them all waiting outside. The doctor sent a nurse to tell them that the message that they could not enter, and that the message was personal. He could not afford any distractions until the work was done.
She sat there, staring at the clock. The minute hand stretched on with agonizing slowness. Every passing minute felt like an eternity, each tick of the clock a painful reminder of the uncertainty that loomed over her.
Richard paced back and forth in the sterile hallway, his footsteps echoing off the walls in a haunting rhythm. With each step, her anxiety grew, a relentless beast gnawing at her insides. She longed for news, any news, about her loved ones inside, but time seemed to stand still as she waited in agonizing silence.
The fluorescent lights overhead cast harsh shadows across her face, accentuating the lines of worry etched into her soul. Outside, the world continued to move at its usual frenetic pace. People bustled past, their voices a distant murmur in the background as she sat alone with her thoughts, lost in an abyss of uncertainty.
Minutes were hours, hours were days, and days were weeks. She could do nothing except remain steadfast in her vigil. The wait felt interminable, but she must endure it for as long as it took. Richard tried his best, but it was no use. The only thing that could cure her was to see her son and daughter again.
Then, after hours, the doors swung open.
"How are they?" She rushed to the doctor, faster than anyone else. Please… PLEASE! Some good news! Tell her that they're all fine! Please! She would give her life to make sure they were alright! She would exchange everything good that would ever happen to her if they could just be alive!
"They're going to make it." The doctor said. "No one died."
"Oh!" With a choked sob, she almost collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks as the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders. Richard caught her, being that rock she could lay upon as always. In that moment of profound relief, everything else faded away—the fear, the uncertainty, the endless hours of waiting. All that mattered was the knowledge that her children were safe, their lives spared from the brink of tragedy.
As she gathered herself from the floor, she wrapped her arms around Richard in a tight embrace, her heart overflowing with thanks for the miracle that had just been delivered to their family. Of course, her children were going to be safe! Of course! Good things always happen to them! Because Richard was here! He was her good luck charm, her angel!
"However…" The doctor continued.
Richard picked up on it. "However, what?"
"Eugene and Cassandra are in a comatose state. There's no telling when they may wake up, if even at all."
No! No, no, no, no, no! "Is there anything you can do?"
"If there was something I could do, I would've done it already." The doctor helped Richard lay her down back in her seat gently. "The best we can hope for is that they find the strength to wake themselves up."
"May we see them?"
The doctor shook his head. "I just got them under stable conditions; right now, I want to eliminate as many outside variables as possible to maximize their chances at recovery. Please understand."
But—but this was too—that wasn't how things were supposed to—
"Mom." Courtney grasps her in comfort again. "This is still good news. The worst did not happen. We can wait as long as we need to for Eugene and Cassandra to come back to us."
She wiped her tears, but they kept leaking out. She had to believe Courtney, she had to. She could not accept anything other. Besides, didn't she believe that good things always happen to her family? Courtney was right, she was absolutely right. Sooner or later, Eugene and Cassandra will wake up, and they'll spend so much more time together that one day they'll all look back on this day with laughter and joy. That they truly were invincible.
"Hey, wasn't Sidney also on that plane?" Cohen spoke up for the first time.
"Hey, that's right! She was with them too!" Vincent turned to the doctor. "What happened to her?"
"She's actually faring much better than Eugene and Cassandra. She's already woken up once, but it seems the trauma has tired her out, so she's sleeping right now. Even so, I would suggest the same thing as I suggested for your children: no one should see her other than qualified medical professionals."
That wasn't fair. That wasn't fair at all! Why did Sidney get to escape practically unscathed, but her own children must suffer more!? Eugene must've protected her in the crash, because she could not accept that it was only her children that suffer at the roll of the die. But then if he did, why didn't he protect his sister first!? He could always get another fiancée, but he'd never get another Cassandra!
"What exactly happened?" Richard asked.
"Oh, I thought they already told you? The plane crashed."
"Yeah, I know the plane crashed, but why?"
"From what I heard; it was a freak accident. A meteor just so happened to completely obliterate the left wing of the plane, causing the plane to spiral downwards until it crashed into the water. Honestly, it was pretty lucky that the plane crashed into water instead of land. That would've been much, much worse." The doctor began yawning. "Well, it's late. As a doctor, I suggest you all rest up."
"It's okay. We can sleep sitting up on the waiting chairs." She vehemently suggested. She wanted hers to be the first face they see when they wake up.
"That's against hospital rules. Come on, you'll have your time with Eugene and Cassandra. Just leave them for a few days to recover. They're not going anywhere."
"Sweetheart," Richard pulled her. "He's right. We should get some rest."
Difficult as it was, she forced herself to let it go. If Richard said so, then she couldn't do anything against his wishes.
Outside, the chauffeur who was waiting greeted them with sympathetic concern. "Is everything alright, sir? Are your children okay?"
"Yes, thank you for asking." Richard put on a brave face while she ushered her children inside, the plush leather seats offering a welcome respite after the chaos of the emergency room.
As the limousine pulled away from the hospital, she leaned back against the seat, her tired eyes closing as she allowed herself a moment of rest. Shameful. How shameful. After she thought that she would stay up all night in that hospital to await her children waking up unexpectedly, she gave into the quiet confines of the limousine.
And as the limousine carried them home, she couldn't stop feeling the shame growing and stirring within her. But when Richard pulled her in to rest her head on his body, the shame left her body. Oh Richard, he knew exactly when she was troubled and what to do to ease her mind. She could not love him even more than she already was.
But whatever comfort she found in his body puffed into smoke when the limousine started yanking her around. Left and right, left and right. She was even thrown off her seat and so was everyone else. Were they riding a limousine or were they riding a ship!?
She looked out the windows, watching the bulbs of light becoming stretched out and the limousine driving past numerous other cars, some of which honked their horns angrily as they almost crashed violently. The chauffeur's driving had become erratic, swerving in and out of lanes with reckless abandon, causing her children to cling to their seats in alarm.
"Chauffeur, what is going on!?" Richard furiously yelled at the driver. No more than a second later, Richard lost his balance and stumbled down to the base.
"It's the brakes, sir! They're not working!" The chauffeur wailed.
"WHAT!?"
"I can't stop it! The car is just going faster the longer we're in it!"
The screech of tires against pavement echoed in their ears, drowned out by the deafening roar of metal against metal as the car careened out of control. Time crawled as the world spun in dizzying circles around her. Her heart pounded in her chest, a primal drumbeat of fear and desperation as she struggled and hoped once more for a miracle. The same miracle that saved her son and daughter.
But fortune did not arrive.
With a sickening crunch, the car collided with an unseen obstacle, the impact sending shockwaves rippling through her body. Glass shattered, metal twisted, and the world exploded into a cacophony of chaos and pain. The world stood still. The air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke and burning rubber, the taste of blood metallic on her tongue. Her body was a tangle of limbs and agony, every nerve screaming in protest as she fought to make sense of what had just happened. As the wreckage smoldered around her, she clung to consciousness with a desperate fervor, willing herself to stay alive against all odds.
And as she lay there, battered and broken, she bore witness to the mangle that was her children. They didn't get the chance to scream for their lives. They were dead. There wasn't even a shimmer of hope that perhaps they were alive, just unconscious.
Vicent could not have survived a metal pole going into his head and out the back. Cohen could not have survived his head away from his body.
And Courtney… Courtney…!
No… no!
She cried.
She saw Richard, desperately trying to stay alive.
Then darkness took her.
This… this was amazing! This was unlike any hologram he's ever seen! Up until now, all holograms Eugene had ever seen were still noticeably lacking because he could still always distinguish the outline of the holograms and the outline of reality. And Eugene had seen them all with his money. But this! He couldn't even see any fraction of the grand hall they were once in! It was as if they really were on the surface of the moon!
Eugene was mesmerized, the whole audience was mesmerized. Only Mister Novak was unfazed, as it was his technology after all.
Oh ho ho! Sidney was going to regret skipping this!
[TURN 1 Raymond Novak LP/8000 Hand/5]
Five cards materialized out of nowhere in front of Novak. They must be holograms too! How else were they just floating there waiting for him to grab?
"I activate Photon Sanctuary." Novak pressed on one of his cards.
In the midst of the awe-inspiring holographic display, two orbs of light materialized with a sudden brilliance, their bodies casting an ghostly glow across the moon. Like celestial guardians descending from the heavens, they hovered in mid-air, their presence both hypnotic and mysterious. The audience watched in wonder as the orbs pulsed with a gentle luminescence, their iridescent hues shimmering with otherworldly beauty.
[DEF Photon Token: LIGHT LV/4 Thunder/Token ATK/2000 DEF/0]
[DEF Photon Token: LIGHT LV/4 Thunder/Token ATK/2000 DEF/0]
"If there are two or more monsters on either of our fields with 2000 or more Attack Points, I'm allowed to special summon Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon."
In a sudden and violent burst of light, the grand hall was engulfed in a dazzling display of cosmic rays. A magnificent dragon emerged from the spectacle, forming a fusion of celestial beauty and raw power. With eyes that shimmered like galaxies and a body aglow with the radiance of photons, the dragon soared through the holographic landscape with an otherworldly grace. Each beat of its majestic wings sent ripples of light cascading across the surface, painting the landscape with iridescent hues.
As the dragon roared with a thunderous echo that reverberated through the hall, Eugene was struck by the sheer magnitude of its presence. These holograms could make sounds too!?
In awe, Eugene watched as the dragon circled overhead, casting an alluring spell over all who beheld it.
[ATK Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon — Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon: LIGHT LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
"And it's not once per turn." Novak said as yet another Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon burst out from out the light.
[ATK Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon — Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon: LIGHT LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
And another.
[ATK Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon — Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon: LIGHT LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
"I link summon using the two tokens."
The two orbs coalesced into one, and a bigger, brighter, fiery orb took its place.
[ATK Hieratic Seal of the Heavenly Spheres LIGHT LK/2 Dragon/Link/Effect ATK/0]
"I end."
[TURN 1 Raymond Novak LP/8000 Hand/1]
[TURN 2 Eugene Ramsey LP/8000 Hand/5 — 6]
Oh boy, Eugene could not WAIT to see the animations of his own cards.
"I activate Lightning Storm!"
The violent hail of lightning, followed by a deafening roar of thunder, streaked across the holographic space. With blinding intensity, the bolts of electricity surged forth, striking the majestic dragons with ferocious power. The dragons writhed and convulsed as the energy coursed through them. In mere moments, the dragons were reduced to nothing more than fading wisps of energy, their once-magnificent forms dissipating into the ether.
So cool.
Stay on focus. Novak had nothing on his field right now and only one card in his hand. This duel was as good as won. Mister Novak seem to be a novice player, as anyone with experience would've left some of his dragon in his hand in case something like this would happen. Shame, Eugene wished he could've seen more animations.
"I summon Mythic Tree Dragon and Mythic Water Dragon!"
[ATK Mythic Tree Dragon: EARTH LV/4 Dragon/Effect ATK/100 DEF/1400]
[DEF Mythic Water Dragon: WATER LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/1000 DEF/2000]
"Mythic Tree Dragon can copy the level of Water Dragon!"
[ATK Mythic Tree Dragon: EARTH LV/4 — 8 Dragon/Effect ATK/100 DEF/1400]
The two monsters transformed into comets of light dancing around the swirling depths of a colossal black hole that appeared out of nowhere. With each orbit, their radiant trails painted a spectacle as they circled ever closer to the event horizon of the black hole. Their movements grew more frenetic, propelled by the powerful gravitational pull that emanated from its depths.
With a sudden and breathtaking display, the black hole surged forth, its voracious maw opening wide to engulf the two orbs of light in its inescapable grasp.
And then it exploded.
"I xyz summon Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon!"
[ATK Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon/2: LIGHT RK/8 Dragon/Xyz/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
The machine-like dragon emerged from the depths of space, soaring through the stars with an otherworldly grace, leaving a trail of shimmering particles in its wake. With a resounding roar that reverberated throughout, the mechanical dragon asserted its dominance over the lunar expanse. Behold the dragon that commanded the fabric of space and time. That sounded so epic in his head.
"Next I activate Overlay Summon! By detaching all xyz materials on my monster, I can special summon them back to my field to immediately special summon another monster from my extra deck!"
[ATK Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon/2 — 0: LIGHT RK/8 Dragon/Xyz/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
[ATK Mythic Tree Dragon: EARTH LV/4 Dragon/Effect ATK/100 DEF/1400]
[DEF Mythic Water Dragon: WATER LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/1000 DEF/2000]
[ATK Galaxy Satellite Dragon: DARK LK/2 Dragon/Link/Effect ATK/2000]
"And then Monster Reborn!"
[ATK Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon (Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon): LIGHT LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
Oh yeah, it was over. The monsters on his side of the field add up to exactly 8000 attack points.
"All-out a—!"
…
Didn't this happen before?
Eugene could vaguely remember this exact scene, somewhere in his past. In fact, wasn't he supposed to be on a private jet going back home? With his gorgeous fiancée Sidney and his annoying sister Cassandra? Why was he back here? Was all that happened just a dream?
But why would this duel be in that dream? He's never met Novak before, so why in the world would he had ever dreamt about him, much less having a game with him?
Unless… this was the dream. Eugene was dreaming what had just happened. This duel wasn't real. None of this was real. The last thing Eugene could remember was…
Oh God… Sidney! Cassandra! What happened to them!? Are they alright!? He had to wake up!
But he couldn't. Despite now knowing that this was just a dream, his body just wouldn't obey his command. Why? It worked all the time before! Why not now!? Perhaps willpower was not enough in this circumstance. He must find something to kill himself with; he heard that doing so would make anyone wake up from a dream. He scanned the area, eyeing the server with the knife cutting slices of beef for everyone. He rushed to take the knife away from him and proceeded to stab himself.
Repeatedly.
But he was still here. Why!?
"Where are you going?" Novak called out to him. He was just standing there, haughtily. "We have a duel to finish."
Was this some sort of convoluted way of his subconscious telling him the only way to wake up was to win this duel?
Well, it didn't hurt to try. Eugene got back on the stage.
Since the one card Novak had in his hand was Goddess of Sweet Revenge, all Eugene had to do was wait a turn before attacking. The condition to activate its effect was that he must control no cards and the goddess must be the only card in his hand. Eugene had to hope that whatever card he drew could not be easily sent to the graveyard.
Eugene set his quick-play spell card, 'Seventh Force' face-down. "I end."
[TURN 2 Eugene Ramsey LP/8000 Hand/0]
[TURN 3 Raymond Novak LP/8000 Hand/1 — 2]
"I activate Dragon's Mirror!"
What!? He drew Dragon's Mirror again!?
Calm down. Novak could not summon Galaxy-Eyes Hypernova Dragon, he didn't have the materials this time. One of his dragons was now on Eugene's side of the field. But still…
Azure ignited. From the heart of the holographic galaxy emerged a creature of legendary proportions, a mighty beast of two heads. With wings spanning the breadth of the entire holographic sky, blocking all other stars from view, and scales gleaming like sapphires, the dragon radiated unparalleled majesty and strength. Its two heads, each crowned with a magnificent crest, swiveled in unison as it surveyed its enemy with regal poise.
The dragon's piercing gaze set ablaze with power indistinguishable from magic. Its potent roar echoed. With a single beat of its colossal wings, the dragon put the fear of death into Eugene. He had never felt so small before. He had never felt so afraid before. It was irrational. He had to keep reminding himself this wasn't real; this was just a dream.
[ATK Galaxy-Eyes Supernova Dragon: LIGHT LV/10 Dragon/Fusion/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
"When it's summoned, I can banish one card on your field or in your graveyard!"
The Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon on Eugene's field went up like a puff of smoke. Why banish one of his own cards when Tachyon Dragon was right there? Unless…
Eugene read the cards carefully.
[Galaxy-Eyes Supernova Dragon
LIGHT Dragon / Fusion / Effect LV/10 ATK/3000 DEF/2500
Materials: 2x "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon"
Must first be either Fusion Summoned or Special Summoned by sending the above monsters you control to the GY. Cannot be destroyed by opponent's card effects. At the start of the Damage Step, when this card battles an opponent's monster: You can banish both it and this card. If this card is banished: Special Summon it. If this card is summoned: You can banish one card from your opponent's field or GY. You can only activate this effect of "Galaxy-Eyes Supernova Dragon" once per turn.]
[Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon
LIGHT Dragon / Effect LV/8 ATK/3000 DEF/2500
You can Special Summon this card (from your hand or among your banished cards) if there are 2 or more monsters on the field with 2000 or more ATK. This card's name becomes "Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon" while in the hand, Deck, GY, or on the field. While your opponent does not control 2 or more monsters with 2000 or more ATK OR 1 or more monster(s) with more than 3000 ATK, neither player can use this card on the field as material for a Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Link Summon.]
Oh no…
"I summon all three of my Photon Dragons back to the field!"
[ATK Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon (Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon): LIGHT LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
[ATK Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon (Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon): LIGHT LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
[ATK Galaxy-Eyes Alternative Photon Dragon (Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon): LIGHT LV/8 Dragon/Effect ATK/3000 DEF/2500]
There was nothing he could do. Seventh Force was useless as Supernova banished all of his monsters with its attack, leaving him wild open for the onslaught of his Photon Dragons.
The air crackled as it did before, the three dragons locked onto its target with unerring precision, when it focused its formidable might into a concentrated beam of pure neutron energy gathering within all three of its mouths and unleashed the full force of its brilliant stream hurtling through the cosmos directly at Eugene…
[TURN 3 Eugene Ramsey LP/8000 — 0 Hand/0]
The searing heat engulfed him, wrapping him in a suffocating embrace that scorched every inch of his skin. Flames licked at his flesh, consuming him with an insatiable hunger that seemed to devour him from the inside out.
The air was thick with smoke, a choking miasma that filled his lungs with every breath, leaving him gasping for air, drowning in a sea of fire. Each inhalation was a torment, the acrid stench of burning flesh and hair assaulting his senses with every passing moment. A thousand needles, a relentless agony pulsing with every beat of his heart. It was a pain beyond imagining, a torment rivaled by Hell and its fire.
His screams were lost amidst the roar of the flames. He thrashed and writhed, convulsing in a futile attempt to escape the all-encompassing heat. But there was no escape, no reprieve from the relentless onslaught of fire and pain. Trapped in a truly living hell.
And then it stopped.
He finally caught a second to catch his breath.
"Please welcome to the stage, Eugene Ramsey!"
The crowd starts to cheer in unison, loud and proudly. Eugene's heart jumped at the sound. He was back. Back in the same place where the spotlight zipped through the audience to find him and welcome him to the stage. Novak was already on the stage, beckoning him to come up and face him in a game.
"Shall we begin?" Novak's words reached his ears despite the loud noise of the presenter echoing throughout the hall. But then the presenter's voice went silent, and so did the audience when the entire room began to change.
Yes, for those wondering, I gave Galaxy-Eyes Supernova Dragon an errata.
2/21/2024