Hey guys. Here's Chapter 08 of Shattered World. I hope you guys enjoy this Duel and look forward for more to come.
Now let's jump right on in.
Chapter 08: Clash of the Numbers
Kamishiro Residence
"Let me get this straight. You got a card called a Number." Rio spoke to her brother during breakfast.
"Yes." Shark nodded.
"Then this Yuma Tsukumo summoned another Number." Rio continued on.
"That's right." Shark answered.
"And then your ass kicked by an amateur Duelist that used a strategy to negate his own monster's attack so he could double its power and defeat you in one turn." Rio said.
"Yes…" Shark lowered his head.
"Your slipping, Ryoga. Probably shouldn't have relied on that Number card." Rio said.
"I couldn't help it. I felt its power enticing." Shark grumbled.
"So, let me see it." Rio said.
"See what?" Shark asked.
"The Number card. I want to see it." Rio emphasized.
"I don't have it. It's gone." Shark answered. "It disappeared after I lost. Why are you so interested in it?"
"Forget it. Come on, let's go to school." Rio grabbed her bag and exited the house.
Heartland Duel School
"Man, this sucks." Rio complained. She tried to get on to the school's Wi-Fi to do her school work but the entire school network was down.
"So much for getting a head start on homework." Rio sighed.
"Hey, is it true that Shark lost to an amateur?"
"That's the rumor going around."
"Who was it?"
"Yuma Tsukumo, he's a 1st year. And I have to be honest with you, he really, really sucks at everything."
"Wait, he's that guy that's always going Kattobingu, right?"
"Yep, same one."
"Well, something's not right. No way Shark could lose to a guy like that. This Yuma guy must've cheated."
Rio who overheard the conversation stood up from her seat, making the others jump in scare. "S-Sorry, Rio. We didn't realize you were there."
"It's fine. And I appreciate you thinking highly of my brother." Rio said. "But can I ask you which classroom Yuma Tsukumo is in?"
Heartland Academy – Ukiyo's Classroom
"This is the room." Rio opened the door a crack and peaked inside. She saw that some of the students were watching a Duel. "Makes sense if they can't access the textbooks."
"Wait, where's the Number? Where is it?" Rio then saw Yuma, who was frantically trying to look in his Extra Deck box which was empty.
"Bugman, attack!" Yuma's opponent, Takashi Todoroki, the class representative ordered his monster to attack and Yuma lost.
"That guy defeated my brother?" Rio was disappointed by Yuma. She thought that maybe after his Duel with Ryoga, there was some skill to be seen. But that wasn't there at all.
"Hey, the network is back on."
"Thank god. After those traffic lights and those o-bots getting out of control, I thought we were under attack."
"Don't be ridiculous, I'm sure the city will patch up the system and things will finally calm down."
"Now that they say that? Ryoga and I barely got to school due to all the malfunctions on the road." Rio recalled as her brother and her were stuck in traffic since they rode on Shark's bike together.
"Something's going on in this city, but what?" Rio wondered.
Heartland Academy – Library
"Of course they would have our lesson be our homework." Rio sighed as she took a seat in the library. "Well, I have to be the responsible twin, so let's do this." Rio started doing her schoolwork with so much focus.
"And done. Finally." Rio sighed. She looked out the window and noticed that the sun was nearly gone. "Oh my god it's so late. Ryoga's probably groaning for dinner. But knowing him, he probably already ordered food for himself and not me."
"Got you!"
Rio heard a loud noise and looked around the corner to see Yuma, his friend Kotori and Takashi at a computer. "So, you're the culprit behind these attacks!"
"I am not the culprit! I was being used! Now, I'm trying to find where the culprit is! If I search for any locations that accessed this machine from the outside, the culprit has to be there!" Takashi typed on the computer.
"Damn it! I was trying to find his location but I activated the installation files that launched the virus bomb! I accidentally released the virus bomb into the city!" Takashi was getting frantic.
"Can't you stop the installation?" Kotori asked.
"If I do that, I can't find the culprit's location. There's no other—"
The power in the library went off and so did the computer. "No! I'm too late!" Takashi cried.
"I just slowed down the installation process by turning off the power. You can still find the culprit using a backdoor method." Rio approached them. "Here, use my computer. I have a VPN on it so you shouldn't run into any major problems."
"Who are you?" Yuma asked.
"Rio Kamishiro. Or you can call me Rio-senpai." Rio said.
"Oh, you're…" Kotori recognized her name.
"You know her?" Yuma questioned.
"You know, Kamishiro." Kotori repeated.
"Huh?" Yuma tilted his head.
"Ryoga Kamishiro." Takashi emphasized.
"Dude, get your ears check, her name is Rio Kamishiro." Yuma said.
"I'm Shark's sister." Rio said.
"Oh, Shark's sis. Wait you're his sister?" Yuma was confused. "Oh wait, you do have that loner like vibe." Yuma was then rewarded with a punch to the face.
"Find the culprit, yet?" Rio asked.
"Uh, one second." Takashi typed on Rio's computer. "Found him."
Heartland City – Construction Tower
"This is the place." Takashi said.
"Okay, stay behind me, as your senior, your safety is my responsibility." Rio went in front of Takashi.
"You're so reliable, Rio-senpai." Takashi said.
"So, uh, how's your brother doing?" Kotori asked.
"He's fine. He told me about the Duel with that guy." Rio pointed to Yuma.
"Hey, I have a name! It's Yuma Tsukumo!" Yuma argued.
"What's my name?" Rio faced Yuma.
"It's…" Yuma started confident until he started to get nervous. "Shark Sis?"
Rio flicked his forehead. "You got a long road to earn your senpais respect." Rio said. "Through that door?"
"Yes." Takashi nodded. Rio, Yuma, Kotori and Takashi went through the door.
"Well, well." The door closed behind the four of them. "You got here so quickly. I'm impressed." The group looked up to see Ukiyo.
"Ukiyo-sensei? What are you doing here?" Yuma asked.
"Huh?! What?! So, to summarize, Ukyo-sensei is the culprit?!" Takashi was flabbergasted.
"That is correct." Ukiyo confirmed.
"You got to be joking, Sensei?!" Yuma couldn't believe it.
"The very fact that our Class Rep was able to make it here was all within my expectations." Ukiyo smirked.
"To summarize, this was a trap." Takashi glared.
"The virus bomb was merely delayed. In about 30 minutes, it will be fully uploaded and installed within the city network." Ukiyo took off his glasses and removed his tie. Rio and Yuma then saw the number 34 on his neck.
"Numbers?!" Yuma exclaimed.
"Numbers…" Rio narrowed her eyes.
"That's the mark of the Numbers."
"Ah!" Yuma yelped. "You didn't get sent away?!"
"Of course not."
"But you weren't here all this time!" Yuma yelled.
"Y-Yuma? Why is he talking to himself?" Takashi was confused.
"Maybe that Dueling Spirit appeared." Kotori said.
"What is that creature?" Rio narrowed her eyes.
"Huh? Do you see it, Rio-san?" Kotori asked.
"You can't?" Rio questioned. "He's right there." Rio pointed to the creature next to Yuma.
"Observation #5. Some humans can see me." The creature said.
"Add that I can also hear you as well." Rio said. "What are you?"
"I don't know. My memory has been erased but collecting Number card is the key to regaining them. At least, that's what I believe. The only thing that I do remember is my name, Astral." Astral answered.
"And that man is being manipulated by the power of the Numbers, he is not aware of any of his actions." Astral said. "I can extract the Number from him but to do that he must be defeated in a Duel."
"In that case, I'll take it him on." Rio took out her Duel Disk.
"Hey, you can't take him on! You don't have a Number card and Numbers can only be destroyed with Numbers." Yuma argued.
"Wait, Yuma. Let us give her a chance." Astral said.
"Huh?" Yuma was confused.
"I sense a strong willpower from her." Astral floated next to Rio. "I like to see it firsthand."
"How about it, Ukiyo-sensei? A Duel against your student from last year?" Rio challenged.
"Rio Kamishiro, very well. Let's see if you've improved since my class!" Ukiyo accepted Rio's challenge. "If you win, I'll stop the virus bomb."
"Fine with me! Let's go!" Rio put on her Duel Disk. "Duel Disk, set!" She then put on her D-Gazer. "D-Gazer, set! Target: Lock on!" Ukiyo followed her lead while Yuma, Kotori and Takashi put on their D-Gazers.
"AR Vision – Link established." The computer connected the Duel.
"Duel!" Rio and Ukiyo declared.
Ukiyo LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Rio LP: 4000, Hand: 5
"Go for it, Rio-san!" Kotori cheered.
"Please win! If you don't, I'll be framed as a criminal." Takashi pleaded.
"Are you sure about this?" Yuma questioned. "I mean, I beat her brother."
"Yo won due to me giving you a Number." Astral said. "And I would like to see if her skills are superior to yours by a little or by a lot."
"You…" Yuma growled.
"I'll be going first! Draw!" Ukiyo drew his card. "I set a monster in Defense Position!" A card appeared on the field. "With this, I end my turn."
Ukiyo LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Rio LP: 4000, Hand: 5
"My turn! Draw!" Rio drew her card. "I summon Blizzard Seer (ATK: 1700, LV: 4)!" Rio summoned her Blizzard monster who wore blue robes and had a wand in her hand. "Blizzard Seer's Monster Effect! As long as this card is on the field, all of my opponent's face-down Defense Monsters are flipped face-up!" Ukiyo's monster was flipped upwards.
"Bugman X." Rio said.
"Its Defense Points are higher than Rio-san's monster." Kotori said.
"But it was good opening move. To summarize, she doesn't have to risk attacking a monster she knows is stronger." Takashi said.
"Unlike you, you would've charged in blindly." Astral noted.
"Shut up!" Yuma growled.
"I set one card and end my turn!" Rio finished her turn.
Ukiyo LP: 4000, Hand: 5
Rio LP: 4000, Hand: 4
"My turn! Draw!" Ukiyo drew his card. "I summon Bugman Y (ATK: 1400, LV: 3)!" Ukiyo summoned another Bugman. "Next, from my hand, I activate the Magic Card: Bug Load! This card lets both players select one Level 4 or lower monster on their field and Special Summon a monster from their hands that have the same Level as the monster they have chosen! I Special Summon Bugman Z (ATK: 0, LV: 3)!" Ukiyo summoned another Bugman.
"I Special Summon Aurora Wing (DEF: 1600, LV: 4) in Defense Position!" Rio summoned her Aurora Wing.
"I Overlay my Level 3 Bugman X, Y and Z!" The three monsters turned into purple lights. "With these three monsters, I construct the Overlay Network!"
"Here it comes." Astral said.
"Xyz Summon! Appear! Number 34: Electronic Computer Beast Tera-Byte (DEF: 2900, RNK: 3, OVU: 3)!" Ukiyo summoned a Number monster.
"Numbers? What kind of monsters are those?!" Takashi never saw those monsters before.
"I activate Tera-Byte's effect! By using one Overlay Unit, I can gain control of one Level or lower monster on the opponent's field this turn! I choose your Blizzard Seer!" Tera-Byte used its power to take control of Blizzard Seer.
Tera-Byte (OVU: 3→2)
"Battle! Blizzard Seer, attack Aurora Wing!" Blizzard Seer fired a spell from her wand and destroyed Aurora Wing.
"At this point, Aurora Wing's effect activates! When this card is destroyed in battle, once per turn, I can Special Summon from the Graveyard! Revive! Aurora Wing (DEF: 1600, LV: 4)!" Rio brought back her monster.
"Oh, so you're a perfectionist like me, huh?" Ukiyo questioned.
"I'm just doing all that I can right now. And besides, perfect is just another limit to surpass." Rio declared.
"Heh, what idiot told you that garbage? There's nothing beyond perfect!" Ukiyo insulted.
"What did you say?" Rio asked coldly. "You can insult me, but don't you insult someone I care about." Rio could see the silhouette of someone dear to her charging ahead against all odds. "I will reach to him and I'll do it by winning this and many other challenges!"
"I set one card and end my turn! At this moment, Tera-Byte's effect ends and the controlled monster returns to its owner." Blizzard Seer returned to Rio's side.
"20 minutes until virus bomb is released." The computer announced.
Ukiyo LP: 4000, Hand: 2
Rio LP: 4000, Hand: 3
"My turn! Draw!" Rio drew her card. "Since his monster takes control of a Level 4 or lower monster, there's only one thing to do."
"I Overlay my Level 4 Blizzard Seer and Aurora Wing!" The two monsters turned into blue lights and entered the spacelike portal in front of Rio.
"Beast with wings of ice! Appear before us and freeze the flames of war! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 4! Sub-Zero Bird Beast Sylphine (ATK: 2000, RNK: 4, OVU: 2)!" Rio summoned her ace monster.
"Next, I activate the Magic Card: Defense Sealing! This card switches an opponent's Defense Position monster on the field to Attack Position! I chose Tera-Byte!" Tera-Byte switched battle modes.
Tera-Byte (ATK: 0)
"Battle! Sylphine, attack Tera-Byte! Ice Ray!" Sylphine unleashed her ice rays and it struck Tera-Byte and Ukiyo.
Ukiyo LP: 4000→2000
"Alright! She dealt big damage!" Kotori cheered.
"How dare you damage my Life Points!" Ukiyo got mad. "I activate my Trap Card: Damage Vaccine Omega Max! When I take damage from battle or card effect, I gain Life Points equal to the damage I have taken!" Ukiyo smirked as he got his Life Points back and Tera-Byte was still on the field.
Ukiyo LP: 2000→4000
"Huh? Why is Ukiyo-sensei's monster still on the field?" Takashi was confused.
"Numbers can only be destroyed by other Numbers." Ukiyo explained.
"So, she just wasted her turn since she doesn't have a Number card to destroy it." Yuma said.
"No necessarily. She was able to inflict damage without destroying the Number and found a way to prevent him from using its effect to take control of her monsters. This turn was just another step towards her victory." Astral said. "It is clear her Dueling is better than yours by a large margin."
"Shut up…" Yuma growled.
"I yearn for a perfect victory! I won't let you injure even a speck of my Life Points!" Ukiyo declared.
"I set one card and end my turn!" Rio finished her turn.
Ukiyo LP: 4000, Hand: 2
Rio LP: 4000, Hand: 2
"My turn! Draw!" Ukiyo drew his card. "I praise your tactics in damaging me last turn but you won't get to damage me anymore. From my hand, I activate the Continuous Magic: Trojan Overlay! By skipping my turn's Battle Phase, I can inflict 500 points of damage to my opponent for every Overlay Unit on the field!"
"500 for each?!" Yuma exclaimed.
"My Tera-Byte has 2 and your Sylphine has 2, a total of 4! 4 times 500 is 2000 points of damage!" A blast fired from the card that hit Rio hard, making her skid back.
Rio LP: 4000→2000
"I set two cards and end my turn!" Ukiyo finished his turn.
Ukiyo LP: 4000, Hand: 0
Rio LP: 2000, Hand: 2
"This is bad! If Rio doesn't do something, she'll lose next turn!" Takashi panicked.
"And we're running out of time!" Kotori saw the time limit.
"My turn! Draw!" Rio drew her card. "I summon Blizzard Thunderbird (ATK: 1600, LV: 4)!" Rio summoned another Blizzard monster. "I activate Blizzard Thunderbird's effect! By releasing this card, I can Special Summon a Winged-Beast type monster from my hand! Appear! Blizzard Hummingbird (ATK: 2300, LV: 5)!" Rio summoned a different Blizzard monster.
"Next, I activate the Magic Card: North and South Pole!" Rio played the last card in her hand. "When I have a Water Xyz monster on my field, I can make my Xyz monster gain a Level equal to another Water Attribute Monster on my field! I make Sylphine gain Hummingbird's Level of 5!"
Sylphine (RNK: 4→LV: 5)
"Giving an Xyz Monster a level?" Kotori was confused.
"I've never seen a strategy like this!" Takashi said.
"With this, she has two Level 5 monsters." Astral observed.
"With my now Level 5 Sylphine and Hummingbird, I construct the Overlay Network!" The two monsters turned into blue lights and entered the spacelike portal in front of her.
"Princess of another world, transcend the boundaries of space and time and lead us into battle! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 5! Number 94: The Princess of Polar Ice, Crystal Zero (ATK: 2200, RNK: 5, OVU: 2)!" Rio summoned the Number that appeared before her.
"That's a Number!" Yuma exclaimed.
"So, this is what I was feeling." Astral said. "She has a Number but unlike that man it doesn't seem to have control over her. I need to study her more closely."
"So, you do have a Number, but it has less Attack Points than Tera-Byte's Defense Points! On my next turn, by using Trojan Overlay, your Life Points will…" Ukiyo spoke.
"Battle!" Rio interrupted. "Crystal Zero, attack Tera-Byte!" Rio ordered.
"Why is she attacking when her monster's weaker?!" Yuma exclaimed.
"No, look." Astral gestured to Crystal Zero.
Crystal Zero (ATK: 2200→3200)
"What?! Its Attack Points are higher than Tera-Byte's Defense Points!" Ukiyo panicked.
"Crystal Javelin!" Crystal Zero launched her javelin and it destroyed Tera-Byte.
"She did it! She defeated a Number!" Kotori cheered.
"To summarize, Rio-senpai has the Duel under her control!" Takashi praised.
"Wh-What? I don't get it?" Yuma was confused.
"My Blizzard Hummingbird has an effect when it's used as an Overlay Unit for a Water-Attribute Xyz Monster." Rio explained. "When it attacks a monster a monster with higher Attack or Defense Points than her current Attack Points, it gains 1000 Attack Points."
"Now if he uses his Trojan Overlay, the damage will only be 1000. She managed to break the formation while ensuring her survival for her next turn." Astral observed.
"I end my turn!" Rio finished her turn.
Ukiyo LP: 4000, Hand: 0
Rio LP: 2000, Hand: 0
"So, you broke through my formation." Ukiyo closed his eyes. "But I prepared for situations like this."
"How so?" Rio questioned.
"My turn! Draw!" Ukiyo drew his card. "I activate the Magic Card: Resurrection of the Dead! I resurrect Tera-Byte (DEF: 2900, RNK: 3)!" Ukiyo brought back his monster.
"Then, I activate the Trap Card: Bug Switch! When Bugman X, Y and Z are in my Graveyard, I can switch a Defense Position monster on my field to Attack Position to Special Summon super Bugman (DEF: 3000, LV: 4) in Defense Position!" Ukiyo summoned another monster.
"I activate Super Bugman's effect! As long as this card is on the field in face-up Defense Position, I can switch the Attack Points of all Attack Position monsters with their Defense Points!" Ukiyo revealed.
"Wait, all monsters?!" Yuma exclaimed while Rio gritted her teeth.
Tera-Byte (ATK: 2900)
Crystal Zero (ATK: 1600)
"Battle! Tera-Byte, attack Crystal Zero!" Tera-Byte went for the attack.
"I activate my Trap Card: Holy Barrier – Mirror Force! When my opponent declares an attack, this card destroys all Attack Position monsters on the field!" Rio played her set card.
"Useless! I activate my Trap Card: Trap Stun! This card negates the effects of all Trap Cards on the field for the rest of this turn!" Rio's Mirror Force was negated and the attack struck Crystal Zero, destroying her and damaging Rio.
Rio LP: 2000→700
"With this, I end my turn!" Ukiyo finished her turn. "With your Number destroyed and no cards in your hand, the end result is obvious. I will obtain a perfect victory on my next turn."
Ukiyo LP: 4000, Hand: 0
Rio LP: 700, Hand: 0
"That's right, you will have victory on your next turn." Rio said. "If you have one."
"What?" Ukiyo questioned.
"Your Trap Stun's effect ended, which means I can activate Trap Cards again." Rio said. "I activate my Trap Card: Ice Princess Dominion! This card allows me to Special Summon a Water Xyz Monster from my field to the Graveyard! Revive! Crystal Zero (ATK: 1600, RNK: 5)!" Rio brought back her monster.
"Next, I activate the Equip Magic: Shield Drain! I equip it on to Crystal Zero." Crystal Zero gained a shield on her left arm.
"Battle! Crystal Zero, attack Super Bugman!" Crystal Zero charged at Super Bugman.
"What the hell are you doing?! You're gonna lose!" Yuma panicked.
"Shut up!" Rio barked at Yuma. "Shield Drain's effect! When the equipped monster attacks a Defense Position monster, that monster is automatically destroyed and its Defense Points are added to the equipped monster's Attack Points!"
"What?!" Ukiyo gasped.
Crystal Zero used the shield and destroyed Super Bugman.
"Alright! With Super Bugman gone, its effect is gone! To summarize, Crystal Zero not only gets its original Attack Points back but it gains 3000 extra points as well!"
Crystal Zero (ATK: 1600→5200)
"And Tera-Byte's original Attack Points are 0!" Kotori smiled.
"It will be a one-shot kill." Astral observed.
"Battle! Crystal Zero, attack Tera-Byte! Crystal Javelin!" Crystal Zero summoned her spear and threw it right through Tera-Byte destroying him and making Ukiyo fly backwards in defeat.
Ukiyo LP: 4000→0
Winner: Rio Kamishiro
"She did it!" Kotori cheered.
"Rio-senpai is amazing!" Takashi cheered.
"Yes, truly extraordinary. Unlike you, Yuma." Astral said.
"Come on!" Yuma growled.
Astral extended his hand and the Number card was removed from Ukiyo. "This is another of the cards holding my scattered memories…another piece of my memory. My name is Astral and my home is the Astral World."
"Hey…" Rio approached Astral. "I know this is important to you, but can I hold on to it. At least until you get the others."
"You are a skilled Duelist; I will entrust you with that Number." Astral said.
"I promise to give it back to you once we find the others." Rio promised.
"No, I don't want you to give it back to me. I want to win it from you, in a Duel." Astral declared. "Only then, can I say I rightfully earn that card."
"You're on." Rio smiled.
Kamishiro Residence
"Man, what a day." Rio yawned as she entered her bedroom.
"I can't believe Ukiyo-sensei just wanted to fix the lights on that building just so we can see Bugman in the sky." Rio smiled. "But he made the kids happy, I guess that's something."
"That Astral guy though…" Rio laid on her bed. "Wonder what his deal is and why only I and Yuma and see him."
Rio looked at Crystal Zero. "This is a part of his memory, but which part of it. And why did it appear to me?"
"Eh. No use thinking about it now." Rio turned off the lights. "Time for some shut eye."
Rio sighed as she got under the covers and closed her eyes to go to sleep.
"Sorry, everyone. I broke my promise."
Unknown Location
Rio saw Yuya looking at her with a concerned expression. He had a bandage around his arm and his hair was cut shorter.
"Sorry, everyone. I broke my promise." Yuya apologized.
Rio looked around and she saw other people passed out on makeshift beds with wounds and Yuya was taking care of them.
"Was it just us that survived? Or were the others able to get out as well?" Yuya talked to himself. "Man, what do I do? I want to go home, but I can't abandon them."
"Well, either way, I have to get these guys to a hospital. Maybe there's a truck or a bus I can hotwire to get them help." Yuya walked out.
And that is the end of Chapter 08. What did you all think? Let me know your comments in the reviews.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time.
Preview: Both Jonouchi and Yugi are on a roll in collecting Star Chips with Jonouchi having four and Yugi having five after defeating Ryota Kajiki. However, Mokuba Kaiba, who wants to stop Yugi from fighting Pegasus to save Kaiba Corporation, steals Yugi's Star Chips. But before he could get away, a Duel Assassin sent by Pegasus confronts them and challenges Yugi to a Duel using cards that no one has ever seen before.
Next Time: Yugi vs the Steadfast Duel Style.