Starting Notes:
Welcome back! As I mentioned, this chapter is kind of the second half of the last one, split up for pacing and because I needed to give myself a bit of a break :) So it's also a bit shorter, but I promise the next one is longer than this. For now… enjoy!
Chapter #114: Deep-Space Determination
In the end, Nue didn't go.
The rest of 'them' probably had this feeling too. The feeling of something pressing down on them, the feeling of something awful happening. The feeling of needing to do something. But Nue didn't act on it.
All she knew was that she had heard nothing, seen nothing, and yet her mind had suddenly jumped to the idea that 'Kaname Mizuchi was in trouble'.
… a completely unnatural train of thought.
And so, unlike others, she was capable of isolating that thought and realising—this had nothing to do with her own mind. This was something else entirely. And if that was the case… it likely came from 'that'. And if that was the case, then…
This obviously just gives me information. It doesn't make me do anything. I would only go if I wanted to help you…
And I don't. Not right now.
I'm not sorry. She brushed her fingers against the wall in front of her. I want to say I am, but I'm not. But this time, I have things I'm desperate to do and people I have to find.
This time I'm going to be selfish and do what I want. It's my life.
So she ignored that impulse.
When Rio spotted the figure in the distance, she bolted .
"Sayaka?" She shouted, confused at the sight of the purple-haired girl on the battlefield when she should be back in the base. "What are you doing here?"
Sayaka turned to look at her, seeming nervous. "Um, Rio…" She seemed to get even more nervous as the rest of Rio's group showed up with her, considering that two of them were Heart Branch's Dragon Dictator and Flower Oracle, and one of them was one of her closest friends, the boy that she'd worked with for almost a full year, after everything had fallen apart.
And obviously, Rio herself, the one who had caught Sayaka spying on them in the first place, who was one of Sayaka's best friends.
Rio didn't envy her situation. At the same time, she still hardened her heart and spoke up. "Answer my question, Sayaka."
"… um, I…" Sayaka hesitated. "Well. I was let back out."
"By who?" Kaede said, arching an eyebrow. "No one was told to let you out. I know that much. They would have to go against orders from Tsubaki and I, and Hisako is right here—"
He stopped as the answer became clear.
An hour ago:
Sayaka had been sitting in the corner of the room when she heard the approaching footsteps. When she looked up, Mariko Ejiri was standing there, peering down at her with an expression that was paradoxically familiar and unfamiliar at the same time—Sayaka had seen this expression before, this confusing coldness.
"Ejiri-san?"
"... do you want to fight?" Mariko asked, tilting her head. Her silver fringe fell over her face.
"Huh?"
"I asked if you still feel like fighting against Academia."
Sayaka swallowed slowly. "I… betrayed everyone."
"And?" Mariko watched her. "That's not what I asked, is it? Even now, are you going to cow away from the people who hurt you and used you? Will you stay here safely as the rest of them fight, never able to redeem yourself?"
Sayaka shivered. Something about the soft, yet cutting questions reminded her of how she'd been interrogated before—when that person , the girl with the long black hair, had revealed that she knew everything about Sayaka's secrets. She felt exposed , she realised. Back then, when that person had known. Now, when she was sitting in front of one of the most cheerful members of the Resistance, who was talking in a way that Sayaka had never heard before, who was… scolding her?
But…
"I don't want to," Sayaka murmured.
"… what did you say?"
"I don't wanna just stay here. But… it's too late, isn't it? I'm not… I can't fight with everyone anymore…"
"Is it ever too late?" Mariko said, glancing away from her. "Or are you just telling yourself that?"
And those words… struck an odd chord for Sayaka. All of a sudden, she was looking at Ruri again. Ruri, who had come back and never complained about how things had changed, who hadn't stopped trying to do something.
And…
Sayaka had let herself get caught up in these things. She'd never properly apologised—she'd just let a small mistake drag her down all the way.
How long did she intend to be dragged down like this?
"… what do you really want, Sayaka Sasayama? No excuses…"
Sayaka closed her eyes. "I want to fight," she said. "I want to do my best."
"… you'll lose, you know." Mariko studied her fingernails. "When you go out there. You're not nearly strong enough."
"… I wanna try anyway…" Even if she would lose…
It was her way to redeem herself, wasn't it? It was an attempt to try to make up not for the first mistake, but for every mistake it had led to.
Mariko reached down—and untied her hands. Sayaka blinked, staring up at her—the girl glanced away, her dark blue eyes staring at the wall. "Then you should do that," she said.
"Why would you…"
"I think anyone that wants to fight should fight," Mariko said. "Regardless of what side they're on… they should get to risk their lives the same."
You look conflicted , Sayaka wanted to say, because the girl was stiff with something that Sayaka recognised—that she felt down to her bones.
There was something tearing Mariko Ejiri apart on the inside, even as she shot Sayaka a smile. "Just don't bump into me again," she said.
In the present:
"Seriously, that girl…" Rio shook her head, but… she couldn't help smiling. "Doing things by herself…"
"By herself, huh?" Hisako murmured. "That's… very like her. I never accounted for that." She didn't elaborate though. "Will you be sticking with us, Sayaka?"
"I guess? If you want…"
"I'm not forgiving you," Rio said. "But if you really want to fight, then come with us."
Sayaka swallowed—and looked up, eyes full of hope. "Okay," she said.
Chris Arclight would freely admit to a lot of things. He would admit to the fact that when he had become a pro duelist and subsequently, a teacher, it had mostly been out of a desire to stay close to his father and work with him. Considering that he'd been shadowing his father at his workplace so many times, it had been easy to learn about jobs in dueling and to decide on something like that, even though he had always been more interested in astronautical engineering.
Another thing that he might admit to would be that he loved his brothers and even now, he still felt worried about them and what their decisions had led to—how, even if they fought their hardest, all it would take was one loss, and then Chris would lose them too.
However, the one thing he would never quite be able to admit to… was that at certain points in his life, his father had done things that he'd never quite agreed with. Things that his younger siblings might not have been capable of recognising were wrong, but just were .
"We must promote Heartland, Yoshito, if we are to survive in this world. We're the 'city of the future'—do you know how many people have their eyes on us? If we don't show that we can compete, those larger nations will come for our head. What if we invent something here that the rest of the world wants? We must make sure to make ourselves useful and powerful."
"Yes, Byron, and we will do it through diplomacy, as we always have. Why the sudden insistence on dueling as our new method?"
"... we've found some data in the hologram files that indicate that it may be possible for them to be used for long periods of time. And that the holograms may be capable of being manipulated to do… actual damage. We've seen how Psychic Duelists work. What do you think happens with large monsters like those your son uses?"
"You mean…"
"Yes, weapons. So… we must be prepared to use dueling for that. And to have the most talented duelists in the world ask to come here… that'll be a step in the right direction."
The idea of poaching the best duelists from other countries was one thing—Chris would never have objected to something like that, if it was out of a desire to really make Heartland the best. But… the way that his father had said it, the children were instead there as some kind of weapon. He wasn't sure if he could agree with that.
Especially because…
One of the children that his father had brought to Heartland was a child with the ability to make cards real.
And Chris had doubted his father. He'd wondered if Byron Arclight had chosen that girl specifically because of her abilities, and not out of good will.
Still… he hadn't exactly minded getting Melia as a sister. (Or Tsubaki. Or all the names that she wanted to use, but never that one , the one that had almost been her nickname before Chris had swiftly spread a different one to change people's minds. The title of Houou-ou , or 'Firebird King', had completely been his creation… if only so that Tsubaki would stop flinching every time someone used the title of Suzaku-ou for her.)
Having Melia around had been different at the start, but Chris had quickly grown to love her. Melia, who was awkward and stilted and couldn't really handle people properly when they'd first met her, but had grown since then. Melia, who was fiery and competitive and never quite seemed to know how to hold back.
And yet, when it had mattered most, she had given him some kind of moral fiber. Chris didn't know what he would have done without her, when his brothers had betrayed the Resistance—if he might have gone with them, desperate and willing to do anything if it just meant that he could have his family back. But he remembered the doubts he'd had about his father, he remembered that he still had one more person that he had to take care of, and quite frankly, he hadn't wanted to break her heart by siding with his brothers against her—
Because that would mean excluding her from the people that were supposed to be her family.
… well, no use thinking about it now.
I still haven't seen hide nor hair of Michael or Thomas.
Chris moved onto the next group of duelists, purposeful.
… we should speak. Or we shouldn't see each other. Whichever method means that they live…
That's fine with me.
As usual, the group of three were helpless against Dyson Sphere—not knowing how to deal with a monster effect that negated attacks. Chris cleared them away. And then…
"Chris."
Chris narrowed his eyes. He turned his head, looking at the approaching figure with an almost aristocratic disdain. "… Sou-san," he greeted, before adding on the much more informal: "Girag."
Diamond Branch's teacher looked back at him. "Interesting that I ran into you here," Souhachi Kiraku remarked. "And alone too. Didn't the Resistance say to stay in pairs for safety?"
Those specific words…
"So it's not Sayaka Sasayama then?" Chris challenged. Girag blinked in confusion. "Your mole. It's not Sasayama-san. She never had the opportunity to hear our current plans."
"... we just figured it out—"
"But to say it in that specific way? More natural to just say 'shouldn't you be with someone'." Chris raised an eyebrow. "You've heard our plans specifically. That's all there is to it, Girag."
Girag sputtered, before shaking his head. "... too smart for your own good, Chris."
Chris didn't respond to that. After all, it was no secret that most people liked to run circles around Girag—the man might be strong, but he took things very literally and often got tricked by others, especially his students. It had been very easy for Chris to pick up that he had known more than he should…
And, Chris supposed, he may as well try to learn more about exactly what was going on.
"So who is it?" Chris asked. "Or, maybe not 'who'… what is it that allowed you to figure out what we're doing?"
"... why don't you duel me?" Girag gestured towards himself, holding up one of his large hands. "And if you win, I'll tell you what you want to know."
Did Girag know what he was asking? If Chris beat him, then he'd—
No , Chris realised. Girag did not know at all about the bracelet and its consequences. Did Chris have it in him to explain it?
… the answer was still no.
Because this was Souhachi Kiraku, a teacher much like himself. More importantly, this was someone that Chris could only feel distaste towards— because Girag was a teacher like him. Because Chris knew what it was like to be responsible for people, to guide them and watch them grow, to treat their success as his own without taking away from it, to love his students—
And he loved them. He loved each and every single one of them—even if he had favourites, he did love them all. He loved Shun and his determination to be one of the strongest people in all of Heartland, he loved Ruri and her gentle heart, he loved Yuto and his eagerness to learn. Just… all of them.
It was his love for them that made him despise Girag so much.
Because a teacher should care for their students. But more than that, they should guide those students.
And in that regard…
If Chris could be honest without having to speak politely, he would call Girag an absolute failure in that regard. Because what kind of teacher let his students walk a path like this—and worse, would follow them on that horrible, bloody path? What kind of teacher would choose not to counsel them when they were doing the wrong thing, what kind of teacher would fail so badly that his students would all end up in this situation, their lives hanging by a thread without even knowing it?
It was a failure so monstrous that Chris could never forgive him for it—especially because two of the students he had failed so utterly were Chris's own brothers.
… Chris could never forgive that. He could never forgive this man for failing them. And he could never forgive himself or his father either, for how they had apparently failed to raise them right.
"... if I win," Chris said, never flinching or looking away, "you'll be carded. That's all."
"You're not interested in learning more?" Girag said.
"... you're so literal-minded," Chris said dismissively. "Well, that's fine. Come on, Sou-san—"
He breathed out.
"I'll avenge all my students that died because of you and yours, right here and now."
Girag's eyes widened. Then, the tall man clenched his fist. "… hah. And I'll keep on defending mine."
"Whether they're right or wrong?"
Girag didn't try to address the actual morality of it all—not that Chris had expected him to. He was a simple man. He simply kept his head high and said: "We're in the right. But as far as I see it, you abandoned your own kin just as much as they did."
Chris twitched.
Enough of that.
He was going to win this duel.
[DUEL!]
Chris Arclight: 4000LP
Souhachi Kiraku: 4000LP
[Turn 1: Chris] [H:5]
"I'll start," Chris said, swiftly drawing the top cards of his deck. "Spell Card, Machina Redeployment. I will discard a "Machina" card and add two "Machina" cards with different names from my deck to my hand. Then, since Machina Unclaspare was added to my hand outside of drawing it, I can Special Summon it from my hand!" A dark robot surrounded by sinister black and red energy appeared on the field.
[Machina Unclaspare (4*/1800/800/DARK/Machine/Effect)]
"However, I cannot Special Summon monsters this turn, except Machine monsters."
Girag scoffed. "As if there's a single monster in an Arclight's deck that isn't a Machine monster."
"My father's monsters took on a variety of shapes," Chris said, casually cutting through the attempt at trash talk. "There are only four of us Arclights left alive now… would you consider seventy-five percent a good enough number for statistics? That's an absurdly low confidence level—most of them require at least ninety-five percent."
"Confidence… wha?" Girag just looked confused.
"Sorry, I forgot. If you knew anything about statistics and causation, you would realise how ignorant your current cause is." Chris thrust his hand forward. "Machina Unclaspare's effect! When Normal or Special Summoned, I can send a "Machina" monster from my deck to the graveyard." He dropped one card into the right slot. "Then, I will Normal Summon Machina Gearframe!" The robot made of orange and white metal appeared, holding up its arms with a sharp expression. It settled down next to Unclaspare.
[Machina Gearframe (4*/1800/0/EARTH/Machine/Effect)]
"Machina Gearframe's effect. I will add another "Machina" monster from my deck to my hand! Then, I will overlay the Level 4 Machina Gearframe and the Level 4 Machina Unclaspare! Advance towards the brightest stars in the sky, o' machinery of the bright future, and take our battles beyond! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Machina Starcruiser!" On the field, a large machine that seemed like a hybrid of a spaceship and a tank appeared—it was made of white and purple metal, in a way that seemed to resemble Chris's own hair. It was a typical UFO shape, and yet from the top of it, a large cannon emerged, pointing upwards—lines of glowing purple fluid ran through its thin silver barrel. Long wheels could be seen in a ring attached to the bottom of the UFO, all of them evenly spaced out from the middle of the spaceship, likely for mobility on land.
This was Chris's first Xyz Monster—after all, he'd had to have a Xyz Monster before Dyson Sphere, considering how recently the Numbers had been made. A multipurpose spaceship that acted as a weapon, much like the rest of the Machinas.
[Machina Starcruiser (R4/2200/1800/LIGHT/Machine/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]
"When Machina Starcruiser is Xyz Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or higher monster from my graveyard!" He lifted up the card that he had discarded from his hand for Redeployment's cost. "I will Special Summon Machina Metalcruncher!" The orange and green robot leapt forward, its limbs dynamically waving through the air, before it landed, its legs slamming with a loud thud against the ground. One of its 'hands' was a claw made of five thin 'fingers', while the other was instead connected to a thick arm, ending in a cannon with its tip shaped like a robot's face.
[Machina Metalcruncher (9*/2800/0/EARTH/Machine/Effect)]
"Machina Metalcruncher's effect. Since it was Normal or Special Summoned, I will reveal three EARTH Machine monsters from my deck, and you randomly choose one for me to add to my hand." Chris flipped three cards around between his fingers—behind him, the holograms showed the three cards briefly. "Machina Air Raider, Machina Irradiator and Machina Cannon!" The cards flipped over and shuffled themselves. "What's your choice, Sou-san?"
"The middle one!" Girag declared. Chris returned the other two cards to his deck, shuffling it—
Before he reached for a different card in his hand.
"I'll keep that card for later," he said, because it didn't matter what card Girag had chosen at all. Air Raider, Irradiator and Cannon all had the exact same effect to summon themselves—one that he would use next turn. "I'll discard another Machine monster from my hand to Special Summon Deep-Space Cruiser IX from my hand!" The large white rocket that resembled a sword appeared on the field next to Metalcruncher.
[Deep-Space Cruiser IX (9*/900/900/LIGHT/Machine/Effect)]
"I'll overlay the Level 9 Deep-Space Cruiser IX and the Level 9 Machina Metalcruncher! My burdensome fate, let the gigantic world capable of swallowing an entire galaxy descend right here and now. Xyz Summon! Rank 9! Number 9: Canopy Star - Dyson Sphere!" His ace emerged—as usual, it was the most eyecatching thing, not that Chris particularly minded it. Its solar panels emerged, casting a shadow over the field—nearby, other people looked over at them, seeming surprised by the presence of the monster.
[Number 9: Canopy Star - Dyson Sphere (R9/2800/3000/LIGHT/Machine/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]
"Field Spell, Deep-Space Canopy Cosmopolis." He activated the card, still keeping a calm expression on his face. "Since I control a Rank 9 or higher Xyz Monster, I can discard a Machine monster from my hand to draw two cards."
"And your big monsters are protected from card effects," Girag said with a snort.
"I'll set a card and end my turn," Chris said. "... your move."
"... Dyson Sphere and Starcruiser in Defense Position… you really don't want to let a single point of damage through this turn, huh?" Girag narrowed his eyes. "Well, I'm gonna tear it all down anyway! Brick by brick."
[Turn 2: Girag] [H:6]
"Draw! I'll Normal Summon Bujin Torifune!" The white and gold warrior with bright wings emerged on the field, spreading out its angel-like wings. Glowing brighter yellow lines ran across its body, emanating light.
[Bujin Torifune (4*/1500/500/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Effect)]
"I'll tribute Bujin Torifune to activate its effect! I can Special Summon two "Bujin" monsters with different Types from my deck in Defense Position! Come! Bujingi Qiulin! Bujin Mahitotsu!" On the field, two different monsters appeared—the first, a golden steed with a long blade for a face. Next to it, a rather flamboyant-looking warrior who held up his hands, pink orbs and energy spinning around him.
[Bujingi Qiulin (4*/1600/900/LIGHT/Beast/Effect)]
[Bujin Mahitotsu (4*/0/1800/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Effect)]
"I'll use Mahitotsu's effect! I'll discard a "Bujin" monster from my hand and add Torifune from my graveyard to my hand!" He picked up the card. "I'll open the circuit of the glorious warriors!"
Chris narrowed his eyes.
… hmm.
"Arrowhead confirmed! The conditions are two monsters with the same Level! I will set Bujin Mahitotsu and Bujingi Qiulin in the Link Markers! Come forth now, golden deity, and step into war alongside us! Circuit Combine! Link Summon! Link 2! Bujinki Ahashima!" A tall monster that looked like an evolution of Torifune appeared on the field, its body constructed from white and gold metal—there was something cold and imperious to it as it stared forward at Chris.
[Bujinki Ahashima (L2/1500/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Link/Effect, ↑, ↘)]
"Ahashima's effect. Since it was Link Summoned, I can Special Summon two monsters with the same Level, one from my hand and one from my graveyard! Come back, Bujin Mahitotsu!" The pink-themed holy warrior appeared on the field, glowing brightly. "And from my hand, return, Torifune!" The golden warrior reappeared—and then, both monsters turned into bright gold streaks of light, flowing into the ground. "I'll overlay the Level 4 Bujin Torifune and Bujin Mahitotsu!"
Girag smirked. The smugness in his expression was… infuriating.
"Powerful warrior with blades of sacred fire! Descend! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! The powerful, one and only Bujintei Kagutsuchi!" The warrior in dark armour appeared, holding onto his regal-looking sword and shield—around him, bright blue flames swirled, consuming him.
[Bujintei Kagutsuchi (R4/2500/2000/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]
"When Bujintei Kagutsuchi is Xyz Summoned, I can send the top 5 cards of my deck to the graveyard, and Kagutsuchi gains 100 attack points times the number of "Bujin" cards sent to the graveyard!" Card after card fell into Girag's graveyard—and then, the tall man pumped a fist in the air, grinning widely. "Yes! That's five! He never fails me…"
[Bujintei Kagutsuchi: 2500 + 100 x 5 = 3000ATK]
"And I'll just keep going," Girag said, still seeming smug. "I'll activate the Continuous Spell, Bujincandescence! By discarding a "Bujin" card, I can negate the effects of a card you control! I'll choose your Field Spell!" Chris glanced to the side as his Spell shimmered—and then went grey. "And then, now that I've done that, your Dyson Sphere's not protected from card effects anymore! I'll banish Bujingi Qiulin from my graveyard, and I can destroy a card you control! I'll destroy your Dyson Sphere!"
"Does it target?" Chris said, arching an eyebrow.
"Yes…?"
Chris's set card flipped up, revealing itself.
"... ranku appu majikku —" Girag read slowly, before his eyes widened. "Rank Up Magic? Since when did you—"
"... something new that my father was theorising," Chris said. "The 'next' evolution for these Numbers of ours. Because all of them—my Dyson Sphere, or your Burner Visor—are based on what my father and his partners interpreted from our historical murals. But, my father wondered… what if we could take those murals and go further? What if instead of merely interpreting, we extended them?"
He revealed a card from his Extra Deck.
"This is the result. My Dyson Sphere is a utopia that takes in power from the sun. But what about a different form of it? A world where the sun is not a blessing, but subservient ?"
"... and why haven't you used it, Arclight?"
Chris stared at Girag coldly. "Because I made a promise to my father that I would help him to debut these new Numbers for the first time," he said. "And I'm guessing you've never heard of them because Michael and Thomas kept that promise too. But I'm afraid I'll have to break it. I don't want to simply win, I want to show you how unworthy you are as a teacher. So—this is it. Quickplay Spell, Rank-Up-Magic Chaos Scattering Force! I'll Rank Up Number 9: Canopy Star - Dyson Sphere by a single Rank!"
The enormous form of Dyson Sphere did not dissolve. Instead, it folded in on itself, until it was simply an ominous metal orb in the sky—and then, it was surrounded by a dark aura that hid it from sight.
"City that swallows a galaxy, now bend the very light of creation to your will, and turn it to fuel for the burdensome fate of your future! Rank-Up-Xyz-Change! Rank 10!"
And the sphere opened again.
The panels around the sun had gone smaller and triangular—and yet, a second layer of them had emerged around the first, extending the size of the monster even further. With the dark purple panels in the middle and the far larger ones around it, as well as the spike at the bottom having transformed to something that has spikes all around it and resembled a thorned vine…
… it looked a bit like a flower. Green orbs were attached to the middle of the structure.
"Life is chaos, and chaos is death," Chris recited, remembering the way that his father had brainstormed the story that he wanted to tell with these cards. "Thus, chaos is 'to be reborn again'. Come, my monster! Chaos Number 9: Spectral Canopy Star - Chaos Dyson Sphere!"
Dyson Sphere shuddered, and then its 'petals' glowed even more brightly—almost blinding in appearance.
[Chaos Number 9: Spectral Canopy Star - Chaos Dyson Sphere (R10/3600/3200/LIGHT/Machine/Xyz/Effect) (OU:3)]
"So my Dyson Sphere dodges your Qiulin's effect." Chris folded his arms. "... what else?"
Girag growled. "You're infuriating, Arclight…"
"I'll take that as a compliment. So are you."
Girag glanced at the two cards in his hand, before shaking his head. "... unbelievable. I will banish Bujintonation from my graveyard—and then target Bujin Mikazuchi, Bujingi Peacock and Bujingi Centipede in my graveyard!" All four of those cards must have been milled with Kagutsuchi's effect. How convenient… "Then, for each Type of monster I banished, I can use one of Bujintonation's effects! First, I will Special Summon a "Bujin" monster from my deck—come, Bujin Yamato!" The warrior with skin like molten bronze emerged on the field, standing up proudly.
[Bujin Yamato (4*/1800/200/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Effect)]
"Second, I can add a banished "Bujin" monster to my hand. I will choose Bujingi Peacock." He picked up the card that he had just banished. "Finally, for the rest of this turn, you can't activate monster effects, except the effects of the monster with the lowest attack points!"
So he'd sealed off Dyson Sphere's effects… likely expecting that its effects were the exact same as its base self.
… how foolish.
"Battle Phase! Bujintei Kagutsuchi attacks your Chaos Dyson Sphere!"
"Machina Starcruiser's effect," Chris countered sharply. "I will detach one of its Overlay Units and protect my monsters from battle destruction for the rest of this turn!" White light formed a shield in front of both his monsters.
[Machina Starcruiser: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]
Girag's eyes widened. "I thought you would—"
"What? Just let you crash your monster into mine without reacting?" Chris shook his head. "I know your monster is too weak. I also know that for all your idiocy, you're not bad enough at dueling and numbers to somehow attack without noticing that. So? Spring your trap, but it won't work on me."
"... I'm still doing it anyway! When my "Bujin" Beast-Warrior monster battles, I can banish Bujingi Sinyou from the graveyard—and Kagutsuchi gains attack points equal to Dyson Sphere's current attack points until the end of the Damage Step!" Purple energy surrounded Kagutsuchi, powering it up.
[Bujintei Kagutsuchi: 3000 + 3600 = 6600ATK]
"But the damage you take is halved!"
Dyson Sphere stood up to the strike, though Chris still took damage.
Chris: 4000 - 3000 / 2 = 2500LP
"I'll move to my Main Phase 2! By discarding Peacock from my hand, I can add a "Bujin" card from my deck to my hand. I'll set a card and end my turn! Yamato's effect will let me add a "Bujin" monster from my deck to my hand, and then send one from my hand to the graveyard!"
"... in the end, you couldn't touch Dyson Sphere at all," Chris said. He reached for the top card of his deck. "Well. I'll be forcing you to come to your senses now."
As usual, Dyson Sphere's summoning prompted reactions and groans from all around the battlefield—and Chaos Dyson Sphere, resembling some kind of alien, did the same.
Serena stared at the large monster in the sky again. "What the…"
"... that's just Chris Arclight." Mariko snorted. "Overdramatic man."
"At least less people will come in this direction…" Kyorin murmured, though Yuto cast a worried look at her.
"... he seems to be doing fine," Mion said, turning away from the battle.
"Dyson Sphere has an evolution?" Shun couldn't help but smirk fondly. "... that's Chris for you."
"... you have better flowers," Yuno quipped, and Miharu glanced away, before flicking his shoulder. "Alright, alright, I'll focus."
[Turn 3: Chris] [H:3]
"Draw," Chris said with a shrug. "I'll be using Deep-Space Canopy Cosmopolis's effect again. I'll discard a Machine monster and draw two cards." He picked up both cards, glancing at them. "... hmm. I will activate the effect of Machina Air Raider in my hand. By discarding a "Machina" monster from my hand, I will Special Summon it from my hand!" The purple robot with circular wings on both sides of it emerged, gliding up in the air.
[Machina Air Raider (8*/1500/2600/EARTH/Machine/Effect)]
"I will then Normal Summon Machina Processtorage!" Another dark robot appeared on the field—this one with large blades making up its arms.
[Machina Processtorage (4*/1600/1500/DARK/Machine/Effect)]
"Machina Processtorage's effect. I can return one of my "Machina" monsters from the graveyard to the field, but it cannot activate its effects this turn." Chris revealed another card. "Machina Megaform!" An even taller robot rose onto the field—this one was made of bright white, blue and red metal, much more akin to one of those robot battle animes (he didn't even know the genre name, to be honest) that Michael had enjoyed back when they were kids.
[Machina Megaform (8*/2600/1500/EARTH/Machine/Effect)]
"I will then overlay the Level 8 Machina Megaform and the Level 8 Machina Air Raider! Let the gigantic machine that slinks through the deepest trenches of the ocean ascend to the surface, and blow away all burdens with its steam! Xyz Summon! Rank 8! Aegaion the Sea Castrum!" His last main Xyz Monster took to the field as well—the enormous blue robot letting out steam that blew everywhere around them. It was in Defense Position.
[Aegaion the Sea Castrum (R8/?/3000/WATER/Machine/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]
"Aegaion the Sea Castrum's effect. I trust you know this one, at the very least, from the two years that we spent teaching together. I will banish a random monster from your Extra Deck, and then Aegaion copies that monster's attack points!"
Girag removed a card from his Extra Deck, frowning. "Burner Visor…"
"... that seems right," Chris said. "... those cards are for the future of Heartland. You still having them is a problem."
[Aegaion the Sea Castrum: ? → 1000ATK]
He'd rather have removed Girag's other monsters—Amaterasu, Susanowo or Tsukuyomi would all have been far better options. Still, he'd take what he could get.
"Aegaion's other effect," Chris continued. "I'll detach one Overlay Unit from him and return your Burner Visor to the Extra Deck—and then, I can destroy another Xyz Monster you control." The cannons glowed, and Chris pointed at Kagutsuchi. "Fire."
"Don't be foolish, Arclight! Kagutsuchi's effect! By detaching one of its Overlay Units, I can negate his destruction!"
[Aegaion the Sea Castrum: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]
[Bujintei Kagutsuchi: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]
"And then, Ahashima's effect! Since an Xyz Monster it points to detached an Overlay Unit to use its effect, I can destroy a Spell or Trap on the field! Your Field Spell!"
Chris's card shattered.
"... when Deep-Space Canopy Cosmopolis is destroyed, I can Special Summon two Machine monsters with different Levels from my graveyard, but they cannot attack this turn," Chris said, as though he'd expected exactly that result. He hadn't—after all, he'd never heard about Girag's Link Monster. Still, it was hardly a stretch to think that Girag had some way to destroy Spells and Traps on the field—otherwise, why would he have given up Centipede earlier, which had previously been his only way to get rid of troublesome backrow cards on field?
… simple inference.
"Come back—Air Raider and Unclaspare!" The two Machines reappeared on the field. Chris didn't use Unclaspare's effect—he had no Monster Zones left to use, after all. Still…
Plenty of monsters now to make use of.
"I'll overlay the Level 4 Machina Unclaspare and the Level 4 Machina Processtorage!" The two machines vanished from the field. "Sink into the ocean's depths, weapon of war, and let your mines blow past ocean and shore! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Machina Submernate!" In front of him, another one of his Xyz Monsters appeared—this one far less used than the other. It was a rusty-looking blue-black submarine—on the top of it was a robot that was attached to it at the hip, with no legs—the submarine almost looked like a tail when connected to it. It had glowing red eyes. Seaweed and algae drifted around the monster—it let out a rumbling sound. This one was in Defense Position as well.
[Machina Submernate (R4/1400/2000/WATER/Machine/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]
"Now, I'll activate Chaos Dyson Sphere's effect," Chris declared. "For each of its Overlay Units, it can inflict 300 damage to you!"
"A burn effect?" Girag exclaimed.
The 'petals' fluttered, before firing down a laser—Girag's life points fell by a small chunk.
Girag: 4000 - 300 x 3 = 3100LP
"I'll change Machina Starcruiser to Attack Position. Then—Battle Phase," Chris continued. "Chaos Dyson Sphere attacks Bujintei Kagutsuchi!"
"Huh? You're not gonna…"
"Do you have a response?" Chris shot back.
"A response? Well, I…" Girag blustered for a moment. "I'll discard Bujingi Crow from my hand! I'll negate the attack and inflict half of Dyson Sphere's attack points as damage to you!" Blue flames flew around him, similar to those of Kagutsuchi, before they all moved towards Chris—further searing at his life points.
Chris: 2500 - 3600 / 2 = 700LP
"You're barely hanging on by a thread now, Chris! Another hit and you're gone!"
"It was worth it to get rid of that card," Chris countered.
"What, do you think you can beat my monster or something? None of your monsters have enough attack points to do the job!"
"... you're right about that. For now." Chris gestured forward. "Machina Submernate's effect! Once per turn, during my Battle Phase, I can detach one of its Overlay Units, and that monster gains 600 attack points times the number of Machine monsters on the field, but it is destroyed during the End Phase!"
Girag's eyes widened.
"I choose Machina Starcruiser!" Water flowed around the spaceship as it floated in the air.
[Machina Starcruiser: 2200 + 600 x 5 = 5200ATK]
[Machina Submernate: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]
"Battle! Machina Starcruiser attacks Bujintei Kagutsuchi!"
The spaceship fired off a laser, hitting Kagutsuchi, who sacrificed an Overlay Unit to survive again—
[Bujintei Kagutsuchi: OU:1 - 1 = OU:0]
And Girag's life points fell by… a very small amount?
Girag: 3100 - 200 = 2900LP
"I discarded Bujingi Crane from my hand! Kagutsuchi's attack points became double its original attack points for that battle."
"... its original attack points are 2500," Chris noted. "So… double that is 5000. 200 damage… mm." He shrugged. "We'll call that a tie of sorts then. None of my remaining monsters can attack—I'll end my turn."
"Hold up! Before you end your turn, I'll activate my Trap Card! Bujin Regalia - The Sword! I'll add Bujin Mahitotsu from my graveyard to my hand!" Girag picked up the card.
Chris shrugged. "The second part of Submernate's effect. My monster is destroyed." Starcruiser shattered. "Then, I gain life points equal to its attack points!"
Chris: 700 + 2200 = 2900LP
"... that's all," he concluded.
[Turn 4: Girag] [H:2]
"Draw!" The other teacher smirked. "I guess I'll have to apologise to Michael and Thomas, but… I'll be taking you out now! I'll banish a "Bujin" monster from my graveyard and Special Summon Bujin Hirume from my hand!" A white and gold figure appeared on the field, waving their hands through the air—light shimmering around them.
[Bujin Hirume (4*/2000/1000/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Effect)]
"I'll overlay the Level 4 Bujin Hirume and the Level 4 Bujin Yamato! Join the fray now, another of my mighty warriors, and crush this man to dust! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Bujintei Susanowo!" Girag's favourite monster emerged on the field, holding onto its flaming swords.
[Bujintei Susanowo (R4/2500/2000/LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Xyz/Effect) (OU:2)]
"Susanowo's effect! I'll detach an Overlay Unit, add a "Bujin" monster from my deck to my hand, and then discard one!" He cycled out the cards in his hand.
[Bujintei Susanowo: OU:2 - 1 = OU:1]
"You seem content to hide behind all those walls," Girag sniggered, "but I'll knock them all down! I'll—"
"You," Chris countered, "are incredibly self-centered."
"H-huh?"
"Aegaion's effect!" Chris declared. "I'll banish a random monster from your Extra Deck!" Realisation emerged in Girag's eyes as Bujintei Amaterasu left his Extra Deck.
[Aegaion the Sea Castrum: 1000 → 2600ATK]
"Then, I'll return that monster to your Extra Deck and detach an Overlay Unit from Aegaion to destroy Susanowo!"
[Aegaion the Sea Castrum: OU:1 - 1 = OU:0]
"... hah. Is that all you have, Chris Arclight?" Girag's words came out in a fierce shout. "I'll banish Bujingi Hare from the graveyard to protect my monster!" Susanowo remained on the field. "I'll Normal Summon Mahitotsu!" The pink-themed flamboyant warrior appeared on the field. "Mahitotsu's effect! I'll banish Bujin Yamato from the graveyard to send another "Bujin" monster from the deck to the graveyard!"
He dropped the card in the graveyard.
"Bujintei Susanowo can attack every monster you control! Attack Submernate!" The submarine exploded. "Then, attack Chaos Dyson Sphere! And I'll activate—"
"You won't get to activate Sinyou's effect."
"Huh?"
Chris raised his head, a cold expression on his face. "That's the one you sent to the graveyard, right? Sinyou? It doesn't matter. Chaos Dyson Sphere's effect! When it battles a monster, it attaches that monster to itself as material!"
Girag's eyes flew open. "H-huh? Then…"
Susanowo was swept up, turned into a single shining Overlay Unit that spun around Chaos Dyson Sphere.
[Chaos Number 9: Spectral Canopy Star - Chaos Dyson Sphere: OU:3 + 1 = OU:4]
"So?"
Girag stared at his field.
At that moment, there was a frightful vulnerability in his eyes.
It's all ruined for you, Chris thought. Before you even knew it.
"... I'll end my turn," Girag murmured.
[Turn 5: Chris] [H:2]
"Draw." Chris did not make a move. Once he sealed Girag's fate, he would no longer get to speak with this man—and he still had plenty more he wished to say. "Tell me, Girag. How could you go along with a plan so reckless… when you have people that you love there too? What about Alito? What about Vector?" Alito was an obvious enough example to bring up, considering that he and Girag were related, and there was clearly some affection on Girag's part for Rui Shingetsu as well, from what Nue had mentioned once.
"... why are you asking so many questions?"
"If I don't ask you on your deathbed, then when?" Chris said bluntly. "I cannot understand any of this… though you can do your best to make me understand."
Girag lowered his head.
Anger burst through all of the walls that Chris had constructed to keep it at bay. "Don't you dare look away!" He took a step forward. "You shameful man—"
"And what else was I supposed to do?" Girag roared in response. He raised his head again. "Fight them? Do you know the feeling? You've never had to know it, you arrogant bastard! " He sneered. "All your students, so good, so moral—oh wait, one of your prized strongest is stuck overseas, another was captured by Academia, and the last two abandoned you all to rot!... Shun Kurosaki, at the very least, has more loyalty to family than you will ever have."
… and that was a low blow.
Chris took a deep breath, and delivered his own. "And yet your own student, Nue Kamisoka, had her good intentions betrayed by the rest of you."
"... Nue…?"
"The leader of your group," Chris said cuttingly, "was the one that pushed her off a building. He hurt her so badly that for a bit, no one knew if she was going to survive. And for what? The crime of her loyalty! The crime of her morality! Don't speak to things your students know nothing of, or you'll just be a hypocrite!"
But Girag stood there, frozen. "Tatsuya… pushed Nue…"
Chris studied Girag's expression. "You didn't know," he said after a moment. "Your own student, struck blind because she dared to trust her comrades!"
Silence hung in the air between them for a moment. Girag stared at him.
"... Sou-san," Chris finally said. "Academia's made a fool out of you. Surely you see that."
"What else was I supposed to do?" Girag repeated. "My students. I couldn't fight my students." He stared at Chris, looking for… what? For redemption? "Could you, if it was you?"
Chris stared back at him.
Could I?
"I hope I never have to find out," he said. "But right now, my opponent is not one of my own. It's you. That is all I need to know."
Girag laughed—a resigned laugh. He shook his head.
"There is a mole in the Resistance," he said.
"... huh?"
"You wanted to know if you won, correct? Well, here is that information you so craved." Girag smirked again—but it was weary. "We're not supposed to know this, but Izumi figured out the 'secret'. He told us this morning. So—there's been a traitor that's supplied us with all the information we could need. And no—it's not Sayaka Sasayama. She was just the scapegoat set up to hide the truth. I don't think Izumi was even supposed to figure it out."
"... why tell me this?"
Girag shook his head. "... felt like it? Don't ask questions."
Chris understood it instinctively.
… Souhachi Kiraku might finally have understood the meaning of 'remorse'.
"I'll tell you the name if you strike me down," Girag said.
… so you would rather fall in battle than redeem yourself for being wrong.
… still a fool to the very end.
Chris raised a hand. "Chaos Dyson Sphere's effect," he declared. "By detaching as many of its Overlay Units as I like, while one of them is Dyson Sphere…" All four orbs attached themselves to the panels of the monster, shining even more brightly. "I can inflict 800 damage to you for each one."
Girag shut his eyes.
"... that's 3200 damage," Chris concluded. "... goodbye."
And the lasers fired.
Girag: 2900 - 800 x 4 = 0LP
Winner: Chris Arclight!
Maybe, Chris thought, this was deserved.
… it didn't make the glowing bracelet any harder to look at.
He still did not say anything—and yet, the panicking Girag kept up his side of the promise anyway, even as he stared at the blinking light.
"Arclight," he shouted, "the mole is—"
And Chris's eyes widened as he heard the name.
OC Cards:
Machina Starcruiser
(R4/2200/1800/LIGHT/Machine/Xyz/Effect)
2 Level 4 Machine monsters
If this card is Xyz Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher Machine monster from your GY, but you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except Machine monsters. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; Machine monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle this turn.
Trivia: 'Starcruiser' is a reference to the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser, which I only know about for its spectacular failure. It is also a reference to Dyson Sphere itself being a futuristic sci-fi sort of thing. You may notice that the card is underpowered—it's a deliberate choice, since it's Chris's old ace and has to be outclassed by Dyson Sphere—which itself is not the pinnacle of card design. Also, once again… it is based on a failed Disney product :3 Its defensive effect is a reference to Dyson Sphere's own effect—superfluous now that Chris has it, but keeping his playstyle the same before and after it.
Deep-Space Canopy Cosmopolis
(Spell/Field)
If you control a Rank 9 or higher Machine Xyz Monster: You can discard 1 Machine monster; draw 2 cards. While you control this face-up card, Rank 9 or higher Xyz Monsters cannot be destroyed by card effects while they have Xyz Material. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can Special Summon 2 Machine monsters with different Levels from your GY, but they cannot attack this turn. You can only activate each effect of "Deep-Space Canopy Cosmopolis" once per turn.
Rank-Up-Magic Chaos Scattering Force
(Spell/Quickplay)
Target 1 face-up Machine Xyz Monster you control; Xyz Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 Machine Xyz Monster that is 1 Rank higher than that monster you control, by using it as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that target also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.) If a Xyz Monster you control is destroyed while this card is in your GY: You can banish this card from the GY; add 1 "Chronomaly" or "Gimmick Puppet" monster, or 1 Level 9 or higher Machine monster, from your GY to your hand.
Bujintonation
(Trap)
If your "Bujin" monster is destroyed: Target 1 monster your opponent controls; take control of it, and if you do, its ATK becomes equal to the ATK of that destroyed monster. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 3 "Bujin" monsters in your GY; banish the targeted monster(s) from the GY, and if you do, apply the following effects depending on the Type(s) of monsters banished:
• Beast: Add 1 of your banished "Bujin" monsters to your hand.
• Beast-Warrior: Special Summon 1 "Bujin" monster from your Deck with its effects negated.
• Winged-Beast: Your opponent cannot activate monster effects this turn, except the effect of the monster they control with the lowest ATK.
You can only activate each effect of "Bujintonation" once per turn.
Machina Submernate
(R4/1400/2000/WATER/Machine/Xyz/Effect)
2 Level 4 Machine monsters
During your Battle Phase (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 Machine monster you control; that monster gains 600 ATK for each Machine monster on the field, but destroy that monster during the End Phase, and if you do, gain LP equal to that monster's original ATK. You can only activate this effect of "Machina Submernate" once per turn.
End Notes:
If there's one thing I'm a little sad about, it's that I didn't get to have Kyorin watch Girag duel, because having her react to Mahitotsu (Pegasus) as well as the Asuka/Jun cards would have been fun.
When I first started planning out how I wanted to show off side-stories in this fic (so small things that aren't relevant to the 'main' plot the characters are involved in, like Sherry vs Aki in the last arc), the Arclight siblings wouldn't leave my mind. Making Chris/V the only one to stay on the Resistance's side was a deliberate choice—and in fact, in earlier drafts, it was a toss up between him and Michael/III for who I wanted on this side. But I needed a reason for 6ARC Chris to not descend into the same cruelty as ZEXAL Chris, and in the end, those reasons were ones that could only apply to him and not his younger brother.
Girag not summoning Giant Hand is intentional—I never had the intention to do that. Giant Hand has nothing much to do with the original Girag before his rebirth, after all.
No comment on that last part.
Review responses!
To Bryz0n, glad you enjoyed! Mm, there's a lot of duels getting set up in the background :)
To TornadoXz825, cough. No clue what you're talking about. *hides the flags*
To Infernal Enby, I do love the bromance... and heh, Fragments are still being mysterious about things, huh?
To maryyassa523, heh, no worries! My update speed hasn't exactly been that fast, unlike Synchro, so stuff will slip from people's minds :)
To Candy Mix-Up, Kaname is never fine... we'll get back to her eventually! :)
To the Guest wondering why my fic doesn't show up on the main Arc-V page, it's because I increased the rating! There's some content in the fic that I wouldn't be comfortable with younger readers seeing, just because we deal with a lot more ramifications :)
We'll keep it short for now! I'm gonna move onto the next chapter immediately ;3