Okay, here's the next chapter! This one involves a certain character that never came back before GX ended. Enjoy!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 30: Kaiser Arc – Part 2
Once Masumi left with the other Red students for their classes, Grace shook her head. She knew the girl meant well, but she should worry about her own problems. The "Yusuke Problem" as she came to call it was for Ryo to settle and him alone.
The thing was, it hadn't been dealt with yet. To this day, Ryo still refused to go near Yusuke. Yusuke himself tried once or twice to have a conversation with him, but Ryo always had an excuse to avoid him. Grace knew Ryo couldn't avoid him forever. Eventually the matter had to be settled in some way or another.
Putting that out of her mind for now, Grace focused on checking on the dorm rooms. She saw that some students made their beds, while others just left it a mess of sheets. "I'll probably need to have a talk with these kids." She muttered to herself. She then looked over the kitchen and bathroom on the upper level of the dorm before she entered the big luxurious room.
Grace smiled as she looked around the place. Everything seemed to be in order as far as she could tell. Manjome told her he was responsible for this room being here. Her new boyfriend had good taste. It certainly gave the dorm a more welcoming feeling than it initially did.
She wondered when she would see him again. It was just then that she got a text on her phone from Manjome, making her smile. It said that he was on his way to the island at that moment to have a romantic dinner date with her later in the evening. Grace looked forward to it. "Oh Jun, what do you have in mind for tonight?" She asked herself in anticipation.
A few hours later, after filling out some paperwork, Grace got a phone call from her sister. "Hey sis! How were gym classes today?" She asked. Gloria grunted on the other line.
"A few slackers in each bunch per usual, but I whipped them all to shape." Grace chuckled.
"I'll bet you have! Guess what? I got a date with Jun tonight! He's gonna be here soon!" She squealed.
"That's nice. Ryo has plans for our evening too… though he gave no hints. I've got a feeling he has something specific planned."
"Sounds important." Grace commented. "Knowing him, I'm sure you'll love it."
"Well, I'll find out soon enough." Gloria said. "Listen Grace. I wanted to remind you that you're to help me find a suitable location for the school sports festival I told you about." Grace gasped. She did recall that conversation.
"Oh yeah. I remember that. Relax sis, I did my homework and found a spot I think you'll like." She then gave Gloria the location. "It really isn't far from the school."
"Great, thanks. I'll meet you there in less than an hour. Just need to take care of a little matter first. See you later."
"No problem. Later." Grace said before she hung up. Now she just had to go and meet her sister at the location for the event. "Welp, better get moving. The sooner I show big sis what I found, the sooner I can get ready for my date!" After tidying up her desk, Grace got up and headed out from the dorm.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
After hanging up with her sister, Gloria made another quick call she felt was necessary. She felt a little bad for doing it, but sometimes a little "tough love" was needed when the occasion called for it.
Gloria then started to walk to the place Grace said would be great for her school sports festival. She was glad she got the approval. It felt the best way to show the students and staff she truly belonged in Duel Academy. Grace didn't provide any details, but she trusted her sister's judgement for matters like this.
On her way, a familiar figure was catching up with her. "Gloria! Wait up!" Gloria turned to see none other than her sister's boyfriend running up to meet her.
"Hey there, Jun. When did you show up here?" She asked when Manjome caught up.
"My boat just dropped me off a few minutes ago. I had barely gotten onto the docks when I saw you passing by." Gloria smirked.
"Grace told me you two got a date tonight." Manjome smirked too.
"Oh, we sure do. I think she's going to love what I have planned." He said with great confidence. Gloria could tell he meant it.
"I'll bet. Lucky for you, I happen to be on my way to meet her for a school related project. You can just tag along until we both arrive there."
"Sounds good to me." Manjome told her as they started walking together. As they did, Gloria glanced over at the young man curiously.
"How have things been going between you and Grace?" She asked. Manjome still smiled as he answered
"Oh, it's been great. She's great. Grace is the kind of girl I love. She's kind, energetic, gorgeous, and loves a guy who can impress her. I'm telling you, I feel like I've won the jackpot when your sister came into my life." Gloria nodded, smiling warmly.
"I'm pleased to hear you say that. Grace deserves someone who can treat her like she's the most special person in the world. I am glad you're making her happy." Manjome nodded.
"Heh. Me too." The young man then turned to her. "How about you and Ryo?" Gloria then frowned.
"Everything is fine… for the most part." Manjome eyed her.
"The most part?" He asked. Gloria sighed.
"I rather not talk about it." She said before turning silent. Manjome wisely decided to not ask further on the subject. He figured what it was and didn't want to risk getting on Gloria's bad side. So they continued to walk on without another word.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Not far from Duel Academy, a lone colosseum stood deep in the forest. It had become a bit worn and overrun with vines over the years since it was built, but it stood firm. Not a soul had set foot in it in all that time… until now.
A bright portal materialized in the middle of the arena and a single person fell out of it, facedown on the ground. The portal closed as suddenly as it opened, leaving no indication it had ever appeared. The individual that emerged was a young man in his later teens with black hair that had been flushed back, dark eyes, and wore a Ra Yellow uniform. As he got up, he took in his surroundings and immediately knew where he ended up. He walked to one of the walls and placed a hand on it, feeling the texture.
The man gritted his teeth and shut his eyes. "Why did this happen? Why…?" He muttered quietly to himself. He just stood there, alone in his sadness. He didn't know how long he had been away but he figured it had to have been a while. He was so wrapped up in his own emotions that he didn't hear the newcomer arriving.
"Huh? Hey you! What're you doing out here?" The young man turned around to see the silver haired woman just entering the colosseum. He was immediately captivated by her beauty. He also saw that she was wearing a red Duel Academy uniform.
'She must be working in Duel Academy. Most likely a new hire, considering she looks a bit too old to be a student.' The individual thought as he stared at her.
Grace was both surprised and confused. She hadn't expected to see anyone at this place besides her sister, who clearly hadn't arrived yet. She didn't recognize the stranger but saw that he wore a Ra Yellow uniform. Maybe a third year student? "Hey, did you hear me? Who are you and why are you not in your dorm?" Grace demanded.
The stranger snapped out of this thoughts and shook his head. "M-My apologies, miss. My name is Daichi Misawa. I was a Ra Yellow student in Duel Academy, but I left before I officially finished my education here. It's a rather long story. I only just came back from… far away." Misawa said vaguely.
Though confused by his arrival, Grace approached him. "Nice to meet you. I'm Grace Tyler, the supervisor for Osiris Red. I just started around a month ago."
"So you are new." Misawa stated. Grace nodded.
"Yep. But you haven't said why you are here." She pointed out. Misawa frowned as he turned away.
"I've only just arrived. I did not have a chance to do anything before you arrived." Grace noticed he still had not answered her question. She was about to ask again when Misawa continued. "The truth is, I was forced to return here by… someone I had strong feelings for." He said, his voice cracking a little from emotion.
Grace gasped and immediately felt pity toward him. Next thing Misawa knew, he was locked in a tight embrace with his face in Grace's chest. "Oh you poor thing! That's so sad!" She said with tear streams flowing down her face. Under any other circumstances, Misawa would be overjoyed to be hugged by a gorgeous woman, but not here… not like that. Aside from what just happened with "her", Misawa now had trouble breathing with his air supply suddenly cut off. He struggled to get loose, but Grace's hold was unexpectedly strong. She seemed to be unaware of Misawa's dilemma. Just when he thought he might die of suffocation…
"What the HELL is going on here?!" The silver haired woman turned to see the very shocked faces of her older sister and boyfriend. Gloria really did not look happy, but Manjome was beside himself. "Grace, why are you hugging some guy that isn't me?! Were you THAT lonely while I was away?!"
The very embarrassed girl finally released Misawa, who took long deep breathes after falling to his knees. "No no no! You got it all wrong, Jun! It's not like that at all, I swear!" She said while waving her hands wildly in a defensive gesture.
"Then explain yourself." Gloria ordered coldly. Grace then pointed down at Misawa.
"This guy just got his heart broken and I was only comforting him! Nothing was going on between us!"
"It is true." Misawa confirmed after finally recovering. "This is a huge misunderstanding. I was never trying to…" He paused as he finally noticed his old school rival. "Manjome!"
Manjome also appeared stunned. "Misawa?!"
"You two know each other?" Gloria asked the guys.
"Yeah. Daichi Misawa and I attended Duel Academy together." Manjome said. "But he disappeared a while back and hasn't been seen again since." He then turned to Misawa. "How the hell did you get back here anyway?" Misawa turned away briefly once more before facing him again.
"If you don't mind, I rather not discuss it at this time. But I can tell you that Grace and I are just very recent acquaintances who have no such feelings for each other. I take it that you two are together?" He asked. Manjome snorted as he crossed his arms.
"Damn right."
"So then… we are still dating tonight?" Grace asked nervously.
"Of course we are." Manjome assured her, making her relax. Once she introduced herself to Misawa, Gloria cleared her throat.
"Since this whole mess is now cleared up Grace, I take it that this place is where you the sports festival to take place?" Grace nodded vigorously, remembering her real reason for coming here.
"O-Oh yeah! I stumbled onto this colosseum recently and it sorta reminded me of our old home. I was thinking it would be good place to have all kinds of sports… the safe, fun kind that is." The girl added in. "What do you think?"
Gloria took a quick look around. True, it brought back memories of the colosseum Academia used for it's dueling drills to harden the students for their "noble mission". She scoffed, recalling how bogus their mission actually was. In their new home, Gloria and Grace wanted to fit in the best way they can. Having the kids play sports here may be a good way to do that. "Actually, you may be on to something. I think Principal Samejima would definitely approve. I certainly do." Grace brightened considerably.
"Thanks sis! I was hoping you'd say that!"
"A sports festival?" Misawa asked, being the only one to not know about the event.
"My idea." Gloria confirmed. "I am the new gym teacher so it is my responsibility."
"Then it's settled." Grace said before turning to Misawa. "How about you and I have a Duel right here and now to celebrate? I'm in the mood for one."
"You want to duel me?" Misawa asked. Grace nodded.
"Sure. If you were in Ra Yellow, then you have to be a pretty good Duelist, right?" Misawa smiled confidently.
"Pretty good? I was in the top of my class in Ra Yellow, having scored the highest of all the freshmen in my entrance exam." He said with pride.
"That's impressive." Gloria said.
"In that case, I definitely gotta see what you're made of!" Grace said. She then turned to her boyfriend. "You don't mind, do you Jun?" Manjome shrugged.
"Go right ahead. Just don't underestimate him. He beat me in a Duel once in our freshman year, so be on your toes." His woman nodded.
"Got it. Thanks for the heads up." Grace then focused on Misawa. "So, ready to get started?"
"Just one thing…" The former Ra Yellow opened up his jacket to reveal six Duel Monster Decks, one in each pocket, to the great surprise of the Tyler Sisters. "I constructed each of my Decks based on different Attributes in Duel Monsters! I took a great amount of time and careful planning to make each Deck strong and reliable. Which one would you like me to use in our Duel?"
Grace thought about it for a moment before making her choice. "Um, how about your "FIRE" Deck? I feel up for a "heated" battle!"
"As you wish. Prepare yourself, Grace." Misawa said as he took out the chosen Deck, inserted it into his Duel Disk, and activating the Disk once it was firmly set on his arm.
"Time to have some fun!" Grace said as she too activated her Disk. Manjome and Gloria watched as the match started.
"DUEL!"
(Misawa: 4000) (Grace: 4000)
"How about you go first?" Grace offered. Misawa seemed surprised.
"I was about to give you the same suggestion. Shouldn't it be "Ladies first"?" He asked. Grace shrugged.
"That's polite, but I really don't mind who gets the first turn." Misawa nodded.
"Very well. I will go first. My turn! Draw!" Though it had been a while since he dueled, Misawa felt he still had the skill as well as the intellect to be a challenging opponent. "I Set one Monster in Defense Mode and Set one card facedown. That concludes my turn."
"Not showing what you played huh? This outta be interesting! My turn! Draw!" Grace smiled for how she planned to turn up the heat. "I Summon Amazoness Sage!" (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 1400; DEF: 700) A dark skinned woman with blue hair in tribal coating and holding a staff appeared. "Then I play Amazoness Village!" The dueling area now turned into a small village with a few empty huts here and there. "This Field Magic card gives all "Amazoness" Monsters 200 Extra Attack Points! Thanks to this, my Sage just got a boost!" She declared as her Monster powered up.
(Amazoness Sage's ATK: 1400 + 200 = 1600)
To Grace's surprise, Misawa froze and started to tear up a little.
'Amazoness. Her Deck… it's similar to her's.' He thought sadly.
"What's up with him?" Gloria asked herself, also confused by his reaction.
Manjome had a good idea of what was probably going through Misawa's mind right then. He also began to suspect the circumstances of his return to this world were pretty bad.
"Misawa, is something wrong?" Grace asked, sounding concerned again. Misawa shook his head and rubbed his eyes.
"No, I'm perfectly fine." He told her in a strained voice. "Please proceed." Though unsure of what was going on with her opponent, Grace agreed and continued her turn.
"If you say so. Battle! Amazoness Sage, attack that facedown Monster! Savage Staff!" One whack from Sage's weapon and the defense Monster, which looked to be a turtle wearing a spaceship, was obliterated.
"By destroying my UFO Turtle in battle and sending it to the Graveyard, you have activated it's Monster Effect! Now I am allowed to Special Summon a FIRE Monster with 1500 Attack Points or less from my Deck in Attack Mode! I Special Summon Incandescent King Pyron!" (FIRE; Level 5; ATK: 1500; DEF: 500) A figure completely covered in bright yellow flames materialized in UFO Turtle's place.
"Neat, but I'm not done! Now the Effect of Amazoness Sage activates! Since it attacked and is still on the Field after the Damage Step, I can destroy a Magic or Trap card you control! Your facedown card is blown away!" Grace declared as her Monster struck the facedown card with it's staff. Misawa smiled.
"I predicted you would do that!" He told his opponent, to her confusion.
"You wanted me to destroy your card?" Grace asked.
"Indeed! When my Set Fire Trap is destroyed and goes to the Graveyard, I can draw one card from my Deck!" Grace smiled back.
"You're a clever one alright! I can't wait to see what your big move is! I Set two cards facedown and end my turn."
"Misawa seems to be doing well so far." Gloria commented. Manjome nodded.
"Believe me, he's just getting started." He told her, and he was right.
"Now it is my turn! Draw!" Despite the fact that Grace was using a Deck that contained "Amazoness" Monsters, he had no intention of holding back. He didn't want to show his current vulnerability…. "I activate a Continuous Magic card, Burning Reserves! When a card effect activates that successfully inflicts damage to any player, I can draw one card from my Deck! Now for my Monster! While face-up on the Field or in the Graveyard, Incandescent King Pyron is treated as a Normal Monster! But because it is also a Gemini Monster, I can Normal Summon it again to make an Effect Monster! I Normal Summon Pyron again to give it the ability to inflict 1000 points of damage to you once per turn!"
"What?!" Grace yelled as a stream of fire hit her from the hands of Misawa's Monster.
(Grace: 4000 – 1000 = 3000)
"Talk about feeling the burn." Gloria said.
"I'll say." Manjome said in agreement.
"I now draw another card due to the Effect of Burning Reserves!" Misawa stated as he added another card to his hand. "Next I activate another Continuous Magic card, Advance Force! If I Advance Summon a Level 7 or higher monster by Sacrificing a Level 5 or higher Monster, I can reduce the number of required Sacrifices for that Advance Summon by one! Then I play Quick Summon, which allows me to Normal Summon an additional time this turn!"
"He's gotta be Summoning something big now!" Grace said, sounding excited. She wasn't disappointed.
"Using the Effect of Advance Force, I Sacrifice only my Level 5 Incandescent King Pyron to bring out a stronger creature of fire! I Advance Summon Flame Ogre!" (FIRE; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 1700) A pale giant with circles of flames covering him stood above Grace's Monster. "This Monster is unable to be Special Summoned! When Flame Ogre is Normal Summoned, I can draw yet another card!"
"He's keeping his hand full while Summoning stronger Monsters. That's an effective strategy." Gloria admitted.
"Now I will go on the attack! Battle! Flame Ogre, attack Amazoness…!"
"Hold it! Continuous Trap open, Amazoness Onslaught! During the Battle Phase once per turn, I can Special Summon one "Amazoness" Monster from my hand, and if I do, it gains 500 Attack Points until the end of the turn! From my hand, I Special Summon Amazoness Swords Woman!" (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 1500; DEF: 1600) A woman holding a razor sharp sword now stood next to Sage. "And remember, being an "Amazoness" Monster, Swords Woman gets another 200 points from Amazoness Village!" Grace reminded her opponent as her new Monster grew stronger. "Which one will you go after? Let us see!"
(Amazoness Swords Woman's ATK: 1500 + 500 + 200 = 2200)
Misawa's eyes widened for a bit upon seeing Grace's revealed Trap card. He wasn't about to give her an advantage. "Actually… I will just Set one card facedown and end my turn. During the End Phase, your Swords Woman loses it's Attack Point boost from Onslaught's Effect." Misawa declared while Swords Woman's Attack Points had dropped to 1700. This move surprised everyone.
"Huh? How come you didn't attack? You were about to, but then you suddenly stopped! Why did you do that?" Grace questioned. Misawa crossed his arms and gave an analytical look.
"If I had attacked, my Monster would have been banished by the second Effect of your Trap card. I was not about to make a careless mistake such as that."
Both Tyler Sisters were shocked by Misawa's answer. "What the hell?! How did he know about Onslaught's banishing Effect?!" Gloria shouted. At that moment, both sisters thought the same thing at the same time.
'Could it be that Misawa has faced an Amazoness Deck before?!'
As stunned as Grace was, she was never one to give up so easily. "You're a smart guy, but I'm about to get serious! My turn! Draw!" Grace smiled from her latest card. "Now we're talking! I play Polymerization to Fuse Amazoness Sage with the Amazoness Pet Tiger in my hand for a Fusion Summon! Wild beast of the jungle with vicious fangs, obtain the eyes of the warrior who hunts down her prey! Become a new savage beast and appear! Fusion Summon! Come before me! Level 7! Amazoness Pet Liger!" (EARTH; Level 7; ATK: 2500; DEF: 2400) A big lion/tiger hybrid with a scarred right eye took Sage's place. "My new bad cat gets even badder thanks to Amazoness Village!" Grace said as her Fusion Monster was given more power from her Field Magic card.
(Amazoness Pet Liger's ATK: 2500 + 200 = 2700)
"About time Grace stopped messing around. Your old friend might be in trouble now, don't you think?" Gloria asked Manjome as she turned to face him. She was met by a most unexpected sight: Manjome was now sporting a tiger stripped robe and held up two fans that each had a smiling tiger face on it. 'Where the hell did he get all that stuff?' She asked herself in utter confusion. As if the weird get up wasn't enough, Manjome did a cheer for his girl while jumping up and down.
"Go Grace! Go Grace! Let your Liger put your enemy in his place! Hell Yeah! HELL YEAH!"
Gloria sweat-dropped from this childish display. "Now that is just ridiculous." She said to herself. "There's no way Grace would approve of something like… huh?" Gloria's eyes widened in shock from her sister's reaction. She was grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh, thanks Jun! Your cheer for me is just so precious! I wish I could take a picture of you looking like that! It's adorable!"
Gloria held a hand to her face as she shook her head. "Unbelievable." She muttered. She forgot that Grace could be a bit ditzy. 'Maybe those two are meant for each other after all.'
At that moment, Grace put her focus back in the Duel. "Okay, back to the action! Battle! Amazoness Pet Liger, attack Flame Ogre! Jungle Fury!" Grace's Monster charged after the giant, intending to claw it to pieces.
Misawa was prepared. "Trap card open, Costa Rican Stone Ball! When my opponent's Monster attacks, I can negate that attack!" Pet Liger stopped just inches from touching Flame Ogre. "What's more, since the attack was negated, Pet Liger cannot attack again until the end of your next Battle Phase!" Grace pouted a little.
"Well that's discouraging. Alrighty then, guess my other Monster has to pick up the slack. Amazoness Swords Woman, take a swing at Flame Ogre!"
Misawa gritted his teeth. He knew what was coming and couldn't stop it. Due to being weaker, Grace's Monster was destroyed. "And now for Sword Woman's Effect! Any battle damage I would've taken from battles involving Swords Woman gets inflicted to you instead!"
(2400 – 1700 = 700)
(Misawa: 4000 – 700 = 3300)
"That's it sweetie! Don't let up!" Manjome yelled happily.
"I don't plan to! Time for the Effect of Amazoness Onslaught! Because an "Amazoness" I control battled and opponent's Monster while my Trap is face-up, I can banish the opposing Monster! I'm banishing your Flame Ogre!" A second later, Misawa's only Monster was gone. "Now you're defenseless! At this time, I'll also activate the other Effect of Amazoness Village! When an "Amazoness" Monster was destroyed by battle or card effect and goes to the Graveyard once per turn, I can Special Summon an "Amazoness" Monster from my Deck that has a less than or equal Level to the "Amazoness" Monster in my Graveyard! I Special Summon the Level 4 Amazoness Trainee from my Deck!" (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 1500; DEF: 1300) A teenage girl carrying a whip appeared next to Pet Liger. "My Trainee also gets stronger thanks to my Field Magic card!"
(Amazoness Trainee's ATK: 1500 + 200 = 1700)
"Misawa can't protect himself from this." Gloria commented.
"Nope." Manjome agreed.
"Let's do this! Amazoness Trainee, direct attack!" One crack of the tribal girl's whip and Misawa took another hit to his Life Points.
(Misawa: 3300 – 1700 = 1600)
'She is certainly making things a bit challenging for me. However, my FIRE Deck was built with precision and careful calculations. It will not fail me.' Misawa thought confidently.
"With all that done, I end my turn. Try to make a comeback if you can." Grace challenged.
"I intend to do just that. My turn! Draw!" He smiled. "I activate Remove Trap, which destroys one face-up Trap card on the Field! I destroy your Amazoness Onslaught!" Grace was annoyed she lost her Trap. Although she could've used its last Effect, she elected not to... and for a reason. "Because I have no Monsters, I can now play Unexpected Dai! This Magic card allows me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from my Deck! I Special Summon Burning Soldier!" (FIRE; Level 4; ATK: 1700; DEF: 1150) A man covered in flames and holding a curved blade materialized on Misawa's Field. "Battle! Burning Soldier, attack Amazoness Pet Liger!"
"Wait, he's attacking a Monster stronger than his?!" Grace exclaimed in surprise. True enough, Misawa's Soldier was ripped to shreds by Grace's Pet Liger.
(2700 – 1700 = 1000)
(Misawa: 1600 – 1000 = 600)
"I had a logical reason for that move! Since a face-up FIRE Monster was destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon Sunburn the Scorching Cataclysm from my hand!" (FIRE; Level 8; ATK: 2600; DEF: 200) A red skinned man with four arms and held a sword swirling in flames appeared.
"Misawa is really turning up the heat now." Manjome said.
"Next is Sunburn's Effect! When it is Special Summoned, I can inflict damage to you equal to half of the Attack Points of a destroyed FIRE Monster in my Graveyard! Half of Burning Soldier's power shall be your damage to take!" Misawa revealed as a big fireball hit Grace, almost knocking her down.
(1700 / 2 = 850)
(Grace: 3000 – 850 = 2150)
"Ouch." Gloria said, seeing how painful that blast would've been if the damage had been real.
"Because you took damage from a card effect, I can draw another card due to Burning Reserves!" He then drew his next card, which pleased him. "Battle! Sunburn the Scorching Cataclysm, attack Amazoness Trainee! Burning Sword!" Grasping the weapon with all four of its hands, the flaming demon began to charge at it's target.
"Uh uh! The Effect of my Pet Liger prevents you from attacking any Monsters other than itself!" Grace revealed, resulting in the attack stopping in it's tracks.
"Very well then. I'll just Set two cards facedown and end my turn." Misawa declared, finishing his turn.
"Misawa may have fewer Life Points than Grace, but he knows how to get the upper hand. Grace better watch it on her next turn." Gloria noted. Her sister intended to do so.
"You like to play with fire, don't ya? Well I like to play with my kitties! Let's see if I get something helpful! My turn! Draw!" Grace nearly giggled at what she drew. "I just drew the cutest kitty in my Deck! I Summon Amazoness Pet Baby Tiger!" (EARTH; Level 2; ATK: 500; DEF: 500) A smaller, infant version of Pet Tiger appeared on Grace's Field. "It's name becomes "Amazoness Pet Tiger" while on the Field or Graveyard! Not only does this little one get it's boost from Amazoness Village, but it also gains 100 more Attack Points for each "Amazoness" card in my Graveyard! I have my Sage, Pet Tiger, Swords Woman, and my Onslaught Trap! That's another 400 Points!"
(Amazoness Pet Baby Tiger's ATK: 500 + 200 + 400 = 1100)
"1100 Attack Points is no threat to my Monster." Misawa pointed out.
"He's just the start! Since I now control three "Amazoness" Monsters, including at least one "Beast" Type Monster, I activate my Great Tiger's Den Trap, allowing me to draw two cards!" Grace's cards greatly pleased her. "Now I Sacrifice my Pet Baby Tiger to Advance Summon my jungle cat master, Amazoness Beast Tamer!" (EARTH; Level 5; ATK: 1900; DEF: 1200) A female warrior holding a large whip stepped out onto the Field. As with her other Monsters, it's Attack Points increased curtesy of Village's Effect.
(Amazoness Beast Tamer's ATK: 1900 + 200 = 2100)
Misawa could not help it. The moment he laid eyes on Grace's new Monster, he began to cry. 'Amazoness Beast Tamer… it, it looks… just like her!' He realized while sobbing.
This really surprised the Tyler Sisters. "Eh? He's… crying?" Grace asked, totally perplexed.
"What's up with him?" A stunned Gloria added. Manjome sighed.
"I think I know." He said, drawing both sisters' attention to him. "There was a female Duelist named Tania, who also used an Amazoness Deck. From what I gathered, Misawa and Tania were sort of a thing. But I'm guessing something happened regarding that."
Grace then remembered what her opponent said earlier. "Tania was the one you talked about before, wasn't she? What exactly happened between you two to make you this upset?" She asked him. Misawa sniffed and looked down, not wanting to look anyone in the eye.
"If I told you the whole story, chances are you likely won't believe me." He stated.
"Try us." Gloria insisted. After a moment, Misawa decided to just explain.
"Tania… wasn't human. She was a Duel Monster Spirit that took on a human form while in this world. She loved me the moment we met, but it was only during our first Duel that I also felt the same. After "certain" circumstances, we became separated for a time before reuniting with her in another world. We traveled together for a while and things seem to be going good for us. That was, until…" He paused, feeling unable to speak.
"Until what?" Gloria asked, prompting Misawa to continue.
"Until she ended it." He closed his eyes again as the painful memory replayed in his mind…
Flashback
"Tania, I… I don't understand. What do you mean "It's over."?" Misawa, both very shocked and confused. That statement came out of the blue for him. Tania, a very muscular dark woman with cat like ears and hair wrapped in a ponytail, gave him a sorrowful expression.
"Daichi, our relationship cannot continue. Please understand. It has nothing to do with you."
"Then what does it have to do with?" Misawa demanded. Tania sighed deeply before replying.
"My fellow tiger spirits do not approve of me being with a human, especially their leader. Last night, the great Tiger King Spirit told me this in my mind and warned me that if I don't send you away forever before nightfall, that he would come to kill you himself. I refuse to let you die because of my feelings for you." Misawa gasped in shock.
"How did he and the other spirits discover our relationship in the first place?" He asked.
"We all share a deep connection. Nothing is hidden among my kind. I had thought they wouldn't mind of me being with you. Clearly… I was mistaken." Misawa thought for a moment of how to solve this problem.
"Can't we just convince them that our relationship has nothing to do with them? Surely they must see how happy you are with me?" Tania shook her head.
"It has already been decided. Once the Tiger King Spirit makes a choice, there is no changing it. And I will not be able to protect you from him. He is far stronger than I am." Misawa refused to give up as he took one of Tania's hands.
"There must be another way! Can't we just hide from him?" Tania shook her head again.
"The Tiger King Spirit has never failed to capture his prey. I am truly sorry, my love. This is the only way to keep you safe." With a wave of her free hand, a portal opened. "This will take you back to your world. You must never try to find me again. It is for your own good."
"Tania…" Misawa started to cry. He really did not want to leave her. Tania's eyes were filling up with tears as well. She caressed the young man's face with her free hand.
"I have truly enjoyed our time together, however brief. May you find happiness in your home world. Farewell, Daichi Misawa. I will miss you..." Tania leaned in and gave Misawa passionate kiss. He barely had time to reciprocate it before being pushed through the doorway. "And I love you."
Misawa tried to reach out to her with his outstretched hand, but she was already to far away. He cried as the woman he loved disappeared from his sight after the door closed.
"TANIA!"
Flashback End
"And after that… I found myself here, in the very place Tania and I first met." Misawa said, finishing his story. "She was someone special, and she pushed me away. I know it was to protect me, but I still feel hurt. I wanted to try to keep us together no matter what happened. She wasn't willing to do the same."
Manjome, Gloria, and Grace were found themselves pitying the young man. "That's awful… and so very wrong." Grace admitted, struggling not to cry herself.
"Poor guy." Gloria muttered softly. She knew how it felt to lose a love, so she could sympathize even if the circumstances weren't the same.
Manjome was surprisingly the most touched of the three. He was visibly shaking and wiped his eyes with his sleeve before speaking to him. "Misawa, I know how you feel! Losing someone you are in love is the most painful feeling ever! It is especially terrible if it was the very first person you gave your heart to only to be pushed away! But listen! Not everyone's first love works out, take it from me! You need to find a way to put it behind you and move forward! I've learned to do that, and so can you!"
"Manjome…" Misawa heard every word his old school rival said and wiped his own tears away too. He then nodded at him. "Thank you! You are right! I cannot lose hope to ever find love again! If you are able to find someone like Grace, then I should be able to do the same one day!"
Manjome gave a deadpan looked. 'That wasn't what I was trying to tell him.' He thought.
Gloria glared at him. "Jun, I know you're trying to help your old friend, but my sister is the one you should be rooting for. I'll bet she's upset you stopped supporting her in the Duel." But when Gloria returned her attention to her sister, she was dumbfounded. Grace was crying, but not because her boyfriend was giving support to her opponent instead of herself.
"That is so sweet Jun! You are truly a thoughtful and caring guy! I couldn't have said anything better myself!"
Gloria sweat dropped again. 'Scratch what I thought before. They ARE made for each other.' At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if Grace and Manjome suddenly decided to get married right away. Although she hoped that wouldn't happen for a while.
Grace pulled herself together once more. She was still in the middle of a Duel and had to focus. "Okay, enough sappiness! Time for more dueling! While I control an "Amazoness" Beast Type Monster, my Beast Tamer gains 1000 Attack Points and it cannot be destroyed by card effects!"
(Amazoness Beast Tamer's ATK: 2100 + 1000 = 3100)
"That is quite a Monster." Misawa admitted.
"Glad you think so! I also activate the Continuous Magic card, Amazoness Magic Mirror! You'll know before long what it does! But in the meantime, I'll do some damage! Battle! Amazoness Beast Tamer, attack Sunburn the Scorching Cataclysm! War Whip!" Beast Tamer prepared to lash out it's weapon at Misawa's Monster.
"This should clear things up a little! Trap card open, Blazing Mirror Force! When an opponent's Monster attacks, I can destroy all Attack Mode Monsters you control!" Misawa declared, his Trap unleashing a wave of fire that burned Grace's Pet Liger and Trainee into cinders.
"My Monsters!" Grace shouted in dismay. Even though her Beast Tamer was spared due to it's Effect, she still hated losing her other Monsters.
"There is more! Blazing Mirror Force will also inflict damage to both players equal to half the total Attack Points of the destroyed Monsters!" Misawa informed her.
"The damage will be more than Grace's Life Points can take!" Manjome said.
"Maybe." Gloria said, not believing her sister was out yet. She was right.
"Not me! The Effect of Amazoness Magic Mirror activates! When I'm about to take damage from a card effect once per turn, I can redirect that damage to you! Nice try!"
Misawa smirked. "I can say the same! Trap card open, Pikeru's Magic Circle! This turn, any damage I may take from card effects is now 0!"
"Darn it!" Grace said, frustrated she was denied a win again.
"Now since there is no longer a "Amazoness" Beast type Monster on your Field, your Beast Tamer loses it's advantages!" Misawa said as Beast Tamer's Attack Power went back down to 2100.
"Grace's Monster is still in the middle of attacking Sunburn! Without it's power boost, it doesn't stand a chance!" Gloria said as her sister's Monster was burned away from it's failed assault.
(2600 – 2100 = 500)
(Grace: 2150 – 500 = 1650)
"It's not a total loss! Beast Tamer has one last effect I can use! When it is destroyed by battle and goes to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Beast Type "Amazoness" Monster from my Graveyard in Attack Mode! I'm bringing back my Pet Liger!" Grace's Fusion Monster was now back in play, and it's Attack Points went up to 2700 once more. "I can't do anything else for now, so I end my turn." Grace smiled at her opponent. "Your FIRE Deck is really strong!" Misawa smiled from her compliment.
"Thank you. Your Deck is also well constructed. Unfortunately, I still intend to win. My turn! Draw! I now activate Advance Draw! By Sacrificing a Level 8 or higher Monster I control, I am allowed to draw two more cards! I Sacrifice Sunburn the Scorching Cataclysm to draw two more cards!" Misawa one he would win once he drew his cards. "My next card is Burial from a Different Dimension! This returns all banished Monsters to the Graveyard, such as my Flame Ogre!"
"Why would he return his Monster to the Graveyard?" Grace asked herself. She was about to find out the hard way.
"I play Dragon's Mirror! It will let me banish Fusion Material Monsters from my Field or Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster! I banish my Flame Ogre and Sunburn the Scorching Cataclysm, two Level 7 or higher FIRE Monsters, from my Graveyard! Fusion Summon! Come forth, Blast Fire Dragon!" (FIRE; Level 9; ATK: 2900; DEF: 2700) Grace stared up in amazement at the huge dragon made up of pure fire.
"Woah!" She said aloud.
"That has got to be Misawa's Ace!" Gloria exclaimed.
"Yeah, at least from that particular Deck!" Manjome replied. Seeing the dragon reminded him of a WATER version of it... the version Misawa used to beat him in their Duel years ago.
"At this time, Blast Fire Dragon's Monster Effect activates! When it is Fusion Summoned, it destroys all Magic and Trap cards on the Field and inflicts 200 points of damage to you for each destroyed card!"
"What?!" Grace shouted.
"Grace has four Magic and Trap cards in play, so the damage she takes is 800!" Manjome exclaimed as his girl loses her cards from four fire balls that came out of the dragon's mouth and takes the damage.
(Grace: 1650 – 800 = 850)
"With Amazoness Village gone, Liger's Attack Points return to normal!" Gloria said as Liger's Attack Points return to 2500.
"Blast Fire Dragon's second Effect! It's own Attack Points increase by the damage you received until the end of the turn!" Misawa said. His Fusion Monster burned brighter as it's power grew.
(Blast Fire Dragon's ATK: 2900 + 800 = 3700)
"Uh oh…" Grace said nervously.
"This Duel ends now! Battle! Blast Fire Dragon, attack Amazoness Pet Liger! Pyro Blast!" Grace was knocked flat on her back as her last Monster was obliterated and lost her remaining Life Points.
(Grace: 0)
"Grace!" Manjome shouted. His girlfriend got up and gave him a reassuring smile.
"I'm okay, Jun. Just because I lost a Duel doesn't mean I'm going to cry over it." Manjome sighed.
"I know. It's just that I hated to see it happen after the cheering I did for you." Grace nodded.
"I appreciated all your support. Not everyone can win Duels all the time. I know I couldn't." She admitted before turning to Misawa. "You are definitely a strong Duelist, Misawa. Thanks for dueling me. I had a blast!" Misawa smiled and nodded.
"It was a pleasure, Grace." He replied.
Grace then noticed the sun getting lower and the sky darkening. She then checked her watch and yelped. "Ah! Jun, look at the time! Can we still make our date?" Manjome checked his own watch and agreed. They needed to go before it got any later.
"Yeah, we should go now." He then turned to Gloria and Misawa. "See ya both later." He then met up with Grace, took her hand, and headed off.
"Manjome!" Misawa. Manjome paused and turned back.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Thank you for your advice. I will take it to heart." Manjome blinked before he smiled at him and continued walking away with Grace by his side. Misawa then turned to Gloria. "Your sister really likes him, doesn't she?" Gloria nodded.
"No doubt about that. I've never seen her show that kind of affection for anyone." She admitted. Misawa seemed to hesitate before asked his next question.
"Gloria… would it be alright if we could…" But the woman cut him off before he could finish.
"Sorry, but I have a boyfriend too." Misawa hunched himself over and sighed from her response.
"I… understand." He said dejectedly. Gloria looked over at him.
"Listen. You seem like a decent smart guy any girl would like to be with. Maybe you just need some time to recover from your "break up" before pursuing someone else." She told him. Misawa nodded.
He then thought about contacting his former mentor, Dr. Albert Zweinstein. It would be the best place for him to start. "I think I know what to do and will get on it tomorrow."
"Good for you. Well, I better get going. I also have a date waiting. It really is nice to meet you, Daichi Misawa." She then also turned to walk away.
"Same here Gloria. If I may ask… Who exactly are you seeing?" Gloria didn't turn around, for she didn't him want to see her deep frown.
"A guy that needs a serious wake up call."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"What a beautiful view. You always pick the best spots for our dates." Grace said appreciatively. She and Manjome sat near the edge of the island, over looking the ocean. Nearby stood the docks and the school's lighthouse. They had each eaten a special meal Manjome brought with him upon his arrival, consisting of lobster pasta with bread sticks and salads. They also had glasses of wine to drink.
Manjome smirked while he sipped his wine. "For my girl, I settle for nothing but the best." Grace giggled. He loved hearing her giggle like that. He loved everything about her. He loved her… period. Just then, he set his now empty wine glass down and looked down. "Grace…"
"Yeah?" Grace asked. She looked at him with concern. "Is something wrong?" Manjome kept his gaze on the mat they were sitting on.
"I'm sorry… for overreacting earlier. When I saw you hugging Misawa, I got scared and freaked out. I was afraid of losing you to someone else. If that happened, I don't think I could handle…" Manjome stopped himself when he felt Grace's hand on his cheek. She made him face her, and her expression was a loving one.
"Jun, you don't have to worry about losing me. You're my guy… my one and only guy. I'll never love anyone the way I love you." Manjome smiled back at her gratefully.
"And there isn't another woman on this world, or any world, I would want to be with besides you."
"Not even your first crush?" She playfully asked her boyfriend, who shook his head.
"You're the only woman for me, Grace. No way in Hell that will ever change." The girl almost teared up from his words. Without another word, Grace leaned in and kissed Manjome tenderly. The kiss became more heated as the two wrapped their arms around one another and fell on their sides.
Unbeknownst to them, a submarine emerged on the opposite side of the island. There, on the rocky shores, a small group began to disembark… with Devil Kaiser leading the way.
To be continued.