What was up with that explosion last chapter? What happened to Judai and everyone in his group? And lastly, what the hell is Devil Kaiser up to? You'll start to find out here! Enjoy!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 33: Kaiser Arc – Part 5
Amon stood, petrified and trembling with fear. He was face to face with Judai Yuki, who's left eye turned green and right eye turned orange. They were dueling, and Judai had just Summoned the very Monster that Amon was afraid to face. The female demon had the very same eyes Judai had, and also shared his sadistic smile.
"I can sense the terror within him. He knows he shouldn't have come back." Said the Monster. Judai's smile widened.
"It was a mistake on his part. Let's correct it, shall we?" Judai then pointed his finger at the man opposite him. "Go on Yubel... finish him off."
"With pleasure." Yubel replied as she spread her wings and lunged forward toward Amon. He tried to get away, but he couldn't move his legs. He discovered he was chained into place, unable to escape. He could only watch and scream in absolute despair as Yubel slashed him with her sharp claws...
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Amon woke up with a start, sweating and breathing heavily. 'Dammit. Again with that dream. Why do I keep having it? Why?' He looked around and realized he wasn't being sliced in half by a cruel Monster. Amon remembered now. They were in an underground cavern deep beneath Duel Academy. They had arrived late last night and made camp. He also saw half a dozen other sleeping bags near him, but they were all empty. The others that came for the mission were already up. He looked up to see Echo standing over him. She seemed concerned.
"Amon, are you alright? I heard you scream and rushed over as quickly as I could."
"Echo. Yeah, I'm… okay." Amon said groggily while rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?"
"It is nearly noon." Echo said. "My King, you had that nightmare again, haven't you?"
Amon he stood up and slipped on his glasses.
"Where's everybody else?" He asked, choosing to ignore the question. Echo frowned before answering.
"They have all gone to the main chamber, where Devil Kaiser is." Amon became more alert after hearing that.
"Then… he's done it?" He questioned. Echo nodded.
"Yes. It took him all night, but he was able to obtain them with his own power."
"Good. Then let's meet up with everyone." He ordered as he and Echo walked to through the cavern. As they moved, Amon noticed Echo kept glancing at him, clearly worried for his well being. She quickly turned away when she saw him looking at her. Amon sighed inwardly.
He regretted telling Echo about the dream when it all started. All month, he kept having that very same nightmare over and over. The first time it happened, he freaked out like he never did. It felt so damn real to him. Again and again, Judai and Yubel appeared in his dreams, and each time it was the same. He kept asking himself why he was dreaming of those two apparently killing him.
Amon knew Judai wasn't the type of person to wish harm on anyone. Yubel, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She seemed to revel in the suffering of others, even Judai himself, who Yubel was obsessed with. When Amon returned to this world, he wondered if Yubel ever managed to reunite with Judai like she wished. He wouldn't get that answer until the day he met Devil Kaiser… and learned of the plan to revive Shido.
As Amon thought over those details again, he and Echo arrived in the huge cave with an alter in the center. Awaiting the pair were half a dozen individuals, all dressed in white uniforms. Most of them he met in the past. Leaning over the alter was Devil Kaiser himself, using the alter to hold him up. Amon was startled to see the inhuman being seemingly tired.
Once the pair arrived, the group turned to them. "Look who's finally up and about. Took you long enough, Amon Garam." Chronos de Medici said with a smug expression.
"I'm guessing he's a late sleeper." Replied Emi Ayukawa, who gave a wicked chuckle. The previous evening, Amon was actually surprised to see two top members of Duel Academy's staff added to their ranks. He wondered exactly how they joined them, but when he asked, all they said was that Devil Kaiser made them "see the light". He didn't ask Devil Kaiser himself because he honestly didn't want to know.
The rest of the the group came with Amon, Echo, and Devil Kaiser aboard Echo's submarine. Two people in white military uniforms saluted as their captain approached. One was a young woman around the same age as Echo. She had short orange hair and light blue eyes. The other was a young man with white blond hair and dark blue eyes. "Commander MacKenzie. What is the current status of our "benefactor"?" Echo asked her, referring to Devil Kaiser.
"Devil Kaiser has just broken the Seven Gates Seal and obtained the cards. However, the process has severely weakened him. He says he needs time to recover."
"How long?" Echo demanded.
"If all goes to plan, he will regain his full strength within an hour or so."
"How?" Amon asked. The young man standing next to MacKenzie spoke up.
"He declined to share that information." He said rather tersely. "I tried to get the exact process, but the creepy bastard wasn't in the mood to share."
"Watch your tongue, Lieutenant Rabb." Echo said in a warning tone. Rabb fell silent under his superior officer's gaze. MacKenzie glared at him too, disapproving of his behavior.
Amon frowned. Unlike the others, he and Echo were the only ones in on the whole plan. He asked Rabb that question to see if he or his companion knew, which they clearly didn't. There was no need for the others to know. It wouldn't really matter if the end result was accomplished. 'If this actually works, Shido will wake up from his coma. And I…' He didn't finish that thought, knowing what Shido's revival would mean. "I suppose not all the details matter as long as we complete our mission." He stated.
An older man in a white business suit snorted behind the military pair. "You may come from a wealthy and powerful family Amon, but so do I. I'm here because I have a score to settle with my little brother. When the time is right, the Garam Group will practically kneel before the Manjome Group."
Amon seemed amused by the threat. "Always ambitious aren't you, "Chosaku Manjome"?" The way Chosaku smiled afterward reminded Amon of the youngest Manjome brother he fought twice in the past.
A young man stood with them, dressed in a pure white tunic, smirked while crossing his arms. His wild black hair blocked his left eye from view. "I personally don't care about this plan of yours. I'm here for one reason, and one reason only. When I defeat the Marufuji brat, I'll prove myself worthy of destroying you know who." He said while pointing at Devil Kaiser behind him with his thumb. "Only then will I prove once and for all that Jinzo-Style is superior to Cyber-Style."
"Don't underestimate either of us… Makoto Inotsume. Especially since… he already defeated you once." Devil Kaiser advised without turning around, sounding exhausted. Makoto grunted in response, scowling.
'Not after what I've gotten.' He thought confidently to himself.
Slowly, Devil Kaiser turned around and walked back down. His eyes were still black as death, but he seemed somehow… fragile. At least that's how it looked to Amon and Echo. They figured his completed task had drained him more than they expected. The being in Ryo Marufuji's body moved through the majority and stopped in front of Amon. He then fished out three cards from his pocket and handed them to him.
"Here they are, the tools you need for your more… personal mission. I would have gotten it done much sooner, but the seal placed on them was stronger than I expected. It took me the whole night to break through." He told him. Devil Kaiser knew who was to blame for that. 'Damn Judai Yuki… his power really is not to be taken lightly.'
Amon thanked him and stared at the cards with determination. "The Three Phantasm cards." He murmured. 'How ironic. Yubel used these very cards to cause my downfall and end up trapped in darkness. Now… I plan to return the favor.' He swore to himself he won't fall this time, especially not to the one who caused his current predicament…
With this small task done, Devil Kaiser then addressed the whole group. "Everything is set. I will remain here… to prepare for the final phase of the plan. Amon… you will take the lead on this."
"Of course." He said calmly before looking each person straight in the eye. "If the intel from our inside man is accurate, our targets should be entering Duel Academy now. Let's head there and do what we came here to do." They all nodded as they held their Duel Disks.
"With the "Light" on our side, our mission is sure to be a success." Chronos said, eager to get started.
"Whatever you say. Everyone, follow me." Amon commanded as he led Echo and the others to the school.
As he watched them all leave, Devi Kaiser smiled evilly as he made his way back to the Seven Gates alter. "Fools, all of them. They have absolutely no idea what is about to take place… or the Light's true purpose." He said as he glanced at the card given to him by Lightning. He knew that very soon, his true mission will be accomplished… and not even Judai Yuki would be able to stop him.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Judai, something really interesting is about to take place in the main Academy building. I think you should check it out." Judai raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued.
"Oh, like what?" He asked. Asuka smiled and chuckled.
"You'll just have to come and see for yourself." Now really curious, Judai followed his girlfriend to the main building, the others behind them.
"Say Asuka, I've been meaning to ask. How's you're brother been doing since getting a "proper" graduation from Duel Academy?" Judai asked. Asuka smiled.
"Fubuki is attending a Dueling college in another country. Not the one I went too, but it is close. From what he tells me, it is quite welcoming. I also hear he's quite a hit with the ladies there." She said with a groan. Judai laughed.
"I can definitely see that." After that, the couple fell quiet while moving.
As the group walked, they all thought about Sho. They knew losing his brother had to be devastating for him. Judai and Serena were most affected by how down he was. But Judai was the only one among them that knew the true circumstances of Ryo's death. He knew he shouldn't tell them; that was up to Sho himself. The only other person who knew besides Sho was his brother's counterpart from Serena's world. That Ryo told everyone it was best if he kept his distance from Sho while the latter was on the island. They all understood and agreed.
Along with great sadness for Sho, Serena also felt regret that she never got to meet his brother while he was alive. She would like to have known him, and perhaps have gotten some advice from him on how to work out her feelings for his younger brother. She was sure he would've helped if he could have. Now that opportunity was lost.
Several minutes later, they arrived at the front entrance. When they did, Judai saw a familiar face standing just outside the door. He was definitely surprised, and happy, to see him again. "Hey there! Long time no see!" Judai exclaimed as his group met up with the new comer.
"It sure has Judai! Great to see ya!" Said the young, teal haired young man with light green eyes as he and Judai shared a high five. He wore mostly pale light pants and shirt with a sleeveless blue vest.
"Same here, Johan!" Judai replied happily. Johan then scanned the rest of the crowd.
"It's great to see all you guys too. How're you all doing?" He asked.
"Hi Johan. We're… okay." Asuka said delicately, with the others nodding in agreement.
"It's about Sho, isn't it?" Johan asked, to the gang's surprise.
"You know?" Asuka asked. Johan nodded.
"Judai told me when we last met. How are they?" He inquired. Everyone either looked away or down.
"Ryo... died two days ago from his bad heart. Sho is trying to keep it together, but he's... just not himself." Rei said. Johan now appeared sad as well.
"I'm so sorry." He replied quietly. They all remained silent for a long moment. He then changed the subject as he looked over at Serena, Yuri, Masumi, and the Tyler Sisters. "Anyways, I see we have some new people in town." He said. Judai then started introductions.
"Guys, this is Johan Andersen, a really close friend. We actually have quite a bit in common. Johan, this is Serena, Yuri, and Masumi. They're all starting their first year here at Duel Academy. And those lovely ladies are Gloria and Grace Tyler. They're twin sisters." Johan greeted them.
"Oh yeah. Judai told me all about you guys when we met up last month. Pleasure to meet all of you."
"Nice to meet you too, Johan." Serena said, along with her friends. The girl noticed how very much like Judai he was, both appearance and personality wise. She wondered if they were somehow related.
"You like the school so far?" Johan asked them, interrupting her thoughts. The trio nodded.
"I certainly am." Serena replied.
"Yeah, it's a great institution." Masumi said.
"Can't complain about the company either." Yuri said while winking at Masumi, who looked away and blushed. Johan caught that and raised an eyebrow.
"You two close?" He asked in a teasing manner. Masumi rapidly shook her head.
"N-Not like that!" She replied hurriedly.
Johan got a chuckle from that before focusing on the Tyler Sisters. "Judging from your uniforms, I'm guessing you both work here?" The two nodded.
"I'm the new gym teacher, taking over after Emi." Gloria told him.
"And I'm the new supervisor for Osiris Red." Grace added proudly.
"That's great. I bet the students love you both." Johan said. The sisters both smiled.
"Well, maybe not me so much." Gloria admitted with a chuckle. "My sister and I both started working here right around the start of the new school year." She added. She wondered if she should also mention her engagement to her Ryo, but decided against it. The timing just wasn't right, given the circumstances. Which was unfortunate, cause she really wanted to reveal the news to everyone.
When she and her fiancé heard about the other Ryo's passing from Asuka earlier in the morning, they agreed to keep it a secret until a better time came along. Actually, she asked herself if Johan actually knew about her Ryo in the first place. He answered that for her.
"I'll take your word on that. Oh hey, Judai also said a different version of Ryo is also here. What's he like?" Johan said. Gloria tried to keep her expression worry free.
"He's a real gentleman but can be stubborn sometimes." She told with a hint of amusement. "I'm sorry he can't be here, but he's really busy with his job for the time being."
"That's cool. I'll probably meet him later." Johan told her. He then noticed that a certain someone was missing. "By the way, is Sho here? You mentioned he would be coming back to look for candidates for his new Dueling League."
"Oh, he's here. He's back at the Red Dorm, settling in. Fubuki and Yusuke are with him. They'll catch up later." Judai said.
"Okay. I hope he'll be alright" Johan said. They all had that hope for their friend.
"There you are, Johan. I've been looking everywhere for you."
When all the newcomers saw who had spoken, they all gasped in shock. The older teen with silver hair dressed in a grey business suit most definitely looked like someone they knew.
"Is that… Edo Phoenix?!" Grace shouted in shock.
"It sure looks like him." Gloria replied. "But I doubt he knows us."
"Same here." Yuri added.
Serena was the least surprised of them. She already knew that Academia's former Commander-in-Chief had a counterpart in this world, like Ryo and Asuka. She just never imagined he would show up here in all places.
Johan turned to him and seemed slightly embarrassed. "Sorry Edo. I got a little sidetracked catching up with some old friends." Edo now noticed everyone Johan was with, including a certain rival.
"Judai Yuki. Why am I not surprised to see you back here?" Edo asked as he approached him and shook his hand. "How are you doing?" Judai shrugged.
"You know me, Edo. There's never a dull moment in my life." Edo smirked.
"I believe you."
"Hey Judai, you never mentioned Edo had a counterpart in this world." Yuri interjected. Judai sweat-dropped and chuckled embarrassingly.
"Oh, uh... sorry. I wasn't expecting him to show up here all of a sudden."
"What is he talking about?" After explaining and giving quick introductions, Edo understood. "I see. Somehow I expected you to get involved in something like that." Edo turned back to Johan. "Listen, we need to get back. The experiment can't begin without us."
Johan nodded. "Got it."
Judai raised and eyebrow. "What experiment?" He asked before turning to Asuka. "Is that what you mentioned before?" Asuka smiled.
"Perhaps." She said mysteriously.
"I see you haven't been filled in yet." Edo said. "Well, you'll find out in just a minute. Let's go to main dueling areana." Everyone then followed the newest pair inside. Now Judai was more intrigued than before about this "experiment" and how it involved Johan and Edo.
Not long after, the gang arrived in the arena. There, Judai was very surprised to see the arena being surrounded by four metallic pillars several feet high. At the other side was a sort of command console being operated by three people. Judai recognized two of them, but he was far more surprised to see one more than the other. "Misawa?!" He blurted out when he saw his old friend and classmate.
Misawa, who was assisting a much older man, looked up and was very pleased to see him.
"Judai! Welcome back!" Misawa said as he came around the console and greeted him.
"I should be saying the same thing! Last time I saw you, you were still hanging out with Tania in another dimension! Are things still going good between you two?" Judai asked. Misawa looked away, appearing sad.
"We… aren't together anymore. She forced me back here yesterday." He muttered softly.
Judai didn't expect that. "Man, I'm so sorry. I knew you had a thing for her, but I didn't think you'd get the boot." Misawa shook his head.
"It wasn't like that. She was just protecting me. And if you don't mind, I'd rather not discuss it any further." Judai nodded and said he got the message. "Anyway, I'm so glad you could be here for the momentous occasion. I've already caught everyone else up and informed them of what is about to take place. But first…" Misawa turned to the other two posed working on the unknown machine. "You remember my mentor, Dr. Albert Zweinstein?" He asked, regarding the grey haired man with a thick beard and glasses. Judai nodded.
"Sure do. What's up doc?" The scientist scoffed at the comment.
"What's up, my young man, is that we are about to achieve a great feat today." He waved a hand at the other individual working alongside him. He seemed to be a few years older than Misawa. He too wore glasses covering his pale yellow eyes and had long dark brown hair. "This here is my current assistant, Ryan Stevens. He came to work for me after Daichi's disappearance. Now they will both help me make this experiment succeed."
"Hello." Ryan said in a monotonous tone without even looking up at them. He was still typing away at his own keyboard.
"Social fellow, isn't he?" Rei asked sarcastically. Kenzan snorted, not liking the new guy's response.
"So doc, what's this big experiment we've been hearing about." Judai said. Zweinstein smiled back.
"I am so glad you asked, Mr. Yuki. Do you recall how we managed to bring all of Duel Academy back from that dimension you were trapped in last year?" Judai nodded, as well as the others who experienced that terrible event.
"What's he talking about?" Serena asked.
"That's kind of a long story. I'll fill you in later." Judai said to her. The scientist went on.
"Well, Ryan and myself have been working on that most diligently. The equipment you see around the dueling arena is similar to what was used to create that distortion that enabled us to send Johan's Rainbow Dragon card him." Johan smiled from that memory.
"Rainbow Dragon?" Yuri asked, curious.
"My hope is that today, we will be able to create a much more stable doorway to another dimension, but thankfully not the same one. The reason I have chosen to conduct this experiment at Duel Academy is because about a month ago, my long range dimensional sensors picked up an unusual energy signature on this island." Judai and the others realized that he was likely referring to how they returned to this world that time through the Airship's Storm Protocol. "I then decided it would be the appropriate place to test out my new and improved dimensional gateway. If this works, we will have instant access to the world those dimensional energies originated. We would be able to travel there instantaneously." Judai and the others were now impressed.
"That's awesome!" Judai exclaimed. 'If this thing works, we could travel to the world where Lightning, Zarc, and E'Rah are hiding without using the Airship! Those three would never see it coming!'
"Indeed." The old man then sighed. "I will admit, it has been rather difficult without young Daichi around to assist me. Thankfully, Ryan here has been most helpful in getting all this set up."
Ryan gave a wordless nod of acknowledgement, eyes still glued to his work.
"Is he always the silent type?" Kenzan asked. Zweinstein looked over at him.
"He is like this whenever he is working. Ryan's results are unquestionable, but he doesn't really socialize outside the lab."
"Talk about a total nerd." Manjome said under his breath, which kind of earned him a elbow in the side from his girlfriend. "What?" Grace glared at him.
"Everyone is different, Jun. Try to be a little more sensitive." She said admonishingly. Manjome grunted.
"Okay. Sorry." He said.
"It would appear I have gotten here in time." Everyone then saw Principle Samejima approaching from the hallway doors. He seemed to be in good spirits. "Judai, good to see you back again."
"You too." Judai replied. Samejima turned to Asuka and Gloria.
"I came here to see Dr. Zweinstein's experiment with my own eyes. It was far too intriguing to pass up." He then turned to Asuka and Gloria, now looking worried. "Excuse me ladies, but have either one of you seen Professor Medici or Nurse Ayukawa? Neither of them were in their offices when I checked and I couldn't reach them at all." He asked, sounding concerned. Both women shook their heads.
"No sir, neither one." Asuka said.
"When I asked Ryo, he told me he hasn't seen Chronos since finishing work yesterday. I never saw Emi today either before coming here." Gloria added.
"What? Chronos and Emi are missing?" Judai asked, surprised by the news. Samejima sighed.
"It would appear so. I have no idea where those two could be."
"I hope nothing bad has happened to them." Masumi said.
"Maybe something else came up that was so urgent they had to leave without notifying even you. They may be back later." Johan guessed.
"I suppose so." Samejima said, though still sounding worried.
Asuka then got back to the topic of the gateway. "Will this doorway of yours really work, Dr.?" Zweinstein nodded with certainty.
"I believe so, Miss Tenjoin. Everything is set up. All that is needed now is the necessary dueling energy to power it."
"Like how Ryo and Johan dueled to get that other portal open." Judai added.
"Precisely. That is why Mr. Andersen and Mr. Phoenix are here today." Zweinstein said. Misawa took over from there.
"They will duel at their fullest to give the gateway enough power to open it." He turned to the two Duelists. "Johan, Edo, please step into the arena and prepare to Duel." Johan smiled at the group.
"I think you guys are going to love this. I have some new tricks me and my Gem Beasts can't wait to try out." He said excitedly.
"What sorts of new tricks?" Judai asked. Johan chuckled.
"You'll see." He told him.
"This should be good. Let's get started." Edo replied. The two didn't even get to take out their Duel Disks when they were interrupted.
"Hold it. I will be one of the participants in this." Ryan suddenly announced, putting on his own Duel Disk and marched into the arena, surprising all present.
"What are you doing Ryan? This was not what we planned! Come back down now!" Zweinstein objected.
Ryan didn't listen. As soon as he was on the arena floor, the young assistant took out a remote from his shirt pocket and pressed a white button. The main control panel before Zweinstein sparked to life. He then smiled a not so friendly smile. "Sorry sir, but I have my own plans for your contraption."
"Your own plans?! What is the meaning of this Ryan?!" Misawa demanded as he marched up to drag Ryan back down. However, as soon as he got to the arena's edge, a powerful shock knocked him down on his back.
"Misawa!" Judai and Joahn rushed over and helped their friend up. "You okay pal?" Judai asked. Misawa nodded.
"I believe so. Thank you." He said.
"Dr. Zweinstein, why is your assistant acting like this?" Samejima demanded.
"I don't have the faintest idea, Principal Samejima!" The old scientist turned back to Ryan. "What are you doing Ryan?! Why this sudden rebellious attitude of yours?!" Zweinstein asked angrily. Ryan still smiled.
"What you are witnessing is my true agenda put into motion."
"True agenda?" Serena asked.
"Dammit Ryan! Deactivate that force field this instant and explain yourself properly!" The elderly scientist demanded. Ryan shook his head.
"Not happening, old man. The program keeping the shield up is linked to my Duel Disk. To shut this thing off, someone will have to beat me in a Duel."
"In that case, I'd be more than happy to kick your ass." Yuri offered as he took out his Duel Disk. Ryan shook a finger at him.
"I've already chosen my opponent, and it's not you, little first year." He then pointed his finger at Tyranno Kenzan. "It's the Dino Duelist I want to crush!" Kenzan's eyes widened.
"Me?" He asked. "What the hell have I ever done to piss you off?" Ryan smirked.
"I have a reason. Do you accept my challenge or are you afraid my dueling skills might drive you into extinction?" He taunted. Kenzan's eyes became dinosaur slits and smiled.
"I ain't afraid of some crazy science nerd! I'll gladly beat you down!" Ryan was pleased.
"Very good. Allow me to let you in." Another button push on his remote and a small human sized opening appeared, allowing Kenzan to enter.
"Take him down buddy!" Judai cheered.
"Don't go easy on that chump!" Manjome advised.
"Beat him!" Rei shouted. Kenzan nodded at them as he passed through the opening, which closed the instant he stepped inside. He and Ryan now stood several feet apart, both eyeing each other.
"I will enjoy crushing you." Ryan murmured.
"Whatever. I ain't going down!" Kenzan retorted as they activated both their Duel Disks and began.
"DUEL!"
(Kenzan: 4000) (Ryan: 4000)
"I'm taking the first turn! My turn! Draw!" Kenzan declared, going first. "I Special Summon Swift Gilasaurus from my hand! (EARTH; Level 3; ATK: 1400; DEF: 400) A large, dark yellow raptor like dinosaur appeared on the Field. "Normally, when Swift Gilasaurus is Special Summoned this way, my opponent would be allowed to Special Summon a Monster from their Graveyard. But seeing as you haven't had your first turn yet, your Graveyard is empty!" Ryan scowled.
"Just finish your turn." He said impatiently. Kenzan smirked.
"My pleasure. Next I Sacrifice my dino to play this Magic card, Big Evolution Pill! This remains face-up on the Field for three of your turns! Also, for the next three turns, I can Normal Summon or Set "Dinosaur" Monsters without any Sacrifices! I'll start with this big fella! I Normal Summon Dark Tyranno!" (EARTH; Level 7; ATK: 2600; DEF: 1800) A dark brown T-Rex roared onto the Field, eager to take a bite out of it's master's enemy.
"Kenzan's off to a good start." Asuka said.
"Let's hope he can keep it up." Serena added.
"I then Set one card facedown and end my turn. Show me your stuff trouble maker." Kenzan declared. Ryan smiled.
"I have every intention to. My turn! Draw!" The rogue scientist had expected this and had a plan to test his opponent's defenses. "I play a Field Magic card, Lands Unknown - The Umaria Continent!" The area around the Duelists changed to a mysterious island covered in fog.
"What does that do?" Edo asked aloud. Kenzan was asking the same thing himself.
"Confused? You'll see what this does soon enough. Next I reveal a card in my hand called Werewolf of Lands Unknown! By revealing it, and then hide it in my hand again, you have to make a choice, Tyranno Kenzan."
"What choice?" Kenzan asked.
"Quite simple actually. You must now choose which card I have to discard. If you choose a card that isn't my Werewolf, I can Special Summon Werewolf and draw one card. If you do choose it, I can activate it's own Effect from discarding it. Either way, there's no downside for me. Now take your pick!" He said after swiftly moving the cards in his hand around, making it unlikely Kenzan will know which one is the Monster.
"That guy can mix up his cards pretty well. I don't have any idea which one is his overgrown hairball." Manjome said.
Kenzan took a moment to think. He only had a 1 to 6 chance of getting the Monster. But he didn't want to know what Effect it had, so he hoped he wouldn't pick it. 'If Ryan does end up putting it on the Field, it won't be a match for my Dark Tyranno.' Knowing that, all he could do was choose and pray he chose right. "Okay! I'm picking the card on your far left!" After a suspenseful moment, Ryan gave a smile as he revealed the chosen card to be a Trap before discarding it.
"Looks like my Monster will be seeing some action after all. Very well! I Special Summon Werewolf of Lands Unknown!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 1000) A humanoid wolf materialized before Ryan. It had dark blue fur with some red on it's head and most of the back. "And now… Battle!"
"Hold up! Your Monster can't beat mine!" Kenzan pointed out. Ryan snickered.
"It doesn't have to! My Field card allows one "Lands Unknown" Monster I control to attack you directly! Not only that, but you Monsters can't attack it either!"
"What?!" Kenzan yelled in shock.
"Feel my Monster's bite! Werewolf of Lands Unknown, Direct Attack! Wolf's Bane!" Ryan's Monster leapt right over Dark Tyranno to strike at the dino's controller.
"Oh no you don't! Continuous Trap open, Amber Pitfall! When an opponent's Monster attacks, I can negate that attack and switch it's Battle Position!"
"That won't work either! Thanks to Umaria Continent, "Lands Unknown" Monsters can't be targeted by card effects during the turn they are Special Summoned! You are completely vulnerable!" Ryan revealed to his opponent's further surprise. Kenzan could do nothing as the furry beast bit him in the shoulder.
(Kenzan: 4000 - 2400 = 1600)
"Ouch! That looked like it hurt." Gloria said.
"No kidding." Grace said in agreement.
"The Duel just started and Kenzan already lost more than half of his Life Points!" Serena said in alarm.
"Don't worry. He can take more than that." Judai assured her. She prayed he was right.
"I hope that did hurt, dino wimp. I next play Lands Unknown Investigation Report! This Magic card returns one "Lands Unknown" Monster I control and one monster you control to our hand!"
"Crap!" Kenzan complained as his dinosaur went back to his hand.
"With that warm up done, I Set two cards facedown and end my turn. Now show me your pathetic attempt to strike back." Ryan challenged.
"Why does he hate Kenzan so much?" Masumi asked, not understanding the guy.
'Why indeed?' Samejima wondered himself.
"Beats the heck out of me, but it seems he's acting rather personal about this." Yuri said. Everyone was scratching their heads about why Ryan's personality did a 180.
"What's the deal with you?! What the hell have you got against me?!" The dinosaur Duelist demanded. Ryan sneered.
"That's my business and mine alone! The only thing I'm telling you is that I will destroy you in this Duel!" Kenzan growled.
"I ain't allowing that! My turn! Draw!" He could Summon Dark Tyranno again, but his instincts told him he needed something bigger and badder to beat his obsessive opponent. He had just the thing. "Using the Effect of Big Evolution Pill, I Normal Summon Ultimate Tyranno!" (EARTH; Level 8; ATK: 3000; DEF: 2200) A muscular T-Rex covered in black plated armor emerged. "Now it's my Monster's turn to take a bite out of you! Battle! Ultimate Tyranno, Direct Attack!" Kenzan's Monster reared back, preparing to attack. "Since my Monster is about to attack, I activate my Quick-Play Magic card, Dino Stomp! Now I can destroy one Magic or Trap card you control! I'm getting rid that Field card of yours!"
"How dare you?!" Ryan shouted furiously after seeing his Umaria Continent vanishing from sight, returning the playing field to normal.
"Alright Ultimate Tyranno, go for it! Absolute Bite!" Kenzan's Monster charged straight at Ryan with thundering footsteps.
"No you don't! Continuous Trap open, Protective Seal Wall of Light! I can activate this Trap by paying any multiple of 1000 of my Life Points, in this case it's 3000!" Ryan declared, to everyone's shock.
(Ryan: 4000 - 3000 = 1000)
"Why pay that many Life Points?" Rei wondered.
"With this done, all Monsters you control that have 3000 Attack Points or less cannot attack! Now your best Monster can't touch me, Kenzan!" He laughed in triumph. Kenzan growled frustratingly again.
'Dammit! He was totally prepared for that!' He complained to himself. "I haven't given up yet! I play Treasure Cards of Variation! It lets me draw two cards from my Deck, but I have to discard one card during my End Phase or I'll take 3000 points of damage! Then I play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards!" He was pleased with the cards he just drew. "I Set two cards facedown and end my turn. Now I discard a card so my remaining Life Points won't take a fatal hit."
"I'm glad you did. I'd hate for you to lose from one of your own cards. My Monsters should be the ones to annihilate you! My turn! Draw!" He smiled big time. 'It's here! My time has come!'
"I don't like how he's smiling." Yuri observed with worry.
"Neither do I." Replied Johan.
"Brace yourself for your crushing defeat!" Ryan boldly declared.
"I'm not losing to somebody like you!" Kenzan retorted.
"I beg to differ! Remember that Trap card I discarded during my previous turn?"
"What about it?" Kenzan said.
"Well, by discarding a "Lands Unknown" Monster, I can place that Trap, Second Lands Unknown Exploration Team, to the bottom of my Deck and draw one card! I discard Bigfoot of Lands Unknown to draw another card! Also, since Bigfoot was discard, I can destroy one face-up card on your Field! I'm destroying your Amber Pitfall!" Kenzan groaned at losing his own Trap card.
"Now they've both lost a card on the Field." Edo said. 'Guess that was his way of payback for losing his Field card.'
"Next, I reveal Chupacabra of Lands Unknown in my hand before hiding it! Now you must choose yet again which card I must discard!" Ryan said after shuffling the cards in his hand again,
"This again!" Kenzan complained. "Grrr! Fine then, I'm choosing your center card!" Ryan smiled wickedly.
"Wrong choice, dino fool! You chose none other than Chupacabra itself! By discarding it, I can Special Summon a "Lands Unknown" Monster from my Graveyard, except "Chupacabra"! I Special Summon the Monster I sent there at the start of this turn! Reveal yourself, mythical beast of indomitable strength: BIGFOOT OF LANDS UNKNOWN!" (DARK; Level 8; ATK: 3000; DEF: 0) Ryan's Ace was a ginormous humanoid creature with thick blue fur and a spike on each of it's shoulders. It was the roughly the same size as Ultimate Tyranno.
"Guess there is a Bigfoot after all." Judai said nervously at the sight of the hairy beast.
Kenzan wasn't too worried though. "Trap card open, Hunting Instinct! When my opponent Special Summons a Monster, I can Special Summon a "Dinosaur" from my hand! I'm bringing out my Dragon-Legged Beast Brachion in Defense Mode!" (EARTH; Level 8; ATK: 1500; DEF: 3000) Kneeling next to it's carnivorous counterpart was a huge, long necked, dark blue brachiosaurus with some red scales on it's head. "Now I have a strong defense along with a strong offense!" Ryan's smile didn't waver in the slightest.
"I'm about to shatter both like glass! I Equip my Bigfoot with Lands Unknown Capture Strategy! The "Lands Unknown" Monster Equipped with this card gains 800 Attack and Defense Points, cannot be destroyed by card effects, and make up to two attacks on Monsters during each Battle Phase!" The young scientist revealed, laughing insanely while his Monster grew in size.
(Bigfoot of Lands Unknown's ATK: 3000 + 800 = 3800; DEF: 800)
"Bigfoot's gotten even bigger feet, along with the rest of him!" Judai said, more worried for his friend now.
Kenzan still wasn't too worked up. "So he got a little boost. It's not enough to squash the rest of my Life Points!"
"This next card should make up the difference! I activate a second copy of my Second Lands Unknown Exploration Team Trap card! Once per turn, by discarding one card, a "Lands Unknown" Monster I control gains an additional 500 Attack and Defense Points until the end of the turn!"
"What the hell?!" Kenzan yelled as he watched Ryan's Ace grow even larger.
(Bigfoot of Lands Unknown's ATK: 3800 + 500 = 4300; DEF: 800 + 500 = 1300)
"Oh, and the card I discarded was my Werewolf! Now it's own discard Effect is activated! All of your face-up Monsters lose 1000 Attack Points until the end of the turn!"
(Ultimate Tyranno's ATK: 3000 - 1000 = 2000)
(Dragon-Legged Beast Brachion's ATK: 1500 - 1000 = 500)
"Kenzan's in deep trouble! If he doesn't do something, Ryan's next Attack with finish him!" Johan surmised.
"Now I got you right where I want you! Your pathetic dinosaurs are simply no match for my unstoppable legendary beasts!" Ryan said gleefully. Kenzan growled.
"You going on that crap again? You make no sense! Just explain yourself why don't ya?!" Ryan still gave no indication he would do so. But someone else did.
"You hate dinosaurs, don't you Ryan?" Edo asked, catching Ryan by surprise. The enemy Duelist did not answer.
"Ryan hates them?" Gloria asked, not getting the picture. Edo nodded before continuing.
"He chose Kenzan as his opponent because his Deck contains "Dinosaur" Monsters. He then insults them every chance he gets. He obviously holds dinosaurs with a lot of contempt."
"But why would he hate creatures that have been extinct for millions of years?" Grace asked.
"Because they were weak!" Ryan interjected, furious. "They were a very weak species to not have survived changes to the earth's environment! My belief is that only the strongest life forms have a right to exist! My Monsters fit that category!"
"Dude, you do realize that the Monsters your Deck is based on never existed, right?" Manjome with a deadpan expression. Ryan fumed at him.
"I'm not going to get dragged into that old debate! I will prove my Deck's superiority by wiping out it's weaker competition! Battle! Bigfoot, attack Dragon-Legged Beast Brachion! Fist Smash!" With a mighty blow from both it's enormous fists, Kenzan's Defense dino was flattened and gone. "And now for the finishing blow! Bigfoot, attack and obliterate Ultimate Tyranno!"
"Kenzan!" Shouted almost everyone. Kenzan stood firmly on his ground.
"I'm not going extinct yet! Trap card open, Survival Instinct! By banishing a number of "Dinosaur" Monsters from my hand or Graveyard, I get 500 Life Points for each one! I banish Swift Gilasaurus and Dark Tyranno from my Graveyard to gain 1000 Life Points!" He played that card just as his Monster got pancaked by Bigfoot.
"You what?!" Ryan yelled, mad that his plan to defeat Kenzan failed.
(4300 - 2000 = 2300)
(Kenzan: 1600 + 1000 = 2600; 2600 - 2300 = 300)
"Phew! That was a really close one!" Johan said, wiping sweat of his forehead from the tension.
"Nice playing Kenzan!" Judai and Misawa cheered. Ryan was furious.
"Damn you! You were supposed to lose just now!"
"Yeah well, I didn't! Tough tomalley pal!" Kenzan chuckled. Ryan's fists shook.
"Don't gloat; the Duel isn't over yet! I play Gift of Lands Unknown! By banishing a "Lands Unknown" card from my Graveyard, like my Umaria Continent, I gain Life Points equal to the original Attack Points of a "Lands Unknown" Monster I control! Bigfoot's original Attack Power was at 3000, so now my Life Points go up that much!"
(Ryan: 1000 + 3000 = 4000)
"He has all his Life Points back while Kenzan barely has any left!" Masumi said, greatly worried.
"With that, I end my turn. At this time, my Trap's Effect wears off and Bigfoot's Attack and Defense Points got back down to 3800 and 800 respectively. I promise you, Tyranno Kenzan, I will destroy you and your precious prehistoric weaklings on my next turn!" Ryan declared self-righteously.
"Don't listen to him! You can beat that guy!" Judai encouraged.
"You're strong Kenzan, strong enough to take him down!" Johan said just as confidently. Kenzan nodded.
"Don't worry! This Dino Duelist has no plans of quitting!" Ryan sneered.
"You've got no cards left in your hand or on your Field, and your Life Points are just about gone! You have no chance of winning! It's over for you!" Kenzan smiled.
"It ain't over until the last card is played! My turn! Draw!" He saw hope in his card. "I play Treasure Cards of Reversal! I can play this when I have no other cards in my hand and I control no cards! It lets me draw cards from my Deck equal to the number of face-up cards my opponent controls! Since you got four, I get to draw four cards!" Kenzan's eyes became dino slits once more and gave a toothy grin. "Yes! I got what I need to turn this around and kick your ass!"
"I'm not buying your bluff!" Ryan protested.
"I don't bluff, and I'll prove it! I banish Brachion and Ultimate Tyranno from my Graveyard to Special Summon my newest T-Rex from my hand: Ultimate Conductor Tyranno!" (LIGHT; Level 10; ATK: 3500; DEF: 3200) The new Monster was as big as Ryan's powered up Bigfoot. It also had dark plated armor, but it was also covered with sharp yellow spikes and glowing purple orbs.
"Sweet!" Judai cheered. Everyone was impressed by the sight of Kenzan's newest Monster. Even Ryan seemed more than a little intimidated.
"As fearsome looking as your overgrown lizard is, and even though it can bypass my Wall of Light, it isn't strong enough to defeat my Bigfoot!" He said. Kenzan still smiled.
"I'm about to fix that! During my Main Phase, by either discarding a Monster from my hand or destroying one on my Field once per turn, Ultimate Conductor Tyranno switch all my opponent's Monsters to face-down Defense Mode! I'll discard my Archaeopteryx – Archeonys to make your "unbeatable" Bigfoot a much easier target to take down!"
"NO!" Ryan yelled. He seethed as his Monster vanished from sight as it was forced in face-down Defense Mode.
"That's not all! With Bigfoot now face-down, his Equip card is destroyed!" Asuka pointed out.
"Kenzan's got the floor now!" Judai said happily.
"It's payback time! Battle! Ultimate Conductor Tyranno, attack Bigfoot of Unknown Lands! And now for my big guy's other Effect! When my Monster attacks a Defense Mode Monster, you take 1000 points of damage and your Monster heads straight to the Graveyard!" As he said this, Ultimate Conductor Tyranno whipped it's tail to sweep away Bigfoot before striking Ryan himself.
(Ryan: 4000 - 1000 = 3000)
"Damn you!" Ryan shouted, now royally pissed off. "I swear I'll make you pay on my next turn!"
"Hate to break this to you, but you won't get a next turn!" Kenzan replied confidently. "I play Dino Blast! This Magic card inflicts damage to you equal to the Level of a "Dinosaur" Monster I control times 300! Ultimate Conductor Tyranno is Level 10, so if you multiply that by 300…" Ryan's eyes widened in horror.
"The damage I'll take will be 3000!" He admitted, now starting to back away. "This can't be! I can't lose to dinosaurs!"
"Damn right you are! Taste a blast from the prehistoric past!" Ryan was then hit by 10 rays of light from Kenzan's Monster, striking him down in defeat.
(Ryan: 0)
The moment Ryan was defeated, the shield around the arena dropped.
"Very well done!" Samejima praised.
"Way to play Kenzan!" Judai cheered. Kenzan gave him and the others a victory sign.
While everyone else was happy with Kenzan's triumph, Edo frowned. Something had been bothering him before the Duel even began. He made that something very clear as he walked up to the arena and stood above the fallen Ryan. "Tell me Ryan. How did you know Kenzan had a Dinosaur Deck?" Ryan just stared up at him defiantly. Judai and the others wondered what Edo was getting at. Edo pressed further. "You never met Kenzan until today and never saw him duel. Yet before the Duel started, you knew precisely who you wanted to fight. How could you have known about him in the first place?"
Ryan snarled but still did not answer. Instead, he took out another remote from his other pocket. This one had a big red button. "I may have lost this fight, but the Light shall win the war!"
"The Light?" Yuri asked, not getting what the nerd was babbling about. However, that reference widened the eyes of Judai, Edo, and certain others. Before anyone could ask what he meant, Ryan pressed the button. A loud beeping could be heard from the main control console and a bright light began to cover the dueling arena.
"What's happening?!" Grace shouted. Zweinstein gasped, realizing what was about to happen as the beeping got faster and faster.
"All of you! Get away from the arena! NOW!"
Seconds later, the main building of Duel Academy shook violently from the massive explosion that took place within… with most of the occupants having no idea what just happened.
To be continued.