Another Duel done, but will Reggie meet the same fate as David Rabb? And who will face off next? Expect things to get more intense from here on out! Also, I had changed a certain Legendary Planet for the purposes of this story. The original one just wouldn't be appropriate. Hope you guys understand.
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 39: Kaiser Arc – Part 11
The platforms and Rainbow Dragon vanished as Reggie lost her remaining Life Points. "Johan did it!" Masumi said happily.
"Told ya he would be fine." Judai said, smiling.
"He is a strong Duelist alright." Serena said, pleased and impressed with Johan's dueling.
"That's one more win for us." Yuri said with a smirk.
"Yeah, but Reggie…" Fubuki said, fearful of what will happen next.
"Remember, Flame said he won't mess up this time." Yusuke whispered in his friend's ear. Fubuki did not reply, but kept his gaze solely on the girl in the arena.
"Looks like your "right hand officer" couldn't do any better than your foul mouthed lieutenant." Chosaku chastised Echo, who deeply frowned but said nothing.
'Reggie… you have fought well. I commend you for your skill and effort, but in the end… it just wasn't enough. I am deeply sorry for putting you through this… and for what is about to happen.' Echo thought with great regret.
Reggie herself lay on her back, completely defeated. "How? How could this have happened?" She asked herself, feeling like a total failure. "I was supposed to win. Instead, I suffered an embarrassing loss. What did I do wrong?"
"Nothing." Johan answered as he now stood before her. "You did nothing wrong at all. Actually, you nearly had me. You were one of the strongest Duelists I've ever fought." She looked up at him, appearing confused.
"Then why couldn't I defeat you?" She questioned as she got back up, misery in her voice. Johan looked to each of the spirits of his Gem Beasts manifesting around him in (including the brown feathered Cobalt Eagle with dark blue gems on his wings). He smiled affectionately at them all.
"Because it wasn't just me you were facing. My Gem Beasts… they helped me when I needed it. You might not get it, but we are family. You fight one of us, you fight against all of us."
"Exactly!" Said six of the Gem Beasts, while Ruby gave a loud "Mew!".
"Family?" Reggie muttered. Johan nodded.
"That's how strong my bond is with them. I imagine your bond with a "certain someone" is just as strong, if not stronger." He said as he turned behind him.
Reggie followed his gaze to meet Fubuki's eyes. "Fubuki…" She muttered softly, both his eyes and hers moistened from emotion.
Before another word could be spoken, both of Reggie's Legendary Planets reappeared. The Splendid Venus took hold of it's owner, while The Tripping Mercury proceeded to stab her in the gut. The scream she let out was a terrible one.
"REGGIE!" Fubuki yelled. He attempted to proceed into the arena, but was held back by Yusuke.
"Don't! What did I just say?" He reminded him.
"I know, but…!" Fubuki couldn't think of an effective argument. He hated to see Reggie suffer like that, especially since if he didn't know if Flame could save her. Regardless, he heeded Yusuke's words and stayed put.
Once again, the dark white glow took over both Monsters as the life draining process began. Not even 10 seconds passed before the unknown creature's tentacles returned to insure Reggie's demise. Unlike last time, a fiery red bubble appeared around Reggie and the two Monsters. When the tentacles tried to pierce through, it just forced them back, making them suffer a severe burning. The things actually looked partially cooked.
"Nice!" Manjome said.
Flame chuckled to himself in the console. "Ha! Try getting through that, mystery monster!"
A loud, angry sound could be heard in the vastness of space. The source of the tentacles was not pleased it got hurt instead grabbing it's prey. Rather than retreating, it tried again. The unknown beast was now trying to crush the burning sphere separating it from Reggie. In spite of the pain it was enduring, the beast refused to relent.
Flame could feel the pressure. "Perhaps I should not have taunted it." The Fire Ignis then worked fast to get Reggie out of there. He sensed that his protective bubble wouldn't last long under the growing strain. The bubble began to crack. "Dammit! At this rate the sphere will break and Reggie's life will be lost! I need more time!" And that's what he got.
The seven Gem Beasts and Rainbow Dragon suddenly materialized from Johan's Deck and rushed to the rescue by latching onto the tentacles, pulling them back with all their might.
"Look at that!" Rei shouted at the unbelievable sight.
"How are they helping?!" Serena asked in total bewilderment.
"You got a lot to learn about this world, kid." Manjome told her.
Johan's Monsters held back the tentacles, despite the things trying to get past them. While that was happening, Reggie began to glow bright. Johan and his team recognized it. It was the same glow that covered Emi and Chronos just before they disappeared to safety. 'Keep at it guys! Don't let up!' Johan encouraged his spirit family through his thoughts.
"Hold on…" Fubuki said as he watched, never once taking his eyes off Reggie. The tentacles moved more violently as the light around the young woman grew. Yet, they still couldn't advance further. Suddenly, another tentacle emerged from the darkness above and sped straight for it's target. However, it was too late. Just as the third tentacle breached through the red sphere, the glow vanished along with Reggie herself. The evil creature roared in rage as it and it's tentacles retreated from sight.
'Did it work? Is Reggie okay?' Fubuki thought as he turned to Misawa and Zweinstein, who eyed the console. Johan turned and headed back to rejoin team.
All eyes were on the scientists now. A tense moment passed before Misawa looked up at the others… and nodded once he was sure Amon's team couldn't see him. He seemed sure do to the message he just read: "Reggie Mackenzie is alive and well. My new rescue measure plus the aid of Johan's Monsters ensured her safety."
After seeing that, Johan gratefully thanked his Monsters for the big help. Fubuki leaned over the console and silently wept… with a smile. 'She's okay. She's alright. Thank you Flame… I owe you big.'
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Reggie was confused as hell. She truly thought for sure that she was about to die like David and the two teachers. Instead, she found herself back in the main arena of Duel Academy. On top of that, the very teachers she believed had perished now stood before her. "You two! How are you both alive?" Reggie asked them.
They appeared just as confused. "Um… do we know you miss?" Emi asked her, having no clue who she was. Reggie was confused even further.
"You don't remember? We were on the same team not long ago." She inquired.
"Team? What team? I don't recall ever being in anything involving you, Signora." Chronos said.
'They don't remember me? Why?' Reggie then recalled how both teachers behaved when they lost their respective Duels. They acted like the past several hours never happened. Perhaps defeating them somehow broke the Light's hold on them? Still, Reggie had a more important question. 'How are those two even alive in the first place? In fact… how am I alive?' Even though she had no answers, one thing was clear. She was not dead, and neither were Emi and Chronos. They had all returned to Duel Academy in one piece. She was immediately grateful for that miracle… remembering the words Johan told her. Then she wondered if… "Did a blonde man in a uniform similar to mine appear before I did?"
Emi and Chronos both stared at her. "Uh, no. I appeared here first, then Professor Medici, and now you. No one else has come." Emi explained.
Reggie's eyes widened. "I… I see." She said. 'So then, David didn't make it back like we did?' She then recalled what occurred after David lost his Duel. Those strange tentacles ensnared him along with his Legendary Planets, but he did not disappear in a bright light like herself and the two teachers. He got sucked into whatever thing those tentacles came from. So if she, Emi, and Chronos returned here but not David… then there could only be one reason. 'He was the only one among us that truly died.'
That realization nearly made her stumble as she stared back at the white dome still standing. Somehow, he wasn't saved like they were. Whatever it was, Reggie was grateful she survived. Now she hoped that Fubuki would come back alive… and back to her.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Devil Kaiser growled in the cavern beneath. "Damn! It happened again! Yet another human has escaped my grasp before I could feed off their essence! I thought I eliminated that problem after taking David Rabb's life! Someone has found a new way to block me! Not only that, but those accursed Gem Beasts and their big dragon butted in as well! Next time, that won't be the case!" His black eyes glowed menacingly darker as he said those words, and his aura flared. He was determined to not lose another sacrifice… not again.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Sorry you lost another top officer, Echo." Amon told her.
"So am I." She responded without looking at him. Something was bothering her. Reggie died in a flash of light like those Duel Academy teachers. David, on the other hand, perished by being sucked into that unseen creature lurking in the darkness. Why was his death different from the others'? And why was that creature struggling to get to Reggie so badly when she was going to die anyway? Those things didn't make sense to her.
"This team of yours is sucking, Amon." Makoto said rudely to him.
"I agree. Despite all their claims to win, they all failed miserably." Chosaku added. Amon frowned at them.
"You're both a part of this team too, remember?" He said. The two huffed.
"I have my reason for being here, and it's got nothing to do with you." Chosaku said, eyeing his younger brother hatefully on the other side.
"Same here. But I'm not waiting anymore to settle my unfinished business." Makoto said as he walked onto the arena next.
"This should be interesting." Amon said. Chosaku snorted. Echo merely observed.
While Amon and his remaining teammates chatted, Fubuki and the others felt great relief that Reggie got saved and would be fine.
"Man Johan, your Duel was amazingly jaw-dropping!" Judai complimented. Johan chuckled.
"Thanks Judai. I had been itching to show you my new skills for a while now. I knew you and everyone else would love it."
"Johan, where did you learn to Pendulum Summon?" Yuri asked.
"And how did you also learn about Action Duels?" Masumi questioned. Johan smiled.
"I promise guys, I'll spill every good detail when everything's calmed down. But for right now, we got lives to save."
"We will hold you to that." Edo told him.
"Hey Kaiser! Time for us to finish what we started!" Makoto called out from the arena. Ryo narrowed his eyes and slipped on his Duel Disk.
"It's my turn now." He said to the others. He noticed that Sho still appeared to not agree that he was facing Makoto in his place. Ryo could tell he was about to protest again in an effort to change his mind. He wasn't going to give him that chance. "Sho, I know you think this is your fight but it isn't. My stance has not changed. I will face Makoto Inotsume and win."
"But Ryo…" Sho began but got cut off.
"No buts. This is my call and I am sticking with it. I promise, I will not die out there. Believe in that." Ryo said with finality. Sho protested no more, but still appeared resentful. Ryo turned to his fiancée. "I'll win and come back to you." Gloria gave him a serious look before smirking.
"You'd better." She told him. "Losing a Duel and die here would be a pretty lame excuse for you to leave me standing at the alter." Ryo smiled back before he gave her a quick kiss. "Seriously Ryo, don't die." She whispered. Ryo told her he won't before entered the arena too.
"Gloria, what did you mean by "standing at the alter"?" Grace asked, confused. Gloria smirked before finally taking off her glove to reveal her engagement ring. Her younger sister squealed while everyone else stared in surprise. "You two are engaged now?!"
"Since last night." Gloria said proudly.
"Oh wow! Congratulations!" Judai said.
"Same here! I'm happy for you two!" Asuka said. Gloria thanked them and then fixed her eyes on her fiancé's upcoming Duel.
Now, Ryo and Makoto were facing each other. The latter smirked. "I've been waiting for this day, Ryo Marufuji. The day my Jinzo-Style finally conquers your Cyber-Style is at last upon us!"
"I will not allow that to happen." Ryo said defiantly. Both Duelists then activated their Duel Disks and began.
"DUEL!"
(Ryo: 4000) (Makoto: 4000)
"I'll start things off! My turn! Draw!" Makoto smiled confidently. 'My hand is perfect! I can definitely defeat him with these!' "I begin by playing Double Summon, allowing me to Normal Summon a second time this turn! Then I use my first Normal Summon to bring out my Jinzo #7!" (DARK; Level 2; ATK: 500; DEF: 400) A half man, half machine creature emerged with cybernetic parts and metal plates with "07" were displayed on it's chest and right shoulder. "Next I play Psychic Wave! By sending a "Jinzo" from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard, I can inflict 600 points of damage to you!" A dark pink blast came from that card and hit Ryo in the chest. He felt that pain from it, though it wasn't much.
(Ryo: 4000 - 600 = 3400)
"Did that hurt?" Makoto taunted. To his surprise, Ryo smiled at him.
"Actually, I have felt worse." Makoto sneered at him.
"You will lose that smile when I destroy you! I now play Jinzo Draw, allowing me to draw five cards since I have two "Jinzo" Monsters on my and/or in my Graveyard!" He smirked. "Now I will use my second Normal Summon this turn to Summon Jinzo – Jector!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 2000) Another android like Monster appeared alongside it's companion. This one wore a dark green and black jumpsuit with a breather like mask on it's face. "This card's name becomes "Jinzo" while on the Field or in my Graveyard! Now I play Monster Reborn to Special Summon the real deal from my Graveyard! Be reborn, Jinzo!" (DARK; Level 6; ATK: 2400; DEF: 1500) The true Jinzo wore a dark green and black bodysuit while wearing a machine facial mask over it's bald head.
"There's a classic." Kenzan said.
"Yeah, a classic pain to have to deal with." Manjome noted.
'Sure was for me.' Principal Samejima thought annoyingly after his own Duel with Makoto.
"Even though my Dueling Style is based around this Monster, I will now Sacrifice Jinzo to Special Summon it's strongest form from my hand: Jinzo – Lord!" (DARK; Level 8; ATK: 2600; DEF: 1600) A tall, purple android stood with six long wires sticking out in different directions.
"That's the Monster he tried to beat me with." Sho revealed.
"How tough is it?" Serena asked.
"It has a couple of problematic Effects." Sho told her. She was about to ask but Makoto already provided the answer.
"While Jinzo – Lord is on the Field, Trap cards can't be activated and any already in play have their Effects negated! Now for the other main Effect of Jinzo – Lord! Once per turn, I can look at your hand and destroy any Trap cards I see. Plus, for each Trap destroyed by that Effect, you take 300 points of damage!" Makoto said, sounding as arrogant as Sho remembered.
Ryo smiled again as he revealed his hand. "Sorry, no Traps." He said. Makoto growled in disappointment.
"Well aren't you a lucky duck! But at least I know for certain you have your Cyber Dragons again! Convinced your little brother to give them back to you?" Ryo glanced at Sho (who appeared uncomfortable for some reason) for a second before turning back.
"My Deck is my own. Let's just leave it at that." He said firmly. Makoto shrugged. He figured this alternate Ryo would have a similar Deck to the one he fought before, so he wasn't too surprised. He wasn't about to let that slip though.
"Have it your way. Now bear witness to my new power! I Sacrifice two "Machine" Monsters, Jinzo #7 and Jinzo – Jector, to Special Summon my Legendary Planet from my hand: The Unbreakable Earth!" (EARTH; Level 8; ATK: 3000; DEF: 2800) In the place of both Monsters was a muscular, rock like humanoid that was black as coal with grey eyes and wore a silver belt with the letter "E" in the center.
'So that's his Legendary Planet.' Ryo thought.
"Looks like a tough one compared to the others." Rei said.
"The Unbreakable Earth's Monster Effect activates! When it is Special Summoned, you take 800 points of damage! Slab Smash!" Makoto's Legendary Planet took a piece of itself and hurled it at Ryo, hitting his shoulder hard.
(Ryo: 3400 - 800 = 2600)
"Rude." Grace said.
"While The Unbreakable Earth is face-up on the Field, it can destroy any Magic or Trap cards you Set and negate any card effects that target it! Next I activate a Continuous Magic card called DNA Erasure Magic! I declare a type of Monster, and while this card is active, all Monsters of that type that go from the hand or Deck to the Graveyard get banished instead! I choose "Machine"!"
Ryo frowned. 'That could be a problem.' He thought, knowing that both their Decks contain mainly Machines. "That will include your own Monsters." He pointed out.
"That won't matter. My Monsters won't be going anywhere, but any you bring out certainly will! I Set my last two cards facedown and end my turn." Makoto puffed his chest. "With what I have now, your pathetic Cyber-Style won't hold a candle to my superior Jinzo-Style!"
"Why Makoto?" Ryo suddenly asked.
"Why what?" Makoto asked back.
"Why are you so determined to prove your Dueling Style is better than mine? No one's Dueling Style is better than the other. It's how they are used that truly matters." Ryo told him. Makoto sneered.
"You're wrong! Jinzo-Style stands over Cyber-Style! Nothing will change that!"
"You didn't answer Ryo's question!" Sho interjected. "Why is it so important for you to do this?"
Makoto said nothing at first. Then he closed his eyes, gave a great sigh, then opened them again. "Because I must. I am the only Duelist left that still practices Jinzo- Style Dueling. It is my obligation, no my life's mission, to eliminate Cyber-Style Duelists! I will not stop until it is accomplished!"
"Even if it means risking your own life like this?" Sho questioned him. Makoto stared back at him.
"Nothing means more to me than obliterating the Dueling Style of my enemy! And with the power of the Legendary Planet I have been given, I will succeed! When I finally fulfill my mission, your Cyber-Style Pro League will NEVER see the light of day!"
'Makoto…' Ryo thought, feeling pity toward the opposing Duelist.
"It doesn't have to be that way, Makoto." Sho said. "There really is no need to eliminate anyone's Dueling Style. In fact…" He was about to say more when Makoto cut him off.
"Shut up! I've heard enough nonsense from you!"
"You heard him Sho. Just drop it." Serena said to him. "He clearly has no respect for anyone other than himself."
Sho gritted his teeth. 'There's got to be a way to get through to him. But how?'
"Now Kaiser! Start and get your turn over with so I can destroy you!" Makoto demanded. Ryo sighed.
"As you wish. My turn! Draw! I play Pot of Greed, which will let me draw two more cards!" Ryo started to formulate a plan. He hoped it would work. "Since you control at least one Monster and I have none, I can Special Summon Cyber Dragon from my hand!" (LIGHT; Level 5; ATK: 2100; DEF: 1600) A silver, metallic dragon emerged to serve it's master.
At the sight Cyber Dragon appearing, Sho flinched and shut his eyes tight before turning away. He expected it when Makoto saw the cards in Ryo's hand, but the emotional pain he felt was terrible. Sho couldn't bear to lay eyes on the Monster his brother relied on for so long… a Monster that later became his own. His guilt was still too much. Also, he could've sworn he felt a strong pulse from the pocket where he kept the box containing his brother's cards…
"Hey. What's wrong Sho?" Judai asked, noticing Sho's reaction.
"Sho?" Serena also asked, concerned. Sho refused to answer them. He couldn't let them or anyone else know what he did. He prayed Fubuki and Yusuke would not say anything.
Ryo also noticed after hearing Judai and Serena question his counterpart's brother. He also saw Sho hold a hand over his jacket pocket like last time. What did that mean? Was it simply because he was watching a version of his recently deceased older brother dueling? That he somehow cannot bear it? No, his gut told him it was more than that. Perhaps it was time for a bit of tough love. "Sho!" He said in a harsh tone. Snapping him out of his depressing thoughts, Sho looked up at Ryo, stunned. "Don't avert your eyes! A true Duelist never looks away from a Duel taking place! You must observe and learn by what you witness! Do not be distracted by anything! Got it?!"
Once again, Sho was reminded of how much this Ryo was like his brother. The way he talked somehow told him that he should just do what he says. Despite his immense guilt, Sho took a deep breath, let it out, and nodded. This seemed to be enough, for Ryo nodded back.
"Very good. Now watch as I show my opponent how strong our Cyber-Style Dueling is!" Ryo declared.
"Our Cyber-Style?" Sho said, astounded that Ryo would say that. Makoto snorted, not the least bit intimidated.
"For my next move, I Normal Summon Cyber Dragon Drei!" (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1800; DEF: 800) Another cybernetic dragon appeared. This one was yellow lined and seemed to have three heads; one at the end of it's tail, and one in the middle with the third popping out the middle head's mouth. "This Monster's name becomes "Cyber Dragon" while on the Field or in my Graveyard! Now for it's Monster Effect! When Drei is Normal Summoned, all "Cyber Dragons" I control become Level 5! For the rest of the turn after this Effect was used, I can only Special Summon "Machine" Monsters!"
"Why would he pull a move like that?" Makoto wondered aloud as he watched Drei's Level become 5 to match the original Cyber Dragon.
"I know where this is going." Gloria said, smiling.
"Me too." Grace said, excited for Ryo was about to do.
"Us too." Kenzan to Manjome, who nodded with him.
"What?" Sho asked. Neither of the Tyler Sisters answered. Sho, among a few others, were about to be surprised big time.
"I Overlay both my Level 5 Cyber Dragons! Dragon made of dark metal, descend now and let your power explode! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 5! Cyber Dragon Nova!" (LIGHT; Rank 5; ATK: 2100; DEF: 1600) Replacing the two cyber beasts was a dark metallic dragon with silver wings but no arms or legs. It also had two gold lights circling around it.
"Xyz Summon?!" Makoto and Sho shouted simultaneously, totally shocked by the new Summon.
Sho then also felt a stronger pulse from his pocket. 'What's this? Could my brother's Cyber Dragons be reacting to the other Ryo's?'
"Another new Summoning method?!" Chosaku said, not believing his eyes. Amon and Echo stood speechless.
"What the?!" Said a stunned Edo.
"Wow!" Rei said, amazed.
"You can say that again!" Johan said in agreement.
"Did he do that in your Duel with him?" Fubuki asked Yusuke.
"No. It wasn't this." He confirmed.
"Oh my!" Samejima said, also amazed.
"This is one of the new Special Summons you talked about?" Asuka asked Judai. Her boyfriend nodded.
"Yep! Sure is!" He confined excitedly.
"What the hell is this?!" Makoto demanded.
"An Xyz Summon! It involves Special Summoning a new type of Extra Deck Monster by stacking two or more Monsters with the same Level on top of each other!"
"I've never heard of it!" Makoto said. Ryo smirked.
"I wouldn't expect you to know." Makoto's slightly impressed expression was replaced by a condescending one.
"Well it doesn't matter! Your new Xyz Monster isn't strong enough to defeat either of my Monsters!"
"I'll handle that later. My next card is Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards while discarding two!" Ryo was pleased with the cards he drew and knew which ones to discard. "Then, once per turn, by discarding a Monster, my second Cyber Dragon, I can Special Summon Cyber Dragon Nächster from my hand!" (LIGHT; Level 1; ATK: 200; DEF: 200) A light blue and dark blue metal dragon appeared next.
"Due to the Effect of DNA Erasure Magic, the "Machine" you just discard gets banished!" Makoto reminded him. Ryo smirked.
"It will not. One of the cards I discarded due to Graceful Charity was a Magic card called Cyber Grave! While it is in the Graveyard, any "Cyber Dragon" Monsters that go from my hand, Field, or Deck to the Graveyard will be unaffected by my opponent's card effects!"
"What?!" Makoto said, surprised by that.
"No banishing from you!" Kenzan taunted.
"Like Drei, Cyber Dragon Nächster's name becomes "Cyber Dragon" while on the Field or in the Graveyard! Next is Nächster's other Effect! Once per turn, when it is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon a "Machine" Monster in my Graveyard with 2100 Attack or Defense Points! I Special Summon the Cyber Dragon I just discard!" Ryo's second Cyber Dragon materialized next to his other Monsters. "Then I play Cyber Call, allowing me to Special Summon a "Cyber" Monster from my Deck but can't Summon anything other than "Machine" Monsters this turn! I Special Summon Cyber Dragon Core!" (LIGHT; Level 2; ATK: 400; DEF: 1500) An incomplete looking Cyber Dragon Dragon with a glowing red sphere in it's chest appeared.
'He's preparing for another big Summon. Possibly his true Ace?' Amon guessed. He thought wrong.
"Now Makoto… witness yet another new face of Cyber-Style! I am Tuning the Level 1 Cyber Dragon Nächster and Level 2 Cyber Dragon Core with the Level 5 Cyber Dragon!"
"Tuning?" Judai said, surprised even further. He didn't expect Ryo to able to perform s Synchro Summon.
'What's he doing now?!' Makoto thought.
"Dragons of circuitry and metal, mold together now and blast away the enemy's support! Synchro Summon! Appear! Level 8! Cyber Dragon Quasar!" Ryo's 2700 Attack Point Synchro Monster now stood with it's Xyz counterpart.
"That's the Monster he used to kick my butt in our Duel!" Yusuke exclaimed.
"Amazing!" Grace exclaimed.
Sho was astounded by a second new Extra Deck Cyber Dragon that wasn't a Fusion. He felt another pulse when Quasar appeared. Were the cards in his pocket actually trying to tell him something? He couldn't tell.
Makoto was without words for this one. Ryo explained.
"What you see is another new type of Monster: A Synchro Monster! To Summon a Synchro Monster, you must have another type of Monster called a "Tuner", then the total Levels of both the Tuner and other non-Tuner Monsters have to match the Synchro Monster you intend to Summon! In the case of Cyber Dragon Quasar, Cyber Dragon was treated as a Tuner for it's Synchro Summon!"
"You're just full of new tricks, aren't you?" Makoto said angrily. Ryo smiled.
"And there is more! Cyber Dragon Quasar gains 500 Attack Points for each "Cyber" Monster in my Graveyard! My Graveyard contains Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon Core, Cyber Dragon Nachster, and Proto-Cyber Dragon! That last one, by the way, was the other card I discarded via Graceful Charity! This means my Synchro Monster gains 2000 more Attack Points!"
"Are you kidding me?!" Makoto said in shock.
(500 x 4 = 2000)
(Cyber Dragon Quasar's ATK: 2700 + 2000 = 4700)
"Now Quasar is strong enough to take down any of Makoto's Monsters!" Serena said in glee.
"If Ryo is going to attack, now would be a good time." Edo said. However, it didn't play out that way.
"Because I have at least four "Cyber" Monsters in my Graveyard, I can play Cyber Replenish! It allows me to draw one card for each "Cyber" Monster in my Graveyard, so now I draw four cards!" Ryo's eyes widened… and then smiled. 'This is going to be good.' He thought, planning to take great joy in what he was about to do next. "I play another Magic card, Foolish Mass Burial! By paying half of my Life Points, I can send a Monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard! Also, because it is sent from the Extra Deck, it doesn't get banished by DNA Erasure Magic! I choose Chimeratech Fortress Dragon!" Ryo said to the further annoyance of his opponent.
(Ryo: 2600 / 2 = 1300)
"Why would he send a Monster from his Extra Deck to the Graveyard?" Fubuki asked aloud.
Judai, Gloria, and Grace all have a pretty good idea what Ryo was preparing to do. They all smiled in anticipation.
"I'm just about ready to bring out my top Ace Monster, Makoto! But there's one more thing I need to do before that!"
"Which is?" Makoto asked him. He wasn't too happy about what happened next.
"I activate the Monster Effect of Cyber Dragon Quasar! Once per turn, in exchange for it not being able to attack this turn, Quasar can destroy all Magic and Traps you control! Cyber Burn!"
"NO! NOT THAT!" Makoto yelled as both his facedown cards were obliterated by a green ball of fire. 'I lost my Cyber Energy Shock! Dammit! And my other card too! But that one won't be a total loss…' He thought, a modicum of calm through his anger.
"Awesome move!" Judai cheered.
"Ditto!" Johan added, just as pleased.
"With your Magic and Trap Zone cleared, I can now safely Summon my Ace! I activate Polymerization to Fuse my third Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dragon Zwei, and Cyber Dragon Vier in my hand!"
"A Fusion Summon now, eh?" Yuri said, smirking. He knew what Monster Ryo was about to call out, and wasn't disappointed.
"Great mechanical dragon, whose life is eternal, rise now and show your everlasting power! Let no end come to you! Fusion Summon! Appear! Level 10! CYBER ETERNITY DRAGON!" (LIGHT; Level 10; ATK: 2800; DEF: 4000) Appearing right between Nova and Quasar was Ryo's main Ace, a gold lined serpentine mecha dragon much bigger than the former two. Ryo himself felt the most pleased in that Duel. For the first time, all of the Cyber Three Monsters stood together. He wished the Yusuke he knew could see this.
Like with the other Extra Deck Monsters, everyone was amazed.
"He's cool!" Johan said.
"We can agree on that." Samejima added, sounding just as impressed.
"Woah." Sho said in awe. From his pocket, Sho felt the strongest pulse yet. The young Marufuji swore he could feel the box vibrating at this point. Then, before his very eyes, the spirit of a big three headed mecha dragon appeared. Sho recognized the Monster all too well. 'Cyber End Dragon?! It was you that was trying to reach out to me?' Sho asked through his thoughts. The Monster gave a warm hum, indicating that was the case. 'But why? Why would Ryo Summoning his Monsters make you react and show yourself?' Cyber End Dragon made a low growl and turned it's heads toward the Dueling Field, toward it's counterparts.
Sho looked at the three Monsters as well and saw a golden thread from each connecting to their master. The threads glowed bright and strong, and seemed unbreakable. He then noticed such a thread on himself, but it was much dimmer and weaker. It led to the box that contained Cyber End and the other Cyber cards that belonged to this world's Ryo. That thread seemed ready to snap apart by a simple cut with a pair of scissors. Sho looked from his thread back to the ones connecting Ryo to his Cyber Monsters. That was when he understood.
'Those threads… they represent the bond between Ryo and his Monsters! His bond with them is so strong it's like nothing could tear them apart! Mine, on the other hand, is so fragile and barely there at all.' Sho truly felt he was right about that, and he also realized why his bonding thread was so weak compared to his brother's counterpart. 'It's because… I removed you and the others from my Deck and Extra Deck. By doing that, I seriously damaged my bond to you, to all of you.' He admitted, looking Cyber End in the eye. The beast growled again. Sho felt he understood what it was saying. He turned his eyes away. 'I'm sorry for hurting you. I really am. But I… I had to do it. I couldn't continue dueling with my brother's cards, not after what happened to him. I honestly don't deserve to have you with me. My brother died because of my foolishness. I can never forgive myself for that. I don't deserve forgiveness at all… from anyone.'
Cyber End Dragon suddenly roared at him, nearly making him fall over. It was so loud that he was stunned no one else could hear it. The roar seemed to have shaken his very soul. Sho could feel the anger from the spirit, feeling it was berating him for saying such things. He now stared at it in helplessness.
'I know Judai and the other Ryo don't blame me, but I still blame myself. How can I possibly get past this and move on? How?' He desperately asked the mecha dragon spirit. Again, the three heads turned back to the Duel and gave a loud growl. It was telling Sho to continue watching the Duel and learn the answer. So he did watch, after the Duel Monster spirit disappeared.
"Because three more "Cyber" Monsters have just entered my Graveyard, Cyber Dragon Quasar becomes even stronger!" Ryo declared.
(500 x 3 = 1500)
(Cyber Dragon Quasar's ATK: 4700 + 1500 = 6200)
'This Ryo is just as formidable as the one I knew of. Which means Makoto's goose is pretty much cooked.' Amon thought.
"I activate Cyber Dragon Nova's Monster Effect! Once per turn, by detaching an Overlay Unit, I can Special Summon a "Cyber Dragon" from my Graveyard!" One of Ryo's Cyber Dragons came back to provide it's use after the Xyz Monster lost one of the gold lights circling it. "Now I use Nova's other Effect! Once per turn, I can banish a "Cyber Dragon" from my hand or face-up in my Monster Zone to give Nova 2100 Attack Points until the end of the turn!" Makoto growled as he watched Cyber Dragon vanishing once more from sight. Also, with one less "Cyber" Monster in the Graveyard, Quasar's Attack Points drop by 500, making it 5700.
(Cyber Dragon Nova's ATK: 2100 + 2100 = 4200)
"It's battle time!" Johan cheered.
"Here I come Makoto! Battle! Cyber Dragon Nova, attack Jinzo – Lord! Black Retribution!" Makoto could do nothing to stop the black ball of electricity from destroying his Trap sealing Monster.
(4200 - 2600 = 1600)
(Makoto: 4000 - 1600 = 2400)
"That's one down!" Rei said.
Makoto snarled. "You won't defeat me, Kaiser! Because you just destroyed a "Jinzo" Monster in battle, I can banish my Quick-Play Magic card, Jinzo Revenge, from my Graveyard! By doing so, I can not only destroy all of your Monsters on the Field, but also increase the Attack Points of a Monster I control by 600 for each "Jinzo" Monster in my Graveyard! There are three, so The Unbreakable Earth becomes 1800 Points stronger!" The rock like Legendary Planet glowed purple and grew in size by the added power. It was now as a big as Ryo's Fusion Monster.
(600 x 3 = 1800)
(The Unbreakable Earth's ATK: 3000 + 1800 = 4800)
"Ryo will be open for a direct attack next turn! He won't be able to protect himself!" Edo said in alarm.
"I don't think so." Judai said, to the his friend's confusion.
Everyone watched as Cyber Dragon Nova and Cyber Dragon Quasar were both destroyed. Cyber Eternity Dragon was a different story. Instead of being blown to bits by the shockwave from Makoto's card, the mecha dragon was shielded by a golden barrier and didn't go anywhere. "What's going on?! Why wasn't your Fusion Monster destroyed?!" Makoto demanded, surprised by the outcome.
"Cyber Eternity Dragon cannot be targeted or destroyed by my opponent's card effects if there is at least one "Machine" Fusion Monster in my Graveyard!" Ryo answered.
"Your Fortress Dragon!" Makoto remembered his opponent sending such a Monster to the Graveyard earlier.
"Precisely." Ryo said with satisfaction. Makoto grunted.
"Tch. The Unbreakable Earth can still rip it apart along with your remaining Life Points on my next turn!"
"I won't give you that chance." Ryo told him. "First, when Cyber Dragon Quasar is destroyed, you take 1000 points of damage!"
"Gah!" Makoto yelled as felt the hit.
(Makoto: 2400 - 1000 = 1400)
"Now they are only 100 Life Points apart!" Yusuke said.
"Perhaps, but one definitely has the advantage at this point." Said a very pleased Samejima.
"Next is Cyber Dragon Nova's final Effect! When it is sent to the Graveyard by an opponent's card effect while under my control, I can Special Summon a "Machine" Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck! Appear! Level 5! Chimeratech Rampage Dragon!" (DARK; Level 5; ATK: 2100; DEF: 1600) A black metal block with two dragons heads emerged in the place of the destroyed Xyz Monster.
"It still won't be enough!" Makoto said, his confidence still in place.
"This will do the trick! Because a "Cyber Dragon" Monster I control was destroyed during the Battle Phase, I can send a "Machine" Fusion Monster, Chimeratech Rampage Dragon, I control to the Graveyard to banish Cyber Grave from my Graveyard! By doing so, I can increase the Attack Points of a "Cyber Dragon" Fusion Monster I control by the combined Attack Points of all Extra Deck "Cyber Dragon" Monsters in my Graveyard! In other words, Cyber Eternity Dragon gains all the power of it's counterparts!" Makoto paled.
"YOU CAN'T!" He yelled in shock.
"I can and I did!" Ryo said to him. The remaining member of the Cyber Three was now much stronger than it used to be, thanks to the other two members of the trio.
(2100 + 2700 = 4800)
(Cyber Eternity Dragon's ATK: 2800 + 4800 = 7600)
"Now Ryo can take him down with one blow!" Serena said. Ryo locked eyes with his now helpless looking adversary.
"You see Makoto! You may be able to destroy my Monsters, but they never abandon me! Even through destruction, my Cyber Dragons are there when I need them most! Nothing you do can ever change that!"
Sho nodded, understanding forming in his mind. 'I think I get it now. Even though he had his own problems, the other Ryo never let them affect the bond he has with his Monsters. He kept them because they are a part of him as much as he is a part of them. But me. I allowed myself to be so consumed by my guilt and my shame that I nearly severed my own bond with my brother's… no, my Monsters. I shouldn't do that anymore.' He then patted the pocket where the box was. 'When this is all over, I'll fix what I broke. I promise.' Sho was adamant about that. Though he still could not forgive himself, he wouldn't let his negative feelings affect how he dueled.
Makoto trembled. "No, not again! I can't lose to a user of Cyber-Style again! It wasn't supposed to be happen!"
"It's over! I'm ending this now Makoto! Cyber Eternity Dragon, attack The Unbreakable Earth! EVERLASTING BLAZE!" The Monster's dark blue energy beam tore through the Legendary Planet Like tissue paper before striking down the Duelist that Summoned it.
(Makoto: 0)
To be continued.