It is time for Judai to settle things with Amon once and for all. Why does Amon blame him for his brother's predicament? Can Judai convince the accuser of his innocence? One thing is for sure: Their Duel will be one of the most intense yet!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 42: Kaiser Arc – Part 14
Devi Kaiser was perplexed. The Legendary Planets he gave Echo actually did their work and delivering to him her life force to further replenish himself. It was the first time he was successful in doing so since David Rabb. He was now closer to regain his full strength, but still not quite there. What he couldn't put his finger on was the sudden appearance of that huge hand that grabbed and took Echo's soul. Devil Kaiser could tell that while the energy drain from Echo was successful, he had not felt her soul being drained with it. The woman's soul was quite literally in someone else's hands.
Whatever it was, it was of no concern to him. What really mattered to Devil Kaiser was getting his true power back, and Amon Garam was the only Duelist left fighting on his behalf. The life energy from the other defeated Duelists had eluded him, but it would stop now. Though he expected to be more than halfway replenished by now, he would clearly have to use his "last resort" if he wanted to complete true mission. Now that Amon was finally going to duel, the inhuman being would not have to wait much longer… before he unleashed all hell on his enemies. The thought and anticipation gave him a wide, evil grin, knowing his time to make his move was drawing near…
/\/\/\/\/\/\
As he watched Asuka turn and moved back to her team, Amon realized he was completely alone now. Once again, Echo was gone. This time, it wasn't by his hand... literally. While he wondered where that big hand came from, it changed nothing. He was deeply distraught that his closest friend and lover was taken from him a second time. His fists tightened at the realization Echo would not be coming back again in the future. It really pained him.
But he had to mourn for her later. Now, it was time for his revenge on Judai Yuki for what he did to Shido. Now was the time for him to complete the serum that will reawaken his little brother from his coma. 'Hang on a little longer, Shido. I will make him pay with his life.' With that goal on his mind, he strapped on his Duel Disk and stepped onto the arena.
While walking away, Asuka couldn't stop thinking about the hand that took Echo. 'What was that hand? Did it come from whatever kept sending out those tentacles? Or was it… something else?' She had no answers for any of those questions. She was positive about at least one thing: Echo was dead. Sure enough, when Asuka met up with her team she was given the news.
"Flame confirmed it, sis." Fubuki said. "Echo is gone. He couldn't save her."
"I thought so." Asuka said quietly.
"Seriously, what was up with that hand thing?" Grace asked, still stumped on the matter.
"Maybe that creature with the tentacles wanted to get more of an "hands on" approach for once." Edo said.
"I disagree." Zweinstein spoke up.
"Why?" Gloria asked.
"I quickly scanned the energy signature of that hand and made a comparison of the energy that was scanned from the tentacles. Their signatures do not match at all." The scientist explained.
"Meaning what?" Masumi asked.
"He means that the hand and the tentacles came from completely different sources." Misawa clarified to the group.
"Great. More bad news for us." Manjome muttered.
"We need to get out of here." Serena said emphatically. "Even if Judai beats Amon in the final Duel, I have a feeling we won't be going back home just like that."
"I actually agree. We're working on it." Misawa assured her with a sigh. "During all the Duels, we have been trying to reconfigure the dimensional gateway to get us back to our world. The problem is that all the dark matter around us is causing constant interference. Complicating the matter is all the negative energy generated from the constants Duels."
"Can you get past it?" Sho asked. Zweinstein rubbed his eyes and sighed as well.
"Perhaps. But we need a much more positive energy source to counter it."
"Like what?" Judai asked. Before Zweinstein could answer, an angry voice got the group's attention.
"Judai!" Said young Duelist and the others turned to Amon, who now stood on the opposite side of the arena. "It is time! Come up here and face your punishment!"
"Show time." Judai said exasperatingly as he put on his Duel Disk, his turn to duel at last.
"We're all behind you Judai." Sho told his best friend.
"Prove to him how he wrong he is about you." Serena said.
"You totally got this one." Johan said confidently. Everyone else gave their support. Judai thanked them before turning to his girlfriend.
"I promise. I'll beat Amon and then we can finally get back home." Asuka smiled as she put a hand on his cheek.
"I know you will." They then shared a brief but loving kiss before Judai stepped onto the arena.
Now the two remaining Duelists stood face to face. Amon glared at his opponent. "Hello, Judai."
"Hey Amon. Tell me this before we get started. After this Duel, are we finally going to go home?" Amon held out the remote with the white button Echo previously had. She had dropped it, along with the black buttoned one, before she died.
"This is the last Duel to take place here. After I defeat you, I will press the white button to send all the survivors back to our world."
"I'm not going to lose to you. I'm kicking your butt!" Judai told him. Amon smiled humorlessly.
"I don't think so." He paused before speaking further. "At long last, my brother shall be avenged. Your punishment for what you did will certainly not be a quick and painless death." Judai was annoyed again by the false accusations.
"Listen Amon. Whatever happened to Shido, I wasn't responsible for it. I never even met him." Amon still glared.
"Still denying it, are you?"
"It's the truth!" Judai retorted, making Amon scoff in return. "Would you please just tell me what you think I did? Cause I really have no idea what happened!" Amon stood in silence for nearly a minute before finally giving his answer.
"Very well, just so that everyone here can understand." He took a moment to gather his thoughts, and then replied. "Judai… it was you that put Shido in his coma in the first place." This greatly shocked the former Osiris Red Duelist.
"What?! Me?!" He exclaimed.
"That's outrageous!" Serena yelled angrily.
"So not true!" Rei added heatedly.
"Judai would never do that!" Sho said.
"Well he did." Amon said them all. "He went after Shido while I was gone from this world. At first I thought he had come down with some disease that led to his coma. But I was wrong. Echo confirmed everything to me shortly after my return."
"Confirmed it how?" Asuka asked, her voice full of suspicion.
"She saw him there and watched him do the deed with her own eyes. Then she gave me this." Amon took out a small box and pressed a button. From it came a holo projection of a small bedroom with two occupants. One was a young boy who everyone assumed was Shido Garam. The other was what truly stunned everyone. The person that forcibly pressed a hand on Shido's forehead and left him unconscious on the floor before walking away looked shockingly like Judai himself. "Judai didn't realize that Echo had a security video of him barging into my brother's room that night. I don't know how he got past the guards, but there was no mistake that it was him. His face, hair, and red jacket are dead giveaways." Amon bore his enraged eyes at the so called "culprit". "It's all here, Judai. You attacked my little brother, without provocation. After that, you had left, completing your twisted objective."
"You gotta be joking! Is that supposed to be me?!" Judai shouted, not believing what he saw. Amon merely snarled as he shut off the recording.
"That's all bullcrap!" Kenzan yelled.
"Agreed. Smells like a classic frame up to me." Yuri added with disdain.
"Think about it Amon! What possible reason could Judai have for attacking your brother?" Asuka asked.
"Why don't you ask your boyfriend, Asuka?" Amon retorted spitefully. "Shido is suffering because of him."
"I never set foot in your home, I swear!" Judai yelled back. "Whoever it was you saw going after Shido wasn't me!"
"Stop with the lies! What I saw was enough to convince me of your undeniable guilt!" Amon then activated his Duel Disk. "I will save my brother after I send you to your well deserved death!"
Judai gritted his teeth in frustration as he too activated his Duel Disk. One way or another, he was going to prove his innocence. For him, dueling was the best way to communicate. Maybe he could somehow get through to his stubborn opponent. At least, he hoped he could. He and Amon stood firm as they finally began their long awaited battle.
"DUEL!"
(Judai: 4000) (Amon: 4000)
"The first move is mine! My turn! Draw!" Amon declared, forming his plan to take down his sworn enemy. "I activate Hand Severing, which forces both of us to send four cards from our hands to the Graveyard, and then drawing four cards to replace them!"
'What's his plan? To send four of the five pieces of Exodia to the Graveyard and get them back later?' Judai guessed while he discarded and drawn his four cards.
"I highly doubt it. Be on your guard, Judai." Yubel advised as her spirit suddenly appeared beside him.
'What do you mean, Yubel?' Judai asked, but Yubel didn't respond. He noticed that she looked on edge, which wasn't usually like her. It gave him a bad feeling. He returned his attention to the Duel when Amon continued his turn.
"I play another Magic card, Opening of the Seven Spirit Gates! When this Continuous card is activated, I can add "Uria, Lord of Divine Flames", "Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder", or "Raviel, Lord of Phantasmal Demons", OR one Monster that specifically lists any of those cards in its text, from my Deck to my hand! I am adding Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder to my hand!"
"WHAT?!" Judai yelled in undisguised shock. Most of the group looked on with dread.
"Wait! Hold on just one second! Amon has the freaking Three Phantasms in his Deck?!" Manjome exclaimed in disbelief.
"Sounds like he does. In which case, things just got much worse for Judai." Misawa said calmly, despite how shaky he sounded.
"No way!" Sho said, not believing what he just heard.
"This is bad!" Kenzan added.
"Why? What are the Three Phantasms?" A concerned Serena asked, having never heard of them before. Yuri, Masumi, Ryo, Gloria, and Grace were also curious.
"They are kind of like demonic versions of the Egyptian God cards." Asuka explained. "Those three cards were so powerful and dangerous that they were sealed away in a chamber deep below Duel Academy."
"As far as we knew, those cards were freed twice in recent years. Judai had to face them both times." Rei said in a panic.
"So how did Amon get them?" Gloria demanded.
"The Seal can only be undone if enough dueling energy was used on the island, then the person wanting the cards can take them. Amon must have found some way to do just that." Fubuki said.
"If those cards are as bad as you're all saying, then Judai is gonna need a hell of a lot of luck to get through this." Yuri said.
"If Amon gets to Summon them that is." Masumi said.
"How?! How and when did you get those cards?!" Judai demanded. Amon smiled.
"I had received them just before my team and I confronted you in Duel Academy." His expression became serious once more. "That is all I'm saying on the matter. Now I activate another Effect of Opening of the Seven Spirit Gates! Once per turn, by discarding a card, I can Special Summon a "Fiend" Monster with 0 Attack and Defense Points from my Graveyard! I Special Summon Phantom of Chaos!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) A small, featureless black mass appeared before Amon. "Next I play Demon Generosity to draw three cards and discard two since I control a "Fiend" Monster! I then Set one card facedown and end my turn."
Judai knew without a doubt Amon will Summon one of the Phantasms on his next turn. He needed a good defense… and be ready with an even better offense. 'Man. The Duel just started and I'm already on edge. Hope I get something good here.' "Here we go! My turn! Draw!" Thankfully, he did get something he needed. "This'll do! First up, I Summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman!" (WATER; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 1200) A man dressed in a blue and light grey body suit with a white cape appeared. It also had a squirting type weapon on it's right arm and two tanks on it's back. "When Bubbleman is Summoned and I have no other cards on my Field, I can draw two more cards!" He smiled. 'Sweet! These will help me for sure!'
'Whatever Judai is up to, I'm confident I can counter it.' Amon thought to himself, believe his brother's attacker stood no chance of defeating him.
"Next I Equip Bubbleman with Bubble Shot! When my water fueled Hero is Equipped with this card, it's Attack Points go up by 800!" The blaster on Judai's Monster became bigger as the Monster's power went up.
(Elemental Hero Bubbleman's ATK: 800 + 800 = 1600)
"So far so good." Serena said softly.
"Now, by discarding Cross Keeper from my hand, I can Special Summon a "Elemental Hero" or "Neo-Spacian" Monster from my hand or Graveyard! From my hand, I'm pulling out my fiery heroine: Elemental Hero Burst Lady!" (FIRE; Level 3; ATK: 1200; DEF: 800) A pale, long grey haired woman dressed in a red spandex and a golden helmet materialized next to its counterpart. Serena recognized it as one of the Monsters Judai Summoned to protect Misawa and Zweinstein from harm. "Time for some action! Battle! Elemental Hero Bubbleman, attack Phantom of Chaos! Bubble Shoot!" Bubbleman aimed its weapon at Amon's creature and shot a stream of bubbles at it.
"Continuous Trap open, Delta Barrier! When this card is activated, I can place two more copies of it from my Graveyard to my Field!" Two more Delta Barrier cards appeared on either side of the first one. "Now it's main Effect! Once per turn, if I would take Battle Damage while I control three copies of my Trap and a Monster, I can activate it's Effect of preventing my Phantom of Chaos from being destroyed from that battle and I take no damage during the Damage Step!" Amon declared, the three Traps protecting his Monster from being disintegrated.
'I was afraid he would do that.' Judai thought in frustration. Now Amon had what he needed to Summon one of the Phantasms… but it wasn't the one he had added to his hand. "Well, your Phantom got lucky there, but that trick only works for one battle! And here is my second! Elemental Hero Burst Lady, you're up! Attack his Phantom of Chaos with Burst Fire!" Judai's female hero threw a pair of fireballs from it's hands straight at it's target, burning it into nothing.
(Amon: 4000 - 1200 = 2800)
"Great hit!" Rei cheered. Amon grunted, hardly feeling the blow.
"I'd say we're off to a pretty good start." Judai said confidently. "I Set two cards facedown and end my turn."
"That's what you think. My turn! Draw!" Amon smiled, but not in an amusing way. "Get ready. Your punishment starts now! I Send all three of my Delta Barrier Trap cards to my Graveyard to Special Summon one of the Three Phantasms from my hand! Come forth! Uria, Lord of the Divine Flames!" (DIVINE; Level 10; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) A huge dark red dragon appeared before it's new master. It's appearance was strikingly similar to the Egyptian God Card, Osiris the Sky Dragon. The main difference was that Uria had gold veins surrounding the blue gem on it's head.
"A DIVINE Attribute Monster?!" Yuri exclaimed. The only Monster cards he knew that had that particular Attribute were the Egyptian God cards. Could all the Phantasms be DIVINE as well?
"It has no Attack or Defense Points." Masumi pointed out.
"What's so scary about that thing?" Grace asked.
"As you may recall, Uria gains 1000 Attack and Defense Points for each Trap in my Graveyard! With three just sent there, it's Attack and Defense Power is now at 3000!" Amon declared.
(1000 x 3 = 3000)
(Uria, Lord of Divine Flame's ATK: 3000; DEF: 3000)
"Does that answer your question?" Gloria asked her sister, who nodded nervously with a sweat drop on her head.
"Now for Uria's Monster Effect! Once per turn, I can destroy one facedown Magic or Trap card you control! I'll get rid of the one on your right! Trap Destruction!" One dark fireball was all it took to burn away one of Judai's cards. 'Damn! There goes my Hero Halo Trap card!'
"If that Phantasm is this formidable, what are the other two capable of?" Ryo asked himself. He would find out before long.
"I activate another Effect of Opening of the Seven Spirit Gates! Once per turn, while I control a Level 10 Monster, like Uria, I can add a Continuous Magic card from my Graveyard to my hand! I'll take Triangle Force! Now I activate it, allowing me to place two more copies of it from my Deck to my Field!"
"Here comes Phantasm number 2." Judai muttered to himself.
"Next, I send my three copies of Triangle Force to the Graveyard to Special Summon the next Phantasm! Show yourself! Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder!" (DIVINE; Level 10; ATK: 4000; DEF: 4000) The second Phantasm had some resemblance to The Winged Dragon of Ra, but it was much more skeletal in appearance. Plus, it had two huge horns on the beast's head pointing outward.
"I never heard of Monsters that can be Summoned by using just Magic or Trap cards as Sacrifices." Gloria admitted.
"Those cards are definitely unique." Samejima said to her.
"And very dangerous." Sho added.
"Take this Judai! Battle! Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder, attack Elemental Hero Bubbleman! Lost Thunder!" Hamon launched a series of lightning bolts that headed right for Judai's Monster.
"Not so fast! When Bubbleman is about to be destroyed in battle while Equipped with Bubble Shot, I can have that destroyed instead! As a bonus, I won't take any damage from that battle!" After it lost it's enhanced weapon, Bubbleman and Judai were both shielded by a light blue bubble. "And since my Monster wasn't destroyed, I also won't take 1000 points of damage from Hamon's Effect!" Judai said, making Amon frown.
"Maybe, but this will wipe that grin off your face! Uria, Lord of Divine Flames, attack Bubbleman! Hyper Blaze!" A stream of red yellow fire erupted from the first Phantasm's mouth and incinerated Judai's Elemental Hero.
(3000 - 800 = 2200)
(Judai: 4000 - 2200 = 1800)
"They are exactly 1000 Life Points apart now!" Serena said.
"Hang in there Judai!" Sho called out.
"Sorry Bubbleman, but you did good." Judai said softly before moving on. "Trap card open, Hero Signal!" At once, a green spotlight shined in the air showing a big dark "H" in the center, shaped like a pair of wings. "This can be activated when a Monster I control was destroyed in battle! It allows me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Elemental Hero" Monster from my hand or Deck! Fly out from my Deck, Elemental Hero Featherman!" (WIND; Level 3; ATK: 1000; DEF: 1000) In the place of Bubbleman stood and masked, winged humanoid warrior covered in green feathers and had a three taloned gauntlet on it's left arm.
'That's the other Monster Judai used before!' Serena said in her mind.
"No matter which of your "Heroes" you bring out, they will all fall. I Set one card facedown and end my turn." Amon said.
"That's not what I'm thinking!" Judai retorted. Amon sneered.
"How ironic that you use cards that have the word "Hero" on them when you are anything but."
"Amon! How can I convince you that I'm innocent?!" Judai demanded. Amon narrowed his eyes.
"Acta, non verba. Actions, not words. But for you, it is already too late Judai. Your actions prove that no words you utter will mean anything!" Judai groaned.
"Those actions were not Judai's!" Asuka yelled in defiance. Amon completely ignored her.
"No more pointless arguments from you. Now start your next turn." Judai did just that.
"You're wrong about me Amon, and somehow I'll prove it! Until then, it's my turn again! Draw!" Before Judai could play any cards…
"Hold it! Continuous Trap open, Three Phantasms Awakening!" Amon suddenly declared.
"What does that do?" Judai asked, sounding curious and nervous at the same time.
"You will find out." Amon said mysteriously.
"If you say so." As much as dreaded to see what Amon's Trap is capable of, Judai had his own cards to play. "I activate Polymerization to Fuse Elemental Heroes Featherman and Burst Lady to bring out an old favorite Ace of mine! Hero of the wind and Heroine of fire, become a new Hero to save the day! Fusion Summon! Appear! Elemental Hero Flame Wingman!" (WIND; Level 6; ATK: 2100; DEF: 1200) A green, muscular humanoid appeared with a sing white feathered wing and a red dragon's head for a right arm.
"I haven't seen Judai play that in a while." Sho said, remembering all the times he Summoned that Fusion Monster.
Amon smirked. "You just triggered the first Effect of my Trap! Since I control at least one member of my Monster trio, whenever you Normal or Special Summon one or more Monsters, Three Phantasms Awakening increases my Life Points by the Attack Points of the Summoned Monsters! Your Flame Wingman has 2100 Attack Points, so my Life Points go up by the same amount!"
(Amon: 2800 + 2100 = 4900)
"That can be a problem." Misawa noted to himself. Judai, however, wasn't bothered that much and grinned.
"Heh. No biggy. I'll take care of that in a bit, but first I'll activate the second Effect of Cross Keeper! Since it was in the Graveyard when I Special Summoned a "Elemental Hero" Fusion Monster, I can banish Cross Keeper to draw two more cards and send a card from my hand to the bottom of my Deck!" Judai was excited at one of the cards he drew… which was why he didn't send "that" one to the bottom of his Deck. "Now I activate another old favorite card of mine! A handy Field card called Skyscraper!" At once, the area around the Duelists changed to resemble a large city.
"Now this brings back memories!" Sho said, remembering Judai pulling off a certain card combo a while back...
"How so?" Serena questioned him.
"Just watch." Sho simply said. Curious, Serena looked back at Judai.
"Here I come Amon! Battle! Elemental Hero Flame Wingman, attack Uria, Lord of Divine Flames! Skyscraper Shoot!"
"He's attacking with a lower Attack Point Monster?!" Masumi said in surprise while Judai's Monster launched a flaming attack of it's own at the Phantasm.
"Maybe not for long." Ryo said with a smile.
"Skyscraper's Effect! When a "Elemental Hero" Monster I control battles an opposing Monster that has more Attack Points, my Field Magic card gives my "Hero" a 1000 Attack Point boost during damage calculation!" Judai revealed.
(Elemental Hero Flame Wingman's ATK: 2100 + 1000 = 3100)
"Flame Wingman just got stronger than Uria!" Grace shouted.
"That's what I was talking about!" Sho said joyfully, watching Flame Wingman burn Uria away.
(3100 - 3000 = 100)
(Amon: 4900 - 100 = 4800)
"You've seen Judai use this combo a lot of times, haven't you? It's a favorite of his?" Serena asked Sho, who smiled brightly.
"It's more than that, Serena. That Flame Wingman and Skyscraper combo was what Judai did to earn a spot at Duel Academy." He said, pleased by the surprised look on her face.
"It's true. He used it to defeat Professor Medici himself in his entry exam. Sho and I witnessed it ourselves." Misawa added, remembering that fateful day very well. Serena smiled with them.
"Now comes the best part! Because Flame Wingman destroyed a Monster in battle, you take damage equal to that Monster's Attack Points!" Judai declared, sure that he dealt his enemy a heavy blow.
"Wrong!" Amon said, to Judai's surprise. "I banish Sacred Substitute from my Graveyard to Special Summon a Token that is treated as the "Phantasm" that was just destroyed, but is banished at the end if the turn!" (DARK; Level 3; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) A miniature version of Uria materialized next to Hamon. "There is more! Thanks to the second Effect of Three Phantasms Awakening, due to me controlling both "Uria" and Hamon, two Monsters with different names, your Monster's activated Effect is negated!"
"Say what?!" Judai exclaimed in shock as his Monster's Attack Points return to normal.
"No! That Effect was the finishing touch!" Sho said in dismay.
"Amon clearly isn't taking any chances with Judai." Gloria said.
"What's more concerning is the Effects that Trap gains." Ryo said. "It already has two powerful Effects just from having two different Phantasms on his Field. If he has all three…"
"If you manage to Summon all the Phantasms, your Trap gains another Effect doesn't it?" Judai asked.
Amon just smiled. He wasn't going to reveal that if all three of the Phantasms were to be on the Field, Three Phantasms Awakening would be able to banish any Monsters that would go to Judai's Graveyard.
"I don't like that smug grin of his." Manjome said angrily.
"That Trap is a pretty big issue, and will become a bigger one if Judai doesn't get rid of it soon." Yuri surmised. Judai, fortunately, had the same thought.
"That card has got to go, and I have just the thing to do it! I play R - Right Justice! This righteous Magic card destroys Magic or Trap Cards on the Field equal to the number of face-up Monsters on my Field that include "Elemental Hero" in their names! Flame Wingman is the only Elemental Hero I have, so I can destroy one Magic or Trap… and I'm choosing to destroy your Three Phantasms Awakening!" Amon was visibly annoyed that one of his powerful cards was obliterated.
"Hell yeah! No more gaining Life Points and negating Monster Effects from you!" Fubuki taunted.
"Tch." Amon grunted. It didn't matter. In the end, Judai Yuki will still lose not only this Duel, but also his life.
"Now things are starting to look up. I'll Set one card facedown and end my turn." Judai said, ending his turn and observing Amon's Token being banished.
"I doubt that very much." Amon said hatefully. "My turn! Draw!" He smirked. "Judai, I'm taking away your Field Magic with my own: Paradise Lost!"
"Crap." Judai cursed as the Field changed again. The big bright city was wiped away, and in it's place was a desolate valley surrounded by barren mountains.
"Now this is just ugly… literally." Grace commented with a look of disapproval.
"Now for the Effect of Paradise Lost! Once per turn, if I control Uria, Hamon, or "Raviel", I can draw two more cards during my Main Phase 1! Next I banish my Sacred Phantasm Magic card from my Graveyard to draw three more cards because I control one of the aforementioned Monsters while Paradise Lost is in play!" After drawing his cards, he felt victory was close at hand. "I discard a Trap card, Mistake, from my hand to revive Uria!" Amon's first Phantasm returned to stand with Hamon. "Not only is it back for more, but it also gains even more Attack and Defense Points due to having 5 Trap cards in my Graveyard now!" Judai observed as Uria's Attack and Defense Power both became 5000.
"Dammit! Now it's stronger than Hamon!" Masumi said.
"Luckily for you, because Uria was Special Summoned this way, it can't use it's other effects nor attack this turn due to it not being the only Monster I control! But don't relax! I'm still only getting started! I activate another Magic card, Phantasmal Demon Martyrs! This can be played when I control either Uria or Hamon! By discarding two cards from my hand, I can Special Summon three Phantasmal Demon Martyr Tokens to my Field in Attack Mode!" (DARK; Level 1; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) Three smaller black and purple demons materialized in Amon's remaining three Monster Zones.
"I think I know where this is going." Rei said, and was right.
"I Sacrifice all of my Tokens to Special Summon the third and final Phantasm from my hand! Arise! Raviel, Lord of Phantasmal Demons!" (DIVINE; Level 10; ATK: 4000; DEF: 4000) The last Phantasm was a giant blue and purpled muscled clawed brute with wings. It looked a lot like Obelisk except for the more demonic aspects of it's appearance.
"All three of those things are facing Judai now." Yusuke said, worried for his friend.
"Get ready for the pain! Since a "Phantasm" was Special Summoned the turn Sacred Phantasm was banished, you are forced to Special Summon two Sacred Beast Tokens to your Field, but they will be destroyed at the end of the turn!" Amon informed Judai, who now had two Monsters he didn't ask for. (DARK; Level 2; ATK: 1000; DEF: 1000) Both Tokens looked liked smaller versions of Uria.
"Why would Amon pull a move like that?" Gloria wondered.
"It's got to do with the Monster Effect of Raviel." Manjome said to her.
"What Effect?" Grace asked. Manjome motioned toward the blue demon.
"Raviel's Effect activates! When my opponent Special Summons one or more Monsters, I can Special Summon a Phantom Demon Token for each one! Two appeared on your Field, so now I get two Tokens! (DARK: Level 1; ATK: 1000; DEF: 1000) Two smaller versions of Raviel now appeared on Amon's Field. "These Tokens can't attack, but they won't need to! Now for Raviel's other Effect! I Sacrifice both my Tokens to give Raviel their combined Attack Points until the end of the turn!" Everyone watched as Raviel grabbed both of Amon's Tokens and absorbs them in dark blue and purple light.
"Both of those Tokens had 1000 Attack Points, which means…" Serena started.
"Raviel gains 2000 Attack Points this turn!" Ryo finished, worry on his face.
(1000 x 2 = 2000)
(Raviel, Lord of Phantasmal Demons' ATK: 4000 + 2000 = 6000)
"Try to get out of this one! Battle! Raviel, Lord of Phantasmal Demons, attack Elemental Hero Flame Wingman! Celestial Ravaging Fist!" Raviel drew it's huge fist back, readying for a mighty punch.
"Challenge accepted!" Judai replied to Amon enthusiastically. "Because your Monster declared an attack, I can Special Summon Elemental Hero Spirit of Neos from my hand in Defense Mode!" (LIGHT; Level 7; ATK: 2500; DEF: 2000) A transparent version of Judai's true Ace appeared, kneeling next to Flame Wingman. "Since Spirit of Neos was Special Summoned this way, it can't be destroyed by battle! Not only that, but I can also add a Magic or Trap that mentions an "Elemental HERO" Monster's name or one "Polymerization" from my Deck to my hand! I'm picking my second Polymerization!"
"None of that makes a difference! He's not the one I'm attacking!" Amon pointed out, his Monster's fist still targeting the Fusion Monster.
"I know it won't change anything, but this will! Trap card open, Secret Mission! When an opposing Monster attacks, I can make you do one of two things! I can either force you to attack another random Monster I control, or end your Battle Phase! I'm going with the second option and stop you in your tracks!"
"Dammit!" Amon cursed loudly as Raviel was forced to stop it's attack when it was a mere inch from Judai's Monster. "You can't hold out forever, Judai! I WILL succeed in my mission and end you! I switch Hamon to Defense Mode and end my turn!" At this time, Raviel's Attack Points returned to normal and the Sacred Beast Tokens were destroyed from Judai's Field. Judai was relieved he survived that one, wiping sweat off his forehead.
"Why did Amon switch that one in Defense Mode? It's just as strong as Raviel." Yuri asked.
"Hamon has two troubling Effects." Misawa spoke up. "While it is in Defense Mode, no other Monster he controls can be selected for attacks. Also, should it be destroyed in Defense Mode, Amon himself won't take damage of any kind for the rest of the turn."
"That's a tight defense." Ryo admitted.
"Judai will get around that. I'm sure of it." Serena said with certainty.
"Me too." Asuka agreed.
As for Judai himself, he could feel more excited. Amon sneered. "Why do you look so ecstatic when your death is near?" Judai chuckled.
"I ain't planning on dying today, Amon."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because I've gotten what I need to beat all three Phantasms and hit you big time!" His statement made Amon momentarily surprised, but was replaced with a mirthless laugh.
"Your bluff isn't going to work Judai! You have nothing to accomplish any of that!"
"So not true! I'll show you! My turn! Draw!" Judai knew Amon would not be a happy customer after this. "During my Main Phase, I can shuffle Spirit of Neos into my Deck to Special Summon a Normal "Elemental Hero" Monster from my Deck! I'm bringing out the true Elemental Hero Neos!" The real Neos had all the same stats as the former Monster. Unlike Neos' spiritual counterpart, it was completely solid. "Now that Neos has been Special Summoned to my Field, I can banish Challenge of Neos from my Graveyard to switch a Defense Mode Monster on my opponent's Field to Attack Mode! I'll switch your Hamon back into Attack Mode!" Amon scowled from that stunt.
"Now he can't use any of it's defensive effects!" Serena said.
"It's time for the main event! I play my second Polymerization to Fuse Neos and Flame Wingman together!"
"What?! He's never done that before!" Sho exclaimed as both his best friend's Aces melded into one in a bright light.
"Hero of Outer Space and blazing Hero of Earth, merge now to create a Hero that is the best of both worlds! Fusion Summon! APPEAR! ELEMENTAL HERO SHINING NEOS WINGMAN!" (LIGHT; Level 8; ATK: 3100; DEF: 2500) As the light faded, a brand new Hero descended onto the Field. It was Neos in silver armor, clad with armored metallic wings, and held a silver sword with markings on a gold hilt. "Not only does my new Fusion Monster look awesome, but it cannot be destroyed by card effects! What do you think?"
"Okay, now that is cool!" Yusuke said in amazement.
"I'll say!" Rei added. The others also liked the new Monster. Amon was the only one who didn't think so.
"I'm not impressed! Do you really think your new "Hero" can defeat any of my Phantasms?" He asked arrogantly. Judai smirked.
"Not any of them… all of them! When Shining Neos Wingman is Special Summoned, it can destroy cards you control up to the number of different Attributes of Monsters on the Field! DIVINE and LIGHT are present, which means two of your cards are about to be gone! Namely, Uria and Hamon! Elemental Judgement!"
"No!" Amon shouted angrily before Judai's Hero raised it's sword up and obliterated two of the Phantasms with two bolts of blue lightning. "You will pay for that! Besides, you didn't blast away all of my Monsters like you claimed you would!" Judai's smile widened.
"I'm not finished yet! My new Elemental Hero gains 300 Attack Points for each Monster in my Graveyard! Last I checked, five Monsters had been sent there! With that in mind, Shining Neos Wingman gets a total power boost of 1500!"
"Damn." Amon cursed as Judai's Monster got stronger than his remaining one.
(300 x 5 = 1500)
(Elemental Hero Shining Neos Wingman's ATK: 3100 + 1500 = 4600)
"Now it can finish the job." Fubuki said.
"Take it down Judai!" Serena said. He planned to do just that.
"Got it! Battle! Elemental Hero Shining Neos Wingman, attack Raviel, Lord of Phantasmal Demons! Neos Shining Sword!" When it took flight, the warrior's blade glowed bright blue. It then proceeded to cut through Amon's last Monster like a knife through hot butter, destroying it.
(4600 - 4000 = 600)
(Amon: 4800 - 600 = 4200)
"He defeated them all!" Grace cheered.
"Like he said he would." Gloria added with a smile.
Amon shook with fury at the loss of his powerful Monster trio.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news Amon, but my Monster has one more trick up it's sleeve!" Judai said to his opponent.
"Such as?" He asked, unnerved about what else the new Fusion Monster was capable of.
"When Shining Neos Wingman destroys a Monster in battle, you take damage equal to that Monster's original Attack Points!"
"What?" Amon wasn't expecting that. A blue blast from the Monster's sword struck him right in the chest, making him stagger a little and fall to one knee.
(Amon: 4200 - 4000 = 200)
"Nice one!" Kenzan cheered.
"That one had to hurt." Yuri muttered.
"I'm almost done. Next I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards." He couldn't help but smile warmly at one of the cards he drew. "Then I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
'Damn you Judai.' Amon thought, enraged by the turn of events. He was supposed to be winning and punishing his enemy to avenge Shido. He was not going to lose. Not now. He then got back up on his feet, feeling more determined than ever to succeed. "This is far from over! My turn! Draw! I activate the Effect of Opening of the Seven Spirit Gates once more to discard a card in my hand, allowing me to Special Summon a 0 Attack and Defense Point "Fiend" Monster from my Graveyard! This time, I'm Special Summoning Dark Summoning God!" (DARK; Level 5; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) A grey and dark red demon appeared in front of Amon.
Judai recognized the Monster, and knew what Amon was going to do next. 'Uh oh… this is SO not going to be pretty.' He thought, feeling more than slightly nervous.
"I activate Paradise Lost's Effect again to draw two more cards!" Amon felt triumphant, for he drew the card he needed to truly assure his victory. "Now I by Sacrificing Dark Summoning God, I can Special Summon all my Phantasms back to my Field, ignoring their Summoning requirements! Return to serve your king: Uria, Hamon, and Raviel!" The three demon Monsters came were revived instantly.
"He brought them all back just like that?! After all the effort Judai put into destroying them?!" Masumi said incredulously.
"I have a feeling things are about to get even worse for our friend." Gloria informed her. She was right.
"Because I used Dark Summoning God's Effect, I have to skip my Battle Phase this turn! But I won't have to battle after what I'm about to do next! I play Dimension Fusion Murder to banish Uria, Hamon, and Raviel to Special Summon their ultimate form from my Extra Deck! Appear from the deepest of shadows: CHAOS PHANTOM DEMON ARMITYLE!" (DARK; Level 12; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) A giant abomination towered over Judai. It had the head of Raviel with the wings of Hamon, the main body and the entire left arm was the head and neck of Uria.
"Those things can become one?!" A shocked Serena said.
"That thing's a nightmare!" Grace said in horror, shivering from fear.
"A Level 12 Monster with no Attack or Defense Points? It must have a very powerful Effect to compensate." Ryo surmised.
"Oh it does alright." Johan told him, making Ryo and the other new comers turn to him. "I fought that thing along with Judai a while back."
"Seriously? What can it do?" Gloria asked.
"You'll see." Johan said to her.
"I was really hoping I wouldn't have to fight Armityle again." Judai said to himself back in the Duel. Last time he went up against it, Johan had to step up and save everyone. He was on his own this time.
"You will conquer Armityle, Judai. Just continue believing in yourself… as I believe in you." Yubel said encouragingly. Judai thanked her before he moved on.
"You brought out something really scary Amon, but I have a little friend that is the total opposite of that! Quick-Play Magic open, The Flute of Summoning Kuriboh! This card allows me to either add "Winged Kuriboh" to my hand from my Deck, or Special Summon it from my Deck! I Special Summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode!" (LIGHT; Level 1; ATK: 300; DEF: 200) A small, brown furry creature with a pair of white, feathery wings appeared on the left side of Judai's Fusion Monster.
Winged Kuriboh looked over at Judai and winked at him. "Kuri, Kuri." It called to him, which Judai smiled back and nodded.
"Oh how cute!" Grace gushed over Judai's precious Monster.
"How can that little fur ball help Judai?" Yuri wondered.
"You're wasting your time." Amon said strongly. "That little Fairy is not my target! I activate the Effect of Armityle! It can inflict 10,000 points of Battle Damage to one of your Monsters! Your new Fusion Monster may be immune to destruction by card effects, but it won't matter with this! Armityle, annihilate Elemental Hero Shining Neos Wingman and finish off Judai Yuki! Land Wide Obliteration- Transmigration Wave!" Armityle reared back, opened it's mouth, and unleashed a blinding light.
"Judai!" Everyone called out in concern.
Amon smirked. "Finally… I got you!" He said. But he was once again proven wrong.
"Not yet! I banish Monster Target from my Graveyard to change the target of an opponent's Monster Effect to another! Instead of my Wingman, Winged Kuriboh will take the hit!" The demonic light was redirected at the small Monster, which was blasted away. "Thanks little buddy! Because Winged Kuriboh was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, all Battle Damage I take this turn becomes 0!"
"Grr. Saved yourself again have you? But I'm still not done!"
"What do you mean?" Judai asked.
"Armityle has another Effect! During my Main Phase, I can switch control of Armityle to you until the end of the turn! Illusion of Hollow Agony!" Instantaneously, Amon's Monster was now on the confused Judai's Field.
"He gave his own Monster to Judai?! Why?!" Rei questioned, stunned by this action.
"Hey, what gives?" Judai asked.
Amon smirked. "I Set one card facedown… and end my turn. Now for before it returns to me during the End Phase, Armityle will banish all other Monsters on your Field!"
"Banished?!" Judai shouted in alarm. He couldn't do anything before Shining Neos Wingman vanished from the Field. 'It had this Effect all along?!'
"It did. I used this Effect when I dueled Amon with the Three Phantasms." Yubel confirmed. This did not make her master fell any better.
"Now you are back to have nothing left to protect you! Too bad your Monster couldn't protect itself from being banished! When my next turn comes, I will finally have my revenge and complete my mission!" Amon declared as his own Fusion Monster disappeared and reappeared on his Field.
"I didn't know Armityle had that Effect!" Johan revealed.
"Now Judai is in big trouble." Misawa said.
"He will get out of this." Asuka said firmly.
Judai looked at his hand. There was still hope. The only remaining card in his hand, and a certain in his Deck, can help him defeat Amon and win the Duel. He just needed to draw it. He closed his eyes as he prepared to draw. As he did, he felt Yubel's hand over his own. Her power flowed through him now. When he snapped his eyes open again, Amon and the others were shocked to see that his eyes had changed color again. But unlike the golden eyes of the Supreme King, one eye was orange while the other was green.
Amon started to shake from an old fear. 'His eyes! It's just like how he looked… in my nightmares! No! Could it be?!'
"I'm not giving up! I WILL win and save everyone! MY TURN! DRAW!" Judai looked at the card he drew… and smiled with content. "She" had come when he needed her the most. A desperate Amon chose to act now.
"Trap card open, Sacred Power! Once activated, it gets Equipped to Armityle! Now my Monster gains 10,000 Attack Points during your turn and it cannot be destroyed by card effects! And as you already know, Armityle also cannot be destroyed battle! Victory, and revenge, are both within my reach!" Amon felt more secure, seeing his Monster having 10,000 Attack Points and unable to be destroyed by battle or card effects.
"I have to disagree with you there!" Judai said before proceeding with his winning play. "I play Fusion Deployment! This card allows me to reveal a Fusion Monster in my Extra Deck and Special Summon, either from my hand or Deck, one of the Materials specifically listed on that Fusion Monster! Also, for this turn I can't Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck, except Fusion Monsters! From my Extra Deck, I reveal Neos Wiseman and Summon one it's specified Fusion Materials from my hand! I think you'll remember "her" very well!"
"Her?" Amon asked, now sounding concerned. Judai continued to smile.
"Oh yeah! Show yourself! YUBEL!" (DARK; Level 10; ATK: 0; DEF:0)
Yuri was even more stunned than Amon. Once again, he saw the three eyed female demon with one orange eye and one green eye. Thankfully, this time he wasn't the one facing her.
"No! Not Yubel! It can't be!" Amon shouted, fear gripping his very soul now. His nightmare was starting to come true.
"Oh it's her alright!" Judai confirmed triumphantly. "And I'm guessing you know what she does? Just to refresh your memory, Yubel can't be destroyed by battle like your Monster, and any Battle Damage I would take is instead dealt to you!"
"NO!" Amon yelled in total despair. He found himself unable to move. Except instead of chains, his own overwhelming fear gripped him in place. Fear that his nightmare was about to become reality.
"Time to put an end to this! Battle! Yubel, attack Chaos Phantom Demon Armityle! Nightmare Pain!"
"With pleasure." The demon said with her own smile. Instantly, Armityle became forced to battle her. Yubel then created a bunch of vines and thorns to protect herself. After blocking the attack, the vines slipped by Armityle and hit Amon himself, hard.
Even though it couldn't be destroyed, the damage from the assault hit Amon with the force of a running bull, knocking him off his feet and landing down hard on his back.
(Amon: 0)
Even though the Duel had just ended, Yubel wasn't done with her master's enemy just yet. Before Amon could recover, the female demon reappeared and grabbed his face with her right hand. "Gah! No! What are you doing?! Let me go!" Amon demanded, desperately trying to force her off. Yubel sneered.
"Not until you are convinced of my precious Judai's innocence." She replied as used her third eye to peak into Amon's mind. There she saw his memory of seeing the video footage of "Judai" forcing little Shido into his coma. From that memory, Yubel learned the exact time it took place. "I see. Now I understand." Yubel said calmly. The Duel Spirit released Amon, letting him fall back down to the ground.
"Understand what?!" Amon demanded, enraged his mind and memory were violated.
"The video showing you Judai and Shido… is a fake. What you saw never happened."
"Yes it did! There was nothing fake about it!" Amon yelled in denial.
"You naïve fool." Yubel said exasperatingly. "According to the video's time stamp, that incident with your brother took place over a month ago. I can tell you that Judai was nowhere near your family's estate when this happened. At that time, he was busy fighting on another world to save innocent lives. Whoever you saw attacking Shido was not Judai Yuki."
"LIAR!"Amon screamed. He refused to believe the demon that trapped him in a world of darkness for so long.
"I believe her!" Judai said. "You should too!"
"Have I ever lied to you in all the times we chatted?" Yubel asked him in a dull tone before vanishing from sight.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, Amon realized she was right. He remembered Yubel to be twisted and sadistic, yet not once had she deceived him. 'But then, if Yubel was telling the truth and Judai really wasn't there, then why did that video show him attacking Shido? Unless… Unless that wasn't Judai I saw in that footage!' Amon then came to another shocking realization. Echo was the one who witnessed the assault and presented the security video of the whole thing to him in the first place. Did she set this up, making him believe Judai was Shido's attacker? If she did, then why? And who really attacked his brother? 'Echo… why?'
Then it hit him like a freight train. Echo had always been by his side, supporting and believing in him no matter what. This included her support to help him become king, to one day lead the Garam Group. When Shido was born, Echo still stood beside him even though his foster parents pushed him aside for their true heir to one day take over. She never stopped believing he would become king one day. And he knew she was known to go to extremes to accomplish her missions. Even though he took on the role of supporting Shido instead of replacing him, Echo still wished for Amon himself to become king. Taking all that into account, was it remotely possible that Echo had somehow set up the attack on Shido and put all the blame on Judai to cover her tracks? Would she really go that far, just for his sake?
Amon knew Echo had loved him, but so much that she was willing to harm an innocent child so that her lover could fulfill his destiny? At this crushing realization, Amon fell to his hands and knees, and started weeping. "Echo…" He allowed his tears to fall from his face to the arena floor, ashamed. 'I wanted to be king. I have worked my ass off in the hope of reaching my goal. All Shido did to get everything was simply to "be born". I've always been jealous of him, taking what I felt should be mine. There were plenty of times I wanted to see him dead. But… I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I've chosen to watch over and support Shido to prepare for his future. Over time, I grew to genuinely love Shido like a real brother. Echo, knowing me better than anyone, must've found my new role unacceptable. So she must have taken things into her own hands.' Amon gritted his own teeth. 'A king, a "true" king, should not take the throne by low and deceitful means. Shido shouldn't have to suffer because of me. He did nothing wrong; he's just an innocent kid.' In that moment, Amon's inner most desire to become king, to be head of the Garam Group, had completely evaporated. He didn't care anymore. All he wanted then was for his brother to be alright. "Ubi amor, ibi dolor." He muttered softly to himself. 'Where there is love, there is also pain.'
"Amon." Judai said, sad for his defeated enemy. However, Amon's pain had only just begun. Suddenly, a big dark light emanated from his Deck. Emerging from the Deck were the spirit forms of the Three Phantasms. The demonic trio towered over Amon, covered in auras of dark white light, just like the Legendary Planets after their owners were defeated. Flame's protective shield surrounded Amon to begin the process of saving him. But to the Fire Ignis' shock, the shield had burst like a bubble the moment the demon spirits' auras touched it. Amon was totally helpless.
Judai and the others knew what this meant. "Amon!" Judai yelled as he started running to the older Duelist, but Yubel, who reappeared in spirit form, blocked his path. "Yubel! Out of the way!"
"The power coming from the Phantasms in their current state is incredibly volatile. It is too dangerous to go near them." She warned.
"But Amon!" He persisted. Yubel still held him back.
"I am sorry, Judai. Nothing can be done for him." Yubel lamented. Judai gritted his teeth, helpless to do anything but witness what was about happen.
Everyone watched as Uria, Hamon, and Raviel each pierced a claw through Amon's body, causing him to scream in great pain. The beasts then lifted their heads and roared to the empty space above. As they did so, Amon's body became covered in the same dark light as them. He felt his own life slipping away. Strangely, this did not bother him. He was perfectly willing to accept his fate, knowing he deserved it. Knowing his time was just about up, he looked over at Judai… and smiled.
"Judai… forgive me. Save Shido. Tell him… I tried."
"Amon. I…" Judai tried to protest, but Amon wouldn't let him.
"Please." He begged, fresh tears in his eyes. Judai clinched his fists, angered by the fact that he couldn't help.
"A-Alright. I will." He finally said. Amon nodded.
"Thank you." Those were the last words Amon Garam spoke before he and the Three Phantasms became totally enveloped by the evil energy, which shot straight upwards… and into the complete blackness of the empty space.
To be continued.