Yu-Gi-Oh! DF Book Seven: Their Most Dangerous Enemy - Chapter Seven

Like the last one, this one is mostly setup, but at least this chapter we get some answers. We learn the structure of the game that the mystery man wants to play with the Duel Force, and we learn how he plans to bait John into playing. I meant this to be a big reveal, and I'm a little worried that it is overshadowed by all of the reveals regarding Karen's past. Because we got those too. We know some of Karen's past now, aside from what we learned back in DF2.

Karen also learned some things about Pegasus that she didn't previously know, and before she can continue, she's going to have to confront him. This sets up the subplot of this book: Karen, Monty and Lawrence must all confront their teachers in order to move forward with their lives. Monty's confrontation with Yugi Muto is mostly just for fun, but Karen's confrontation with Pegasus, and Lawrence's confrontation with Kaiba end up being pretty important. These "Other Quests" will be the focus of the next few chapters, and then the main plot will resume. That's why the next two weeks will be Reaper updates.

No duel today, so no card of the day, but can we all agree right here and now that, cards or no cards, Jen is badass? And that it's hilarious that no one is surprised anymore that all of the villains want to kill John?  

Chapter Seven

The Card Professors

Digimon Adventure ND Book One: Manipulamon Reigns - Chapter Seventeen

So yeah, you may have thought that the whole Jen and Amanda leaving thing was part of John's character arch, and maybe the beginning of a character arch for Jen, but you're wrong. I mean yeah, it's part of John's character arch, but it's also actually a part of Amanda's character arch. Yep, she has one of those. Believe me, I'm surprised too!

Chapter Seventeen

Amanda Grows Up

Yu-Gi-Oh! DF Book Seven: Their Most Dangerous Enemy - Chapter Six

There honestly isn't a whole lot to this chapter. We get our first confrontation between our heroes and the mystery man, and Max totally saves Reiko, who starts crushing on him immediately. This plays into what I think is the most interesting thing here: the establishment of new character dynamics, and just general updating of the character statuses and relationships. Overall, though, this chapter is just setup for the next one, which will serve to establish the rest of the plot of the book, and to remedy the plots of DF and Yu-Gi-Oh! R and mesh them together. We will get to see an interaction between Karen and two other "children" of Pegasus, and honestly it's something that I've been looking forward to writing for a while, since I haven't really done anything with Karen's backstory, save establish the basics.

Because absolutely nothing wraps up in this chapter, I've decided to post one more of these before going back to Reaper. It isn't quite the balance I was going for, but it'll work out overall, I think. I'm really enjoying writing both of these stories, guys. I hope someone starts to enjoy reading them eventually...

Chapter Six

The Mystery Swordsman

Digimon Adventure ND Book One: Manipulamon Reigns - Chapter Sixteen

Finally the time has come. Finally, in this chapter, John reaches his epiphany and unlocks his potential, and, ya know, other Shonen tropes. He unlocks a new power, defeats an enemy who represents his hidden fears in that this enemy and their fears are a mirror image to his, and then, as a reward for finally finding himself, Jeremy appears for the final battle that will decide if he is freed of Manipulamon's control. It all comes together so well that it almost gives me chills!

Or, you know, something more modest-sounding...

Chapter Sixteen

Okuwamon Returns!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Reading Order

Because there is a lot of Yu-Gi-Oh! DF stuff on here now, including the one-shot spinoffs and specials, I decided that it would be a good idea to post the reading order for these stories, so that new readers won't have to go by the dates on the posts. Each title is a link to the first chapter of the specified book or story.

Yu-Gi-Oh! DF Book Seven: Their Most Dangerous Enemy - Chapter Five

This week we, of course, return to DF7. This chapter features the duel between John and the Yu-Gi-Oh! R character Reiko Kitamori, a highly strategic enemy. It mostly serves to introduce us to some of John's new cards, one of which will actually be important in his final duel of the story. It also shows off one of my favorite recent cards: Legendary Maju Garzett. It was a late addition to this book, since it was released very recently, but the fact that a new Maju Garzett monster was added to the game after so many years was just too perfect. I had to include it.

What this chapter also does is add a new character to the DF's ranks in the form of Reiko, who is, predictably, going to be disavowed from the Card Professors. Ever since I first read Yu-Gi-Oh! R I've liked her character, and I've wanted to include her in one of my stories. She won't do a whole lot more in terms of combat in this book, but she does end up assisting the Duel Force and playing an important role. Of course, the mystery man will try to do what he promised and take Reiko's life as soon as next chapter, giving us a better look at his skills and abilities in relation to our heroes, so there's that to look forward to for next week!
  

Chapter Five

John vs. Reiko Kitamori

Digimon Adventure ND Book One: Manipulamon Reigns - Chapter Fifteen

The very first instance of anyone other than John narrating the story at all was Jen narrating a couple of paragraphs last time a situation similar to this one took place, though on a lesser scale. Therefor, and because this Jen is an alternate version of the brilliant strategist from my Yu-Gi-Oh! DF stories, it makes sense that this first ever story arc apart from our main narrator, should be narrated by her, and that her Digimon should be the second in the group to reach Perfect (Ultimate) level. 

Also, fun fact, this chapter is literally almost word for word exactly as it was written when I was somewhere around ten years old and first working seriously on this story. Some description and dialogue has been updated and improved, but otherwise little has changed, and all things considered, I think it holds up.

 Chapter Fifteen

The Haunted Mansion;

Ghosts Attack!

Yu-Gi-Oh! Reaper - Chapter Five

I hadn't realized how long it had been since I posted a chapter of Reaper until I looked back before posting this one. I'm scheduling this to post on January 29th, so this won't actually go up for another week! And I already feel kind of bad! I mean I'm gonna post whenever I want because this is my blog, but still, geeze.

Anyway, here is the chapter. This is only chapter five, so at least two more chapters of DF7 will go up before the next chapter of this does. There may also be a short story in there somewhere as well. But I feel like I need to take my time with this one. I love the characters I write, and it's hard for me to write them in crappy situations. But that is the theme of this book. Max is in a crappy situation as he struggles over his identity, over who he wants to be and who he feels he has a responsibility to be. That's why I gave him the character of the Archer to bond with. She is clearly the kindred spirit referred to in the chapter title. Sometimes only two people who have been through similar circumstances can help each other heal.

But this portion of the story is bleak, and so, even though I want to write these characters riding unicorns and kissing puppies, I can't. I always intended to take real risks with the characters in this book, and it will get so much more screwed up than this before it gets better, if it gets better at all (I won't say whether it does or not).

So, put simply, this book is hard for me to write, and so I need to take my time. This book is now about one fourth of the way complete. I can't rush it. This means that yes, unfortunately updates will come few and far between as far as Reaper is concerned. At least the last one wasn't too much of a cliffhanger, and we at least get a portion of the Archer's story here to tide us over until next time. I'd also be way more worried about my crappy upload schedule if I had, like, any readers, so ya know.

Oh, also, if anyone does read this, how did I do writing sexual tension? This is the first time I've tried to be so overt with it and I'm not sure I pulled it off.

Chapter Five

Kindred Spirits

Digimon Adventure ND Book One: Manipulamon Reigns - Chapter Fourteen

Real people aren't characters. If a real person has an obsession, they might learn something that helps them lessen it for a while, but there is always the risk of that obsession becoming a problem again. Yes, I have been taking John through a character arc where he's been learning to give less of his attention to his obsession over finding and freeing Jeremy, but it just didn't really feel realistic to have him just be able to put his obsession aside. Instead I want him to have to come to a real, genuine epiphany before he can accomplish this, and this is the purpose for him fighting to free Jeremy. Yes, in terms of the narrative, he is trying to save his old friend, but the story is really one of learning what is really important in life, and so he must overcome his obsession before reaching his goal.

Ever since the conception of this story when I was, like, seven, the events at the end of this chapter were always the events that would eventually lead to this happening. Granted, the situation has evolved a bit since then, but in basic terms it is the same. Is it too much? Maybe. Is it fun to read? I think so. This is primarily an action series, after all, and the next few chapters feature a lot of action. Just beware that if you wanted the lessons that John has learned to immediately stick with him, you will be a little disappointed.

Also, just FYI, the title to this chapter is a reference to something. I can't remember what it is a reference to, but I remember that, back when I was writing the first draft of this story, it was a reference to something.

Chapter Fourteen

Jeremy Returns;
Ultimate Explosive Battle!