Chapter ThirteenThe Emperor’s Four, Part Two
Marco
The location of our battle had changed to that of the floating ‘Sky Sanctuary’. As a former member of the Order, I know cards. I knew the impact that my opponent’s Field Spell card could have. I knew how much harder it would be now for me to deal my opponent any substantial damage. Most Duelists would have been worried, but I’m not most Duelists.
I smiled.
“I’ve seen way scarier cards than ‘Sanctuary in the Sky’ and ‘Majestic Mech – Goryu’,” I said, “and I’ve beaten them all. This won’t be any different. Just watch. I tribute my two ‘Troop Dragon’ cards to summon my ‘Dragonic Knight’!”
All members of the two platoons of dragon warriors disappeared at once, swallowed up in a swirl of wind that erupted out in a massive blaze. From the flames emerged the armored dragon knight, his sword held high (ATK: 2800).
“Your dragon is no match for mine,” Spark asserted, his dragon roaring its agreement.
“It will be once I equip it with ‘Dragon’s Treasure’,” I argued.
A round crystal appeared, embedded in the armor over my dragon’s chest, and he found himself surrounded by a powerful aura (2800+300=3100).
“‘Dragonic Knight’,” I commanded, “attack!”
My dragon charged, preparing to strike the enemy dragon down, but Spark was prepared.
“Reveal,” Spark declared, “the Trap card ‘Light of Judgment’.” He smiled the same condescending smile that he’d shone earlier in the duel, and he continued, “I discard a Light monster to erase your monster and send it to the Graveyard!”
An orb of light formed above the ‘Sky Sanctuary’. A stream of light poured from the orb, sweeping across my monster.
“Looks like I win this little skirmish as well.”
“Not quite,” I countered. The light faded, and my monster emerged, carrying a reflective shield decorated with etchings of dragon heads in place of his original shield. The reflective shield shattered, revealing my monster’s regular shield beneath it. The ‘Dragonic Knight’ finished its attack, jumping up and severing ‘Goryu’’s head with a single swing of his blade.
“How?” Spark asked, a poorly disguised look of shock playing across his partially shrouded face.
“With the Trap card ‘Dragon Shield’,” I answered. “It protects any one Dragon from all card effects for the duration of one turn.”
Spark steeled up his face, “Not like it matters. I’m destined for greater things. I’ve always known it. That’s why I know I won’t lose to the likes of you. I’m destined to win!
"I summon ‘Gelen Duo’ in defense mode,” Spark continued, and twin fairies, their bodies made of an indestructible jelly-like substance, appeared at his side (DEF: 0). “My monsters can’t be destroyed by battle. They’ll be destroyed if I ever take damage, but because I control ‘Sanctuary in the Sky’, that’s impossible. There’s nothing you can do against me! I end my turn.”
Rachel
“Thanks to the effect of the ‘Thunder-Pegasus’ in my Graveyard,” I explained, “the ‘Thunder-Pegasus’ on my field survived your attack, letting me do this! I tribute ‘Thunder-Pegasus’ to summon one of the most power Phantom Beast monsters, the ‘Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard’!”
The two-headed ‘Thunder-Pegasus’ made way for what could only be called a lizard centaur. Instead of a horse body, the monster had the lower body of a massive brown lizard. It’s mostly humanoid body was covered in scales, as was its face, which had lizard features in mostly humanoid proportions.
“Because ‘Cross-Wing’ is in the Graveyard,” I explained, “my monster gains a boost to his Attack (2200+300=2500).”
‘Medium of the Ice Barrier’ stood strong, facing her opponent. Zero showed no emotion whatsoever in the face of my powerful card.
“My ‘Rock-Lizard’ attacks,” I commanded. The reptilian creature slink-charged straight at the sorceress and slashed her to ribbons with his long, powerful claws (8000+2200-2500=7700).
“When ‘Rock-Lizard’ destroys a monster,” I declared, “he deals you an additional five hundred damage.”
‘Rock-Lizard’ let out a forceful, bellowing roar that struck Zero like a punch to the gut (7700-500=7200).
“Go,” I said, “make your next move. Not that it’ll make any difference.”
“You’d be surprised,” said Zero matter-of-factly. “I play ‘Pot of Greed’.”
Zero drew an additional two cards.
“I play ‘Umiiruka’,” Zero declared, “changing the field to one of water.”
The corridor brightened and opened up to a holographic sky. Suddenly we found ourselves standing on the surface of an ocean, gentle waves rolling across it in the distance far behind my opponent.
“While we remain at ‘Umiiruka’,” Zero explained, “all Water monsters gain five hundred Attack. I play ‘Polymerization’, fusing two monsters on hand, ‘Cryomancer of the ice Barrier’ and ‘Elemental Hero Ice Edge’.”
A small warrior wearing armor seemingly made of ice appeared alongside another Ice Barrier warrior. The two monsters merged, becoming a taller, more mature version of the ‘Elemental Hero Ice Edge’, wearing icy white armor and a flowing white cape, “This is my ultimate card,” Zero announced, “‘Elemental Hero Absolute Zero’ (ATK: 2500+500=3000)! My monster attacks!”
I barely had time to notice the uncharacteristic enthusiasm in my opponent’s voice before his monster was on mine, meaning to cut my reptile into pieces with the sharp edges of his armor. By then I was too busy with my defense to care.
“Not today,” I declared with a smirk. “I remove the remaining ‘Thunder-Pegasus’ from play!”
The ‘Thunder-Pegasus’ appeared, forming a wall of lightning that held the icy warrior back.
“Then,” said Zero, his momentary enthusiasm gone as quickly as it had come, “I end my turn again.”
Prof
“I think it’s about time to move this duel forward,” I told my opponent. “I draw and summon ‘Kozaky’.”
I straightened my jacket as my favorite monster, a hunch-backed demon in glasses and a white lab coat, sharp spikes protruding from his back, appeared at my side. I looked over and smiled at my wicked-looking colleague, who, like Brock’s monsters, received the field power bonus from the ‘Yami’ Field (DEF: 500+200=700).
“I equip ‘Heart of Clear Water’,” I continued, an energy bubble appearing around the demon scientist, “protecting the monster from not only battle damage, but from any Spell effects that target him. And I attack ‘Abaki’ with ‘Gogiga Gagagigo’.”
The fierce, armored, lizard warrior raised his metal-reinforced claws and charged at ‘Abaki’, slashing him apart viciously (8000+1900-2950=6950).
“When ‘Abaki’ is destroyed,” said Brock, once again explaining things that he didn’t need to explain, “we each take eight hundred damage.”
The remains of the dying ‘Abaki’ exploded, spreading fire across the battle field, damaging us both (6950-800=6150/7500-800=6700).
“Reveal,” Brock declared, “the Continuous Trap ‘Backfire’. Each time one of my Fire monsters is destroyed, you take five hundred damage.”
A pocket of air near my head exploded (6700-500=6200).
“Clever,” I said. “Now if I intend to deal you damage, I have to be prepared to take damage in return.”
I said clever, but I didn’t really mean it.
“I set a card,” I concluded, “and end my turn.”
“Then here it comes!” said Brock. “I’m going to crush you with my ultimate Power Combo!” He drew, “I reveal ‘Call of the Haunted’ to revive the ‘Abaki’ you just destroyed, and I tribute it and the ‘Abaki’ still in play to summon,” the red-skinned demons burned up in a wicked flame, from which emerged a massive, muscular, red-skinned demon man, “my ‘Flame Ogre’ (ATK 2400+200=2600)! When the ‘Flame Ogre’ is Tribute Summoned, I draw one card, and I equip my monster with ‘Big Bang Shot’.”
The ‘Flame Ogre’’s fist was wreathed in an intense fire.
“‘Big Bang Shot’ gives my ‘Ogre’ four hundred Attack and a Piercing effect (2600+400=3000),” Brock explained. “Now, I attack ‘Gogiga Gagagigo’!”
‘Flame Ogre’ swung his powerful fist, striking down the armored reptile with a single, decisive blow (6200+2950-3000=6150).
“That’s all for now,” Brock declared, obviously quite pleased with himself.
“Well then,” I said, still very confident, “I draw a card, and I pass.”
Rocky
“I’m not really sure where all of your confidence is coming from, C.D.,” I said. “At least when I defend, I do it well.”
I sounded sure of myself, but all the while I was trying hard to remember what the ‘Dimension Caster’ monster could do. I’m a good Duelists, but even the best Duelists forget card effects from time to time.
I know it doesn’t destroy cards or anything, I thought, so attacking his three-pack of magicians shouldn’t be too bad. I’ve got to attack. Tim’s life is on the line. I have no choice but to act quickly.
“I summon,” I declared, “my ‘Destroyer Golem’.” Stones tore loose from the walls and floor, coming together and forming a towering stone man with a huge, destructive-looking right fist (ATK: 1500).
“I switch ‘Giant Soldier of Stone’ to attack mode,” I continued, the stone warrior rising to his full, impressive height and drawing his twin stone swords (ATK: 1300). “‘Stone Soldier’, ‘Gigantes’, and ‘Destroyer Golem’,” I commanded, “attack his three defenders.”
‘Giant Soldier of Stone’ cut one of the magicians down with his swords. ‘Gigantes’ and ‘Destroyer Golem’ swung their powerful fists, and the remaining two magicians crumpled under their power.
“Excellent!” said C.D.
“Wait,” I asked, “why excellent?” And that’s when I remembered what ‘Dimension Caster’’s effect was.
“Because you destroyed my three ‘Dimension Casters’,” C.D. explained needlessly, “I can remove any three Spellcasters in my deck from play.”
He smiled, fanning out his deck. He picked three cards from his deck and placed them in a pocket within his cloak.
This is bad, I realized. If those monsters are what I think they are, his defense is about to get much much stronger. If he’s planning on putting together a defense that strong, then he has to have a reason. I have to press forward before he can pull off whatever he’s trying to pull off, and I might have just the way to do it.
“Reveal, the Trap card ‘Rock Bombardment’,” I declared. “I discard a rock monster from my deck to deal you five hundred points of damage.”
I chose my card and fed it into the Graveyard slot of my Duel Disk. As I dis cloud of broken, jagged stones appeared, floating above my head. I brandished my hand full of cards, gesturing toward my opponent, and called out, “Rock Bombardment!”
The floating stones fired at my opponent, pelting him from head to toe. He managed to guard his more vital areas, but the barrage still managed to shred his cloak and slash at his arms and legs (8000-500=7500). His hood fell away, and for the first time I got a good look at his face. He was a little pale, with gray eyes with little bags under them and short, spiky red-brown hair. He had a look in his eyes that was somewhere between rage and frustration, and smug confidence.
“I place one card face-down,” I concluded.
“It doesn’t matter,” said C.D. defiantly, “because everything’s in place now.”
He drew, “In fact, I just drew my key card. But before I play it, I activate ‘Dimension Fusion’, paying two thousand Life Points to summon the monsters I removed from play (7500-2000=5500). Introducing the ultimate wall of monsters,” three identical sorceresses appeared, each with red hair, each carrying a decorated wand, and each wearing a slightly extravagant, slightly too revealing dress, “my three ‘Magician’s Valkyria’! While I control ‘Magician’s Valkyria’, no other Spellcasters can be attacked. So while I control two or more copies of her, and if I only control Spellcasters, you can’t attack me at all. Not until you reduce her numbers to one.
“Next I pay another two thousand Life,” C.D. continued, “to activate my key card (5500-2000=3500), the Spell card ‘Final Countdown’. In twenty turns, you die!”
Oh no…
“And I reveal ‘Pyro Clock of Destiny’,” C.D. declared, a fireball appearing in the air, hovering over our heads, as the turn count moved forward by one.
“I remove from play ‘Clock Magician’ in my Graveyard to move the turn count forward by another two,” C.D. announced.
Two more flames appeared.
“But I’m not done,” C.D. continued, still going strong. “I play ‘Card of Sanctity’. We each draw until we hold six cards.”
Needless to say, we each drew until we held six cards, and I wasn’t very happy about it, even after seeing the great new cards that were added to my hand. I knew that, even if he hadn’t gotten as lucky with his draws as I had, it was still my opponent’s turn, and that gave him the edge.
“I finish off the turn with ‘Pyro Clock of Fate’,” C.D. announced, the turn count moving forward again, another flame appearing overhead, “and I place three cards face-down. I end my turn.”
It was about then that I realized just how much trouble I was really in.
Rachel
“Good card,” I said, “but I’m not one to back down from a powerful opponent. I activate ‘Graceful Charity’ to draw three cards,” I drew, “and discard two cards. I discard a second copy of ‘Cross-Wing’ and the Monster card ‘Chiron the Mage’.
“Because I have another copy of ‘Cross-Wing’ in my Graveyard,” I explained, “my ‘Rock-Lizard’’s Attack rises even higher (2500+300=2800). I set one card, and that’s all for now.”
“Then let’s get this over with,” said Zero, and I heard it again, a spike in emotion that didn’t seem to belong. The old me would have ignored this revelation and kept on fighting without hesitation, but something had changed, something that I was just beginning to notice. Ever since Rocky and the others had volunteered to fight by my side, despite the kind of person I’d been to them in the past, I wasn’t as angry anymore. This new me felt sorry for this kid and saw a way to potentially end the Shadow Duel early without either of us getting hurt, but first I had to be sure I was right.
So I asked him, “So, Zero, why do you fight anyway?”
“I fight,” Zero answered, “because my master, Emperor, commands it.” But he didn’t seem very enthusiastic about it. In fact, when he spoke about Emperor, he didn’t seem to feel anything at all. Not excitement, like when he’d summoned ‘Absolute Zero’, and not dissatisfaction, like when he'd begun his most recent turn, when I’d realized that he didn’t really want the duel to continue. He seemed to feel absolutely nothing. I was sure now. Zero didn’t follow Emperor willingly. He was a puppet, being manipulated by the Shadow Millennium Rod.
I was lost in thought as Zero continued. “I attack ‘Rock-Lizard’ with ‘Absolute Zero’,” he declared. His monster moved to attack. I was lost in thought, but not so much so that I missed my chance to defend myself.
“Reveal,” I declared, “the Instant Spell card ‘Burial from a Different Dimension’. I return my two ‘Thunder-Pegasus’ cards to my Graveyard, and remove one from play to save my monster from harm yet again.”
‘Absolute Zero’ was blocked once again by a wall of lightning. I watched Zero. His expression didn’t change, even as he spoke, “I set a card, and end my turn.”
Zero, I thought, I’ve lived so much of my life alone, bottled up within my own heart. But now I know that that’s no way to live.
Zero, I’ll wake you up with this duel, and free you from the prison of your heart, like Rocky freed me. I’ll show you my full power, in the hopes that it’ll inspire you to break free!
“I draw,” I declared, “and I activate ‘Polymerization’,” ‘Berfomet’ and ‘Gazelle’ appeared and merged into the two-headed winged beast, “summoning ‘Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast’, defense mode! I set a card, and I pass.”
I’ll save you, I promise.
Zero.
Tim.
I’ll save you.
I’ll save you both.
Card of the Day:
Giant Kozaky
Played by: Prof
Four Emperor's Four, four dueling main characters, four duels spread out
over four chapters. Because the four duels are spread out so much, I'll
choosing the Cards of the Day from all four chapters as if they are one. Prof is a character who is more skilled than he is powerful, using really unorthodox cards, and this one fits that bill perfectly.
Original Cards in This Chapter:
Original Cards in This Chapter:
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