The non-original characters in this fanfiction are copyrighted to Kazuki Takahashi, Studio Gallup and Toei where applicable. All other characters are considered public domain by the author and may be used freely, but he does request that you ask permission as a courtesy.
The card names used are translations of the Official Card Game (OCG) names. For the TCG names, see the "Cards used" at the end of the story. And don't forget to e-mail me your thoughts (vm_postitnotes@yahoo.com). Thank you very much for reading.
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YU-GI-OH! -0
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Turn 10: "The True Form Revealed! Holy Sword Gear Freed"
Chiba and Watanabe were continuing their duel. It was Watanabe's turn.
"I activate from my hand, the magic card Smashing Ground," Watanabe said. "Destroying your highest defense monster on the field! Say goodbye to your Command Knight!"
A ripple shot through the ground and struck Chiba's monster. Its image shattered as her scream resounded.
"So much for a defense," Aino sighed as Shougo whimpered and Mark winced.
Watanabe grinned and thrust his hand out. "Let's get things started now! Heracleynos... direct attack!"
Heracleynos raised its axe and ran towards Chiba.
"Reverse card open!" Chiba shouted. "Reactive Armor! When a monster of yours declares an attack, I can destroy it!"
Watanabe laughed madly. "Useless, useless!" he shouted. "I'm discarding Manica from my hand to activate Heracleynos' effect to negate your trap! It's over, you Osiris rat! Hand over your cards now!"
Chiba frowned deeply as Watanabe's monster continued its attack.
"This is bad," Mark said. "If both attacks get through, Chiba's done for!"
But Chiba just gave a little smile. "Predictable as ever, Watanabe-san," he said. "Reverse card open... God's Wrath! I'll send my equip card Explosion to the cemetery... and in exchange, your prize monster's effect is negated and it's destroyed!"
A lightning bolt cut across the field striking Heracleynos across the chest.
"Why didn't Watanabe-san negate it?" Shougo asked, even though he was happy that the monster was gone.
"God's Wrath is a counter trap," Aino replied. "Heracleynos can't negate it."
"The whole thing was a set-up! Good job, Katsurou!" Mark shouted in English.
"You bastard!" Watanabe shouted. "How dare you do that? Hoplomus will get you back for that in spades! Hoplomus... attack Chiba directly!"
The rhinoceros charged Chiba head-on. Chiba reared back slightly as his life points lowered to 3000.
"Don't even start thinking about striking back! Now that my Battle Phase is over, I'll activate the Gladial Beast's relay effect," Watanabe said. "By returning Hoplomus to my deck... I can Special Summon Gladial Beast Spartacus!"
Hoplomus' image was replaced by a dinosaur weilding an axe and similar battle armor. Its battle power was 2200, raised to 2600 by the Colosseum field spell.
"Wait a minute," Shougo said. "I thought Watanabe-san sent Spartacus to the cemetery with that magic card earlier."
"No, he didn't," Aino pointed out. "He returned it to his deck. Gladial Beast support spells do that. That's why the decks are so powerful."
"That almost doesn't seem fair." Shougo frowned.
"Well, Gladiator Beasts seem to be popular lately in tournaments," Mark said. "I still like my Monarchs better, though."
Aino rolled her eyes. "You would."
"Spartacus has a special effect when he's Special Summoned too," he said. "Just in case you were thinking of more Rogue Mercenaries foolishness, I'll take an equip magic from my deck and place it on Spartacus - Armaments of the Gladial Beasts - Demon's Shield!"
A firey shield that looked to be made of bone appeared on the field and was picked up by Spartacus.
"Demon's Shield will protect my monster from being destroyed, whether in battle or a card effect," Watanabe said. "So do what you can! Just because you destroyed Heracleynos doesn't mean this battle is won! Turn end."
"My turn," Chiba said. "Draw!" He drew a solitary card into his empty hand. "And afterwards, I'll flip my reverse card: Reckless Greed! In exchange for drawing two cards now, I must skip my next two draw phases."
"He's digging for Rogue Mercenaries," Mark muttered.
"I'm not so sure," Aino said. "That card won't help him now. Even if he gets it, he can't destroy Spartacus."
"I'll set two cards facedown and then play the magic card Life Slashing Treasure," Chiba said, showing the card, which depicted a cardplayer's hand held in a guillotine, to his opponent. "I'll draw until my hand has five cards. In five turns, I must discard any cards I have to the cemetery. But for now..."
He filled his hand, which had been empty save the Life Slashing Treasure card, with five cards.
"Before I end my turn, I'll summon Wilderness Warrior Lady in defense mode," Chiba said, placing the card on his disk. "Turn end."
A blonde woman wearing a green denim Old Western suit and bearing a sword appeared on the field and covered her body in a defensive posture.
"That's an obvious ploy," Mark said. "If Mr. Watanabe destroys that monster, Mr. Chiba gets an Exiled Force... um, Rogue Mercenaries."
"Watanabe-san will just destroy it by bringing in Murmillo and using his effect again," Shougo frowned. "I hope Chiba-kun's facedowns will help."
Aino bit her lip slightly. "They'll have to do... because of Reckless Greed, Chiba-san can't draw anything for two more turns. He seems to have banked it all on his hand."
"My turn... draw!" Watanabe laughed again. "Did you think you'd seen the last of Heracleynos, Chiba? I just wanted you to squirm... look what I have in my hand! I play the magic card Raise Dead!"
He practically shoved the card into his duel disk.
"I can summon any monster I want from the cemetery to the field... and I pick Heracleynos! With three cards in my hand, your facedowns are just taking up space! It's over!"
The field rumbled, but no monster came out.
"What's going on?" Watanabe then noticed a black bird perched on his duel disk. "Get off!" he grumbled, shaking his arm. The bird flew away, holding Watanabe's Gladial Beast Heracleynos card.
"It's a pity, Watanabe-san," Chiba said. "I discard my D.D. Crow to the cemetery, to remove your Heracleynos from play."
"That's cheating!" Watanabe shouted. "You've never used that card before!"
"Special situations call for special measures," Chiba replied. "You threatening my friend would be a special situation. I can't forgive that, Watanabe-san. I'm done playing around with you like I usually do. I aim to win this time."
"Well, you won't do that with the strategy you're employing. That's the most obvious strategy I've seen, but I'll bite! Spartacus, attack Chiba's Wilderness Warrior Lady!"
Chiba's monster defended herself as best she could, but Spartacus' axe slash went through and she was destroyed.
"Wilderness Warrior Lady's effect activates when she's destroyed," Chiba said after her image faded from the field. "It allows me to summon an Earth-attribute Warrior with 1500 attack points or less. And I'll summon another Wilderness Lady Warrior from my deck."
Everyone watching was taken aback by this move.
"What are you thinking, Chiba?" Watanabe said. "Are you mocking me?"
"Make your next play," Chiba said, not smiling at all this time.
"Don't fool around with me! My Gladial Beasts get stronger either way, since you summoned from your deck," Watanabe shouted, losing his temper. "And after I'm done battling, I'll return Spartacus to my deck, to Special Summon a Gladial Beast from my deck!"
'You thought you could trick me into getting out Murmillo and trying to destroy your Warrior Lady,' Watanabe thought to himself. 'One of your facedowns is Battle Zone, which means if I bring out Murmillo, you'll be able to activate your Warrior Lady's effect again to bring out Rogue Mercenaries. Well, I see through you, Chiba!'
"I'll bring out Gladial Beast Laquer!"
The firey tiger beast from before appeared on the field, roaring again in bloodlust.
"Because it was summoned by a Gladial Beast, Laquer's original attack points become 2100," Watanabe said. "And with six counters on my Colosseum, its attack power grows to 2700. So even if you try suiciding your Warrior Lady to get Rogue Mercenaries, you'll still be defeated as a result! Face it, Chiba - I'm a superior duelist to you in every way!"
Chiba's face was emotionless.
"And just to be sure, since I returned Spartacus to my deck, I get his Demon Shield equip spell back, which I'll place on Laquer," Watanabe said as the tiger picked up the bone shield. "And after setting one card facedown, I'll end my turn. Don't forget, Chiba... you can't draw because of Reckless Greed! What will you do now?"
"It's a pity, Watanabe-san," Chiba said. "You've fallen into my trap completely. Reverse card open: Chireijutsu 'Kurogane'! By tributing one Earth monster, I can Special Summon one level 4 or lower Earth monster from my cemetery!"
"Yes!" Shougo shouted.
"No!" Watanabe groaned.
"I release Wilderness Warrior Lady to summon Rogue Mercenaries!" Chiba said as the woman bowed her hat and vanished to be replaced by the sinister-looking soldiers. "Destroy Watanabe-san's Laquer with Ambush Strike!"
The soldiers surrounded the tiger monster, but it struck them away with its shield, which shattered.
Watanabe harrumphed. "Nice try, Chiba, but my Demon Shield takes the hit for Laquer."
"I normal summon Iron Knight Gear Freed," Chiba went on. A stark, gray-armored soldier hit the field, raising its sword.
"Is that your big move?" Watanabe asked. "1800 attack points! That won't even scratch my Gladial Beast Laquer!"
Chiba adjusted his glasses and bowed his head. "Gear Freed has hidden abilities," he said. "Abilities which he hides because they'll decimate all his foes if he dared to reveal them. Abilities... which I'll reveal now! This is for my friend Shougo-kun! I play the magic card... Restraint Removal!"
Another rumble hit the arena as Gear Freed's armor began to crack. Then a bright light flooded everyone's field of vision as the armor came off, revealing Gear Freed's true form completely.
Chiba now smiled fully. "Now, come out and show yourself... Holy Sword - Gear Freed, in attack position!"
Watanabe narrowed his eyes and stared at the monster, and yet again laughed mockingly. "You scared me there for a second, Chiba-*kun*," he sneered. "2600 attack points? Even before you summoned it, it wasn't strong enough, but my Laquer gets stronger by 100 since you summoned that card from your deck!"
"I reveal my other facedown card - the instant magic card, Weapon Regeneration," Chiba said. "This allows me to take an equip card from either player's cemetery and equip it to a monster on the field."
"And which equip card would that be?" Watanabe said, chuckling. "You haven't played one throughout th-" He then choked.
'When he played God's Wrath, he discarded Explosion... was he planning this whole thing? Impossible!'
"I see you figured it out," Chiba said. "The Explosion equip card I used for God's Wrath... I'm bringing it back."
The card's image appeared and charged Gear Freed with energy.
"When my life points are lower than my opponent's, the attack power of the monster equipped with this card doubles," Chiba said as Gear Freed's strength rose...
"5200!?" Mark said. "That's insane!"
"So what?" Watanabe cried. "Even if you destroy my Laquer, you won't finish me!"
"Gear Freed's special ability activates," Chiba went on, ignoring Watanabe's bluster. "Unlike his previous form, which cannot be equipped with any card, Holy Sword Gear Freed instantly destroys a monster when he's equipped. Gear Freed! Shatter his Gladial Beast!"
Chiba's monster struck his sword on the ground and the Colosseum field shook. Watanabe's Gladial Beast was hit full on with Gear Freed's power and was destroyed.
"Damn it!" Watanabe said, but he hid a smirk. 'Does he really think I wasn't prepared for this?' he thought to himself. 'My facedown card is Magic Cylinder. If he attacks, he'll take all the damage he means to give to me! He's such a one-dimensional idiot!'
"Time to finish this match," Chiba said. "Holy Sword Gear Freed... attack with Dark Mega Slash!"
"This match is finished!" Watanabe retorted, unable to restrain his smirk any longer. "Reverse card open... Magic Cylinder! Your attack is negated and the damage is sent back to you! Chiba, you idiot! So mu..."
An unseen energy cut Watanabe's card image in half.
"Predictable as always, Watanabe-san," Chiba said, his demeanor deadly serious as he revealed the final card from his card. "I respond with the instant magic Snowfall Sword. When I have a Warrior-type Monster and declare an attack, this card negates any magic and trap cards you'd play. So I'm afraid... you lose."
The power of Gear Freed's sword blew Watanabe away as his Life Points finally dropped to zero.
"Chiba-kun!" Shougo shouted and ran out from the bleachers.
"So you won for your rat friend," Watanabe muttered and threw some cards on the ground. "Here, take my cards."
"I don't want your cards," Chiba replied. "I played this duel so you'd stop harassing my friend."
"Well, fat chance! Do you think I'd just overlook that kid? I'm gonna make sure that the whole campus knows..."
"Knows what exactly?"
Asuka Tenjouin was standing on the arena with her arms crossed.
"Tenjouin-sensei!" Shougo said.
"How long have you been here?" Aino asked.
"Long enough," Tenjouin said, walking towards the two duelists. "Since this is an ante duel, I could have you both expelled, but it would cause a lot of trouble in my department from Watanabe-kun's father."
As Watanabe's friends tried to help him up, Watanabe muttered under his breath.
Tenjouin's brow narrowed. "Still, as an attorney, your father should appreciate what would happen to someone who made libelous accusations without any proof, am I right, Watanabe-kun?"
"Hmph!" Watanabe snorted.
"You guys need to leave here," Tenjouin said. "I can overlook what's happening and make sure the data is reset, but if security comes around I can't act like I don't know. Get out of here!"
Watanabe and his friends trotted off.
Tenjouin turned towards the others. "Aino-san, Mr. Walker, Aoyama-kun... you didn't see anything, did you?"
"No, not me," Mark said.
Aino just shook her head.
The two turned to Shougo, but he had gone.
"Shougo-kun?" Chiba was surprised along with the rest of them.
Tenjouin clicked her tongue. "Where do you suppose he went?"
"Probably back to the dorms," Chiba replied. "I wish he hadn't gone by himself, though..."
"You all go along now," Tenjouin said as she walked off the platform. "I'll take care of things here."
As the duelists left, Tenjouin thought back on past events and nodded her head slightly. 'This will be an interesting year if anything,' she sighed.
--
"So does that mean we're gonna lay off that Aoyama guy?"
"Hell no!" Watanabe frowned and clenched his fist hard. "We just have to be more discreet about it. There's no way I'm letting a rat like that run around like he's welcome here..."
"Were you calling someone a rat?" a distant voice said.
The three students turned to where the voice came from. It was too shrouded in darkness to see clearly. The voice sounded male though.
"Who are you?" one of Watanabe's friends shouted. "Come out!"
"You want answers? Then duel," the voice responded simply and the sound of a duel disk activating was heard.
"What... now? I just finished one!" Watanabe said.
"Just duel," the voice repeated.
Watanabe scoffed again. "Tch... whatever. I need a win today anyway!"
Five minutes later, a flash of light and a shout resounded, but being the time it was, anyone who might have noticed was asleep.
--
The next morning, Tenjouin was getting a start to her class when she saw noticeably empty seats.
Tenjouin checked her roll sheet and noticed Watanabe, Ohkawa and Ideki, the three students who had been in the Obelisk arena along with Shougo and his friends, were absent. "Where are Watanabe and his friends?" she asked her assistant.
"Oh, I just heard about it this morning," the assistant replies. "He quit Duel Academia, so did his friends. They said they no longer had an interest in dueling."
"So suddenly? I never noticed any loss of interest."
"Me neither. It's strange, but there's nothing that can be done. We can't keep them against their will."
"Of course not."
Tenjouin's eyes glanced to Shougo, who had left before all his friends. He was looking down at the ground in his usual morose look.
Her expression shifted from one of suspicion to one of concern.
'The only reason to suspect him is that he left early. He has no kind of resolve to do something like I'm thinking. But then what is this dreadful feeling...?'
--
TODAY'S FEATURED CARD: The Effect Monster, "Holy Sword - Gear Freed"
This card can only be summond by sacrificing an "Iron Knight - Gear Freed" with the effect of the magic card "Restraint Removal". When you activate an equip magic card and equip it to this monster, he automatically destroys one monster on the field.
NEXT TIME: "Destiny Rewritten! Dark Armed Dragon vs. D-HERO Deck"
==
SUPPLEMENTAL SECTION
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CARDS USED BY KENTARO WATANABE:
* GLADIAL BEAST HERACLEYNOS (Gladiator Beast Heraklinos)
Fusion Monster (L8 Fire Beast-Warrior, 3000/2800)
"Gladial Beast Laquer" + 2 "Gladial Beast" monsters
This card can only be Special Summoned from your Fusion Deck by retrning the above cards you control to the Deck. (You do not use "Fusion".) You can discard 1 card from your hand to negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card and destroy it. This effect can be used during either player's turn.
* SMASHING GROUND
Normal Magic
Destroy 1 face-up monster your opponent controls with the highest Defense points. (If it is a tie, you get to choose.)
* ARMAMENTS OF THE GLADIAL BEASTS - MANICA (Gladiator Beast's Battle Manica)
Equip Magic
Equip only to a "Gladial Beast" monster. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. (Damage calculation is applied normally.) When the equipped monster is returned from your side of the field to the Deck and this card is sent to the Graveyard, return it to your hand.
* GLADIAL BEAST HOPLOMUS (Gladiator Beast Hoplomus)
Effect Monster (L4 Earth Rock, 700/2100)
If this card was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladial Beast" monster, its original Defense points become 2400. If this card attacked or was attacked, at the end of the Battle Phase you can return it to the Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladial Beast" monster from your Deck other than "Gladial Beast Hoplomus".
* GLADIAL BEAST SPARTACUS (Gladiator Beast Spartacus)
Effect Monster (L5 Earth Dinosaur, 2200/1600)
This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of "Gladial Beast Hoplomus". When this card is Special Summoned, add 1 "Gladial Beast" equip magic card from your Deck to your hand. If this card attacked or was attacked, at the end of the Battle Phase you can return it to the Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladial Beast" monster from your Deck other than "Gladial Beast Spartacus".
* ARMAMENTS OF THE GLADIAL BEASTS - DEMON SHIELD (Gladiator Beast's Battle Archfiend Shield)
Equip Magic
Equip only to "Gladial Beast" monster. If the equipped monster would be destroyed, this card is destroyed instead. When the equipped monster is returned from your side of the field to the Deck and this card is sent to the cemetery, return this card to your hand.
* RAISE DEAD (Monster Reborn)
Normal Magic
Select 1 Monster in either player's cemetery and Special Summon it to your side of the field.
* GLADIAL BEAST LAQUER (Gladiator Beast Laquari)
Effect Monster (L4 Fire Beast-Warrior, 1800/400)
If this card was Special Summoned by the effect of a "Gladial Beast" monster, its original Attack points become 2100. If this card attacked or was attacked, at the end of the Battle Phase you can return it to the Deck to Special Summon 1 "Gladial Beast" monster from your Deck other than "Gladial Beast Laquer".
* MAGIC CYLINDER
Normal Trap
Negate 1 attack from an opponent's attacking monster and inflict damage to that player equal to the attacking monster's Attack points.
--
CARDS USED BY KATSUROU CHIBA:
* REACTIVE ARMOR (Sakuretsu Armor)
Normal Trap
Activate only when the opponent's monster declares an attack. Destroy the attacking monster.
* GOD'S WRATH (Divine Wrath)
Counter Trap
Discard 1 card from your hand. Negate the activation and the effect of an Effect Monster and destroy it.
* EXPLOSION (Megamorph)
Equip Magic
While your Life Points are lower than your opponent's, the original Attack points of the equipped monster is doubled. While your Life Points are higher, the original Attack points of the equipped monster is halved.
* RECKLESS GREED
Normal Trap
Draw 2 cards from your deck. Skip your next 2 Draw Phases.
* LIFE SLASHING TREASURE (Card of Demise)
Normal Magic
Draw until your hand contains 5 cards. On your fifth Standby Phase after the activation of this card, discard all cards in your hand into the cemetery.
* WILDERNESS WARRIOR LADY (Warrior Lady of the Wasteland)
Effect Monster (L4 Earth Warrior, 1100/1200)
When this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the cemetery, you can Special Summon 1 Earth-attribute Warrior-type monster with Attack points of 1500 or lower in face-up Attack position from your Deck to your side of the field. Then, shuffle your Deck.
* D.D. CROW
Effect Monster (L1 Dark Winged-Beast, 100/100)
During either player's turn, you can discard this card to the cemetery to remove 1 card in your opponent's cemetery from play.
* CHIREIJUTSU "KUROGANE" (Spiritual Earth Art - Kurogane)
Normal Trap
Sacrifice 1 Earth-attribute monster on your side of the field. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Earth-attribte monster from your cemetery, except the sacrificed monster.
* ROGUE MERCENARIES (Exiled Force)
Effect Monster (L4 Earth Warrior, 1000/1000)
Sacrifice this card to destroy 1 monster on the field.
* IRON KNIGHT GEAR FREED (Gearfried the Iron Knight)
Effect Monster (L4 Earth Warrior, 1800/1600)
When an Equip Card is equipped to this card, destroy the Equip Card.
* RESTRAINT REMOVAL (Remove Restraint)
Normal Magic
Sacrifice 1 "Iron Knight Gear Freed". Special Summon 1 "Holy Sword Gear Freed" from your hand or Deck.
* HOLY SWORD GEAR FREED (Gearfried the Swordmaster)
Effect Monster (L7 Earth Warrior, 2600/2200)
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of "Restraint Removal". When this card is equipped with an Equip Card, destroy 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field.
* WEAPON REGENERATION
Normal Magic
Take 1 Equip Magic Card from either player's cemetery and equip it to an appropriate monster on the field.
* SNOWFALL SWORD
Instant Magic
Activate only when a Warrior-Type monster declares an attack and your opponent activates a Spell or Trap card. Negate the effect of that card and destroy it.
