Yu-Gi-Oh! ZD: Rise Of The Dragons (A Yu-Gi-Oh! Fanfiction) - Chapter 10

It was the third day of the WDC Preliminary round, the sun was high in the sky and Drake was enjoying an ice cream. There hadn’t been any more incidents so far today and Drake had realised his previous mistaken ȧssumption.

There was no way someone using the Seal would do so in such a crowded park or in a popular duel venue, they would keep to the back alleys, the disused warehouses and other areas where it would be easy to hide.

You can’t steal a person’s soul in front of hundreds of people and cameras, and expect to get away with it.

So Drake didn’t worry so much here in the open. He could just relax and watch Yuma Duel while eating his ice cream.

Yum, mint choc chip.

—

“… I activate special ability, I use one Overlay unit to remove an overlay unit from your , then all my Djinn gain 500 ATK points.”

[Temtempo the Percussion Djinn OU: 2 > 1, Grenosaurus OU:1 > 0]

“I’m gonna Jet! Temtempo attacks your Grenosaurus!”

[TtPD ATK:2200 > Gren ATK:2000 Challenger LP > 1800]

“My dinosaur, No!!”

“Melomelody finish it with a direct attack!”

[MtBD ATK:1900 – Challenger LP: > 0]

“Look like I was the one that went extinct….” Yuma’s defeated opponent left to find easier prey, he only had one Heart Light left and was close to being eliminated.

“Great going Yuma! Another win in the bag.”

Yuma’s friends were cheering at the side, those that had participated in the carnival had already been eliminated over the last three days apart from his friend Bronk, who was now on five pink heart lights. Yuma had reached the third level of the Yellow heart.

Having seen so much of Drakes skills over these past couple of days Yuma valued Drakes opinion almost as much as Astral’s, who had been laying low since these duels didn’t involve the Numbers.

“I think you could have won a couple of turns sooner if you didn’t misplay your Gogogo Golem at the start of the duel. Other than that… I think you did fine.”

“How did I misplay him?” Yuma asked.

“Well if you had… incoming Yuma, looks like you already have another challenger.” Drake noticed an approaching duellist heading for them.

“Maybe he wants to fight you?”

“He was watching your last three duels, so I’m pretty sure he wants to fight you now that he has studied your deck for so long.”

“What?!” “Cheater!” “Watch out Yuma!”

The whole group got worked up over Drakes statement.

“It’s not cheating, that’s why I don’t go all out and keep it simple in these small-time duels.” Drake explained.

“Duel me…..”

What was with this guy?

Pale lifeless skin, deep sunken eyes and dressed in a hooded black robe. Even his voice had a creepy rasp. If ever there was a poster boy for a zombie horror show then he was standing right here.

“Ahhh!” the girls obviously agreed with Drakes own judgment.

“You are right…. to fear me…”

“I’m not afraid! What’s your name?!”

“Segnir…”

“Alright Segnir, lets duel!”

“Duel Disk set! Duel Gazer on!”

“As the challenged I go first, so I draw! Next I set a monster card, your move!”

[Turn 2 – Segnir LP:4000 Hand 5, Yuma LP:4000 Hand:5]

“You will know… Terror… Draw.”

“Play … discard one, all monster… in hand… level down two…”

“Can’t you just talk normally?” Yuma cried.

What was it with his guys speech, was he trying for creepiest voice of the year? Even the watching Drake didn’t know if this was how the guy normally spoke or if it was just a phycological tactic to put his opponents off their game.

“Activate… … Draw three… discard two.”

“Summon.. .”

[Zombie Master : Lv4>2 ATK:1800/DEF:0]

“Activate special ability… Discard card and Special summon ”

[Gozuki Lv4>2 ATK:1700/DEF:800]

“Activate Gozuki effect… send … from deck to grave. Overlay… oracle of death… messenger of destruction… XYZ Summon… Rank 2 !”

[Number 45: Crumble Logos the Prophet of Demolition – Rank 2 ATK:2200/DEF:0 OU:2]

An undead centaur took to the field on golden hoofs, an open book in its hand, its number emblazoned on its white and black armour over its ċhėst.

“A Number?!!”

“Heh heh heh… Tremble.”

Segnir raised his right hand forward like a claw, the number 45 glowing on his palm in a neon purple.

“Tremble in fear before my power. Hear the words of death as they foretell your fall.”

Naturally the Numbers presence alerted Astral, who took but a moment to appear. He didn’t want to help Yuma against an ordinary duellist because it had nothing to do with his mission. But a Numbers duel was different.

“You ready to duel Astral!”

“Always Yuma.”

“I attack your face down with Number 45, go Words of Darkness”

“You attacked my , your monster may have more attacked attack points but when its is in defence mode my golems ability prevents it from being destroyed in battle once per turn.”

[Gogogo Golem – Lv4 ATK:1800/DEF:1500]

[N45 ATK:2200 > GG DEF:1500]

“All that stands must eventually fall, I set one card face down and end my turn.”

[Turn 3 – Yuma LP:4000 Hand:5, Segnir LP:4000 Hand 1]

“Now Yuma you know what you must do.”

“Right Astral, I’m gonna Jet, draw! Now I summon to the field.”

[Ganbara Knight – Lv4 ATK:0/DEF:1800]

“Then with my Gogogo Golem and my Ganbara Knight I build the Overlay Network! Appear !!”

[Number 39: Utopia – Rank 4 ATK:2500/DEF:2000]

At last Drake got to see the famous Number, clad in gold trimmed white armour, wielding his twin golden blades, Utopia. Drake was ready to personally see what he could do. Everyone in Yuma’s group cheered up with the appearance of his signature Number.

“Foolish, I active my face down, the spell it switches your Utopia to facedown defence mode.”

Now that Utopia was in face down not only couldn’t Yuma attack with it, he couldn’t activate Utopia’s special ability either.

“Yuma we must shore up our defence.”

“I know Astral, I set one card face down and end my turn.”

[Turn 4 – Segnir LP:4000 Hand 1, Yuma LP:4000 Hand:4]

“Truth is fantasy, dreams are lies, hope is an illusion, only the end is eternal. I draw.”

Yuma was looking a bit flustered at all this talk of doom and gloom. Drake couldn’t help but idly wonder just how much influence a Number had over its holders personality, or was it the personality of the user that created the Numbers form. Ever since Segnir had played his Number he seemed to have become much more talkative, especially when it came to these bits of dark poetry. Number 45… the Prophet of Demolition.

On the other hand Yuma’s first Number Card was Utopia whose original name could translate into Aspiring Emperor Hope, or something along those lines. It didn’t explain all the Numbers but it was something Drake could ponder over later, for now it seemed Yuma was in trouble.

“I play to send from my deck to graveyard. Then I activate the effect of in my graveyard. By banishing it I can special summon from the Grave. Next my Vampire’s effect activates. When its summoned I can pay 1000 Life Points to special summon another vampire from my Graveyard. So join us .”

[Vampire Scarlet Scourge – Lv6 ATK:2200/DEF:2200, Vampire Grace – Lv6 ATK:2000/DEF:1200]

[Segnir LP > 3000]

“All returns to dust, I activate Vampire Grace’s special ability, I use it to force you to send one monster in your deck to the Grave.”

“What?! Oh no.” Yuma was indecisive as he pulled out his deck to select the card.

“Don’t panic Yuma, this can in fact be turned to our advantage. Choose that card.” Said Astral pointing to a particular card in Yuma’s deck.

“Now I Overlay my two vampires. Come forth blood thirsty beast, bathed in crimson moon light. I XYZ summon !”

“He has a second Number?!”

*ROAR*

The dark dragon screamed its malicious cry.

[Number 24: Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon – Rank 6 ATK:2400/DEF:2800 OU:2]

“Blood is life, Blood is death, I play the spell , by removing 2 Overlay Units from Dragulas I can draw two cards.”

[Number 24: Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon – OU: 2 > 0 ]

“Now Crumble Logos attack his face down Utopia, Words of Darkness!”

[N45 ATK:2200 > N39 DEF:2000]

“Now Yuma!”

“I activate the effect of in my graveyard, by banishing this card I can stop your attack. I guess I should say thanks, because it was the effect of your own Vampire Grace which let me put this guy into the grave in the first place.”

Nice play Drake thought, not only had Yuma stopped the attack but he had also turned Utopia face up which would allow him to activate its special ability.

“What was, will be. What is, will be no more. I activate A second book of moon from my hand, so I turn Utopia face down again.”

“Now what do I do?” Yuma cried.

“You suffer, Number 24 attack Utopia with Bloody Breath!”

[N24 ATK:2400 > N39 DEF:2000]

Utopia was destroyed, but at least Yuma’s Life Points were still safe.

“I set a monster face down. The end of my turn merely marks the beginning of your fall.”

[Turn 5 – Yuma LP:4000 Hand:4, Segnir LP:3000 Hand 0]

“This duel is far from over, I draw!”

“Yuma you have the cards we need, you must summon a Number card.”

“But the only Number I can summon with these would be…!! Astral are you sure?”

“Yes we have no choice.”

“But last time…”

“It will be alright.”

Drake couldn’t help but wonder what the two of them were talking about, it sounded like there was some problem with the card Astral wanted to use. But the only Number Drake knew of that could have a problem would be… could it be that one?”

“From my hand I activate the effect of my by discarding my from my hand I can special summon Acorno to the field. Then because I discarded Pinecono it can special summon itself from the graveyard.

[Acorno – Lv1 ATK:200/DEF:400, Pinecono – Lv1 ATK:400/DEF:200]

“Then I summon from my hand.”

[Darklon – Lv1 ATK:100/DEF:100]

“This little guys special ability allow it on the turn it is summoned, to increase the level of all my monsters by one and transforms them into Dark attributed monsters.”

[Acorno – Lv1 > 2, Pinecono – Lv1 > 2, Darklon – Lv1 > 2]

“Then with these three monsters I build the Overlay Network. I XYZ summon !”

[Number 96: Dark Mist – Rank 2 ATK:100/DEF:1000 OU:3]

Number 96… this was a Number that could not be trusted. Even if Drake only knew of this card from fiction he would not make the mistake of underestimating it. From what Astral and Yuma had discussed before this card surely must share close ties with its counterpart that Drake was familiar with. He hoped this move wouldn’t come back to haunt them later.

This card was dangerous.

“Darkness is nothing, darkness is all. You hold the truth yet you do not embrace it, but soon your Numbers will be mine.”

“Dream on! I attack your Vampiric Dragon with Dark Mist, Whiplash Whirlwind! And when Dark Mist attacks I can use one Overlay unit, then your monster loses half of its attack and Dark Mist gains the same amount. Go Shadow Gain!”

[Number 96: Dark Mist – ATK:100 > 1300, OU:3>2, Number 24: Dragulas the Vampiric Dragon – ATK:2400 > 1200]

[N96 ATK:1300 > N24 ATK:1200, Segnir LP > 2900]

“When Dragulas is sent to the graveyard it returns to the field facedown, for the darkness is my shepherded and through it I am eternal.”

“Ergh… his monsters just keep coming back to life.”

“Yuma, set a card faced down.”

“Right, then I end my turn.”

[Turn 6 – Segnir LP:2900 Hand 0, Yuma LP:4000 Hand:1]

“I draw.”

“The endless abyss consumes all, I activate the ability of Number 45: Crumble Logos. I use one overlay unit to negate the effects of a monster you control until end of turn. Go Words of Weakness.”

[Number 45: Crumble Logos the Prophet of Demolition – OU: 2 > 1]

The only monster Yuma had was Dark Mist, with its abilities negated it could no longer increase its attack, it had even lost its Number protection.

“Then I flip Dragulas to attack mode, this activates its second ability. I destroy one card on the field, I chose the face down card on the right. Crimson Blood slash!”

A slash of blood lashed out from the dragon to shatter Yuma’s card. But before it could reach its target, Yuma activated it.

“I active my this halves all damage I take this turn.”

“The path of the faithful will be paved with fortune, I play , I draw 1 card for each face-up Xyz Monster on the field. So I draw three.”

“I summon and flip my that was set on the field to attack mode.”

[Blue-Blooded Oni – Lv4 ATK:1000/DEF:1700, Yellow-Bellied Oni – Lv4 ATK:1000/DEF:1000]

“Now I activate the spell and discard from my hand, then my two Oni’s level becomes the discarded monsters level until end of turn. Since Despair from the Dark is level 8, their levels also become 8.”

[Blue-Blooded Oni – Lv4 > 8, Yellow-Bellied Oni – Lv4 > 8]

“Troubles comes in threes, I use my two Oni to build the overlay unit and XYZ summon !”

[Number 22: Zombiestein – Rank 8 ATK:4500/DEF:1000 OU:2]

A third Number! This was looking very bad for Yuma and Astral, especially with this one having 4500 ATK.

“Zombiestein, crush this child’s hopes of victory and attack Dark Mist with Zombie-Fist!”

“Don’t forget, the effect of my Damage Diet cuts the damage I receive in half this turn.”

[N22 ATK:4500 > N96 ATK:1300 – Yuma LP > 2400 (3200/2 = 1600)

*Bang*

Zombiesteins giant punch blasted Dark Mist apart like rotten fruit, its impact sending shockwaves towards Yuma.

“Aaahhh!”

Yuma was sent flying by the force of the blow, he was struggling to stay conscious and his body was uncontrollably shaking. The power of three Numbers was just so overwhelming. Astral was very worried as his own light began to dim.

“I attack you directly with Dragulas, Bloody Breath!”

“Yuma activate your trap!”

“Yuma!” everyone else was shouting in concern as Yuma lay on the floor.

He wasn’t in time, he tried but in spite of Astral’s shout Yuma was unable to move his body and activate his last facedown in time.

[N24 ATK:2400 – Yuma LP > 1200 (2400/2 = 1200)]

Yuma was once again sent flying and Drake had to stop himself from making a move, his fists tightly clenched. He couldn’t interfere, this wasn’t an Orichalcos duel, they had to win on their own. Otherwise they would never be able to face the troubles that were yet to come. If anyone could pull of a miracle these two could.

“Finish this Crumble Logos, attack with Words of Darkness!”

[N45 ATK:2200 – Yuma LP > 100 (2200/2 = 1100)]

“HA HA HA, the end is nigh. Make your move, if you even can move that is. I end my turn.”

Yuma felt his vision fading to black.