Episode 11. - Echo Of Past, Herald Of Future

Libra looked around, confused, for the source of the music that seemed to be buzzing in the back of her mind. Oddly, she could not pinpoint the source. She tried blocking one ear and turning in a circle, but found this to be no more helpful. Finally, on a whim, she placed her hands over both her ears, and her eyes opened in shock. She could still 'hear' it. At that point, she decided to try something different. To 'listen' with her mind.

It was not long before at least three other duelists were doing the same, and their lines of sight met on a scruffy looking brown-haired girl, her earphones plugged into her MP3 player, and her eyes closed, head bobbing along with the beat. Maze Damarona. Without even a word spoken, Maze suddenly got the 'feeling' that she should stop listening to her music. She reached down to the player hanging on her hip, and turned it off, getting up from the chair and walking off.

She happened to walk in the direction of Yodaz, who was sitting, trying to compose himself after the flood of unwanted memories that had just returned to him. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder and shook him, since he was currently hunched over with his head in his hands, breathing raggedly. He looked up, blinked a few times, then recognized the face, as soon as she spoke.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, sitting next to him, "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," he replied, finally breathing calmly again. The presence of another person grounded him, for the moment. He instantly returned to the usual calmness he had, and his body relaxed. Something external had been affecting him, no doubt.

"So how's the tournament going for you?" Maze asked, nudging him in the ribs, "Lost any duels yet?"

Yodaz gave her a look that implied she should know better.
"No one's challenged me yet. It's still the two-loss elimination stage. No one's going to challenge the champion now. I may get into the final eight without even dueling at all..."

The rules Yodaz spoke of were simple. A room full of duelists would duel on and on, players being eliminated when they lost two different duels, until only eight remained. A duelist was supposed to take on all challengers. Yodaz had not challenged anyone today, and his reputation precluded the possibility of any challenges being directed at him, at least for the time being.

"That's an interesting way of dealing with it," Maze noted, "I've only lost once so far, although I actually have some wins under my belt. The one I lost was really interesting. Now he was a guy I wouldn't want to face again... A good thing that my Gigamantis and his Gigazald are the same power."

Yodaz's eyes darkened. Inside him, he felt a strong emotion he couldn't place.
"Gigazald? Phantasmal Horror Gigazald?"

"Yeah. Some guy named Shu Lon. He was pretty good, but of course, no match for my speed. As soon as he got that scary Chimera out, I smashed a Gigamantis into it, then went straight for the kill. I think almost I got him because my hand was empty when he triggered the Locomotiver though, but in the end he-- hey... are you listening?"

Yodaz was already lost in a memory. Reliving the events of that dark afternoon. Still unclear. Now he had a name to put with the feeling. Shu Lon. Accompanying this wish for retribution, was his growing distrust of his Bronze-Arm Tribe. His arm twitched slightly, but he quickly calmed himself again. Yodaz was not even sure that these strange reactions were his own. He was always so calm, personally, win or lose. It felt odd to be getting so emotional over a long-past duel. He could not feel any fear of Shu Lon, nor of the prospect of facing him again. In fact, he was quite confident that the Darkness duelist would be no match for him this time. The feeling was confusing.

"Are you challenging me?" he asked her now, looking her right in the eyes, "Did you improve your deck any?"

"Improve it? What's there to improve? It's great as it is," she grinned, "How do you think I got here?"

Yodaz groaned inwardly at how naive she was.
"Give me a break. I've even seen Light decks here today. Being invited to this tournament isn't really about skill, it's all about Kaijudo."

"Isn't Kaijudo skill?" Maze wondered aloud, flicking the bangs of hair that had fallen over her eyes back into place.
"Anyways, no, I'm not challenging you. You're right about not wanting to challenge the champion so early, especially since you don't have any losses yet. I certainly don't feel like adding any to my count. I guess since you're just sitting around, that you're not challenging me either?"

Yodaz was already preoccupied, scanning the room for the dark Kaijudo that he could only hazily remember. His answer to her was a curt 'Nope'.

Maze simply nodded, looking around for someone to take on. A tall blond duelist caught her eye. The young man was powerfully built, even intimidating, and he stood leaning against the wall. Another person who did not seem to think that they needed to actually duel, to get into the final eight. She had been scoping him out all morning. He had not moved except to watch duels. She had not seen him participate in any yet. She nudged Yodaz again.
"He looks promising."

"Promising for what?" Yodaz muttered in reply. He was still searching for Shu. He was not currently interested in Maze or what she found 'promising'.

She sighed, shrugged her hands in the air, and got up, practically bouncing off to challenge her target. Yodaz realized this a few moments later when they began to shuffle their cards. This opponent Maze had chosen gave off a very strong Kaijudo. Predatorial, almost. Like a shark. Not enough to create any fear in the champ, but at least enough to make Yodaz fairly sure that this was someone he could possibly respect. He got up and moved over to the table where the two were setting out their shields.

"So? Who is he?" Yodaz asked Maze, making no efforts to conceal his curiosity. The other duelist answered for himself.

"I am Jai Sinestar. It is a name you will soon come to know. Are you going to face me after she does? Come to see my deck?"

Yodaz scoffed at the misguided introversion of the other duelist.
"Not unless you challenge me. Given what I've seen today, I don't really have much reason to challenge anyone."

A dark grin crossed Sinestar's face as he drew his cards
"Let me see if I can change your mind. You may go first, Maze. I seem to remember that you rush-deck types like to do that."

She shrugged, graciously accepting what she considered to be a large advantage, and drew her own five cards. Her mouth curled into a smile of the happiest proportions.

"Good hand?" Sinestar asked dryly.

Maze smiled even more, and her eyes glittered with mischief and her own growing self-confidence.
"You have no idea how good. This is probably going to be my fastest duel ever. I charge Mana Nexus, and summon a Sniper Mosquito! End turn."

"Oh really?" Sinestar smirked, drawing his card, "Your fastest duel ever, hm? You're claiming that you can defeat me in less than six turns? With a mono-nature deck, no less? I've watched you duel today. At least enough to know that there isn't any other color in that deck of yours... Sad, really. Don't you agree, Champion?"

Yodaz did not nod his time. Something about this duelist irked him just a bit. Also, he was more interested in seeing what Maze was capable of, from her perspective. Last time he had seen her deck, it had been as an opponent, and his concentration had all been directed at crushing her. Now, he could possibly figure out what all these duelists were trying to do with their mono and bi-colored decks.

Sinestar charged darkness mana, and ended his turn. Maze smiled, drew her card, and charged more nature mana.

"I summon Poisonous Mushroom, and send my Torcon to my mana zone momentarily. Now I'll pick it back up. Sniper Mosquito, ikei!"

Sinestar picked up the shield. No trigger. Maze smiled. Yodaz found himself smirking too, for some reason. Second turn. One shield gone. Maze was already in the zone.

Sinestar sighed, charged fire mana, and looked over at Maze disdainfully.
"One Civilization will never be enough to defeat three. I cast Crimson Hammer, to destroy your Sniper Mosquito. End turn."

Maze pouted a bit, but did not seem horribly bothered. Watching the Mosquito destroyed by the spell had bothered her more than the tactical significance of the action. She drew her card, charged mana, and summoned a Torcon.
"Poisonous Mushroom. Ikei."

"Shield Trigger. Brain Serum."
Sinestar calmly drew his two cards, as Maze ended her turn, then added a third at the beginning of his own turn. He charged more fire mana.
"Pyrofighter Magnus summoned. Ikei. Destroy the Poisonous Mushroom."

Again, Maze pouted. Again Sinestar had lost one shield and she had lost one creature. The Pyrofighter vanished from the battle zone, as its effect completed, and it was Maze's turn again. She drew her card, and summoned another Poisonous Mushroom, using its effect on the card in her hand instead of just playing that card to mana to begin with.
"Torcon, ikei."

There was no trigger to stop her this time either. Three of Sinestar's shields were gone. Maze's creatures were still coming. He had no creatures on the field yet. It was only his fourth turn. He drew his card, charged water mana, and summoned an Emeral, along with a Snip Striker Bullraizer. Emeral's effect activated, setting an obvious destructive trap. Yodaz looked at the table carefully. She could go straight for the last two, but would be left with no creatures. She could wait, and risk removal that would be ready before she was. He already knew what she would do. She would, like nearly all rush duelists, attack and hope for the best.

Maze drew her card, and smiled more.
"Oh, this is just too good. Paying attention? I cast Brutal Charge! Poisonous Mushroom, ikei!--" no trigger to stop her, "--Torcon, ikei!"

"Shield Trigger. Terror Pit. Destroy Torcon."

Maze seemed to grit her teeth as her mighty beast folk creature was swallowed up by the dark pit, but she went into her deck now, and retrieved two creatures, which she showed to Sinestar with a smug grin on her face. Sniper Mosquito and Gigamantis. Her Kaijudo blared through the room now, almost like a victorious fanfare. Sinestar was unruffled. Maze could not understand why, but as far as she was concerned, things were looking up for her.

"Looks like I've got you, huh?" she smirked, "Got any blockers in there? I hope they're big enough."

Sinestar yawned, drawing his card and charging more fire mana.
"Blockers are unnecessary for this victory. I summon... Locomotiver."

"Wh-what?! You just drew that?!" Maze exclaimed, her disbelief surging through her own Kaijudo. The feeling made Yodaz's head hurt.

"That is for me to know..." he smirked, as he discarded her Sniper Mosquito from her hand. Maze's face fell. Not only had he stopped her final attack, but he had discarded the more unfortunate choice, of the two cards in her hand.
"Bullraizer. Destroy that Mushroom. Ikei!"

"Eep!" Maze exclaimed, as the cutting shears carried by the Dragonoid sliced clean through her fungal forces.

"She almost had him. On turn five, no less..." Yodaz noted, "I think I can see why she might think this deck is worthwhile... but still, she should have outgrown this 'mono-rush' nonsense by now..."

Maze drew her card.
"I'm not beaten yet, heheh. I summon Torcon. End turn."

Jai reached out to draw his next card, then shook his head.
"You're finished already. Everyone can see that. Just give up now. I can feel it in you already. The fear. The sickening knowledge that you were too slow, and have already lost. The concept of a rushing deck is totally flawed, and you have therefore already lost. Even with everything going your way, you still have nothing more to offer me now but a stream of creatures to dispose of."

"Just play!" Maze huffed. Sinestar seemed as if he was going to say more, but apparently thought better of it. He drew his card, and charged water mana. His Kaijudo swirled, becoming a damp, cloying force. Yodaz knew what this was. So did Maze, though she truly wished she didn't.

"Corile."

Maze fought back the wave of nausea that accompanied the playing of the card, and stoically completed its effect. She looked at her opponent's field and mana zone. If she could keep the creatures coming, eventually they would have to falter. She drew her Torcon and summoned it again.

Sinestar gave her a contemptuous, pitying look, drew his card, then shook his head sadly at her as he charged more fire mana.

"What? What now?" Maze asked him, struggling to keep her voice from betraying her condition. Her heart was racing. She fully expected another removal card, but she was currently 'stalling' for another Sniper Mosquito, so it did not matter as much if the Torcon was lost, as long as their advantage did not grow too much.

"Corile."

Maze blinked at the card, almost as if trying to rewind the moment and have it not happen, but when Sinestar snapped his fingers, she reached out and completed the Cyber Lord's effect. Slowed down twice in a row. Again, she drew the Torcon. Again, she summoned it, and ended her turn.

Sinestar sighed at his opponent's situation. Even if she had not been totally inept in the early part of the duel, she should know that she had already failed. There was no way past him. She would have to draw another Sniper Mosquito. With two already gone, and her shields untouched, he had already minimized the chances of that. He drew his card and charged darkness mana.

"Terror Pit."

Maze had been expecting this, but her Kaijudo still could not resist the effect. She drew her card, trying to catch her breath, and was instantly rejuvenated. With nary a thought, she placed her 'avatar' creature on the field.

"Silver Axe!"

Sinestar blinked at her, totally unimpressed, and drew his card. He charged more fire mana, and cast his spell.

"Searing Wave."

Maze averted her mind's eye from the event. The memories burned within her too. This was Yodaz all over again. She had chosen not to duel the champion, but had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. Hot tears streamed down her face now. She was not even going to bother to try hiding them. This was her frustration and liquid pain, which she now displayed.

"I also summon Aqua Hulcus. End turn."

She reached for the top of her deck, murmuring silently to herself, but those attuned to her could quite clearly envision what she wished. A particular creature. A single Sniper Mosquito to wipe that smug look off Jai Sinestar's face. She drew her card, and choked back another frustrated sob. She summoned the Bronze-Arm Tribe, placing her Mana Nexus into her mana zone. She ended her turn here.

Sinestar drew his own, and looked a bit irritated.

"He doesn't want to attack yet..." Yodaz realized, "But he has to. Nothing to kill that creature... but if not... what did he draw?"

"I summon Twin-Cannon Skyterror. Double break. Ikei--" Maze picked up her shields, her Kaijudo hoping for a Mana Nexus to be among them. It would only take one to trigger the chain. The chain that would lead to her comeback and hence her victory. The first, an Enchanted Soil. The second, a Brutal Charge. She crossed her fingers and hoped. Just one Mana Nexus...

"Snip Striker. Ikei."
This shield was Brutal Charge also. Maze's heart thumped almost erratically. Her Kaijudo fluctuated wildly, practically lashing out at Sinestar's anytime his came near it. Two shields left. Just one card needed to save her. By this time, it was impossible to hide her intent and wish from her opponent, but it no longer mattered. That thought made Jai Sinestar grit his teeth. He could do nothing more than continue the assault and hope that none of her shields did hold that deadly Mana Nexus. He steeled himself. The outcome of this duel had now become inevitable. Win or lose, the drama was going to play itself out right now. There was no other way.

"Locomotiver, ikei."
Maze bit gently down on her trembling lower lip as she picked up the card. She peeked at it, and her Kaijudo crumpled. Enchanted Soil. Even she knew that the chances of it being one of two were at least feasible, but the chance of that last card being the one that would save her, was just a little too small.

Sinestar took his chance now, his Kaijudo sweeping down over hers, subduing it almost effortlessly at this point. He made his 'suggestion'.

"Why don't you just give up now and save yourself the pain of the final attack? After all, you have not lost any other duels yet, and you will need to save your strength for further duels... just accept this loss and move on. Try not to lose another. At least, not until you face me again..."

"Perhaps... that would be best..." she admitted, nodding slowly and reaching out to pick up her graveyard pile. However, the card on top of that pile changed her mind almost immediately. The Silver Axe.
"What am I saying!? I can't just give up! What if that last card really is my Mana Nexus? I could never live with myself knowing that I just let you have this win. I've had a duel a lot like this one before--" she looked over at Yodaz at this point, "And if there was anything I learnt from that duel, it was not to fear someone like you just because I need a little more luck than you do, to win."

Jai's eyes narrowed. He did not really believe that the last card was likely to seal his defeat either, but he still could not completely discount the possibility. It would have been much more convenient if she had simply surrendered. He would have been able to erase that tiny worry he had. It was not much, but until he declared one more attack, it was possible for her heavy-laden Kaijudo to stand up against his, despite his towering advantage and rather obvious tactical high ground.

"I suppose we will see now, won't we. Corile, ikei!"

Maze closed her eyes, and flipped over her card. It was her way of shielding herself from the blow. Giving herself a few more seconds, so that her mental defenses would still be up when the final attack was declared.

Sinestar was not that kind. He simply remained there quietly, until Yodaz finally placed his hand on Maze's shoulder and told her:
"It's no use. He's closed his eyes too."

The girl sighed sadly, her lip trembling again, and opened her eyes to look down at the card. At first, her heart leapt as she spied the number four in the cost corner of the card. She had very few cards that had a cost of four, and her Enchanted Soil were in her hand! She moved her hand off the card face, at least with the belief that she might have been triumphant, only to have her Kaijudo collapse around her. She did have one other card with that cost. Her second Gigamantis.

Yodaz sighed. She had let her guard down.

"Corile! Todomeda!" Sinestar declared.

In her mind, Maze looked up in time to experience a strong deja vu. The purple shape swirled toward her, and placed its flipper-limb on her forehead...

She reached out and put her graveyard and hand on top of her deck.

"Don't you at least want to know if the mosquito was close?" Yodaz asked her. The girl slowly shook her head. She reached down, flicked back on the MP3 player, and walked slowly away...