Episode 21. - Fallen Fortune, The Inevitable

Gene stepped forward in front of the camera crews now. It had indeed all been for show. Now, he would be announcing the next match to the 'viewing audience' himself. His spiel was the standard fare for a promoter of such an event. Right down to the very last.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the titanic clash between the Japanese and North American champions of Duel Masters, Pikaye and Yodaz!"

"At least he didn't drag out the speech," Yodaz muttered. They had deployed their shields and drawn their cards already, and had been waiting two minutes so far for Gene to get everything 'set up'. Various cellular phone calls during that time had convinced Yodaz that the delays were simply to allow the station coverage to fit in more last minute advertisers. Now, without further ado, Yodaz charged his nature mana. Going first would be his advantage today. He ended his turn, wondering what exactly it would be like. He had not met other Kaijudo duelists that actually were good at both. They always seemed to have a deckbuilding deficiency. Today, however, he had encountered quite a few who seemed to know what they were doing.

Pikaye drew his card and played water mana. He too, was concerned about his situation, but for a different reason. He was now inwardly questioning the effectiveness of his deck against Yodaz's. His goal in building it had been to use his power to build strength quickly, and force Yodaz's often weak creatures into battles they could not win. However, that would require quite a bit of work on his part, since Yodaz's deck did seem to be balanced in a different way than he had anticipated. He ended his turn also now, and breathed deeply.

Yodaz charged his own water mana, but did not summon. He was prepared for anything that Pikaye might throw at him. He ended his turn. It was still early in the duel, and his opponent did not seem too confident. Pikaye drew his card and charged light mana, then summoned Emeral, activating its effect. Yodaz's mind quickly calculated the likelihood of it being a Holy Awe. When Pikaye ended his turn, he was ready, charging more nature mana and summoning an Aqua Hulcus. The Liquid one shimmered before Pikaye's Cyber Lord. Yodaz knew he was free to build his hand advantage now, with no darkness cards to worry about. He would not be in any danger of discarding any of his power today. His Kaijudo stayed low, on an even keel with that of his Japanese opponent, who now drew his card and placed Holy Awe into mana, then ended his turn.

"You seem disturbed, Yodaz," Pikaye mentioned, as the American champ drew his card, "Did Master Nykahrii offset you that much?"

Yodaz charged more nature mana and played a Brain Serum.
"I've learnt a lot today," Yodaz admitted, "Not what you all might have wanted to 'teach' me, but I did learn some things. End turn."

"Things like not attacking a set shield when your creature has a clear power advantage?" Pikaye laughed, drawing his card. Yodaz merely scowled in response. Pikaye raised the frequency of his own psychic force, to pressure Yodaz, but found himself unable to have any effect. Shrugging, he kept his Kaijudo at that level, and charged more light mana.
"I summon Dia Nork, Moonlight Guardian. End turn."

Yodaz scoffed again.
"Now there is a card I haven't seen in a long time. Then again..."

Pikaye could feel what Yodaz was thinking. Shinji had played a lot of cards that Yodaz probably also 'had not seen in a long time'. Pikaye could not help but smile at this, as he ended his turn. Yodaz drew his card, and charged fire mana. A Searing Wave.

"I can handle anything you throw at me..." he said simply, his Kaijudo instantly rising to meet and match that of Pikaye, "Crimson Hammer. And Emeral. Activate effect. End turn."

Pikaye winced a bit. His intention had been obvious, and Yodaz had made sure to squelch it. No more Cyber Lord. He drew his card, and put the Illusionary Merfolk into his mana zone instead.
"Mist Rias, Sonic Guardian. End turn."

The shimmering flying creature appeared over Pikaye, hovering alongside the other. The two Guardians now circled, waiting for Yodaz's next move. Pikaye knew his way around this sort of situation, and Shu's words had reminded him of it. He only needed to keep forcing Yodaz to move in particular ways, and not try so hard to defeat him. He expected a Corile or Terror Pit now. He did not get it. Yodaz drew his card, charged more water mana, and summoned a Rumbling Terahorn, to search his deck for his own Illusionary Merfolk. Pikaye's eyes narrowed. Yodaz could now regenerate the resources in his hand quickly, but the act of doing so could allow Pikaye time to keep up. He drew his card, the effect triggered by the summon of the Terahorn. Yodaz ended his turn.

"I find it strange that you have so many ways to deal with everything. Can you tell me the purpose of it?" Pikaye now asked as he drew his card and charged mana, summoning Aeris, Flight Elemental and drawing another card.

"It is to deal with things like that," Yodaz answered with a sigh, "But first, I think I should neutralize your draw power. Darkness mana. Cast Terror Pit. Mist Rias."

Pikaye felt the swirl of Kaijudo from Yodaz, but disregarded it, drawing his own card. Aeris was relatively safe now. Quite a few of Yodaz's ways of handling the card were now exhausted. He would now need to move quickly. There was only one way to counteract the Merfolk summon that was about to come, and he had no way of tapping the Emeral as yet. He would have to resort to the use of his own Cyber Lord. He cringed momentarily at the thought, remembering a different 'quote' from Shu Lon, but it made much more sense to win than lose, and so...
"Craze Valkyrie to mana. Summon Corile, to return Emeral."

Yodaz growled slightly, his psych-waves responding oddly to the appearance of his avatar on the other side of the battle zone, but regardless of anything, his plan was in place. When Pikaye ended his turn, Yodaz swiftly drew his own card, charged water mana, and played the Emeral and Illusionary Merfolk that he had originally intended to play, then ended his turn.

"Shinji was right. You are quite predictable. That's good for me, I suppose, since I can now deal with you based on that..."
Pikaye now drew his card, and charged light mana.
"Summon Sarius, Vizier of Suppression, and evolve it into Craze Valkyrie, the Drastic! Tap what you just summoned, if you please."

Yodaz did find himself responding to the power of the presence of Pikaye's avatar. He had not previously known exactly what Shu had faced when that creature had hit the field. He tapped his cards, and watched the mental battle unfold.

"Dia Nork, destroy Emeral, ikei. Aeris, destroy the Merfolk. Craze Valkyrie, double break, ikei!"

"Shield Triggers, Dark Reversal to bring my Merfolk back from grave, and Terror Pit, to send your Valkyrie to it!"
Yodaz seemed slightly upset at being thrown off balance in the way he had been, but the two dark shield triggers would set things right again for him in a moment. Pikaye ended his turn, the power of his avatar fast fading from the field, and therefore a slight dip in his Kaijudo. He knew what Yodaz would do next, and, sure as clockwork, he did. Drawing his card and charging no mana, he declared his move.

"Corile, on Aeris, and Crimson Hammer, on your Corile. Aqua Hulcus, break his shield, ikei."
This time, Yodaz had gone for the shield that Pikaye had long since set with his own Emeral. Pikaye did not trigger it. When Yodaz ended his turn, Pikaye simply drew, summoned an Aqua Hulcus and Aeris, Flight Elemental again, then destroyed his opponent's Aqua Hulcus with his Moonlight Guardian. He could not stop the Merfolk summon that would follow, and so, he could only prepare for the onslaught Yodaz would bring now.

"You think you're holding me at bay, don't you?" Yodaz smirked, "Illusionary Merfolk. End turn."

Pikaye drew his card, and summoned another Aqua Hulcus.
"Hulcus, break shield, ikei."

It did not trigger, and Yodaz smiled now. He was still calm. Their Kaijudo was beginning to clash powerfully, sending off psionic waves that practically reverberated off the walls. Ryoma stood strong... the other, more tired duelists moved away from the area of the duel. Shu actually gravitated toward the dueling table, to stand next to Ryoma again.

"Ah, I see Yodaz finally made a move. Pikaye must have moved faster than I thought," Shu said. Ryoma looked over at Shu, but said nothing.

Yodaz drew his card, and sent the Rumbling Terahorn card that had just been his shield, to his mana zone.
"Corile, on your Dia Nork. Terahorn, destroy his Hulcus, ikei. End turn."

Pikaye found himself staring down the purple shape in his mind. It regarded him with clear disdain. As if he were somehow being disrespectful to it. He drew his card, feeling the choking effects of Yodaz's Kaijudo swirling into his mind.
"Emeral, activating effect, and Dia Nork. Hulcus, break his shield. Ikei."

Pikaye's targeted shield was the one that Yodaz had set, and it triggered, as a Natural Snare. The vines snaked out toward Pikaye's Emeral, dragging it away. Pikaye made a funny face. It was hard to tell if he was wincing or smiling, but he quickly returned to his poker face, and there was no effect made on his Kaijudo. He ended his turn, and Yodaz drew his card.

"Why won't you just die?" came the voice into Pikaye's mind, "What will it take to be rid of you!?"
Yodaz sent one of his Merfolk to his mana zone, then summoned the other, and drew the three cards. The power augmentation he achieved by doing this was incredible, causing even Pikaye to blink and try to regain his composure. Then Yodaz repeated his last turn. Corile on Dia Nork, and an attack on the Hulcus, destroying it. Pikaye answered mentally, also.

"You don't have what it takes to be rid of me. Every deck has weaknesses, even yours. Learn to accept it and you will become better."
Pikaye summoned his Moonlight Guardian again now.
"Aeris, destroy the Terahorn. Ikei."

The Flight Elemental descended from the sky, swooping over the Terahorn as it ran. The blast of searing light engulfed the Horned Beast, and it was gone.

The odd cybernetic shriek of frustration alerted Pikaye to the fact that he was conversing with the 'other side' of Yodaz. The three Coriles now in the battle zone were all with Yodaz. This, however, would mean that there was only one more that the American champion could rely on. Yodaz drew his card, and played water mana. He was determined now to deal with this.
"Lost Soul. And I summon a Hunter Fish."

Pikaye did grimace this time. He dropped the Holy Awe and the Craze Valkyrie into his grave. Yodaz ended his turn. Shu also sighed at this. It somehow seemed mechanical. Pikaye drew his card now and merely ended his own turn.

"Make no extra effort..." Ryoma noted to himself. He was still watching the duel very carefully. He would be facing one of these two in the final, and he wanted to be prepared.

Yodaz drew his card, and began what he would consider his path to victory. He now had enough mana to destroy anything.
"Terror Pit... twice."

Pikaye's eyes opened wide. The action from his enemy drained his Kaijudo considerably as the Flight Elemental and Moonlight Guardian were dragged down and destroyed. So far, all his flying forces had suffered that fate, but now he recalculated quickly. That would be all the Terror Pits, and almost all the Corile. This would be close.

"Merfolk, break shield. Ikei."
Again, Yodaz attacked one of the shields Pikaye had set. Again, Pikaye did not trigger it. Yodaz ended his turn. The purple ones all seemed to be smirking at their opponent. Somehow, their 'smugness' was rubbing Pikaye the wrong way. He drew his card, summoned an Emeral, an Illusionary Merfolk, and a Sarius, Vizier of Suppression. He ended his turn here, more confident now than he had been a turn before. The rise in his Kaijudo after playing the Merfolk was enough to balance the dip that Yodaz's Terror Pits had caused him.

Now, the American champion drew his card and played a Meteosaur. The creature's breath scorched the Emeral out of existence. Pikaye thought that was the brunt of it, and was therefore unprepared when Yodaz also declared...
"I summon Twin-Cannon Skyterror. Double break. Ikei!"

Pikaye picked up one of his shields, and flipped over the other.
"Shield Trigger. Holy Awe..."

The instant illumination caused Yodaz to grimace, all his forces now tapped and unable to rush for the finishing attack. Held off by one turn. That single turn would have to be enough for Pikaye to bring himself back to victory.

"So it comes down to this. How interesting..." Pikaye laughed to himself.

"Comes down to what?" Yodaz muttered. The crowd was inching in again. The camera crews were totally focused. Gene Kirricort was ecstatic at the duel. Each turn seemed even more intense than the last, and now, a nail-biting finish. What more could a sponsor ask for?

"I need my Craze Valkyrie for the win," Pikaye said in response to Yodaz's question, "Do you think I will get it? It has been an incredible duel, and I hope that it has indeed shown you your deck's weakness in needing to wait so long to mount an offensive. If indeed I do draw my Valkyrie now, it will be quite epic."

"Draw your card then..." Yodaz said simply, the icy edge in his voice falling away now. Whether he felt defeated, or understood what Pikaye was trying to tell him, no one could be sure. He no longer seemed too interested. Something inside him seemed to have retreated. The insistent perfectionist now was a lot like Shu, simply waiting for his opponent's next action.

Pikaye drew his card. His Kaijudo dipped for a moment. Yodaz seemed to smile sympathetically.
"It isn't your Valkyrie... is it..."

"No, no it isn't..." Pikaye said, shaking his head. Gene, in the background, could not decide whether or not he should stomp frustratedly or be glad that Yodaz would still win. It was just too anticlimactic. He hoped that it was at least a blocker or something that could possibly hold Yodaz off a bit longer, to make the duel's end more satisfying and captivating to the viewers.

"However, it is not over yet," Pikaye said, breathing and collecting himself, "I summon Magris, Vizier of Magnetism, and draw..."

The crowd was hushed now. Yodaz knew, however. He knew from the moment Pikaye picked up the card and his opponent's Kaijudo underwent the drastic change that occurs at the end of a duel. That unmistakable feeling of already knowing the outcome. However, for the first time in a long time, that drastic change was not in his favor...

"Sarius, evolve into Craze Valkyrie, the Drastic!" came the jubilant exclamation of the Japanese duelist, much to the shock and surprise of Ryoma, and everyone else in the room, except perhaps Shu Lon, who merely smiled now, and turned. He would be blocking this finish out of his mind. As much as he would normally enjoy seeing Yodaz defeated, this one was going to be a little too bright for his liking.

"It seems this is fate," Pikaye said, nodding to his opponent.

Yodaz smirked. "We'll see if it is fate in a moment..."

"Very well then. Illusionary Merfolk, ikei--" Yodaz picked up the shield. It was a Crimson Hammer. Pikaye knew right then that his entire trip, even with all its delays and confusions and odd duels, had been worth it. He knew that, at least for himself, his goal had been achieved.
"Craze Valkyrie... TODOMEDA!"

The moment would be one that the Japanese champion would probably remember forever. The final attacking creature on his side. The most powerful creature on the field. The part of even this deck, that was 'him'. It now flew past the Merfolk, past the Skyterror, past the Meteosaur and the three Coriles, all of which hissed at it in sore displeasure. It hovered before Yodaz, who, somehow, seemed acceptant of this fate in a way that he had never been before. The final attack was blinding. Yodaz fell backward, and was caught by Jared Sykes, who had been totally aware of exactly what would happen, all along. To those who did not understand, it all seemed like unnecessary amateur theatrics. To the duelists, it was the fall of a near-legendary force.

The mental battlefield slowly faded away, the last thing to 'go' being the light emitted from Pikaye's avatar creature.

"Thank you, my Saintly Angel..."

"This is not yet the end. Keep moving forward now. You have shown one. Now show them all."
Pikaye closed his eyes and nodded, picking up his cards. The Valkyrie, he picked up last, and placed gently on top of his deck. Once he had put them away, he extended his hand to Yodaz. Yodaz looked at it for a few moments, then took it, and shook it.

"That was... well done..." Yodaz said. He sounded quite different from his previous self. More like the calm, slightly-too-opinionated duelist he had been at the beginning of the day. He continued to speak, however...
"But don't get too confident just yet. I'll be back. The next set will be released soon. You and I will face each other again."

"I look forward to that," Pikaye said, nodding. His victory had, after all, in no way stripped Yodaz of his title as North American champion, though it had effectively removed him from contention for this year's World Champion title. It was also true that the next set would soon be released. This was all part of Gene Kirricort's master plan for domination of the TCG world. In fact, he was already hyping it all.

"As you can see, Duel Masters offers a dueling experience unlike any other game. One can become quite absorbed in one's duels, and it really is excellent both strategically and for entertainment. Proficiency in this game also has a myriad of other benefits, if you know what I mean."

Though he was at that point showcasing the trophy and grand prize check, there were few duelists in the room that did not know what he really meant.

"Our next set will be introducing new play mechanics such as Stealth creatures and more powerful evolution creatures for your favorite creature types. We are hoping to take gameplay to a whole new level with this set, and encourage those who have a passing interest in the game to give it a chance and see how much they enjoy it. I assure you that you won't be disappointed. New set cards will be available next week at all participating outlets, and launch day tournaments will be held in--"

Yodaz rubbed his forehead. The man was shameless. He could take anything, even the stresses of Kaijudo, and turn it into something lucrative. Now, with the true meaning of the outcome of his last duel striking home to him at last, he took a deep breath.

"I... lost..."
He began to laugh to himself now.
"I lost. Could I have won? Should I have won? It doesn't matter. I lost. I'm... free, for now."

"Free? What do you mean, 'free'? There is no 'free'. We must study the next set. Prepare ourselves. Become stronger. There were cards in it... that we could use. More spells, to rid ourselves of our annoying enemies. We can improve with this new set. Nothing will be able to scratch us, with our new weapons of destruction. Come. It is time to rebuild. This must not happen again!"

The smile on Yodaz's face faded again. His shoulders drooped slightly and he walked toward the window. Ryoma took a moment from congratulating Pikaye and wishing him luck in their match, to mentally scan for what had caused the sudden shift in Yodaz's mood.
"What... happened to him?"

Shu was the one to give an answer.
"Have you ever wondered... if you built your deck... or if your deck built itself?"

Ryoma gave Shu a decidedly perplexed look.
"What do you mean? Of course I built my deck. How would a deck build itself? That's ridiculous. Impossible. It is the player that makes the deck what it is."

Shu smirked. "Is it? Is it really? Haven't you ever had one of your decks try to build itself? By exorcising that which you have trouble using? By ridding itself of what it deems as 'waste' because the card causes you to lose? I am surprised that a high ranking duelist such as yourself has not felt such a thing before..."

Ryoma and Pikaye both looked a little confused now. Ryoma was the one to put that confusion into words, however.
"All decks get tweaked. To make them better. There's nothing wrong with that."

Shu smiled again. "Oh yes... some decks get tweaked in order to make them better at what the player wants them to do... and some decks just get tweaked in order to make them 'better'. I think I understand him now. I should not have been so harsh to him. All this time, I have been thinking that he does this by choice... now I understand what he meant that day, when he used his Hulcus' effect... I'm sorry, champion... I did not know..."