Episode 36. - War's Countdown to Hyperchaos

Libra and Black Fire knelt on opposite sides of Yodaz's prone form, watching the heaving of his chest as his body tried to pump extra oxygen to his brain. Libra looked up now at Suzanne, a clear and painful scorn in her eyes.

"Can't you see what is happening? Can't you see that our current Corile is hurting everyone?!"

Suzanne tossed her hair and smirked smugly at the young blue-haired girl. She shuffled her deck, seeming as though she was unruffled by everything that had just occurred.
"That's odd. It doesn't seem to be hurting me at all. Why don't you come show me how?"

Libra growled, moving as if to stand up. Black Fire grabbed her hand, shaking her head. Libra gave her a pleading look, to which Black Fire responded with a relenting sigh, and released her.

A few moments later, Gene Kirricort was subjected to another clash of Kaijudo. This time, however, it seemed as if there would be no contest. Suzanne was already quite 'warmed up', and she had decided to go first, without any particular consultation on the matter. She charged darkness mana first, and as her world began to weave itself around Libra's mind, she finally made herself, and her previously hidden feelings, rather clear.
"All my life I've been powerless... pushed aside... stepped on and disregarded. I finally found something that gives me enough power to stop all that, and I will not let you take it away!"

"Is that what this is about?" Libra replied incredulously, charging her own water mana, "You mean after everything, you're just scared? So you'll step on everyone else so they don't step on you first? You'll make everyone else powerless so that they can't do it to you?!"

"Well, why not?" Suzanne laughed, charging her Brain Serum and activating her Emeral's ability as it formed before her, "Everyone else does it, why shouldn't I? If they want power, they will play Corile also. It is that simple. End turn."

Libra's Kaijudo flared up in indignation, backed up by charged water mana. "It is not that simple! You are perpetuating the same world that made you so unhappy in the first place! You cannot destroy the unfairness in the world by choosing to join the winning side! All you have done is become the same as those who oppressed you all your life, can't you see that?!"

Suzanne drew her card and charged nature mana, summoning her Bloody Squito beside Emeral.
"Yes, and I quite like it, thank you. End turn."

Libra charged darkness mana now. Snake Attack, and ended turn, wondering if she could hope to win with this slow start. Normally, it would not matter, but she knew that Suzanne's power could easily disrupt her concentration if she were not careful.

Suzanne drew a card, charged Mana Nexus to her manapool and played a Brain Serum, then smiled inwardly. This was such a perfect duel. She had drawn two more Mana Nexus and therefore would not have to be drawing them whilst under attack. She ended her turn, her Kaijudo now extremely high, and very stable.

Libra drew her cards, charged her Thought Probe to mana, and summoned Shtra, the energy of the summon instantly allowing her to match Suzanne's pressure, though she could achieve nowhere near the level of psychic emanations. Suzanne scoffed at the effect, as Libra retrieved her Spiral Gate. Suzanne got her Rumbling Terahorn back, unfazed by the slight slowing.

Upon her own turn, she charged darkness mana and played a Crystal Memory. Libra winced at the change in pressure, instantly feeling crushed again. Her body experienced the beginnings of the pain. Trembling now, she waited for Suzanne to finish shuffling, before drawing her card. She could easily see the outcomes of this. Corile was next, there was no doubt of that. To summon would cause Suzanne to play that Corile. To avoid summoning would not help either.
"But I can't afford to be slowed now... what can I do?"

"Frighten her, if you can..." was the answer, not from Shtra, but from Trox's voice far away. Libra blinked, not quite understanding, until she remembered Suzanne's surprise at seeing Yodaz's Thrash Crawler. She sent one Vile Mulder to her mana zone, and summoned the other, putting as much effort into the imagery of the huge Demon Command, as she could.

Trox was right. It did work momentarily. Suzanne recoiled in shock and horror from the image, before she even read the effect of the card. It did not buy Libra much reprieve, but it was better than nothing. Suzanne seemed less worried once she read the total effect, but still unnerved...

Yet, Suzanne's turn was as expected. Charging nature mana, and summoning Corile. The feeling almost backfired. The large Demon Command disappeared into the gap between dimensions as the Cyber Lord appeared, and the only thing keeping Suzanne's Kaijudo from being overwhelming was the fact that it could return at any time.

"Keep scaring her. Buy me time to see into her. She's weak, and hiding behind Corile. Make her use it and keep her scared of not using it..." Trox told Shtra. The little Cyber Lord nodded.

Libra drew her card, sent one Spiral Gate to her mana zone, and played the other, along with an Aqua Soldier. With the Bloody Squito removed, Shtra was free to break a shield now, and that she did. There was no trigger, to which Shtra seemed relieved, and Corile irritated. Suzanne drew her card and summoned a Hulcus and Squito.

"What a foolish little waste you are..." Corile mocked as it, and Shtra, engaged in battle upon Suzanne's command.

"Oh, I don't know... sometimes I make a pretty good distraction. Now!"
Libra's Emeral went to her mana zone, and her Aqua Soldier's slender frame now glowed with incredible power...
"Crystal Lancer, double break her shields! Ikei!"

The Squito tried in vain to stop it, but there was no way. As always, the Lancer was simply too quick. The shields shattered, and Suzanne, though she had been shocked by the suddenness of the sneak tactic, now smiled as the Natural Snare captured the Lancer and dragged it away. Now, she again had all the time in the world, to stop Libra's assault.

"Cute. Ineffective. But cute. Aqua Hulcus to mana. Summon Emeral and re-engineer shield, then summon Illusionary Merfolk. Looks like you were too slow, my dear... End turn."

The cards she had drawn boosted her power even more. Now she hung her head, afraid to summon, afraid to not summon, and the card she had drawn, one of her Emeral. She decided to return to her scare tactic.
"Emeral, and Vile Mulder, Wing of the Void. End turn."

"Oh look, a big bad demon. Splashing happily in the waves, no doubt. Searing Wave to mana. Cast Phantom Dragon's Flame, and summon Corile on your Vile Mulder."

Libra felt her body lock up. She did not bother to actually move the card, though her mind did complete its effect. To Gene, it looked very much like if Libra simply had to skip a turn. She would have drawn the same card, and played the same card, so instead, she simply let Suzanne take another turn.

"But wait..." Gene Kirricort finally thought to himself, "That... doesn't seem right..."

Suzanne drew her card, and laughed. "Today's not your day, young miss. Corile, on your Mulder."

Again, Libra trembled, trying not to cough, and again, she did not force herself to actually move the card. In her mind, the effect occurred yet again. On Gene's father's desk, it did not. Suzanne Marshall simply got another turn...

"Crystal Memory to mana, cast Crystal Memory, summon Corile..."

Libra squeezed her eyes shut tight, the paralyzing feeling coursing through her body. She saved herself the indignity yet again. Mulder remained where it was. She breathed heavily... and Suzanne Marshall got one more free turn. Gene's eyes opened wide with fear and understanding.

"This... isn't right... she can't move at all..."

"Now, how should I get rid of your Mulder, hm?" Suzanne laughed, charging nature mana, "Brain Serum. Let's see what I get. Ooh, here is something. Natural Snare!"

The vines tangled around the Demon Command and dragged it into the depths, leaving Libra with nothing, but now at least she could get the next card. She drew it, knowing that it was too late. Her deck was not built to fight either with this much mana or against it. The Propeller Mutant flew into the area, apparently looking around for the rest of it's team, and finding none. Libra ended.

"You know, I don't think I really want to discard any of my cards. I find them rather useful, so..." Suzanne drew her card and charged fire mana, "I'll play Natural Snare on that, and an Illusionary Merfolk to get three new cards? Sound like a good idea? I think so too. End turn."

Libra drew her final card. She knew this was the end. She simply dropped the Creeping Plague into her mana zone, and held herself, shivering.
"So...dark..."

Suzanne looked down at the card, and scoffed, "Well, silly, no wonder you're going to lose if you play worthless cards like that. Crimson Hammer to mana, let's get this over with. Rumbling Terahorn! Summon my Twin-Cannon Skyterror to take care of this child!"

The Terahorn appeared in the battle zone first, and the stomping of giant hooves was soon joined by the flapping of giant wings. The Skyterror appeared in the zone soon afterward.
"Ah, there you are, honey! Finish off this little wretch for me. Double break! Ikei!"

Libra knew, even before Suzanne's assault began, that none of them would trigger. It was almost like a curse. Only when playing against Yodaz with the 'fixes' to the cards, had her shields somehow begun to trigger again. Now, as in all other such battles, they would not, allowing her opponent to rob her of any dignity she had. No Jolter, no Gate, no nothing.

One by one they came. First the Skyterror's blasts, then the Hulcus' strike, followed by two hacking attempts by the enemy Emeral.
"See, dear? I don't even need my Corile to deal with you. Illusionary Merfolk! Todomeda!"

The Gel Fish streaked in, Libra standing bare, no shields, no creatures, no chance to play any of the cards in her hand. The pain was short and sharp. Libra did not collapse, like Yodaz, but her eyes seemed to dull after her one, short wince. Suzanne grinned gleefully. She picked up her deck and started to shuffle again, smiling at Black Fire.
"Are you next...?"

"You enjoyed that, didn't you..." Black Fire replied, getting up from a now-stabilized Yodaz, watching as Libra flopped into one of the chairs, unmoving. She reached into her bag and brought her deck out, "And somehow you honestly think that you win easily based on your own merit?"

"I win because I have the sense not to reject or want to change that which is powerful. Since you seem to think you can manage against me better than the champion himself or his little friend, then feel free to go first, miss..."

"You will know my name only if I deem you worthy of it. For now, you can call me Black Fire..." she replied, deploying her shields and beginning her duel by charging fire mana.

"Oh, how classically original," Suzanne mocked, "A themed name, giving away the contents of your deck before you even begin. I'm surprised a grown woman still has to amuse herself by giving herself a name like 'Black Fire'. Phantom Dragon's Flame to mana, end turn."

Black Fire said nothing, merely sending her Skullsweeper Q to mana and summoning Marrow Ooze, the Twister. She smiled slightly as the creature appeared. She remembered what Libra had been discussing with Yodaz when the three were practicing. A mistake Yodaz sometimes made against decks like her own, and one she would gladly try to lure Suzanne into.

"Disgusting," Suzanne remarked, charging water mana, "Crimson Hammer."

Inwardly, Black Fire smiled. She charged more fire mana, watching carefully as Suzanne scrutinized her mana zone. "I summon Blazosaur Q. End turn."

"You rush deck types are all alike," Suzanne laughed, drawing her card and charging nature mana, "Here's another. Crimson Hammer!"

Yodaz had recovered a bit by now, so when Black Fire turned to him, with a slightly inquisitive look on her face, he nodded. She smiled, and turned back to her duel, charging more mana. Another creature... a ghost.
"I summon Skullsweeper Q. End turn."

"What was that all about?" Suzanne grumbled as she drew her own card and charged darkness mana, "Some sort of little secret code? Crystal Memory. End turn."

Black Fire could not see what the 'teleporter' had brought to Suzanne, but she had a fairly good idea what it was. She smiled now, her Kaijudo reaching out, as if from a void, to engulf Suzanne's own slightly altered power. She placed her avatar into her mana zone, and it instantly changed her entire frequency.
"You're a poor, paranoid little thing, aren't you? No wonder you cling so desperately to the only real power you think you have. Let's see how you do without it. I summon a second Skullsweeper Q, to double the effect of the first, when it attacks. Break her shield! Ikei!"

Suzanne's eyes widened with shock and fear. She had begun the duel with a Corile in hand. She had expected to need a second if for some reason the Skullsweeper forced her to discard the first, but now, she had to discard two cards.

"You can try to hold onto them both. Yes, I know you must have two of them, but if you do that, then you will be relying on a creature that can only slow me down, and you will lose cards every time you try... Though I suppose you can hope that your shield triggers... what will it be? Will you hope for Trigger to escape from me? Or will you discard them and carry out the remainder of this duel hoping desperately for the other two?"

Suzanne's mind raced. Her only other card was a Rumbling Terahorn, and she could not pick up the shield until after the discard. She trembled, then made her split second decision. Discard. Both of her Corile. The drop in her own Kaijudo even surprised her. It was then that the Skullsweeper moved in completely, to break the shield. Shield Trigger. Terror Pit.

"Oh. Too bad," Black Fire noted, placing one Brainjacker into her graveyard, "Seems you could have gone with the second option after all. Oh well. End turn."

Suzanne drew her card, and was silent now, concentrating, unwilling to taunt her opponent for fear of losing that essential focus. She charged more nature mana and summoned her Rumbling Terahorn. Her mind turned over and over. She needed to move the Skullsweeper, but there was no way to do so. Whatever creature she got now, she was about to lose, but then the creature would have to attack. If she got nothing, then the creature would not need to attack. On top of it all, there was no way to easily get Merfolk into play, to counteract the effect.
"Bring me to her. Let her discard me, and hit another shield. The shield will save you more than anything else can, and the Terahorn can destroy the enemy."

Suzanne obeyed, retrieving the Corile and showing it to Black Fire. She did not like this one bit. However, she was already running out of options.

Black Fire drew her card. She, like Libra, was used to playing with little mana, so it did not bother her now to forego playing any. Instead, she simply cast the Ghost Touch, discarding the Corile without the attack that Suzanne had deemed so important. She ended her turn.

The card Suzanne drew brought her no joy. She played it instantly. Dark Reversal. However, Corile was now the only creature in her grave. She grudgingly picked one of them up, and ended her turn. Black Fire's Kaijudo was already pressing in on hers.

The dark-haired woman drew her card, and again did without mana, playing a Bloody Squito instead. She nodded, and the Skullsweeper attacked, robbing Suzanne of her Corile, but granting her another card in her hand at last. Suzanne drew her card and almost gasped with relief at finally reaching her sixth mana, by placing the Apocalypse Vise which had just been her shield, into her mana zone, and summoning an Aqua Hulcus.

"Aha! Phantom Dragon's Flame, on your Skullsweeper! Unlike Yodaz, I no longer use those weakling Meteosaurs. So now I am rid of your despicable Brainjacker. End turn."

"So you are..." Black Fire smiled, drawing her card and summoning her Blazosaur Q, "End turn."

Suzanne was not quite 'out of the woods' yet, however, since her next card was only a Bloody Squito. Black Fire was calm. Unlike Suzanne, she was quite used to the 'mutual topdeck', and even being able to play only a Marrow Ooze on her next turn, did not frazzle her. Suzanne drew her card and breathed a relieved sigh. One that caused her Kaijudo to rise and put both Black Fire and Yodaz on the alert.

"I thought I'd have to wait forever for another. Corile! On your Bloody Squito."

Black Fire choked slightly.
"Even... after all that effort, you still got one... What are you...?"

Like Libra, she merely left the Squito on the field, giving Gene the same queasy feeling he had before, since yet again, Suzanne Marshall seemed to merely take another turn. She drew and played an Aqua Hulcus, but scowled at her lack of mana, and ended her turn. Black Fire drew her card and summoned it. A Horrid Worm. She ended her turn. Gene wondered what she was doing now, but Yodaz was quite used to this apparent disregard for danger that Black Fire had.

Suzanne drew her card and scowled again. She placed her Emeral into her mana zone and summoned the Phantom Fish, determined to make sure that the Horrid Worm did not get through, at least.

"Why aren't you playing any mana? How can you... fight me this way, from only that level of mana?" she stammered frustratedly.

"You will give me mana momentarily, I'm sure," Black Fire answered, drawing her card, and again, playing no mana. I summon Shadow Moon, Cursed Shade. End turn."

Suzanne drew another Emeral and frustratedly placed it in her mana zone. No matter how many cards she drew now, none would be a Corile. Black Fire drew a Gamil, Knight of Hatred, and calmly placed it into mana now, simply because she had insufficient mana to play it. Suzanne grumbled when she drew, hating the fact that she had been 'predicted'.

"What's the matter?" Black Fire laughed, "Do you have to play a card you don't want to?"
She looked down at the card, as Suzanne played it. Natural Snare.

"Ahh. On my Shadow Moon, of course..." --she placed the card into her mana zone when Suzanne nodded, and drew her card, summoning her Blazosaur. Suzanne grudgingly ended up Snaring that also, much to Black Fire's amusement. The void Kaijudo of her opponent was unnerving Suzanne greatly, and she was doing her best to keep her own turbulent emotions in check. That, did not last for much longer.

"You filthy witch! You just want to take my Corile away from me! To make me as weak as you and that other fool girl! You can't do it in life so you do it in duel!? Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

Black Fire did not answer, she merely summoned another Marrow Ooze and ended her turn. Suzanne's lip trembled with a mixture of pained frustration and outright rage. She drew her card, and celebrated her draw by instant cast.
"Now, get out of my face, you disgusting worms! Searing Wave!"

Black Fire smiled, placed her four lost creatures into her graveyard, then seemed to stand there, waiting, before finally saying, "Well? The mana?"

Suzanne smirked at her, picked up a single shield and put it into her own grave.
"We're not playing by your rules, today, sweetheart. That's all I have to pay for their deaths."

This play made Gene Kirricort sit up and take notice. By the suggested rules, Suzanne would just have cut her own mana zone in half. Now, she was safe again. Suzanne ended her turn. Black Fire drew her card and summoned a Blasto, Explosive Soldier.

Suzanne drew her card, and scowled at it. No help, outright, but she could possibly make it so. She held now, her Lost Soul, and her mind began to scheme. With such low mana, there was little chance of Black Fire being able to use all the shields that she could now break. There was a chance to clinch control of this duel after all.
"Rumbling Terahorn, ikei!" --no trigger, since Black Fire used so few-- "Aqua Hulcus, ikei" --again, nothing, from the Hulcus' slash into her defenses-- "Corile, ikei!"

"Bloody Squito, intercept." Black Fire said calmly, taking Suzanne by surprise.

"So, you just hate Corile that much, hm? Aqua Hulcus, ikei!"

The shield broke, and Black Fire gave her answer. "I watched you duel Yodaz. I know that everything you do is about those Merfolk. So I slow you down. You should keep your own tactics in mind better, when you attempt to attack."

Suzanne scoffed at the scolding, but was even more surprised when Black Fire drew her card, sent her Chaotic Skyterror to mana, then proceeded to actually play all three of the other cards in her hand. Blazosaur, Horrid Worm, and Death Smoke, on her Phantom Fish.
"Blasto, destroy her Terahorn. Ikei. End turn."

To throw Suzanne off, Black Fire added her best imagery to this assault. The Explosive Soldier first received his 'special' ammo clip from the Horrid Worm, then took off running, beginning to fire its graviton shots at the thick hide of the Terahorn, finally bringing it down with a mighty thud. Suzanne shuddered slightly, but shrugged it off. What did she care about Terahorns?

She drew her card, panting now, deeply upset at the 'uselessness' of her Lost Soul card. She placed it into mana and played a Natural Snare on the Horrid Worm, before sending her Hulcus to destroy Blasto. Without support from the Horrid Worm, they both fell in the battle, and Suzanne ended her turn.
"You think you know me, but you have no idea what I really am, or what I can do... you don't know me, you hear me!?"

Black Fire dismissed her words with a nonchalant wave of the hand, and cast Sword of Malevolent Death, to allow her Blazosaur to have enough power to go straight for the shields. Suzanne did not stop this, so the Natural Snare triggered, sending the Blazosaur away, and irritating Suzanne further. She found that she was continually adding to Black Fire's mana, and even though all of her creatures seemed small, she somehow felt there was more to this, even with Trox also in that mana zone. Black Fire was mocking her, and biding time... she could feel it.

"I end my turn. You can never truly win as you currently are, but I will still do you the honor of at least attempting to finish you off."

Suzanne felt herself oddly wanting to cry, at those words. She drew her card and cast the Dark Reversal to retrieve one of her four fallen Corile. "Aqua Hulcus, ikei!"

Black Fire smiled at the shield, when it broke, and drew her card.
"I summon Gregoria, Princess of War, and Dark Titan Maginn. End turn, dear."

Suzanne blinked now. Unmoving. Afraid. The two creatures together now. Large. Powerful. Leering at her. No Searing Wave would help her here, her Natural Snares used up, and the chances of drawing a Terror Pit slim. Corile would be useless on either, in the end. Even now, that she finally had her Corile again, it would not help enough. Her 'free turn' would again come with an odd cost. There was only one thing she could draw now, that would help her, a...
"Twin-Cannon Skyterror!" she exclaimed triumphantly, summoning the card.

She paused here, however, unsure of how to proceed. She could attack with the Hulcus first, let it be blocked, and let the Skyterror safely break the final shield, leaving herself with a large creature. Or, she could attack with the Skyterror and hope that the shield did not trigger and destroy it. It was then that she found herself laughing.

"Aha. It's so simple. If your shield does trigger, even, you have nothing left in your hand. If you get your own Skyterror, I can block it. You cannot attack with your Titan, for if you do, you have no blocker. It is all perfect. Aqua Hulcus, ikei!"

Black Fire looked confused, as Suzanne's Kaijudo had now reached an incredible high. As much as she was trying to follow the woman's point, she could not. Tentatively, she reached out and tapped her Dark Titan, to block the Hulcus' attack.

"Aha! You are defeated! Twin-Cannon, break her last shield! Ikei!"
Black Fire understood now. The Twin-Cannon was in no danger. There was no need to attack Maginn. Corile stayed in Suzanne's hand. The only way to be rid of it was to assault with her only blocker, and that would open her to the Twin-Cannon's final attack. Her shield broke. She picked it up, and smiled.

"What? Trigger?" Suzanne asked, finding it a little hard to believe that Black Fire had dangerous triggers when she had so far seen none. Black Fire shook her head, and Suzanne smugly ended her turn, finally feeling calm and safe again.

"Something much better than trigger. I summon Horrid Worm, and cast Sword of Malevolent Death! Dark Titan, attack her Twin-Cannon Skyterror! Ikei!"

"W-what? No! Bloody Squito, intercept the attack!"

This, it did, causing Suzanne to hold her Kaijudo steady, until she realized two things. Firstly, that she now had to discard her Corile, and secondly, that Maginn was not the only thing on the field holding a soul-powered sword...

Her Kaijudo instantly dropped out from under her, just in time for Black Fire's announcement.
"And now let your Skyterror fall by the hand of the Princess of War. Gregoria, ikei!"

"This... isn't fair... I've never even seen that card before!" she whined, her tears now streaming down her face as she drew her card. All she could do, was summon the Illusionary Merfolk now. There was no Cyber Lord to help it. Her deck was too far exhausted.

Black Fire's Kaijudo now seemed to swarm out at her enemy, finally actually becoming active. Writhing. Angry. She was aware that there was no longer any chance of things not going her way now, and her Kaijudo was crushing that of the now broken Suzanne Marshall.
"Dark Titan, break her final shield. Ikei!" --the shield shattering was accompanied by Suzanne Marshall's sob of defeat-- "Princess of War, claim your victory. Todomeda!!"

Her world went white. When she awoke, she was in one of the chairs in the room. Her cards were gone. Her opponents were chatting, discussing the future of Duel Masters with Gene Kirricort. She felt weak, and a little sleepy, and ultimately, quite meek and powerless.

"Princess of War, claim your victory?" Yodaz was laughing, "Come on now... really..."

Black Fire smiled at him as she answered, "Sometimes I like to be a little dramatic."

"Hey, she's up!" Libra exclaimed, bounding over to Suzanne and peering into her eyes, "Are you all right?"

"I... I'm fine... I'd... like to go home now..."

Gene Kirricort nodded, "Of course. I'll have someone escort you to your car. Take a week or two off from work. By that time, the cards will have been fixed, and we can put this whole ugly incident behind us, all right?"

Suzanne nodded, still a little disoriented, and surprised that Gene did not seem angry about before. She still felt a little woozy. She blinked to clear her focus. She could only feel one thing. She definitely did not want anything more to do with the Duel Masters section of KirriCorp.