Episode 53. - Showtime! Going Above & Beyond!

Two stylishly dressed gentlemen now entered the main auditorium, and slowly made their way through the crowds of those not yet seated, towards the backstage area. Duel Masters World Champion Ryoma Echizen, and former Hong Kong champion Shinji Nykahrii. The pair had been together since lunch, an appointment Ryoma had purposely made.

Part of KirriCorp's new plan for promoting the ninth set release of Duel Masters cards, involved the current event, and others like it. Combining dueling with some form of already established show. In this case, a magic act, performed by some of Hong Kong's greatest illusionists. It had been far easier to get Ryoma enthusiastic about dramatically dueling in front of an audience, than it had been to do the same to Yodaz a while back.

Ryoma's only condition was that he be allowed to choose his opponent, and after having faced the current Hong Kong champion in an exhibition match, he did not hesitate in going with his original intent. To find, and finally duel, Shinji Nykahrii.

Now, the silver haired duelist was brushing off some dust that had fallen onto his immaculate black suit. They were dressed identically for the performance. The illusionists would be assisting them, and had been instructed to make the duel seem as real as possible. Shinji and Ryoma's part, would consist only of playing their best, and overacting regarding their moves. Simple enough.

"You're rather more nervous than I expected you to be," Ryoma noted now, as Shinji fidgeted with his tie.

"This new set confuses me. My deck had been behaving strangely even before this. Now..."

"You need not worry," Ryoma reassured him, "I've made very few, if any, changes to mine because of the new set. There should be nothing in it you will be too surprised by."

Shinji shook his head.
"I'm afraid you misunderstand. Trying to incorporate it seems to have made things even more muddled. It is not your additions from the new set that worry me. It is my own..."

"I see. And what about the changes they applied... have they also been causing you distress of this kind?"

Nykahrii shook his head again.
"Oh, no, not at all. I have found that generally the adjustments to the cards has made me..."

He paused here, seemingly trying to find the most accurate word to convey the feeling, finally deciding on...
"Comfortable."

They fell to silence at this point, watching the performers instead. Even from backstage, there was no clear way to tell how the tricks were done, which both duelists found quite impressive.

"I wonder how much we can safely use..." Ryoma now remarked suddenly. Shinji needed not question what the Champion was referring to. He merely made a self-inquisitive sound of acknowledgement and started to contemplate the subject himself.

"Well, what you do is up to you," Shinji finally decided, "But I will be giving it my all. I so seldom get to duel and truly use it, and I have been wondering if that may be the reason I have not been able to duel well. Either way, I need to push it to the limit and see what happens tonight."

Ryoma looked startled, almost aghast at Shinji's words. They both knew that it was possibly dangerous, but it was really just a gut feeling to them. Nothing too untoward had occurred at the World Champion Tournament, and there had been no serious reports of anything happening at the North American Championship either.

Ryoma realized now, in retrospect, that there had been no incidents at all, in the Japanese Championship finals, even though all the duelists there had also been putting their all into both dueling and clashing with their myriad forms of Kaijudo.

Now, that seemed to calm him somewhat. The spectators would not be that close to the stage, and the illusionists would not be paying attention in the way that most people would. This was probably the safest time and place to do exactly what Shinji had in mind.

Now, the curtain fell, the main act was in intermission. It was their turn.

"Good luck to you," Ryoma nodded, "When we get out there, you can go first."

Shinji nodded back, and they parted, moving to opposite ends of the stage. The curtain rose, and the spotlights focused. Their cue. Simultaneously, the two duelists walked out to the specially prepared table. The illusionists came onto the stage in front of them and bowed to the audience. There was a flash and a shift in focus on stage as the two duelists deployed their shields, and the performers made it appear as if, behind them, great protective shields did appear.

"For my first mana!" Shinji declared, "I charge Light! Mist Rias, Sonic Guardian!"

He was doing as he had been requested to do. Make every move into a show. The stage suddenly was illuminated on his side by what appeared to be beams of light coming from a shining sphere above and behind him. It faded away as his turn ended. Ryoma stifled a laugh.

"And for my first mana!" Ryoma announced in turn, "I charge Fire! Searing Wave!"

The area around them both, to the audience, appeared to erupt into crackling flame. Shinji and Ryoma got a slightly different view, and could see that it was merely dust kicked up and a light trick, but the sound of rumbling and crackling flames made them both smirk nonetheless.

Then, the illusions no longer mattered to either one of them. They were linked, and the duel could truly begin.

"I charge a second force of Light! Holy Awe!" came Shinji's cry, as the illusion on stage repeated itself, adding to the mental image received by Ryoma's mind.

"Then I shall meet you with Nature! Mana Nexus!"
The sound of wind howling in the trees and a forest bird's call, was all that the illusionists produced for this civilization, except the end which startled the audience slightly with a bestial roar.

"For my third mana force! Water! An Aqua Sniper!"

The stagelight rippled and the sound of crashing waves could be heard. Nothing like what Ryoma felt. In his mind, he found himself floating over a watery plain, covered in lilies and other underwater plantlife, the liquid surface shimmering with reflected light. The images became even more intense a moment later. Shinji was not done yet.

"And now I summon, through my mana power, a Senatine Jade Tree!"

What the crowd saw was a momentary flash of the image on the card, as if it were suspended in the air above Shinji. Another lighting trick. Ryoma's experience was quite different, and his Kaijudo began to respond quickly.

"For my third mana... Darkness! A Death Smoke! Now I play a Mystic Treasure Chest, to create my fourth mana. A Holy Awe from my deck!"
The illusionists actually managed to keep up quite well, as their effects went from darkness to mystery to illumination yet again. Shinji was no longer paying attention to them. His opponent was now his only concern.

"He has now seen his deck and pushed his mana ahead. He also chose exactly what to put there. To think... gaining so much from a card such as that..."

"I will increase my watery power with a Flood Valve!" Shinji spoke clearly aloud, "And summon the Shrine Guardian Snork La!"

Ryoma felt his opponent's Kaijudo take a strange turn. This was not what he had expected from Shinji at that moment. It was surely possible that he had no Elf-X, or that it were his only Nature card at the time, though, so Ryoma shrugged it off and drew his card.

"I add more darkness to my side! Another Death Smoke. Now I cast Dimension Gate! To bring through the portal my Forbos, Sanctum Guardian!"

Shinji seemed to rock backwards. The reason why was clear. This was a huge event, and the Kaijudo impact was so great that it caused two of the illusionist performers to falter, and look around directly at Ryoma. Tactically, this was a perfect move. Shinji had no chance of discarding Ryoma's mighty avatar from him, and it would appear in the battle zone on the next of Ryoma's turns.

"Even more water power! Another Flood Valve! Now I summon Stained Glass to my side!" Shinji cried out, truly being dramatic at that point. The effect in their shared mindspace was nowhere near as bold or confident. The Cyber Viruses flashed occasionally in the water, but remained mostly invisible.

"He was serious... it is as if they are all moving around unsure of where they are going..." Forbos remarked to Ryoma.

"I increase my world with more Nature mana, and summon now, Forbos, Sanctum Guardian!"
This time, the Kaijudo wave swept over the entire auditorium, surprising even Ryoma with its surge. Shinji's eyes flew open in shock at the force of it, and he only barely shielded himself from it.

"Forbos' power prevails! Behold, he brings with him the doomsday spell, Apocalypse Vise!"

Shinji's mind now found itself torn between concern for the audience, the duel itself and his own wish to test his ability, and the uncontrollable urge to laugh at Ryoma yelling 'Behold' at that exact moment.

Ryoma shuffled his deck, and Shinji drew his card.

"I add the power of nature unto myself now also, and cast the spell Spiral Gate, to return my Jade Tree to its homeland in the sky!"
Shinji chuckled to himself. When it came to overacting, he was not one to easily be outdone.

"Now, Stained Glass, attack! Break... his... shield!"

"How very interesting..." Forbos noted, but what Ryoma said out loud, was...

"Indeed, you prove a worthy foe! My shield is broken, but its power is not lost, for it spells your doom! Terror Pit, to swallow up your Snork La! You may guard the Shrine, but I guard the Sanctum itself!"

Shinji made a face, stifling his own laughter. Ryoma could ham it up with the best of them if need be, apparently. This, he took as a personal, albeit ridiculous, challenge, but as it was no longer his turn, he would have to wait whilst Ryoma took another opportunity to entertain the audience with his verbosity.

"I prepare for the approaching battle with more Nature mana! Mana Nexus! Blazosaur, come forth, receive the wisdom of the great Forbos and do as he has done! A new spell for our campaign! A Dimension Gate! I will use more power to cast it, and through the portal, bring a Grave Worm! Now, Forbos, defeat the virus that has weakened our defenses. Attack Stained Glass! Ikei!"

Shinji was just about to make a short inspiring speech about the valiant effort of the Stained Glass when his avatar reminded him that he would be talking to a microscopic computer virus. He decided to hold off on that and simply play on instead.

"Essence Elf, to mana, and I call upon my Jade Tree's valor once again!"

Ryoma nearly failed in his attempt to suppress his mirth at the thought of the 'valor' of a floating tree. Nonetheless, he continued his onslaught, with no apparent thought towards actually casting his Apocalypse Vise.

"I warm my world further with a Volcano Charger, and summon the mighty Colony Beetle, Factory Shell! Through its own power it calls upon a Blazosaur, and through Forbos' power it brings to me a Faerie Life! Now, come forth, Blazosaur, and receive the ancient wisdom of both the Factory Shell and the Sanctum Guardian! Let there be a new ally and a new spell yet again! Smash Horn, and Holy Awe!"

By now, Shinji was unsure if the fact that the stage felt like it was shaking beneath his feet was part of the performance or part of the duel. He had been drawn so deeply into the mindspace that he was no longer even aware of the table, performers, or audience. All he knew was that Ryoma's power was currently overwhelming, and that for the sake of the show, he had to announce every move as if his very life depended on it.

The way he felt then... it would not be hard to be convincing.

"I charge more water power unto myself. An Aqua Hulcus!"
Shinji's effort was in vain. He could feel the energy of the Survivors opposing him, and knew that the powerful spell waited for the perfect moment to crash down upon his creatures. He ended his turn with neither summon nor spell. Ryoma nodded, noting that Shinji was, indeed, ineffective today.

"More Darkness then! You cannot hope to stand against me now! Lost Soul increases my mana! I cast Faerie Life! To increase my mana more with a... Volcano Charger! And illuminate your weak points for all to see. Not even you can withstand Holy Awe!"

"Your skill! Your tactics! They are too much! Too brilliant! I am undone!" Shinji cried now. He had expected to at least hear the laughter or applause of the crowd, but now, either they were all enthralled, or he was so deep in his own mind that he could be aware of nothing save the searing light that now rendered his Tree helpless.

"Forbos will now attack your Senatine Jade Tree!"
Ryoma ended his turn there.

"We water dwellers have mastered the art of teleportation," Shinji now laughed, trying to sound at least slightly maniacal, "I cast the spell Crystal Memory, to bring another Senatine Jade Tree forth, to stop your onslaught!"

"Then I shall increase my power with even more Nature mana, and summon the mighty Smash Horn! Bring forth a new ally and a new spell, great Smash Horn. I gain and play... Holy Awe, yet again! And a new Blazosaur! The cycle of power continues further, as this new Blazosaur brings yet another Blazosaur, and yet another Holy Awe! Again, Forbos, attack the Jade Tree!"

The last turn having practically repeated itself, it was now Shinji's turn again. He drew his card.

"Alas, I am defeated..." he admitted now, "For my teleportation spell also has brought with it the knowledge of the power remaining in my shields. Yet I will not give up! Do your worst! I will endure it!"

"You really know how to just churn out this stuff, don't you?" Forbos and Ryoma laughed, as one.

Shinji and the Aqua Sniper answered in equal unison.
"Got younger siblings and cousins. Always need to be ready to entertain."

Ryoma laughed. Since Shinji had practically just admitted to having nothing worthwhile that could trigger to save him, it was a sure thing that his next few moves would end the duel entirely.

"I have no further need of this spell, Apocalypse Vise, so I shall use it as my mana. This new spell will suffice. Volcano Charger, on your Stained Glass! Now I summon the Blazosaur yet again! This time, he will not need merely remain a Blazosaur. In fact, he shall become the mightiest of all creatures!"

Shinji's eyes opened in shock, and he instantly attempted to brace himself for what he knew was, in terms of Kaijudo, one of the most, if not currently the most powerful attack in all Duel Masters.

"Blazosaur Q, evolve into Q-tronic Gargantua! Draw power from your allies and strike! Break all his shields! Ikei!"

The performers had long since given up trying to keep up with the myriad growing abilities of Ryoma's deck. They had nothing up their proverbial sleeves that could represent this. Fortunately for them, the act of projecting his voice and intent to his audience, had caused Ryoma to project his Kaijudo onto them all with equal intensity. Nearly everyone in the audience now sat with rapt attention on the duel, whether they naturally understood or not.

Now, the great moment arrived. The shattering of Shinji Nykahrii's entire defensive line, by one creature. Shinji knew there was nothing there to help him, and even if there was, it would only matter for one turn.

A Mist Rias, Sonic Guardian. A Phal Eega, Dawn Guardian. A Stained Glass. And two Petrova, Channeler of Suns. Ryoma looked at the now-full hand of his opponent. Shinji did not bother to hide the cards from him. The duel was over anyway.

"Forbos, Sanctum Guardian! Todomeda!"

Shinji stumbled backward and fell, turning it into a dramatic 'stage death' as soon as he realized that his legs would not support him. It took a short while, but soon the audience was on its feet, and thunderous applause filled the entire auditorium.

Shinji managed to get to his feet half a minute or so later, to take his bows alongside Ryoma. The audience's applause was still just as loud if not louder, leaving mental communication as their only option.

"You're not making them clap like that somehow, are you?" Shinji inquired.

"I was just about to ask you the same question... weird, isn't it? But no. I think this is the first time that a Duel Masters game has outright received a standing ovation..."

"Well, it was rather awesome. And a well deserved win, I might add."

"Thank you. I am sure if I had given you an inch, though, your Rias-Elf would have quickly swarmed me. It was part of my reason for so quickly getting the counter-spell."

"I thank you for the lesson, both in what I can do, and in the power of your Survivors. I must train more in my spare time and tweak the deck until the power returns to mine as well. This 'set nine' is causing a disturbance in the waters. I need to understand it..."

Ryoma nodded, but even with his levels of skill and experience, he knew that advising Shinji directly would quite likely be little if any help. There was definitely something off about the deck, but Nykahrii himself did not seem to have changed too much in the time since the World Champion tournament. Ryoma smiled at this as they walked off the stage. He had found himself to be an admirer of Shinji at that point, and that admiration seemed to have increased now. He could feel the source of it shimmering brightly in his mind, and decided to inquire a bit.

"What is it that we find so interesting about this one, that we held such respect for him then, and even now, when his skill seems to fail him, it remains?"

The answer that came from the Sanctum Guardian came only in thoughts, with no actual words at all save one.

"Beyond..."