Episode 21: Enemy at the Gates
Keifer sat cross legged with his hands placed firmly upon his knees and his eyes closed in a purely meditative state. The void provided him with a peace that left him as motionless and undisturbed as a statue. The sheer quiet also provided a very eerie sense, forcing Keifer to strain to break the infectious silence.
“Keifer,” the spectral whisper spoke in his mind.
Keifer shot his eyes open, only to be greeted once again by darkness.
“What is it you need, Master?” he asked the voice.
“I have found some interesting things about the young man you dueled, Yurik Clayer.”
“Yes?” he responded, sitting straight up and alert.
At that moment, a screen popped up in front of Keifer’s face, making him recoil in shock. Gazing back closer on it, he found that it was a map providing an aerial view of a summery suburbia.
“What is this?” he asked. “Is this this home?”
“It is,” the voice piped up, “very smart of you.”
The map pulled out as the image shrunk to the point where the map was now showing the whole of the North American continent.
“He lives in the town of Naperville, Illinois in the country of the United States of America,” she reported. “His address is 2131 Lindrick Ave.”
“And I assume you want me to find them and tell me where the others are?” he asked.
“Or, perhaps, to find any others that they may be safekeeping themselves. It’s late at night for them now, and there’s little activity.”
Keifer groaned slightly.
“Are there any children at the house?” he asked.
“Children?” the voice curiously replied.
After a moment of silence, a series of Facebook screenshots appeared, showing Yurik, Walt, Bette, and Evey in certain shots with them.
“It seems Yurik Clayer lives with this family, the Fabers, which includes a mother, Bette, her elder son, Walt, and his younger sister, Evey.”
Keifer gasped as he looked at the images.
“What about a father?” he wondered.
“I cannot say,” the voice answered. “Judging by the absence of him in many of the photos I could find or reference to him on their timelines, I’d say that he has been divorced from the family.”
“Unbelievable,” Keifer sighed, almost regretfully. “I remember that Walt boy with him during my duel with Yurik Clayer. I had no idea he’s been living with them, a broken family…”
“Keifer,” scolded the voice, “do not let your sentiment distract you. If you want to see your family again, you must retrieve those ponies, and the dragon you lost.”
Keifer hissed in frustration, clenching his fists tight.
“Well?” the voice pressed. “You don’t want to wait for sunrise, do you?”
With a sigh, Keifer stood himself up from his spot and clutched his necklace in his hand, making it glow.
“You don’t need to remind me why I’m fighting for you,” he growled, as the glow began to surround his body. “I will do anything to bring whatever’s left of my family back.”
At once, Keifer’s body began to transform into his human self, his pointed face, fingers and spines receding and rounding while his tail shrunk into his back. His clothes also formed onto his torso and feet as if they had been formed from the body itself.
“This is your chance,” the voice spoke. “Use it well.”
Keifer was fully transformed into his human appearance before he looked straight out into the void.
“I will,” he responded.
Suddenly, his body fell through the floor as if there had been nothing supporting him at all, leaving the void empty and alone.
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Kieran walked into the dueling room with his iPad D in his hand where everyone else had gathered. Alice and Yurik were the first to approach him stopping once he came within comfortable talking distance.
“What did you even do?” asked Yurik. “How are we going to bring Keifer here?”
“Hmm,” Kieran thought aloud. “You seem eager to face Keifer once again, Yurik.”
“Yes,” confirmed Alice. “I dueled Yurik and he indeed wishes to save his friends.”
“Yes, yes,” shouted Yurik, “I think he got that. Kieran, tell me. What’s going to happen now?”
“I just contacted an old friend of mine. He’ll bring him here.”
Yurik and Alice stayed silent as they wondered what he meant. Suddenly, Yurik’s eyes and mouth went wide with the realization.
“You sent Orpheus over?” he exclaimed.
“Of course. We’re now on good terms, he’ll be able to return Eurydice to her home, and he might have a chance of defeating him.”
“Defeating him?” Alice gasped. “What do you–”
“I doubt Keifer will come all this way just to turn back at the threshold. If he’s willing to break into a little girl’s bedroom to take them, I’m certain he’ll do whatever he can to get himself in.”
“And we’re just going to let him?” asked Donald.
“If it comes to that… however, let’s see how Orpheus can do first.”
Donald grunted in disagreement, but stood still out of respect for his leader.
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On the street to the Faber’s house, Keifer descended quickly to the ground with his wings out. Upon landing, the wings quickly receded into his humanized back, leaving no trace that they were ever there. Turning to the proper house, he walked up from the street and onto the lawn. Upon getting on the sidewalk, the sound of footsteps landing on the ground behind him jerked his attention towards it.
“I’m sorry,” Orpheus said as he walked into the street from the other side of the road, the lamp’s light revealing him, “did I catch you? You weren’t planning on breaking in, were you?”
“Get out of here, kid!” Keifer ordered with a wave of his arm. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
Orpheus quickly disbanded his chain from his side and let it drop loose to the ground, greatly alerting him.
“That’s good,” Orpheus responded. “Because if you don’t be careful, I just might hurt you.”
Keifer snarled before he threw his arm again, a fireball shooting from his hands and at Orpheus. With quick reflexes, Orpheus whipped his chain up, slicing the fireball with the crystalline end and scattering it away from him. With a fast twist, he swung the chain tightly so a red shaped crescent of light drew itself out of the crystal and at Keifer, who was too stunned to react. With the light hitting Keifer in the chest, he was sent plummeting into the lawn with a pain-riddled groan. As Keifer tried getting up, Orpheus leapt over him with his chain held in a way that threatened to slice his neck.
“Shh,” hushed Orpheus. “You’ll wake the neighbors.”
Keifer tucked his legs in and pushed against Orpheus’s abdomen, sending him flying back into the street. Orpheus landed nimbly on his feet, smirking as he watched Keifer stand.
“So it’s true,” muttered Orpheus. “You really aren’t human.”
Keifer squinted, trying to mask the disappointment in himself at his reveal.
“It’s alright,” urged Orpheus. “Tell me, what’s your name? What are you?”
With a frown, Keifer walked forwards his crystal necklace glowing with its light covering his body.
“My name,” he told him as his body became more reptilian in appearance, along with his wings and tail sprouting from his body, “is Keifer.”
Orpheus kept up his brave face even as Keifer returned to his original draconic form before him, stepping to the edge of the street.
“And I’m…” continued Keifer.
“A dragon,” finished Orpheus. “Let me guess. You’re from Equestria aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. Now, human, I have given you my name. Who are you?”
Orpheus feigned a slightly-worn smile.
“You can call me Orpheus, from the international police,” he said, pulling out an Interpol badge and revealing it to Keifer. “I take it you’re here for Yurik Clayer?”
Keifer’s eyes widened as his plan was revealed.
“How did you–”
“Relax, Keifer,” Orpheus assured him, casually putting his badge back into his pocket. “As a matter of fact, I’m here for him as well.”
“I’m not,” Keifer growled back. “I came for the ponies.”
“Yes, I think we have similar mindsets. I don’t think anyone’s home though.”
“Then where do you think he is?”
“You tell me. How do you think a pair of high school students can afford a trip to Vienna and manage to sneak in a pair of ponies that the entire world is searching for?”
Keifer stayed silent and increased the squint in his glare.
“You really don’t know?” pressed Orpheus.
“I have not lived on this world for as long as you have. Two weeks ago, I didn’t even know your world existed.”
Orpheus nodded, understanding Keifer’s point.
“They’re called the Guardiaboliques,” he said. “They’re a group of vigilantes stationed outside of Chicago led by a man named Kieran.”
“And Yurik Clayer is one of them?” asked Keifer.
“He is. I guarantee you that he is at their base, along with the ponies you seek.”
“And how do I know you’re not leading me into a trap? How do I know you’re not a friend of this Kieran’s that’s trying to take the ponies I have away from me.”
“You managed to take some yourself?”
“Yes. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity are now in my possession.”
“And how did you manage that?”
“What do you mean?” asked Keifer with mounting suspicion. “And how did you know I was in Vienna?”
“Simple. There are videos trending all over the internet showing your chase on Vienna’s rooftops with Rarity in your grasp, still able to outrun a pair of teenage boys and the alicorn which you claim is now in your possession. Also, if it serves any more to my credibility, I had also come in contact with Yurik.”
“What? So you do know him?” spat Keifer.
“As an enemy, I assure you,” Orpheus said with a raised hand. “I managed to capture the rainbow pegasus in Japan, only for him and the Guardiaboliques to take her and the earth pony Applejack in Scotland. You managed to capture the unicorn on your own as well as two others I knew to be in the possession of the Guardiaboliques.”
“Fine,” hissed Keifer. “What do you propose we do?”
“What do you think? We’re going to take them together.”
Keifer’s eyes shot open in surprise.
“Are you insane?” he asked. “What makes you think we stand a chance against all of their men?”
“Simple. Yurik is their best duelist, and even he required the help of another to defeat me singlehandedly.”
“So you have lost to him?”
“But with you at my side, we’ll be unstoppable.”
“What makes you so sure of that?”
“Well, how else did you manage to take Twilight and Rainbow Dash off the Guardiaboliques hands.”
“Because I managed to defeat Yurik Clayer myself!”
Orpheus took himself aback at Keifer’s claim, smiling in appreciation.
“So you defeated Yurik Clayer,” he said, “the best duelist the Guardiaboliques have to offer.”
“And how do you know he’s there best?”
“Because Kieran wouldn’t have sent him and another duelist to fight me in their place if he wasn’t.”
Keifer huffed as he felt his options becoming fewer and fewer.
“You defeated Yurik on your own,” Orpheus continued, “and Yurik required the assistance of another just to beat me. You’ve seen my power, and I’ve seen yours. What chance do you think the Guardiaboliques have when we combine our powers together?”
Keifer read Orpheus’s face and looked for any signs of bluffing, only to find none.
“Where is this base of theirs?” Keifer finally asked.
“There’s an abandoned factory southwest of Chicago. Our experts have been trying to find it for years in-between our more important assignments, but along with globe-spanning trips, he can also afford to make scramblers that even our men couldn’t penetrate… until now.”
“And how do you expect me to get there?”
“Easy. I’ll signal you and you can just ‘drop-in.’”
Keifer nodded, knowing exactly what he was referring to.
“Also,” Orpheus said without a hint of jest or sarcasm, “I want you to bring the other ponies with you.”
“And why would I do that?” Keifer suddenly growled.
Orpheus breathed in and prepared his case.
“Yurik really seems to care for the ponies, Twilight especially,” he stated. “If you don’t bring her from wherever you’re holding her, he’ll assume the worst of his friend, and I guarantee you that he’ll not only do everything in his power to defeat you, he’ll make sure it hurts. You haven’t harmed the ponies, have you?”
“Of course not,” Keifer answered.
“Then you should be fine. Temporarily unite him with his friends and soften him up. Then you can beat him. Nothing hurts that boy worse than false hope.”
“And the other duelists?”
“What about them? Yurik is the strongest among them, and if he won’t win against us, then why should you concern yourself with the others?”
Keifer frowned with reluctance, staying silent while he weighed in Orpheus’s strategy.
“Also,” Orpheus said, “I’m sure that the ponies and that baby dragon that the Guardiaboliques have would be glad to see their friends after so much time apart.”
“Alright,” relented Keifer. “I’ll do it. Just tell me where I need to be and I’ll be there.”
“Excellent. I’ll be there in five minutes. Just bring the ponies with.”
Orpheus turned to leave, only for Keifer to stay perfectly still.
“What’s your mission?” Keifer asked. “What’s your purpose in retrieving these ponies?”
Orpheus stopped, but did not turn to face the expectant dragon.
“As an officer of the law,” he said. “I cannot let the Guardiaboliques use Celestia’s promise to absolve themselves of any crimes they have committed or escape justice. And what about you?”
Keifer was slightly aghast at the question as Orpheus looked back at him, but he regained his composure.
“I’m…” he said with a touch of vulnerability, “going to find the only family I can hope to have left…”
“Hmm,” pondered Orpheus. “How noble of you. That resolve will get us far. Now, make haste. There isn’t much time left to lose.”
“Of, course,” Keifer said, unfurling his wings.
Orpheus kept his eyes tightly on the dragon as he shot up into the sky with a single flap of his wings, disappearing into the night sky. As Orpheus continued gazing, a blue, wispy aura snaked out from the deck slot of Orpheus’s wrist, and formed into Eurydice, who now stood beside him.
“Do you think you can take him?” she asked with caution.
“Perhaps not on my own,” sighed Orpheus, “but together we certainly will.”
Eurydice smiled contently at the reply.
“Come,” he beckoned, turning around and walking away from the Faber’s house, “let’s get you home.”
Eurydice transformed into a sphere of light that flew behind Orpheus and enveloped his entire body, suddenly shrinking into nothingness with a loud rush of wind.
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Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity slept on the ground within the black void. Rarity rolled about every few seconds, completely uncomfortable on the hard, nearly stony floor. Suddenly, Keifer emerged through the floor near them, the loud wave of his wings awaking the three ponies. Twilight and Rainbow Dash shot up, alert, while Rarity moaned and rolled upright to her stomach.
“It’s bad enough that we have to sleep on the floor…” groaned Rarity.
“What do you want now?” grunted Rainbow Dash.
“We’re taking you to see your friends,” he answered.
“Pfft! Yeah right! Like we’re going to fall for that.”
“Tell me, then,” he spoke, scanning to all the ponies, “who is Orpheus?”
Twilight and Rainbow Dash suddenly shot their eyes open once again on the utterance of the name, Keifer’s squinting eyes seeing through to their certain knowledge. Even from behind, Rarity could tell by their jerked motions that the name meant something important to them.
“Don’t lie to me,” Keifer said. “Tell me exactly who he is, or you’ll never see them again.”
“He’s…” Twilight answered reluctantly, “a friend. He’s a friend of ours.”
“A friend you say?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash vouched, “he helped us find our friends, including Rarity! He tried taking me and Twilight away, but Yurik and his friends beat him and he decided to help us instead!”
“Why?” wondered Twilight. “What does he have to do with anything?”
Keifer studied Twilight and Rainbow Dash’s eyes, not finding any mistruth in them.
“Nothing you should concern yourself with,” he said. “Come. We’re returning to Earth now.”
Walking further into the void, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity exchanged a nervous look before following him down.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Kieran, Yurik, Walt, Alice, Marcus, the ponies, and Spike stood around as they awaited Keifer’s arrival. Just then, Donald ran up to Kieran with his iPad and showed him an image of Orpheus standing outside the factory gates, twirling his chain about in the air with the red and blue crystals glowing bright.
“They’re coming,” he reported.
“Thank you,” Kieran said, taking the tablet from him and tapping on the screen. “You, Marcus, go up to the entrance. Be sure to greet our guest if he manages to get in.”
“Yes, sir!” they both answered.
Just as a large screen appeared on the wall of the dueling room, showing the image from the iPad, Donald took his tablet and ran to the exit with Marcus following close behind. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the screen, unable to see Marcus and Donald exit.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Come on,” Orpheus hissed, his chain continuing to spin in his hand as he looked to the sky.
The sound of falling soon came, along with the landing of scaled feet and hard hooves. Orpheus turned around and faced Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Keifer, the former two surprised to see him. Orpheus quickly grabbed his chain and put his arm back down, the chain going with him.
“Orpheus?” Twilight and Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“Yes,” growled Keifer with a winding arm, “hello, friend!”
With a whip, a fireball shot out of Keifer’s fingertips. Orpheus held his chain up to the blast with both hands, the strength of which sent him flying back and crashing into the gate. Keifer wound his arm again as he watched the man crumple to the ground, making Twilight and Rarity gasp in horror.
“Orpheus!” screamed Rainbow Dash.
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Inside the dueling room, Yurik, Alice, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie stood horrified while Kieran and Walt looked furious.
“Orpheus,” shouted Walt, “no!”
Kieran snarled as Orpheus weakly got up
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Keifer set down his arm as Orpheus wobbled to his feet.
“You know,” sighed Orpheus, “that really hurt.”
“Shut your mouth!” ordered Keifer. “I heard what you said about those guys having the dragon. He was in Vienna with Rarity, but I never managed to get him. The only way you could have known that they managed to retrieve him is if they told you, but it’s still moot. These ponies told me your true colors, and now you’re going to pay for attempting to betray me.”
“Please don’t,” whimpered Rainbow Dash.
“I’m not giving you a choice!” roared Keifer, throwing his arm out with another strong fireball shooting from it.
“No!” Twilight and Rainbow Dash shrieked.
Before the fireball could hit its target, the fireball exploded off the surface of an blue, lightening shield that appeared before the human. The light morphed like water until it formed into the familiar blue peryton.
“Eurydice!” Rainbow Dash and Twilight shouted, suddenly gladdened by her appearance.
Both Keifer and Rarity were stunned by the creature that now stood before them.
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“Alright,” Walt breathed, “way to go, Eurydice.”
Kieran refused to look relieved, staring up at the fight that was soon to happen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Don’t you harm my friend!” Eurydice barked.
Keifer stepped back defensively, visibly intimidated by the peryton.
“It seems there’s even more to you than I had thought,” Keifer spoke.
He then looked to Orpheus’s left wrist, spotting his wrist device.
“So you’re a duelist,” Keifer inquired.
Eurydice frowned, knowing what was to come.
“Orpheus,” she whispered with a turn of her head, “let’s beat him down like we always intended. I’ll enjoy watching this one suffer.”
Orpheus nodded to Eurydice, turning his attention to Eurydice before she faded into a blue-lighted mist and seeped back into Orpheus’s deck.
“Yes,” he responded to Keifer, “I am a duelist, and nothing would do me and my friend more pleasure than to defeat you and take these ponies from your hands, but I unless that rock on your own wrist is a duel disk, I don’t think you’re in any position to–”
Keifer threw his left arm out, the black disk thrusting off of it and floating beside it. The deck and spell/trap and graveyard slots appeared in a puff of flames followed by the singular blade of the disk shooting out from the flat end of the duel disk. Orpheus stood silent and slightly shocked.
“You were saying?” asked Keifer with condescension.
Orpheus pursed his lips, knowing his point to be beaten.
“Fair enough!” he shouted, swinging his chain into his left arm.
Orpheus’s chain stopped inches from the forearm and pulled itself taught before shifting into its pointed shape. The left blue crystal and the right red crystal shone brightly, much to Keifer’s intrigue. Orpheus looked past Keifer to see the ponies cowering slightly behind him.
“Girls,” he called to them, “please step away from him. This is a fight you do not want to be in the middle of.”
The ponies stayed submissively still behind Keifer before he turned around with his serious glare.
“Listen to your friend,” he said in a venomous tone. “Go on.”
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Yurik and Walt watched with slight relief as Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity shuffled to the right of Keifer and sat just in front of the bushes.
“Come on, Ron,” Yurik whispered.
Kieran squinted as he awaited the very beginning of the brutal clash that was already set to start.
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“If you truly care for your friends and these ponies,” warned Keifer, “you will not let me get past you or that gate.”
“I’ll be sure not to,” he responded. “Keifer, this is as far as your mission goes. Your journey ends here.”
“My journey will be ended by my and mine alone. Now go, Orpheus! Give me the first taste of the combined efforts of the Guardiaboliques!”
“My pleasure.”
“DUEL!” they both finally exclaimed.
================
Orpheus:
LP: 4000
Keifer:
LP: 4000
================
“I’ll take the first turn!” declared Orpheus, his hand over his first card. “I summon Nyx, Night of Void Deep!”
Placing his monster upon his center link, a blue portal opened on the ground feet from Orpheus’s spot. Rising up out of it was a black faceless humanoid with large blue eyes and short black hair. It didn’t appear to have clothes, instead revealing a very skinny body with two noticeable lumps in its chest which appeared to be breasts.
Nyx, Night of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4
“Next,” continued Orpheus, slipping a green card into the top slot of his wrist device, “I activate the continuous spell card Price of Phlegethon!”
The card appeared face up and flat on the ground at Orpheus’s feet, showing a group of monsters, their mouths open in agony, as their heads were kept up within red, flaming body of water.
“All Void Deep monsters that I control that would be sent to the graveyard are banished instead,” he explained, “but if a monster is destroyed by battle or by an effect from an opponent’s card, the opponent takes damage equal to the destroyed monster’s level times 100 at the end of the damage step.”
Keifer huffed with disdainful anticipation. The spell card then sunk into the ground and formed as a small red pool in the ground. The liquid quickly spread out to both sides of the battlefield, forcing Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity to shift to out of the way. Immediately, the three ponies were offended by the heat and stench of the river that now formed, their manes and tails raising on end and queasy looks appearing on their face.
“It’s really hot!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed through hooves covering her nose.
“And that smell,” gagged Twilight, “it’s…”
“It’s blood!” Rarity exclaimed with tearing eyes.
Orpheus ignored the ponies’ plight and took out one card from his hand, slipping it face down into his spell and trap slot.
“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said, the card’s backing appearing on the field.
Status: Hand: 2 Life: 4000 Monsters: 1 Pendulum Zones: 0 Pendulum Scale: – Spells/Traps: 2
I’m sorry, friends, he thought, looking at the ponies’ faces. I must defeat him, and this is all I can do right now. You’ll have to bear with me.
Orpheus redirected his attention to the dragon before him as he observed his own hand.
If his aim is to banish, planned Keifer, I need to be sure that any time I destroy a monster of his, I inflict at least 100 life points more than the damage I’ll take with his spell’s effect.
“Here I come!” called Keifer, his hand reaching for his deck. “My turn! Draw!”
Keifer looked into his newly drawn card, keeping his arm held out to place it onto his duel disk.
“I summon Dragma Phrear!” he shouted, throwing the card onto his center zone.
A blue portal emerged, and a skinny, red, bipedal dragon with wings came out from it. A large rocky gash was upon its back in between the bases of the rings.
Dragma Phrear
ATK: 1500
Lvl.: 4
“I now activate the effect of Dragma Frear,” he stated. “When this card is normal summoned, I can special summon one monster from my hand in face-down defense position.”
Keifer quickly picked a card in his hand and set it beside his face-up Dragma card with it facing the left. The backing of the card appeared beside the magical rendering of the monster on the field.
“Also,” Keifer added, “if Dragma Phrear is destroyed, my face-down monster is destroyed, and then you take damage equal to half of its ATK, whatever it may be.”
Orpheus growled as he saw Keifer’s strategy unfold.
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“Dammit,” Yurik grunted. “He could have easily set his Magmal Dragon there, and his monster is stronger than his Nyx.”
“But, Yurik,” commented Applejack, “if Keifer attacks his monster, he’ll take damage from his spell card!”
“That’s not the point,” Spike said with a flat, foreboding tone. “Nyx is only level 4. If it’s destroyed, Keifer will take 400 damage. Still, Orpheus will take that and 100 more in battle damage when the attack hits.”
“But it’s not by much,” Yurik reasoned. “Hopefully, Keifer won’t make too big a fool of him.”
“We can only hope,” added Walt.
Kieran still stood still and observant, his hands visibly clutching the sleeves of his shirt.
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“Battle!” shouted Keifer. “Dragma Phrear, attack Nyx, Night of Void Deep! Scalding Scorch!”
Keifer’s dragon took in a massive exhale and blew out a gale of steam at the white monster. The creature groaned as its skin charred before exploding into shards of itself. The steam and pieces of Orpheus’s monster blew into him, making him squeal from the sudden pain he felt.
Orpheus’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3500
The steam finally faded away, allowing Orpheus to open his eyes and observe his situation.
“He inflicted real damage,” he thought aloud, “just like I can.”
“Orpheus!” Eurydice exclaimed inside his head. “Now’s your chance! Let him know your fury!”
“Right,” he responded with a nod. “Now the effect of Price of Phlegethon activates, banishing my monster! Also, since Nyx was level 4, you take 400 damage through my spell’s other effect!”
A large bubble appeared in the river of blood between the two duelists, which burst open and spat a fiery blast at Orpheus. The flames coated him, and Keifer too yelped with the sheer heat of the flames against his scales.
Keifer’s Life Points: 4000 -> 3600
“Still,” Keifer growled as the flames subsided, “you still took more damage than me. As long as I can continue landing attacks like that, you will not outlast me.”
“We’ll just see about that,” Orpheus said, plucking a card from his hand and revealing it. “I now activate the effect of Hemera, Day of Void Deep in my hand! When Nyx is removed from the field while this card is in my hand, I can special summon it in attack position!”
Orpheus threw his card onto the center link where his last monster had previously been. From the blue portal that opened up on the ground at the bank of the bloody river was a pure-white, faceless humanoid with big, solid blue eyes and long, blonde hair. Its skin was seemingly grafted to a white dress that hung past its knees.
Hemera, Night of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4
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“Alright!” Walt cheered. “Now he’ll be able to tribute summon Eurydice next turn!”
“However,” said Alice, “even if he summons her, she’ll still have only 2000 ATK. Magmal Dragon had 2500 DEF, right?”
“Yes?”
“Then that means he’ll be 2500 short. Unless he can find a way to increase the ATK of his monsters, he’s stuck, unless he wants to take a potential 1500 damage.”
“Jesus,” sighed Mary. “He’s never met the guy and he’s already walking circles around Orpheus’s strategy!”
“Calm down, Mary,” said Yurik. “Ron is a lot smarter than that. I’m sure he’ll come back around.”
“Ron? Who’s Ron?”
“It’s his real name,” Walt answered. “He really trusts his friend.”
Kieran remained silent, his grip on his shirt less tight with Orpheus’s monster on the field.
“Ronny!” screamed Pinkie Pie. “Kick his butt!”
“Uh, sugarcube?” asked Applejack. “You know he can’t hear you, right?”
Pinkie Pie reached behind her and pulled out a megaphone, aiming it at the screen.
“RONNY!” she shrieked, forcing every soul inside the room to cover their ears. “IF YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW, KICK HIS BUTT!!”
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Keifer stared at Orpheus’s monster, snarling at it. The monster squinted at the dragon with angry intimidation.
“Your deck has some surprises, no doubt,” Keifer admitted, “but do you think they will take these ponies from me?”
“I don’t doubt it for a second,” Orpheus said with a smirk.
Keifer glared back at his opponent.
“Then that will make your defeat all the more tragic,” he said.
Keifer took one card in his hand and slipped it into his spell and trap slot on the base of his duel disk.
“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he said as the card’s backing appeared on the field.
Status: Hand: 3 Life: 3600 Monsters: 2 Pendulum Zones: 0 Pendulum Scale: – Spells/Traps: 1
“You best be treading lightly, Orpheus,” warned Keifer. “Make the wrong decision this turn, and it will cost you dearly.”
“You’ve already correctly suspected me of working for Kieran,” said Orpheus, “so do you really think that he and everyone who knows him, including and especially Yurik, wouldn’t have told me about your deck and your ace monster?”
Keifer snarled at Orpheus with a truly frustrated face.
“I’m not letting you past this gate,” Orpheus promised. “I’ll be sure those ponies return home…”
He then looked to the one card in his hand, which contained his Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep card.
“…as well as you.”
“Come on, Orpheus!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “You got this!”
“Make him pay!” cried Rarity.
“Beat him, Orpheus!” yelled Twilight.
Orpheus turned to them and gave them a nod.
“And it’s clear that these ponies would rather be anywhere but with you,” he said, “so now, I’m going to bring them back to their friends! My turn! Draw!”
Orpheus added his card to his hand.
“The effect of Hemera, Day of Void Deep now activates,” called Orpheus, pointing at his monster with his hand. “During each standby phase, Hemera, Day of Void Deep is banished.”
A black portal opened in the red river below, and Hemera sunk into it, the portal closing up closely behind.
“What?” gasped Keifer.
“Then,” Orpheus continued, “I activate the effect of my banished Nyx, Night of Void Deep, special summoning it in attack position when Hemera, Day of Void Deep is banished!”
Another portal opened up again, this time, the black female humanoid rising out from it and taking its place back on the field.
Nyx, Night of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Strange,” Alice thought aloud. “I wonder what that did.”
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Orpheus smirked as he removed his Eurydice card from his hand.
“I tribute my Nyx, Night of Void Deep to tribute summon a monster from my hand,” Orpheus declared.
With a swipe of his hand, Orpheus removed his Nyx card from his chain link and positioned his Eurydice card on it in its place.
“She who has crossed through space to this realm” he chanted as an ethereal portal opened up in the sky above the field, “stun your enemies with your majesty and then devastate them with your raw strength!”
Orpheus’s blue peryton soared down from the portal and spiraled down to the field, much to the wonder and joy of the ponies below.
“Descend!” he called. “Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!”
With a gentle landing of her back hooves, Eurydice took her place on the field before the sheer shock on Keifer’s face.
Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5
Eurydice moaned as she stretched her wings and limbs out.
“It’s about time I get to come out,” she said.
“Eurydice!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash happily.
The peryton turned to the ponies and gave them a smiling nod.
“It’s great to see you all again, Rainbow Dash, Twilight,” Eurydice addressed.
At this point, Keifer was stunned beyond belief.
“Unbelievable!” he breathed. “His monster can talk to the ponies?”
“Keep your focus on the duel, Keifer!” snapped Eurydice. “I want to watch you suffer for what you’ve done to these ponies.”
Keifer, feeling the icy chill of Eurydice’s voice, bared his teeth and squinted his eyes.
“You won’t be doing any of that,” Keifer said. “Your monster might have more ATK than mine, but don’t forget about Dragma Phrear’s effect. If you destroy it, you’ll take damage equal to half the attack of the face-down monster beside it.”
“I know,” Orpheus said. “I had planned that out the moment you used its effect.”
“What?”
“The effect of my banished Hemera, Day of Void Deep now activates, allowing me to special summon it in attack position if Nyx, Night of Void Deep is banished.”
A black, cloudy portal opened on the ground to Eurydice’s right, and the white, dressed, and blonde haired humanoid that had been destroyed was now back on the field, the tips of its toes being the only thing touching the ground.
Hemera, Day of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4
“Wait a second,” Rarity asked, “if Nyx was tributed, wouldn’t it be sent to the graveyard?”
“Normally,” Twilight replied with a confident smile, “but his Price of Phlegethon makes it so all his monsters are banished instead.
“So then his monster’s effect can activate!” concluded Rainbow Dash. “Way to go, Orpheus!”
Keifer growled as he predicted the outcome of the turn, only for Orpheus to smile, knowing his opponent had no idea what he was in for.
“And now the effect of Hemera, Day of Void Deep activates!” declared Orpheus. “When this banished card is special summoned by the effect of Nyx, Night of Void Deep, all Void Deep monsters I control gain 600 ATK!”
“600 ATK?” roared Keifer.
Hemera rose off from the ground and high into the air, the ends of her dress floating around her as if it were in water.
“Now my both of my monsters will be vastly stronger than your Dragma Phrear!” Orpheus stated.
Just then, Hemera threw its arms out and covered the field in a revealing light like miniature sun. Keifer and the ponies shielded their eyes away from the sudden brightness. However, the energy from Hemera’s glow cast an aura around both itself and Eurydice below, the latter smirking as she awaited to attack.
Hemera, Day of Void Deep
ATK: 1000 -> 1600
Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800 -> 2400
“Also,” added Orpheus, just as Keifer looked back, now having gotten used to the light, “Eurydice gains 100 ATK for every monster of mine that’s banished! I have Nyx, Night of Void Deep there, so its ATK is raised by 100!”
Eurydice unfurled its wings and allowed the shadow-like body of Nyx appear beneath the left one, a blue aura now coating her.
ATK: 2400 -> 2500
“Does he really intend to attack my Dragma Phrear?” Keifer rasped. “Is he really willing to damage himself to defeat me?”
“Battle!” shouted Orpheus. “Hemera, Day of Void Deep, attack Dragma Phrear! Razing Rays!”
Hemera crossed her arms over her chest and then whipped them out, launching a spiraling beam of light that shot straight at Keifer’s monster. The beams struck it and shattered the dragon, the fragments of which flew into Keifer along with the frayed light that bounced off from the attack.
Keifer’s Life Points: 3600 -> 3500
“Dragma Phear’s effect activates,” stated Keifer, “destroying the face-down monster set by its effect!”
A swirling pillar of steam encircled the face down card, only for a faded image of the torso up of an anguished Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon to appear above it before both shattered away. However the shards were left suspended in the air.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Of course he did,” hissed Yurik. “Ron’s in trouble now.”
“Don’t worry, yourself,” Kieran instructed. “I know him enough that he won’t let a little damage defeat him now.”
Yurik still shuddered at the thought, keeping his eyes to the screen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Keifer removed his face-down card from his zone and revealed it to Orpheus, it indeed being his Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon.
“My destroyed Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon has 3000 ATK,” spoke Keifer, “which means you’ll be taking 1500 damage!”
Keifer whipped his arm out, the shards of the destroyed monster shooting out at Orpheus and catching fire. The flames merged together before Orpheus and exploded before him, the heat and force of the blast throwing Orpheus off his feet and out, making him yell loudly at the extent of the pain he experienced.
Orpheus’s Life Points: 3500 -> 2000
“Orpheus!” screamed Twilight and Rainbow Dash.
Orpheus nimbly kept his body upright and landed to his feet, the force still pushing him along the ground near the gate. Regardless, Orpheus’s stance was wide and feeble his upper body hung low as he tried catching his breath.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The attention of every human, pony, and dragon in the dueling room leaned in with fearfully clenched teeth as they continued to watch Orpheus fail to stand upright.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Keifer grinned as seconds continued to pass, while alternatively, Eurydice whimpered slightly. However, with a great heave, Orpheus shot back up, walking calmly back to the field, much to the relief of Eurydice and the ponies and to Keifer’s dismay.
“That’s it!” cheered Rainbow Dash. “Go get ‘im!”
Keifer yowled through his teeth, his field completely open to Orpheus’s next attack. Orpheus snickered, knowing that his expression matched Eurydice’s.
“Eurydice,” he spoke, “take flight.”
“My pleasure!” she said, flapping her wings and herself into the air.
“Now, Eurydice, attack Keifer directly! Spatial Talon Tearing!”
Eurydice shot down at the now frightened Keifer, who braced his head with his arms.
“You’re not getting off that easy!” shouted Orpheus, pulling his last card from his hand, revealing it to show art of Persephone, Queen of Void Deep slashing at a soldier. “I activate the quick-play spell Stygian Thrashing! When a Void Deep monster declares a direct attack, it gains 500 ATK during the battle phase!”
“Another 500?” gasped Keifer.
Eurydice’s speed increased, a cone of blue light forming around her as she sped to her enemy.
ATK: 2500 -> 3000
“Finish your attack!” shouted Orpheus. “Take him out!”
Keifer clenched his arms and fists harder just as Eurydice swung her arm around and up, striking the dragon straight in the abdomen, sending him flying and shouting into the air.
Keifer’s Life Points: 3500 -> 500
Keifer fell flat onto his back, sliding down several feet down the road and lying still. At once, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity cheered and stamped their front hooves in excitement over Keifer’s imminent loss.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Yurik and his friends cheered as well, as they watched Eurydice return proudly to Orpheus’s field.
“He must have heard me!” chirped Pinkie Pie, hopping up and down. “He must have heard me!”
Kieran let out a smile, gladdened by his friend’s ingenuity.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Keifer crawled to his hands and knees, struggling to stand back up.
“Well done, Eurydice,” cooed Orpheus.
“You commanded me well,” Eurydice responded. “You still have something left to do.”
“I realize. I activate the next effect of Stygian Thrashing,” he called to the now-standing Keifer with his hands on his deck, “allowing me to draw one card!”
Orpheus glanced at his newly drawn card, keeping his arm held out.
“I place one card face down and end my turn,” he shouted, throwing the card into his device with the backing appearing next to his other set card.
Status: Hand: 0 Life: 2000 Monsters: 2 Pendulum Zones: 0 Pendulum Scale: – Spells/Traps: 3
Keifer took in heavy, labored breaths as he regained his composure and strength. Turning himself around, he limped slightly back to the spot on his field.
“You think I’m an evil monster, don’t you?” questioned Keifer.
“Silence!” shouted Orpheus. “You have no right to talk down to me!”
“But I do. When you ‘captured’ Rainbow Dash as you said, just how did you get her? Were you able to call her over like an obedient dog, or did you have to use force?”
Orpheus attempted to answer, only for the words to catch in his throat.
“Either way,” said Keifer, standing back into place, “don’t answer. I know you told me enough of the truth to try and lure me out and ambush me. She was probably terrified, wasn’t she! Did she squirm to break free? Did she cry when her struggle was futile?”
“Shut up!” Rainbow Dash screamed. “He learned his lesson, and he’s fighting for his friend!”
“Friend?” Keifer asked to Orpheus. “You mean the peryton that fights for you?”
“Yes,” answered Orpheus. “Once we gather these ponies, Celestia will help return her home, wherever that may be. That is my true reason for returning these ponies home.”
“Was that your excuse? Back when you were hunting these ponies like wild game, that is?”
Orpheus growled, hurt by the unfortunate truth in his words.
“I can tell you this,” said Keifer. “You’ll be sorely disappointed when you realize how much of a heartless nag your beloved princess is.”
“That’s not true!” yelled Twilight. “I don’t know what you think Celestia did to your family, but she’d never do that! Not in a million years!”
“It’s because of her that was alone in this world, but it’s my master that gave me a reason to fight. It’s my master that gave me my strength and a promise to restore whatever’s left of my family! And now, I will use that strength to defeat you and have that promise fulfilled!”
Orpheus stepped his stance back, preparing for Keifer’s move.
“My turn!” Keifer shouted, his fingers pinching his deck. “Draw!”
“The effect of Hemera, Day of Night now activates!” Orpheus exclaimed suddenly. “During each standby phase, Hemera, Day of Void Deep is banished!”
Hemera stopped glowing and quickly floated down towards the black portal opening up on the ground, sinking inside of it. With the absence of Orpheus’s monster, the glow covering Eurydice ceased.
ATK: 2500 -> 2000
“Then,” added Orpheus, “when Hemera, Day of Void Deep is banished, I can special summon my banished Nyx, Night of Void Deep in attack position!”
The black portal remained open, and from it, the black-skinny humanoid floated out from it and stood lightly upon the ground.
Nyx, Night of Void Deep
ATK: 1000
Lvl.: 4
With the removal of another banished monster, a red aura covered Eurydice, making her sigh in annoyance.
ATK: 2000 -> 1900
“Finally,” Orpheus said, “I activate my trap card, Stygian Spring!”
Orpheus’s last set card flipped up, showing Hemera, Day of Void Deep and Nyx, Night of Void Deep, floating beside a silver fountain.
“When a Void Deep monster with 1000 or less ATK I control is banished,” he explained, “I gain life points equal to that monster’s ATK!”
An apparition of Hemera floated over Orpheus and shone a light over him.
Orpheus’s Life Points: 2000 -> 3000
“My Hemera, Day of Void Deep has 1000 ATK,” he continued, “so I gain 1000 life points.”
The ghostly monster then disappeared, along with the light.
It’s returned, thought Keifer as he eyed Nyx. I can only wonder what its effect is now that it’s been summoned through Hemera’s effect. However, I cannot stop here…
Looking to his drawn card, he kept it in his hand and picked another card from the cards in his left, revealing both to his opponent, both being pendulum monsters.
“I set the pendulum scale with the scale 1 Dragma Pompeii and the scale 9 Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon,” he declared.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“This again,” Yurik spat, his eyes still on Keifer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Keifer threw both cards on the outer zones of his blade, causing the sky to turn a dark-lighted blue. Just then, two pools of lava gurgled from the earth, two blue pillars rising from it. Inside pillars to the left and right of Keifer, respectively, were his gray dragon with glowing red cracks and his red-and-gold dragon with the wings made of fire. The star appeared in the sky and a 1 and a 9 appeared underneath both monsters.
Dragma Pompeii
Pendulum Scale: 1
Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
Pendulum Scale: 9
“I can now special summon monsters from my hand or extra deck whose levels are 2 through 8,” Keifer proclaimed, a card ejecting face-up from his graveyard slot.
“His destroyed dragon,” hissed Orpheus. “Of course!”
“Great beast within the ocean of flames,” chanted Keifer as lava broke through the earth at the center of Keifer’s field, “ascend from the crust of the earth and leave your foes in ruins! Pendulum summon!”
Keifer slammed the card onto his zone, a large geyser of molten rock and metal shooting from the ground. A pair of wings of fire broke through the hot pillar, soon followed by the emergence of Keifer’s red-and-gold dragon as its arms and legs pushed through and ended the lava’s gush.
“Arise,” he shouted, “lord of the mountain of fire! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”
Keifer’s dragon fell feet-first, landing on the ground to face Orpheus and his monsters with a guttural and sweltering roar.
Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon
ATK: 3000
Lvl.: 8
Orpheus looked amazed at the monster, along with Rarity, and even Twilight and Rainbow Dash as they looked upon it once again. The void-like blackness of Magmal Dragon’s eyes continued to strike a slight fear into Orpheus’s face, but with a scowl, he came to.
“I activate the effect of Nyx, Night of Void Deep!” he exclaimed. “If this banished monster was special summoned by the effect of Hemera, Day of Void Deep, I can target one monster that the opponent has summoned this turn and reduce its ATK by 1000 while Nyx stays on the field, and I’ll choose your Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon!”
Nyx crossed its arms and threw them both out, casting a black orb with purple tesla-like bolts dancing inside of it and hurling it at Keifer’s dragon. The orb burst over the dragon, covering it in a dark-purple aura that sparked on its body, making it stand weakly on its knee.
ATK: 3000 -> 2000
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Alright!” Walt shouted. “Now Keifer can only attack Nyx if he doesn’t want to lose!”
“That’s it, Ron,” whispered Yurik excitedly. “You’ve got this!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Keifer looked behind him and snarled to see his monster in such a state.
“The only monster you can attack this turn now is my Nyx, Night of Void Deep,” said Keifer. “Even if you do, you’ll only be taking damage thanks to my Price of Phlegethon card.”
“That’s true right now,” Keifer said. “But I won’t need to choose who to attack, nor will I choose any other monster!”
“What was that?”
“I activate my spell card, Pryo Pressure!” he shouted, revealing art of an Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon blasting a fireball from its mouth, its scales having caught fire in various places. “When the ATK of a Dragma or Magmal monster that I control is lower than its original ATK, I can double my monster’s current ATK until the end phase!”
The purple aura that surrounded Magmal Dragon went alight, seemingly burning the aura off of him. The dragon’s muscles bulged and parts of its body went aflame, roaring at the massive energy coursing through it. Orpheus stared up at Keifer’s now supercharged monster with fear and trembling.
ATK: 2000 -> 4000
“4000 ATK?” shouted Twilight.
“This isn’t good!” moaned Rainbow Dash.
“I must thank you for monster’s effect,” spoke Keifer. “It’s now stronger than ever. Even though Pyro Pressure’s effect destroys the monster it affects at the end of the turn and inflicts damage equal to its original ATK, it doesn’t matter, because my monster is powerful enough to be able to reduce your life points to 0. Now, battle! Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon, attack Nyx, Night of Void Deep! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”
The dragon reared its neck and head back as fire built up inside the monster’s jaws. Throwing his head forwards, a massive plume of flames and ash shot from the monster’s mouth at the terrified looking Nyx.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Ron, no!” screamed Yurik, running close to the screen. “Get out of there!”
Beside their two pony friends, Fluttershy and Spike dipped down and covered their eyes with their arms, shaking in fear at what was going to happen to their friend.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Orpheus!” shrieked Rainbow Dash.
“I activate my trap,” shouted Orpheus with a whip of his arm, “Swift Shift!”
A card appeared showing a large wolf leaping up to a powerful beam, separating itself from a pair of cubs cowering on the ground below.
“When the opponent declares an attack,” he explained, “I can change the attack target to a monster with higher ATK than the original target!”
Eurydice reared itself back and leap up into the beam’s path.
“My Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep will now take the hit!”
The blast struck Eurydice, making her cry out in agony before she burst into thousands of gold sparks.
“With this attack,” Orpheus grunted as loose rock and fire from the blast shot past him, “I’ll have just enough life points to survive!”
The rest of the beam collided into Orpheus, throwing him back into the air screaming.
Orpheus’s Life Points: 3000 -> 900
Orpheus flipped about and grunted loudly as he tried to regain his balance. His feet managed to land upon the ground, but the force still pushed him back to fall, tumbling backwards towards the gate. The ponies gasped as Orpheus finally came to a stop, his feet landing down and holding him back up. Keifer clenched his teeth together as he watched Orpheus, full of determination, stand strongly before his opponent.
“And now,” panted Orpheus, “the effect of Price of Phlegethon activates, inflicting damage to your life points equal to Eurydice’s level times 100. You will take 500 damage, but you only have 500 left. This is the end for you.”
The ponies grew wide smiles as a bubble in the river between the two duelists swelled and burst open, spitting flames at the dragon.
“Goodbye, Keifer,” bid Orpheus.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Yes…” huffed Yurik. “Yes…!”
Pinkie Pie took a large inhale, growing higher in pitch as the flames came closer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Keifer stood still, suddenly clenching the final card in his hand. Upon seeing it, Orpheus’s eyes went wide with terror.
“I activate my quick-play spell, Obsidian Catcher,” he stated, revealing a card showing art of an ornate dreamcatcher made from a shiny black rock. “When I activate this card, all effect damage becomes halved for the rest of the turn.”
The card in his hand glowed before the dreamcatcher materialized from the artwork and enlarged before the oncoming flames. The fire was sucked in through the center and sprayed back out the other end, the flames considerably weaker than before. The fire washed over Keifer and made him groan as he shielded his face and eyes from the heat.
Keifer’s Life Points: 500 -> 250
Keifer unveiled his face once the fires had disappeared, allowing him to see the slightly-scared, but infuriated Orpheus standing before him.
“Not goodbye, yet,” Keifer said with a slight smirk.
Not sure why you’re smiling, you monster, thought Orpheus. This duel is over. All you can do now is end your turn and take damage from your Pyro Pressure card.
Despite this comforting thought, Keifer refused to say the final words. At that moment, Orpheus noticed the face-down card that Keifer had before his feet.
No! he suddenly realized. He’s had that card set since the beginning! He even had his Pyro Pressure in his hand since the beginning as well! He plans on carrying this duel out! I need to be ready!
“I activate the effect of Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep!” he shouted. “When this card is banished, I can special summon it!”
A swirling blue vortex opened on the ground, allowing Eurydice to fly from it and land beside Nyx on the field, smiling confidently at what would come the next turn.
Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep
ATK: 1800
Lvl.: 5
Despite the air of confidence exerted by Orpheus, Eurydice, and the ponies, Keifer began to chuckle, which then changed into a soft, but unnerving laugh. The ponies’ smiles soon became frowns as they slowly realized the nature of the dragon’s disposition.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Everyone inside the dueling room was silent and unsure, staring at Keifer through the screen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“What are you giggling about?” Orpheus questioned.
“You thought I was up to something with my trap, didn’t you?” he asked back. “I was, but it wasn’t what you were expecting. Had you left your Eurydice alone, I would have taken Pyro Pressure’s damage, and you would have indeed won, but instead… you’ve only signed your death warrant.”
Orpheus gasped as he realized his fatal error.
“I activate my trap,” Keifer declared, “Magmal Backdraft!”
Keifer’s card flipped up, revealing a collection of flames swirling around a smoky, purple wyvern with a green ankh on its stomach.
“When a monster is special summoned to my opponent’s field during the battle phase,” he clarified grimly, “I can target one Dragma or Magmal monster I control that has declared an attack this turn and have it make a second attack in a row.”
“What?” shouted Orpheus, sharing the same frightened expression of Eurydice. “Impossible!”
“No!” shouted Rainbow Dash amongst the gasps of her friends. “Orpheus!”
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“No!” screamed Yurik, the others behind him terrified at Orpheus’s inevitable defeat. “No! No! Ron, you can’t!”
Keifer bared his teeth and squinted his eyes, his fists balling in his hands.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
“Obsidian-Eyes Magmal Dragon,” demanded Keifer, “attack Eurydice, Peryton Ruler of Void Deep! Pyroclastic Pillar of Obliteration!”
With a great inhale, Magmal Dragon threw its head forward and blasted at Eurydice, who only shut her eyes and let her tears flow before the force of the fire and ash vaporized her.
“Eurydice!” shrieked Orpheus.
The blast thrust into Orpheus, throwing him back even further than before, crying out as his body flipped about like an unstoppable ragdoll. The ponies watched with wet eyes as he landed hard on the ground and tumbled into the gate, where his body limply crumpled to his stomach.
Orpheus’s Life Points: 900 -> 0
Keifer wins.
Keifer walked forwards, the ponies still as statues as the bloody river returned to its asphalt form as Keifer crossed it, the rest of the monsters and effects of the duel wearing off as well. Rainbow Dash wept as she watched Orpheus’s chain clatter away from the side of his wrist, his Nyx, Night of Void Deep card falling loosely with it.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
On the screen, the humans, ponies, and dragon watched as Keifer picked the unconscious Orpheus by the back of his neck and held him up to the gate.
“This is what will become of you next,” he towards the factory.
Kieran shut his lips and pinched the skull pin on his shirt.
“Donald,” he instructed, “open the gate, now.”
Kieran let go of his pin and kept his eyes glued to the screen, specifically his fallen friend. Yurik breathed through his bared teeth, his hands squeezing as tight as possible.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The gates slowly swung open, forcing Keifer to move out of the way with Orpheus still in his grasp. Once they stopped, Keifer slowly set Orpheus to his knees, where he fell to the side and lied down.
“Come, ponies,” he beckoned, his blade and cards receding back into the disk, which returned to his armband. “We must now return for the rest of your friends.
Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity reluctantly followed with drooped ears and trodden steps, slowing down to pass Orpheus as he continued to lie still. Rainbow Dash stopped only for a second, tearfully patting him on the head before she trotted to catch up.
Once Keifer and the three ponies were past the gate, Orpheus rolled to his back and pulled out his cell phone. With quivering fingers, his thumb dialed three numbers. Upon hitting the green icon on the screen, he dropped his arm down and lied still once again, shutting his eyes. On the screen were the numbers 9-1-1.
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Well, that escalated quickly.
Poor Orpheus...
You know, Keifer's deck isn't even really all that powerful. It just has a MASSIVE amount of trolling cards in it. Like, seriously, the only reason he would even HAVE something like Pyro Pressure or Magmal Backraft would be for the lulz. Unless he knew what deck Orpheus used, but even then, there wouldn't be any guarantee he would've gotten Hemera and Nyx.
4967561 Kite was the same way in Zexal, especially in his first duel with Shark.