Steel was moping about as Burst and the others were discussing Blitz's plan. Honestly, I don't even know what I'm doing here. I haven't really been a key part in any of the crazy events that've happened so far or before, so why am I even listening in? It's not like I've ever done anything that really helps the guys out. Steel sighed. But at least Dash thinks a lot of me. But still, what I wouldn't give to actually help fight off creeps like Blitz. As if one cue, a commotion began at the front of the school. "What's going on?!" Steel went out the front door and saw one guy wearing the cloak of Blitz's minions just shouting at his monsters.
"Hey!", Aneris said.
....Yes?
"No more explanations out of you! It's my turn!", Aneris said with a pout. "I think the audience is getting tired of your voice."
Oh. Have at it.
"Thank you." Aneris then turned to the audience. "Hi! My name's Aneris! And as the title suggests, I'm dueling Steel! Now some of you may be wondering why I've got my monsters just roaring out here. Well I had to get his attention SOMEHOW didn't I? Oh! See you later! He's here right now!" Aneris turned to Steel and waved! "HI!" Steel blinked.
I know Discord can be odd. Same as Pinkie. But THIS guy? I...I have no words., Steel thought to himself. "Um...why are you here?"
"Did you NOT see the bunch of monsters I summoned? Imma duel you!" Aneris then activated his duel disk.
Steel said nothing as he activated his duel disk. Why do I feel like I shouldn't have been lamenting my lack of screentime earlier?
Aneris: 8000
Steel: 8000
"Me first!" Aneris smiled at the cards in his hand. "Since I've got no cards in my spell and trap zone, I can summon out all these monsters! I special summon Alich, Farfa, and Barbar! Malebranches of the Burning Abyss!" Three fiends took Aneris's field! "Now I overlay two of my monsters to xyz summon Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss in defense mode! Now I'll activate his effect! I'll detach an overlay unit and choose a number between one and three! Then I send that many cards from the top of my deck to the graveyard! I'll choose to send three!" Aneris took three cards from the top of his deck and sent them to the graveyard. "Now the effect of the overlay unit I detached activates! Barbar's effect deals 300 points of damage for each Burning Abyss card in my graveyard, and I can target up to three! That means you take 900 points of damage! I end my turn!" Steel winced as sparks of flame hit his life points!
Aneris: 8000
Steel: 7100
Looks like his deck is focused on his cards getting sent to the graveyard! But at least their effects only work when they're sent to the graveyard!, Steel thought! "I draw!" Steel smiled at the card he drew! "I play Super Soldier Synthesis! This lets me send one LIGHT and one DARK monster from my hand and deck to the graveyard whose combined levels equal eight!" A swirling portal of chaos appeared on Steel's field! "Now I summon Black Luster Soldier-Super Soldier! Now the effects of Beginning Knight and Evening Twilight Knight activate since I used them as tributes for a Black Luster Soldier! I'll have Super Soldier attack your monster!" Super Soldier charged at Dante, and cut him down instantly! "Super Soldier's effect lets him deal that monster's attack points as damage!"
"I don't think so!", Aneris said with a grin! "Since you sent Dante to the graveyard, his materials go with him! Now their effects go off! I'll use Farfa's effect to banish your monster!" A portal of fire enveloped Steel's monster and banished it! "Also, I'll use Alich's effects to negate your monster's effects! And since you sent Dante to the graveyard, I can add one Burning Abyss card from my graveyard to my hand!"
"Unbelievable! You got rid of my best monster and you didn't take any damage! I guess I'll end my turn.", Steel said with a frown. Suddenly, a portal opened up returning Super Soldier to Steel's field! "What?!"
Aneris rolled his eyes. "I know my monsters look gruesome, but they're not jerks! Their effects only last until you end your turn. Speaking of turns...I draw! I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands to add a ritual monster from my deck to my hand!" Aneris searched through his deck, and added the ritual spell he was looking for and then shuffled his deck. "Now I'll activate it! Good and Evil in the Burning Abyss! I tribute two monsters from my hand whose levels equal six! I ritual summon Malacoda, Netherlord of the Burning Abyss!" A fearsome looking fiend crawled up from a flaming crater on Aneris's field! "Now for his effect! I can send one Burning Abyss monster from my hand to the gravyeard and target one monster my opponent controls! That monster loses attack and defense equal to the attack and defense points of the monster I discard! I discard Cir! That means your monster loses 1600 attack and 1200 defense! Attack Malacoda! Burn his monster to a crisp!" Malacoda fired a blast of flame that incinerated Super Soldier! "I end my turn. Having fun Steel?"
Aneris: 8000
Steel: 5800
Steel was fairly confused about his opponent. ...Fun? FUN? He's working for a guy who's trying to waste Burst, and he's worried about his opponent having FUN? "...What's wrong with you?! The fate of the world is in the balance of the luck of the draw and you're asking me if I'm having fun?!" It was then that Rainbow Dash showed up to see how Steel was faring. Aneris blinked.
"Gee. He's sure wound tight isn't he?", Aneris asked the audience.
"...Whatever. I draw!" Steel looked carefully over the cards in his hand. Maybe there's a way I can turn the tide! "Since you destroyed Super Soldier, I can special summon a 'Gaia the Fierce Knight' monster from my deck! I special summon Charging Gaia the Fierce Knight! Then I'll banish Beginning Knight and Evening Twilight Knight from my graveyard to add a ritual monster and ritual spell from my deck to my hand! Then I'll set a card and end my turn!"
"In that case, I'll have Malacoda attack your monster!", Aneris said with a smile! Malacoda charged at Charging Gaia! But Steel was ready!
"I activate my trap! Quaking Mirror Force! When an opponent attacks one of my monsters, this trap forces that monster into face-down defense mode! And that monster's position can't be changed!" Malacoda was hit with an eathquake that forced him to hide behind his wings!
Aneris shrugged. "Eh. I end my turn."
Why is he being so chill about this?, Steel thought as he drew a card. "In that case, I activate another Super Soldier Synthesis! I'll send one LIGHT monster from my hand and one DARK monster from my deck! I ritual summon another Super Soldier!" Super Soldier stood on Steel's field once again! "I'll have Charging Gaia destroy your monster while Super Soldier attacks you directly!" Charging Gaia destroyed Malacoda with a single charge of his lances while Super Soldier slashed at Aneris's life points directly! "I end my turn with a face-down."
Aneris: 5000
Steel: 5800
"MAN did it feel good getting a hit in.", Steel said with a sigh of relief.
Aneris smiled. "Well. Time for a field wipe! I play Dark Hole to wipe out all monsters!" A black hole appeared that sucked in all monsters on the field! "Now I can special summon a few Burning Abyss monsters! Come on out Draghig and Calcab! Attack him directly!" Steel cringed as the two monsters clawed into his life points! "I end my turn."
Aneris: 5000
Steel: 3300
Okay. Not good., Steel thought as he got to his feet. I've got no monsters on my field, and I've got nothing in my back row. Which means next turn, I could potentially be obliterated.
"C'mon Steel! You really gonna let this punk beat you laying down?!", Rainbow Dash called out!
Steel let out a chuckle. "Dash? I didn't think you'd show up. Much less cheer me on. Especially considering the sorry shape I'm in."
"You kidding? I'm the Element of Loyalty! Now way I'm ditching you! Besides, what girlfriend would I be if I left you just because you lost a duel?" Rainbow Dash then ponied up and found she had a horn in addition to her wings. "And that makes me 100% cooler!"
Steel smiled. "Glad to know you'll always be by my side. I draw!" Steel smiled when he saw the card he drew! "I'll set this card and end my turn." Now all I gotta do is wait.
Aneris surveyed the field. "Hmmm. Think I'll...xyz summon! I overlay my two monsters to xyz summon Dante Traveller of the Burning Abyss!"
Steel smiled! "Sorry! But I activate Solemn Strike! I pay 1500 life points to negate the summon of your monster and destroy it!" A bolt of lightning struck down Dante! "You know, I am having fun! I guess I needed to take things a little less seriously. But it's too bad that last trap spent most of my life points."
Aneris smiled. "Well I'll be. You've learned your lesson. And all it took was your girlfriend giving you a pep talk!" Aneris then turned to the audience. "And you guys thought I was a badguy!"
"Wait...you're not working for Blitz?", Steel asked.
"Nope! Just here to help finish an arc by order of the author. Aaaaand, I end my turn."
Aneris: 5000
Steel: 1800
Steel then saw a rainbow-colored glow coming from the top of his deck. "Looks like I am a main character after all. I activate the spell card Absolute Soldier Ritual! I can tribute monsters from my hand or deck! I tribute my last copy of BLS-Super Soldier from my deck!" A portal of chaos appeared on Steel's field! "I ritual summon BLS-Absolute Soldier!" A new Black Luster Soldier took the field! But while its armor looked like the standard BLS armor, it had metal wings sprouting from the back! He also had the sword and shield of Super Soldier! "This is the pinnacle form of BLS! He's got all the best abilities from his previous incarnations! Like Envoy of the Beginning, he can attack more than once! He's also got Super Soldier's ability to inflict a destroyed monster's attack points as damage! And from Eveneing Twilight's abilities, he can banish one card at random from your hand! But out of all those effects, I know the one I'm gonna use to end this! Go Absolute Soldier! Dual Chaos Slash!" Absolute Soldier executed twin powerful slashes that wiped out the last on Aneris's life points!
"Welp. I lost. See ya!" Aneris popped out of existence leaving Steel to just shake his head as he went over to Rainbow Dash.
"I'd say that concludes my part in the story quite nicely.", Steel said with a smile.
Rainbow Dash grinned. "And now that you've got your absolute card, you're 50% more awesome!"