Kei twitched on the ground as his body ached from the blow. He scratched his fingers along the dust-covered pavement, getting some grip to push himself back up with. [color=9C5F25]”Damn… straight!”[/color] he groaned out, slowly and weakly getting back on his feet. [color=9C5F25]”Nothin’s over yet… not this duel, not me!”[/color] he defiantly yelled back at Shinrei. Kei raised up his duel disk and hand both, looking at the cards he had available to him. They were two spell cards, no monsters in sight. Kei knew he had to draw a monster the next turn, one that could turn the duel around, or lose right there. There was only one such monster that fit the bill. Kei closed his eyes and gently put his free hand on the deck. A soothing feeling washed over Kei.

[color=9C5F25]”...I can feel you, partner.”[/color] he muttered quietly. [color=9C5F25]”You’re the only one that can get me out of this… I trust you, and my deck both! Let’s beat this guy together!”[/color] Kei said to rally both himself and his cards. The boy’s eyes shot open the moment he yelled [color=9C5F25]”Draw!”[/color]

Kei didn’t even need to look at the card. He somehow [i]knew[/i] what was in his hand, and it made him burst out into a grin. [color=9C5F25]”Let’s do this, partner! I summon Silent Swordsman LV3!!”[/color]

Kei’s signature, favourite card: Silent Swordsman LV3.

[b]ATK:[/b] 1000

Shinrei’s permanent frown got another few wrinkles added to it the moment Swordsman appeared on the field. [color=CBCDCF]”There you are… I finally found you, you parasite,”[/color] he said with absolute disdain in his voice. Kei matched the scowl with one of his own.

[color=9C5F25]”...What’s the big idea?”[/color] he complained. [color=9C5F25]”I’ve put up with your comments this whole duel, but I’m not going to let you insult my partner! Explain what the hell you’re on about already!”[/color] Kei demanded with a clenched fist. Shinrei flicked his hair to the side.

[color=CBCDCF]”...True enough. You don’t seem possessed,”[/color] Shinrei cryptically answered, and even though Kei wanted to press for more info, he wouldn’t get the chance to ask about it. Shinrei dramatically pointed at Silent Swordsman. [color=CBCDCF]”But that doesn’t matter. That card’s latched onto you. It’s only a matter of time before you get consumed by it. That’s why I’m not going to show any mercy… I’ll eradicate and annihilate every single one of those accursed ghosts, even if you’re caught up in the crossfire.”[/color]

Kei had a bad feeling about Shinrei’s explanation, despite not being any more informed than before. Shinrei was seriously threatening Kei, and it somehow had to do with Silent Swordsman. The boy started to get afraid, the fear not being helped by his body aching all over. It was far more dull than the time with the Red Ogre duelist, but this duel was still wearing Kei out… as if Shinrei was doing the same thing. The thing is that the aura around that other guy isn’t around Shinrei, so whatever it was, something else must’ve been going on.

Kei looked at his hand again and saw it trembling. He knew he was afraid of taking the next step. Doubts started to creep up in his mind, but when things got bad, a familiar voice reached his ears: [color=ABEFD6]"...believe in me, Kei…!"[/color] its quiet tones registered. Kei snapped back to reality, glancing over at his field to see Swordsman staring back at him over his shoulder. He gave the monster an apologetic smile, and then picked up a card from his hand.

[color=9C5F25][i]”...Heh. It’s almost like I could hear your voice, partner. I’ll believe until the end… believe we can do this, together!”[/i][/color] his thoughts rang, giving Kei the motivation to continue onwards. He met Shinrei’s look dead-on, staring him straight in the eyes with renewed determination. [color=9C5F25]”Here I come! From my hand I activate ‘Level Up!’!”[/color]

Swordsman raised his blade off his shoulder, swinging it to the side and taking a battle ready stance. The air around him started to twist and turn, gales spinning around like a tornado. [color=9C5F25]”This card allows me to evolve my partner into his true form! Silent Swordsman LV 5!”[/color] Kei shouted as the warrior was bathed in light, morphing beneath its veil. He grew taller, older and even his sword gained some girth. Once his transformation was complete, the light and winds shot out in every direction, fluttering the clothes of both duelists.

[b]Silent Swordsman LV5:[/b] 2300 ATK

Shinrei’s scowl deepened. [color=CBCDCF]”That much attack still isn’t enough to overcome my Cyber Twin Dragon. Which means…”[/color]

[color=9C5F25]”We’ll see about that!”[/color] Kei yelled back at him. He declared: [color=9C5F25]”Let’s attack his dragon, partner!”[/color] and the warrior readied his blade. Kei then immediately slammed down another card from his hand. [color=9C5F25]”And with Silent Sword Slash, his attack goes up 1500 points! Go, partner! [i]Silent Severing Slash![/i]”[/color]

[b]Silent Swordsman LV5:[/b] 2300 > 3800 ATK

The swordsman’s weapon gleamed and lengthened as the warrior leapt up into the air. The air tensed as his dashing figure blocked out the sun, leaving only a silhouette of Silent Swordsman visible. The warrior spun around, realigning his body to allow his blade to come crashing straight down on Cyber Twin Dragon. His acrobatics allowed Silent Swordsman to slice clean through the machine, cleaving it in half.

[color=9C5F25]”Alright! We beat it, partner!”[/color] Kei celebrated with a fist pump into the air, Silent Swordsman jumping back onto his side of the field. Then, however, is when Shinrei made himself known once more.

[color=CBCDCF]”Is that so?”[/color] he mockingly said, the smoke on his field clearing to reveal two Cyber Dragons and his life still untouched.

Kei, in shock, stammered out: [color=9C5F25]”But… but how?!”[/color]

Shinrei flicked his hair to the side, then pointed to the glowing card at his right. [color=CBCDCF]”De-fusion allows me to cancel out the battle by splitting my monster into its fusion materials. And further…”[/color] he paused, pulling his free arm back and pointing to his left with the cards in his hand. There was a second card there, a trap this time, glowing just as bright. [color=CBCDCF]”With Pixie Ring, you cannot target the monster on my field with the lowest attack. The only monsters I control are two Cyber Dragons with the same attack…”[/color]

[color=9C5F25]”...Meaning… my battle phase… is over…!”[/color] Kei hesitantly finished Shinrei’s sentence for him. Kei’s face tightened as he reluctantly declared the end of his turn, and explained that [color=9C5F25]”Silent Sword Slash’s effect ends, and Swordsman’s attack returns to normal…”[/color]

[b]Silent Swordsman LV5:[/b] 3800 > 2300 ATK

[color=CBCDCF][i]”Draw.”[/i][/color]

Upon the declaration of Shinrei’s turn, the air around the two of them changed. It turned cold, unfeeling. The chill bit into Kei’s skin. Shinrei activated a spell card from his hand, Magic Planter, which removed his trap to draw two more cards. Shinrei looked at them, then up at Kei.

[color=CBCDCF]”This is as far as this duel will go,”[/color] he coldly said. [color=CBCDCF]”With Fusion Sage, I add Polymerization from my deck to my hand. And then I’ll activate it, fusing the Cyber Dragons on my field with the one in my hand.”[/color]

Kei felt a cold drop of sweat trail the side of his face. He knew exactly what was coming. Shinrei’s most powerful, most terrifying card. The two cyber dragons on the field let out a howl, joined by a third appearing on Shinrei’s field. The three of them were then sucked into a portal that opened behind him, swirling together in the vortex of colour. The alley rumbled and bolts of lightning shot out of the fusion pool, hitting the walls and street.

[color=CBCDCF]”I fusion summon [b][i]Cyber End Dragon.[/i][/b]"[/color]

Kei could barely keep himself standing from the shockwave that emerged once the portal burst apart, a gigantic figure spreading its wings and roaring with all three heads from behind Shinrei. Its three pairs of cold, metallic eyes all gazed down at Kei’s monster.

[b]Cyber End Dragon:[/b] 4000 ATK
Shinrei’s passive, cold face suddenly looked extremely threatening. He didn’t care a lick about what would happen to Kei, and in order to prove it, he played the last card in his hand: [color=CBCDCF]”Limiter Removal."[/color] It caused Cyber End Dragon to howl out once again, more electricity shooting out from all around it. Every orb on its body glowed bright and the monster started thrashing around; no surprise, either, considering its effect had just doubled its attack. And to add to it, this already huge monster doubled in size to match, sticking out clear as day above the rooftops. Its metallic armor blinded Kei, who had to take in its reflection of the sun.

[b]Cyber End Dragon:[/b] 4000 > 8000 ATK

[color=CBCDCF][b]”Do it,”[/b][/color] Shinrei coldly commanded his dragon. Its three heads each charged up its own, separate beam of energy. The lightning in their jaws could barely be contained.

 Kei, in a panic, looked at his monster and shouted: [color=9C5F25][b]”PARTNER!!”[/b][/color] in fear of what’d happen.

[color=CBCDCF][b]”Eternal! Evolution! [i]BURST![/i]”[/b][/color]

The gigantic machine fired off its attack, and Kei could only watch in horror as it approached. This was it. Kei could do nothing to stop the incoming attack. It collided with something and caused a huge explosion, wiping Silent Swordsman and Kei off the field both, sending the boy flying backwards as he screamed in pain from taking 5700 points worth of damage. Kei came down hard on the street, bounced once, then landed on his front side. He weakly looked up, seeing Silent Swordsman’s card laying in front of him. He tried to reach out for it, mumbling [color=9C5F25]”Part…ner…”[/color] before losing consciousness.

[b]Kei:[/b] 2500 > 0 LP
[b]Shinrei:[/b] 4000 LP.

Shinrei stood there, his jacket fluttering in the winds caused by the explosion. His Cyber End roared as it faded away from the field. Shinrei waited for the smoke to clear, and once it had, his scowl worsened even further.

[color=CBCDCF]”Tch… ran away, huh?”[/color] he growled when nobody was sprawled out on the floor of the alley. [color=CBCDCF]”You can run all you want, parasite… next time, I’ll eradicate you all the same,”[/color] he voiced his threat in the vague general direction of where his opponent had been.