Episode 91. - Thrashing In A Hybrid Nightmare

Libra Selene sat calmly on her bed, the blue sheet dotted with occasional small rectangles of black, and other blue. Her deck, laid out in front of her haphazardly. She gently moved a few of the cards, placing them in configurations of battle zones she remembered from past duels.

Libra was one who had dueled much, and studied many strategies, but in the end, this was the only deck she truly felt suited her. The Ocean of Life, she had called it long ago, to contrast it from that of Yodaz, who, at that time, was her enemy, in her mind.

Now, her mind was troubled. There was still an enemy, but that enemy was no longer a person. It was, perhaps, an idea... perhaps a bad luck streak, or maybe even the darkness that seemed to be growing within her with every new duel... every new defeat. She shifted more cards around, running through more old scenarios, and her knack for noticing patterns soon picked out one. Seldom, if ever, did those scenarios involve the card that her hand now brushed against, in the act of moving a Splash Zebrafish. Her Crystal Lancer.

"Isn't it strange? Every time, we've waited on it... and every time it's been too slow, or too much effort, or simply couldn't be summoned at all..."
Libra relaxed, accepting the second voice in her mind. Shtra.

"The Soldiers don't seem to like becoming it... The Jolters don't either. The Surfer... I don't know. It so seldom happens... I think... I'm beginning to hate it."
Dark Kaijudo now spiked out of her, causing her to shudder and struggle to contain it.

"But you don't want to... Still, a Lancer is just a potential form of one of the Liquid People..."

"One they don't seem to like... it's been a long long time since I used Aqua Vehicles and Guards... but how can I blame this card for--"
Another spike of darkness, as the thought crossed her mind, forced her to discontinue it.

"It is not blame. The Lancer itself has not failed us. The Liquid ones often 'fail' to become a Lancer, but that is not their 'fault' either. Simply that--"
Shtra went instantly silent as a shadow fell across the bedroom door. Libra's aunt Annette.

"Li? Are you alright?"
Her aunt, over the time Libra had been developing her Kaijudo, had in turn developed a very slight sense of when Libra was using it, and could also sometimes tell when Libra and Shtra were conversing. Though she did not seem to know what was going on, she would often be sensitive to it and perceptive enough to ask her niece such questions.

"Mm? What?" Libra responded, jolted by Shtra's sudden 'recall' of most of her psionic energy.

"You seem... a little out of it tonight, that's all. I was wondering if anything was wrong."
Annette stepped further into the room now, since Libra had made no indication that she was particularly opposed to company. Libra instantly clamped down powerfully on her own psychic output, afraid that the darkness within might leap out at her aunt.

"Oh, I'm fine, Auntie. I think I may just need to get to bed early. I haven't been sleeping well lately..." she evaded, trying to turn a half-truth into a sincere explanation.

"That's quite the understatement. You haven't been yourself at all lately. I've got something for you, though. I know you're trying to get these, so when I saw them, I just had to grab a few. Sorry I couldn't get more, but I hadn't gone to the ATM yet, and at the rate people were clamoring for them, I figured they'd all be gone by the time I got money and got back."
At this point, she handed her niece three packs of the latest set of Duel Masters cards to be released, grinning. She was a shrewd woman. She knew what she had managed to do.

"Wow! Thanks Auntie! You're the best, as always!" Libra laughed, "Were they the usual price? Or more than that today?"

Even as she asked, she was leaning over the bed to try to reach her bag, and money. Her aunt laughed and stopped her.
"Don't you worry about that now. Consider it my apology for our argument the other day."

Annette spun and made a swift exit, before Libra could complain, insist, or try to make more apology herself, regarding that argument. Libra was about to when she sensed her aunt's reason for leaving the room so quickly, and settled herself instead.

She carefully opened the first pack of cards, and began to check through them. Mostly Fire and Nature. Not much use to her. Moving to pick up the next one from where it had been placed, on the bed, she caught sight of the Lancer yet again, and the dark Kaijudo spiked painfully within, so much so that she trembled.

"Maybe we should stop dealing with these, for now..."

She gathered up the cards now, but as she reached for the two Lancers to put them back into the deck, she found herself held back by a force that seemed almost tangible. In the end, all she could do was add them to the other cards that had come from the opened pack.

"I'm sorry. I just can't bear to have you in the deck right now..."
With those words, she let herself fall back onto the bed, and closed her eyes, trying to visualize what her mindspace would be like without the Lancers in it. It turned out to be a relatively pleasant vision, but not much different from the usual. As her mind slowly became calm again, and realized that she had seldom visualized the Lancer anywhere in the world in the first place, it also began to succumb to the fatigue induced by nights of restlessness.

Before long, Libra Selene was asleep.

"You're too weak!" came the snarl into her dream state, jolting her into what she thought, at the time, was alertness. Soon, though, Libra noted that she was experiencing an incredibly strange phenomenon. She was within her world as she always was, but with no opponent visible... no cards to be seen, just plain old Libra, save one thing.

She now felt like a specter, and felt a desperate need to remain very close to Shtra. Fortunately, Shtra was already close. A battle seemed to be stirring. A shore of a long strip island, where the power of Light and Nature energy clearly was, and some energy in the water as well. She could feel the mana energy around her already. Darkness, and energy in the Water. It felt just like a duel. In fact, it seemed to her to be a duel she had experienced not too long ago, when in a qualifying tournament for the World Championships...

The next event made her think even moreso. A Torcon appeared on the shore of the island. She wondered momentarily, if she had what felt like two mana, where her creature was, but then remembered that in that duel, no second-turn summon had been possible.

Shtra now seemed to command or activate something, and the energy of the water increased. A surge of movement from the ocean floor, and an Aqua Jolter broke the surface of the water, immediately going into a patrol pattern.

Heat now blazed down upon them from the island. She was sure of it now. There was no way to forget the feeling she had encountered when that duelist had placed their Bolmeteus Steel Dragon into their mana zone. Overwhelming confusion at how someone who seemed so in tune with Light, Nature, and Water, would have such a creature as avatar.

Above the Torcon, a Light creature took flight. A Pala Olesis. The Morning Guardian would easily stand in the way, but Shtra did not seem concerned. More darkness mana, and a platform rose from their facility. The creature that broke the surface of the water was one that would disregard the Morning Guardian. Soderlight, the Cold Blade. Shtra 'ended turn'.

The light energy increased, in contrast to the power of the darkness in their waters, and a Magris, Vizier of Magnetism, now appeared. So too, did the feeling of the presence of the opponent. Though she could not see it, through Shtra, she could feel it. Somewhere on that island was the lair of a Bolmeteus Steel Dragon.

"This one is going to be down to the wire... I can feel it... can't you feel it, Cyber Lord?"
The communication, even within this dreamscape, was 'telepathic'. Libra frowned inwardly. Something about that voice made her nervous. Shtra seemed to ignore it, and an Emeral quickly came to Shtra's side, to report that one of the shields had been rigged to Spiral Gate.

Shtra acknowledged this information, and seemed to give another command. A Propeller Mutant entered an airborne patrol pattern. They did not move any more. 'End of turn'.

More energy seemed to be generated from the island, and a truly dangerous one now appeared in the sky. Radiance powerfully illuminated the water, and energy from her radiated directly into the Morning Guardian. Petrova, Channeler of Suns.

Shtra noted the wavelength of energy radiating from Petrova, and calculated. Libra could feel Shtra 'thinking' the same things she had thought, herself, then. The enemy had strengthened the Guardians, but none of the other creatures could defeat Soderlight in a fight, and so...

A twisting waterspout was the next course of action. Pala Olesis was soon trapped in the teleportation pocket inside that waterspout. The Spiral Gate that could so easily send enemy forces back to their point of origin. This was a good moment for such a thing. Holy Awe, though likely to be an incredible annoyance, would not bother Soderlight.

The quartz scorpion activated its thermal and optical camouflage systems, and a few moments later, a shield in the shallows shattered. Libra knew what was coming now. She remembered. A wave, to wash the Cold Blade away. An Aqua Surfer, on the first attack.

"Regroup!" Shtra commanded instantly. To move in with the full attack now, could result in a catastrophic fail with many casualties. Soderlight would have been able to strike down Magris or Petrova, had they retaliated against any of her other forces, but without the Spirit Quartz, attacking further would be simply foolish. Shtra faltered slightly. An 'unlucky event'.

The energy from the opposing side flooded the water now, but the power that blasted forth from the island was certainly not water energy. It was the one thing that could make an already bad situation, horrible. Holy Awe.

The Vizier of Magnetism's electron cannons discharged into the water, exploding the helpless Aqua Jolter into nothingness. The Aqua Surfer quickly caught up to Emeral and dispatched it. Petrova hesitated, as if requesting orders from the leader, then seemed to get orders to stand down. She did not attack the Propeller Mutant, nor did they attack the shields.

"We may still be able to fight from this... but it will be very difficult..." Shtra thought now, "Surfer to Awe is not something I can do much about..."

The creature that was summoned now, was a Scout Cluster, and it replaced the Aqua Jolter on patrol duty. The Propeller Mutant swooped, opening fire on another shield in the shallows.

"I guess you've chosen your path..." came the thoughts of the Dragon, still obviously deep within its lair in the interior of the island.

"There was a choice?" Shtra wondered in response. The only creatures present outside of the facility now, were the patrolling Cluster and the Propeller Mutant. The opponent's creatures numbered four. One Spiral Gate had already been used, and the other could easily be somewhat avoided through Petrova's powerful barrier. Shtra saw no 'choice'.

"A subtle one. Relying on the confidence you seem to still lack."
The Dragon's thoughts were strange now, striking at her core. The dark energy spiked, to Libra's surprise, within Shtra. All this time, she had been sure that somehow she was losing control of herself, or of the dark intent of the card whose true nature had been masked by a simple letter change in the name. If anything, she would have expected that dark Kaijudo to have come from her Wing of the Void... Vile Murder... not from her quiet alter ego.

"I don't think I will ever be a confident being. I have no reason to try to be, either," Shtra responded. Libra knew that feeling also. Confidence meant too little in the face of probability.

"It helps your tactics. If anything, I'd consider that a reason. Encounters like these are the ones I enjoy most," the Dragon replied. Libra was sure it was smiling, wherever it was.

"Ah..." Shtra now replied, seeming contemplative, "Probability betrays me far too often for me to have much confidence in my calculations regarding it. I have, over time, got out of the habit. No trigger could have bothered my plan save the one that occurred, and no card could have sealed my fate quite as efficiently as your Holy Awe. My calculations indicated that the Soderlight attack was the perfect move. I was confident then... what good was it?"

The Dragon seemed to disregard Shtra's words, moving back to a contemplation of its own possible tactics. Still, it continued to communicate with the Cyber Lord.
"Well, now I have to decide my own path. You deployed your Scout Cluster. Do you really think this is the final attack?"

"Final attack? What are you talking about?"
Shtra's confusion was apparent to Libra. Her opponent's calculations, and her own, did not seem to be in any way reconcilable. The Dragon's tactics seemed to be on a totally different wavelength altogether, his system of combat completely opposite.

"Your Scout Cluster's program requires it to return when you dispatch another creature." Shtra's mental response to the Dragon was an affirmative, the equivalent of a nod.

"So you must not intend on deploying any more forces. At least not for now..."

"That's not the calculative rationale behind Scout Cluster deployment," she laughed, "Whether or not an engagement is close to a resolution has nothing to do with it."

"I don't quite understand."

"Misdirection is the key to my ability. If the opponent cannot be fooled, they can seldom be beaten. But regardless of what else happens, you have just enough mana that I must hope that you do not devastate anything."

"I can do quite a few different things. The question is... what?"

"Hence the Cluster. Had I sent out Soderlight again it would make your decisions easier."

"Would it now? They say Cyber Lords know everything. I think that saying is wrong."

"I think so too," Shtra nodded, "As I said, my calculations fail, despite all indication that they should go almost exactly according to plan. No one knows everything."
On the shore, a dimensional portal now appeared. The Torcon knelt, vanishing into it, and there was a mighty roar. The Bolmeteus Steel Dragon now stood on the shoreline, ready to enter the combat zone. The Morning Guardian reappeared as well, increasing the problem.

"Showtime..."

Libra felt the potential energy increase, in her area, and then got to experience exactly what it was that was going on in Shtra's mind when the little Cyber Lord would instruct her to make moves in a duel that she did not immediately understand.

Shtra's mind began a calculation at blazing speed, with a number of variables that Libra could barely keep up with. Somehow, by the end of it, Shtra had determined that her forces were currently in a configuration where an Aqua Surfer was either in the next two cards, or in the shield zone, and a Crystal Lancer was similarly set. Therefore the best move to make would be one that stalled, confused, and made it as likely as possible that the Surfer would remove Bolmeteus. If Bolmeteus did attack shields, one would almost surely be the Spiral Gate that was set, lessening the chances of losing the Surfer or Lancer in the other break.

"I actually... consider all this?" she wondered to herself, trying to keep her thoughts inward so as not to disturb Shtra's continuing calculations.

"The optimal course of action, therefore, given that I must deploy on the next turn, or the Surfer will trigger, is to make the best use of the Scout Cluster that I can now."
Shtra now commanded the Scout Cluster to move in, despite the likelihood of Pala Olesis blocking it and destroying it. The Morning Guardian made no move to do so. The Propeller Mutant, which had been ready to swoop in for the attack, did nothing. There was no need for it to attack, or so something in Shtra's calculations had pointed out. Libra did not fully understand, but she felt somehow, that it was the right decision.

The enemy forces moved again, leaving Libra to wonder if the opponent had somehow seen Shtra's calculations or calculated similarly, and as such, let the Scout Cluster's attack pass. A Mist Rias, Sonic Guardian, appeared in the sky, and an Emeral popped up in the water near the shields of the island. It had apparently done some work. Bolmeteus took to the air, swooping down on the Scout Cluster and destroying it a moment later.

Libra felt the change in the available forces. The program was ready. Any of the Liquid People could now become the Crystal Lancer. She remembered clearly now, the feeling of drawing the card in that duel... how distant it had felt... and how utterly strange she had felt about it being there. Her main weapon, unable to take form due to insufficient power.

Shtra's energy spiked again, dark and twisting. Again, she commanded Soderlight into the battle zone, and everything remained quiet. The enemy forces increased further. A Sanfist, the Savage Vizier. A Pala Olesis. Bolmeteus moved in toward the shields now. Obliterating both the Spiral Gate and another shield, a Critical Blade.

"I wonder... was I fooled?" the Dragon remarked as it landed again. Shtra shook her head, and he continued, "What did you want me to do then? Hack the Hedrian somehow?"

Shtra sent a mental image of Bolmeteus destroying the Scout Cluster. The Dragon's thoughts became puzzled. She claimed he had not been fooled, yet also claimed he had done exactly what she wanted. His thought was simple. Why?

"I needed to buy time, to remove you from this battle. You came out through a Soulswap. You would need another to come out again. I was using the Cluster as a decoy to buy time in the hope that I could somehow manage to get rid of you before you came for the base. You did not seem like the type that would send the Morning Guardian to do it. Your presence alone was incalculable. Probability defies me. Defeat is fate. I don't mind."

"Fate is such a strong word... I believe anyone may alter their own fate."

"Well, believe what you wish, but I could not win because regardless of the odds of this entire progression of events... regardless of the improbabilities... they have occurred."

"Don't you want to win?"

"That's paradoxical. I always want to win. It does not change the outcome, nor remove your presence from this battlefield. Your presence is itself a statistical anomaly."
A Critical Blade slashed through Sanfist. The Propeller Mutant threw itself against Pala Olesis in a desperate attempt to hold back the enemy. Soderlight did not move. No point now.

Bolmeteus took to the sky again, and obliterated two more shields. A Miracle Quest and the Aqua Surfer that Shtra had calculated for. The Sonic Guardian attacked the last, and, again, as predicted, it triggered. Spiral Gate. It did not matter.

"This is the end. You fought very well." Petrova could not be stopped, and her radiant light weaponry quickly finished off the underwater base, forcing it into surrender.

"Fate..." Shtra responded, "My defeats may defy all my probability calculations, but they still come nonetheless. If you wondered why I have no 'confidence', that is the reason."

Libra remembered the feeling well. The feeling of her opponent making commentary on why the duel had relied on that final turn, and how if they had attacked with one more creature they could have lost, and all the while she had been looking at her Crystal Lancer... hating it. Now, the replay in her mind of her opponent's final action, took form in the mindspace. The shield Emeral had set was revealed to be linked to nothing more than a Bluum Erkis. The other shield, the opponent had checked, but not revealed to her. They had merely made the comment "I think Lancer would have won you the game", smiled, and politely left.

Shtra's form spiked with darkness again, and Libra felt it surge through the base and destroy the program... the program that would 'make' Crystal Lancers. The violence in the reaction was so extreme that it jolted her right out of her trance like sleep. She growled and sat up, feeling the energy inside still, and snatched up the next pack. The third card she pulled from it made the darkness inside her instantly 'obey', though it was more a matter of her own will to suppress it, vanishing. She had found her outlet. She had found her 'evolved form'...

Hydrooze, the Mutant Emperor.