Duel Lyceum

Hatred Bond (2)

'Draw.' He cracked a wide grin. 'I play Grand Hecatomb. By using two counters on Blood Chalice as tribute, I can summon High Cultist: Hort from my fusion deck. When Hort is summoned, I can summon Volatile Cultists equal to the number of monsters on your side of the field. There are three on your field, so I'll be summoning three of them. Also, while there are any Volatile Cultists on the field, you cannot target my High Cultist: Hort, and, in addition, I can attack you directly while there is a Volatile Cultist on my field.

'High Cultist Hort, attack her directly.' The High Cultist ran up and slapped her with the staff, dropping her life to fourteen.

'Miriam, you've got this!' It was Lyder, Emily and Jones.

'Yeah, no worries.' She flashed a smile.

Naile laughed. 'I activate High Cultist: Mort's effect from the graveyard. Once per duel, I can sacrifice all Volatile Cultists on my field to destroy the same number of monsters on your field. I'm getting rid of three, and due to their effects, you'll be taking a further six damage.'

The area flashed white, consuming her monsters and singing her skin. She had eight life and an empty field while Naile had eighteen and High Cultist: Mort.

'I have two more counters in my Blood Chalice, but I'll refrain from using them for now. I end my turn.'

'Draw,' Miriam said, 'I play Enivron Ocean, destroying Environ Scorched Ground and dealing five damage to you. Turn end.'

'Bad draw, eh?' Naile said. 'Draw. I must admit, I'm scared of those lands. I wonder what will happen if all of them are together. Well, good thing I can eliminate that danger. I activate Blood Chalice's second effect. By removing two counters, I can banish target card in your graveyard. That card will be your Environ Scorched Ground.

'High Cultist: Mort, attack her directly.'

Just four life left.

'My turn,' Miriam said, 'I play Environ Solar Panel. Once per turn, I can heal life equal to the amount of Environ monsters in my graveyard. I have four monsters in my graveyard, so I heal four life. Now, I activate its second effect, by sacrificing this card, I can draw two cards from my deck. I play Environ Scorched Ground, activating the effect of Environ Ocean and allowing me to add a target spell or rune card from my deck to my hand. The card I choose is Great Gambit. I set two cards and end my turn.'

She couched and fell to her knees, reaching for a tissue. She shoved it to her mouth and felt warm liquid caress her lips. She must not let anyone know. She wiped it away, gathered her strength, and stuffed the tissue into her pocket.

'Draw. I play King of Demons: Stork. I can summon this monster by banishing a Blood Chalice with two counters on it, along with a High Cultist monster on this field, which will be my High Cultist Hort. When summoned I deal damage equal to twice the number of Volatile Cultists I have in the graveyard. I have five of them, so, buh-bye.' He turned around with a swish of his cloak.'

'Great Gambit!' Miriam yelled. 'If I am to take fatal damage, I can negate it. In addition, I can flip a coin, if it is heads, I draw two cards, if tails, you draw two cards.'

'I play my own quick spell from my hand, Risk and Reward' Naile said, 'for each card drawn this turn, you will take four points of damage.'

The coin flipped, landing on tails. 'Looks like I win,' Naile said.

'You have zero foresight,' Miriam said, 'I play my second rune card, Gift of the World. I can negate an effect of a target card, which will be you drawing two cards, and if I do, I gain two effects. The first, I can destroy target monster on your side of the field, which will be King of Demons: Stork. Second, I can add Fusion of Elements from my deck or grave to my hand.'

Miriam could not stop smiling even though her heart pounded and ached in her chest. She had won. Naile had no cards on the field or in his hand. She just had to summon Environ Genesis and attack him directly.

Naile's face fell. 'I end my turn.'

'Draw. I play Fusion of Elements to summon Environ Genesis. Since it replaces Environ Scorched Ground, I'll be dealing you five points of damage. Go, attack him directly, Environ Genesis.'

Environ Genesis collided with Naile, knocking him backwards, but Miriam did not have time to absorb the satisfaction of her victory. Her heart convulsed and she trembled with it. The pounding rocked her body and deafened her ears.

'Miriam!' Emily congratulated, but she did not hear it. Jones' celebration of her victory fell on deaf ears. She lost her footing and fell into Lyder's arms.

'I'll take you to the infirmary,' he said.

'I can't.' She felt the warmth of his body. 'My brother.'

Naile stepped to the side of the hallway. 'you beat me, fair and square, go and find Murel. Go and find your brother.' Naile's expression had changed. At first it was twisted and turned to torment, but now it was relaxed and almost kind.

'You can change him, right, Miriam?' Naile said. 'Even I struggle to talk to him anymore.'

The hall ahead loomed in front of Miriam. 'Can you support me, Lyder?'

'Yeah.'

And they walked into dorm A to search for Murel. But Murel was not in dorm A, he was in an empty classroom, duelling his heart out.

'I was right to choose now,' his opponent, Graves, said, 'your actions are rash, and you aren't planning ahead, now that Edward angered you by breaking your no damage streak.'

'Be quiet,' Murel said.

'Why do you duel so cruelly?' Graves said. He felt positive about this duel. Murel's field was full, but he had propped up enough barriers to win in the next few turns. 'Well, I suppose the answer doesn't matter. You have reached the peak of the Duel Lyceum, and that is all that matters to me.'

Murel grimaced. He knew that he would lose in just a few more turns. The question lingered in his mind. Why did he duel so cruelly? To prove himself. He had to prove that he was strong before he could think about enjoyment and pleasure, and if he burned out before he reached that point, then oh well.

'Silent now?' Graves taunted. 'Is it this attitude that makes your sister hate you so much?'

'Don't bring my sister into this. How do you even know about her?'

'I do my research.'

'You keep your hands off my sister. It's my turn, I draw.' His heart dropped as he looked at the field and the card in his hand. 'I summon Planar Lasher.' More monsters to fill his field, but he was yet to get a card to deal with Graves' Sponge lock. What's more, he had just one card left in his deck.

'The irony. Her tormentor is telling me to keep my hands off.' Graves drew a card.

'How am I her tormentor?'

'Surely you have seen her quake whenever she looks at you. She fears you. Terrified. I set a card and end my turn.'

'I know no such thing. I have worked my hardest to make sure she is a model student. Draw.' Murel smiled. 'I play Planar Dust. I can sacrifice three Planar monsters on my side of the field to destroy all cards on your field.'

'Rune card activate.' Graves yawned. 'You are too predictable. I can read you like a book. Permission Denied. This card negates the effect of a card. This is game.'

Murel scowled.

'You are great at acting stoic,' Graves continued, 'but I can see you shiver. I wonder if your sister will mourn you no matter how much she hates you. I draw –'

'She will mourn me because I am a good and devoted brother!'

Graves laughed so hard he fell to his knees. 'You really, really, believe that? I end my turn.'

Murel, led by second nature, reached for his deck, but found nothing there. He gasped and fell to the floor, unconscious.