Chapter 56: Visions.

Drake just stood there in the middle of the empty arena for a few minutes in mourning for his deceased duel disk. It may have been a piece of spying, treacherous hardware that was secretly working for the hidden puppet master of this WDC, but its lost would mean a host of problems for Drake.

And standing around here wasn't going to help anyone.

Drake had two choices, to go back the way he came or to proceed forwards into the unknown through the tunnel at the opposite side of the duel field. Oh, he could also climb the stands and find whatever entrances they had available, no one would expect an audience to enter through the same entrance as the competitors after all.

In fact, what Drake needed right now was a quiet place where he could try to fix his duel disk before he proceeded, so choice three it was. With his strength it was easy to climb up to the stands and even easier to find the stadium exit, it was down a tunnel and pass the facilities, such as the closed food vendor stalls, lavatories and the reception area.

But Drake didn't leave, instead he moved to a carefully obscured door down an unremarkable corridor. It was marked staff only, perfect.

It was easy to break into the staff rest room and it would provide him with the privacy he needed.

---

"Sir, we have an error with duel disk #006"

"What kind of error?" Hartland asked the computer operative before taking a sip of hot coffee as he watched an array of monitors that covered one of the control centres large walls.

Each monitor was displaying different scenes and incoming data from all around Hartland Island. This was where all the raw data and footage of the WDC was being processed and edited before being distributed to the hungry media.

Normally a duel disk error was something that would not be brought to the notice of an executive of Hartland's stature, but Duel Disk #006 was one of a special group of duel disks that were receiving special attention. It was Drakes duel disk.

"The system reported a complete matrix failure and imminent collapse before we lost the signal."

"Where?" asked Hartland with a scowl.

Drake was an important person of interest, a person of unknown origin with mysterious powers and the current holder/host of the Original Number, the emissary of Astral World. In fact, ever since the boy Yuma had lost his soul to New Order and his body to the aberrant Number, forcing the Astral Worlder to switch hosts, Drake may have become the most important person in this WDC.

Only Shark's value was considered higher by Doctor Faker as he and his powers were essential to improving the Chaos Cannon.

"The last signal received was from the challenge dome of the Maze of the Minotaur." The operative replied.

"Check the security feeds. Find him."

The computer operative brought up the relevant video and sensor data on a screen in front of them, but all they saw was static.

"Rewind the footage and what about in the HUB?"

"The HUB's data streams are all functioning normally and report no signs of anyone being in or having been in the area in the past three hours."

"Then find him!" Hartland ordered, practically slamming his coffee cup down on the table. The stress of the day seemed to finally be getting to him.

All this advanced monitoring equipment and they couldn't keep track of one person on a small island they completely controlled. It was a joke! And Hartland was not in a laughing mood.

"What about the other duel disks? Any other problems?" He asked as he massaged his forehead.

Hartland was of course referring to the other duellists under special watch, those belonging to Kite, Shark, Number 96, the known members of New Order and the other Number holders.

"Duellist number 008 has also disappeared, her duel disk has been locked and abandoned in the Maze but her current location unknown. Our security bots are currently tracking down duellist 021 for removal from the island, his disk has been locked down and he is currently traversing the Maze also. Duellist 001 has just cleared the Cradle of Life and is on the move, while Duellist 002 has just entered the Dragons Throne Room….."

---

"I activate Shark Drake Veiss special ability! By using one Overlay Unit and banishing Spear Shark from my graveyard my monster now reduces your <Dragunity Knight – Ascalon>'s attack and defence to zero!"

[Number C32: Shark Drake Veiss – OU: 1 > 0]

[Dragunity Knight – Ascalon – Lv10 ATK:3300 > 0/ DEF:3200 > 0]

Under the ominous aura of Sharks great white Chaos Number the golden scales of his opponents Dragunity Knight became like tarnished bronze.

"Shark Drake attack! Chaos Stream!" ordered Shark, Blue General of New Order and heir of the Barian Emperor Nash.

[NC32 ATK:2800 > DKA ATK:0 - Dragunity Knight Luin LP: > 0]

*BOOM*

<<SHARK WINS…>>

"Way to go boss!"

"Let's hear it for General Blue!"

"Hail Shark"!

As the duel bot projection faded away the large castle doors it had been blocking began to open. Around Shark gathered a group of bootlicking New Order operatives that he had somehow managed to pick up along the way. Most of them were rough, unkempt, gang types. The kind you would expect to see in run down lawless areas of a city. Some were overweight, or else as thin as a stick, some of them were covered with tattoos and some wore the most ridiculous of outfits, spiked dog collars, dyed hair, biker jackets. The only thing most of them had in common was a blue scarf tied around their arms.

This was because most of them were actually made up of new recruits that had been assigned to Shark and his 2nd Combat Unit that he had been put in charge of. Each General of New Order had specific duties or a function around which they and their subordinates were assigned.

Proteus the Gold General was in charge of equipment and tech development, he was New Orders Quartermaster. Hal the Silver General was in charge of recruitment, interrogation and disciplinary functions, while Tempest the White General was in charge of the alchemy and the magic research department. Umbral, although not a General in name was in charge with the infiltration and information gathering sections and Wyvern the Black General, was a pure combat force of duellist soldiers.

Of course each General had at least a small core faction of duellists, but until recently only Wyvern's forces were purely for combat. Since Shark had no special skills besides his awakened Chaos powers it was decided to have him form a second combat unit and most of its current members were made up of the newest and greenest of recruits New Order had obtained during the WDC.

Whether or not he would be a successful General in the future may well depend on these new recruits and how he trained them, but in truth he held most of them, and to a degree even his own position as a General, in distain.

Strength was all that mattered.

And to his eyes this rag tagged group of misfits he was lumbered with were just weak. Even if they were given the strength of the Seal of Orichalcos Shark felt like he could wipe the floor with all of them, so what possible use did they have?

But then Shark remembered the raid on the Black Elites base he had participated in. And the army of monsters that Wyverns forces had conjured to fight. Perhaps underlings were useful after all, but still…

Looking at the group that surrounded him, that were trying their best to bootlick their way into his good graces, Shark couldn't help but compare them to Wyverns well trained troops. It was the difference between the heavens and mud.

Shouts of General, Boss and other endearments were beginning to give Shark a headache as he proceeded into the Dragons Throne Room followed by his entourage.

In front of them a great set of steps rose up from behind the open doors, up to a high platform atop of which sat a lonely throne of gilded majesty. On either side of the walls hung great tapestries of the most iconic dragons in duel monsters while behind the throne stood a massive stone statue of the Egyptian God, Slifer the Sky Dragon.

But as Shark took his first step into the room the scene before his eyes seemed to shift, gone were the stone walls and tapestries, gone were the lit scones and hanging chandeliers, gone were the following sycophants.

Either side of the steps was now lined by crimson crystal stalagmites, the celling instead opened out onto an alien red sky. The statue behind was replace by a towering crystal spire that split multiple branches like some great tree while the golden throne transformed in to a black seat of malevolence, its back sweeping out into crescent wings.

An upon that throne sat a shrouded figure.

Power, death, terror and malice. Just a mere glimpse was enough to shake Sharks soul and leave him utterly helpless as the overwhelming figure raised an arm towards him.

Then it was gone, the alien landscape, the menacing figure, all of it.

"You alright Boss?" one of the duellists behind Shark asked after seeing Sharks pale complexion, the cold sweat on his brow.

"Of course I am!" Shark snapped as he pulled himself together.

While this image had been particularly vivid and terrifying, it was in truth not the first Shark had experienced recently. For days now he had been having these… visions. Of places, people… and battles. It had started in his dreams, if he really thought about it the dreams began shortly after he had claimed that first Number Card, Number 32, but now they would unexpectedly haunt him even when he was awake.

After his duel against Number 96 Shark could not help but remember its words, about the origin of a Numbers strength and personality, Astral's lost memories. He could not help but think that these were the memories of the many Numbers he had claimed, shatter fragments of a broken alien's past.

Armies made of figures of light fought against armies of faceless armoured soldiers, whether it me on the mountains, in the forests or above the seas. Sometimes he saw cities of light under siege or the fall of crystalline fortresses, victories and defeats both, they were fantastical but also harmless. But now these dream were intruding on his waking life, becoming more and more intense. And the more he saw, the less certain he became about their origin. Especially that last vision.

It felt… different.

"What does it matter so long as you can have power." Came the whisperings of Number 32, disturbing his thoughts.

And it was right. If having a few visions was the price of having this power of his, the power he needed for his revenge, then he was more than willing.

Just what trouble could a few daydreams cause? Shark thought as he scoffed at his earlier fear.

Right here and right now, there were more important things for Shark to do than worry about this kind of stuff. He needed to make it into the finals of the WDC and claim all the Number cards so he could have his revenge.

With steady steps Shark ascended the stairs.

As he reached the top the floor in front of the throne opened up and a platform was raised. On this platform stood a great knight clad in armour coloured white and dark blue, its left hand gripped the handle of a great toothed sword, red gems adorned the flat of the white blade and its tip rested on the ground.

It was the guardian of this castle, Buster Blader the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman.

"You who seek the treasure of the Fallen Dragon Emperor, turn back now or face my blade." The Duel bot solemnly intoned.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever just start the duel already." Shark was impatience to get this over with, there was no fun for him to crush a fake opponent like this.

<<Duel Start>>

[Turn 1 - Shark LP:4000 Hand:5, Buster Blader LP:4000 Hand:5]

"Looks like I'm going first, so I draw!" said Shark.

"I summon <Hammer Shark> to the field! And then, by reducing its level by 1 I can special summon <Big Jaws> to join it."

[Hammer Shark – Lv4 > 3 ATK:1700/1500, Big Jaws – Lv3 ATK:1800/DEF:300]

Sharks two oceanic terrors circles around their master, swimming through the air as naturally as their native seas.

"With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network to Xyz summon the terror of the deep blue! <Number 47: Nightmare Shark>!"

[Number 47: Nightmare Shark – Rank 3 ATK:2000/DEF:2000 OU:2]

Emerging from the vortex of the Overlay Network Sharks toothy terror flapped its dragon like wings, while its bladed arms scraped across the stone floor sending sparks flying before it coiled its long fined tail and crossed its arms in defence mode.

"Way to go Boss!" "Show that hunk of junk how its done!" "Blue all the way!"

Sharks personal cheerleaders didn't miss the chance to flatter their commander and his duelling prowess as he face off against the majestic looking duel bot.

"Then I will end my turn with 2 face downs" Shark finished.

[Turn 2 – Blaster Blader LP:4000 Hand:5, Shark LP:4000 Hand:2]

"For the glory of the Dragon Emperor I draw!" declared the guardian.

"I summon <Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordsman>! When this card is summoned I can add a 'Destruction Sword' card from my deck to my hand. So I add <Dragon Buster Destruction Sword> to my hand."

[Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordsman – Lv1 ATK:400/DEF:300]

A small white dragonling with feathery wings and two small horns on the side of its head took to the field. Giving a faint mewing cry a card was moved from the deck to Buster Bladers hand.

"Then I sacrifice my Buster Whelp in order to special summon the great dragon slayer, <Buster Blader>! from my hand."

[Buster Blader – Lv7 ATK:2600/2300]

The iconic warrior clad in his purplish blue armour with gold trimmings appeared on the field with is massive double handed blade.

"From my hand I activate the effect of Dragon Buster Destruction Sword! This allows me to equip my monster to a Buster Blader I control."

The blade in his warriors hand transformed itself into a new blade adorned by four green jewels embedded along the length of the blade from handle to tip.

"Next I special summon my equipped Dragon Buster to the field."

[Dragon Buster Destruction Sword – Lv1 ATK:400/DEF:300]

"Gather now the stars of the great dragon and open the path of destruction, I tune my Level 1 Dragon Buster and my level 7 Buster Blader. Appear my ally, I Synchro Summon! Level 8 <Buster Dragon>! In defence mode."

[Buster Dragon – Lv8 ATK:1200/DEF:2800]

The star lights of the duel guardians monster levels gathered together to form the familiar Synchro summoning ring, a great gateway from which emerged a mighty black dragon. With six limbs and dark feathered wings it unleashed an earth-shattering roar as a strange aura fell across the field.

*ROAR*

"Look out Boss!" "You can take him!" the worried cries of Sharks subordinates rang out at the appearance of the fierce looking dragon.

"With Buster Dragons effect I now return my Buster Blader in my grave back to the field in attack mode. And thanks to another of my dragons abilities all monsters you control become dragon type monsters so long as my dragon remains on the field. Buster Blader's ability then raises its attack by 500 for each dragon you control or is in your graveyard. Since you control one dragon my warrior now gains 500 attack."

[Buster Blader – Lv7 ATK:2600 > 3100/2300]

The dragon and its companion warrior stood side by side, there appearance bringing a heavy silence to the watching members of New Order.

Fortunately for Shark was still calm, his Number was in defence mode and thanks to its ability as a Number it could not be destroyed by battle. So it looked like Sharks life points were safe, for now.

"I set a card facedown and end the turn. Now challenger, prepare thy self!"