Disclaimer: Yep.
Well, after three years, over 300,000 words, various delays, original cards/characters and some rather bizarre events, we enter arc 2 of Force of Darkness, hear my cry. A long overdue second arc, but a very fun one indeed. It is here that the long-awaited War for New Paradigm shall take place, and the growing conflict between Yami, Hiei, Dartz, Naraku, and Vera shall come to an explosive head. The duels shall become more intense, and we'll get to see deeper into the mysteries that we didn't get to see on the shows, including a ground-shaking revelation that will change the course of the entire tournament. But there are many unanswered questions, particularly regarding the nature of New Paradigm: what secrets lie in the bowels of paradise? And who is the dark presence that is clouding Hiei's mind?
Well, only one way to find out.
And now, Noble Paladin presents…
Rising Darkness, Burning Light
Chapter 1: Where Doth the Demons Lie?
Streets of New Paradigm
He could not feel pain, he could not feel happiness, he could not feel exhaustion. In fact, for all intensive purposes he could not feel anything save for a deep and unerring sorrow. Like a slumbering beast it had been for so long, slowly but surely gnawing at the depths of his life and soul; every drop of blood spilt by him and those around him, the lives destroyed when he could not save the souls of the damned, the tears he had shed, they all added up to the meticulous deconstruction of his soul.
Where most men would have crumbled under the strain of all these constant abuses of the psyche, Yami had somehow been able to hold his head high and face the darkness of his soul. It wasn't a particularly special talent, but something he had simply adapted to take everything in. Essentially, Yami's psychological well-being was based on, and supported by, a general reflex, and even he could see the unhealthiness that could bring about, but most of the time he simply couldn't afford to try and fix it.
Ironic, isn't it, that saving the world left no time for saving oneself.
He had never noticed it before, and if he had he had simply disregarded it as stress or the trials of the times. But now it wasn't nearly that simple…and he knew exactly why that was.
Kagome…
He could not understand it, and he doubted that he ever would, but somehow the young and troubled miko had caused something inside him to snap, a lock he had somehow over the years kept strong and sturdy in the times of war. Death, ruin, misery, oblivion…it had forced him to lock away his heart and keep it from the world, and no one, not even Yugi, had gotten him to open it all the way. And somehow, from out of the clear blue sky, she had done it.
In all his journeys, hunting for the secrets to his mind, he had never been able to do what she had in only a matter of hours: open the secrets of his very soul. And for that reason alone he had to find her. She was the key, the path to salvation, the savior of his heart, mind, and spirit, and without her…
No, I can't think about that now. I need to be strong for her, like she was for me.
His heart rate was probably going off the charts at this point, but he didn't care. His focus was not on the world around him anyway, only on a razor thin trail of dark magic he had been following for at least a quarter of a mile, one that he had recognized from long ago.
The aura had been that of a nearly extinct breed of demon whose real name was lost in the sands of time, but whose vernacular name was "shadowshifter". Millennia ago Yami had faced many of these demons in combat, and subsequently had slain all of them that had struck. To the best of his knowledge, however, the number of dead had accounted for most of the tribe, and the few that remained had been destroying themselves for years through horrific civil wars and internal politics.
That would mean, therefore, that this being was likely the last of the shadowshifters, a legendary ninja who had never been defeated…
Akuren.
It was not any great surprise, really; he might have guessed that Hiei would, at some point, have drawn from such a sordid race as the shadowshifters. Like him they had no real sense of morality, but instead a psychotic depravity that often translated into acts of horrific violence…and now Kagome was in the hands of the worst of them.
I have to hurry. Ra knows what he's doing to her…
As such, Yami translated this desperation into an increase of speed, almost to the point that he felt he was not running at all.
As the trail continued on, Yami felt a certain unease creep into his heart. In all seriousness, this did not seem to be a very sound plan for him to take, as he was almost certain that a trap was involved somewhere. But the unease stemmed from something else as well, like an old instinct he had been able to suppress due to an overall lack of necessity for it over the preceding years. Still, it was there, and nothing he could do was making it vacate his mind…for the moment, anyway.
Where could this trail be leading me? It's obviously a trap of some kind, considering who we're dealing with, but the problem is I don't know exactly what he intends to do.
Yami had his suspicions, however. If Akuren was, as he thought, working for Hiei in this attack, then there could be but one thing that this scheme definitely involved: a duel. And luckily, he was prepared for that, as the slight weight in his Duel Gauntlet implied. Still, exactly what sort of duel eluded him for the present time.
But he was ready to face Akuren or whoever else was sent against him, that much he knew for certain, because this time, the heart of his victory was no longer rhetoric. This time, his heart had a face…and a very pretty face at that.
Of course, even with his newfound inspiration, Yami was still subject to the normal sweeping up of emotions he had come to be used to, and as such the immature, bratty voice that suddenly popped up behind him almost caused him to lose his footing.
"HEY, WAIT FOR ME!"
Had the situation been any less dire, it was likely Yami would have noticed the conspicuous absence of Shippo's high-pitched semi-squeak without him screaming from several feet behind him, but then emotion often overtook logic anyway. Besides, if Yami had pegged the kitsune correctly, then the odds were he would have hid through most of the events that went on, so his unnoticed presence didn't shock him much anyway.
After a few moments, Shippo did indeed catch up to the Pharaoh, hence nullifying his previous demand. Nevertheless, this did not make the situation any easier for him; this was going to be a very dangerous battle to be involved in, and the last thing he needed was another potential hostage hanging around.
Without skipping a beat, Yami turned his head towards the fox demon, who was surprisingly agile for such a small and apparently cowardly creature.
"Shippo, go back to the hotel! This is too dangerous for you, and I need to focus completely if I'm going to rescue Kagome!"
These words were well-thought out, and anyone with reason would agree with them; however, Shippo wouldn't hear a word of it.
"No way, Yami! Kagome's my friend too, and I'm gonna find her! Besides, you're gonna need backup if you want to get her back!"
Powerful words from such a young demon, thought Yami, and very impressive at that. Even though his fear was apparent through the hazel eyes and the slight tremor in his voice, Shippo's strength of will overturned the fright and let him overcome his own inhibitions; he was somewhat like Yugi in that regard, though admittedly a lot more loud-mouthed.
Still, he could be of use. After all, if Kagome trusted the little fox, then so did Yami.
"We have to hurry. I'm not sure how much longer this trail will hold…"
And with that their rate increased, all the while unaware of what was going on near them…
Yusuke vs. Shinobu
Ugh…what the hell just happened…?
Yusuke Urameshi, for the better half of his life, had been vaguely aware that some things went beyond explanation, but as time had gone by he had also come to realize that most of it worked on a level beyond normal human comprehension. Even so, Yusuke had never been careful not to judge a situation involving powers beyond his understanding too quickly…especially when a fight was involved, in which case he'd shoot first and ask questions later.
This time, however, Yusuke felt as though what had just happened went beyond all possible explanation, a judgment he could quickly make without being too far off the mark.
In all fairness, he had little to no recollection of what had actually happened to him; the only things that stuck out particularly in his memory were images of a massive floating castle, an intricately carved Greek pedestal which appeared to have been used to hold massive statues and yet was empty, a flash of light from the center of this pedestal, a glowing sword, and oddly enough a quick flash of the Dark Magician Girl. Beyond that he only knew of a second flash of light and then his return to the exact same spot he had been in before…which was not exactly a good thing, as the Seal of Orichalcos still held him and Shinobu hostage.
This did not change the fact that something rather outside his knowledge and control had occurred, and he did not like it one bit.
Damn it, figures that the one time I need a miracle is when I get some random visions in my head.
Still, Yusuke was no stranger to the mystical or even the divine, and his gut instincts were telling him that the visions had meant something, random as they were, and until he could be sure he'd work with that. But in any case, he had other pressing matters to attend to: namely, walking out of the duel in one piece.
"Alright, Shinobu, you ready to get your ass kicked, cuz I'm taking this thing out to the end!"
With a wicked smirk, Shinobu Sensui looked out onto his opponent's field, eyes flickering in a mixture of legitimate surprise and a sizeable level of contempt. He was not stupid, and could easily tell when an opponent was bluffing even when they had their best disguise ready, so with someone like Yusuke his lies and uncertainty stood out like the grease in his hair. He could tell for an absolute certainty that there was no way Yusuke would be able to win this duel; it was a perfect inevitability.
"Very well, Yusuke. If this is how you intend to conclude your tenure as Spirit Detective, then far be it from me to stop you. But know this much at least: whether you win or lose this duel, there is nothing you can do to stop the Orichalcos from taking one of our souls into the Leviathan. One of us will feed the beast, and one of us will contribute to the cleansing of the planet. So no matter what you do here today you will contribute to what you say you have opposed, and lead to the destruction of mankind as you know it."
"Yeah, yeah. I've heard all this bullshit before, Shinobu, and I think exactly the same of it what I did before…that it's a total load."
"Hm. Then prove it to me."
For a brief second, Yusuke was tempted to respond in kind, but after a moment of thought opted against it. As much as his "holier than thou" attitude was pissing him off like nothing else, he also knew that he wouldn't be winning this duel in an ordinary fashion.
It would be his power, not his words, that would decide his fate today.
Alright, it's time to focus. If I can draw some kind of monster, I could probably hold him off for a while, but I need something that can take him down for good. Ok, Heart of the Cards, let's see if you're any good…
And riding on the hope of a good card and not much else, Yusuke drew out his final card…with astronomical results.
He could not be sure why or how, but for reasons unexplained there was an instant, almost overpowering spiritual aura that overcame him as he drew, an aura which he could pinpoint to the source but one he could not believe existed to begin with. It was similar to how he felt when first meeting Raizen, but this time he felt as if he was in control.
And the spike in power did not go unnoticed by Shinobu.
What is happening? This aura I'm sensing…it's quite unlike anything Yusuke has ever used before. It doesn't even seem to be a part of this plane of existence…
But it didn't matter. No matter what Yusuke drew, Shinobu was ready to destroy it; that was why he was here, and that was what he was going to do. He hadn't come all this way, made all those personalities, endured all those sleepless nights to fail now.
It was absolutely out of the question.
On Yusuke's end, the power itself had stabilized somewhat, and now that it had he could look at what card he had actually drawn. To say the least, it was not at all what he had expected.
What the hell…this isn't one of my cards! But if it works, who am I to complain?
To be honest, Yusuke was more than a little disturbed by the fact that he had drawn a Magic card that technically was never in his deck in the first place, and the fact that he had no real explanation made him wonder a bit. But then again, who was he to pass a good thing?
"Alright, let's end this! I'll start by setting one card face down…and now, I'll activate the last card in my hand!"
As Yusuke raised said card into the air, Shinobu felt a hundred separate chills run down his spine, as though the card Yusuke was about to use would be his death knell. No…no, it simply was not possible. He had the Seal of Orichalcos; what could possibly defeat that?
He had a particularly bad feeling he was about to find out.
"This is it! I activate the Magic card…The Legendary Dragon, Wing of Xanatos!"
The instant the last of those words left Yusuke's mouth, a shining ray of pure, untainted light burst from the card, blinding Shinobu completely and forcing his own monsters to cover their eyes. It was something that no one would ever believe even if they saw it for themselves.
And as for Yusuke…well, he was too focused on winning to really care.
"So let's see what this thing can do! I target my face-down Magic card, Tribute to the Doomed!"
With those words, a startling change overcame the light emanating from the card, for where once was formless energy now emerged a solid and magnificent beast, a great dragon whose scales shimmered with a beautiful pearly white sheen that seemed to refract the light which had not yet dissipated. The dragon's massive European wings were silver and caught the sunlight like a mirror, further illuminating the field and dulling the glow from the Seal of Orichalcos, while the somewhat Asian dragon head glistened with a trio of rubies built into the forehead. Hooked, serrated teeth shimmered with a crystal blue aura, while its silvery eyes glistened with both deep wisdom and a harsh willingness to fight for what it believed in. Claws, clear as diamond, caught even more of the light, and its tail, with iron-colored barbs running the length of it, hung at the ready.
Shinobu's surprise, at this point, knew no current bounds. He had heard of the Legendary Dragons before, as Dartz had warned all of them about the power that the Guardians of Atlantis had once held, but to the best of his knowledge there were only three such monsters.
Obviously, the best of his knowledge had not been good enough. But one thing he did know for certain was that whatever Yusuke had just used, it would have turned out very bad for him had he not had one last move, one more skill he could use…
But Yusuke did not really notice this, for at that moment the dragon was taking on a new form by absorbing the face down card Yusuke had just placed through its diamond claws. Even as both watched the great beast, its flesh began to become gangrenous in three straight lines down its back and around the base of its wings, while its eyes sunk deep into its head and gave it the impression of being a skull. The wings now took on the luster of bronze, and its diamond talons began to more resemble onyx. But most notably, the once glistening scales of Xanatos now took on a more corroded look, akin to tarnished silver.
"Hey, Shinobu, better wipe that blank chicken shit look off your face; my Embalmer Dragon doesn't like it very much." (2350/2200)
"Heh. You've gotten much better, Yusuke, but it doesn't matter because I've already won. All three of my Paladins are stronger than your lone monster, and like it or not I have the advantage. Just accept the facts, Yusuke; I've proven my point that your race is meant to be exterminated right here and now!"
"Actually, you're wrong. See, my Embalmer Dragon lets me pull a little trick with your monsters; since you've destroyed three of my monsters already, I'm allowed to destroy three of yours, and each time you destroy a monster the same thing'll happen. So let's see how it looks, shall we? Embalmer Dragon, wrap this up for us!"
With a silent nod to his master, the hideous dragon shot forth three streams of formaldehyde into the eyes of Shinobu's monsters, with effects that seemed to confirm what Yusuke had just said. Even as the blasts of embalming fluid struck each Paladin, their armor began to rust off of them, and blood started to flow from their eyes and mouths. The flames consuming Lumos' sword were extinguished, while the sword and shield he held were turned into shoddy pieces of metal, the latter smeared with molten opals. Spierel, unable to stand the pain, dropped both of his maces and could do nothing save watch them shatter. And as for Xellos, his once lustrous diamond mail cracked beneath the pressure of the fluids, and he dropped his bow in agony.
Within seconds after these events had taken place, the flesh of each warrior, which was by now so corroded that it would be nearly impossible to determine if it was flesh anyway, slowly, and with a sickening sliding noise, slipped off of the bones of the Paladins and crumbled to the ground, soon followed by the bones of the once grand soldiers of God, which were bleached white by the assault from the Embalmer Dragon. Truly a more gruesome sight would be hard to find…not that either one wanted to, to say the least.
But in spite of the rather disgusting fate of Shinobu's monsters, Yusuke was becoming quite excited. Finally, after all this time, he would be able to finish what he had started back in Spirit World, and even though it was in a battle of cards instead of a battle of fists…he could finally prove himself to be the better man.
"Hey, Shinobu! Looks like I finally got to beat you after all! Embalmer Dragon, attack his life points directly and end this!"
With a roar that sounded as though the dragon's esophagus was rotting out, the grisly beast hurled from its mouth what could only be a gelatinous glob of concentrated ether, which, had it been real, would have melted Shinobu's skin right off of him. As it stood, the attack would surely defeat the disgraced Spirit Detective and seal his fate in the process.
For the first time in a long while, Yusuke felt contented with how things had turned out. Shinobu, looking at how the situation had turned against him, could not say the same…for now, anyway.
"I'm sorry, Yusuke, but I can't let you beat me, not when I'm so close to defeating you and finishing what I came here to do! See, while you may have been able to destroy my Paladins, I still have one last ace up my sleeve. In fact…it was because you destroyed my Paladins that I could use this card! I activate the ability of my rarest card, which can only activate if all my monsters should be destroyed at once! If the effect is activated, I can summon this monster, my strongest monster, directly from my deck, so it's time to show you what real power is!"
And with such harrowing words, Shinobu's deck began to glow a vibrant white, dulling the Seal of Orichalcos and its ethereal glow by comparison, and from that glow emerged a slightly humanoid being that seemed to be made up of a sort of liquid glass, a material that seemed to be taking on a new form…a solid form.
"This is the end of this duel, Yusuke Urameshi. Now behold the end of all things, the keeper of the texts of the dead and the overseer of man's passing from this world. Behold… The Angel of Death-Azrael!"
At that instant, the nearly formless creature brought forward from Shinobu's deck suddenly took on life and hue, becoming a towering figure of a man at six feet and five inches tall. Draped in an open brown robe with silver armor beneath it, Azrael's face was cold and merciless, an expression hewn from years of overseeing the life and death of humanity, with pupiless white eyes that could still see all things. His dirty platinum hair reached down to his shoulders, and beneath each of his eyes were two horizontal scars, red and white respectively, that represented his connection to both life and death. On his back was a pair of brown angel wings, the edges of which were tipped in silver, and each of his hands had an item: the left held a large, leather bound book with a quill pen inside it, while the right held a giant spear that was about a foot taller than Azrael himself, with a shaft made of black-lacquered wood and a spearhead with three prongs, the centermost exceeding the others in length and surrounded by an aura of heavenly energy. (1500/1500) But once the Seal of Orichalcos appeared on his head, the angel of death took on a rather more sinister appearance. His silver armor became black, as did his flowing locks, whilst his angel wings wilted away and became mere skeletons of their former selves. His book turned gold, and his mighty spear was engulfed in flames black as the deepest night. And in a most shocking change, the scars on Azrael's face split open, giving the impression that he was crying tears of blood even as his already cruel face gained a look of deepest madness.
Truly, this was the form of a fallen angel. (2000/2000)
"This is where it ends, Yusuke. Since I am not one to lead my opponent into an unknown defeat, allow me to explain how Azrael functions. Whenever my Angel of Death attacks an opponent's monster, said monster is automatically destroyed before the battle starts, which would normally make little difference given that you have the opportunity to attack me. However, there is another aspect to my monster's power: should he be attacked by a monster with greater strength than him, then the monster will be removed from play and any damage calculation will be negated. In other words, my monster cannot be destroyed in battle, and you cannot defeat me unless you defeat Azrael!"
Shinobu's eyes were flaring in victorious adulation as he stared intently at the card that would allow him to finish what he had started so long ago. Finally, after all these years, after all the torment and sadness that had wracked his mind as a result of the shattering of his illusion…it would all end, here and now in the forgotten city of the clouds. Here, where men forgot all that had come before and cared not for what would come after, the destiny of the world would be carved from the blankness of the forgotten, and a new era would come about, with a perfect king and a perfect peace set into place.
Dartz…I will finish what you started.
"It's over, Yusuke. Surrender to me, and I promise you won't feel a thing."
For a moment, Yusuke did not respond to Shinobu's offering, and in fact could not be seen to respond to anything. But after only a few moments, the more recent Spirit Detective began to shudder, his entire body trembling because of it.
It was almost sad to see how the once proud warrior was shaking in terror, but Shinobu knew that he had to end it.
"So do you surrender?"
There was no answer, only a continuing of the shuddering that now seemed to constitute some sort of seizure, and it was soon followed with a low, muffled sob; truly this was a sign of his bowing to Shinobu, or perhaps the pressure had finally caused him to crack under the pressure.
But as this sad, sad display continued, the sobbing also became louder, only for Shinobu to realize that it was not sobbing…but laughter. He wasn't crying, he was laughing! Even his shaking was only because of how hard he was laughing in the first place!
But when the laughter died, Yusuke was already talking, in a rarely serious voice, and was also staring directly into Shinobu's eyes with a determination like he had never seen before.
"My whole life, people have been telling me I'll never amount to anything. They'd look at my fights and my grades and they'd shoo me away, and whisper about how I'd die an early death. They'd pity my mom for having to live with me, and they'd ridicule my dad for leaving her with my burden. But none of it mattered, cuz I knew I had something to fight for; I didn't know what it was, and maybe I still don't know what it is, but there's something I have to do, something that's worth killing demons and wrangling with schizophrenics. I may not know what it is I fight for, but I can tell you something I do know: there are people out there who I care about, people I'd die for, and I am not gonna give up and let them down. I'll keep fighting for them, and I'll find what I'm looking for if I have to die a hundred times again! So you'd better shut your mouth and listen up…BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA GIVE MY SOUL TO A CRAZY ASSHOLE LIKE YOU, AND I SURE AS HELL AM NOT GONNA QUIT UNTIL I TAKE YOU DOWN!"
Shinobu, though it seemed as though his plans for an easy victory had just gone down the drain, could not help but smile. Such conviction, such strength of will…Yusuke was prepared to fight and die for what he believed in, for what he had just said was not merely pompous talk. Shinobu's successor was truly ready to step up and be a man, and nothing he could say or do could stop him this time. There was no Mazoku, no interference…this was simply a duel, a man to man battle to prove who was superior.
Yusuke, you're a lot like I used to be…before all this happened.
But impressive as it was, the DOOM Soldier could not let it stop him, and as he realized this his left fist clenched. He had a dream of his own, a goal he had set out for himself…and like Yusuke, he wouldn't let anything stop him now that he was so close.
"Well said, Yusuke. But all the words in the world could not change the fact that I still have the advantage; if you intend to defeat me, you'll have to get past Azrael first. So if you really think that you can defeat me…then attack me with everything you have, and we'll see whose dream shines brighter!"
Yusuke, with a nod, accepted Shinobu's offer. He knew that he was right; this was the final test, the proving ground to see if he was truly ready to fight for what he had lived for all these years.
There were no more words to be said, for all they had to say to each other had been spoken years ago. The time had come to end what had began in that cave so close to Armageddon.
The time had come for the final battle.
"Embalmer Dragon!"
With a gruesome roar, the dragon from beyond the grave opened its great maw, putrid chemicals pouring along its fangs.
"The Angel of Death - Azrael!"
The grandiose angel and keeper of the deaths of man lifted his spear to the sky, focusing the fires to the very tip of the spear.
In that final moment, on the borderline of life and death, both detectives stared at each other, eyes locking together in the last standoff. Though they said nothing, all they wanted to tell each other was spoken through that single glance.
And in the blink of each eye…
"ATTACK!"
There was no mercy to be had, nor was it wanted, and both monsters knew this, hence did they launch their mightiest attacks at one another: the Embalmer Dragon setting loose his sphere of destructive chemicals, and Azrael swinging his spear in a massive half-arc and hurling all of the dark power contained within it. Both attacks reached massive speeds as they soared through the empty air, and it seemed that nothing could stop them from reaching their intended targets.
But as it was, something would have to give…and indeed it did.
The arc of tainted divine energy could not be stopped by anything as simple as gelatinous embalming fluids, and as such it immediately sliced into the attack and rendered it useless, splattering what little was not destroyed by the power of the aura itself. Not even slowing down for an instant, the cruel arch of final damnation continued onwards towards its final target: the Embalmer Dragon.
It was over in an instant. In spite of its best efforts, the Dragon could do nothing to block the attack, and the destructive aura sliced into his left shoulder…and ripped his heart to pieces, spilling his blood all over the ground. With one final gasp of breath, the dragon vomited all the fluids he had once used as deadly weapons, and slumped to the ground, eyes glazed with the destruction of its soul.
Watching this happen, Shinobu could not help but smile at how easily it had all ended. After all his big talk, Yusuke was unable to emerge victorious from what he had claimed was a duel he could not afford to lose. Where was his determination, his spirit, his strength of will that had been the driving force behind his last battle? Had his years of exile made him so weak that all he had to him now were mere pomp and brash claims of power? Or perhaps he had been stupid and forgotten about Azrael's effect…
It didn't matter, though. He had won this match, and now all he had to do was end it.
"It seems that your will was the weaker of the two of us, Yusuke. For all your speeches, you could not best me in the most important duel of your life with your best attacks, and now I will finish the job that we began back in that cave."
Yusuke, once again, said nothing. He was staring blankly at his now empty field and hand, left with nothing but the shattered remains of his dreams and the smoldering corpse of his godsend. It had all gone to hell so fast, and now he was facing an eternal reminder of how he had been beaten. It was pathetic in Shinobu's eyes, and yet he did not laugh or snarl. Yusuke had fought valiently, and deserved some respect for it.
"Well, it seems as though you can do nothing else, Yusuke. Do you end your turn?"
For that instant, Yusuke considered all he could say at this point. He could crack a grin, he could cry like a baby, he could break down into a million pieces. But he would do nothing of the sort. This duel had been a test of honor…and he would end it with honor.
"No. It's time to end this."
"Good boy. So do you end your turn?"
And to Shinobu's shock, Yusuke's eyes flashed in one final burst of willpower.
"No…I end this duel."
With those startling words, Yusuke stood in his battle position and stared into Shinobu's dark, pitiful eyes. His will had not been extinguished; no, it had only become stronger.
"It's over, Shinobu. It's been a tough duel, but now I have to bring it to an end."
As he said this, the dragon that Azrael had slaughtered, the dragon Shinobu had removed from play, lifted his head wearily. The weight of it was almost too much for the dragon to bear, and yet somehow it was able to do so.
"What's going on! I destroyed that monster!"
"Yeah, you did, but you should've guessed he'd want vengeance. When you destroyed my Embalmer Dragon, you activated the effect of a monster in my deck called Shinigami, which can only use this effect if I'm left with nothing in my hand or on the field. If that's the case, then I can discard it from my deck and special summon one monster from my graveyard or the out of play pile. When he's summoned, he gets the ability to attack again…but this time, it's gonna go right after your sorry ass for a direct hit! So I'm calling on Embalmer Dragon to finish what he started!"
Yusuke, though his game face was on, could not help but grin now that he was so close. After all this time, he had proven himself the better detective, if not the better man, in the end. And now it was time to prove it.
There was a silence which gripped the field, a silence so absolute that no roar or squall would ever pierce it. Such was the way it would end, in silence purer than the soul of a saint. Two men, whose wills had clashed and conflicted in such a way that had never been seen before, nor would be seen again. Here, in the arena of souls that no man could defeat without the blessing of the gods…here it would end.
"Embalmer Dragon…attack his life points directly."
It was all the dragon needed to hear. With one final, blood-choked roar, the resurrected beast sent forth its final attack, a blast of spirtual energy fused with formaldyhyde that streaked through the air. But unlike the previous attack, Azrael - out of contempt for Shinobu, or perhaps out of acceptance of the inevitable - did nothing to prevent it. As such, the attack continued unhalted, searing the ground that it moved across…until it reached Shinobu.
The blast was catastrophic, an incredible explosion of light and sound which ripped at the eardrums and blinded the eyes, so much so that even Azrael shielded both. Never in his life had Yusuke seen such a duel effect used as it was, and unless he got to see Osiris in action he doubted he ever would again. In a strange sort of way, it was beautiful; he had finally beaten Shinobu and reclaimed his honor. He could walk the streets with one less nagging thought in his head, and maybe now he could focus on more important things.
And yet…
After about a minute, the smoke from the attack cleared, and when it did, there was nothing but the two warriors, standing across from each other in an arena of most certain doom, one that would now seal the fate of the very man that used it. The dragons, knights, spirits, and angels…they were all gone, leaving their masters behind to bear the burdens they had brought into the match, and also to let one man release the burdens he had held for years beforehand. (Yusuke: 800/Shinobu: 0)
"Well, aren't you going to say something like, 'This isn't over, Detective' or 'I will be avenged' or some crap like that?"
Yusuke's words, sharp as they were, concealed a sort of tragic feeling in his head. Sure, Shinobu and his personalities were deranged lunatics, and maybe they had this coming, but did they really deserve to lose their souls?
Even as he said this, the Seal of Orichalcos had begun to contract on Shinobu, who in his turn did nothing to fight it. He had used the Seal for some time, and he knew that nothing, not even his Sacred Energy, would let him escape. He had accepted his fate, and would take that as some kind of comfort.
"No, Yusuke. All the words have been exhausted, and there's nothing more to say…except…"
There was nothing either of them could do. They knew this, they hated this, but were forced to accept this anyway.
"…well done."
Those were the last words…before Shinobu, Kazuya, Sensui, and all the others were trapped in the Seal of Orichalcos. They did not scream, cry out, or struggle at all; they just…allowed it, as if it was fated to happen. All they did was look at Yusuke, staring as they were dragged from body to card as if nothing was unusual about it at all.
Yusuke, a man who had watched so much blood and death, turned his eyes away at the horror of it all. Was this the price paid by servants of the Orichalcos, having their eternal soul trapped in limbo until the end came?
Even as the last bits of their souls fell away, leaving nothing left of Shinobu Sensui and his deluded dreams, the embodiment of the Angel of Death, and a glistening golden key, Yusuke could not help but feel the weight upon him. But he would not buckle under it. He would stand tall, and prove that he truly deserved this victory.
Yami, Yugi, Keiko…I won't give up. I'll fight these guys to the end, even if I have to walk the road to hell to do it.
It was a vow he would keep, and with a new card, the final key, and a strong will, he was ready to bear the pressure. He would prove that he was strong, not for others, but for himself.
He would win this tournament, and he'd make sure that he'd finish what Botan had made him start.
Industrial Area, Abandoned Factory
"So is everything set up for this plan of yours?"
Akuren had, for many years, dealt with clients of unusual or questionable states of mind, and had oftentimes had to adapt a sort of suspension of disbelief as to how they would work. But in the case he was dealing with now, he had to admit that it was a little ridiculous.
Streams of shadows were spiraling around the place, blocking out any sights or smells not present in the Shadow Realm, while monstrous beasts lurked away in the shadows of the nightmare. Life, death and eternity were condensed into a maddening spiral of insanity which no one save a select few could endure, and it all came together with both clarity and dementia.
For Akuren, it was repulsive, but for those that lived here it was a canvas…and for this particular beast, it was the foundation for his masterpiece.
"I suggest you hold your toungue…unless you wish to suffer the same fate…as Kachikachi."
The demon's ragged breath, choked with bile and phlegm, almost caused the demon ninja to choke on his own vomit, but he held it down anyway. Much as he hated to admit it, this raggedy bastard held more power here than he did.
"So, Akuren, Missing-Nin of the Citadel of Chaos…has everything gone…as I outlined it to?"
"Exactly. That wretched monarch and his pet fox are searching the city, following my trail of dark powers right to this spot. But if I may speak frankly, we could just butcher him using my ninjutsu…"
"No…we must make him suffer…the Pharaoh…he will know the pain of loss again…and I will know the pleasure of vengeance. Nothing can stop me now…now that my plan has come into its own."
The old fool, thought Akuren as he monitered the shadow magic concentration outside the factory. Didn't he realize that such tricks and illusions could never be as strong as simple death? Naraku made the same mistakes, after all…
But no. If he was to come into his own, he would have to cement his loyalty to the Darkness…and defeat the Light. Only then would the Six Points of Anubis align in the proper coordination…to release the beast that Akuren would follow to heaven and hell.
"Very well, then. Should I stick around and watch?"
"Yes, that would be preferable…I will need your power if something should go wrong…"
The demon smiled to himself at this. Though he had said it, he knew nothing would go wrong. No matter how hellbent Akuren was on restoring the Six Points of Anubis, it would not matter, for all he had worked for all these years would finally come to be.
Soon, my Pharaoh…soon you will pay for what you did to me…in blood…and tears…
"Akuren…raise her up."
Listening to Akuren do as he was told, the monstrous demon continued to work his magic and set up the arena. All had gone as expected, and now all he had to do was draw the Pharaoh into his web.
And what better bait…then his reincarnated lover?
To Be Continued
Wow, awesome first chapter, methinks. But then, it could use some work, so let me know if there's anything specific.
Anyway, next chapter will end Enzeru and Kaiba's duels, and the mysterious demon will be unveiled. But what are the Six Points of Anubis, and why does Akuren focus on them so? What secrets are being hidden? And what is the truth behind the darkness in Hiei's heart?
Be sure to check it out, in chapter 2 of…Rising Darkness, Burning Light!
P.S. to Black Death: I forgot Azrael's effect, so I had to adapt it. (It's his!)