Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Midnight Arc

Chapter 1: An act of war declared

"You, who are my servants, obey my will. It is time to begin my plans. And for that to occur I must bring forth the end of the one possible threat to my existence. And that is the Dark Halo. Do you understand?"

A single dark form stepped forward and nodded. "I understand, milord. Do you wish for me to go?"

"Yes, go Visque. Make sure you destroy him utterly."

"As you wish milord."

"Are you ready for the duel of your death?" Visque coldly sneered.

Ichigo glanced behind him at the entrance to the cavern. Past the thin walkway they both stood on were the unconscious forms of Krieger and Griff. "You bastard. I won't accept this! I don't know who you are, but I'll make you pay with the power of the Dark Halo!" His eyes started to turn night black.

Visque waved a finger in the air. "Be civil or else I'll kill them from here. I can do so, thanks to the magic of plastic explosives. Do you understand?"

Ichigo's eyes shimmered back to hazel. "Fine, let's get this done. I'll beat you easily."

Ichigo- 4000

Visque- 4000

Visque drew; his silver and black duel disk nearly invisible in the dark cavern. "I begin with a monster in defense mode and two cards face-down. A standard play, but they say the oldest are the best."

Ichigo drew. "Oldest or not, it won't work on me! I summon Cyber Shadow Shifter!" (800/1200) A black-clothed ninja appeared on the field. "Also, I activate the magic card Shadow Shift! This card forces your face-down cards open!" Both cards flipped up and exploded into dust. Visque's face-down monster revealed itself to be a Pyramid Turtle. (1200/1400) "Also, I sacrifice Shifter through Shadow Shift to special summon King of Swords!" (2600/2300) A warrior wearing a pair of forearm blades appeared on the field. "So my power has been called upon by Ichigo so soon? So be it."

Visque didn't look worried.

"You won't be smiling in a second! I activate Monster Reborn on Shifter!" Ichigo held the card up…but nothing happened. "I said I activate Monster Reborn on Shifter!"

"It's useless." Visque started to laugh. "This isn't your normal darkness game. It's one where even if I lose you'll be crippled. Because this is an Eternal Death game!"

"Eternal Death?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "What's that?"

"In this sort of game, it doesn't matter how much you try to preserve yourself. There is no graveyard or removed from play pile, because once a card is used it is completely and utterly destroyed." Visque sneered. "So your Shifter is forever destroyed. There aren't even ashes."

Ichigo felt rage….but that was quickly suffused with a pure feeling. A pure anger. "I'll make you suffer! King of Swords attacks Pyramid Turtle with Ultimate Slash!" The mighty king shimmered and the Turtle exploded.

Ichigo- 4000

Visque- 2600

Visque smirked. "Though there is no graveyard to access, monsters destroyed as a result of battle are considered to go there. So I special summon Ryu Kokki through the effect of Pyramid Turtle!" A huge bone snake appeared on the field and hissed at Ichigo and King of Swords. (2400/2000)

Ichigo slid two cards into his disk. "I set two cards face-down and play Card of Sanctity. Now we both draw until we are holding six cards." Holding up his new hand, he looked the cards over. "End turn."

Visque drew. "I play Giant Trunade. This magic card sends all magic and trap cards in play back to their owner's hands." Both of Ichigo's set cards disappeared. "Then I play the magic card Night Curtain. By sacrificing a level six or higher monster in play I can special summon one monster from my hand to the field." Ryu Kokki disappeared and was replaced by a huge dark form. "Despair From the Dark (2800/3000) will now attack your monster!"

Ichigo's eyes went wide. "King of Swords!" The claw down onto the warrior and blew it apart. "NO!"

Ichigo- 3800

Visque- 2600

Visque slid a card into his disk. "End turn."

Ichigo clenched his fist and dropped to one knee. After punching the ground a few times, he stood up and drew. "You bastard…I'll make you pay for each one!" Looking at the drawn card his eyes narrowed. ("Every graveyard card is lost…but I can't let it stop me! The Cyber Shadows will understand if I sacrifice them to save my friends!") He slapped a card down. "I summon Cyber Shadow-Assassin (1000/800) in attack mode!" A black-clothed lithe warrior appeared in play. "Also, the equipment magic card Special Operative Weapon-Stinger!" A rocket launcher appeared over Assassin's shoulder. "This card will destroy Despair From the Dark!" A rocket flew out of the weapon and slammed into the titanic monster, blowing it apart. "Assassin, direct attack!" The warrior threw a knife that stuck in Visque's chest. "Also, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Ichigo- 3800

Visque- 1600

Visque drew. "Now it's time to do some real damage! I summon Double Coston!" (1700/1650) A pair of black ghosts attached to each other with ectoplasm appeared in play. "Attack Assassin!" They both flew towards the warrior.

"Go Negate Attack!" Ichigo's set card flipped up. "This will stop your attack and end your battle phase!" Both ghosts stopped and returned to Visque's field.

The shadowed man frowned slightly. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "I summon Cyber Shadow Blademaster!" (2000/1600) A dual-sword wielding warrior appeared on the field. "Then I activate Sword Gambit. This magic card can only be used if Blademaster is in play. I draw two cards and then discard one." He drew twice and then slid a card into his graveyard slot, trying not to think about what he was doing to it. "Now for your end! Field magic card Fusion Gate activates!" Up above them the cavern ceiling started to twist and warp. "Now's my chance to end this madness! Fusion Gate's special ability lets me fuse monsters without Polymerization! So I fuse together Assassin, Blademaster, and the Cyber Shadow Soldier in my hand together! Emerge now Lord of Knives!" (2800/2300) A black trench coat wearing warrior appeared in play. "So this is it hmm? My last time to see the field of battle? So be it…then I will fight with all of my might!" Lord of Knives threw two handfuls of knives towards the Double Coston and the set card.

"Reveal Divine Wrath!" Visque discarded a card from his hand. "This counter trap will negate the effect of Lord of Knives and destroy it!"

Lord of Knives looked back at Ichigo, and then faded away.

Ichigo clenched his fist tighter. "You…" He slid two cards into his disk. "I set two cards face-down. End turn."

Visque drew and held the card up. "Heavy Storm destroys all magic and trap cards in play!" A blast of wind blew across the field, clearing the power of Fusion Gate and blowing both of Ichigo's set cards away. "Also, I sacrifice Double Coston for Vampire Lord!" (2000/1500) A vampire appeared on the field and smirked. "Attack him directly!" It flew forwards and bit into Ichigo's neck…or tried to right up to the point where he punched it right in the jaw.

Ichigo- 1800

Visque- 1600

Visque snickered. "I declare monster, which means that you must now send another of your precious Cyber Shadows from your deck to oblivion."

Ichigo fanned out his deck and felt tears fill up in his eyes. "I send Cyber Shadow Kuriboh away." The card faded. After inserting his deck back into place he snarled at Visque. "Normally I abstain from torturing people, but for you I'll make an exception!" He drew. "I summon Retriever (1000/1000) in defense mode. End turn." A silver crab robot appeared on the field.

Visque drew. "I set one card face-down and summon Des Lacooda (500/600) in attack mode." An undead camel appeared on the field. "Vampire Lord, get rid of that thing!" The undead monster slashed through the defender easily. "Des Lacooda, direct attack!" A sickly mist emerged from the monster's mouth and flowed around Ichigo. "Then I use the effect of Des Lacooda to flip it face-down." The monster was replaced by a set monster card. "End turn."

Ichigo- 1300

Visque- 1600

Ichigo drew. ("Another casualty…but I won't let it affect me. I can't stop!") He looked at the drawn card. "Pot of Greed lets me draw two cards." Sliding two cards off of his deck, he added them to his hand. "First I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" A blast of wind shattered the set card on Visque's field. "And now I set a monster face-down. End turn!"

Visque drew and then pointed at his set monster. "I flip summon Des Lacooda, and that lets me draw one card." He slid an additional card off of his deck. "I summon Nightmare Horse (500/400) in attack mode." An undead horse in mummy wrappings appeared in play. "This monster can attack directly!" It sprayed flames from its nostrils that licked against Ichigo's face. "And then I attack with Vampire Lord!" The undead monster slashed through the set card.

Ichigo- 800

Visque- 1600

"The special effect of Cyber Shadow Screamer (350/650) ends your battle phase!" A sonic screech filled the air.

Visque pointed at Des Lacooda and it turned back into a set card. "End turn."

Ichigo looked down at his deck. ("I have Monster Reborn and Polymerization in my hand. But without any monsters to access, they're both useless.") He drew…and his eyes widened weakly. ("Luna…you understand then.") Slowly he looked at Visque. "You want to destroy the Cyber Shadows? They know of their demise…and intend to strike back. In this one turn watch your life points disappear!"

"Bring your best, or whatever is left of your best. Considering all of the cards I've destroyed, you'll never be able to duel effectively again." Visque started to laugh…

Ichigo smiled slightly. "My oldest friends…" He looked upon Visque. "You…you aren't a murderer. All you are is a pitiful puppet." He held the card up. "Last Call to Battle! This magic card requires that I discard my deck into the graveyard after I draw five cards." He looked down at the deck that had served and helped him through thick and thin. ("I thank every single one of you…and hope that we meet again somehow. Forgive me for what I am about to do.") He drew five cards and then slid his deck into the graveyard. "You're about to feel what the dying force of the Cyber Shadows can do. I suggest you don't make any dinner plans! Polymerization…one last time!" A swirling vortex appeared up in the air above him. "I activate the single most powerful combination I can summon. A fusion so strong that its effect actually requires me to physically destroy it after use. And so be it…" He held up five cards. "I fuse Ninja, Berserker, Strongarm, Trainer and Shield Bearer together!" Something began to emerge from within the vortex. "It is time for the ultimate warrior. Come out now, Cyber Shadow God!" (Infinite/Infinite) A calm human-sized form lowered onto the field. It looked upon Visque, and snarled. "It's over."

"It doesn't matter. I've done my job." Visque snickered. "And my master shall be pleased."

"Cyber Shadow God! Genocide End!" The warrior flew past the three zombies and locked Visque into an embrace. "This monster can attack your life points directly!"

Visque spat into the warrior's visor. "Come and join me in hell then." He pressed down on a plunger. "And by the way, I was intending on killing them regardless of what you did."

"NO!" Ichigo felt everything slow down….until an explosion nearly threw him off of the walkway.

Above Krieger and Griff an explosion dislodged a few huge hunks of rock that started to fall rapidly towards them.

Ichigo knew that he wouldn't be able to get there in time…but he started to run anyways. ("Something…someone save them!")

A form appeared standing over their bodies, and then more forms appeared alongside it. They all snapped their arms up and a bubble of force appeared, stopping the rocks in mid-air.

Ichigo nearly fell off of the walkway. "Snake…Lord of Knives…King of Swords…Soldier…Assassin…Shifter…"

Snake's arms looked like they were going to buckle. "Ichigo…GO!"

Ichigo's eyes and hair shimmered night black. Light around him bend as he literally moved so fast that gravity couldn't even suck him down into the abyss below when he ran over thin air. Throwing both of his roommates over his shoulders, he looked up at Snake and the others. "Guys…come with me!"

"Sorry kid, but…" Snake felt his arms starting to collapse. "It's the end for us. Now get those two out of here!"

King of Swords looked up at the rocks and frowned. "This is where I die? So be it, then this is where I die…."

Lord of Knives looked upon Ichigo and bowed his head. "Thank you for treating us as friends…thank you for trusting us. Ichigo Pilkington…the greatest Cyber Shadow of them all."

Ichigo closed his eyes…and kicked off, turning into a blur. Less than a millisecond later he was standing at the edge of the cave. "Snake…everyone…thanks." He turned to look at Visque. "Like I said, Genocide End." And with that he was gone.

Visque smirked at Cyber Shadow God. "Well, blow us up then. Send me to a peaceful rest in the darkness realm."

The visor-wearing warrior silently looked over at Snake and the others. And all of them nodded to it. This was their final act in the mission. And like all missions, they planned on going out with a bang.

Snake tilted his head to look at the ground. "Ichigo…"

Cyber Shadow God exploded with the force of a nuclear warhead, instantly causing a cave-in that cut off the blast before it could leak out and damage anything else.

Ichigo stood in the rapidly rising dawn…his eyes misted over as he watched the remains of the cavern entrance. He started to sniffle…and then took something out of his pocket. "My Fusion Deck…" Taking the thick stack of cards, he started to dig a small hole. And then another small hole. And then another…

By the time he was done there were small holes all over the area. And within each one he placed one of the fusion cards. And after burying them he said a little prayer and moved on.

Now he stood in front of the last grave. The one that held his dearest mentor and friend. "Snake…." Squeezing his eyes shut, he dropped to his knees and started to sob. Memories of the times flashed in his head, both good and bad. The time when Eri had taken his Cyber Shadows away from him. And then the time when he had first gotten them. ("My second family…those who always helped me. They're the ones who taught me the heart of a hero…") He cried louder…

Ichigo had returned the still unconscious Griff and Krieger to their room. Luckily Rikuo was taking one of his weekly twenty four hour napping periods, so the boy still had time. And now he was standing at the edge of a cliff, his eyes looking down at the ocean below. Tears dripped down his face still…and he felt so very cold inside. His Cyber Shadows were what made him what he was…without them he wasn't a hero. He wasn't anything.

For a few moments he actually considered stepping off the edge of the cliff…but thought better of it. The last thing he wanted to do was make anyone sad if he died. And he knew that some of them would be sad.

What was worse was that the Seal of Luna was gone. Or at least the Seal card itself. He could still feel the power of Luna deep in his heart, but it was an empty consolation. ("My dueling skill…wasn't enough to keep them alive…they died because I was too stupid.") His eyes closed and he turned away from the rising sun. ("I will not duel again. No…I will not endanger the lives of anyone ever again!") He knew just how to do it to. Looking out at the sun one more time…he closed his eyes and felt blackness overtake him.

Midnight sat quietly in his chamber…and then started to laugh. His laughter echoed across the whole of his dimension. "His prescense is gone. He has sealed himself away…and that means that the Dark Halo is no longer a threat. As such…" His slotted crimson eyes flickered in the darkness of his throne room. "Let those of the Duelist Academy beware, for I come to complete plans that are millennia in the making. Soon the Makai Kami no Kados shall be mine. And when I possess their power, I will take the world with ease." His laughter shook the fabric of his dimension.
Ahran's eyes opened and he looked around in confusion. "Where am I?" He was lying in Ichigo's bed…but that didn't make any sense. The only reason he would appear was either if he was asked or if he felt it was needed. But he had been resting…

("Ichigo? Is something the matter?")

There was no response.

("Ichigo?") Ahran felt out into his link…but realized that he was cut off. ("Ichigo!")

Again, there was no response.

To be continued…

Ahran here. I can't believe it…Ichigo's sealed himself away in his own body! And despite what uncle Ryu does he can't get him to come out. And what's worse is that this guy shows up calling himself one of Speakers of Midnight. But without Ichigo to accept his challenge, who can we trust to get the job done?

Next Episode: All that glitters