Yu-Gi-Oh DS

The Concept:

This story does have duels in it and follows the rules of the actual card game with possibly some minor adjustment here or there. The main difference with this story is that the cards are not all from any of the series: Yu-Gi-Oh/GX/5D. The cards in this series are based off the game series Diablo and it features a new storyline with new characters. Also, there are shadow duels and a shadow realm because I personally think it adds some fun to duels. I hope you guys enjoy it!

YU-GI-OH DS

Episode 1: The Ritual King - Part 2 (Ethan)

"I won! Come on, Ethan, I actually won for the first time!"

I felt like I was going to rip my little brother's throat out! I know, I know, that was cruel to say, but he had been going on about his stupid win for the past hour. I got it already; he won a dumb-ass card game. Big deal.

For those of you who do not know what I'm talking about, my twelve-year-old brother just had his first win in a duel. Duel Monsters is the game and it's all about using cards made up of monsters, spells and traps in games called duels. Winners get respect, losers try harder next time.

I can't stand the game. I think it's dumb to base respect, money and other stuff on a card game. Sure, it's fun for five-year-olds. But I work at a game shop and I've got people in their thirties coming in, buying cards to try and improve their decks so they can win tournaments. Win for what? To have everyone know you spend your free time wasting it on cards?

Anyway, all of this brings me back to my little brother who had been dueling for over five months now. The problem was that he kept losing and now, today, finally, the stars seemed to have aligned and let him win a game. There was just one problem: while he was absolutely ecstatic about his win, I was not.

"That's good, I guess," I replied, trying not to seem that unenthusiastic.

"You guess?" Aiden, my brother, whispered, a little disappointed. I guess he expected me to be happier for him. I just wasn't in the mood to fake it.

"You won a card game, Aiden," I said. "It's cool, but not the highlight of my day."

And it was at that point he looked crushed.

"Don't worry, Aiden," Brandon jumped in. "I appreciate that you won."

"I didn't say I didn't appreciate his win…" I began.

But Aiden interrupted me. "No, you just don't think the win is a great thing."

Well, he had me there. I was currently at work, standing behind the counter of the shop. No one besides me, Aiden and Brandon were standing inside, but if a customer walked in, I couldn't have my little brother whining about my hurting his feelings. So I did the only thing that I could think of… bribery.

I leaned over the counter. "Tell you what. We just got new booster packs in the back. I was told by the delivery guys that these packs have some of the best cards in the game. How about you go in the back and pick out any three packs you want and I'll buy them for you?"

His face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really?"

"Yeah, think of it as a reward for your win."

"Awesome!" he cheered as he bolted for the storeroom.

When he was out of sight, Brandon turned to me, giving me one of his suspicious looks. "Is he even allowed back there? Wouldn't your boss be a little mad?"

"Do you see my boss around?" I asked with a grin. "Besides, it's not like we're stealing anything. I'm going to pay for it anyway."

"True, true," he said as a customers walked in, looking around.

I examined Brandon, who was leaning on the counter with his typical care-free demeanor. I had known Brandon for little over a year now but we had quickly become what I'd call best friends. He was average height for a seventeen-year-old with short brown hair and brown eyes. His facial expressions, no matter what they were, always seemed to have this mischievous quality to them, like he was always ready to prank someone. Most of the time, he was. But deep down, Brandon's a cool, caring guy. Especially to my brother. My theory is that because he's an only child, he's formed a big brother bond with Aiden which I seemed to be missing. Am I jealous about that? Yeah, maybe a little. But hey, what you gonna do, right?

"You know, he just wants your approval," Brandon stated, sharing his pearls of wisdom.

"I know what he wants," I replied. "I just don't know why."

"Because you're his brother," Brandon said as though I were stupid. "And he wants you to be proud that he's actually good at something. And that he's doing something good."

I scoffed as I fiddled around with stuff on the front counter, neatening it up. "How is dueling good? Explain the upside to me?"

"Well, for one, it keeps the mind going all the time because it's all about thinking on your feet."

"I thought it was about strategy?"

"Yeah, strategy. That's all fine and dandy, but when you don't know what you're up against, how can you possibly know if your strategy can win? But whatever the case, my point is, it keeps the mind fresh."

"It also keeps the mind too busy to do other things."

"It helps kids make friends."

"It helps people make enemies. And some of the friends these kids make are like three times their age. It's a little creepy."

"Well, aren't you the optimist of the day?"

"I'm a realist."

"You're a pain in the ass," Brandon replied with a smirk. "Have you ever even played a duel?"

"Do you see my name on the registry?" I replied. "I don't think so."

Brandon put his back-pack on the counter and pulled out his duel-disk – a piece of technology which you slide up your arm and it creates virtual images of your duel monsters when cards are played with them. I have to admit, as much as I dislike the game, the technology for it is quite incredible.

When you want to become a serious duelist, you sign up in a game shop and you get your own duel-disk (with your own personal identification number so it can't be stolen) which records information. This information is then sent to the DMD – Duel Monsters Database – which can be checked on any computer with internet capabilities.

The type of information they're saving is fairly simple: number of wins, number of losses, number of tournaments in which one has participated and position in said tournaments. Then they give you your rank. It's not a number; no, that would be too embarrassing for some people. The only people who have numbers on their profiles are the Top Ten duelists of the world. As for everyone else, they are separated into five categories via colours and coloured jackets. No, I am not joking. People walk around in official duel jackets to show off their status. There is green, which is the lowest level which is followed by blue (level 2), white (level 3), red (level 4) and finally gold (level 5 – the top duelists). How do you get to higher levels, you ask? By winning of course, especially in tournaments. Brandon never wears his jacket, but I think he's a level 3.

Speaking of Brandon, he was showing off his duel-disk to me. "You mean to tell me that you have never felt one of these babies?"

"Nope," I answered. "Besides, to get my own, I have to sign up to the DMD. Not happening."

"Yeah, yeah… one day." He turned his head as a kid walked up to the counter and stood next to him.

"Hey, Matt," I greeted one of our regular customers, who was sporting his green jacket. "What's up?"

"Hey, Ethan," he greeted back, looking a little nervous. "Can I get an application letter for the Blue Jackets Tournament?"

"Huh?" I stupidly said. But I quickly regained my thoughts. "But don't you have to be a blue jacket to enter the Blue Jacket's Tournament?"

"Not necessarily," Brandon answered. "The jacket tournaments always have 128 participants. In this case, 120 of them are blue jackets – the best 120 of them. The next eight are special slots for up-and-comers in green who believe that they can surpass the level twos. Hundreds of green jackets apply for this competition every year, but only the top 8, the best of the green jackets, are chosen."

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "I'm hoping I'm one of those green jackets. I really need to get into this tournament." I wanted to ask why, but he turned to walk out before I could. "Thanks Ethan. Gotta run."

Just as Matt left, Aiden materialized out of nowhere. "Okay, got my three packs. Thanks Ethan."

"Don't mention it," I smiled slightly, happy to see Aiden happy again. "Find anything good?"

"Don't know, haven't checked yet," Aiden replied, looking at Brandon. "I'm going to see all my new cards before I decide what to add to my deck."

I gave Brandon a look. "All his new cards?"

"Yeah," he answered innocently, examining my face. "You forgot, didn't you?"

Oh no… "Forgot what?"

"I told you that today I was going to take you and Aiden to that new game shop I went to that's dedicated to Duel Monsters so we could see what they got."

The blood must have drained from my face. "You were serious about that?"

"Of course! And no, you're not getting out of it."

I just groaned.

After what seemed like a walk that lasted for an eternity (it was probably fifteen minutes), Brandon informed us that we were close to the game shop. I had never been to this part of town and it looked safe enough, but if we're being honest, I felt as though I was being watched. I felt cold, worried that something bad was going to go down. I grabbed Aiden and pulled him a little closer to me. He gave me a strange look – a mix of concern and 'what are you doing'. I may not have much in common with the little guy, but he is my brother. I got to make sure he's safe, right?

"Something wrong, Ethan?" Aiden asked.

"No," I lied. "We're good."

"Yes we are…" Brandon said slowly, almost eerily. And he sounded a little different. "Come on, we're almost there."

Just like that, he broke into a run, bolting around the corner as though we were the plague and he was trying to get away from us. Aiden and I looked at each other and I read his mind, but I was too slow to stop him from bolting too, following out of sheer curiosity. I followed too.

The game shop immediately came into view as we turned the corner – well, I assumed it was the shop, because we just caught Brandon slipping into it. It was small, lodged between two buildings that looked abandoned. To be honest, the game shop looked abandoned too. It had no name anywhere and it looked dark inside. Aiden had stopped in his tracks and turned to me, as if asking permission to move forward. I walked passed him.

"Stay close, please," I said. "Mom will kill me if I don't come home with you."

We opened the door and crept in, looking around. It didn't look like any game shop I'd ever been in. The windows must have been tinted to the max, because it looked as though no sunlight was getting in here. The lights were dim, there were hardly any shelves to hold anything and… there was not one person.

"Brandon?" I called out as we walked forward through the shop. No response. "Okay, dude, this really isn't funny right now. Whatever this prank is, it's over now. We're leaving."

I turned to leave, coming face-to-face with Brandon. "That would be a very bad idea."

"Brandon…"

He was different. His voice had changed and there was this dark thing about him that I just couldn't point out. The look in his eye was something evil and his grin was a wicked one. This wasn't Brandon.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"You need to go further into the shop," he answered simply, still grinning.

"Why? There's nothing here. Nothing important is in here."

"No?" His grinned widened. "Then let's change that."

The punch came from nowhere and – my luck – I slammed, head-first, straight into one of the few shelves in this dump. I hit the floor and it took a few seconds to realize I was still conscious. It took even longer before I heard Aiden shouting.

"Let me go, Brandon! Ethan, help! Let me go!"

But Brandon wouldn't listen. "Come on, Aiden. What's the matter? I'm not going to hurt you. Well, that's not entirely true."

I moved as soon as I heard that. I saw Brandon dragging Aiden into the back room as I got to my feet. I ran for them and burst through the door a few seconds later. And entered a room that didn't look like the storeroom of a game shop. There were shelves against the wall, with books and scrolls stacked neatly on them. There were pictures all over the walls, paintings of dueling cards, just more vicious, more real. What seemed like a dozen artifacts were spread across the room – from golden swords to long staffs carved with strange symbols to statues of more duel monsters – all were human and all seemed ready for action. The next thing I noticed was Brandon heading out the door with Aiden, no doubt into an alley.

"Do not follow us," he screamed. "Not until you have looked on the table."

I moved for the door, but I stopped. This was Brandon. He wasn't going to hurt Aiden, was he? I turned around and walked over to the desk. There were notes there with strange symbols on them, symbols I recognized. There was also a scroll. I don't know why, but something told me that was what I needed to see. I opened the scroll and my body went numb.

It was another painting – some sort of water paint I think. The painting seemed to be of seven people, their faces to be exact, each with a symbol. I recognized three of them but from where I wasn't sure. Two of the other faces were scratched out, and I didn't know the one girl, though I felt an immediately sadness about her anonymity. The final person I saw shocked me the most. He had messy blonde hair, clear green eyes and a determined look on his face that I had never seen before. Even when I looked in the mirror and really prepared myself for something. I had never looked as serious as I did in this picture. But there it was, on paper. The last person was me.

The symbol next to my face was red. It was a circle and within it, a fire burning. Under it was writing that I had never seen before, but understood instantly.

"The Ritual King?" I whispered.

I looked on the desk again when my eye caught a red glint. It came off a red amulet. The chain was golden. The actual amulet was a gem that was exactly the same as the symbol by my painted face – same colour too. What the hell was going on? I picked up the amulet and felt a surge of energy. I felt strong, ready to take on the world. But I never put the amulet on. Instead I picked up the scroll and walked outside to find Brandon and Aiden. And a girl… tied up at Brandon's feet.

The girl looked at me with a calm expression, almost as if she were relieved I was there. She had long black hair with streaks of violet in them. Her eyes looked like gems, but not any colour eyes I'd ever seen. They were bright purple, sparking in this dingy alley. She had rope around her hands and feet, duct tape covering her mouth and a duel glove lying next to her. Brandon – his duel glove on, deck at the ready – was still holding Aiden close and had a wicked grin spread across his face. Aiden, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to cry.

"Let him go, Brandon!" I commanded.

"With pleasure," he said as he tossed Aiden to the side. "I didn't want him anyway. Just needed to get you out here."

I growled. "What is going on?"

Brandon grabbed the girl, pulling her closer. "Ethan, I'd like you to meet a close friend. The girl who brought me here, the one who started all of this. You're here because of her, by the way. But don't worry; you won't be staying for long."

He ripped off the tape on the woman's face and she couldn't help but scream in pain.

"You asshole!" she shouted.

Brandon grabbed her by her face, forcing her to look at him. "Now, now, Selena, sweetheart, is that anyway to talk in front of guests?"

She gave him a head-butt that would have been hysterical if this all wasn't so weird. "How's that, sweetheart?"

Brandon looked like he wanted to kill, but Selena had dragged herself away. "Have your fun now girl, because when I'm done here, all three of you will be sharing a living hell in the Shadow Realm."

Aiden gasped.

Selena shot him a look. "Not if I send you back first, Nihlathak!"

Aiden gasped again.

"What the hell is going on?" I eventually shouted.

Brandon looked up, chuckling a bit. "Forgive us, Ethan. For a moment I forgot you were even standing there. Come, let's get this show on the road shall we."

He kicked the duel glove on the ground towards me, it stopping at my feet. The glove already had a deck in it. "What do you expect me to do with this?"

"I expect you to eat it," he sneered. "What do you think I expect you to do with it? I want you to duel me!"

"You know I don't duel, Brandon."

"That's not Brandon," Selena spoke, looking at me now.

"What?"

"That's Brandon's body," she explained. "And somewhere inside it is Brandon. But right now, you're talking to the spirit of a long dead traitor who came into the world via the…"

"Shadow Realm…" Aiden finished slowly.

"Yes!" Brandon, or not-Brandon, agreed cheerfully. "Seems the little one knows more than you do, Gate Keeper."

I went silent, staring at all three of them. Shadow Realms, possessions – and what the hell was a Gate Keeper? My head was spinning. It felt like I was going mad. I didn't know what to do, where to go from here. So I just spoke the one thing that was on my mind.

"Are all of you out of your damn minds?" I screamed loud enough for the city to hear.

"Do you see, Selena?" Brandon taunted. "This is your chosen one? This is your Ritual King? A boy who can't even stand the means in which he can win. It's quite insulting that you think he would have been a challenge for me. But no matter. Now that I have the upper hand, we can play a Shadow Game."

Aiden looked like he was about to freak. "Shadow Games aren't real!"

"Shut up, boy! Shadow Games are as real as the ground beneath our feet?"

"Anyone want to fill me in?" I asked, just going along with things.

"Selena?"

Selena looked at me, determination in her eyes. "To make a long story short: you're what is known as a Gate Keeper, one of seven. Specifically, you are The Ritual King. Or so it seems. But you still need to be tested. I summoned Nihlathak, an evil spirit from the Shadow Realm, to duel you so you could prove your worth. But he managed to break my control spells, freeing himself from my grasp and getting the upper hand on me. And then he went searching for you, possessing your best friend. The only way to banish him and get your friend back is duel him in a Shadow Game. But if you lose, he gets your soul."

"Not just his soul. I get your amulet too. And the masters while reward me handsomely."

I just stared. At Aiden, then at Brandon/Nihlathak, then at Selena. All of were staring back at me, such serious expressions plastered onto their faces.

"You've all been eating make-up, haven't you?" I asked.

"So you don't believe us?" Brandon/Nihlathak responded.

"Of course not!" I yelled. "Have you heard yourselves?"

"In that case, pick up the duel glove."

"I don't duel. I don't even know how to do it properly."

"But you don't believe a word we've said. So you have nothing to lose."

"You won't lose!" Selena shouted. "Listen, you are a Gate Keeper, chosen by fate. That deck in your duel glove was made for you and response to you alone. You don't need to learn how to play this game. Once you draw your first card, you'll know immediately what you're doing."

Brandon/Nihlathak laughed. "You really are delusional, aren't you? Tell you what, Ethan. Despite what this girl said, you don't look like you're going to duel me."

"Because I'm not."

"Okay, then. I'll make you an offer. Duel me, or else…"

"Or else what?"

"Or else I kill your little brother." My blood ran cold. "In all fairness, he won't actually be dead. But his soul will suffer for all eternity." A dark fog began to descend upon the alley. "It will be ripped from his body which will then become an emotionless doll." The fog became thicker, surrounding us, but it never blocked my view towards anyone. "As for the soul, it will wander the Shadow Realm, experience unimaginable torture. And when he is crushed, when it is finally over, when is soul seems ready to diminish completely… the shadows will heal him and start all over. He will suffer for all eternity." The fog seemed to chill the area, seemed to creep into my mind, fill my head with voices. I saw Aiden struggling to keep his cool.

"Aiden, come here," I ordered.

He began running, but Brandon/Nihlathak had other plans. "Not so fast!"

The fog shot out and encircled my brother, like it was trying to consume him. I tried to move, but I was paralyzed. Aiden started crying now, trying to pull away from the fog, from the shadows, trying to break free.

"Leave him alone!" I shouted in absolute panic. "What are you doing with him?"

"Claiming his soul," Brandon/Nihlathak stated happily.

"Stop it, you coward! Whatever you are doing to him, do it to me!"

"I can't!" he screamed. "Your amulet prevents me from using the Shadows against you. So now, I'll claim your brother's soul and there is nothing you can do about it."

"No! Here, take the amulet! I don't want it!"

"I can't Ethan. It is bonded to you. I can only take it by winning a Shadow Game. And seeing as you don't care about your safety enough to duel, maybe you'll care about your brother's. Right now, he has no protection from the Shadows. However, if you agree to duel me, his soul will be safe and I'll be gone. Provided you win. But if you lose, I will get your amulet and his soul will be mine forever. What do you say?"

"You spineless bas…" Selena started, but Aiden's shouting interrupted her.

"Ethan, help me!" he begged, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Look at that, Ethan," Brandon/Nihlathak taunted. "He's in pain. He's scared. Are you really going to abandon your little brother?"

I went silent for a minute. I was so horrified. I probably would have ran then and there… if my anger didn't outweigh my fear by truckloads. I looked up, grinding my teeth so hard just so that I wouldn't scream. I picked up the duel glove and put it on my arm.

"Let's do this."

Brandon/Nihlathak smirked as his glove activated. "Excellent. You see how easy this is going."

"Be careful, Ethan," Selena warned. "And don't panic. You'll know what to do."

I activated my duel glove and just like that, the duel began. We each drew five cards.

I drew. "I'm right in saying that the person challenged always goes first?"

"Not all the time, but mostly," Aiden answered. The darkness was still around him, but it seemed to have calmed now that the duel was on the way. "You can summon monsters in defence and attack mode, but only set them in defence. Also, spells can be activated as you put them down, but traps need to be triggered and can't be activated the turn you put them on the field. Also…"

"I'm sorry," Brandon/Nihlathak interrupted. "But which one of you am I actually dueling?"

"Me," I responded, taking a card and placing it face-down in defence mode. "I set one monster and end my turn. Your move."

He huffed as he drew. "Oh, scary. Do you know that I'm using your friend's deck? Brandon has some nice cards. Like this one. I summon Succubus – Vile Temptress in attack mode."

This really was Brandon's deck. He was the only guy I knew who liked Succubus monsters. The green-skinned creature appeared, and to say it was ugly would be an understatement. It was a woman and its face looked like a cross between a vampire, an old lady and a botched up plastic surgery job. The creature had feathery wings that stretched out and her hands had sharp talons. She had dirty bronze armour covering her breasts and shoulders, and gold metal went from her waist into leggings, which went from her thighs right down to her feet. Her stats? ATK1600/DEF1400.

"Now I'll use my Temptress to attack your face-down monster," he continued.

The creature screeched as she made for my face-down, striking it. My card flipped up, revealing High Priestess Akara – an old sorceress covered in a purple robe. ATK500/DEF2000. My defence was higher, so his attack backfired, making him lose 400LP. He was now at 3600LP.

"Guess you're not as good as you think you are," I spat.

He just smiled as he set two cards face down on the trap/spell field. "Mock all you want. You'll lose regardless. I end my turn with two face-downs."

I drew as Selena spoke. "You're doing well, Ethan. Just keep concentration."

"Right," I said, examining my cards. "I summon my Paladin of Zakarum in attack mode." A knight covered in chainmail armour (except a helmet) appeared on the field, brandishing a shiny broad sword and a decent-sized shield. ATK1800/DEF2000. "He also has a nice effect. If he battles a dark monster, like your Succubus cards, he gains five-hundred attack points during the battle. So now, I'll use him to wipe out your Temptress."

"Wait!" Aiden shouted, but it was too late. "He has two face-downs!"

"Smart kid," Brandon/Nihlathak said as he activated a trap. "I activate Andariel's Rage. This card allows me to equip it to a Succubus monster and raise its attack by 700 points."

"Their attacks are the same," I said. "They're going to destroy each other."

"Wrong," Brandon/Nihlathak said. "My Andariel's Rage has another effect. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed by light monsters. Furthermore, for every light monster she destroys, you take five-hundred points of damage. And correct me if I'm wrong, but most paladins are light monsters."

He was right. My Paladin swung and the Temptress (now ATK2300) dodged. She then came in for the kill, ripping my Paladin into shreds. Next she came for me, her effect activating, and she struck out. I didn't flinch – it was just a hologram – but my LP dropped to 3500.

But then Aiden screamed in pain.

"What's happening to him?" I panicked again, the Shadows surrounding my brother more.

"I'm sorry," Brandon/Nihlathak chuckled. "Didn't I mention his soul is not just on the line, but it is connected to your life points as well? Basically, his soul is connected to spiritual hooks. And the more life points you lose, the more the hooks pull until his soul is ripped from his body. It is quite a painful experience. I should know. That's how I ended up in the Shadow Realm."

"You're twisted," Selena spat. "He's a child."

"Like I care. Are you done yet, Ethan?"

I placed a card face-down. "Your move."

"Yes it is." He drew. "I activate Demoness Claws, equipping my Vile Temptress with them, raising her attack to twenty-six hundred. And I'll use her to wipe out your Akara."

Which he did with a little too much enjoyment. Because Akara was also a light monster, I lost 500LP and Aiden screamed more. I was shaking. With fear, with anger, who could tell anymore? But my brother was in pain, and I wanted nothing more than to go over to him and pull him away. In fact, I stepped forward.

"Don't do it!" Selena screamed. "The second you started this duel, you signed a contract with the spirits of the Shadows. If you move to get your brother, they will see it as a forfeit and chew his soul up before you even get close. The only way to save him is to win."

"Which is something you cannot do," Brandon/Nihlathak taunted. "I have Brandon's memories. You don't duel at all. You can't possibly win this. But I can. After all, I have my mind and Brandon's. I'm quite skilled."

"Good for you," I said, stepping back. It was time to get serious. "Anyway, on with the duel I guess. And if I'm not mistaken, Akara has an effect when she's destroyed. I can now bring any level four or lower monster from my hand to the field in defence mode. I summon my…" I stopped, staring at the card. "I don't even know how to pronounce this. Something Trapper."

A woman appeared on the field, in black leather clothing, decorated with a range of make-shift gadgets, such as bombs and bear traps, and other bladed things. ATK1300/DEF1600.

"The Viz-Jaqtaar Trapper," Selena said.

"Yes, that," I replied. "And while I can't pronounce her name, I know she also has a special ability. When she's summoned to the field, I can take one trap from my deck and add it to my hand. The downside is that I'm not allowed to set it the turn I get it, but since it's still your turn, that's not a problem."

"You can get as many traps as you want." Brandon/Nihlathak shrugged. "You will not win. I end my turn with one face-down."

I drew, looking at a smiling green jar. "I know this card…" I whispered. Then, louder, "I activate this spell card; an oldie, but a goodie. Pot of Greed. And it lets me draw another card."

"Two…" Aiden corrected. "Pot of Greed lets you draw two cards. The trap, Jar of Greed, lets you draw one."

Brandon/Nihlathak laughed loudly. "Oh, this is great. An opponent who doesn't even know his own cards."

"Shut up." I drew two cards. "I might be a beginner, but I sell this crap and watch it day in and day out. I know most cards and their effects. And I'll prove it with this. I activate the magic card, Mystical Space Typhoon, which destroys one magic or trap card on your side of the field. And I'm aiming for Andariel's Rage."

The electrified typhoon began to surround his card, but Brandon/Nihlathak just chuckled as he activated something on his duel disk.

"Nice try, but I activate a trap card: No Mana." The card came up, showing a few cracked potion bottles on a stone table, a blue liquid running off it. "This trap allows me to destroy any spell card on the field that was just activated, stopping its effect."

I smirked, activating a trap I placed down last turn. "I activate Cursed Urn. This card allows me to take any trap or magic card on the field and imprison it in this urn. And I choose your No Mana card." A holographic image of the card appeared above the ceramic urn, being sucked inside of it. Plus his Andariel's Rage was destroyed, weakening his Temptress. "Now I tribute my Trapper to summon my Bul-Kathos Barbarian."

The barbarian was a bulky man, with nothing on but a loin cloth and boots. Blue paint made its way across his muscular body and up his face, symbolizing something that I didn't care about. He held a great axe in both hands, and he was ready for war. ATK2100/DEF2300.

"Now that your Temptress is down to nineteen hundred attack points, my Barbarian can take her out! But before that, I should probably tell you his effect. If he's the one attacking, he gets four hundred extra attack points."

My Barbarian moved surprisingly fast for his bulky size and swiped with his axe, splitting the Temptress, destroying her and taking Brandon/Nihlathak's life points down to 3000. I saw him flinch.

"So it hurts you too, huh?" I stated, placing one face-down. "Your move."

He scowled as he drew, but then smiled as he looked at the card. "I summon myself to the field."

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked.

He placed a card down and summoned a pale man with white hair, combed back. He worn tattered black and white robes and floated a little off the ground. His eyes were dark and his face was emotionless. ATK2100/DEF1400

"Meet Nihlathak," Brandon/Nihlathak boasted.

Selena looked surprised. "That's a level five monster. You had to tribute another monster to summon him."

"Well, I've never actually played by the rules," Brandon/Nihlathak stated. "So, Nihlathak, the card that is, doesn't need a tribute to be summoned. However, if he is summoned this way, his effects are negated. Not that it matters, because I'm not done. I activate this magic card, Call of Anguish, and here's how it works. I can discard one Succubus monster from my hand to the graveyard to special summon another Succubus monster from my deck, provided she is a lower level than the one I just discarded." He discarded a card. "And seeing as my Blood Temptress is a level seven monster, here comes a level six. Rise, Succubus – Hell Temptress."

Another wicked woman arrived She looked exactly like the last one, but instead of green-coloured skin, hers was a shade of dark orange, and her wings were dark green. Everything else, including the ugly face, were exactly the same. Though I think she was even drooling and growling – honestly, sophistication was not this girl's friend. ATK2200.

Brandon/Nihlathak grinned. "First off, my Hell Temptress has a special effect. I can draw up to three extra cards, one for every Succubus monster in my graveyard. Since there is only two, the one I discarded and the one you destroyed, I get to draw only two cards. But that's good enough. Now, how about some fun. I will use myself, Nihlathak, to attack your Barbarian!"

I was confused. "But their attack points are the same!"

"Exactly," he said and we watched as both our monsters were destroyed. "Now, I hope you like this, because it's going to be a scream. Especially for Aiden. Isn't that right, kid?"

"No!" I realized what would happen now that I was open for a direct attack. I'd take the hit, but Aiden would get the pain.

"Too late! Temptress, attack him directly!"

"No!" Selena and I screamed as the Succubus took away 2200LP, bring me down to 800LP. But that wasn't my concern… Aiden was…

His screams of agony and pure torture shattered my heart. I watched him as he cried and shouted for help while his soul was being ripped out of his body. Tears poured down his face, his face that went absolutely pale. His energy seemed to be drained out of him but the screaming only seemed to get louder. Such a big hit must have meant more pain. And I could do nothing to stop it. Whether this was real or not, if I moved from my spot, the duel glove would deactivate and I'd lose by default, losing my little brother forever…

The screaming finally subsided. Aiden's head fell. It looked like his whole body wanted to hit the ground, but it seemed the Shadows were keeping him up. He was still crying, sobbing under his breath. He didn't look up, didn't speak. Just sobbed.

"Enough of this!" Selena pleaded. "He's just a kid."

"You say that like I'm meant to care," Brandon/Nihlathak said. "It's your move, Ethan. Make it count."

I stopped for a moment, not moving a muscle, just staring at my little brother whose tears fell to the floor.

"Well?" Brandon/Nihlathak began. "Are you going to duel or what?"

I looked down, at my duel disk, and draw a card. "You were in the Shadow Realm, right?"

He seemed taken aback by the question. "Yes. For years."

"What was it like?"

"What was it like? What was it like! It was a complete nightmare. It was hell. Torturous hell that would break you over and over. Mentally, emotionally, physically. It would destroy you entirely. For example, I was paralyzed on the floor under icicles. Icicles that would fall ever few minutes, impaling me. It would start at the feet and work its way up. The pain was unbearable. But the soul never sleeps, so unconsciousness was never an option. I felt every inch of me get ripped open. Every inch! And when the final one fell. When my head was impaled. I felt that too. And then I would drift, drift into darkness… only to be awakened, fully healed, experiencing the same hell again! That is what it was like!"

He breathed in deeply, and I looked up, thinking he was actually going to cry. Then I readied my card.

"Good…" I said with clear hate in my voice.

"Good?" he asked, stunned. "Why is that good?"

"Because I wanted to be sure that when I send you back to the Shadow Realm, you'd be punished properly for what you've done to my little brother." I looked at my card. "Did you know that the Barbarians in this game are actually civilized, noble warriors. So noble, that they'd never let a comrade fight on their own."

"What's your point?" Brandon/Nihlathak asked.

"My point is this," I said, summoning another Barbarian to the field in attack mode. "When all the monsters on the field are in your control, I can special summon my Bul-Kathos Barbarian from my hand." My Barbarian appeared, axe and all, ready and waiting. "Luckily for you, he can't attack the turn he's summoned this way. So I'll lay down two cards, and end my turn."

Brandon/Nihlathak chuckled. "Almost had me worried there for a second." He drew, continuing with, "Wow, your friend loves this monster. I summon Succubus – Vile Temptress in attack mode." The same monster appeared, just as ugly. 1600ATK. "Now, as long as she is on the field, you cannot attack any other Succubus creature. And I'm not done. I activate my face-down quick-spell, Succubus Revival." The card flipped up, showing two Succubus monsters dragging another one up from a black void on the ground. "You see, this card allows me to special summon one Succubus monster from my graveyard, provided her level is equal to, or lower, than my weakest Succubus monster. So here she comes, my first Vile Temptress."

A second Vile Temptress – the first one I beat – appeared and I gulped. He now had three monsters on the field, all pretty decent, all ugly as hell. And they were all aiming for me.

"Don't look so serious Ethan." Brandon/Nihlathak smirked. "This is a game; games should be fun."

"Just get on with it."

"Someone's in a bad mood. Well, I guess it's not surprising. I do win, after all. My Hell Temptress kills your Barbarian and my Vile Temptresses finish the job. Congrats, Ethan, you dueled well. It just wasn't good enough to save your brother. Say goodbye to Aiden and goodbye to your amulet. Because at the end of this turn, they will be mine!"

Then he gave the final order.

"Hell Temptress, destroy his monster!"