Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! is owned by whoever owns it, which does not happen to
be me.
Chapter 1: Slayer
To be a hero is to sacrifice something dear... life, love, innocence, naïveté, family, joy, freedom... and to expect nothing in return.
"In Domino City, another 3 murders have occurred overnight. The cause of the three unfortunate victims' names have not yet been determined, though they all appear to be under thirty years of age..."
Yuugi Motou frowned as he repeated the information in his head, mentally adding to the tally of murders he kept in his head. So far, over a hundred unnatural deaths had been reported in the past month, with another forty or so critically injured. Not a reassuring figure at all. Scowling, he stabbed at his desk until the lead snapped audibly. He ignored the degrading sneers and snickers he received from his fellow students. He was above them all: if not for him, most wouldn't even be alive, let alone trying to bloat their paltry egos.
The arrogant teacher too, was just an expendable mortal being, incapable of defending herself from the denizens of night. The vampires, werewolves, beasts, and demons that roamed the human plane in the absence of the sun. These were the creatures Yuugi Motou, destroyed. At night, he was a powerful being with supernatural abilities. By day, a straight A student with a tendency to attract bullies. A short, weak, innocent child, easy prey. A façade that worked for him perfectly.
At 15, he was undeniably short for his age. Large innocent eyes were the centrepiece of his cherubic face, framed by long golden bangs. A black crown of spikes stood proudly, edged with crimson highlights. His skin shone, creamy and unmarred. The muscular and fit body was concealed carefully under a uniform that was loose enough to hide the curves, but fitting enough to suggest skinniness. Pale slender hands that often cupped blood were now innocently doodling on spare paper. The look of an angel.
*Rrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg*
Yuugi immediately jumped out of his seat and ran for the door to his locker. Quickly, he opened his locker and packed his bag, taking care to stash the first aid kit and crowbar out of sight. Banging shut the locker, he bumped into Ryou Bakura, a classmate. Yuugi suspected that Ryou knew something of his nighttime expeditions, though simply chose not to say anything. He also suspected that the quiet, reserved albino was more than he appeared. "Bakura-kun, sumimasen." "That's okay, Yuugi-kun." Ryou smiled reassuringly. "See you tomorrow then." "Ja ne, Bakura-kun."
Turning, Yuugi walked into three bullies, who smiled cheerlessly. "Well, if it isn't the runt." Yuugi blinked at the large figures blocking his way, before innocently smiling back. "Excuse me," he replied calmly. "But I have pressing matters to attend to." With a push, he moved two sideways, before stepping through the gap and bolting. Behind him, the bullies registered what he'd done and yelled in what they deemed a threatening manner, before giving chase.
Amused slightly by their futile efforts, Yuugi ran faster; he did not want any delays to his preparations for the night. Though he usually toyed with the mortals, tonight he could not abandon his duty for entertainment. Consequently, he arrived at his home a full hour earlier than usual, leaving him ample time to plot the night's hunt.
**********
He targeted a well-known night club to knock out some vampires. By far the most devious and cunning of the damned, they could blend into human society with an ease not possible for other demons, having once been human themselves. While not retaining their memories, they kept their human instincts. Unsuspecting humans -of which there were too many- were easy prey for the sinful perfection of a vampire's physique and nature.
Clothed fully in black leather, with knives hidden in wrist sheaths under a leather jacket, Yuugi entered the semi-dark club. The guards were wary of him; the first and only time they refused him entry, he threw the muscular over 100kg security cleanly into his partner at the other side of the room. He'd had good reason: he'd chased a pack of five very hungry vampires into the club. Though usually calm, his reserves of patience snapped into raging fury when human stupidity hindered his hunts. The mortals were right to fear him.
Sitting at the bar with a beer, he immediately picked up four different vampire tracks. Carefully, he inspected them, determining how old each track was, the level of maturity the vampire had reached and how hungry the vampires had been. Finally settling on the track of a mature vampire nearing the age of two millennia whose track was still thick with bloodlust, he slapped coin on the counter and rose to leave, swaying in a tipsy manner. Outside, he turned a few corners, then unsheathed the blade from his left wrist, before climbing up a drain pipe to the rooftops. Silently, he followed the scent.
After ten minutes, Yuugi found the vampire, who currently stalked an ignorant student on her way home. Yuugi paused a moment to regard the girl: shoulder-length chestnut hair, deep blue eyes, dancer's figure, dancer's stride, age around sixteen. Narrowing his eyes, he recalled her: Anzu Masaki, a school cheerleader. She was in a few of his classes. 'Kuso!'
A dilemma. Rescue the girl, and risk blowing his cover, or watch her be slaughtered by the hungry night. He sighed; duty could not be abandoned. Risk was risk, it never left anyway. Besides, Anzu was a nice enough person, who shared notes, food, and philosophy openly with him. Despite her 'friendship speeches' sounding phony or obnoxious, she was very loyal and strong, even to those she was not overly familiar with.
With his decision made, the young Slayer slipped unnoticed to the right of the vampire, far away to avoid his aura being noticed. After all, one could never be sure of the defenses of an ancient. A few crucial seconds passed, which Yuugi took to carefully prepare himself and pool his resources for the upcoming conflict. When he judged his power be just lower than its summit, he took four steps forward and released the concealing wards that hid his magic, unleashing a blow designed for confusion and blindness.
The vampire sensed the assault almost instantaneously, and dodged, catching only 30 per cent of the attack. Though his senses and wits were magically muted, he maintained a strong instinct of survival, and managed to throw up a shield against the next spell. Though his barrier shattered, he ran towards the direction from which the attacks initiated, simultaeneously shaping a new barrier. He was forced to dodge continually; the hunter must have planned fairly well in advance. He cursed himself for carelessness, though he admitted a grudging admiration for the one capable of launching such powerful offense. Feeling his eyes clearing, the vampire readied his own magical attack: a black bolt of energy veined in crimson. Once he was able to make out his enemy's figure, the bolt flew with deadly accuracy. He was able to stop to watch as the attacks stopped momentarily.
A shield of pure white light absorbed the attack; the one holding the shield did not even flinch. The vampire gasped. He had never even heard of any with the power to use the full power of light. Elemental magic was rare: pure elemental even more scarce. Light and Darkness were the hardest of all to control. Looking at the young human again, he frowned. There was just no way that a mortal such as him could possess such power.
His pondering cost greatly. The white shield changed immediately to a jagged arrow, that plunged straight at him, smashing his carefully worked protections. Surrounding him with its light, he felt the light claw and bite him, leaving flesh bloody. He tried to summon a new ward, too late. More light flew at him, surrounding him. The blinding whiteness burnt, creating more wounds that bled. As the vampire fell backwards, he knew it was all over. Already deprived of blood, each drop that drained from his veins sent him a league further into oblivion. Unless he suddenly consumed gallons of the sacred red liquid, he would be dead. Who would feed a dying vampire?
Lying sprawled on his back, the vampire sensed veins above him. Instinctively, he heaved upwards, sinking bared fangs into flesh. Though confused, he nevertheless fed gratefully. It took a few gulps for him to note the difference in the blood: instead of filling him with ecstasy, it burned his veins in an intoxicating manner. He wondered, before realizing: he was a being of darkness, being fed light. Already, he could feel his fangs changing, until they were teeth. Blunt, flat, wide. His heart was slowing, breath gasping. Yet through it all, he could discern one thing: his savior was weeping shamelessly.
He was beyond healing, as a human. The hunter had not saved him as a vampire; he had killed him as a human. The vampire finally understood. Panic at the thought of death struck him, before something else did. Flashing slowly, images clouded his senses. A baby, sleeping soundly. A toddler, falling over while trying to walk. A little boy, being teased. A ten year old, eating with a few friends. A teenager, running and laughing. His memories. The ones stripped from him when he was turned. Feeling the recollections merging with him, meshing with his vampire self, he felt identified. He no longer was a mindless killer.
Raising his hand, he felt his savior clasp it gingerly. He smiled, hoping the boy would understand his gesture. Thank you, for everything you've done. The past is held by darkness, the future by light. I hope that the present may be ruled by both, in harmony. Shuddering, the boy-turned- vampire-returned-boy died.
**********
Yuugi shook with sobs, as he felt the life leave his latest kill, wishing that he was as innocent as everyone believed. He'd taken the lives of so many, the thought that it was all for a good cause did not comfort. Who was he, to judge one race as being eligible to live, while another must be condemned to death? He was just a mortal, with greater abilities. He was no greater than those he slew, only more powerful and ruthless.
The man -boy, he corrected tiredly- had thanked him. He supposed this was good; some had died cursing the light that slew them, clawing at him angrily. As he tiredly embraced the corpse though, he could feel no consolation in the cold, burnt and bleeding flesh. Still, he held on tightly, knowing that soon, the body would begin to decay to it's two thousand year age. Weary, he slumped onto the teenager, who was no older than himself when turned.
Fingers jarred him from mind-numbing trance. Whirling, he unsheathed a knife defensively, glaring at the figure who disturbed his vigil. Seeing startled blue eyes and brown hair retreat, he relaxed. Turning back to the body, he ordered calmly, "Go back to your home. There is nothing for you to see here." Anzu took a hesitant step forward. "I... wanted to see if you... are alright..." Yuugi snorted derisively. "Are you? You did just see someone die from bleeding and burns." "Yes, I know." Feeling stupid, Anzu fidgeted. Lamely she said, "You don't have to worry about me calling the police or anything. I won't tell." "Not that it would matter anyway," Yuugi replied absently. "The corpse would be gone by then." "He was a vampire then?" "Yes."
Cocking her head curiously, Anzu asked again, though more boldly, "Are you alright?" "I'm used to it," snapped Yuugi, weary and irritated. "Yet you still cried. Why?" Anzu knelt. "It wouldn't be pain, would it?" "No, I'm crying because I like to." "Not physical pain, I mean. You don't like to kill." "I really don't need your therapy lesson right now." He scrambled to his feet. "You don't know what you're talking about. I'm leaving now. I suggest you do the same, unless you wish to see what the process a corpse goes through before fully decaying into dust." Turning, he strode away quickly. "If you need to talk, or just to have someone who'll listen, I'm here," Anzu called after him. Pausing for a moment, he nodded curtly -a gesture barely caught by Anzu- before moving again.
**********
'What a strange person,' thought Anzu as she continued home. 'Poor kid. It must be so hard, to have to kill someone like that. I wish I could help him.' With that thought, she detoured to a flower shop not too far from her house and placed an order for a bouquet of white lilies, to be wrapped with black tissue paper and pink ribbon, then sent to the Game Shop the next day with a small card she signed. She frowned for a minute, unsure of the reason she chose black, when there were more cheerful colours such as blue, yellow, green, or her preferred pink. Shrugging it off, Anzu pulled out her purse and paid, before continuing home, thinking still of the slayer that cried for his victims.
**********
Listening to the thoughts of a teenage girl with brown hair and blue eyes, a shadow pondered the boy she was musing. A probe into her thoughts showed him memories of her encounter with a young slayer, and a vampire. Observing carefully, he saw the use of untainted light to destroy and purify a two thousand year old vampire. Excited, he touched her pool of knowledge, sifting until he found what he sought: knowledge of the slayer's whereabouts. Subtly, he withdrew, before opening feathery violet-black wings and gliding away.
To be a hero is to place duty in highest esteem, and to succeed for the common masses. To fail yourself is acceptable; to sacrifice someone unknown to you, intolerable.
End Chapter 1.
Chapter 1: Slayer
To be a hero is to sacrifice something dear... life, love, innocence, naïveté, family, joy, freedom... and to expect nothing in return.
"In Domino City, another 3 murders have occurred overnight. The cause of the three unfortunate victims' names have not yet been determined, though they all appear to be under thirty years of age..."
Yuugi Motou frowned as he repeated the information in his head, mentally adding to the tally of murders he kept in his head. So far, over a hundred unnatural deaths had been reported in the past month, with another forty or so critically injured. Not a reassuring figure at all. Scowling, he stabbed at his desk until the lead snapped audibly. He ignored the degrading sneers and snickers he received from his fellow students. He was above them all: if not for him, most wouldn't even be alive, let alone trying to bloat their paltry egos.
The arrogant teacher too, was just an expendable mortal being, incapable of defending herself from the denizens of night. The vampires, werewolves, beasts, and demons that roamed the human plane in the absence of the sun. These were the creatures Yuugi Motou, destroyed. At night, he was a powerful being with supernatural abilities. By day, a straight A student with a tendency to attract bullies. A short, weak, innocent child, easy prey. A façade that worked for him perfectly.
At 15, he was undeniably short for his age. Large innocent eyes were the centrepiece of his cherubic face, framed by long golden bangs. A black crown of spikes stood proudly, edged with crimson highlights. His skin shone, creamy and unmarred. The muscular and fit body was concealed carefully under a uniform that was loose enough to hide the curves, but fitting enough to suggest skinniness. Pale slender hands that often cupped blood were now innocently doodling on spare paper. The look of an angel.
*Rrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg*
Yuugi immediately jumped out of his seat and ran for the door to his locker. Quickly, he opened his locker and packed his bag, taking care to stash the first aid kit and crowbar out of sight. Banging shut the locker, he bumped into Ryou Bakura, a classmate. Yuugi suspected that Ryou knew something of his nighttime expeditions, though simply chose not to say anything. He also suspected that the quiet, reserved albino was more than he appeared. "Bakura-kun, sumimasen." "That's okay, Yuugi-kun." Ryou smiled reassuringly. "See you tomorrow then." "Ja ne, Bakura-kun."
Turning, Yuugi walked into three bullies, who smiled cheerlessly. "Well, if it isn't the runt." Yuugi blinked at the large figures blocking his way, before innocently smiling back. "Excuse me," he replied calmly. "But I have pressing matters to attend to." With a push, he moved two sideways, before stepping through the gap and bolting. Behind him, the bullies registered what he'd done and yelled in what they deemed a threatening manner, before giving chase.
Amused slightly by their futile efforts, Yuugi ran faster; he did not want any delays to his preparations for the night. Though he usually toyed with the mortals, tonight he could not abandon his duty for entertainment. Consequently, he arrived at his home a full hour earlier than usual, leaving him ample time to plot the night's hunt.
**********
He targeted a well-known night club to knock out some vampires. By far the most devious and cunning of the damned, they could blend into human society with an ease not possible for other demons, having once been human themselves. While not retaining their memories, they kept their human instincts. Unsuspecting humans -of which there were too many- were easy prey for the sinful perfection of a vampire's physique and nature.
Clothed fully in black leather, with knives hidden in wrist sheaths under a leather jacket, Yuugi entered the semi-dark club. The guards were wary of him; the first and only time they refused him entry, he threw the muscular over 100kg security cleanly into his partner at the other side of the room. He'd had good reason: he'd chased a pack of five very hungry vampires into the club. Though usually calm, his reserves of patience snapped into raging fury when human stupidity hindered his hunts. The mortals were right to fear him.
Sitting at the bar with a beer, he immediately picked up four different vampire tracks. Carefully, he inspected them, determining how old each track was, the level of maturity the vampire had reached and how hungry the vampires had been. Finally settling on the track of a mature vampire nearing the age of two millennia whose track was still thick with bloodlust, he slapped coin on the counter and rose to leave, swaying in a tipsy manner. Outside, he turned a few corners, then unsheathed the blade from his left wrist, before climbing up a drain pipe to the rooftops. Silently, he followed the scent.
After ten minutes, Yuugi found the vampire, who currently stalked an ignorant student on her way home. Yuugi paused a moment to regard the girl: shoulder-length chestnut hair, deep blue eyes, dancer's figure, dancer's stride, age around sixteen. Narrowing his eyes, he recalled her: Anzu Masaki, a school cheerleader. She was in a few of his classes. 'Kuso!'
A dilemma. Rescue the girl, and risk blowing his cover, or watch her be slaughtered by the hungry night. He sighed; duty could not be abandoned. Risk was risk, it never left anyway. Besides, Anzu was a nice enough person, who shared notes, food, and philosophy openly with him. Despite her 'friendship speeches' sounding phony or obnoxious, she was very loyal and strong, even to those she was not overly familiar with.
With his decision made, the young Slayer slipped unnoticed to the right of the vampire, far away to avoid his aura being noticed. After all, one could never be sure of the defenses of an ancient. A few crucial seconds passed, which Yuugi took to carefully prepare himself and pool his resources for the upcoming conflict. When he judged his power be just lower than its summit, he took four steps forward and released the concealing wards that hid his magic, unleashing a blow designed for confusion and blindness.
The vampire sensed the assault almost instantaneously, and dodged, catching only 30 per cent of the attack. Though his senses and wits were magically muted, he maintained a strong instinct of survival, and managed to throw up a shield against the next spell. Though his barrier shattered, he ran towards the direction from which the attacks initiated, simultaeneously shaping a new barrier. He was forced to dodge continually; the hunter must have planned fairly well in advance. He cursed himself for carelessness, though he admitted a grudging admiration for the one capable of launching such powerful offense. Feeling his eyes clearing, the vampire readied his own magical attack: a black bolt of energy veined in crimson. Once he was able to make out his enemy's figure, the bolt flew with deadly accuracy. He was able to stop to watch as the attacks stopped momentarily.
A shield of pure white light absorbed the attack; the one holding the shield did not even flinch. The vampire gasped. He had never even heard of any with the power to use the full power of light. Elemental magic was rare: pure elemental even more scarce. Light and Darkness were the hardest of all to control. Looking at the young human again, he frowned. There was just no way that a mortal such as him could possess such power.
His pondering cost greatly. The white shield changed immediately to a jagged arrow, that plunged straight at him, smashing his carefully worked protections. Surrounding him with its light, he felt the light claw and bite him, leaving flesh bloody. He tried to summon a new ward, too late. More light flew at him, surrounding him. The blinding whiteness burnt, creating more wounds that bled. As the vampire fell backwards, he knew it was all over. Already deprived of blood, each drop that drained from his veins sent him a league further into oblivion. Unless he suddenly consumed gallons of the sacred red liquid, he would be dead. Who would feed a dying vampire?
Lying sprawled on his back, the vampire sensed veins above him. Instinctively, he heaved upwards, sinking bared fangs into flesh. Though confused, he nevertheless fed gratefully. It took a few gulps for him to note the difference in the blood: instead of filling him with ecstasy, it burned his veins in an intoxicating manner. He wondered, before realizing: he was a being of darkness, being fed light. Already, he could feel his fangs changing, until they were teeth. Blunt, flat, wide. His heart was slowing, breath gasping. Yet through it all, he could discern one thing: his savior was weeping shamelessly.
He was beyond healing, as a human. The hunter had not saved him as a vampire; he had killed him as a human. The vampire finally understood. Panic at the thought of death struck him, before something else did. Flashing slowly, images clouded his senses. A baby, sleeping soundly. A toddler, falling over while trying to walk. A little boy, being teased. A ten year old, eating with a few friends. A teenager, running and laughing. His memories. The ones stripped from him when he was turned. Feeling the recollections merging with him, meshing with his vampire self, he felt identified. He no longer was a mindless killer.
Raising his hand, he felt his savior clasp it gingerly. He smiled, hoping the boy would understand his gesture. Thank you, for everything you've done. The past is held by darkness, the future by light. I hope that the present may be ruled by both, in harmony. Shuddering, the boy-turned- vampire-returned-boy died.
**********
Yuugi shook with sobs, as he felt the life leave his latest kill, wishing that he was as innocent as everyone believed. He'd taken the lives of so many, the thought that it was all for a good cause did not comfort. Who was he, to judge one race as being eligible to live, while another must be condemned to death? He was just a mortal, with greater abilities. He was no greater than those he slew, only more powerful and ruthless.
The man -boy, he corrected tiredly- had thanked him. He supposed this was good; some had died cursing the light that slew them, clawing at him angrily. As he tiredly embraced the corpse though, he could feel no consolation in the cold, burnt and bleeding flesh. Still, he held on tightly, knowing that soon, the body would begin to decay to it's two thousand year age. Weary, he slumped onto the teenager, who was no older than himself when turned.
Fingers jarred him from mind-numbing trance. Whirling, he unsheathed a knife defensively, glaring at the figure who disturbed his vigil. Seeing startled blue eyes and brown hair retreat, he relaxed. Turning back to the body, he ordered calmly, "Go back to your home. There is nothing for you to see here." Anzu took a hesitant step forward. "I... wanted to see if you... are alright..." Yuugi snorted derisively. "Are you? You did just see someone die from bleeding and burns." "Yes, I know." Feeling stupid, Anzu fidgeted. Lamely she said, "You don't have to worry about me calling the police or anything. I won't tell." "Not that it would matter anyway," Yuugi replied absently. "The corpse would be gone by then." "He was a vampire then?" "Yes."
Cocking her head curiously, Anzu asked again, though more boldly, "Are you alright?" "I'm used to it," snapped Yuugi, weary and irritated. "Yet you still cried. Why?" Anzu knelt. "It wouldn't be pain, would it?" "No, I'm crying because I like to." "Not physical pain, I mean. You don't like to kill." "I really don't need your therapy lesson right now." He scrambled to his feet. "You don't know what you're talking about. I'm leaving now. I suggest you do the same, unless you wish to see what the process a corpse goes through before fully decaying into dust." Turning, he strode away quickly. "If you need to talk, or just to have someone who'll listen, I'm here," Anzu called after him. Pausing for a moment, he nodded curtly -a gesture barely caught by Anzu- before moving again.
**********
'What a strange person,' thought Anzu as she continued home. 'Poor kid. It must be so hard, to have to kill someone like that. I wish I could help him.' With that thought, she detoured to a flower shop not too far from her house and placed an order for a bouquet of white lilies, to be wrapped with black tissue paper and pink ribbon, then sent to the Game Shop the next day with a small card she signed. She frowned for a minute, unsure of the reason she chose black, when there were more cheerful colours such as blue, yellow, green, or her preferred pink. Shrugging it off, Anzu pulled out her purse and paid, before continuing home, thinking still of the slayer that cried for his victims.
**********
Listening to the thoughts of a teenage girl with brown hair and blue eyes, a shadow pondered the boy she was musing. A probe into her thoughts showed him memories of her encounter with a young slayer, and a vampire. Observing carefully, he saw the use of untainted light to destroy and purify a two thousand year old vampire. Excited, he touched her pool of knowledge, sifting until he found what he sought: knowledge of the slayer's whereabouts. Subtly, he withdrew, before opening feathery violet-black wings and gliding away.
To be a hero is to place duty in highest esteem, and to succeed for the common masses. To fail yourself is acceptable; to sacrifice someone unknown to you, intolerable.
End Chapter 1.