(A/N): Phew, I managed to finish this before school started...I'm sure high school senior year will be hectic enough to really start slowing down my chapter updates...please don't kill me!! (runs) Read this chapter instead!! (throws it)
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh GX is not mine. If it was, the final duel would have been Judai vs Haou instead of Judai vs Yugi. :0
Archer
Chapter 1-Accidental Entry
"Is he serious?"
"What the hell is going on?"
"Is this some sort of joke?"
These and many other whispers were now passing through the crowd, the whole coliseum alight with dubious murmurs. Even Fubuki was stunned with this unexpected turn of events, and given his eccentric ways, that was saying something. Asuka, on the other hand, was quite interested, this certainly added a bit of flavor to this repetitive tournament.
The announcer was currently babbling incoherently, trying to make sense out of the situation. He eventually regained control of his loose tongue and addressed the smiling teenager.
"L-l-lost, challenger?"
"Challenger? Challenger of what?"
"…Do you know where you are, cha-…er...stranger?"
"Um, not exactly. This is my first time here…"
"Well, how did you get here?"
"Um…" The peasant put a finger to his chin and recounted the tale.
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The teenager was walking throughout the town. He had not been in any sort of town or village for quite some time now, and as a result, remembered little of what they were like. He was sure, however, that a town would have more residents than street cats, rouge dogs, and the occasional rat.
He eventually found someone near a large, circular building; they appeared to be heading inside. Rushing, he managed to catch up to the person and tap them on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, but I was hoping to find some merchants here. Am I in the wrong place or something?"
The other person-a little boy who looked positively glowing with excitement-grinned up at him.
"Actually, you're in the right place today! Everyone is in the coliseum, right there!" The boy pointed to the round, circular building behind them. "There's supposed to be a BIG tournament today! All the merchants inside are offering special discounts and stuff, so I betcha today is a great day to go shopping!"
"Oh really? Today must be my lucky day, then. Thanks!" the teenager grinned, dropping a few coins into the boy's hand as thanks. The boy became even more ecstatic, if that was possible.
"Thanks a lot!" the boy yelled as he ran into the large, arching doorway. The other chuckled, before following in after him.
He did not see which direction the boy had gone, the room was almost empty save for a desk where a warrior stood, inquiring directions from a peasant. The peasant in question looked none too reliable, seemingly spaced out.
"Where am I supposed to go to enter the tournament?" the warrior demanded, pounding his armor-clad arms on the table as an act of intimidation. The peasant sitting at the desk, however, merely yawned, as if bored. He had most likely seen the same act dozens of times, and his body probably had shifted to autopilot.
"Second door on the right, follow the corridor, and stay in the line…" the peasant droned in a bland tone, pointing down a hallway by the desk. The warrior "hmph"-ed arrogantly and strode off down the hall.
The teenager figured he could ask the peasant for help. He rather doubted that the peasant could offer any valid help, but it was better than none, and there was no one else to ask. He walked up to the desk.
"Excuse me, but could you tell me how to get to the spectator's area in the tournament?"
"Second door on the right, follow the corridor, and stay in the line…" the peasant droned once more, perplexing the teenager. He had repeated the exact same thing!
"A-are you sure?"
"Yes!" the peasant snapped irritably, although still somehow retaining that bored, autopilot look. The teen didn't know how it was possible. Clearly, he wouldn't be getting any more help from this man. Perhaps he would follow the peasant's directions and ask help from the others in the corridor. He was sure that if he went any other way, he would get lost in the large building.
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"And that's what happened!" the teenager finished, the stupid grin back on his face once more.
It seemed that the whole stadium was stupefied at the tale; although whether they were taken aback by the tale itself or the apparent simplicity of the one who told it. He seemed oblivious to the tension that he was creating in the stadium.
"Ah-ah-ah…" the announcer blabbered, trying to regain his footing. "But, didn't you find any other people to talk to? By the sounds of things, you must have walked into the room of waiting competitors!"
"Well, there wasn't anybody there! I was standing in some sorta empty room! And then all of a sudden these people came in, muttering something about lack of challengers…" The teenager seemed lost in thought at this point for a brief second before resuming. "Then, they saw me, and before I could ask them anything, they grabbed my arms and dragged me along…and then the next thing I knew, I was here!" Despite what the words implied, the teen was not protesting or defending himself at all, he was still smiling.
The stadium, on the other hand, was anything but.
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Tenjoin-sama buried his head in his hands and groaned.
"Incompetent fools…I guess this means that Ayanokouji-san will have to pass on by default…"
Asuka would not have that.
"Wait, Tou-sama."
"Yes?"
"This looks interesting. I want to see how it plays out. Please, Tou-sama?"
"Well…"
"I kinda want to see what happens too, Tou-san!" Fubuki interrupted, ignoring any and all formalities when addressing his father.
"Er…" He was used to his son defying formalities, but his sister backing him up was rare.
"Tou-sama, I do have my say in this, and I say that we should let this go on. You DID say that my judgment was crucial and a big part of this tournament."
"Hah…that I did. All right then." Despite the reluctant tone in his voice, he was secretly was proud of his daughter for sticking to her point and defending it. She would be a skilled negotiator when her time came. He relaxed in his throne and observed the fight below.
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Ayanokouji was not happy. Here was his chance to show the princess his power and might, and yet he was up against a peasant! This would not do. Unfortunately, it was all he had. So, he decided to make the best out of this bad situation.
He didn't know that what he would say next would completely change the outcome of this match.
"Peasant!" he snarled, trying to look as impressive as he possibly could. "What right do you have to tread on this sacred battlefield?"
"Huh?" The teenager only looked confused, not the slightest bit afraid.
Alright, not the best of starts… Ayanokouji thought to himself.
"This battlefield can only be tread by the best of fighters! A peasant like you would never have what it takes to even step on this place!"
"Um…didn't I already do that?" the teenager pointed out sheepishly, stupid grin back on his face.
Ayanokouji snarled at the unintended jibe.
"You weren't invited here! You could never beat me or any other fighter here!"
At this, the countenance on the peasant boy's face changed. He no longer looked confused or idiotic. Now, he seemed…almost excited.
"Are you challenging me?" he inquired, still grinning.
"Hmph! As if you could be any sort of challenge! It's not worth my time to fight a lowlife like you!"
"Aw, so you're not gonna duel me?"
"Tch! Why should I?"
"Um…" Ayanokouji was both baffled and amused by the fact that the peasant actually took the time to think of an answer to the rhetorical question.
"You're scared?" the teen asked, grinning widely.
"WHAT?" Ayanokouji was now seeing red. He couldn't believe that someone like that…that…fool peasant actually dared to call him, a valiant warrior, scared of fighting a weaponless village idiot!
"Well, I can't think of anything else…" the teen replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"ARE YOU ACTUALLY IMPLYING THAT I'M FRIGHTENED OF YOU, BOY?"
"Er-"
"I'LL WIPE THE FLOOR WITH YOU, BRAT, FOR DEFACING ME IN FRONT OF ASUKA-HIME! COME ON, FIGHT ME!"
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He's defacing himself enough already without that peasant's help… Asuka thought to herself. She was rather amused by how oblivious the peasant seemed to be with the entire situation. However, she was also sure that he couldn't be oblivious for much longer. After all, with an egotistical warrior looming over your head and after your blood, the instincts just screamed to run. She wouldn't be surprised if that peasant hightailed it out of there on the first chance he got. But for some reason…she just felt that something would happen.
Something that would change everything.
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The peasant froze somewhat when that last yell blasted past his face. The crowd was sure, that at any moment, he would run off screaming.
They were surprised to see that instead, he was still smiling. But something was different about it. It was no longer a stupid or happy grin. Instead, it seemed to be a confident smirk, much too similar to that excited smile from earlier.
"All right, then! I never back down from a challenge!"
The whole stadium seemed to all react in unison, recoiling in shock while surprised murmurs echoed across the circular arena. Surely this was not possible, a peasant challenging a noble?
Apparently it was.
Even Ayanokouji seemed taken aback by the response, but he quickly recomposed himself and resumed leering at the teen.
"You'll wish you had run while you had the chance."
The announcer seemed lost for words until Ayanokouji yelled at him. "Well, start the duel already! It's been long overdue!"
"Ah-ah…r-right." He raised a hand in the air to grab the attention of the crowd. "Let the final duel begin! Ayanokouji Mitsuru versus…ah…what was your name, stranger?"
The teen turned to the announcer, and addressed him in a loud energetic voice that put the announcer's voice to shame.
"Ah, I never said it, did I? I'm Yuki Judai!"
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Asuka was pleasantly surprised. It appeared that her debate with her father had paid off quite well. This Yuki Judai person…he would make this fight interesting to watch, she was sure of that.
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"Ayanokouji Mitsuru versus Yuki Judai, duel start!" the announcer shouted, before scurrying out of the arena, letting an official referee take his place.
Ayanokouji grinned and slipped on his helmet, completing his armor.
"I doubt anything you have could pierce this armor. Do you even have any weapons, peasant?"
Judai simply grinned. "'Course I do, I'd be crazy to accept a challenge without 'em!" With that, he took off the ragged black travelers' cloak that had covered his body.
Judai had a lean, wiry body, nothing like any warrior's muscle. Any muscle he may have had, however, was hidden, as his loose clothing effectively hid any detail of his body. His clothing itself looked as ragged as his cloak, consisting of a long-sleeved white shirt under a bright red sleeveless vest, which was left open and long black pants that barely went down past his ankle. On his feet were plain brown sandals. The left hand was covered with a black fingerless glove. Lashed to his back with a strip of leather were three quivers. Only one of the quivers was left open, a plain leather quiver with ordinary looking arrows. The other two quivers looked odd: one decorated with many brightly colored feathers; the other colored a deep black, with ornate golden designs rounding the edges. Hanging on the quivers was a wooden bow, looking quite ordinary except for the many colored feathers on each end.
Taking one of the arrows and spinning it merrily in his right hand, he grinned.
"Let's have a fun duel!"
Ayanokouji was even more furious after hearing that remark. Was that boy taking him so lightly as to suggest that this battle would be fun? He lashed out with his sword, yelling a battle cry as he ran towards the lanky teenager. Swinging his sword down, he struck at an angle that would have cleaved Judai in two…had he not jumped away from the spot.
Judai had landed on Ayanokouji's sword arm, the armor making it quite easy to stand on for someone of his stature. He was only there for a few seconds, still merrily spinning the arrow like some sort of baton; before throwing it downwards with a surprising amount of force.
To everyone's surprise, Ayanokouji let out a scream of pain as the arrow easily pierced the armor, embedding itself into his shoulder. Judai then quickly vaulted off the injured man's arm, leaping off with a sort of back-flip. Once he landed back on the ground, he tugged at something in the air, and the arrow was suddenly launched out of the warrior's shoulder; landing back into Judai's open hand, where he spun it once again. As he spun it, a crimson substance could be seen flying off the arrow, splattering onto the ground. The same substance could be seen leaking out from the small hole that the arrow had pierced in the armor.
No one in the audience could believe it. The peasant had not only managed to avoid the attack, but successfully managed to get the first strike against the warrior and injure him. Not to mention how rapidly he had done it. It was something completely unheard of.
Ayanokouji growled, holding onto his shoulder with his other arm, the blood starting to leak profusely. He would have to get this armor cleaned soon after the fight, lest it rust.
"What sort of trickery is this? How could that arrow fly on its own? And how could it pierce this armor?"
Judai waggled the arrow cheekily before holding it straight up. The remaining blood leaked down the shaft before coming to the brown end feathers. As it leaked off, instead of dripping down to the ground, it seemed to follow a straight line, leaving a thin crimson line behind it leading from the bottom of the arrow.
"Not trickery. Wires. Helps me to keep my ammo longer."
"And what of this armor? The wooden arrowheads of peasants should not be able to break it!"
"Who said the arrowhead was wooden?" Judai pointed to the arrowhead, which, now free of the blood that had stained it, was now glinting in the sunlight in the same way that Ayanokouji's sword and armor did.
"W-what? A steel arrow tip? How is that possible? Only archers who protect lords have those! Peasants like you can't afford metal objects, considering how hard it is to ship that stuff from the mines!
Judai simply started spinning the arrow again, this time by the near-invisible wire.
"I have my ways of getting metal." He shrugged, as if it wasn't all too important.
Ayanokouji growled, wondering what he could mean by that.
"It's still only an arrow, though. How could it pierce my armor like that?"
Judai's sudden change in facial expression unexpectedly portrayed the wisdom that his angular eyes seemed to hint at. "The thing about arrows is that all the force is concentrated on the tip, so that makes it much stronger. With enough force behind it, an arrow could pierce through anything that the arrowhead can cut through. An arrow hitting the right spot can be just as deadly as a sword, ya know. And judging by how much you're bleeding, I'd say that I hit the right spot."
At that moment, Ayanokouji's vision wavered. That brat had hit the right spot, alright. He reckoned that a major artery had been struck, and now a lot of blood was being lost each and every second. It would only leave a few minutes for him before he passed out from lack of it.
I don't want to use this on someone like him. But I may not have a choice!
Ayanokouji lifted up his uninjured arm, the one holding the shield, and held it forward, palm facing Judai as he dropped the shield. It was the typical summoner's stance, where the person summoning would brace themselves for the force of the energy involved with summoning. It took much magic power to summon monsters, and when they did, they would often come forth with a burst of energy similar to an explosion. This was the reason that warriors would put summoning tattoos on their palms, so they could hold the energy as far as they could while still controlling it within their bodies.
He was about to summon the monster that was the reason for his family emblem: Legendary Big Server, a large tennis player with metal limbs and an overlarge racket. His whole palette of monsters and spells focused around the monster and the theme it represented. It was a weak monster, but it would be enough to take care of a peasant like him. He may have been exceptionally skilled with that arrow, but that wouldn't help against a monster, which were immune to all human-made weapons.
However, before he could even begin to gather energy to the tattoo, he felt a piercing pain in his palm. Looking at it, he could see the very same arrow that Judai had been swinging, now embedded in his hand. It had gone straight through, the arrow tip piercing through the opposite end, gleaming crimson. It took him a few seconds to register that it actually had happened. Glancing past the injured palm over at Judai, he noticed that his arm had extended, as if he had just thrown the projectile.
He couldn't believe that the peasant had managed to pierce his armor with an arrow, not once, but twice! It was near impossible to be able to get the arrow to move fast enough to acquire enough force to pierce steel if it wasn't fired with a bow. But, this boy…he hadn't touched the bow at all during the fight; it was still on his back. How could he have enough strength to throw an arrow with the same amount of force that an average archer would have gotten with a bow? Only warriors would have trained enough to have that sort of physical strength…
And how did he know to aim at the summoning tattoo? It was common knowledge that warriors had it on their palms; but most peasants believed that the tattoos could not be stopped. It was only known amongst the higher ups that the tattoos were actually blood seals that were written with a special ink mixed with the summoner's blood. Blood seal contract tattoos were delicate and had to be drawn with exact precision, if not, the whole contract would be rendered null and void. If they were ruined with any sort of wound, the contract would be lost. How this peasant knew this elite secret, he didn't know.
Ayanokouji screamed and grasped his palm when Judai pulled at the wire again, yanking the arrow harshly from it, ripping through his flesh. He was certain that the summoning tattoo on his hand was useless. He would have to rely on what he had left: his sword, his armor, and his rapidly waning physical strength. Lifting the sword with both hands he began charging at Judai, his speed diminished due to his blood loss.
Judai grinned again, pulling out yet another arrow. He crossed them both in front of his face, before throwing them towards Ayanokouji. They flew in an arc, crossing each other just before they reached his sword. They crossed over his wrists driving themselves into the ground at Ayanokouji's feet, causing him to stop.
"Hah, you may have stopped me, but you missed! I can easily change direction and get to you!" he screamed in triumph, even when his vision began to waver.
Judai only grinned.
"You forgot what I put on the end of my arrows, didn't you?" His hands were clenched tightly, as if holding something. Ayanokouji could see a thin sliver of light flash briefly as the sun glinted off something. His eyes widened in realization as Judai gave a sudden tug on what he was holding.
He had wires on those arrows! Ayanokouji cried in his mind as he felt something push his wrists downwards, the rest of his body being pulled down by the sudden movement. Now that he looked at it, he could see that the wires had crossed over his wrists, and when Judai pulled on them, they would push downwards, driving his wrists downwards as well…and with the arrows firmly embedded in the ground, it would ensure that the wires stayed in place and would allow Judai to easily pin him down.
How clever…and how misleading. Those wires are so thin that it would take a trained eye to notice them before it's too late…not to mention that he must have practiced quite a lot to be able to throw arrows with that sort of precision and strength. I can only imagine what he could have done with that bow if he had used it…
Ayanokouji let out a yell of pain as his body fell to the ground, weighed down by his armor and exhaustion. He let out an undignified "oof" when Judai rammed a foot onto his back, pinning him down as he held onto the two wires tightly, effectively binding his wrists together on the floor. He groaned, knowing that with the blood loss, he would be too weak to break free, and he would most likely pass out at any second. He had lost. He let his head fall to the ground.
"I yield…" he moaned, trying to salvage any dignity and honor he had left by conceding defeat when it was obvious that he would not win. The referee received the message, and stepped forward to deliver the message to the crowd in a booming voice. The crowd reacted in surprise and shock, murmurs echoing across the stadium instead of cheers.
Looking up, he could see the peasant looking down on him, joyful grin on his face as he made a sort of hand sign at him, pointing at him with his middle and index finger whilst winking.
"Gotcha! That was a fun duel!"
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Asuka's eyes widened in surprise as she watched the medic magi carry Ayanokouji off the field for treatment. She had never expected this to happen. Yes, she had been hoping for this to happen, but she had never actually thought that it would have happened. This peasant…no…Judai…he was much more than she imagined.
Her brother was also stunned, but quickly got over it, cheering for Judai's victory like a little child. Her father's brows had furrowed in thought. He turned to his daughter, looking at her with a serious expression.
"Asuka-chan. Do you think that this peasant boy should continue in the tournament?"
She gave him a look of disdain.
"Are you considering eliminating a fighter solely on status, father?"
"Child, do you know what will happen if a peasant is allowed to run for a position of honor? It will be considered a blow against the royalty, a radical position. The peasants may rise up in potential rebellion, thinking that they too, deserve a chance like this. It will disrupt the peace and order that we have in this system."
"But isn't the tournament supposed to help us find the one that can restore peace? You said it yourself, only the true heir can appease the heavens. And isn't it the fault of the nobles for being power-hungry and holding all the wealth to themselves, not allowing the peasants any more than they need to survive, and even then depriving them of even more at times! There is such a large gap between the rich and the poor that it is impossible for animosity to not exist between social classes! And it is humans prizing power over human life itself that is to blame! This social system is part of the reason why the land is in turmoil right now, and letting a worthy fighter in, even if he is a peasant, will allow a step forward in the right direction, and ending this class inequality!" Asuka then stood up, to deliver her final judgment to the crowd.
Tenjoin-sama looked up at his daughter with amazement and pride. His daughter was very strong-willed, and wise indeed, seeing what he could not.
Asuka's standing up drew the attention to the surprised crowd, who silenced themselves immediately. She addressed the archer from up high, her voice echoing across the coliseum.
"Yuki Judai. Your appearance in this tournament has been unprecedented and disrupting. An accident has brought you into this arena, and a challenge from a high-ranking warrior brought you into battle.
"Yet, you handled the fight gracefully, fighting with foresight, tactics, and cleverness; allowing you to outmatch an opponent that was leagues away from you in terms of wealth, strength, and power. On the battlefield, it is apparent that you would be quite the opponent, despite your low class. You have exceeded everyone's expectations of you today, and I am sure that more power lies within you than what you showed today.
"What I am about to ask you is probably something that is beyond anyone's wildest imagination. I, Tenjouin Asuka, heir to the throne, am asking you, Yuki Judai, a peasant archer, to compete alongside noble warriors and magi in a bid for the most coveted and highest position in this land: the throne beside my own as ruler!"
With that statement, an outbreak of astonished statements spread across the crowd, most expressing outrage and disbelief that a virtual unknown from the lowest position in the land would be allowed into the most noble of competitions. Eventually, the crowd's noise escalated into a roar of defiance, yelling about how the princess could make such a foolish position.
Asuka raised her hand, irritated by the narrow-sightedness of her future subjects.
"Silence!" And with that, the crowd quieted down again, focusing on her. She looked again at Judai, who was staring at her with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face; his angular eyes narrowed and his mouth set into an analytical frown.
"Yuki Judai, what is your answer? Will you take up the mantle as competitor?"
Judai paused, lost in thought, before his hand reached behind his head and started scratching it sheepishly, a stupid grin on his face again.
"Well, I can't say I ever expected this to happen. I came into town hoping to trade goods, and find myself in a competition like this…"
The crowd muttered in agreement, silencing themselves when they noticed that Judai was speaking again.
"But I had a good duel today. It has been a long time since I have been able to fight against another opponent like I did today. It was a fun experience."
Again, the crowd was murmuring, how could the archer see life or death duels as fun?
"I can't say that I am interested in the prize. I am content with the way I am living now. However, I would like to be able to meet more strong fighters like Ayanokouji. I want to be able to enjoy a fight like that again."
Judai looked up at Asuka, and smiled; a warm, friendly smile that seemed to draw her in. It was almost radiant, the way his face seemed to light up.
"Asuka, I accept your challenge!"
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(A/N): Aiiiii, I hope I kept Judai in character. It's hard to make him seem both smart and stupid at the same time...ToT
Aggh, and the first day of school was hectic. I already have an extensive Calculus homework assignment, a Literature project due on Tuesday and essay on Friday, a Calculus unit test on Tuesday, Physics is speeding up like hell, not to mention all the other classes...ugh. I doubt I'd be able to even WORK on it until at least next Wednsday. X/ Sorry, guys. I wanted to get this up before school started so you woudn't have to wait too long for something...I hope its enough for you guys to not chase after me or anything. (sneaks off)
