There isn't much to say about this story, except it's something I came up with awhile ago and just recently finished writing it. Hope you enjoy it.
When the Gods Become Bored
Conflict 2: Enlightened Awakening
Duelists: Daniel Pilkington and Unknown
Location: Unknown
Reason: Unknown
Life Points: 4000
He was standing alone in the darkness, looking at his reflection in a black-surfaced mirror that had a particularly healthy luster to it. His hand reached out and touched the surface, staring at it in confusion. Why was he here? What was he doing?
The face of his expression twisted into a cold smile. "Why so surprised? I'm sure that of all people, you should be used to strange things happening to you."
"Regardless," he replied, "There is still, usually, a rhyme or reason to the occurrences. So tell me who you are."
"Me?" The reflection was suddenly not a reflection anymore, instead it was alive and standing before him; they could have been twins, except that the reflection was wearing a black overcoat. "My name should be obvious to you. It's Daniel Pilkington."
"That's impossible." The original Daniel, standing out because of the silver/black silk pajamas he was wearing, didn't look amused by this doppelganger's antics. "I'm Daniel Pilkington. When I told you to tell me who you were, I meant that I wanted your real name."
"Daniel Pilkington." The reflection lifted his right arm and activated the Duel Disk that had appeared there.
"Fine, I'll defeat you where you can't possibly copy me and then you'll cough up your real name." Daniel wasn't surprised by the appearance of a Duel Disk that was suddenly on his right arm. Activating it, he drew his opening hand of five cards. "Let's do this."
Daniel- 4000
Daniel- 4000
Looking his starting hand over, Daniel grimaced at how weak it was. He wouldn't be able to start very strongly unless… "Draw." No, this card would only mean he could summon a monster this turn. "I summon Elemental Hero Featherman in defense mode." A hero dressed in a green-feathered suit appeared on his field in a crouching position. (1000/1000) "I set one card facedown and end my turn." A card shimmered into existence onto his field behind his monster.
The reflection glanced at his hand and then drew. "I activate the magic card Monster Mirror." A magic card with a picture of a man's own reflection sneering at him appeared on the field. "You now select one monster on your field. If there is a copy of that monster in my deck then I special summon it to my field. If not, then you draw one card."
Daniel didn't like where this was going. "My only choice is obvious."
The reflection nodded, a card appearing on his disk while an exact replica of Featherman appeared on his field. (1000/1000) "I suppose that move didn't surprise you, but let me add in this!" A blast of lightning erupted from his field and formed into a blue-yellow armored hero. "I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman!" (1600/1400) "Sparkman, attack Featherman! Spark Flash!" His newly summoned monster brought its right palm to bear down at Daniel, releasing a blast of electricity that hurtled towards the opposing Featherman.
"Reverse card open!" Daniel's set card flipped up and a glowing blue barrier appeared in front of his monster, absorbing and dispersing the attack. "If there is an Elemental Hero on my field I can negate the next attack you'd throw at me."
The reflection slid a card into his disk, and a facedown card shimmered into existence behind his two monsters. "I set a card and end my turn."
Daniel knew that his Hero Barrier was only a temporary defense, and that if his next draw wasn't something useful then the cards in his hand were only going to add to an ever-expanding defense he was going to have to put up. And if there was one thing he wasn't going to tolerate, it was being put on the defensive by some impersonator. "Draw!"
He smiled at the drawn card. "If you think you can just slap some Elemental Heroes into your deck and that makes you my equal, then you're severely underestimating me. I activate Emergency Call, adding one Elemental Hero from my deck to my hand." He held up a card, his own Sparkman.
The reflection chuckled softly and shook his head. "You do understand the irony of you calling me a copycat and then summoning the same monster that I do, correct?"
"Don't be so quick to assume what I'm doing." Daniel held up a card from his hand, its picture that of a clockwork demon perched atop a tower. "Spring-Loaded Majin's effect activates now. By discarding this card from my hand, I add one Polymerization from my deck to my hand." He fanned out his deck and held up one of his deck's key magic cards.
"So you intend to fusion summon?" The reflection looked a bit more serious now.
Daniel nodded and held up the card he had searched for. "I activate Polymerization, discarding Elemental Heroes Sparkman and Clayman from my hand to summon Elemental Hero Thunder Giant!" An explosion of lightning came raining down on his field and formed into a towering yellow-armored titan. (2400/1500) "Thunder Giant attacks Sparkman! Voltaic Thunder!" His new monster lifted one hand and released a blast of lightning that hit the reflection's Sparkman, blowing it to pieces.
Daniel- 4000
Daniel- 3200
The reflection looked at the Thunder Giant with disdain. "Such an outdated model of heroics shouldn't be standing before me. Disappear!" Daniel's Thunder Giant shuddered and howled in pain as it was sucked into the ground violently. "I activate my facedown Michizure trap card. When a monster on my field is sent to the graveyard, another monster in play is destroyed."
"That doesn't stop my next move though! Let's have a little mirror match, shall we?" Daniel snapped his fingers and his Featherman charged towards the reflection's Featherman. "Featherman attacks Featherman, Feather Break!" The two heroes collided and exploded. "At this time the effect of my Spring-loaded Majin activates now! When this card is in my graveyard and a monster on my field is destroyed, I may remove it from the game to activate a trap card in my hand! My card is Hero Signal!"
The card he revealed from his hand shot a beam of light into the air that formed into a giant H above them. "When a monster on my field is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the graveyard, I can special summon a level four or lower Elemental Hero from my deck or hand to the field! Come out now, Elemental Hero Bubbleman!" A blue-armored smiling hero appeared in play. (800/1200) "When Bubbleman is summoned and I have no other cards in play I can draw two cards!" Adding two cards to his hand, he pointed at the reflection. "Direct attack!" The superhero leapt into the air and fired a blast of water from the cannon on his arm, striking the dark-coated reflection and throwing him onto his back.
Daniel- 4000
Daniel- 2400
"I set one card facedown and end my turn." A card shimmered into existence onto his field, and Daniel smiled calmly at the truth that was being shown through this duel. No one could copy his dueling style and expect to beat him.
The reflection stood up and brushed himself off, sighing in disappointment. "I thought I could keep this charade up longer before I'd need to get serious. Oh well, it didn't look like you believed the whole 'I am you' shtick anyway." He ran a hand through his hair, and it darkened to a deep crimson-red. "The truth of the matter is that I am you, the duelist side of you."
"The duelist side of me…" Daniel scoffed at the notion. He was his own duelist self.
"Don't give me that look, you loser." The reflection's eyes shimmered from brown to blood-red. "You know that, as a half-demon, your demon side is the one that is born to duel. Dueling is in my blood, not yours. And that's why I'm here this evening, because I'm going to purge you."
"Purge me?" Daniel still wasn't sure whether this guy was telling the truth or not, but the idea of him getting "purged" didn't sit well, since he didn't even know what that meant. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that I'm going to get rid of you, because thanks to your pathetic human emotions your skill has decreased over the years!" The reflection put his hand on top of his deck. "You put all your efforts and hopes into your son, and neglect your own demonic heritage in the process. Well that will end soon. Draw!" He pulled the top card free of his deck and sneered, baring his fangs. "The mirror match's last play, I summon Bubbleman!" A darker-armored version of Daniel's hero appeared on the field. (800/1200) "The same effect activates, so I draw two cards!"
Daniel frowned at the second Bubbleman. Now that he understood the nature of this enemy, he knew this duel wasn't going to be easy. If this guy really was his demon side, then it would take all his tactics to win. "Bubbleman doesn't have that many good fusions, so let's see what you intend to throw out at me."
"Didn't I just say that was the last play of a mirror match?" The reflection held up a magic card. "I activate Dark Factory of Mass Production, adding two normal monsters in my graveyard to my hand. My returning cards are Featherman and Sparkman." The two named cards slid out of his disk's graveyard, and he added them to his hand. "Then I activate Dark Fusion!"
"Dark Fusion?" Daniel's eyes widened at the sight of a magic card he'd never heard of before. "What does it do?"
"It lets me send fusion material monsters from my field and hand to the graveyard to summon a fiend type fusion monster. I discard Sparkman and Featherman, fusing them with the Bubbleman on my field!" The three named heroes all appeared, and then disappeared within a dark blue vortex of energy. "Come forth, Evil Hero Hell Maelstrom!" A demonic winged humanoid that had aspects of all three heroes appeared from out of that vortex, chuckling darkly. (2800/2800) "Hell Maelstrom attacks Bubbleman, Chaos Maelstrom!" The monster lifted one arm up, the cannon attached to it started to glow with building dark energy. "Disappear, you weak relic!"
The released blast was so powerful and huge that Daniel barely managed to activate his set card before it collided with his field. "I reveal Bubble Illusion! If Bubbleman is in play I can activate a trap card from my hand! I activate Bubble Disruption!" A cloud of tiny bubbles appeared in the path of the incoming pillar of energy, causing it to explode before it could hit his monster. "Bubble Disruption ends the battle phase when activated, and if activated from my hand allows me to draw two cards."
The reflection slid two cards into his disk. "I place two cards facedown. Now then, show me that you haven't forgotten what it means to be a duelist."
"I've had just about of your arrogance! Draw!" Daniel glanced at his drawn card and then held up a magic card. "Fusion Recovery allows me to add one Polymerization and one fusion material monster in my graveyard to my hand. I select Clayman." He immediately held up both returned cards. "I fuse Bubbleman with Clayman, summoning Elemental Hero Mudballman!" A round-armored and heavy-looking superhero appeared on his field in a crouching position. (1900/3000) "Then I set three cards facedown and end my turn."
"Your counterattack is to defend?" The reflection glowered at Daniel. "Against the power of a demon, defense is nothing more than a prolonged surrender! Draw!" He motioned to one of his set cards. "At this time the effect of Hell Maelstrom activates. Go Destroyer Mode!" The set card shattered, and the particles it became formed into a red aura that surrounded the dark superhero. "By sending one card on my field to the graveyard and reducing the attack of my monster by 800, it undergoes a mighty transformation. Whenever Hell Maelstrom attacks an opponent's monster, he destroys it without damage calculation." (2000/2800)
Daniel could deal with that. Now that it only had 2000 attack points, Hell Maelstrom wasn't as much of an issue.
"You're looking a little too relaxed, considering what I sent to the graveyard." The reflection held up a trap card with a picture of a blood-red hurricane destroying a town. "Hell Storm, when sent to the graveyard from my field, deals my opponent 1000 points of damage. If sent to the graveyard by the effect of Hell Maelstrom, then it instead deals 2500 points of damage!"
Daniel only heard half of that, because he was suddenly screaming as a wind of negative energy engulfed him. It didn't just hurt in the usual way though, it felt like every life point he lost meant that more of his grasp on his consciousness faded. When it finally ended, he dropped to his knees and gasped desperately for air.
Daniel- 1500
Dark Daniel- 2400
The reflection pointed at the Mudballman. "Hell Maelstrom, kill it." His dark hero started to charge up its cannon again. When it fired the blast was so overwhelmingly powerful that there weren't even particles remaining of Daniel's monster.
"Reverse card…" Daniel started hacking again, but he'd said enough to trigger his facedown card.
The reflection frowned at the sight of the revealed trap. "Fusion Splinter lets you special summon a fusion material of the destroyed monster from your graveyard and draw one card, huh?"
Still looking terribly weakened, Daniel shakily motioned to another card on his field that flipped up. When it did, his Fusion Splinter trap and the other set card on his field both disappeared in bursts of white light that seemed to revitalize him enough that he could speak normally. "I chain Emergency Provisions, sending my two cards in play to the graveyard to gain 2000 life points."
Daniel- 3500
Dark Daniel- 2400
Daniel wasn't just irritated, now he was pissed at this guy. Standing up straight, he angrily lifted his disk as rays of light started to come out of the graveyard slot. "Revive now, Bubbleman!" The blue-armored superhero appeared on his field in a crouching position. (800/1200) "Since my field is clear, I draw two cards!" He pulled two cards free and then held up the used-up Fusion Splinter. "And by Fusion Splinter, I draw once more." He added another card to his hand. "And for the finisher, the set card I sent to the graveyard with the effect of Emergency Provisions was Repayment of Losses, which lets me draw one card when it goes to the graveyard." He drew again.
The reflection growled and slid a card into his disk. "I place a card facedown. Now then, how about you do something other than draw cards and defend?"
"That sounds fine with me! Draw!" Daniel held up a magic card with a picture of an already smoldering tree on top of a hill about to get hit by lightning again. "Flash Replay, at the cost of 1500 life points, lets me add one quickplay magic card from my graveyard to my hand." He held up Bubble Illusion, which started to glow. "I'll activate this again since Bubbleman, and use the Honorable Discharge trap card in my hand."
The reflection's face twisted in disgust again. "Even more draw power?"
"That's right." Daniel pointed at Bubbleman, who shimmered slightly and disappeared. "By sending one warrior type monster on my field to the graveyard, the effect of Honorable Discharge lets me draw two cards!" Pulling a pair of cards from his deck, he held up a magic card that caused a swirling vortex of light to appear over the field. "I activate Miracle Fusion, removing fusion material monsters from my graveyard and field to summon an Elemental Hero fusion monster! My choices are the same three you used to summon that monstrosity!" He pointed at Hell Maelstrom, and a non-evil version of it appeared on his field. "Elemental Hero Tempest is my choice!" (2800/2800)
The reflection smiled and shook his head. "He won't match up against his advanced self."
"We'll see about that! Tempest, attack Hell Maelstrom with Chaos Tempest!" Daniel's monster lifted its own arm cannon, which started to charge with energy.
"Reverse card open!" The reflection's set card flipped up to reveal a picture of a royal-looking demon surrounded by outlines of being that were being bombarded by blood-red lightning. "Hell Impulse activates when you attack a fiend on my field. That fiend is destroyed, and all monsters in play that have original attack equal to or less than its own original attack are destroyed!" The trap released a blast of red lightning that hit Tempest; who responded by bellowing in pain and exploding.
"Now who's playing defensive?" Daniel slapped a card onto his disk, a female red-clothed superhero appearing on his field in a crouching position. "I summon Burst Lady in defense mode." (1200/800) A pair of set cards shimmered into play on his field behind his monster. "I set two cards facedown and end my turn."
The reflection drew. "Let me ask you something before we continue. Do you regret the path your life has taken, to one of living an existence chained down by your son, by your wife, and by the fact that you are a 'World Duel Monsters Champion?' Don't those endless special appearances all over the world ever wear on your patience?"
"When you put it like that…" Daniel grimaced and shook his head out to clear it. He didn't have full life points back, so he was still a little tired. "Hurry up with your turn!"
"That's fine; I just wanted to make sure you were thinking about it." The reflection slapped a card onto his disk and a spindly demon appeared on his field. "I special summon Evil Hero Hell Brat!" (300/600) "When I have no monsters on my field, this card can be special summoned! Then I sacrifice this monster to summon Evil Hero Malicious Edge." The spindly demon was replaced by a spiked demon hero, who appeared in play with an evil smile on its face. (2600/1800) "Malicious Edge can be summoned for one sacrifice when you have a monster in play. And when he attacks a defense mode monster and his attack is higher, the difference is dealt to you in battle damage!"
"A single sacrifice 2600 piercing monster!?" Daniel was forced to take a step back as a black aura erupted from around his reflection and Malicious Edge, the dark air nearly choking to him.
"This is the power of demonkind! Needle Burst!" The reflection and Malicious Edge sneered together, the latter leaping into the air and releasing a spray of needles that rained down onto Daniel's hero monster.
"Reverse card open!" One of Daniel's set cards flipped up and the needle rain stopped in mid-flight, each of the deadly metal points falling into the ether and dissolving. "Negate Attack stops your monster's attack and ends the battle phase."
"End turn." The reflection grabbed the top card of his deck and drew it. "At the end phase of a turn in which Hell Brat has been sacrificed to summon a monster with Hero in its name, I draw one card."
"Draw!" Daniel felt the pressure around him rising, and he knew that if he didn't do something to stop the attack of that Malicious Edge next turn then it was going to destroy him. "I activate the magic card Treasures of Virtue. When there is an Elemental Hero on my field, I draw two cards and then shuffle one back into my deck." He added one card to his deck and shuffled it, followed by which he held up another magic card. "Then I set two cards facedown and switch Burst Lady to attack mode." The female hero stood up, valiantly facing off against the far more powerful Evil Hero. "End turn."
"Draw!" The reflection glanced at his drawn card and then placed it onto his disk, a grey-scaled demon hero appearing on his field. "I summon Evil Hero Hell Gainer in attack mode!" (1600/0) "Also I play the magic card R-Rigorous Destruction. Depending on the number of Evil Heroes on my field, this card's effect changes: with one, I can destroy a set magic or trap card in play, and with two or more I can destroy two cards in play!" He pointed at two of Daniel's set cards, which shuddered and started to crack.
"Reverse card open!" One of those two cards flipped up, revealing a trap with a picture of Bubbleman with a silhouette of Sparkman over it. "Hero Ambush activates now! By discarding an Elemental Hero from my hand, I can increase the attack power of one Elemental Hero on my field by the discarded hero's attack! I discard the 1600 attack Necro Darkman to power up Burst Lady!" His female hero started to glow brightly with a black-red energy as she absorbed the power of the hero he discarded. (2800/800)
"I told you before, didn't I?" The reflection growled and pointed at Hell Gainer, whose body faded away. "That defense before the power of a demon is nothing but a prolonged surrender! By removing Hell Gainer from the game, one fiend type monster on my field can, during this turn, attack twice! Needle Burst!" His Malicious Edge leapt into the air and unleashed another spray of needles at the female hero.
"You're going to let your Malicious Edge kill itself?" Daniel shrugged calmly. "Go right ahead and attack then."
"Thank you for the invitation." The reflection's set card flipped up and the black-red aura around Burst Lady grew thinner. "I activate Power Absorber. The increased attack of one monster on your field is reduced by 800, and I draw one card." He pulled a card from his deck and sneered as Burst Lady's power dropped. (2000/800)
Daniel wanted to curse out loud, but he knew that now wasn't the time to panic. He pointed at his set card and it flipped up. "I activate Hero Guard, removing Elemental Hero Tempest from my graveyard as its cost. When one monster on my field battles with an opponent's monster and would be destroyed, the destruction is negated and the damage I would receive is halved." The spray of needles hit his monster, but only half of them got past to shoot through Daniel's body. "Afterwards, I draw one card."
Daniel- 1200
Dark Daniel- 2400
"You do remember that Malicious Edge can attack twice, don't you?" The reflection snapped his fingers and another storm of needles came falling down around the female hero, destroying her.
Daniel- 400
Dark Daniel -2400
The reflection glanced at his hand card and then slid it into his disk. "I set one card facedown. End turn."
Daniel understood how dangerous this situation was. He no longer doubted that this opponent was his demon side, because the sheer power because his dueling style was nothing but a more aggressive version of how Daniel dueled. This didn't sit well with him, because it meant he was going to have to duel as fiercely as possible to win. "It looks like, against you, I'm going to have to let my own demonic power flow. So if that was your aim, then you win in that regard." He reached into himself, expecting that ever-full well of dark power to be there. However, he felt nothing but emptiness.
"By the surprised look on your face I can assume that you just realized it, huh?" The dark aura around the reflection flared even stronger. "I am that power you intent to summon, and therefore you're left with nothing but your weak human skills."
Daniel bit his lower lip and drew, trying not to ponder how he was going to win without his trump card. Glancing at the drawn card, he knew that at least his deck hadn't given up yet. "When Necro Darkman is in the graveyard, I can normal summon an Elemental Hero in my hand without sacrifice. Therefore I summon Elemental Hero Edgeman!" A gold-armored superhero appeared on his field and bellowed, the jets on its back flaring up momentarily at the sight of Malicious Edge. (2600/1800) "Battle! Power Edge Attack!"
The reflection smiled as the two equally-powered heroes slammed into each other and exploded. "You really are trying your hardest not to crumble, but that won't change the fact that you cannot win this battle!"
"From my hand I activate Emergency Hero!" Daniel held up the card he had drawn earlier from Hero Guard's effect. "When a Hero named monster on my field is destroyed is destroyed as a result of battle I can activate this quickplay magic card. I look at the top five cards of my deck, and then select and special summon one Hero named monster that is revealed." He pulled five cards off his deck and fanned them out, quickly making his choice. "I summon Hero Kids!" A little hero appeared on his field in a crouching position. (300/500) "When Hero Kids is special summoned, I special summon as many copies of it from my deck as possible!" Two more Hero Kids appeared on his field in crouching positions. (300/500)x2 "End turn."
"Draw!" The reflection frowned at his drawn card and rolled his shoulders. "I end my turn."
"Draw!" Daniel inserted the drawn card into his disk and nodded, more to himself than his opponent. With this drawn card he had a chance. "I set one card facedown and end my turn."
"Draw!" The reflection pointed at his field. "Two turns after its effect is activated, Hell Gainer returns." The demonic hero returned to play. (1600/0) "And then I summon Evil Hero Devil Linebacker in attack mode!" A block-bodied demon hero appeared alongside Hell Gainer. (1200/2000) "When Devil Linebacker destroys an opponent's monster as a result of battle and there is still a monster on their field, he may attack again consecutively. Death Tackle!" The new hero roared and rushed across the field, preparing to bounce one of the Hero Kids off his shoulder.
"Reverse card open!" Daniel's set card flipped up and all of his monsters suddenly looked much weaker. "Alchemy Cycle reduces the attack power of all monsters on my field to zero. During this turn, if any of the monsters weakened by this card are destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the graveyard, then I draw one card." Then he braced himself as the Devil Linebacker smashed into his first Hero Kids.
"I don't particularly care what cards you draw! Go Death Tackle!" The reflection's Linebacker returned to his field and charged again, smashing another Hero Kids. "Hell Gainer attacks now, Hell Melee!" The other Evil Hero leapt across the field and slashed the Hero Kids apart with his claws.
"By the effect of Alchemy Cycle I draw!" Daniel drew three cards from his deck.
"And by the effect of my card your draw power is useless!" The reflection held up a magic card. "The magic card Hand Borrow can only be activated if I have no other cards in hand and during this turn you've drawn cards outside of the draw phase. You shuffle your hand back into your deck and I draw cards equal to the number returned."
Daniel paled at the fact that his counterattack had been stopped before it had even begun, but he complied. Shuffling the cards back into his deck, he wondered if this was the end for him.
The reflection drew three cards and his smile widened. "Oh, this is too perfect. I'll shut down your outdated heroes once and for all. From my hand I activate the continuous magic card Anti-Monster Policy. When this card is activated I declare two words. Any monster with those two words in its title cannot be summoned. Therefore I declare Elemental Hero and leave it at that." He held up the other two cards he had drawn and shuffled them back into his deck. "By the effect of Hand Borrow, I have to shuffle my hand back into my deck at the end phase of the turn. Unfortunately, the downside of the card activates during your turn. You draw cards from your deck equal to the number you lost, as well as one additional card per card I have played after using Hand Borrow's effect. End turn."
Daniel wanted to feel overjoyed at the fact he would have five cards in hand at the start of next turn, but the fact that his ability to summon Elemental Heroes was sealed meant that next turn he would lose. There was no comeback in his future unless he could destroy Anti-Monster Policy. "It's my turn, draw!" He drew five cards from his deck, and felt like he'd just been stabbed in the heart by what he saw amongst those cards. Not a single one of them would be useful in this situation. He couldn't even set up a defense.
"It looks like you've reached the end of your rope, eh?" The reflection let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, I was wondering how long you intended to drag on this meaningless fight."
"Meaningless?" Daniel couldn't understand how a duel to determine who would control his body had been meaningless.
"We're not enemies, stupid." The reflection rolled its eyes, the aura around it fading slightly. "You and I are the same person, just merely light and darkness. I'm more surprised you fought me so hard. It's not like I intend to take over your body and kill your son or anything, I just intend to bring back the strength you once had as a duelist. Why would you fight against someone whose intention was only to make you stronger?"
Daniel admitted that he couldn't find a reason to argue against that. He knew that, over the years, his dueling skills were becoming more and more outdated. And despite the fact that he was placing all of his hopes on his son's shoulders, he distinctly felt it every day as his power dropped. It hurt his pride and, more importantly, made him wonder whether he could protect his son when the time came. In his lifetime he had made more than his fair share of enemies, and to lose the power to fight those enemies meant that he would lose the power to live.
"It looks like you're starting to understand." The reflection suddenly grimaced and looked upwards into the void, his eyes narrowed. "That damn kid is trying to wake you up…let's get this over with before he becomes suspicious."
"That…damn kid?" Daniel's face, which had started to soften, suddenly contorted in anger. "That damn kid, huh?" He narrowed his eyes and felt a sudden flare of energy within himself. "Now I remember why I didn't mind losing my power over time for the sake of my family. It's because, regardless of how it's used, the power of a demon is a power that leaves the user arrogant and gives them an overblown supply of their own superiority, which eventually winds up being their downfall."
The reflection's jaw straightened and he let out a low growl. "You think I'm arrogant, huh? Let's not forget who I'm part of, shall we?"
"I don't claim to be beyond human or demon, no." Daniel felt that stirring power growing, and with it he felt his deck begging for his attention. The situation no longer felt hopeless. "I am mortal, and that is why I won't lose to you. You are the petty side of myself, a self I don't want to let rule my life. I've seen you take down too many people in the past not to see my own defeat in you. Therefore I will fight, not for my own sake, but the sake of my family!"
"Then lose because of that weak family!" The reflection held up his right hand and tapped his chin, jutting it out mockingly. "Come on then, hit me with everything you've got. If you think you can, that is."
"If that's your wish, then let me be the one to grant it!" Daniel's deck started to glow with a bright gold light. "The effect of Angel Shuffler activates now! By discarding one card from my hand I can remove this card from my deck and from the game, and then shuffle my hand back into my deck and draw cards equal to the number returned." He shuffled his hand back into his deck, while his brown hair started to take on a lighter tone. "This is the power of my hope, of the hope I place in the future I've chosen!"
"Then show me that hope, and let's see whether it can fight against threats like myself or not!" The reflection looked angry now, as if this sudden surge of power that wasn't caused by him was an insult to his pride. "Can you really say that without your own heritage you can protect your family!?"
"Race isn't the only facet of heritage! I'm not only half-demon, but also the son of a man who is a legendary duelist of the most divine society in the world." He deck was giving off a powerful golden glow now, and his hair started to turn white while his eyes turned golden. "If you are the side of me that wields evil as a weapon, then I will fight you with the power my human side represents…" He drew, and the darkness around them started to churn and break, light coming in through it. "…enlightenment!"
Daniel glanced down at his drawn cards and held one of them up. "I activate Lucky Three, returning three removed from the game monsters back into my graveyard. These monsters must share at least two words in their title, however." He held up Featherman, Bubbleman, and Sparkman. "Elemental Heroes cannot be summoned, but they can still be moved." He put the three in the graveyard and then held up a new magic card. "Hope of Fifth shuffles five Elemental Heroes in my graveyard back into my deck, afterwards I draw two cards. I return Burst Lady, Clayman, Bubbleman, Sparkman, and Featherman!" The five named heroes slid out of his graveyard and he shuffled them into his deck, drawing two cards afterwards.
"Is that the nature of your enlightenment, drawing more cards?" The reflection looked even angrier.
"No, it is the power of change!" An aura of golden energy came to life around Daniel's body, and the card he held up caused it to become even more powerful. "Go Bright Fusion!"
"Bright Fusion!?" The reflection's eyes widened in surprise and his anger was blown away by the blinding vortex that appeared over the field.
"I combine Elemental Heroes Sparkman and Clayman together using the power of light!" The two named heroes appeared in the air above Daniel, and then were sucked into the vortex. What emerged was a towering titan made of gold and whiter materials, its body humming with power. "Come forth, Enlightened Hero Divine Titan!" (2400/1500)
The reflection took a step back involuntarily, unable to contain his surprise and confusion. "This is impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible when it comes to miracles!" Daniel pointed at Hell Gainer. "Divine Titan, Holy Return Wave!" The new light hero lifted up a hand and released a torrent of light from its palm, hitting the Evil Hero and causing it to disappear. "Once per turn, Divine Titan can send one monster in play back to its owner's hand, giving me the returned monster's original attack in life points."
Daniel- 2000
Dark Daniel- 2400
"Divine Titan, attack Devil Linebacker! Divine Buster!" The hero's palm released another blast, this one a pounding storm of light arrows that pierced the Evil Hero and caused it to explode.
Daniel- 2000
Dark Daniel- 2400
The reflection let out a sigh of relief. "When Devil Linebacker is attacked he switches to defense mode, so your damage to me is zero!"
"Maybe, but I've still got one other trick up my sleeve." Daniel held up the remaining card in his hand and the sky tore open, revealing a sky filled with golden clouds. "Miracle Summon activates when I have no other cards in my hand. I look at the top card of my deck, and if it's a level four or lower Angel-type monster I special summon it!" He brought two fingers to rest on the top card of his deck and pulled the card free, holding it up for his opponent to see. "Enlightened Hero Holy Roller is summoned!"
A golden orb fell from the sky and crashed into the ground, revealing that it was actually a round-bodied hero. (2300/500) "Holy Roller, direct attack! Holy Rollout!" The hero's limbs pulled into the cracks of his armor and he started to roll in place rapidly, rocketing forward and slamming into the reflection hard enough to send him flying backwards through the air by about twenty feet.
Daniel- 2000
Dark Daniel- 100
The reflection slowly stumbled to his feet, his entire body trembling in pain. No words came out of his mouth, just a low and frustrated growl.
Daniel motioned to Holy Roller, which returned to his field and went to a crouching position. "After combat is conducted Holy Roller goes to defense mode. Now then, let's see if you can match the power of the hope I've invested in my future. End turn."
To be continued…