Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh GX
Title: Symbols of Death: 4-8: Hell versus Hikari
Characters: Ryou, Asuka, Saiou
Word Count: chapter: 4,239||story: 17,080
Genre: Drama, Friendship||Rated: PG-13
Notes: This takes place during the Genex tournament, between episodes 90 and 91. For reference, Manjoume has left the Society of Light and Ryou has dueled Fubuki.
Feedback: All forms eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Summary: In his search to change his destiny, Saiou sets his sights on Hell Kaiser. Does the duelist of power stand a chance to defeat the Society's two finest warriors or will he kneel before the Light?

"I'll take the first turn!" Asuka launched right into the thick of the duel. Just seeing Ryou over there in black leather sickened her to her stomach. He needed to find the way to the Light and she would guide him as Saiou-sama guided her. "I summon Cyber TuTu and equip her with Angel Wing!" Her lovely ballerina appeared with a graceful twirl, pure white wings appearing behind her in the same moment. Asuka admired them; they would add an extra three hundred points of damage whenever Cyber TuTu attacked. "Now, I set one card facedown and end my turn."

Hell Kaiser lifted one eyebrow at the glittering dancer before him, then turned to his own cards. "I summon Hell Dragon." Great black wings rose over him as his monster appeared, roaring defiance against all who dared to oppose it and its master. "Attack Cyber Tutu!" He hadn't dueled against Asuka in some time, but he knew how she played nevertheless. He wondered if the facedown would be Doble Passe, which would allow her to inflict thirteen hundred points of damage to him. It would be a good move if it was.

"Reverse card, open!" Asuka pointed toward her set card, which flipped up to reveal itself as an instant magic. "Prima Light! By tributing Cyber TuTu, I can summon Cyber Prima from my hand!" And Cyber Prima exceeded Hell Dragon's attack by three hundred points. Asuka smiled to herself; Ryou would at least reconsider his attack. After all, why destroy his monster needlessly? Even with the attack strength difference, he would need to defend himself against her attack next turn.

Cyber TuTu glowed brilliantly before transforming into Cyber Prima, dark silver hair shimmering in the light, ready to defend her duelist. Hell Dragon hesitated for a moment before Ryou spoke. "Hell Dragon, attack Cyber Prima!"

"That makes no sense!" Asuka could understand if Hell Dragon had an effect that would make such a suicide mission worthwhile; she was no stranger to making a sacrifice now for a benefit later. But this…this was insane! He would be vulnerable to all of her attacks. That wasn't like him.

"Hell Dragon would be destroyed in my End Phase no matter what. The least I can do is let it go out in battle." Ryou watched with dark, satisfied eyes as his monster blasted a stream of dark fire toward Cyber Prima. There were other reasons for sending Hell Dragon to the graveyard as well, but she didn't need to know about those just yet.

Asuka's monster raised one slender finger and destroyed the dragon with Ending Reverence, a shimmering stream of power that left her as the only monster on the field and Ryou with a three hundred point disadvantage.

"Are you done?" Asuka really didn't need any more evidence that being steeped in darkness for so long hadn't been good for Ryou. Then her eyes narrowed. It's a level four dragon-type. His Cyber Dark dragons can equip level four dragons to themselves. She'd seen that in the recording of his duel against Fubuki. She would have to watch for that. Power was still Ryou's playing style, but power now mated to strategy instead of brute strength. She didn't smile, but satisfaction at fighting an opponent she knew and didn't know at the same time thrummed along her veins. Not being able to predict his moves…

She mentally shook herself. That was the wrong way to think about this. The Light was what she had to follow, always. The Light would illuminate her path.

Ryou didn't answer her directly but pulled one of the cards from his hand and held it up. "I play Angel's Charity, drawing three cards from my deck and sending two cards from my hand to the graveyard." He discarded Cyber Dark Keel and Cyber Dragon before he chose another card from his hand. "Now I activate Time Capsule and choose one card from my deck that I'll add to my hand in two more turns." She couldn't tell what card it was as he made his selection, just before setting three more cards, leaving himself with only one card in his hand.

Asuka eyed those facedown cards distrustfully. He had something in mind. But she would win, no matter what. "Because of Angel Wing being sent to the cemetery, I draw one card." Once she'd taken care of that, Ryou ended his turn and she drew again.

"This isn't looking good, is it, aniki?" Shou murmured to Juudai, who stood watching the duel with his arms folded over his chest and his attention shifting between the two duelists. Shou wasn't entirely certain of who he wanted to win. On the one hand, if his brother won, it might get Asuka back to her senses, but at the same time, it would drive him deeper into the shadows. If Asuka won, then his brother would become one of those white-wearing weirdos. That wasn't something he'd wish on anyone.

"It's kind of early to tell," Juudai replied. "They're both really good. Either one of them could win."

Asuka's lip curled at that. She was one of the Society of Light. She was going to win, no matter what tricks of the shadows Ryou tried to pull.

Now, she got back down to the business of dueling. "I play Ritual of Machine Angel, discarding Mind on Air in order to summon Cyber Angel Benten!" Her fan-wielding warrior flipped into existence before her, taking an offensive stance. "Attack that player directly!" Ryou's facedown cards had to have something there to protect him. He wouldn't have left himself that unprotected, no matter what new style he used. This would be over if I had drawn White Veil. But in due time. Unless those face-downs could counter her even more perfectly than she thought, this would finish him nevertheless.

"I activate Call of the Living Dead, summoning Cyber Dark Keel back from the graveyard!" Ryou declared. A sleek, black-scaled dragon appeared before him, with a mere eight hundred attack points. Asuka recognized it from his duel against Fubuki. Why didn't he summon Cyber Dragon? I would've had to halt my attack then.

Ignorant of her musings, Ryou continued his defensive play. "Then I activate Rare Metal Conversion-Magical Reflection Armoring, which raises Cyber Dark Keel's attack by five hundred points!" Cyber Dark Keel glowed, scales still dark but now with an extra metallic edge that reflected the increase in strength.

However, thirteen hundred points still couldn't compare to Cyber Angel Benten's eighteen hundred. Asuka gestured for the attack to continue, satisfied as Benten's fan sheared through the dark dragon, sending it swirling back to the graveyard. He should've used Cyber Dragon.

"That's not all, of course. Whenever Cyber Angel Benten destroys a monster, she inflicts damage equal to the defense of that monster to the opposing player." Benten dropped down in front of Hell Kaiser and thrust her fan toward him, sending another wave of energy pulsating into the dark duelist. He said nothing, only waited for what he surely knew was coming next. "Cyber Prima! Attack him directly with Ending Reverence!"

Most people would have flinched at that attack. Hell Kaiser stood where he was, eyes distant as if he listened to some voice only he could hear, that last card of his still held in one hand.

Shou swallowed, his eyes wide as he stared at his brother. "He's only got a hundred life points left." He wouldn't be able to turn a duel like this around. Not that he wouldn't want to, but with only one facedown card and one more in his hand, what could his brother do? What could anyone do?

Asuka set one of her own last cards down and started to end her turn. Before she could do so properly, Ryou spoke up. "I activate my last facedown, Return Soul, returning Cyber Dark Keel to my deck!"

Confused murmurs echoed through the crowd. Asuka said nothing; whatever plans he had, she was certain the Light would ruin them in the end. He needed rescuing from the dark abyss he'd fallen into. The fact he didn't think so made it more apparent to her that he did.

"I play Pot of Greed!" Of course. He would need to reinforce his hand right now. From the thin slash of a smile across his lips, he thought that he could do something to stop her. How she looked forward to proving him wrong. "Now, I activate Future Fusion, sending material monsters from my deck to the graveyard in order to summon that Fusion monster on my second standby phase." From the glint in his eyes, this was just the beginning. Or so he wanted her to believe. "I send Cyber Dark Edge, Cyber Dark Keel, and Cyber Dark Horn to the graveyard!"

So that was why he'd returned Cyber Dark Keel to the deck. In two turns, his new ace monster would be on the field. Asuka lifted her head, one eyebrow raised. "Do you expect to still be in this duel in two more turns?" Not to mention, all she had to do was draw Cyclone and she could destroy Future Fusion before Cyber Dark Dragon's arrival on the field. There was nothing he could summon in this turn that would destroy both of her monsters and finish her at the same time.

"This duel will be over before that card resolves." Ryou promised. "Because now, I activate Overload Fusion! I remove Cyber Dragon, Cyber Dark Edge, Cyber Dark Horn, and Cyber Dark Keel from my graveyard in order to summon Chimeratech OverDragon!" The minute the four-headed monster arose behind Hell Kaiser, Future Fusion exploded into a mist. Asuka saw his plan at once: he'd never meant to summon Cyber Dark Dragon in the first place. It was just a trick to get the other machine-type monsters into the graveyard for Overload Fusion. "Chimeratech OverDragon not only has eight hundred attack points for each monster I used to summon it, but it can attack your monsters four times in each battle phase."

Her monsters weren't in defense mode, either. It wouldn't defeat her, but the idea of her life points being touched by a creature of darkness sickened her. How low had Ryou fallen that he would resort to tactics like this? I won't let that monstrosity touch me.

"Chimeratech OverDragon, attack her Cyber Prima!" Hell Kaiser commanded. "Evolution Result Burst!" One head drew in a breath, then blasted a thick spray of shadowy energy toward Asuka's most powerful warrior on the field. Cyber Prima screamed and exploded and Asuka fought back a shudder. She couldn't let this demon defeat her! For the pride of Obelisk White, she had to win!

"Trap, activate! Holy Life Barrier!" She discarded the last of her cards, Fusion Recovery, to trigger the effect. She would only have what she drew from her deck after this, but it was well worth it. "I'll take no damage from your monsters or effects this turn!"

Something in his smile said he'd expected that. His next words made it plain he also didn't care. "Chimeratech OverDragon, destroy Cyber Angel Benten."

"Why?" Shou murmured, hardly able to believe his eyes. This was almost as revolting as seeing Ryou discard three-quarters of his deck to avoid being dealt battle damage. "It wouldn't do her any damage and Cyber Angel Benten wouldn't be strong enough to defeat his monster anyway."

"So she can't use it against him somehow. Asuka's got a lot of tricks in her deck. She could use Ritual Weapon; that would make Cyber Angel Benten strong enough to beat Chimeratech OverDragon and beat him too." Juudai told him. Shou bit his lip and nodded; he wasn't sure if Asuka being able to win would be a good thing, really. Not in this duel. He glanced over to where Saiou and the other members of the Society stood and shivered. Not because of the tense duel, but because of something else altogether.

Saiou was looking at him. A thin, slightly amused smile bent the older student's lips as he did and Shou wondered what was going through his mind.

Talk to me when this over, Marufuji Shou. The words echoed in his mind and Shou's eyes widened in disbelief. Had he…had that really happened? How could it have? Normal people couldn't do things like that! He opened his mouth as if to say something and closed it again. No. That couldn't have happened. He was dreaming.

He pulled his attention back to the duel. This was what he really needed to focus on. His brother set the last card in his hand and ended his turn. The duel still appeared overwhelmingly in Asuka's favor, given that she had four thousand life points and Ryou had only a hundred. But he had one of his most powerful monsters and she didn't have any at all. Even if she drew one, how could it be strong enough to defeat a monster with thirty-two hundred attack points?

"Since Pot of Greed worked so well for you last time, I think I'll play it now!" Asuka drew her two new cards and did not hold back a smile when she saw what they were. "I summon Cyber Gymnatics, in attack mode!" With only eight hundred attack points, this muscled warrior didn't appear strong enough to match Chimeratech OverDragon. "Now, by discarding a card, I activate her special effect: I can destroy one face-up attack position monster that my opponent controls!" Allegro Tool entered her graveyard.

Shou's jaw dropped as Cyber Gymnatics somersaulted over to Ryou's side of the field, landing behind Chimeratech OverDragon, and seizing the creature by one of its heads. Muscles flexed and rippled, then Hell Kaiser's dark monster was nothing but a memory. Asuka nodded proudly at her warrior. "Now, attack him directly and finish this duel!"

"Not quite. To steal your words, since negating all damage worked so well for youlast turn, I think it will do the same for me. I activate Power Wall!" With one abrupt gesture, he tossed eight cards from the top of his deck to the ground before him. Shou shuddered; of all of his brother's new cards, he hated that one the most.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "And you claim that you don't need to know the Light." She shook her head and ended her turn. There were none as blind as those who would not see, and Ryou chose not to see.

"Darkness suits me better than light suits you, Asuka." Ryou told her. Preaching conversion wasn't what he was there for, though. He drew his next card. "Since this is the second stand-by phase since I played Time Capsule, I can now put the card I chose into my hand."

Tension rippled throughout the gathered crowd. More than one person there had seen how he used that, often to bring Fusion or Power Bond to his hand when he needed it the most. Now what it would it be?

The card he chose to play, however, was not the one he'd added to his hand with Time Capsule. Ryou held that in reserve, waiting for just the right moment before he made his strike. "I play Raise Dead, summoning Hell Dragon back from the graveyard in defense mode, and end my turn!"

Defense? His turn's over already? Asuka didn't like this at all. Everything would depend on her next draw. He didn't attack with Hell Dragon. He could have and it would've left me defenseless until my next turn. What's he doing? He couldn't be so committed to the darkness that the sacred Light couldn't illuminate his strategy, could he?

"Oh, wow, this is awesome!" Juudai's annoying voice chirped from the other side of the field. Of course he would support the warrior of shadows, wouldn't he? She couldn't believe how much of an idiot he was, always rejecting the Light. "I haven't seen a duel like this in ages!"

"Aniki!" Shou shot a glare that would've been more effective if he were somewhat taller. "What's going to happen if…if…" He shook his head, words failing him.

"I don't know, but it'll be fun to find out, won't it?" Juudai ignored both Shou's glare and the one Manjoume silently sent him from a few feet away. At least that was something she had in common with the two of them: being annoyed by Juudai's constant cheerfulness.

Asuka jerked her thoughts back to where they properly belonged. She wasn't one of them anymore, no matter what small points they might share. She was second in command of the Society of Light and that was all she needed to focus on.

The moment her attention was on her deck, she could feel Saiou-sama's presence at her back once again. No matter what happened, she knew she would remain strong in the Light. The White Light and Saiou-sama kept every promise made to her. They didn't see her only value being in her gender. They listened when she said she wasn't interested in something. Even more, they listened when she said she was interested in being a leader and a duelist.

Not like her brother. Not like her friends. All of Fubuki's pretty words about her being his pride and joy were only as long as she did what she wanted. When she didn't want to take part in that idol singing nonsense, when she refused to accept the name of Asuryn, then he tried to force her into it! Trying to duel her into it, corroding dueling with his nonsense when she'd already told him no!

Not like the Light. Not like Saiou-sama. They listened. They cared.

For them, she would win this duel.

"I draw!" Her eyes widened when she saw what lay in her hand. She hadn't drawn that card in months, to the point she'd almost considered taking it out of her deck. Now, when she needed it the most, it came to her hand. It was Saiou-sama's will. There would be no failing in this duel, not with this to give her strength! "From my hand, I play Treasure From Heaven! I remove Cyber Gymnatics from play and in return, we can both draw until we have six cards!"

Sure, this reinforced her opponent's hand as well, but given that it was her turn, she was certain she could defeat him before he could do anything to stop her. She spread her new hand out before her and considered her options. Two of the cards were useless at the moment: Raregold Armor and Cyclone. But the other four were just what she needed.

"I fuse Blade Skater and Etoile Cyber to create Cyber Blader!" Her most versatile monster, whose effect depended on how many monsters her opponent hand, spun into existence before her. She wasn't done yet, though. This was a victory for the Society of Light, which meant there was something Cyber Blader needed first. "And I equip her with White Veil!" Now any spells or traps that Ryou might have, now or in the future, would be negated as soon as her monster attacked. She eyed Hell Dragon. He destroyed Cyber Angel Benten just to stop me from using her. I think I should return the favor. "Cyber Blader, destroy his Hell Dragon! Glissade Slash White!" This wouldn't damage him, but she was fine with that.

Cyber Blader skated toward Hell Dragon, each movement perfect and graceful. Then she whirled, one sharp-edged skate slamming into the defensive monster's neck hard enough to destroy it. Asuka shot a cold smile toward Hell Kaiser. Could there be anything in his freshly drawn cards that would give him a victory? She doubted it very much. All he could do was defend himself and that wouldn't last forever. "Turn end."

"Your best card." Ryou glanced at Cyber Blader as the warrior came back to stand before Asuka. Then his gaze dropped to White Veil itself and he smiled. She refused to let tht scare her. It meant nothing. It was only a meaningless attempt to frighten her. "This duel is about to end, Asuka."

"Were you planning on surrendering?" Asuka lifted one eyebrow as she spoke, her lips tilted in a smirk. "That's the only way I can see it ending other than defeating you myself." Either route was fine with her. Though in perfect truth, she wanted to defeat him herself. She had never been more pleased that Ryou wasn't the type to surrender. She would see this battle through to the end.

"Then your vision isn't as clear as you want to think it is." Ryou now had seven cards in his hand. No one dared to breathe. Asuka wondered if any of them dared to think right now. "First, by its special effect, I summon Cyber Dragon!"

Asuka wasn't impressed. Cyber Dragon's attack equaled Cyber Blader's, which given Cyber Blader's current effect of not being destroyed in battle meant her monster would survive and his wouldn't if they clashed. Surely he knew that.

Then he took another card from his hand. "I'm certain you want to know what card I used Time Capsule for. It's this." He flicked the card around in his hand to reveal a simple thousand attack point monster. "I summon Bomber Dragon!"

"He used Time Capsule for that?" Mototani's voice echoed softly from one side. "Has he lost his mind? Half of my deck can beat that thing and the other half wouldn't even notice it!"

Asuka shifted; she knew Ryou better than most would think, even with both of them having changed as much as they had. There was more on the way. Ryou simply did not make bad plays. They might be nonsensical, but they were never bad. Even his use of Hell Dragon had bought him one more turn, leading him here.

"Since you've got two monsters, Cyber Blader's second effect comes into play: her attack doubles." Asuka reminded him. Perhaps he wanted to destroy it with a special effect? That still wouldn't make any sense. She had too many life points for either of his monsters to take her down. "Neither of your monsters can stand up to forty-two hundred attack points. You'd be finished no matter what. Or have you forgotten that you only have a hundred life points left?"

"Not at all. But I could win this duel if I only had one life point to my name." Hell Kaiser's expression sent chills down the spine of everyone watching. "Walking through hell has taught me that strength and victory don't come from just attack points. Watch and learn, Asuka. Bomber Dragon, attack Cyber Blader!"

No one there could believe their eyes or their ears as the thousand attack point monster rose up and flapped over toward Asuka, a bomb held between its front talons. Asuka stared as well; was he trying to go out with some sort of bang? Defeating himself instead of letting her do it? It couldn't be. Even now, that wasn't him. He wasn't a quitter and he wasn't suicidal either!

"When Bomber Dragon attacks, neither duelist takes battle damage!" Ryou's voice cracked across the battlefield as Bomber Dragon swept across to her monster. "But the monster that destroys Bomber Dragon is destroyed as well!"

"That…" Asuka stepped back, shaking her head. That wasn't possible! It was wrong! How had he managed to do this? No, she was still safe. Cyber Dragon wasn't strong enough to defeat her. Then the memory of what Mototani and Torimaki told her shot through her mind. He'd doubled Cyber Twin Dragon's attack points with Gigantic Transformation. If he had that in his hand, he could use it on Cyber Dragon, giving it enough attack points to finish her off. White Veil wouldn't be able to help her; it would be destroyed when Cyber Blader was. "White Veil…" Confusion rippled through her voice. White Veil's effect only worked when her monster attacked, not when it was attacked, and it did nothing for monster effects.

Was the Light…flawed?

Hell Kaiser nodded, turning his head for a moment to look at Fubuki before he looked back at her. She couldn't read her brother's expression beyond a mix of hope and horror as Ryou continued to speak. "And White Veil has the effect that when the monster equipped with it goes to the graveyard, you take damage equal to that monster's attack." He leaned forward, eagerness glinting in his eyes. "And as you reminded me just a minute ago, Cyber Blader's attack is forty-two hundred."

To Be Continued

Note: That really is White Veil's secondary effect. You can see it at the Yu-Gi-Oh wiki.