CHAPTER NINE: The Howling Laughter
Yeah, yeah… Ignores angry looks I know you guys won't try anything because that means I won't be able to continue this (hopefully) fairly ok story. I had a huge writer's block with the Joker/Seto duel, and of course my trusty partner in crime (crime fighting that is), Metal Overlord 2.0, helped me out with some snazzy cards. The next one will be out in hopefully ten/eleven days, since I have a bunch of tests going on right now.
DuelistBlake1852: Lol, you're knowledge of the game will always surpass mine. I may create more original cards, but you definitely know the game inside out. Yup, you don't want to miss this chapter. Especially the end. Glad you made it in time, man.
Mei1105: The deck is Metal Overlord 2.0's, yeah. Just like Blake, you guys know the rules way better then me. I tend to be a little relaxed about those, as it is fanfiction, and we all have to take our creative measures. I try to explore Yami and Yugi's relationship more as brothers rather then a mentor-student thing. One helps the other when he's weak. Anyway, hope you like this one.
Dark Onyx: Wow, I didn't realize someone out there liked my fic that much. I hope you continue reading and stay on in the ranks of my readers. Anyway, thanks for the review!
Metal Overlord 2.0: Well, we discussed this on email. Jason's deck's true power will be revealed next chapter, this one focuses on the other duel. In any case, thanks a lot for those cards, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It spent a while in the making, and the minor plot points will serve to be more interesting then the duels.
Aelsthla-Mental: Yup, he does. He always does, lol.
Master of the Library: Yeah, I noticed that. Thanks for pointing it out. Hope you enjoy this.
HimmeAmelie: I always thought Mr. Freeze and Two-Face did compare, but yeah, the Joker will always be the classic villain of Gotham.
It was a creepy place, to say the least. Even the most hardened man would be nervous walking around here. In broad daylight. Heavily armed. With a huge amount of backup. Indeed, so unnerving was the place that it could not have been a more fitting domain for one of the most feared members of the Infinity Council, Death himself.
To begin with, entering it was almost impossible. It was another dimension, and opening a portal to it entailed breaking through most of the almost perfect defensive spells that had been cast around it by the Council. Once you opened a portal, you could get through and would land at the entrance. But that was simply the beginning.
The kind of creatures guarding it at various stages were almost beyond imagination. They ranged from the unnerving, to the creepy, to downright horrifying. No mortal had ever gotten past stage one. After all, no one had ever tried.
If one made it to the heart of the realm, that was where Death existed. Of course, being taken by one of the defenses would have been almost preferable to confronting him…
Not for his Master Apocalypse, however, Blight had long ago realized. Rampaging through the defense would be child's play for them, and once they confronted Death, it would not be a matter of power, but one of time as he would acquire the soul of the Third Horseman from where it lay in the infinite abyss of souls while his master kept Death busy.
However, it would be advisable to recruit Haou for his first assignment at this point rather then wait until he got rebellious thoughts. A simple display of Apocalypse's power as he distracted Death would be enough to banish any thoughts of mutiny from the Supreme King's mind.
But it seemed the good King had neglected to inform his servants that while they were taking orders from him, he was taking orders from someone else. Blight had just landed in the dimension after his master had dispenses orders, right outside Haou's castle, when he had been challenged by the extremely annoying Guardian Baou (800/400). It had taken him three turns to dispatch of the Duel Spirit, and now he was standing outside the throne room.
The two guards didn't have an opportunity to speak before Blight simply flicked his finger, and spheres of white light slammed into them, knocking them to the floor. He pushed open the antique door gently, careful not to damage the mahogany. After two hundred and seventy centuries on Earth, Blight had grown to appreciate the finer things in life… Even though they meant nothing in the grand scheme of destruction.
A dark figure was seated on a single throne at the end of the dank room. He was dressed in his regular, regal robes, and seemed deep in thought before being shaken out of his reverie by the interruption. He looked up with a dangerous look in his eyes. "You…"
"Yes, Haou, it's me," replied Blight with a slight chuckle. "I'm here to tell you off your first assignment. You will be joining Apocalypse and myself on a rather dangerous mission to recruit the Third Horseman."
"I do not have the time at this point," snapped Haou. "A number of villages have been overtaken by enemy armies. I will need to deal with my foes before anything else."
"You forget yourself, Haou," whispered Blight. He stepped slowly towards the throne. Light was given off from his body as he walked through the darkness, illuminating the room so that the darkness seemed to disappear. Haou's fist clenched, and the black abyss pulsated, seemingly forcing away the light. A few lamps glowed in the corners.
The two locked eyes, and for a second the blackness began to overpower the tainted light that Blight gave off. The lamps extinguished. Blight's brow was creased, and his pupils began to fade into the whiteness of his eyes. Suddenly, he unclenched his fist, and a massive wave of light left his body. It washed over the darkness, completely extinguishing it, and all lamps in the room began to blaze again.
"You are a Horseman of Apocalypse," he spoke in a hard voice. "You will obey my Master; no, you will obey your Master, or pay the price."
Haou glowered, and the light began to recede as the darkness settled in once again. "Do you honestly believe you can defeat me in my own kingdom? Or will Apocalypse himself come here in order to fight me?"
"No," enunciated the First Horseman clearly. "Not at all. He has said so himself; you are not worth his time. Instead, I think that if I provided the Chosen Duelists and Demon Lords with your location, you will become an immediate target. Of course, you are a powerful duelist, but I do believe that even you could never overcome the might of such skilled opponents."
"You have no proof."
"Come, Haou, this is not a point to argue on," sighed Blight. "You became a Horseman for mutual benefit. Indeed, you will not be without your share of the spoils. If you accompany us on this mission, you will no doubt find something of value to you. Perhaps the Ritual of the Fallen Angel would interest you?"
Haou's eyes bulged. "Impossible. The Ritual of the Fallen Angel has never been successfully completed. Ever."
"Oh, but it will be, Haou," laughed Blight, apparently enjoying himself. "I doubt you would ever want to miss such a chance. Are you in?"
Haou paused. "Very well," he whispered. "But you should know that completion of the Ritual requires a willing sacrifice. The most terrible torture would be preferable. No, no one would ever give themselves to this."
"I know of one. His soul is broken, he will do anything to redeem himself. I have done it myself."
"Who is it?" replied Haou coldly.
"Phoenix. Aster Phoenix."
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Right now, Jason had a slight advantage over his opponent. With his powerful Supernova Dragon in defense mode, he could deal Yugi a minimum of fifteen hundred points of damage every turn. Then there was his Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8. With three thousand attack points, its might was further supplemented by the fact that each and every one of Yugi's magic cards would be negated. At this point, all Yugi had was his weaker Twilight Shadow Swordmaster, and a disadvantage in life-points of nearly three thousand.
"Since Horus prevents me from activating magic cards, I will rely on nothing but the sheer power of my monsters to put it down," intoned Yugi, sliding a card into his magic and trap card zone. "I will set a card facedown, and end my turn. However, I will grant you a Black Psychic Token (0/1000) before that."
As the black dragon appeared on Jason's field, Yugi drew another card.
Jason drew slowly. He could use Supernova Dragon's effect and then blow away the Twilight Shadow Swordmaster with Horus, but that would leave Yugi with three hundred life-points, enough to mount a counter on his next turn. However, if he chose to switch Supernova Dragon to attack mode, he would leave Yugi's field completely empty.
"I switch Supernova Dragon to attack mode." The titanic, three headed behemoth roared loudly, and the sound of its anger and hatred seemed to pierce the air as it spread its wings wide open. The look in its eyes was one of pure wrath.
"Now, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV8, attack his Twilight Shadow Swordmaster with Darkness Giga Flames!"
The green dragon opened its mouth, and a sphere of black energy formed within its maw. With a roar, the ball of power burst out and plummeted towards the futuristic warrior. The light seemed to be sucked into the ball as it continued on, and Jason felt his nails digging into his hand in tension.
"Sorry, but its over!" declared Yugi. "I activate my facedown trap card Twilight Revolution, which will grant my Swordmaster half the attack points of Horus, meaning I am in control of the battle once again. With a bonus of fifteen hundred attack points, my Shadow will wipe out your dragon with ease!"
It was true, of course. Just as the ball sped towards him, the soldier struck out with his sword, splitting it halfway down the middle (4000/2000). As it continued on, however, it became apparent that suddenly, the soldier was losing the battle, and was in serious trouble.
"Why isn't he winning?!" snarled Yugi. Jason smirked. "My quick-play magic card called Demonic Burst is an unusually powerful card. First, it will boost the attack points of my attacking monster by five hundred, and then grant it another bonus by increasing its attack points by half the original attack points of your monster!"
With another roar, Horus (4250/1800) spat out another torrent of energy at the ball that was already pressuring the unfortunate Twilight Shadow Swordmaster. It slammed into it, pressing it further forward until one could all but not see the defending monster.
"And with your Swordmaster out of the way, Supernova Dragon can annihilate your Black Psychic Token and leave you wide open."
"Who said he was out of the way?" smiled Yugi, as he held up a card. Jason's eyes bulged. "Wait, that's a magic card! You can't activate that under any circumstances!"
"Maybe it is. But the magic card called Chaotic Wormhole can only be activated by removing it from play from my deck. By doing this, one monster on your field loses eight hundred attack points!" Jason frowned as the eyes of the warrior glared up at him from behind the futuristic helmet that covered his face. With a powerful heave of his arm, he sent the ball back at the weakened dragon (3450/1800). The force of the attack caused it to roar out in pain before it shattered.
(Yugi: 2300, Jason: 4650)
Jason had a significantly irritated look on his face. "I will find a way around this, that I will. Before that, I sacrifice my Supernova Dragon's attack for the turn to deal you fifteen hundred points worth of damage." Once again the behemoth roared and let lose a wave of lava that seemed to wash over Yugi's field in an attempt to burn him to cinders.
"I can send Twilight Shadow Strategist (800/600) from my hand or field to the graveyard in order to reduce all effect damage done to me during to zero." Appearing on his field was a spindly man dressed in black robes. He was rather old, but the hardened look in his eyes suggested a 'don't-mess with me' attitude. He raised a wrinkled old hand, and the lava stopped in the air, before coming crashing down to the floor, leaving a massive black stain.
Jason frowned. Now there were five counters left on Dimensional Countdown. If he removed two, then Yugi could remove two and leave the final one for him. If he removed one, then Yugi would be foolish to remove two. If he did so, then Jason could remove one and finish Yugi off. If Yugi removed one, then he would be on the receiving end of Jason removing two.
Yes, thought Jason grimly. It was a win-win situation. He would remove one.
"I sacrifice a single counter to give you one Black Psychic Token (0/1000)." Jason smirked faintly as another black dragon joined the one already on Yugi's field. Unless Yugi summoned another monster with over two three attack points, the duel was his.
"I will then set two cards and end my turn."
Yugi smirked as he drew. "I can see your ploy, Jason. You think that regardless of whether I remove one counter or two, you can set me up for four thousand points of damage and deal the killer blow. It's true. I congratulate you on excellent strategic thinking. But you made a mistake. You didn't analyze one possible variable; what if I remove three?"
"Three?!" snapped Jason.
"Indeed. I play the magic card, Shadow Miracle! By removing two magic counters anywhere on the field, I can now special summon one level four Twilight Shadow from my graveyard. Come back, Twilight Shadow Strategist (800/600) in defense mode."
The old man in black robes appeared on his field, and two more points of light on the dome surrounding them disappeared. Jason froze. "Damn it!"
"He escaped it…" whispered Brian. "I have never, ever seen anyone escape Jason's Dimensional Countdown lock. He always plans so many moves ahead, removing the correct number of counters and accurately predicting his opponent's moves…."
"There's a reason why he's King of Games," muttered Ryu. He had never dueled Yugi himself, and it would be an interesting duel, least to say, if it ever happened. His dragons versus the Twilight Shadows…. No, he corrected himself. He would face not only the Twilight Shadows, but also the wrath of the Egyptian Gods. After all, Yugi and Yami no longer dueled one at a time… They were a one man team. Quite a devastating one, at that.
"Now I remove one more counter in order to not only draw a card, but also grant you a Black Psychic Token (0/1000)." A stony faced Jason watched as Yugi snapped the top card off his deck, and another black dragon appeared on his opponent's field.
"Now, I'll sacrifice one of my tokens to summon a monster called Twilight Shadow Blade Sentinel (1900/1300)!"
The mechanical dragon was replaced by a knight dressed in a futuristic suit of armor. The suit of armor was metallic-toned, with dark-red metallic shoulder pads and designs all about it, down the arms and down the legs. The gloves were red and dark, silver metallic-colored, with extendible, pink beam swords on the tops of them. It had shining boots as well, and a helmet covered its head with a grille that extended down its face.
"His effect isn't something I can use at the moment, so I'll call it a turn and let you take your move."
Jason drew with his eyes tightly shut. He spoke in a low voice. "I am compelled to remove the final counter on my Dimensional Countdown card." Even as he spoke, the final spark of light disappeared from the majestic blue dome that encompassed them like a prison, refusing to let them go until it had sated its desire for blood.
The dragon appeared on Yugi's field, and an emotionless Jason drew. The dome around them began to glow, and the night sky seemed to gain a strange color. It first reflected white for a nanosecond, and then scarlet. It seemed like as the dome sucked in energy from around them, the sky was being affected. After the cycle was completed, it was back to black, and the dome was pulsating wildly.
Without warning, it contracted inwards at an incredible pace. It swept past Yugi, and as it passed over him it felt like he had been dipped in a bathtub full of ice. Before he could say a word, all sides of it crashed into Jason, leaving a tremendous explosion. The smoke flew up in all directions, followed by a large cloud of dust which reduced Yugi to a coughing fit.
"Man… No one ever comes out of a Dimensional Countdown explosion in great shape," muttered Brian. "I just hope Jason is up to the challenge of beating his own card…"
As the cold wind of Necropolis began to slowly blow away the smoke, Yugi could make out the beaten and battered body of Jason Becker on its knees, heaving in exhaustion and shock. The towering Supernova Dragon was looking at its master in concern, giving small growls.
His jacket was scratched all over, but it seemed to be strong enough to weather the might of the explosion. Since it was no Shadow Game, he himself was not badly injured, but the numerous scratches and bruises all over his body suggested that the young Eagle agent had indeed seen better days.
"You okay, man?" called out Brian anxiously.
Shaking his messy mane of raven hair, Jason got to his feet slowly. He locked eyes with Yugi, and the latter realized that the duel was not over. Not by a long shot.
(Yugi: 2300, Jason: 650)
"Did you think…" gasped Jason, "that Dimensional Countdown was my ace? Do I look stupid enough to have my entire deck revolve around a single card, that too such a risky one? No, you haven't even begun to realize what I have in store for you. I knew you were good, Yugi Moto, but I didn't know you were this good. With my revamped deck after my loss in the finals of the Los Angeles Regional's three years ago, I have maintained a perfect dueling record. I will not let you win, not by any means! And seeing as its my turn, I have just the means to back that up."
As he spoke, the remaining Black Psychic Tokens on both their fields dissolved into dust. "When Dimensional Countdown is destroyed, it takes the tokens with it."
Yugi sighed. The token would have been useful in order to summon another powerful, high level monster.
But that wasn't the point. He still had one monster with twenty-five hundred attack points, one with nineteen hundred, and another with a mere eight hundred.. Jason, however, had his extremely powerful Supernova Dragon. He could choose to either deal Yugi fifteen hundred points of damage, or perhaps switch it to attack mode and blow away Blade Sentinel. Neither was an attractive option. Or perhaps he would pull out a completely different strategy. With seven cards in his hand, the possibilities were endless.
"Hmm… I do believe that I will sacrifice Supernova Dragon's attack for the turn to drain you of most of your remaining life-points, and bring us to rather more even terms in this duel."
"Have you forgotten about Twilight Shadow Strategist? I can send him from my hand or field to the graveyard to reduce all effect damage done this turn to zero." As he spoke, the ocean of lava exited the triple-headed behemoth's maw and threatened to wash over Yugi's field, but not before the elderly man made an ornate gesture and caused the lava to fall to the ground. He then bowed and disappeared.
"That is the last time you will avoid my Supernova Dragon," growled Jason. "And anyway, it's still my turn. I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
It was back to Yugi. He seemed in a confident mood as he drew, giving him a total of a three card hand. His face was unreadable. With calm and relaxed features that betrayed no emotion, there was nothing one could do to find out what was spinning around in his head.
"I summon Twilight Shadow Bombardier (1700/1400)!" There was a weird shout distantly behind them; something like a cowboy shouting 'yee-haw'. Looking over Yugi's shoulder, Jason saw a sleek, silver jet racing towards them at supersonic speeds, piercing the otherwise silent void of the night sky. Visible within the cockpit was a rather enthusiastic pilot, dressed in old-fashioned flying gear with goggles on his head. He seemed to be shrieking with joviality, and it only served to incite another growl from the Supernova Dragon.
As the plane rattled to a halt on the terrace, Yugi sighed, evidently embarrassed by the antics of his newest monster. "He's a little enthusiastic!"
"We got some walloping to do, boss?!" hollered the pilot, his voice penetrating the bullet-proof glass of his vehicle. Yugi winced, and muttered a soft, "Yeah, yeah."
"Cool!" he whooped enthusiastically, and ditched the old fashioned flight goggles in favor of a futuristic helmet. Yugi looked over at the terrifying dragon. "Now, the effect of Twilight Shadow Bombardier allows me to sacrifice his attack for the turn to reduce the attack or defense points of one of your monsters down to zero."
Jason's eyes widened as the pilot gave another whoop and shoved his main thrusters forward. With a cry of invigoration, he pressed a button as the jet whizzed across the field. Four missiles shot out at the dragon, who spat out a globule of lava from each mouth in reply. Three of the missiles were incinerated before they got close enough, but the fourth slammed into the gargantuan beast's chest. The explosion left several visible wounds, as well as a large decrease in its stats (2500/0).
"Damn…" whispered Jason.
"Twilight Shadow Blade Sentinel, destroy his dragon with Nova Blitz Blades!" With a single nod of acknowledgement, the armored warrior flicked his wrists, and with a sound similar to lightsabers springing to life in Star Wars, two pinks energy blades flashed into existence from his gauntlets. It leapt across the field, and its arms moved like a pinwheel, flashing and dancing through the air as the pink blades lanced through the hard scales of the triple headed monstrosity.
Jason watched in stony anger as the beast roared in pain one last time before the Blade Sentinel dealt the death blow, leaving the majority of its body completely decapitated. "And the best part about Blade Sentinel is that I can draw a card for every other Twilight Shadow on my field when he destroys a monster at the cost of allowing you to return up to three monsters from your removed from play pile to your graveyard, or your graveyard to your deck."
Jason considered. "Fine. I send all three Solar Flare Dragons back to my graveyard."
Yugi drew two more cards, and looked over triumphantly at Jason. "This is it, Jason! Twilight Shadow Swordmaster, attack directly and end this!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kaiba continued to laugh maniacally as the winds began to pick up around the desolate beach. The magnificent dragon gave a metallic roar somewhere between a screech and the squeal of a very sharp object scratching against a ridiculously smooth marble surface. The mercenaries, otherwise tough and silent, were on their knees, clutching their heads in agony and staring awestruck at the behemoth that had descended from heaven to judge them for their crimes.
Rikuo, Bakura and Joey all watched in shock. All but the latter had seen it in action, and that too just once. To see the greatest dragon of all time ascend to Kaiba's field to deal his vengeance was a truly awe-inspiring sight… Even Serenity seemed to forget her peril and gazed at the beauty and power of the dragon, a warm sensation of hope flooding her.
"Seto… You can do it…"
As for the Joker, his face was unreadable. It had a little bit of shock, some annoyance, and yes, for the first time ever, some fear. It was an expression that only Batman himself had ever seen on the criminal's face, and that too when he was about to unleash his ultimate revenge against the madman.
"This is it, you freakshow!" screamed Kaiba, raising his hands up to shoulder level. "You have ran and hid too long! Now, you will face my ultimate wrath head on, and you are going to wish you were never born!"
The Joker seemed a bit perturbed, his insane mind waiting a while before replying. "You really are incorruptible… Aren't you?" he breathed in a slow voice as the dragon finally descended to the ground, its feet softly alighting on the coarse sand.
"I tried it with Batman… I didn't think there'd be another like him in this world. You'll are like peas in a pod, no, you'll are like one pea in the same. When an unstoppable force like me meets an immovable wall like you, there is nothing that can be done. We will continue on till the end of time, and chaos will warp this place out of shape until you can never recognize it…"
He broke off into laughter. It was just as maniacal as Kaiba's, perhaps even more, and far more chilling. It sent shivers down the spines of everyone present, except the CEO himself. "You call yourself a duelist…" sneered Kaiba. "If you had any knowledge of this game, then you would know that victory for you was impossible the very second I summoned my Blue Eyes Shining Dragon."
The Joker didn't reply, and Kaiba continued. "He gains three hundred attack points for every dragon in my graveyard. I have my three Blue Eyes White Dragons, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and the Luster Dragon I discarded this turn for Graceful Charity. That means he has a grand total of forty five hundred attack points, and I haven't even begun to reveal his other, far more powerful effects!" (4500/2500)
In emphasis, the dragon roared, whipping the Joker's long, green, unkempt hair back behind his head.
"Time to show him what it means to challenge me the hard way! Shining Neutron Blast!"
With a small screech, the dragon opened its jaws, allowing a rainbow colored sphere of light to form. Quickly, the dragon released a beam of rainbow energy straight at the metallic emperor. The tyrant leapt into the air and attempted to dodge the blast, claws outstretched in a last ditch effort to gut the majestic beast, but it was to no avail. The blast struck the masked monarch, making him roar loudly in pain as his body was turned into scrap. Within a few moments, the creature was finally shattered, allowing the remainder of the dragon's blast to go flying at the clown prince of crime. The blast struck him hard, throwing him into the air a short ways backwards.
(Joker: 600, Kaiba: 1700)
He lay motionless on the ground for a moment, and the spectators found themselves half hoping the attack had ended the duel even if the Joker's life points still remained. As it was, their hopes were unfounded as the criminal slowly rose, but the exertion of the attack had taken its visible toll on him. He forced a sick smile.
"You may attack me… But in the end, it's your girlfriend who suffers!"
Seto turned in horror to the glass walled capsule; he had forgotten in his triumph the consequences of each step he took closer to victory. The water continued to fill up as Serenity struggled against her bonds to no avail. The water reached dangerously near to her nose, and Joey was about to give a scream of rage when it stopped. Her entire body was submerged other then her nose, eyes, and the top of her head.
Seto snarled in anger. As Serenity continued to struggle against the water, it would sap her body of its energy. With less resources for her system to work with because of the enclosed space, the lactic acid would build up in her muscles, and the pain would possibly knock her out. If her head relaxed, she would go completely under.
"I will not allow this to continue," growled Kaiba, folding his arms. "With Blue Eyes Shining Dragon in play, your chances of making a comeback are virtually, no, literally, no existent. I end my turn." He held not a single card.
The Joker drew, and an impish grin spread across his face. "By removing Tyrant Emperor in my graveyard from play, I can draw one card for every Oppressed People, People Running About, and United Resistance in my graveyard. So I draw three."
Looking over his hand of four cards, he finally tapped the side of his Duel Disk, and a triangular slot opened. He slid a card into it, and shut it. "I activate the field magic card, Pandemonium Circus! Brace yourself, pretty boy, you're about to enter a world of absolute fun!"
Distant laughter was heard in the distance. It was starkly similar to Saggi the Dark Clown's screechy mirth, and large walls began to spring up around them. The mercenaries were cut out, but not Rikuo, Joey, Bakura, and Serenity in her trap. Soon, the entire structure was finished, and it was a truly macabre sight to behold.
It was a circus tent, but a rather grizzly one. The walls were partially made of a filthy canvas, but at some points there were also meat and bone. Even at some points, the canvas was splattered with an unhealthy looking black liquid that looked unsettlingly similar to blood. The stands were jet black, and in them were a large audience full of demons. They were of all kinds, some blood red and others humanoid except for warped features. They were cheering and shouting impatiently, as if waiting for the show to continue.
Between Kaiba and the Joker now were several uncomfortably deep holes, lined with bone and blood. The Joker bowed, and the audience began to clap.
"I was always the stage master," he crooned. "It was so simple, so free… But then the schemers took it all away from me!" The last line he bellowed so loudly that it was quite in contrast to his previous tone. Suddenly, he was back into his calm mood again. Kaiba shivered. This man was a complete freak. As long as he was alive, even if he was locked up, he was a danger to everyone on the planet.
"Now, greed is extremely good for health, as you know. It has lots of fiber. I play Pot of Avarice, returning both copies, Peten the Dark Clown, Saggi, Dream Clown, and Tyrant Emperor back to my deck to draw two more cards."
With four cards in his hand, the clown prince of crime seemed in a situation to make a steady comeback. But Kaiba was still confident that against the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, nothing in the Joker's pathetic clown deck would make a difference.
"I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn," he said conversationally.
Kaiba drew. Despite the weird field magic card the Joker had on the field, he was more then confident of his chances to end the duel. With a forty five hundred attack point monster that was unaffected by any and all effects, the Joker was sorely outgunned in terms of sheer power.
"Blue Eyes Shining Dragon… End this with Shining Neutron Blast!"
A misty-cloud like burst of blue tinted energy built up between the jaws of his legendary beast. With a roar, it spat out the energy in a stream of destructive force, which slammed into the tiny card as it flipped up to reveal Peten the Dark Clown (500/1200). It barely had time to turn to the Joker and bow as it was shattered into several tiny pieces.
"Damn it…" growled Kaiba in anger.
The clown was almost immediatley replaced by an identical copy of himself, who this time took his hat off to the dragon and fell to his knees with a squeaky laugh.
The one card in Kaiba's hand was useless for the situation. "I end my turn," he snarled, hoping to draw a monster next turn in order to try and finish this as quickly as possible. Allowing the Joker his field magic card as well as the luxury of having Peten on the field, he was unprepared for a possible counterattack. He softly chided himself again, forcing his mind to remember that his Shining Dragon was almost unstoppable.
"Don't worry, Serenity… I will get you out of there."
"Now, the effects of my Pandemonium Circus depend largely upon how many monsters with 'clown', 'joker', 'harlequin', or 'jester' in their name I have in play. I have one right now, which means that I can activate its weakest effect. The level of every clown monster in my hand is reduced by two. That means the level six Dark harlequin (1900/1600) can now be normal summoned to the field."
Appearing next to Peten was a slim man dressed in a dark, old fashioned suit. The jacket was made of a cheap, rough material and inside was a simple, white shirt. His black pants were framed by a leather belt, and his eyes were covered by circular sunglasses. He wore a dark top hat over his mostly bald head, and a long walking stick was in his right hand. It had a deep black shaft topped with a shimmering golden handle. His face was expressionless, and then a sudden look of pain flitted over it as a cracking noise echoed through the tent and two fleshy, green, demonic wings appeared between his shoulder blades.
At this, the monsters around them began to cheer and clap enthusiastically, enthralled to see the painful display again.
"The Dark harlequin is just the tip of the iceberg of my army of clowns; he's merely another one of these poor devils who have been enslaved by the Abyssal Ring Master…"
Trailing off with another creepy laugh, he then continued. "When he destroys any clown monster in battle, my Dark harlequin will gain five hundred attack points."
"Oh well, luckily for me, I have no clown monsters in my deck to spare me the wrath of a powered up Dark harlequin. But ah yes, I do remember what I do have," spat Kaiba cruelly. "The unstoppable Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, who will reduce your pathetic freak to a pile of ashes!"
"That's rude!" shouted the Joker. "And in any case, I'm well aware of that, schemer. Not many people run clown decks. But I have plenty of clowns in this little pack of cards of mine to power up Dark Harlequin plenty! I play the continuous magic card Fatal Friendship, which allows me to conduct battle between monsters on my own field, but damage is reduced to zero. Normally, this is useless, but with this strategy… I'll switch Peten to attack mode."
He gave a slight laugh, and pointed at the Harlequin. Peten nodded brightly and leapt to his feet. He trotted over to the harlequin and held out his hand, which was grasped by the black suited jester. At that second, an electrical shock shot through Peten's body, and most unnervingly his ever present smile was still very broad. The harlequin refused to let go, and finally did after three minutes. After he let go, the still grinning Peten crumpled into ashes. With a click of his tongue, the harlequin lifted his hand and showed Kaiba the electrical source strapped to his hand, that was normally used as a simple joke by ordinary clowns. It was a joke this time as well… But a far more morbid one (2400/1600).
"Don't forget Peten's effect!" drawled the Joker, and another clown appeared on the field. He bounded up to the harlequin, who didn't seem in a mood for pleasantries. With a groan of irritation, he raised his large walking stick and dealt his new acquaintance a terrible blow. Peten fell to the ground, always smiling, even with his neck broken, and disappeared (2900/1600).
"Now, he's only sixteen hundred points away from your big lizard," droned the Joker. He looked over his hand, shrugged, and set a card before ending his turn.
Kaiba drew, shivering with excitement at the thought that he could end the duel now and free Serenity. He smirked to himself. "You foolish clown… You should have never challenged me." He needed to discard his two cards due to Card of Demise, but he didn't care. With a glare, he pointed at the Dark harlequin. "Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, send his clown to hell!"
With a burning roar of hatred, the titan on Kaiba's field opened its mouth and let lose a massive burst of rainbow-like energy that cascaded across the field like a waterfall of endless power. It was about to consume the harlequin completely, but the Joker shook his head and tapped a button on his Duel Disk.
"Don't expose your kids to violence on TV! I activate Wabuko, which will help your dragon relax a bit!"
Three robed mages appeared in front of the dark clown, and began to chant in a monotone. An invisible barrier appeared around them, and try as it might, the god-like dragon was unable to shatter the shield with its might, and with a frustrated roar gave up after a minute.
Kaiba snarled. He had discarded one dragon, which meant that Blue Eyes Shining Dragon gained another three hundred attack points (4800/2500). The other was the extremely handy Repayment of Losses, which meant he still held a single card. He gave a satisfied sigh, and slid the card into his magic and trap card zone.
"I activate Blessing of the Blue Eyes! For every card that has the name 'Blue Eyes White Dragon' in its text or name, I draw one card. I have four, the three original Blue Eyes as well as the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, which means I draw an additional four cards!"
He gave a sigh of relief at his new cards. Within two turns, it would be easy for him to end the duel if he tapped into the strength of his Blue Eyes Shining Dragon. Sooner or later, the clown would cave. "I set a card and end my turn."
"My move," the Joker shouted, unnecessarily. Kaiba winced at the volume. "I'm well aware of that."
He drew violently, and cackled loudly. "I set a monster in defense mode, and immediatley have Dark harlequin destroy it!" The card flipped over to reveal a short, squat man dressed in a ridiculous yellow outfit with his face painted yellow seated on a horrific lion. The lion was a little smaller then usual, but made up for it in its unnatural features. Its main was stained with blood, and its fangs dripped with the same. The clown carried a large rifle.
"Poor, poor Rider Jester (900/600). He rode all over the place with his pet in search of business, but in the end Dark harlequin didn't take kindly to someone intruding upon his work, and decided to finish off the competition!" The lion roared, and leapt towards the attacker, while the maniacal clown attempted to aim its rifle. With a disdainful frown, the harlequin grasped the lion by the main, which incited a roar from it as electricity whizzed through its body. It threw the clown's aim off, and instead his bullet hit Seto, causing him to flinch. As the harlequin dealt the clown a terrible blow with his stick, Seto felt searing pain shooting up his body.
(Joker: 600, Kaiba: 1200)
"When destroyed, Rider Jester deals you five hundred points of damage," grinned the Joker, and the attack points of the Dark Harlequin (3400/1600) rose once again. "And when he's destroyed, I can special summon one more copy of him from my hand, but all its effects are negated. Ah well, easy come easy go."
He yawned as another one of the freakish lions appeared, mounted by another clown. With a cackle, the harlequin fried the lion with a terrible shock, and then smashed the clown's head so hard with his stick, that his skull was shattered and his head was completely unrecognizable. His attacker, meanwhile was even stronger (3900/1600).
"Then, Dark Harlequin allows me to draw two cards after I destroy four monsters for his effect." Looking over his new hand of three cards, the Joker slid two into his magic and trap card zone. "The first is the continuous magic card, Death by Laughter. Each clown gains two hundred attack points for every clown in play, including himself!"
The black suited comedian began to crackle with electrical black energy, and gave the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon a dark look (4100/1600). It was quite ironic to see them both on the field together. Kaiba sneered inwardly to himself. Despite all the Joker's efforts, Dark Harlequin still fell short of Blue Eyes Shining Dragon by seven hundred points.
"I end my turn," he concluded.
Kaiba drew, and pointed triumphantly at the Harlequin. "The game is up! Blue Eyes Shining Dragon, END THIS!"
With a roar, the rainbow energy once again appeared in its mouth. It threw its wings back, and his shining chest puffed out as its jaws pointed upwards at a seventy degree angle. Throwing its neck forward, it flapped its wings in the same movement and tensed the muscles at the base of its neck. The waterfall of energy slammed into the unfortunate monster, and this time, the Joker indeed had nothing to stop it. It literally tore the clown apart, sending black liquid spilling all over the circus floor as the demons cheered in approval, thinking little more of the death of their entertainer then of some foolish trick.
However, the Joker's life-points didn't take a dip. Kaiba looked up furiously. "What the hell is going on here?!" he spat in rage.
The clown sneered, and tapped a button on his Duel Disk. "I activated Sacrificial Clown! By sacrificing one clown on my field with at least three thousand attack points, I can not only reduce all battle damage for the turn to zero, but also destroy every single magic and trap card on your field. But it doesn't matter anyway. The real effect is that I can special summon to my field all copies of either 'Peten the Dark Clown' or 'Saggi the Dark Clown', in my graveyard."
Facing the beast on Kaiba's field that seemed to give off waves of divinity, appeared three clowns with white and black striped faces, yellow and blue-green baggy clothing, blue vests with a white collar, and large red hats with long pink flowing wigs (500/1200) (x3). Upon seeing the dragon, they all squeaked and attempted to hide behind one another. This incited boos and roars of anger from the demonic audience, including a shout of 'Give me my money back!", which made Kaiba wince.
"Now, my little stage show freaks tap deeper into the effects of Pandemonium Circus. When there are two clowns on the field, each one gains five hundred attack points. Don't forget Death by Laughter, in any case!"
The three clowns each began to cackle in agreement (1600/1200) (x3), prancing around wildly until they suddenly noticed the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon again. The crowd laughed and jeered at their cowardly antics. As it was, they had not much respect for their venerable entertainers.
Kaiba grumbled to himself, forcing himself not to look at Serenity. It would only destroy his concentration. Seeing her suffering would do nothing for him at this point.
"End turn."
The Joker laughed, and drew slowly. "I activate the third effect of Pandemonium Circus. I can add one clown monster to my hand during the main phase if I have three other face-up clown monsters in play. Not good for you, of course." He smirked as he went through his deck and found the appropriate card.
"Ah… Now, I sacrifice two of my Peten's to summon the powerful Demon Biker Jester (2000/1700)!" The two clowns gave each other a high-five, and then vanished, leaving their disconcerted comrade looking a tad lonely. However, he soon brightened up as a deep roar echoed down from the bottom of one of the bone pits. He looked over, the ridiculous smile still on his face as a column of fire burst out from the infinite blackness.
He gave a small 'oh' and looked up in wonder as the column reached the circus tent's roof, and continued until it formed a large sphere instead. The fire began to fade away, showing the only actually dangerous looking monster summoned by the Joker the entire duel. It was a demon, dressed in a biker uniform. His helmet was cheap and didn't look good enough to withstand much damage, but his blazing red eyes suggested an otherworldly strength that did not really need the protection. He sat on an expensive Harley Davidson, and gave a snarl of triumph as a U-shaped structure appeared next to him. Mounted on stands, it was perfect for him to land on as he gunned the motor.
The audience 'oohed' and 'ahed' as he sped up and down the structure before slowing to a stop next to Peten. Throwing his visor up, he revealed a strange, blue-skinned face that exuded arrogance and hatred. The dragon roared, but unlike the rest of the Joker's monsters, this one refused to back down. This incited a roar of applause from the audience, impressed by the audacity of the new performer.
However, it took a little more then a few stunts to impress Kaiba.
"Pardon my skepticism, but you sacrificed two monsters for another with two thousand base points, perhaps twenty-nine hundred when he's boosted up by your cards. Sorry, but my dragon is nineteen hundred points stronger."
The Joker shook his head. "Attack points was not why I summoned this bad boy. No, he has a personal vendetta against schemers and will do anything to make their lives miserable! Even give up his own life…." With a shady laugh, the clown prince of crime waved his hand, and as quickly as he appeared, the biker revved up his vehicle and bounced onto the racing circuit, before speeding off into the air with a whoop.
He shot through the canvas of the tent, leaving a gaping hole that quickly knitted itself back together. "What's the meaning of this?!" snarled Kaiba. The Joker laughed, folding his arms as another column of flames built up in a pit nearer to the CEO.
"When he's sacrificed, Demon Biker Jester deals you his attack points worth in damage. An effect quite worth the two sacrifices, isn't it?" As the flames burst out, the fire began to lick its way around Kaiba, threatening to incinerate him. He smirked, and held up a card. "No, I will not allow that. I activate the quick-play magic card Sacred Life Shield! By discarding the top three cards from my deck, I can reduce all kinds of life-point damage done to me this turn down to zero!"
As he spoke, a shield appeared in front of him. It was made of shining white energy, and expanded into a man sized sphere that surrounded Kaiba. It exploded outwards, throwing the flames against the sides of the circus walls as the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon roared its approval.
"And since I just sent two dragons to the graveyard, he gains another six hundred attack points!" The machine-like wyvern roared in triumph as its attack points once again took an upward turn (5400/2500). Its majestic blue wings flashed up and it let lose another howling screech, this one seemed to pierce the very air around them.
"You can't beat me, clown," sneered Kaiba, throwing up his hands. "You really can't. Just give up now."
The silence was unnerving. "This is it," thought Rikuo. "The duel is going to end this turn, one way or another."
The Joker gave a hollow laugh. He shook his head, and pocketed the two cards in his hand. "You don't get it… Do you? This duel was never about winning. It was about proving a point. You can't fight it, pretty boy. You just can't fight it."
"I don't care what you say," said Kaiba impatiently. "Just hurry it up so I can blast you and end the duel."
The Joker acted like the CEO hadn't even spoken. "There is no point in standing up to Chaos. None at all. Nah. You need to understand that. I've tried as much as I could. But you insist on your cunning combo attacks, mesmerizing magic maneuvers, and those clever little trap schemes. But why bother? At the end of it, you simply can't stop a raging force of Chaos. Why? Because with Chaos, there's no plan. If there's no plan, nothing can go wrong. But with you schemers, mistakes are made."
Kaiba was silent, and with a much more frightening laugh, the Joker slid a magic card into his Duel Disk. "I activate the other effect of Death by Laughter. I can now sacrifice it to draw one card for every clown on my field during the start of the turn. I draw three."
He snapped up the top three cards, and a wicked smile spread across his face. "Yes… Perfect for the kill. I play Impending Revolution. I can sacrifice one dark monster with at least one thousand attack and defense points in order to special summon from my deck Oppressed People, People Running About, and United Resistance (0/0) (x3)!"
As Peten bowed and disappeared, the great swarm of people appeared. As before, some were depressed farmers that seemed to be without a glimmer of hope. Another group seemed to echo bitter hatred, but their senses were still about them. Carrying small daggers and pistols, they seemed to be thinkers rather then fighters. The remainder were completely insane, dressed in battle armor and wielding muskets and swords.
"Impending Revolution reduces their attack points to zero, and leaves them permanently in defense mode. Also, I must remove from play in my deck all copies of Huge Revolution." He pulled out two more copies of the trap card from his deck and slid them into a hidden pocket in his daring purple jacket.
"Then come the card to finish you off: Twin Disaster! I can special summon two monsters with the same name in my graveyard, but they're destroyed when the turn ends." Next to the swarm of people appeared the classically dressed jesters (500/1200) (x2), and took of their hats to Kaiba.
"This is your big plan?" jeered Kaiba. "A group of angry farmers and a pair of clowns? I expected more."
The demons in the audience roared in agreement. It seemed like they were angry with him for denying them decent entertainment.
"You underestimate the power of my Pandemonium Circus," hissed the Joker. As he spoke, the skin color of each of the revolutionaries began to change. Some turned white, some turned blue, others turned red. Clown hats appeared on their heads, and all of them began grinning broadly. Their rough clothing was replaced by ridiculous outfits usually worn by circus performers.
"When I have at least four monsters in play, all of the monsters on my field are counted as clowns," chuckled the Joker. (1500/0) (x3) (2000/1200) (x2)
"I don't see how that helps you," replied Kaiba dryly. The Shining Dragon roared in agreement. The Joker's eyes glinted.
"The show still has one last act. The act of Chaos. You see, when I have five clowns in play, I can sacrifice them all to seal your fate! Scheming never paid Seto Kaiba, and I'm about to show you why!"
The clown prince of crime broke off into insane laughter once again, as the two clowns and group of revolutionary jesters all disappeared. Silence fell across the audience, and all eyes were on the largest pit right in front of the Joker. Silence reigned as Kaiba kneeled over to look into it.
There was an insane cackle from within. It was similar to the Joker's, but it sounded far more inhuman. A large, bony hand extended out and clutched the edge of the pit. It was jet black in color, with a few cuts leaking blood. Its nails were more like claws, filled with blood and dirt. Another hand came out, this one holding a bronze scepter covered with arcane symbols. The hands pressed down, and all of a sudden, a mammoth form bounced out and landed with a bang on the Joker's field.
It was an absolutely chilling sight to behold. Standing fifteen feet tall, the monstrosity was the size of a Tyrannosaurus rex at least. Its skin was shriveled and looked burnt, with various bones sticking out at odd angles. It wore a rough loin cloth, as well as a strange waistcoat that was tattered and covered with an unhealthy looking black liquid. It had wild red hair coming down to its shoulders, and its face was one of the most cruel sights ever. Its nose was nearly non-existent, while its mouth, that was a mere slash on its gray skin when closed, extended to a gaping, black hole with two inch long teeth on both sides when wide open. Its eyes were a cruel red, and demonic wings cracked open from its sides after it landed on the field. It gave a strange howl, that could have passed off as a laugh. Soon, the howl changed into a chuckle, which then changed into maddening, hearty laughter.
Joey was on his knees in pain, hands over his ears. Bakura's Ring was glowing furiously to counteract it and keep its master safe. A look of stress was over his face. Even Rikuo, the mighty demon gasped in mental pressure and collapsed onto one knee, before letting out an anguished groan.
Serenity, meanwhile, was close to passing out. The appearance of the monstrosity and the stress of being able to breath was getting to her. "This is it!" the Joker bellowed. "Kom Edi, the Howling Laughter (0/0) is the mightiest monster in my deck, and there is no way on Earth you can survive his wrath! He is immune to magic and trap cards, and gains a thousand attack points for every clown in my graveyard!"
The demons in the audience gave a roar of approval, as the mammoth jester raised his scepter. A bolt of lightning struck it, and he began to glow. With another howl of laughter, he slammed his other fist into the ground in a display of strength (7500/0).
"This is it," roared the Joker. "Obliterate him and show him the power of CHAOS!"
The jester gave a final howl, before using its fists like an ape and bounding forward before using all his strength to leap into the air and towards the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon. Its scepter began to glow, and the audience gave one last roar of anticipation before the entire tent was engulfed with light and smoke….
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Rikuo knew he had to act at that point. It was the only way. Regardless of whether Kaiba won or lost, the girl had to be saved. Overcoming his sense of impending dread, he rushed blindly through the light; even his demonically enhanced vision unable to penetrate it. With a roar, he swung out and felt something crack underneath his fist. After a second, a literal ton of water drenched him. Fighting through it, he reached and grasped for something, anything…
Grabbing her wrist, he threw the girl over his shoulder, and was about to make a dash back to where his companions were standing, hoping to find Kaiba alive… At that moment, the holograms disappeared. The light vanished, leaving only two figures on the dueling field, and perhaps sixty around it. One was standing. One was not.
(Joker: 0, Kaiba: 1200)
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Flashback
"It's over," screamed the Joker, as Kom Edi's scepter was about to slice off the dragon's head, when Kaiba spoke in a dry voice. "Not quite. Activate Battle Fusion."
At that instant, the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon's maw opened, and it seemed like a sphere of rainbow energy had been charging in it all the while. With a roar, it spat out the energy and it slammed into the airborne jester, incinerating it into a pile of cinders (12900/2500), and thus inciting an explosion.
End Flashback
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"The clown has lost," commented the figure behind the desk to Reflect. "Indeed," agreed the head of Paradias. "I didn't expect him to win, frankly, but he did give Kaiba a decent run for his money… Well, we now know he's the same old duelist. Hard to defeat, of course, but still the same."
"I will defeat him," replied the other.
Reflect snorted. "Yeah. Right. No, with your deck, strong as it is, I'd like to see what you'd do when faced with the Blue Eyes Shining Dragon. No, you're going to need something else. I was actually thinking of giving this to James, but seeing as you've performed rather well against some of the test subjects…"
Fishing into his pocket, he pulled out a deck and slapped it into the hand of the man opposite him. Going through it, his eyes went wide with shock. He looked up and spoke in a barely audible voice. "This is the deck of Marik Ishtar."
"Indeed. Where you're going right now, you're going to need it. I'm sending you to the realm of Death. Apocalypse is attempting to recruit his Third Horsemen, and there's no need for him to have an easy time with it. As it is, I'm quite sure the annoying Archangel will be there. If you can dispose of him, all the better. In fact, James will be going with you. I've already briefed him with the complete details…"
Going through the deck, the man's eyes continued to widen. Even though he inaudibly complained, "The dark gods…", at one point, upon finishing it, he pulled out a handful of cards and spread them out. "But these will definitely suffice."
Ironic that Seto Kaiba would eventually be defeated by the unrelenting power of Exodia the Forbidden One.
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All hell is definitely going to break lose in Death's place once everybody gets there. Plus, the action with Kaiba and the others is not over. The guys from over at Kaiba Corp. will be coming down there, as will the remaining Eagle agents… What happens when they consider each other enemies? And by god, how will Jason vs. Yugi end? Lol, I know you guys wanted that, but suspense is hilarious! REVIEW!!
Btw, Pandemonium Circus and Kom Edi the Howling Laughter belong to Metal Overlord 2.0. Great cards man! By the way, just so that you know, another character you gave me during Advent should be appearing soon. The Kraken… Does that ring a bell? Check your review for the Anubis/Seto duel to know what I mean.
Big note, also. I made it to 10 chapters, and its crossed a 100,000 words! W00t!