Pre-Chapter Author's Note: I feel that this chapter really suits the person that it depicts quite nicely. Sadly it isn't Cathy, but I will have more Cathy-centric moments in here, Carlosraruto! In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It's "killer", if I do say so myself!
Chapter 10: Fright Night!
Shark didn't believe in miracles. Never had, and he probably never would. It wasn't that he thought they were impossible; it's just that he could envision one being performed. Many a night he sat in his bed, just thinking up all the different "miracles" he'd ever heard of. Blind men seeing, deaf men hearing. He had even heard a tale about a woman who had risen from the dead.
"Pure dreck," he'd always say. "Miracles are something that you make, not something that's performed at random."
He walked around the carnival, taking the usual path he did around this time of night and thinking about miracles. The inbuilt clock on his D-Pad reminded him that it was 11:00 p.m. by making two faint ringing noises.
"How can such miracles happen on their own?" he said to no one in particular. "Impossible."
The erratic leaves on the ground crunched under his feet as a bit of fog started to cover his feet. He was used to it by now. After all, he had been visiting the cemetery in the carnival since the tournament had begun (and even a few times before then).
Why such a happy and joyous carnival would contain such a dark and desolate region he never did find out. However, somehow by walking through the area with the authentic tombstones and crosses, he felt some kind a sense of belonging. He knew that everyone would visit with death sooner or later.
"Dad," he said as he moved through the cluster of tombstones around his foggy feet.
It was true that Shark's father wasn't deceased, but according the doctors, he only had a set amount of time to continue living and all of those seconds were spent in an isolated hospital bed with no visitors coming in or out, save for Shark's mother. That's what caused Shark to join the WDC. Mr. Heartland promised the winner would receive one wish of their choosing, and even though it wasn't a guarantee that the cancer that was murdering Shark's father from the inside out would be cured completely, Shark would do everything in his power to try to make it so.
After all, miracles didn't happen on their own, did they?
Shark thought back to when he began bullying. He'd never told anyone, not his Yuma nor any of his other friends, that the cancer had been the main reason he'd started harassing other children. He'd been upset at his father for getting the disease in the first place and he'd channeled that anger in the form of bullying via dueling. Of course now he realized that it wasn't his father's fault for getting ill, but bad habits were hard to break, and bad reputations even harder.
Shark lowered his hand to try and feel where the various tombstones were, but he lost his footing and fell on his face. Luckily a tombstone wasn't in front of him at the time so his forehead, nose and mouth only connected with the soft, grassy ground.
"Need a hand?" a voice said from afar.
Shark pushed himself up, wiping the blades of grass from his face and staring at the only other person wandering the cemetery. "Obviously not," said the boy as he brushed himself off.
"I was only trying to be polite," the voice responded. "What brings you out here anyway?"
"Who wants to know?" Shark asked, just as snarky as when he had answered before.
"Azazel, that's who," replied the man. "And if you couldn't tell, Smart-Aleck, I'm Azazel."
Shark stood unmoving in place. He strained his eyes looking for the man, but the fog was a bit too thick and the man a bit too far away.
"Fine then," Azazel shrugged. "Don't answer me, Ryoga."
Shark grimaced visually. "How did you know my name?"
"Oh, I know a lot of things," he said. "Trivial knowledge, really, but names are my strong suit."
"That doesn't answer my question," Shark barked.
The man walked closer, although Shark couldn't see it. He could only tell by the squishy footsteps that seemed to become more and more audible every second. By the time he could see his opponent, the man stopped. He was wearing a dark cloak which expertly concealed his face. A shadowy, black D-Pad was latched onto his left arm while he kept both hands firmly in his pockets.
"What do you want, Azazel?" Shark questioned.
"So many questions, Ryoga. So little time to answer them all."
"Then I'd get talking," Shark huffed. "The sooner you spill em, the more time both of us have."
Azazel chuckled to himself, clutching his stomach with his thin hands. "Time…" he chuckled. "I seem to have a lot more of that than you could imagine."
"What are you going on about?" the boy asked again.
"You really do ask a lot of questions," Azazel sighed. He pointed to his D-Pad and spoke gently. "How about I make you a wager? If you win, you can have all the answers you want. And I'll even throw in a little something extra."
"And if I lose?" Shark asked, curious about this gamble.
Azazel smiled under his hood. "I'm sure I'll think of something before the duel is over."
Shark tapped his foot and thought the stakes over. After a thoughtful decision, he replied. "I accept your challenge."
Azazel's smile widened. "Excellent."
Shark took his D-Pad and D-Gazer from his belt buckle and placed both on his arm and eye respectively. Azazel, who was coincidentally already wearing both of his duel tools, clicked a button on both and they reactivated. Shark could've sworn that he saw Azazel's dark colored D-Pad disappear from on his arm, but in the next second it was there again. Except something looked different…it was darker, more ill-omened. Shark shrugged off his anxieties and unfolded his D-Pad.
"Duel!"
Shark – 8000 LP
Azazel – 8000 LP
"Don't mind if I take the first move, do you?" Azazel asked eerily. When Shark responded with a shrug, the cloaked man drew his card and added it to the other five that cluttered his hand. After what seemed like an hour had passed, the man finally took one of the cards in his hand and set it on his D-Pad noiselessly.
"I summon Black Cat."
The clouds in the sky turned a darker shade of gray as a meow was heard. When Shark turned his head from the clouds, he saw nothing more than a jet-black cat on Azazel's side of the field. Nothing looked particularly out of the ordinary with the creature, although it purred a bit louder than a normal cat might. (1500 ATK)
"That shall be all for me," he concluded.
Shark narrowed his eyes at his enemy. Something was wrong here and he intended to figure out what. He made his draw while trying to find the solution to his problem. Luckily for him, the card that he had drawn was a good start.
"I summon Sharktopus!"
A watery downpour flooded the field as the shark-octopus hybrid surfaced from the depths below. The upper part of it roared while the lower half clicked its suction cups in anticipation. (1600 ATK)
A devilish grin formed on Azazel's face, albeit it was impossible for Shark to tell with the man's dark robes covering his facial features.
"Let's see if your kitty has nine lives after my Sharktopus attacks it!"
The bottom section of Sharktopus extended its multitude of tentacles and squeezed the feline aggressively. Then it chewed up the tomcat with its razor sharp teeth. Azazel barely moved as his grimalkin was annihilated.
"Ironic," Shark muttered. "Your cat was just eaten by a fish."
"Funny," Azazel emotionlessly said. "But it looks like I'll be having the last laugh. Are you aware that black cats are bad omens and that they bring misfortune to anyone that crosses their paths?"
Shark slightly nodded his head, a tad curious as to where his opponent was going with the monologue.
"Well," Azazel proceeded, "Black Cat is no exception to the rule because whenever its destroyed in battle, a bit of misfortune comes your way. Since you did destroy it, you get to choose to lose either your next battle phase or your next draw phase."
Shark looked at the remaining cards in his hand. They looked stable enough so he told Azazel that he would skip his draw phase.
"So be it," spoke the hooded gentleman.
Shark looked at the Trap card in his hand but decided to end his turn.
If anything happens, Sharktopus's effect can take care of it, he thought.
Shark – 8000 LP
Azazel – 7900 LP
"My move now," Azazel stated. He drew his card and set it in between two others in his hand. Afterwards, he took the card to the far left in his hand and slapped it on the field.
"I summon Dark Werewolf!"
A strident howl was heard followed by a silhouette of a monster. When the beast came into full view, both duelists could see a wolfman who was wearing tattered, gray shorts and handcuff-like restraints on his wrists. He tilted his hirsute head up to the sky and looked for the moon through his piercing, red eyes. He howled defiantly again before twisting his head pack to Shark's monster. (1800 ATK)
"Now comes my favorite part," Azazel smirked. "Dark Werewolf attacks with Howling Blast!"
The hairy, husky creature got down on all fours and ran over to Sharktopus. When it was in a close enough vicinity, it uttered a deafening howl that was apparently loud enough to destroy the aquatic crossbreed.
Shark chuckled. "Thanks for that. Whenever you destroy Sharktopus in battle, your monsters ATK goes down to 0 and it can't change its battle position either!"
Shark waited for his monster to fall down from the sky and take hold of Azazel's werewolf, however it didn't happen.
"Why isn't it working?" he wondered.
Azazel pointed to his monster. "Aren't you even the least bit curious about what this does?"
"It didn't exactly cross my mind," Shark shrugged.
"Well you just found out," Azazel said. "Whenever he destroys a monster by battle, that monster's effects are negated!"
Shark glowered at his opponent.
"Don't look so sad," Azazel commanded. "This duel is just getting started."
Shark – 7800 LP
Azazel – 7900 LP
Shark grabbed the top card of his deck and instinctively went to draw it.
"If I recall correctly, you chose to skip your draw phase last turn," Azazel reminded him.
Shark murmured an expletive under his breath when the memory came back to him, but he refused to be tied down by such an inconvenience. He scanned the other five cards in his hand and selected one.
"I activate Moray of Greed."
A jar formed on the field, one that was terrifyingly similar to Pot of Greed, though this one had a moray eel swimming around it in tiny circles.
"With this, I can return the Skull Kraken and Jawsman from my hand back to my deck…"
Shark did so as his deck auto-shuffled the cards.
"And now I get three new cards!"
Shark made one draw after another as he looked at his new three cards merrily.
"Enjoy your cards?" Azazel asked.
"See for yourself," Shark replied. He placed a card from his hand on the field. "I summon Piercing Moray!"
Another moray eel appeared, this one predominately russet in color, save for the giant pink line that went from its head down to the end of its tail. A salient horn stuck up from the center of its forehead. It stared at Azazel with completely devoid eyes. (1500 ATK)
"Interesting enough," Azazel commented, "but it's rather feeble."
Shark flipped over another monster in his hand. "That's where Shark Sucker comes into play."
A watery portal formed near Piercing Moray and Shark Sucker flopped out of it, its tail flailing in the cemetery air. (200 ATK)
"Now due to Piercing Moray's effect, I can Tribute one Fish-Type monster on my side of the field to have Moray gain 600 more ATK points!"
Shark Sucker jumped on top of Piercing Moray and its skin fused with the larger eel's. Piercing Moray not only gained its ATK score, but its skin became the same azure blue as Shark Sucker's was. (1500 – 2100 ATK)
"Now that I have enough points to take you out, Piercing Moray is going to attack Dark Werewolf!"
The horn atop Piercing Moray's head detached and was promptly ejected at the unsuspecting wolfman. It hit the beast effortlessly and caused a minor explosion on Azazel's side of the field.
"I think I'm done now," Shark yawned.
Shark – 7800 LP
Azazel – 7600 LP
"My turn," Azazel announced. He put three fingers on the top card of his deck and his eyes turned pitch-black. He grinned, sensing the energy in the card he was about to draw. "Draw!"
He made a draw and immediately placed it on his field without bothering to look at what the card was.
"I summon Dark Bat!"
An unearthly screeching was heard from above as a black bat swooped down from the clouds above. It looked relatively normal, although it was far bigger than any bat Shark had ever seen (not as though he'd seen a lot). It flapped its crinkly wings and moved its head around the field, scanning with its echolocation. (1000 ATK)
Shark looked on with intrigue. He had never seen that creature before, and although it wasn't exactly ideal in ATK score, he knew that it must've been good if Azazel was willing to play it in Attack Position.
"Now I'll use the effect of Dark Bat. Once per turn, by offering 500 of my life points, I'm able to play another Dark Bat from my deck!"
The unsettling sound of two pairs of wings flapping would have probably scared most duelists. However Shark, despite being only 14 years old, had seen a lot worse things. He stared at Dark Bat with excitement rather than fear. (1000 ATK)
"And too much is never enough!" Azazel laughed. "So I'll use the effect again!"
"Hold up," Shark intervened. "I thought you said you could only use that effect once per turn!"
"That's right," Azazel nodded. He pointed to his first Dark Bat. "Since he used his effect, I'm going to activate the second one's effect!"
A dark aura drained Azazel of another 500 life points as a third Dark Bat flew near on the field near the other two. (1000 ATK x 2)
"Is there a point to all of this?" Shark wondered.
"You're about to find out," Azazel stated. He placed a card from his hand into the Spell/Trap area of his D-Pad. "I activate Vampiric Transformation!"
All three bats hissed instead of screeched as they slowly faded from vision.
"Of course, it costs me three Dark Bat monster cards…but it's worth it, because I now get to summon out Count Alucard!"
Soon the three vampire bats disappeared completely, but they left their wings on the ground below. The three sets of appendages elevated and swirled around for a little while before a trench in the ground was created. Then the wings came together and created one massive wing. But Shark's eyes weren't drawn to that sight; rather, they focused on what was rising from the trench. What he saw before him was a pointy-toothed vampire with sinisterly black clothing on. Its skin was rather pale and its dark violet hair was spiked in sporadic areas on top of his head. He was missing a set of wings until the one giant pair clipped onto his back. Once that happened, he flew in the air with ease and remained there. (0 ATK)
Shark was hopelessly confused as to why Azazel would go through the trouble of summoning three creatures only to have them sacrificed for a monster with no attack points. And then he got the answer to his question.
Count Alucard had a visible darkness surrounding him. Behind him, Shark could see the deceased spirits of the three Dark Bat monsters floating above the vampire. Count Alucard didn't leave this fact unnoticed either, because he turned around and they immediately lent him their power. (0 – 3000 ATK)
"What's going on over there?" Shark asked.
"It's Count Alucard's effect, of course," Azazel stated. "You see, my Vampiric Transformation didn't require me to have three Dark Bats. I could have had only one if I pleased; but Count Alucard gains 1000 ATK for each Dark Bat in my Graveyard so that wouldn't have defeated Piercing Moray, would it?"
He didn't wait for a reply from Shark before he pointed to Piercing Moray. "You know what to do, Count Alucard. Attack it with Blood Drain!"
Count Alucard nodded at his master and then turned to Piercing Moray. Despite having blank, white eyes, Count Alucard expertly located his target and swooped in to destroy it. Piercing Moray tried to attack Alucard with its horn, but the attack missed. However, Alucard's didn't because he stuck his fangs into Piercing Moray's back and sucked out all the blood from the creature, causing the eel to shrivel up and die.
Shark covered his mouth as Alucard shook his head a little, a motion which sent drops of blood flying every which way. Shark didn't mind the outcome of the battle, however. 900 life points lost were virtually nothing to him.
"I hope you didn't think that was all that you had coming," Azazel calmly said. "Count Alucard still has another effect." He paused for a moment to look at Shark's facial expression, but the boy in the purple jacket remained unfazed. "When I have approximately 3 Dark Bat monsters in my Graveyard, whenever Count Alucard destroys a monster by battle, you lose damage equal to your destroyed monster's ATK score. And it's not just original ATK!"
This did get a rise out of Shark. He felt a sharp piercing in his back and he turned to see Count Alucard feasting on his red blood cells. When Count Alucard removed his fangs from Shark's back, the boy fell to the ground, feeling instantly drained of his energy and power.
Again, Azazel didn't wait for Shark before he continued. He liked duelists that had the will to fight back on their own, not the ones he had to wait for. "I set this facedown."
A card could be seen on Azazel's field below the hovering Count Alucard.
"And during my End Phase, Count Alucard's effect forces me to rid my Graveyard of one Dark Bat."
Azazel reached into his discard slot and placed one of his Dark Bat monsters in the pocket of his cloak as one of the illusory bats around Count Alucard evaporated. (3000 – 2000 ATK)
Shark – 4800 LP
Azazel – 6600 LP
Shark rose to his feet slowly. He looked more pale than usual due to Count Alucard's sadism. "I…draw." He paused for a moment, taking in his voice. It sounded weaker than he remembered it. Nevertheless, he drew his card and began to formulate a plan. He spoke in the same weak tone when he said, "I activate Surface!"
A carrier ship docked on Shark's side of the field and its passenger, Shark Sucker, wiggled off. (1000 DEF)
"Furthermore, I summon Protective Shark."
A typhoon whipped around Shark's side of the field. On the fourth whirl, a monster swam out from the watery whirlwind. It greatly resembled a regular hammerhead shark, although it had a diamond shield in the middle of its mallet-shaped cranium. (1000 ATK)
"Two level three monsters, I see," Azazel muttered. "How troublesome."
"If you don't like those monsters, allow me to introduce you to a different one. I will create the Overlay network with these two monsters! Come forth now, bane of the Xyz monsters, Black Ray Lancer!"
The jingle of a javelin being spun resonated on the field in front of Shark. Both duelists watched as the crimson spear fell down from the sky and into the capable hands of an ebony monster. This muscled menace threateningly aimed its weapon at Count Alucard doggedly. (2100 ATK)
"Fancy that," Azazel whispered. "But I think I'm still the lucky one."
"How do you figure that?" Shark responded.
Azazel pointed to his Count Alucard monster card. "Since the level of Dark Bat monsters in my Graveyard has shifted, he gains a new effect. When I possess only two Dark Bats, he can't be destroyed in battle!"
Shark picked the Shark Sucker monster up from under his monster and grinned rebelliously. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."
One of the purple that moved around Black Ray Lancer was struck as the warrior smashed it open with its lance. Then it threw the lance at Count Alucard.
"What's this?" Azazel wondered.
"In layman's terms, your monsters effects are now all gone. So not only is it now destructible, but it only had its ATK power because of its effect. That means that it's now done to a score of 0!"
Azazel was certainly upset, but he neither reacted physically nor used any inappropriate terminology as Count Alucard's two remaining bats vanished from view. (2000 – 0 ATK)
"Speechless?" Shark questioned. "I'm sure that this will change that."
He pointed to Black Ray Lancer glided over to Count Alucard. The vampire attempted to poison the monster with a bite of its teeth, but Black Ray Lancer ducked and avoided the chomp. Then Black Ray Lancer gave the Count a swift uppercut to the jaw, instantly breaking the muscle and causing the floating blood leech to dematerialize.
The earth underneath Azazel moved according, but the man himself kept his footing and remained solidly on the ground. In fact, from what Shark saw in the dim moonlight, the man's cloak was moving up and down, as though he was laughing.
What's up with this guy? Shark pondered. He seems really off…
That's when Shark realized that this man's facedown Trap was now visible for all to see. He didn't recognize it so he asked for a bit of clarification.
"This card is called Gravestone Revival and I can only use it when you destroy a level 8 or higher monster I control. When that happens, I can automatically summon Gravewalker from my deck!"
The ground above the tombstone behind Azazel moved, slightly at first, but then violently. A rotten hand emerged from the mound of soil and then another one. Both hands were placed on the left and right sides of the dirt circle that the monster created and then the creature leisurely lifted the rest of its body up from the ground. Shark could clearly tell that it was a zombie because of its blue-green skin, jaundiced eyes and missing fingers. (0 ATK)
Shark double checked his D-Gazer to see if the ATK score on the monster was correct. He didn't think that a monster that took so much effort to summon would be powerless, but it looked that way. Then Azazel spoke up.
"Just like my other deliciously wicked monster, Gravewalker has a nifty special ability."
"I'm dying to know what it is," Shark said sarcastically.
"Funny you should use that word choice," Azazel laughed, "because whenever Gravewalker is summoned, it's automatically destroyed, as is one of your monsters. And then you take damage equal to your monsters ATK score!"
Shark watched as Gravewalker began to expand into a giant balloon-like structure. Its stomach increased its capacity and its lungs compensated by trying to take in more oxygen. When the zombie became too rotund, it exploded, causing limbs and organs to rain down on Black Ray Lancer. A billow of smoke covered Black Ray Lancer as the torrent of body parts let up.
Shark – 4800 LP
Azazel – 4500 LP
When the smolder discontinued, Black Ray Lancer, as well as Shark's life points, remained well intact.
"Impossible!" Azazel hissed. "That should have destroyed your monster!"
"Correct," Shark said. "But that's where Protective Shark comes into play."
He took Black Ray Lancer's final overlay unit and tossed it in his discard slot.
"I chose to send Shark Sucker away from Black Ray Lancer, correct?" Shark paused to watch Azazel nod. "Well, because I didn't send Protective Shark it was still underneath my Lancer. And the thing about Protective Shark is that it's supposed to stay on the Xyz monster rather than be detached because if my monster is ever about to be destroyed, I can send Protective Shark to the Graveyard instead of my Xyz monster!"
Azazel wasn't pleased with that fact, but decided to let it go. He couldn't dwell on the past.
Since neither of his remaining cards were Traps, Shark opted to end his turn.
"My draw!" Azazel barked. He drew once and selected one of the four cards in his hand. "I summon Wicked Witch!"
A dark portal appeared on the moonlit ground as a female monster appeared. The numerous amounts of warts on her face downgraded her level of beauty as did her extremely pale skin and misshapen teeth. She wore a standard, all-black uniform, equipped with a pointed hat and dark robes that weren't unlike Azazel's. (1800 ATK)
"What's the matter?" Shark joked. "She doesn't have a broomstick?"
"Actually," Azazel grinned from under his hood, "I was just getting to that. I activate Emergency Broomstick!"
Shark squinted and saw a Quick-Play Spell that formed behind the ugly sorceress.
"Due to this, one Spellcaster-Type monster, such as my Wicked Witch, gains 500 more ATK. Unfortunately, the affected monster is removed during the End Phase, but I figure that's enough time to make my mark!"
Wicked Witch jumped high into the air and before she landed on the ground, a broomstick magically appeared, saving her from plummeting to her death. She boarded the cleaning utensil effortlessly and flew around Azazel. (1800 – 2300 ATK)
"Here comes my favorite part! Wicked Witch will attack your Black Ray Lancer with Magical Mirage!"
The sorceress chanted an incantation under her breath and took out a magic wand from her pocket. When her sinister spell was recited, she threw the wand on the ground, which caused a gulch to form. While doing so, she took out some magical powder and sprinkled it on Black Ray Lancer, causing the Beast-Warrior monster to believe that he was in battle with a monster. The lancer took one step towards its "enemy" and fell down the gulch to its death. The only thing that remained of it was its lance, which flew up the ravine and back at Shark, dealing him 200 points of damage.
"Like I said," Azazel finished, pointing to his witch, "she's now banished…"
Wicked Witch gave a shocking cackle before flying off into the night sky, never to be seen again.
"But due to her special ability, once she's banished from the field, I can take a monster with half her original ATK and summon it to the field!"
He grabbed his deck from its receptacle and searched through it. Then he picked one monster that went by the name of Pumpkin Jack and he summoned it onto the field. A jack-o-lantern headed monster grew from the grass on the field. It had roots for arms and legs and its pumpkin head was delicately lit with a mini candelabra. (900 ATK)
Shark – 4600 LP
Azazel – 4500 LP
"I'm not down or out yet," Shark said. "And I'll show you!"
He drew his card and examined his three cards. Then he selected one and placed it on his D-Pad lithely. "I summon Metabo – Shark!"
High tides inundated some of the augmented tombstone as a new shark monster surfaced. It looked a bit more like a whale and a shark had fused together than just a shark. Its top two eyes stared at Pumpkin Jack hungrily while the bottom two eyed Azazel. (1800 ATK)
"I don't know whether to call that thing Shamu or Jaws," Azazel jested.
"Call it what you want," Shark said. "I'm calling it my one-way ticket to victory, because when he's Normal Summon, Metabo – Shark allows me to take two Fish-Type monsters from my Graveyard and return them to my deck!"
Sharktopus and Protective Shark flew from Shark's Graveyard to his deck where his D-Pad auto-shuffled for him.
"And that was just the effect. Here comes the attack!"
Metabo – Shark snapped its jaw forebodingly and swam swiftly over to the fruit-headed creeper.
"Hold the phone," Azazel interjected, flipping one card in his hand over. "I use the effect of my Straw Scarecrow monster card!"
The man carelessly chucked his monster in the Graveyard zone.
"Thanks to this card, since your Metabo –Shark has at least double the ATK of my Pumpkin Jack, your monster loses half of its ATK!"
Shark watched as Metabo – Shark shrunk down to the same size as Pumpkin Jack. (1800 – 900 ATK) Both the predator and the prey attacked one another and a loud bang was heard as both dissipated.
Shark was looking at the other two cards in his hand when he heard Azazel's creepy laughter again. "Let me guess," the octopus-haired boy sighed. "Your Pumpkin Jack has an effect too."
"Precisely," Azazel chuckled. "An effect that lets me summon another Pumpkin Jack when the first one is destroyed!"
Another pumpkin-headed vine grew from the ground. Its leafy limbs scraped against one another noisily. (900 ATK)
"I set this and end my turn," Shark sighed as he placed another card in his D-Pad.
A concealed card materialized in his Spell/Trap zone.
Once again, Azazel placed his hand on the top card of his deck. A black aura enclosed the card right before he drew it.
Perfect.
He picked it up and, without looking at it, sent Pumpkin Jack to the Graveyard.
"I tribute my Pumpkin Jack to summon Headless Horseman!"
The vine itself wilted up and died, however the pumpkin head sat motionlessly on the field. The galloping sound of hooves filled the air as majestic steed rode onto the field. The stallion was an exquisite shade of slate gray. The rider wore the same color armor with a silvery sword in his right hand. He controlled the horse's reins with his left hand. Quickly, the warrior jumped off his mare and scooped the pumpkin up off the ground. Then he placed the orange fruit on his head, twisting it properly so it could stare at Shark. The fighter's new face turned into a scowl as the bright, yellow light inside it turned to a blood red hue. He mounted his horse again and turned it toward Shark. (2300 ATK)
"Scared yet?" Azazel asked.
"I don't need to be," Shark replied calmly.
This drove Azazel nuts. How can this kid be so unaffected?
"Fine then…I have ways of making you feel the fear! Headless Horseman attacks you directly with Frightening Laceration!"
The horseman gave a powerful tug on the equine monster's reins and the horse responded by trotting full speed over to Shark. Shark raised his D-Pad in front of him to brace himself, but the horseman instead decided to move behind the boy for an attack. Before this could register with Shark, he was backstabbed (quite literally), and sent to the cemetery grass below.
"And just to add insult to injury," Azazel continued, "since Headless Horseman attacked you directly, you take 600 damage; 100 for each level he has!"
Flames were emitted from the horseman's glowing head as the sleeves of Shark's vest were singed.
"So tell me…are you feeling afraid now?"
Shark – 1700 LP
Azazel – 4500 LP
Shark squirmed on the ground forlornly. He wanted to get back up, but his legs wouldn't move. He was paralyzed, but it wasn't from the attacks. It was from something that he had never felt so much of at one time…fear.
How can I win? Shark thought to himself. There's nothing that I have that can stop him.
"Is that what you've become, Ryoga?" a voice asked.
Shark looked behind him. His jaw dropped and his eyes opened as he saw his father standing in front of him. "Dad…?"
Shark's father bobbed his head in a "yes" motion. "Aren't you even going to try to defeat him?"
Shark's eyes moved to his shoes. "Believe it or not, he's a lot more powerful that I thought."
"What does that have to do with anything, Ryoga?" his father asked. "I know that deck inside and out remember. I did make it for you after all."
Shark thought back to the day when his father had given him his very first deck. It had been one of the happiest days of his life and he felt like there was nothing that he couldn't do. He felt like he would be on top forever. The boy smiled as the nostalgia overtook him.
Shark's father clearly noticed the boy's grin because he said, "Now that's the Ryoga that I know and love. So why don't you go out there and give it your all? I know you can beat this guy."
Shark opened his eyes and looked back. His father was gone, just a memory now. But that wasn't necessarily true. He still felt his father now, watching over him and rooting for him.
I won't let you down, Dad…I promise.
Shark hesitantly got to his feet, breathing rather heavily as he did.
"Still going for more?" Azazel wondered. "I do commend you for it, although I think it's rather foolish."
Shark smiled defiantly. "That's where you're wrong. I have a reason and a purpose for doing this and you're about to see why!"
The boy got a sturdy grip on the top card of his deck. "My draw!" he shouted while picking it up.
To his pleasant surprise, it was just the monster he needed to turn things around.
"First off, I summon my Baby Jaws in Attack Mode!"
A tiny whirlpool became visible on Shark's field. From out of the light-blue stream came a tiny shark infant. It looked like the baby version of Big Jaws, minus the metallic fixtures. It didn't yet have all its teeth, but the ones that it did have were extremely incisive. (300 ATK)
"So this is your way of winning? A baby?" Azazel scoffed condescendingly.
"Look again," Shark pointed.
Just as Shark had hinted, all had not been what it seemed. The baby had grown up into Big Jaws and the metallic menace roared at the horseman. (1800 ATK)
"What happened to your baby?" Azazel hissed.
"They grow up so fast," Shark smirked. "Just like that old saying, I'm able to trade in a Baby Jaws on the field for a Big Jaws in my deck!"
"Big whoop," Azazel shrugged. "Neither Baby nor Big Jaws has enough power to destroy my Headless Horseman!"
Shark merely flipped his Aqua Jet Spell card over as a rebuttal. The jets latched onto Big Jaws' back and powered him up further. (1800 – 2800 ATK)
"I think it does now."
Azazel grimaced at Shark's comeback. How is it that he could have done all this on his own?
The man's question remained unanswered as Shark commanded his monster to destroy the Headless Horseman monster. Big Jaws burrowed underground and ripped the grassy knolls above. When it rose from the ground, a gulping sound could be heard as Big Jaws ate the horseman, the horse and the pumpkin head whole without so much as a chew.
The impact from the battle was so potent that it was able to remove the hood from Azazel's face. And that's when Shark saw the "man" for what he really was.
The floating skull that was under the hood stared at Shark angrily. The moonlight refracted of the ivory head as the being's bony, skeleton fingers worked to put the hood back on. After a couple minutes of fiddling with the hood of the cloak, the skeleton known as Azazel recovered his face. Shark, who was still processing the fact that his opponent was a walking, talking skeleton, spoke silently, slowly.
"Who…what are you?"
"I suppose an explanation is in order," Azazel admitted. "I have been calling myself Azazel, and that is my name of course…but I am more commonly referred to by your kind as the Grim Reaper."
Shark shook his head, unwilling to believe. It was too supernatural for him, too cosmic.
"Shake your head all you want," Azazel proceeded. "All of it is the truth. I followed you into the cemetery because I know of your father's condition. I thought that if I could win this duel, you'd be so preoccupied with your loss that you wouldn't notice if something were to happen at the hospital. Of course…I didn't expect you to fight back so vigorously, but that's the price I have to pay I suppose."
Anger boiled Shark's skin like a pot on the stove. "You thought that by defeating me in a duel, you'd be free to kill my father?"
"Admittedly, yes," Azazel confessed. "It seemed apropos at the time to kill two birds with one stone."
"Well I've got news for you, Azazel," Shark shouted. "My father is the most important person in my life and just because you may beat me doesn't mean that I'm going to turn by back on him! We're family and we stick together!"
Azazel sarcastically emulated wiping a tear from underneath his eye. "Touching, really it is…but death is inescapable. If you don't understand that by now, then I'll just have to show you! But first, your Big Jaws is banished since you attacked with it!"
Azazel stood, waiting for Big Jaws to vanish from the field, but not receiving his wish. "What the…"
"Read the Baby Jaws card," Shark frowned. "Just like a family, Baby Jaws supports Big Jaws by negating its effect once it was Special Summoned!"
"No matter," Azazel gesticulated by waving a hand in the air. "I'll defeat you regardless!"
Shark – 1700 LP
Azazel – 4000 LP
"My draw!" he shouted. Another dark aura surrounded the top card of his deck as he picked it up with his bony, skeletal claws. "And I'll summon Dark Raven!"
A monotonous "caw-caw" noise came from above as an ebony raven flew down and perched itself on Azazel's shoulder. It pecked at its feathers meticulously before turning its head sideways and observing Shark. (500 ATK)
"Finally, I activate my Spell Card called Quoth the Raven!"
A picture of three Dark Raven monsters heading in opposite directions showed on Shark's D-Pad.
"With this Spell, I can summon out two more Dark Raven monster cards from my deck at a price of 1000 each!"
Similar to the Dark Bat monsters, Dark Raven cawed again and two more ravens returned it. Soon there were three floating ravens, just like the Spell card depicted. (500 ATK x 2)
"Next, I'll overlay all three of my level 2 Dark Raven monsters to create the overlay network!"
All three birds turned into dark, cosmic vortexes that connected with one another in mid-air. When they came down to the ground, they formed a dark, black portal with astral designs. Shark heard a "plopping" noise before something came into view. From first glance, it looked like a blob of dark colored gunk with something burning on the inside, but that's when it transformed. The shapeless blob started to shake before arms ripped out from its sides. Furthermore, scrawny legs jutted out from the bottom of the slime. Then came a semi-humanoid, black head with airplane wing-like ears. Its whole chest was a large, gapping mouth with teeth and flame shot from its dark pectorals. (100 ATK)
"Be born and serve me, Number 96: Black Mist!"
Shark moved back mechanically. The Numbers…
Azazel laughed giddily. "There's that unrelenting fear that I was looking for! Now let's put it to good use! Number 96: Black Mist now attacks your Big Jaws with Black Mirage Whip!"
The extra mouth in the hub of Black Mist's chest opened up and nasty-looking whip was thrust out. The creature gripped the weapon in its two hands and charged at Big Jaws with the device.
"What are you doing?" Shark asked quickly. He didn't understand why Azazel would demand that such a weak monster engage in battle with something as powerful as Big Jaws.
"I'm using Black Mist's effect, of course," Azazel smirked maniacally. "By removing one overlay unit from Black Mist, Big Jaws loses half its ATK score!"
An overlay unit was devoured by the monster's chest-mouth and Big Jaws coughed as it got weaker. (2800 – 1400 ATK)
"Not to mention that now, Black Mist gains the ATK Big Jaws just lost!"
The weapon in Black Mist's hands grew, as did the monster. (100 – 1500 ATK) Then it sliced open Big Jaws, leaving the monster's entrails lying on the floor until they evanesced.
"Looks like Flipper was just filleted," chortled the skeleton. "Turn end."
Shark – 1600 LP
Azazel – 2000 LP
Shark was empty-handed and knew he needed something that could save him. He looked at his deck and held his breath for a bit. "I…draw!"
He picked up a card and turned his head.
At least it's a monster, he thought.
"I set this monster and end my turn."
A facedown monster appeared in front of the sole card in Shark's Spell/Trap zone.
Azazel realized that was his cue to draw. He picked up a card and chuckled with delight.
"I activate my Trenchant Guillotine Spell card!"
A large guillotine materialized on Azazel's field as soon as the Spell card was inserted into the D-Pad. Shark's monster instantly teleported underneath the guillotine blade that threatened it from above.
"Here's how this'll go down," Azazel spoke sadistically. "I select one monster that you control and one monster that I control." He stopped to point to Shark's captive monster and his Black Mist. "Next, if Black Mist's ATK is equal to or higher than the DEF of your monster, the guillotine destroys your monster. If your monster's DEF is higher than the ATK of Black Mist, my Numbers monster is destroyed. Easy enough, right?"
Shark nodded, but spoke up. "It looks like you're taking a pretty big risk here."
"Ryoga…I'm dead already. I have nothing to lose."
As soon as the skeleton finished his sentence, Shark's monster flipped face-up. Killer Frilled Shark defensively covered itself. (1500 DEF)
"Tsk, tsk," Azazel said, waving his finger with each "tsk". "It looks like your monster didn't quite make the cut, did it?"
The guillotine fell down and chopped Killer Frilled Shark in two hastily.
"Get it?" Azazel laughed, pointed to the guillotine. "Make the cut?"
"I got it the first time around," Shark scowled, "and it wasn't funny then. But maybe this will help curb that laughter."
His Trap lifted, revealing Defensive Rebound.
"Since you just destroyed a Defense Position monster I controlled, I'm able to take another monster from my Graveyard and add it back to my hand."
Shark fished through his Graveyard and came across Black Ray Lancer. Technically it wasn't to his hand, but he added the Xyz monster back to his Extra Deck regardless.
"Whatever," Azazel huffed. "Black Mist will attack you with Black Mirage Whip!"
The monster again produced a whip which slashed Shark in his chest. The boy fell down on his back, his eyesight starting to fade in and out.
Come on, Ryoga, he thought to himself. Just remember who you're doing this for.
Shark closed his eyes and a thought of his father popped in his head. He had someone that he was fighting for, and there was no way he was going to let them down.
Shark – 100 LP
Azazel – 2000 LP
"My turn now!" Shark shouted loudly. There was only one card in his deck that could win the duel for him in one turn and he had to place all his hope in that card. "And I'm going to draw!"
Shark picked up a card and looked at it before smiling. Thanks, Dad.
"I activate the Spell card, Xyz Return!"
A card showing Shark Sucker and Big Jaws creating Submersible Carrier – Aero Shark appeared on Shark's field.
"With this card, I can perform an Xyz Summon!"
"But you have no materials!" Azazel debated.
"Untrue," Shark grinned. He grabbed his Shark Sucker and Big Jaws from his Graveyard. "I can use monsters in my Graveyard as Xyz materials!"
"Impossible!" Azazel gasped.
"Oh?" Shark said. "Allow me to demonstrate!"
The monster cards in Shark's hand were both placed on top of either other as Black Ray Lancer reemerged. A purple aura surrounded it as Black Mist looked on. (2100 ATK)
"And even though Black Ray Lancer gets banished during my End Phase and I'll take damage equal to its ATK, I'm not sure that's going to be that applicable! I'm using Black Ray Lancer's effect!"
Big Jaws was absorbed through Black Ray Lancer's spear and the weapon was thrown at Black Mist. The sentient Number monster hissed loudly and violently writhed as its powers, as well as its ATK score bonus, faded. (1500 ATK – 100 ATK)
"T-this wasn't supposed to happen!" Azazel shook. "I'm not supposed to be defeated!"
Shark ignored Azazel. "This is for my father! I'll make you pay for what you tried to do! Black Ray Lancer, attack Number 96: Black Mist with Black Spear!"
Black Ray Lancer prepared its lance. It clutched the device in its hand and flew over to the Number monster. When it was close enough, it stabbed the misty monster in its open chest violently. Then the lancer sliced at the shadowy creature's arms, legs, and head. After the blob of slime oozed into nothing, Azazel felt the damage caused by the stinging blow. He fell down and toppled over, leaving only bones and the robes in his place.
Shark – 100 LP
Azazel – 0 LP
Shark hobbled over to what used to be his enemy. He bent down and picked up the robes, but after he gave them a good shake, they turned out to be deserted, save for one thing in them that fell out. Shark reached down and grabbed it.
"Number 96: Black Mist…" he murmured to himself.
Although he didn't have much, if any, use for such a card, he pocketed it regardless. It would be safer in his hands than with someone else who knew nothing about the immense power that the Numbers monsters possessed.
"Was this real?" Shark asked, looking at the sky. "Did I really just duel with Death?" He shook his head, shaking off the notion.
This is all just a dream and I'll wake up tomorrow the same as usual.
He looked down at the unoccupied cloak once more before heading back the way he came as his D-Pad alerted him that midnight had fallen.
Shark had no recollection of walking back to his tent but he must have, because when he awoke to a ringing sound, he was messily sprawled in his sleeping bag. The ringing sound persisted and the blue-haired boy looked down by his feet. His D-Gazer was creating the interruptive noise. He snatched the device up with a snarl and spoke into it harshly. "Hello?"
"Ryoga!" screamed a voice. He could tell that it was his mother and from the sounds of it, she'd been crying.
Shark's heart sunk to the bottom of his chest like an anchor. This was the moment; this was the time in which he would lose his father, his inspiration, his idol forever. He wasn't ready for it, but he faced it with acceptance, despite a maddening insanity boiling up inside him. "So it's over?" Shark asked.
"No, Ryoga! No!" his mother started crying again. It was clear that the phone was being taken away from her because her sobbing sounds were becoming less and less raucous.
The person that had retrieved the phone spoke into it with a voice that was impossible to miss. "Guess who's all better?"
Shark froze, disbelieving the voice. Could it really be? Could he really be talking? He spoke so quietly that the man on the receiving end of the telephone had to strain to hear the word. "Dad…?"
"Who else, Champ?" the man jauntily spoke. "The doctor's said that a miracle happened last night, just around midnight. They were pretty skeptical at first, but when they came back this morning, they said that my cancer was all cleared up and that I'm cured!"
"T-that's great, Dad…" Much like his mother, Shark was overcome by streams of flowing tears. They had crept up on him when he wasn't watching and began to flow steadily past his chin. Shark had never experienced a greater joy or relief in his short 14 years.
"Tell me about it! Now we can do all the things that we couldn't before! And let me tell you, I have a duel with your name on it, son!"
Shark's heart was elated. The sobs continued and Shark tried his hardest to stop them, but failed. He was just too overcome with emotions. He knew that his throat would be completely closed within seconds and his words would come as unintelligible.
"C-can I call you back l-later?"
"Of course, Ryoga. We'll have all the time in the world to talk and reconnect now. Would you like that, son?"
"I-I'd like that, Dad." Shark said as he hung up the phone and let the tears fall down his cheeks.
I'd like that a lot.
Shark didn't believe in miracles…but he was starting to come around to the idea.
New/Anime Cards Shown In This Chapter –
Protective Shark (Monster)
Fish/Level 3/Effect/WATER
1000 ATK/200 DEF
Effect: This card gains the following effect if it is attached to an Xyz monster: When the card that is attached to would be destroyed (by battle or a card effect), you can detach this card instead.
Baby Jaws (Monster)
Fish/Level 1/Effect/WATER
300 ATK/300 DEF
Effect: You can tribute this card to Special Summon 1 "Big Jaws" from your deck in Attack Position. The Special Summoned monsters effect(s) is negated.
Xyz Return (Spell)
Normal Spell
Image: Two floating Xyz Materials heading towards Submersible Carrier - Aero Shark at an accelerated velocity.
Effect: Select one Xyz monster in your Extra Deck. Overlay two monsters from your Graveyard and summon the selected Xyz monster. During the End Phase in which this card was activated, remove the Xyz monster summoned by this effect and take damage equal to its original ATK.
Defensive Rebound (Trap)
Normal Trap
Image: Various Destiny Hero monsters facing one another in a basketball game in which Destiny Hero –Dreadmaster made a slam dunk.
Effect: Activate during the turn in which a Defense Position monster was destroyed by a card effect. Select one monster in your Graveyard with equal or less DEF than the destroyed monster and add that monster to your hand.
Black Cat (Monster)
Beast/Level 3/Effect/DARK
1500 ATK/1000 DEF
Effect: When this card is destroyed by battle, your opponent selects and activates one of the following effects:
Skip your next Draw Phase.
Skip your next Battle Phase.
Dark Werewolf (Monster)
Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect/DARK
1800 ATK/1000 DEF
Effect: Negate the effect(s) of a monster this card destroys in battle.
Dark Bat (Monster)
Winged-Beast/Level 3/Effect/DARK
1000 ATK/1000 DEF
Effect: When this card is summoned, you may pay 500 life points to summon another "Dark Bat" from your deck. The Special Summoned monster cannot attack during this turn.
Count Alucard (Monster)
Fiend/Level 8/Effect/DARK
? ATK/? DEF
Effect: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of "Vampiric Transformation." This card gains 1000 ATK and DEF for each "Dark Bat" in your Graveyard. During each of your End Phases, remove one "Dark Bat" in your Graveyard. This card also gains the following effects based on the amount of "Dark Bats" in your Graveyard:
3: If this card destroys an opponent's monster in battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK or DEF of the destroyed monster. (whichever is higher)
2: This card cannot be destroyed by battle.
1: This card cannot be destroyed by card effects.
Gravewalker (Monster)
Zombie/Level 1/Effect/DARK
0 ATK/0 DEF
Effect: When this card is Special Summoned from your deck by the effect of Gravestone Revival, select one monster your opponent controls. Destroy this card and the selected monster and inflict damage to your opponent equal to their destroyed monster's ATK.
Wicked Witch (Monster)
Spellcaster/Level 4/Effect/DARK
1800 ATK/1000 DEF
Effect: During the End Phase in which this card is banished, you can Special Summon one monster from your deck with half of this card's original ATK.
Pumpkin Jack (Monster)
Plant/Level 3/Effect/DARK
900 ATK/900 DEF
Effect: When this card is destroyed by battle, you can Special Summon another Pumpkin Jack from your deck.
Straw Scarecrow (Monster)
Machine/Level 1/Effect/DARK
0 ATK/0 DEF
Effect: When a monster you control is attacked by a monster with at least double its ATK, send this card from your hand to the Graveyard. The attacking monster's attack is halved until the End Phase.
Headless Horseman (Monster)
Warrior/Level 6/Effect/DARK
2300 ATK/2000 DEF
Effect: This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card inflicts damage to your opponent by a direct attack, inflict 100 damage for each of this card's Levels.
Dark Raven (Monster)
Winged-Beast/Level 2/Effect/DARK
500 ATK/500 DEF
Effect: When this card is destroyed by a card effect, you can Special Summon another "Dark Raven" from your deck.
Vampiric Transformation (Spell)
Normal Spell
Image: Three "Dark Bat" monsters flying around a full moon.
Effect: Tribute any number of "Dark Bats" from your side of the field to Special Summon 1 Count Alucard from your hand, deck, or Graveyard.
Emergency Broomstick (Spell)
Quick-Play Spell
Image: Wicked Witch flying away into dark night on a battered, old broomstick.
Effect: Select 1 Spellcaster-Type monster you control and increase its ATK by 500. During the End Phase, banish the selected monster.
Quoth the Raven (Spell)
Normal Spell
Image: Three "Dark Raven" monsters flying north, east and west directions.
Effect: Special Summon up to 2 "Dark Ravens" from your deck. Take 1000 damage for each monster summoned this way.
Trenchant Guillotine (Spell)
Normal Spell
Image: A guillotine slicing through a facedown Ojama Yellow card while Gagaga Magician watches.
Effect: Select one facedown Defense Position monster you opponent controls and the monster with the lowest ATK you control. Flip up your opponent's selected monster. If that monster has equal or less DEF than your monster has ATK, destroy it. If that monster has more DEF than you monster has ATK, destroy your selected monster.
Gravestone Revival (Trap)
Normal Trap
Image: A large cemetery filled with floating tombstones and the undead souls of gliding ghosts.
Effect: Activate when a Level 8 or higher monster you control is destroyed (by battle or a card effect). Special Summon 1 "Gravewalker" from your deck.
Note: All of these cards were of my wildly vivid and sinister imagination. I highly encourage everyone who wants to use them to do so to their heart's content (although I'd love it if you'd give a shout-out to the creator, aka me)!
Number 96: Black Mist (Xyz Monster)
Fiend/Xyz/Rank 2/Effect/DARK
100 ATK/1000 DEF
Effect: 3 Level 2 monsters
When an attack is declared that has this card battle a monster your opponent controls: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; halve the ATK of that monster your opponent controls, and have this card gain the same amount of ATK.
Note: This card is slated to make its debut in the Order of Chaos booster pack, which is scheduled for release in Japan in November.
Author's note: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter because honestly, it's my favorite so far (even if I am being a little biased because it has cards I made depicting my favorite holiday)! I think it's good to get insight on such a mysterious character as Shark and give him some real personality (even if it's nothing at all that's related to the show). As to why I gave Shark Number 96, I have no clue…But I'm sure that I'll think of some use for it in the near future! Until then, Happy Halloween!