Chapter XIV
To Hell and Back
I approached threshold of the portal. The statuary that decorated it was terrifying, but I was too determined to turn back now. I drew my sword and held it in the air.
"I come to face the Guardian of Shadow," I bravely declared. Oddly, no answer came. I was about to declare my presence again, but an intense stream of light shone down on my like a spotlight. I closed my eyes tightly to keep from going blind. While it was shining, I heard demonic laughter from all directions, but I couldn't see what or who was making the laugh. The black eagle landed on the top of the portal near the snake frieze, and watched intently. Suddenly, the light disappeared, and when I opened my eyes, I didn't see anything different, but when I looked down at the ground…my shadow was gone! I looked around, but even though the moons were shining brightly, it was nowhere to be found. But when I looked in front of me, I saw something…terrifying. There was a throbbing mound of shadowy black stuff, and…it was starting to grow. Could that have been my shadow? Like evolution in fast forward, the mound was starting to take on a corporeal form…a human shape. Its shape became more and more pronounced, and a face started to form. It looked at me…and it was my face! And it was my body that it took the shape of! Only the eyes were blood red. When this creature saw my shock, it smiled and started to laugh sinisterly.
"You have overcome many challenges to make it this far, mortal. Pity they were all in vain. None have faced the Guardian of Shadow and lived," said the creature. It may have looked like me, but it spoke in a demonic voice.
"Then I will be the first. I need to return to the Earth more than anything," I said bravely. The Guardian laughed again.
"Brave words, but they will avail you nothing. None have escaped from the Master's talons. The light that shone upon you told me all your fighting abilities. You may be one of the best duelists on Earth, but your reputation will not help you here. Only one will stand victorious," the creature continued, and equipped a Duel Disk very much like the one Thatehos's cultists have.
"I will face death head on!" I said, putting on my own, and our Life Points became 8,000.
"Then prepare to die. And when one dies in the afterlife, nothing can restore it, not even your precious God!" the Guardian said confidently. We drew our hands, and when I looked at mine, I saw that I got Summoned Skull (2500/1200), Gagagigo (1850/1000), Cure Mermaid (1500/800), Rose Specter of Dunn (2000/1700), and Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600).
"I'll go first. I summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode!" said the Guardian. I was shocked at his declaration, and more so when the metallic serpent (2100/1600) appeared on the field. My mind was starting to race. Could this creature have the same Deck as me?
"I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in Defense Mode," I said, distraught that my enemy already had the advantage.
"Is that the best you can do? I guess I was wrong when the light read your mind. I activate Polymerization, and combine the Cyber Dragon on the field with the one in my hand, and make Cyber Twin Dragon!" the Guardian said. The Cyber Dragon on the field suddenly turned into its two-headed version (2800/2100). I was even more shocked now.
"Cyber Twin Dragon, destroy the Magnet Warrior!" the Guardian ordered. The head on the right launched an intense stream of energy at Beta, destroying him easily.
"And that's not all. As you may know, Cyber Twin Dragon can attack twice during my turn. Now he'll take out your Life Points!" he explained. The head on the left launched another stream, which cut down my Life Points to 5,200. I had to think of something quickly, or I'd be doomed. I drew a card, and got Mirror Force. Talk about good luck.
"I summon Gagagigo in Defense Mode and lay another card facedown," I said, a little more confidently than usual.
"Ah, delicious fear. How its smell wafts off of you. I delight in its taste. And when I defeat you, I will have a feast of it. Cyber Twin Dragon, attack again!" the Guardian shouted. This time, I didn't flinch.
"What the hell are you smiling about?" the creature asked.
"My Trap Card: Mirror Force," I answered. The card revealed itself, and the Dragon's energy was reflected back to it, effectively destroying it.
"I don't believe it," the Guardian said.
"You should believe it. Gagagigo, attack his Life Points directly!" I said. The lizard man clawed at the Guardian of Shadow, reducing his Life Points to 6,150.
"And that's not all I'm doing," I said as I drew a card, and saw that I got - almost by sheer luck - Giga Gagagigo (2450/1500).
"I sacrifice Gagagigo and summon the stronger Giga Gagagigo," I said. Gagagigo was quickly replaced with his cyborg counterpart. "Giga Gagagigo, attack his Life Points directly as well!" With his mechanical claws, the Guardian's Life Points were cut down further to 3,700. All right, I was winning!
"You're only prolonging the inevitable, mortal. I summon Flame Ruler in Attack Mode, and I activate two spell cards at once: Spiritual Energy Settle Machine, and the Seal of Satan!" the Guardian said, shouting the last part. I couldn't believe it when he said that. He had my Deck, and the Seal of Satan with it! Just like the last times I encountered it, an animal made of evil energy appeared, but this time, it wasn't just any animal. It was…a Gigantoshambler! I wouldn't be lying if I said that my eyes widened with fear when I saw the creature once again. It may have just been a simulacrum of energy, but it roared, and once again I had to slam my hands onto my ears lest I go deaf. Then the demonic dinosaur sunk into the ground and turned into a ring that surrounded us. A line appeared within that turned it into a pentagram, which glowed brightly as the drawing finished. I then remembered my courage.
"You may have this card, but it won't stop me from rescuing the people I love," I said.
"Oh yes it will, especially when it'll show what's really in your heart," the Guardian said as he started to undergo another transformation. He looked like he was becoming more solid. In turn, his skin was becoming more crocodilian and turned a dark blue. His finger and toenails became the claws of a tiger. He grew vampire-like fangs, and the wings and tail of a dragon emerged from him. To top off the transformation, a pair of scimitar-like horns grew out of his forehead, and he grew to 10 feet in height. I was more shocked when this happened.
"Don't be afraid. After all, this is the real you," he said. Hearing that dispelled my shock and made me angrier than I'd ever been.
"You're wrong. That's not what I really am!" I said defiantly.
"Oh yes you are. The light never lies. You're a selfish braggart who only duels to inflate his already massive ego," the Guardian continued.
"No. I play to win. And this duel couldn't be truer," I said.
"Let's see how well you can hold your word. I'm not the only one who transforms when the Seal of Satan comes into being," the demon said. The Flame Ruler started to change as well, turning into a demon engulfed in hellfire. Not only that, but his stats increased to 2500/2600.
"Hellfire Ruler, incinerate Giga Gagagigo!" the Guardian commanded. The evil mage launched a hail of fireballs on my monster, cruelly burning him and destroying him at the same time. My Life Points went down to 5,150.
I really need to think of something now, I thought as I drew another card. I drew Cyber Harpie Lady (1800/1300). Great. Until I get some good cards, all I can do is defend.
"I summon Cyber Harpie Lady in Defense Mode," I said ruefully.
"Yes, give me your fear. I crave it!" the Guardian said almost ecstatically. "I activate Hellfire Ruler's special ability and summon Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi in Attack Mode, or should I say, Unholy Fire Elemental!" I was really worried now. The mage was replaced with the muscular fire spirit (2800/2900), who in turn transformed screaming into a living giant of hellfire, and his stats increased to 3800/3900!
"Unholy Fire Elemental, obliterate the Cyber Harpie Lady!" the Guardian shouted in evil ecstasy. Roaring, the elemental punched the harpy with the force of a charging rhinoceros! At least she was in Defense Mode.
I must not lose. There's too much on the line, Lily… I thought to myself as my thoughts strayed to her. I remembered the painful transformation as she became an inanimate ruby statue, a look of fear frozen upon her face, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to even think. If I didn't destroy this demon, she'd be stuck that way forever. I drew a card, and got Reduction Barrier. I felt a little better.
"I play one card facedown and end my turn," I said.
"What did I tell you about prolonging the inevitable? The inevitable is here! Unholy Fire Elemental, destroy him!" the Guardian shouted. The elemental roared again, and charged to punch me.
"I activate the Trap Card Reduction Barrier!" I shouted quickly before the punch connected. The trap revealed itself, and when the punch landed, I only felt very little of the pain. It was a good thing I activated the card; if it was the full force, I probably would have gotten crippled. Thus, my Life Points only dropped to 4,870.
"You think you're so clever, do you? Anything to inflate your ego?" the Guardian asked.
"No. There's more riding on this duel than mere victory. I must save Lily," I said.
"Spare me your love stories. You don't love her," the demon taunted. I got very angry upon hearing that.
"Yes, I do! I'd give my life to save her, and this duel is proof of that! Nothing will stop me from rescuing her," I said as I drew another card.
"Hmph. You may have prevented the Unholy Fire Elemental from landing the fatal blow, but I can change that. I summon your precious Cure Mermaid - actually, the Dark Siren - in Attack Mode!" the Guardian said. My favorite monster (1500/800) appeared on his side of the field, and the transformation was wretched. Her pink fish-scale outfit turned a zombie-like gray, and her skin became a deathly white. Her jewelry started to corrode, her hair turned black, and her normally cheerful expression became dour. In addition, her stats rose to 2500/1800.
"Dark Siren, finish the Unholy Fire Elemental's job!" the demon ordered. The Dark Siren shot a beam of ice at me, which reduced my Life Points to 2,370.
"I'll also lay one card facedown," he said coolly.
"That's not what I look like! Demetrios, finish this guy off!" the Cure Mermaid said as she appeared next to me, miffed about the makeover the Seal of Satan gave her.
"I'm trying, I'm trying," I said. "I summon the real Cure Mermaid in Defense Mode," I said. Remembering the special ability of Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi, I sent my Summoned Skull and Rose Specter of Dunn to the Graveyard and drew one more card: Pyramid of Light. Hopefully this would help.
"Thank you, thank you! Don't I look much better than that imposter?" the Cure Mermaid (the spirit one) said as the card one appeared.
"Oh, and guess what? Thanks to my Siren's ability, I gain Life Points", the Guardian said tauntingly. Indeed, his life points increased to 4,500.
"I activate the Pyramid of Light! Let's see how good your satanic powers are against this," I said. The huge bright pyramid appeared and encased us within its light. The Guardian was blinded when it appeared. This was very reckless, but I had to do it.
"I pay 1,000 of my own Life Points to summon Andro Sphinx and Sphinx Teleia!" I said. The two leonine monsters (3000/2500 and 2500/3000 respectively) appeared on the field, but in Defense Mode. I couldn't risk any damage to my Life Points, which were already critical after my sacrifice. As my turn ended, my Life Points increased to 2,170.
"Your delaying tactics astound me. Let's see what you can come up with if I just end my turn, but not before I summon Enraged Battle Ox, actually the Enraged Hellish Minotaur," the Guardian said, again with a taunt. The minotaur axeman (1700/1000) appeared, and then turned into an enraged monster with stats of 2700/2000. His life points also increased to 5,300. I drew again, and got Nutrient Z. I never felt so desperate before, especially against my own monsters.
"I lay one card facedown and end my turn," I said ruefully, although my Life Points rose to 2,970.
"What a shame, because you're going to go out in a blaze of glory. Thanks to the rule that I must discard a card per turn whenever Spiritual Energy Settle Machine is on the field, I was able to get the materials I need for one of your favorite monsters…the Five-God Dragon!" said the Guardian triumphantly.
"Oh no…" I said fearfully, although that was what he wanted to hear. Even with the Cure Mermaid's help and Nutrient Z, I would need a miracle to survive this.
"Oh yes! I activate the Ritual Spell Card, Dragon Revival Ritual! With the Unholy Fire Elemental, Dark Siren and Enraged Hellish Minotaur on the field, I combine with Kazejin and Red-Eyes Black Dragon in my hand to create your doom!" the demon shouted. The two monsters he mentioned appeared on the field next to the ones already there, and just like when I summoned it, all five were engulfed in columns of their respective elements: the Unholy Fire Elemental with fire, Kazejin with wind, the Enraged Hellish Minotaur with the Earth, the Dark Siren with water, and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon with darkness. Once again, the dragon, eagle, lion, blue whale, and the demon appeared briefly. All five columns and elements combined, and in their wake, stood the Five-God Dragon, all five heads ready for battle (5000/5000).
"And what makes it better is that its stats increase just like any other monster I have in the Seal of Satan," the Guardian said. Indeed, the Five-God Dragon's stats rose to 6000/6000!
"Oh God, I hope this works," I whispered.
"I heard that, and praying won't save you now. As a matter of fact, Dragon Revival Ritual won't be the only card I'll activate. The second will be Dust Tornado!" he said, showing the card.
"Dust Tornado, destroy the Pyramid of Light!" the Guardian continued. A huge tornado, in this case one resembling the infamous Tri-State Tornado of 1925, crashed down upon the Pyramid and tore it to shreds. After the last piece disappeared, Andro Sphinx and Sphinx Teleia disappeared; they were not only destroyed, they were removed from play. Cure Mermaid was the only one left.
"And now, Five-God Dragon, destroy this so-called hero and champion and send him into the void of nothingness!" he shouted and roared, almost as loudly as the Gigantoshambler that turned into the Seal of Satan!
"What? But I have one monster left! You can't change the rules like that!" I argued.
"I'm a demon; I make the rules! Obliterate him!" the Guardian continued. The Cure Mermaid and I stood our ground, and took the combined stream of all five attacks. The Guardian of Shadow laughed evilly and triumphantly, but when the smoke cleared…we still stood, with 970 Life Points to spare.
"WHAT? How in Satan's name did this happen? You should be nonexistent!" the demon said, shocked that I lived.
"Nutrient Z, and my will to defeat you and save the woman I love," I said as I coolly drew another card. It was Gift of the Mystical Elf.
"I pay 500 more Life Points summon the one monster that can destroy yours: Theinen the Great Sphinx!" I said. As my Life Points fell to 470, the greatest of the three Sphinx monsters (3500/3000) appeared on the field and roared a ferocious battle roar.
"Next, I activate the Trap Card, Gift of the Mystical Elf to increase my Life Points," I said. The Mystical Elf appeared and chanted a soothing hymn, which caused two rings of light to briefly glow around my monsters, which raised my Life Points to 1,070.
"With the extra Life Points, I pay 500 of them to increase Theinen's Attack Points by 3,000," I explained. The sphinx growled with the energy flow as his Attack Points rose to 6500. "Theinen, destroy the Five-God Dragon!" I said. Theinen roared again and flew to the Dragon. He tore off two heads with both claws, and ripped open the dragon's chest, destroying the monster and reducing the Guardian's Life Points to 4,800. It may not have been much, but it was a start. Theinen's Attack Points dropped back to 3,500 and my Life Points rose to 1,370.
"I told you I will win," I said bravely. I could also feel a sense of pride returning to me. Would I be the first one to defeat the Guardian of Shadow and leave Hell? I may very well be as I drew again and got Polymerization. This could come in handy, I thought.
"Don't celebrate just yet, mortal! I activate the Spell Card, A Deal with Dark Ruler! With this, I summon the Berserk Dragon, which I'll equip with the Violet Crystal!" the Guardian roared. The terrible undead dragon (3500/0) appeared on the field, and just like the monsters before it, its stats rose to 4500/1000, and then to 4800/1300.
"Berserk Dragon, destroy Theinen!" the Guardian shouted, who started to sound kind of desperate himself. The Dragon unleashed a stream of hellfire, destroying Theinen and reducing my Life Points to 70, the lowest they've ever been!
"Yes, I'm well aware that the Berserk Dragon loses Attack Points at the end of each turn, but Violet Crystal will slow it down," the demon explained. True to what he said, the Dragon's Attack Points dropped to 4300.
"I won't lose!" I said as I drew another card. I saw that I got my own Cyber Dragon. I would just need the other two and Polymerization.
"I summon Cyber Dragon in Defense Mode and end my turn," I said. I was back to square one. At least my Life Points rose to 870.
"At least I have you back in a corner again. Berserk Dragon, destroy his Cure Mermaid!" the Guardian declared triumphantly. The Dragon destroyed my mermaid just as easily as it had Theinen, but at least she was in Defense Mode. The spirit of her groaned with annoyance. The Berserk Dragon's Attack Points dropped to 3800.
"Don't worry, I won't let your sacrifice be in vain," I said as I drew another card: my second Cyber Dragon. But what to do until I get the other two cards? Surely this guy wasn't going to go easy on me.
"What a delightful conundrum. Do I destroy your final monster and end this, or do I just let you suffer? Tell you what; I'll skip my turn and let you go again, not that it'll do you any good," the Guardian said as his Dragon's Attack Points went down to 3300.
Come on, Heart of the Cards, I said as I drew again. I got Pot of Greed. Hopefully this would work.
"I activate Pot of Greed, and draw two more cards," I said. The demon only laughed.
"Draw as many times as you want, but you cannot destroy me. No one can, and no one ever will," he said defiantly.
I need to rescue Lily, so please God, lend me your helping hand one more time, I thought to myself as I drew two more cards. They were…my third Cyber Dragon and…Megamorph! The winning combination!
"All right, I told you I'd be the first one to defeat you, and I'll prove it! I activate Polymerization, and combine my three Cyber Dragons to forge the ultimate machine: the Cyber End Dragon!" I triumphantly declared. The two other dragons combined with the one I had on the field to create the three-headed winged machine (4000/2800).
"And just like you, I won't stop at activating the Spell Card that created my best monster. I activate Megamorph! And since my Life Points are so much lower than yours, my Dragon's Attack Points double," I said. True to what I said, the Cyber End Dragon's Attack Points rose to 8000!
"No, you can't! No one has defeated the Guardian of Shadow!" the demon said with…fear?
"There's a first time for everything. Cyber End Dragon, destroy the Berserk Dragon with Super Strident Blaze and end this duel!" I said. All three heads fired intense streams of energy, obliterating the Berserk Dragon and sending the Guardian's Life Points crashing down to 0.
"I've won the challenge. Now let me pass," I said.
"No…NO! This wasn't supposed to happen! I am invincible!" the Guardian said in a panic. Suddenly, streams of light started to shoot out of his body. He started crying out in pain as more light erupted from him.
"NOOO!" the Guardian of Shadow shouted as he was completely enveloped in light…and destroyed. Once again, I felt proud of myself. I was the first person ever to defeat the Guardian of Shadow and earn the way back home. Suddenly, I heard clapping. Thankfully, it wasn't a demon sarcastically clapping and hoping to challenge me to another fight. I saw a man wearing a black judge's robe clapping proudly.
"You have done well, mortal hero. You are the first one to defeat the Guardian of Shadow," he said.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I am Minos, formerly the King of Crete and now Judge of the Dead. Your victory has given me hope, something I haven't felt in eons. I have seen many determined people of all races fight against the Guardian, but none of them won. I lost hope that someone would ever defeat the demon; as you may have seen, many people have unfortunately been sent here against their will by the Curse of Dark Genocide. Your victory, however, will change that. For that, I thank you," he said as he approached me.
"Your welcome. Believe me, I need to get home more than anything. If I don't, my world is doomed, and I'll never get to rescue Lily," I said.
"Your victory over the Guardian will more than steel you for your fight against Thatehos. But you will need more than that. For your victory, I want you to have these. You have more than earned them," Minos said, handing me something. They were more Duel Monsters cards. When I looked at them, I was more than surprised.
"I don't believe it…these are the Elemental Heroes!" I said. I heard about this series, but I never saw it. I saw the first four of the roster: Elemental Hero Avian, Elemental Hero Burstinatrix, Elemental Hero Clayman, and Elemental Hero Sparkman.
"Yes, they are. Take them; not only will they strengthen your Deck, they will serve as a testament to your courage and the great deed you accomplished this day. The portal is open to you now. Goodbye, brave hero, and good luck," Minos continued.
"Thank you. I will defeat Thatehos," I said. Thankful for the new cards but not wanting to spend any more time on this literally godforsaken planet, I ran up the stairs and dived into the swirling madness of the portal. The black eagle, who watched the whole fight and my victory, let out an angry and disappointed squawk, and flew away.
I felt like I was flying through outer space, seeing the planets of all sizes and extraordinarily beautiful nebulae. At a couple of points I closed my eyes from the intensity, but when I opened them at last…I was back on the Earth! As a matter of fact, I was in the same place as I left! I was about to say how good it was to be home again, but then I remembered where I was and how much lower the temperature of the Earth is compared to hell, and fell asleep shivering.
My sleep wasn't uneventful, though. In my dream, I saw Shandara.
"Demetrios, you're alive!" she said, running up to me and hugging me tightly.
"I'm glad to see you too, Shandara. Man, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," I said.
"I've heard about your victory over the Guardian of Shadow, and your reward of the Elemental Heroes. You're more the hero than I could have dreamed," Shandara said proudly.
"Thanks. But Shandara, may I ask you something?" I asked.
"Sure, anything," she said.
"Who am I? Where did I come from? And where did this come from?" I asked, indicating my sword for the last question.
"Don't you remember your visions? You are the reincarnation of the last Prince of Atlantis. You were the crown prince and a heroic paladin. Lily was an aspiring mage, and you two were very much in love. You two even fought side by side in the battle for Atlantis, and Dragon Claw was your sword," Shandara explained.
"So I'm from Atlantis? The legendary continent? How does Thatehos play into this?" I asked further.
"He hailed from Atlantis's greatest friend and rival, Lemuria. Ever since he was young, he desired the taste of power, which corrupts far more terribly than any material greed. When he became the terrible warlock he is now, he decimated Lemuria and its survivors were enslaved by an ancient race. He then attacked Atlantis with an army of monsters and demons at his side," she explained further.
"I remember that vision. Did I fight him?" I asked.
"Yes, you fought Thatehos in personal combat. His magic was powerful, but you never gave up. The Atlanteans defeated Thatehos and his demons, but he would have his revenge. He cast a curse on your best friends, Timaeus, Critias, and Helmos. That is why they are now dragons," she answered. I was shocked upon hearing this.
"He did that to them?" I asked.
"Yes, and worse. In a final act of revenge, he also cast a curse on Atlantis's most famous resource, orichalcum. He overloaded the veins and ore with evil magic, thus destroying Atlantis and sending it sinking beneath the waves. That is why the Seal of Orichalcos is evil," she answered.
"He is a monster," I said, angry that Thatehos was the cause of the loss of my ancestral home.
"And that is why he founded the Esoteric Order of the Dark Sunrise. He knew that you and Lily, the knight and the sorceress, would eventually reincarnate, so he founded the cult to protect himself and kill any potential threats. It has changed members many times over the years, but the mission is always the same: to prevent you and Lily from achieving victory over him and avenging the loss of Atlantis, and to allow Satan to destroy the world," Shandara said.
"Don't worry, I will defeat him," I said.
"That is good to hear. Now it is time for you to begin your journey again," she said. Then I woke up and saw another welcome sight: Moon Shadow was rubbing his muzzle against my face in the hopes of waking me up.
"Moon Shadow!" I said, getting up and hugging him again.
"I sure am glad to see you again. How did you survive?" I asked. He simply shook his head.
"You're right, we'd better not get into déjà vu. Now let's get going. We have a world and a girlfriend to save," I said as I got onto his back; I could tell he felt glad to have me riding him again. Doing my best to remember where everything was, we galloped off to Thatehos's monastery.