September 11, 2007 – For those who may have read this once already and are excited to see "new chapters" being posted, my apologies. Please read the new note at the beginning of Chapter 1, as well as my updated bio page. Basically, I've been going through a process of restructuring my stories, including shorter chapters, which consequently means more chapters, hence the more-than-twenty "new" chapters to this completed fic. An explanation of what chapters the reviews match to that dated before today are in that note as well. Thank you for your understanding. ((grin!)) Please note also that there is a . . . character who has seen some changes in appearance . . . when she's let herself be known at all. ((wink))
Disclaimer– Yu Yu Hakusho, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Ronin Warriors (a.k.a. Yoroiden: Samurai Troopers) and all related characters, events, and concepts belong to their respective owners. I get no monetary benefit from this. My benefit is the enjoyment of dealing with beloved characters. If you recognize him/her/it, I don't own him/her/it. If you don't recognize, I might still not be the owner but it'd be best to ask. I'd appreciate it, anyway. ((grin))
"The Spellfire Saga – 1: Shards"
by DragonDancer5150
Chapter 14 – Heart of a Duelist
Staring up at a nightmare now easily grown to forty feet over his head, Jonouchi could no longer deny the impossibility of his situation. Maybe Bug-boy's right. I used up my best cards already an' that Queen's way too strong!
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Yusuke found himself muttering under his breath. "Never give up, Jonouchi. If I've learned nothin' else, I've learned that. Never give up!" His companions looked at him in both empathy and curiosity.
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"Hang in there, Jou-kun! We're all behind you!"
"Trust yourself, Jou-kun. Trust your Deck!"
Jonouchi heard the shouts of encouragement from Anzu and Sugoroku, but he closed his eyes, head bowing. His arm with the Duel Disk hung at his side, limp with discouragement.
Honda growled, not about to let his closest friend give up like this. "Jonouchi!" he demanded, fist raised. "Don't you want to be a True Duelist? Don't you want to challenge Yugi?"
The words shocked Jonouchi, too, but for a far different reason. His head snapped up as his mind went back to yesterday morning.
Other Yugi turned from the fallen Rare Hunter, holding up the precious card. "Here you go, Jonouchi." At Jonouchi's hesitation, he frowned in confusion and urged, "It's all right. Take it. It's yours."
Jonouchi shook his head. "No, I can't take it right now, buddy. If I take it back so easily, I won't be a True Duelist. The Red-Eyes wouldn't accept it, either." He sighed, grinning a little at the slight concern in his best friend's gaze. He knew that there were two people staring back at him from within those eyes, and he addressed both of them as he explained, "You are a True Duelist. You're always with me. When I Dueled alongside you at Duelist Kingdom, I was fightin' for somethin'. That's why I came here. You always play honestly with any opponent. You really gave me a lesson – what I lacked is the Duelist's self-esteem. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon is my special card; he's always my partner. That's why I can't take him now. If I did, the Red-Eyes wouldn't be happy." He had been gazing up at the tranquil clouds overhead, but he turned in that moment to look down at the bright purple eyes watching him, meeting them in all sincerity. "Yugi, you can have the card temporarily. I prepared a Deck of forty cards for today's Duels. With these cards, I'm still qualified for the tournament. I still have a rare card that I can use as my ante – the Time Wizard that you gave me. I want to be a True Duelist. In Battle City, I gotta show you. When I win in this tournament, when I become a True Duelist . . . please, play with me again."
Yugi listened in silence, giving serious consideration to his words. At length, he nodded with a smile. "I understand, Jonouchi – and I accept your challenge. We'll wait until then."
From the slightly deeper tone of voice, Jonouchi understood that it was still the Other Yugi in the foreground and had spoken the words, but he also knew that the hearts of both souls were in the utterance. Jonouchi offered his hand and they shook on it, nodding encouragement to one another before parting ways to seek the Duels that would bring them both a step closer to fulfilling their promise.
Jonouchi gasped. He had a promise to keep, a promise that meant more to him right now than anything.
"You can do it, Jou-kun!" "Don't let that little bug push you around!" "Believe in yourself, Jou-kun!" Anzu, Honda and Sugoroku continued to call to their friend.
"Just give it up, Jonouchi!" Haga countered. "It's over!"
A new determination in his eyes, Jonouchi glared across the field at his deceitful opponent. "Jonouchi Katsuya doesn't quit. Maybe you'd understand if you had somethin'a real importance to fight for! Come on!" he called as he drew. He looked at the card. Yeah! Now that's what I'm talkin' about, he crowed silently. Heh, looks like things're startin' to turn around!
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"All right!" Shu grinned at the look in Jonouchi's eyes. "Musta drew somethin' good."
"You are finished! You know Parasite Paracide will infect any Monster that you summon."
"I'll place one card facedown an' summon . . . Gearfried the Iron Knight!" The two cards appeared before Jonouchi on the field, the upright one dissipating as its avatar took form in front of it – a proud swordsman in impressive black armor trimmed in silver-blue.
Touma frowned. "His attack is only 1800, nowhere near enough to make a difference, even if he could attack with it which, because of Insect Barrier, he – " He stopped with a gasp. "Unless . . . "
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"You fool! Once your knight has been infected by my parasite card, he'll just be another snack for my ravenous Queen!"
The company looked on as the Parasite Paracide slid up behind Gearfried, tentacles waving hungrily – and failed to penetrate!
"Don't be so sure about that, Haga!" Jonouchi declared. "Some cards're bug proof!"
Haga shook his head in disbelief as the parasite card gave up trying to infect Gearfried and slid back into place. "What's wrong? Why can't the parasite feed on it?"
"He's Gearfried," Jonouchi pointed out in triumph, "the Iron Knight, an' that slimy parasite's helpless against his metal armor!"
"How'd you figure that out?" Haga demanded, his expression clear that he was unwilling to accept Jonouchi being anything more than a common, ignorant wannabe.
Sugoroku scowled in defense of his one-time student. "He did his homework, Haga. You should have known that Parasite Paracide wasn't able to feed off of metal. And you call yourself an expert insect duelist?"
"Awesome!" Honda crowed. "That means the knight can smash through the Insect Barrier an' attack!"
"An' I got a perfect plan to wipe out your Insect Queen, Haga!" Jonouchi added. "An' my plan starts with those eggs."
"NOOOOO!"
"Gearfried the Iron Knight, attack the Queen's eggs an' lower her attack power!"
Haga watched in horror as the knight rushed his side of the field, ducking under the Insect Queen's bulbous abdomen to take the top off of one of her eggs, destroying it. "Aauugggghh! That's it! Next turn, you're bug food!"
"Yeah! All right!" Jonouchi's cheering section whooped.
"Jou-kun remembered her weakness," Sugoroku observed. "The Queen needs her eggs to keep her Attack points high. If they're destroyed, she gets weaker."
"Every time the Insect Queen chows on an opponent's Monster, she boosts her Attack points an' she lays another egg," Jonouchi put in, "but until they hatch, those eggs're defenseless! An' now that your Insect Barrier can't stop my attacks, I'm free to wipe 'em out! So tell me, Haga, does Insect Queen like'er eggs poached'r sunny-side up?"
"Grrrr – enjoy this while it lasts, cuz after my turn, I'll be one Duel closer to the Battle City Finals. No one gets away with disrespecting my Queen like that! Prepare to be pulverized as I power up my mighty Insect Queen with even more Attack points! First off, I will summon Soldier Ant, then activate the magic card Ant Reproduction." Haga placed both cards in their appropriate spots on his Duel Disk. He cackled as one Ant materialized, then two, then more. "Watch them multiply into an Ant colony!"
Touma groaned. "Doesn't this guy ever shut up?"
Jonouchi huffed in exasperation. "What now?"
"I'll explain. This card takes one Ant and turns it into an army of ten for the length of my turn. I think you know what's next – right, Jonouchi?"
"Queenie's gonna absorb the Attack points'a each one an' get even stronger."
"That's right! And now that my mighty Queen's done powering up, it's the end of Jonouchi Katsuya once and for all!"
"Oh, no!" Keiko gasped as the great Queen inhaled deeply and began to breathe her lethal acidic energy.
Jonouchi braced his stance even as he moaned in dismay.
"Oh, oh!" Sugoroku cried. "If Haga destroys Jou-kun's Knight, this Duel is over!"
"Good-bye, Jonouchi! And now, my lovely Queen, destroy his scrap heap of a knight and what's left of his Life Points!"
Suddenly, the confident smirk was back on Jonouchi's face. "You grub! I was hopin' you would attack me."
"You were?" Haga gaped in disbelief.
"All part'a my plan. Activate trap card, Graverobber!" A cheery little imp emerged from the risen card, sporting ragged green clothes and oversized cap, bearing a small scythe and a tombstone strapped across his back.
"Not Graverobber!"
"Yep. He can take a card from your Graveyard an' let me use it against ya!" The chibi figure darted across the field and back, returning with a card in its grip in place of the scythe. "An' he just nabbed your can'a aerosol!" The imp spun around to show off its pilfered treasure. The feminine hand with the spray can emerged, unleashing a great cloud of pesticide. "Time to exterminate your Quee~een!" Jonouchi declared in a triumphant singsong. The monstrosity reared back, roaring in protest as vapor streams flowed from her body and she vanished. "Yeeaaaahhh! There goes my pest problem!"
Haga looked like he was nearly in tears at the injustice of it all. "What have you done to my Queen?"
"But wait! I'm not through with you yet, In-suck-tor Haga." The Knight's eyes glowed in anticipation, and he leaped into action at the command. "Gearfried the Iron Knight, destroy another'a his eggs an' the rest of his Life Points!" Haga backpedaled from the rushing Knight, crying out at the demolition of the last of his defenses. "Welcome to Loserville, Haga. Population: you."
"I . . . I-I lost? I don't believe it!" Haga sank to his knees in abject shock.
"All right!" "You sure showed that little sneak!" "Way to go!"
Jonouchi disengaged his Duel Disk and returned all of his cards to the Deck box on his hip. Gearfried and Graverobber faded from existence, the holographic projectors retracting into position, and Jonouchi marched across the pavement. "All right, Haga, cough 'em up! Your Insect Queen an' two puzzle cards!"
"Have mercy," Haga begged, his voice a pathetic quiver.
"Mercy? No way! You should'a thought'a that before you decided to cheat. Now, just like at Duelist Kingdom . . . you're outta the tournament!"
Haga collapsed backward, all but passing out with the pronouncement.
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As Jonouchi claimed the promised prizes from his fallen opponent, a whoop of childish excitement off to the side caught his and his friends' attention. "Yeah! All right! He won!"
"Oh! Well, hey there! D'ja enjoy the show?" he asked the little boy as he took in the group. Then, he realized that he recognized two of their number. He was a bit surprised to see them standing side by side as they were, deciding not to mention the near-fight he had witnessed the other morning. "Urameshi, isn't it? And Shu? Hey, you're in my buddy Yugi's PE class. He told me what ya did for 'im the other day. Thanks, man." He offered his hand as the group approached.
Shu accepted, shaking it. "Hey, no prob. It was nothin'. Man, that was a great Duel!"
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Touma traded meaningful glances with the others before commenting, "Yeah! Say, would you mind if we hang out with ya for a while, maybe watch some more duels?" He could think of no better way to keep an eye on this friend of Mutou-san's just as they had discussed back at the Yagyu manor.
Jonouchi exchanged looks with Honda and Anzu, his smirk saying it all. Jonouchi Katsuya was developing a fan base! "Yeah, sure! Jonouchi'll show ya how a real Duel is played! But hey – ?" He looked questioningly at Shu. "Yug told me that you're a Duelist, too. Said you was dueling Kujaku Mai yesterday, but ya had to quit an' take care'a somethin' . . . ?"
Shu shifted uncomfortably. "I – yeah, I had to take care of somethin' pretty important. I'm not participating in the tournament anymore."
Jonouchi studied him for a long moment. Yugi had told him on the phone last night about that Duel and much more, but he decided to keep it to himself for now. He had not had a chance to tell Honda and Anzu what he had learned and doubted that Yugi would have let his grandfather in on it. Well, if Shu and his buddies hung with him and his long enough, maybe he would get a chance to see something of what Yugi had talked about. Then, too, there was the look in Shu's eyes. Jonouchi had wondered what could make a Duelist skip out on a Duel unless it was cowardice, but now he knew better. Shu looked like he truly regretted having to leave that Duel, and Jonouchi felt badly for him. "I'm sorry to hear that. Say, when this tournament thing's over, would ya like to have a Duel with me? Jus' for fun?"
Shu grinned. "Yeah! I'd be honored."
"Me, too. Well, come on, then, everyone! We're not gonna find any more Duels standin' around here!"
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Several onlookers gazed up at a massive television screen on the side of a building, having witnessed a version of the entire Duel via virtual recreation of the streaming information every Duel Disk in play sent to Kaiba Corps' mainframe computers.
"Wow," someone marveled, speaking for all, "what a duel! I can't believe Jonouchi-kun pulled it off."
"He wasn't a finalist at Duelist Kingdom for nothin'!"
Hearing his best friend's name as he passed by on the sidewalk, Yugi paused to gaze up along with the rest at the stats on the screen, including puzzle card count. Awesome! Jou-kun's almost made it to the finals! Pulling his Duel Deck from the Deck box on his hip, he separated out the powerful black dragon card. Soon, I'll be able to return his Red-Eyes, too! I sure am looking forward to that. But first . . . Malik warned me about someone – or something! – called the Silent Puppet. Where is he?
High above, Yugi remained unaware of two separate sets of eyes gazing down on him: one fierce ruby under unruly black hair with white-rimmed bangs . . . the other equally red and glowing in flickering darkness.
Author's Note: Please be sure to check my bio page for any updates, etc. Thanks!