Vyser: Well, here we are once more and this time with another chapter to get done! So let's get the shadow game under way! I don't own Yugioh GX or the cards that are used in the duels.
// - -- ----- -- ------- -------- - ------- -/// -- -- -- -- -- -- - - -- --//
Chapter 14: Shadows of Light/- -- - --------- -- -- --- -- - -- - -- -/- - --- -- - -- -- - -- - -- -- -/
"Wh…What is this?" Cain asked as he looked around at the complete darkness looming over the field. The forest disappeared as well as the stars above them.
"This is the shadow realm," answered Maxwell as he stood up straight, the eye of Horus shinning from his forehead.
"Dang it's cold here," Cain commented as he and his Chaos Gunner saw their breaths. "Wait…my holographic monster shouldn't do that…what's going on?"
"I'd get used to it if I were you," advised Maxwell as he dusted his sleeve off. "Cause when I win, I'll make sure that you'll spend the duration of your life here. And by leaving your body here you'll still look guilty of taking the deck."
"You still need to get past my Chaos Gunner (3550/1000)," Cain confronted sliding a card into his duel disk while his Chaos Gunner spun his gun by the trigger. "And my face down card as well."
Cain LP: 2200
Maxwell LP: 1650
"True, but your reckless dueling strategies have supplied me with the cards that I need to pull this off," replied Maxwell as he drew his card. "Now before I continue, I need to ask you something. What is you want if the small chance of you actually winning?"
"Why are you asking me?" Cain questioned confusion in his eyes.
"If I win then you take the blame, however, my opponent must have a prize awaiting…even if it won't happen," Maxwell explained as he raised the newly drawn card to his face. "So tell me what it is?"
"I could force him to tell me about Ami…then there's the deck," Cain thought as Maxwell raised his duel disk.
"Just relax for right now, you won't have to worry about your request," stated Maxwell as his field card zone opened from his duel disk. "Cause now I'll play the field card Dragon's Graveyard!"
"Kaiba doesn't have that card in his deck!" Cain yelled while a great number of dragon bones and wasteland dirt appeared around the two adding to the fear of the Shadows.
"I know, but I managed to sneak some cards into it," answered Maxwell as two cards shot from his graveyard slot. "Now since you like to remove cards a lot, I simply remove two dragons as a sacrifice then…" A large light erupted from Maxwell's graveyard then formed into a familiar white dragon roaring loudly. "To summon one dragon from the graveyard who equals their combined level, I think you remember the Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500)."
"He's still no match for my Chaos Gunner!" Cain pointed out as Maxwell lifted his next card.
"I'm not stupid, I activate the spell card Burst Stream of Destruction! When I have my Blue Eyes White dragon out, he automatically destroys all monsters on your side of the field," Maxwell snickered as his dragon started to charge a large amount of pure raw energy in its mouth. Then with a large roar the Blue Eyes White Dragon blasted the raw energy that slammed directly into the Chaos Gunner shattering the monster into pixels. Before the Chaos Gunner was destroyed, he looked to be in real pain.
"Luckily for you, my dragon can't attack this turn, but my next monster Rancer Dragonute (1500/1800) can!" All of a sudden, a looming shadow shot from the dragon skull that appeared in front of Maxwell, a silver dragoon monster appeared wielding a long axe combined with a spearhead. "Now! Attack that puny duelist directly!"
The dragoon quickly nodded at his thieving master's orders and slammed his weapon directly into Cain's chest. When the Rancer Dragonute returned to Maxwell's side of the field, Cain grabbed his chest in pain.
"What the hell?" Cain questioned as his breath began to slow down. "Why'd that hurt like crap?"
Cain LP: 700
"Ah the shadows are enjoying your suffering," Maxwell snickered as he set two card into his duel disk. "Here, you actually feel the attacks. Now my turn ends with two cards face down…but the suffering has just begun."
"Then its my turn!" announced Cain as he drew, but suddenly a dark shadow instantly took the card he just drew, Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600), straight into the graveyard.
"Did you forget about my crush card? It's the last turn for it though," chuckled Maxwell as Cain searched his hand.
"I summon a monster on the defensive, and another face down card," Cain sighed as he motioned to Maxwell. "Make your move."
"Very well, for this turn I'll summon Blade knight (1600/1000)!" announced Maxwell as the famous (as well as popular) silver knight appeared. "Next I'll send Rancer Dragonute to attack your face down monster!"
The Rancer Dragonute flew into the air, but then dropped down upon the face down card. As soon as the dragon's weapon pierced the card, it was revealed to be a weird armored man who was covered with a ragged black cloak. It didn't last long for in the next second the Rancer Dragonute sharply kicked the cloaked man's head off shattering the monster.
"No…my DD Guide (1400/1000)," Cain groaned before the Rancer Dragonute kicked Cain right in the stomach. "What… the… hell?"
Cain LP: 200
"Did I forget to mention that my Rancer Dragonute has a trample ability? Sorry," Maxwell mocked as his Blue Eyes White Dragon roared loudly. "Very well, my Blue Eyes White Dragon now goes for his attack and win this!"
The Dragon quickly charged up a more potent amount of white/blue energy in its mouth as Maxwell began to laugh. Suddenly the dragon fired its all-powerful blast directly at Cain, surging with a great speed!
"It's over!" laughed Maxwell and Cain dropped to his knees.
"It can't be over! I can't lose to this guy!"
"Stop your whining," Cain looked up to see that he was in a pitch dark realm. Maxwell and his monsters were no where to be seen.
"Did I lose? Is this truly the shadow realm?" Cain thought as he stood up on the seemingly endless darkness.
"Aw come on you shorty! Don't wimp out on us yet!" Cain quickly turned around to see Rioko standing with his back turned towards Cain. "Where's the Cain who defeated me with that wicked combo before?"
"I'm right here…"
"Are you sure?"
"…I…don't know…"
"Cain, don't give up," Cain then shifted his body to see Kazica with her back to Cain. "You helped me become a better duelist…you also defeated Kiro even though he had a number of strong monsters...it's kind of like this duel."
"Leave me alone…I've lost this."
"Cain Sonryu! You must never look down upon yourself!" Cain just moved his head to see Goliath's back…he was also doing muscle poses. "Although the opponent may be strong and the odds are stacked against you…you still have a chance!"
"Goliath…you always creep me out."
"You know he's right," Cain quickly turned to see Lena standing in front of him with her back towards him. "I saw your duel with Sorro. He used to be a great Obelisk Blue student and his tactics were near perfect…This guy is just like that only his ego is growing too big for his head."
"But…he's using the deck of a champion."
"That shouldn't be a bother, brother!" Cain growled this time as he saw Sorro backing up with the rest. "If it's the deck of a champion then it's famous! If it's famous, then people should really know how it works! So get up before I break out in song!"
"…"
"Do you fear what might happen?" all of Cain's friends asked at the same time as Cain clenched his fists.
"HELL NO!"
"Then duel…and win."
"You can bet on that!" Cain roared as the darkness around him disappeared and he saw the Blue Eyes White Dragon's attack charging right in front of him. "It's now or never!"
Maxwell just chuckled as the attack caused a huge explosion that engulfed Cain. A large amount of debris flew through the air.
"I guess, that's it for the shorty," chuckled Maxwell as the debris began to float away and… "WHAT! How'd you survive?"
"Heh, guess you don't know me that well," Cain sighed with relief while a light blue barrier surrounded him. "I activated my trap card, Draining Shield, so not only is your attack negated…but now I gain life points equal to your monster's attack!"
Cain LP: 3200
"I had a feeling that you'd have something like that," scoffed Maxwell as one of his face down cards activated revealing a trap card depicting White Magician Pikeru fighting with Ebon Magician Curran over a tome. "So I play my trap card Equality! Now I gain the same amount of life points equal to the amount you've gained!"
With the glowing of his trap card, Maxwell began to sigh smoothly as a light blue aura surrounded him.
Maxwell LP: 4650
"And now…Blade Knight! Attack him directly!" ordered Maxwell as his knight charged Cain, slashing him repeatedly.
Cain LP: 1600
"And I'll end this turn with a face down card," finished Maxwell as Cain weakly drew his next card.
"GO! Trap card! Royal Decree! Now no more trap cards can be activated!" Cain announced as Maxwell's eye's bulged slightly.
"Just a set back," Maxwell coughed as Cain lifted a card above his head.
"A really big set back for you Maxwell!" announced Cain as an orb of darkness and an orb of light shot out of his graveyard. They floated in midair to reveal DD Guide and Y-Dragon Head before they crashed into Cain's card. "Now by removing a monster of darkness and a monster of light…I can summon Black Luster Soldier-Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500)!"
From above, a chaotic light of black and white formed and the powerful soldier appeared sword and all.
"How'd a pipsqueak like you get a card this rare?" Maxwell questioned as Cain slid a card into his duel disk.
"My friends helped me get it," Cain said before pointing towards Blade Knight. "Now go! Black Luster Soldier! Attack Blade knight!"
The Black Luster Soldier jumped into the air after hearing his master's orders, the Blade knight raised its sword up to protect itself…but it was for naught. The Black Luster Soldier slashed right through Blade Knight's blade cutting the warrior in two before shattering it into pixels! Maxwell covered his eyes as the pixels shattered into him.
Maxwell LP: 3250
"And Maxwell! I'm not done! Now my Soldier can attack if he's destroyed a monster this turn! And so I'm having him attack your Rancer Dragonute!"
Maxwell just looked in horror as the sword held by the Black Luster Soldier skewered his smaller dragon. The dragon quickly shattered, which caused Maxwell to cover his eyes once more.
Maxwell LP: 1750
"And that's my turn," Cain stated as Maxwell lowered his head.
"Well…I guess you're a lot stronger than I thought," complimented Maxwell as he drew. "However, I've still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Like this! I play monster reborn to bring back the Blue Eyes White Dragon in my graveyard (3000/2500)!"
In a large flash of light, a second dragon appeared with a loud roar in front of Maxwell. Cain and the Black Luster Soldier stepped backwards as Maxwell lifted two more cards in his hand.
"Now I'll play the spell card, Polymerization!" announced Maxwell as a third blue eyes white dragon appeared. "So I'll fuse the two Blue Eyes with the one in my hand to form…"
"Oh God…" Cain moaned as the three dragons began to absorbed into a vortex.
"Not even he can help you now," chuckled Maxwell as a large silver, three-headed dragon, whose heads were the three Blue Eyes White dragons, shattered the vortex with a loud roar and crashed in front of Maxwell. "Meet the ultimate weapon of destruction, the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800)! And now I know what your little soldier is capable of, so I'll have my dragon attack him right now! Neutron Blast!"
The three heads of the dragon began to charge a single blast in between the three. The black luster soldier quickly raised his shield as the dragon fired the powerful blast of energy. The energy surged around the soldier, till the force was too much for him to bear and shattered him into pixels. The remaining energy crashed into Cain forcing him into the ground, his clothes slightly singed.
Cain LP: 100
"I left you with a scrap of life points…and this face down card," continued Maxwell as a card back appeared behind. "So…still think you can win? Still think that you've got a chance?"
"Of course…I'm Cain Sonryu, the duelist who's bull headed, the duelist who gets mad if you call me…sh…sho…s…short!" Cain stuttered sticking out his tongue. "I feel like I need to wash out my mouth now! Anyway…it doesn't matter how hard you try to hit me nor what the odds are…I've face them a number of times, when I first got into dueling, facing that creep who took Ami away and during my training to learn Duel monsters to get to where I am today. All the suffering, all the pain, and now…all the kindness that was shone to me…I'm not about to lose it all to you right now!"
"Nice speech, I'll have to use that next time I get in front of people," Maxwell applauded as Cain drew. "However, its all for naught…I've got one of the strongest monsters in the entire game and a bonus on life points. I doubt that there's anything that you can do to stop me."
"Where there's a will there's a way!" Cain said as he looked at the card he just drew. "Well, here's something that'll help me! I play Pot of Greed!"
"Two more cards aren't going to make a difference you know!" roared Maxwell as Cain drew two more cards.
"Actually…they are, I play my monster Reincarnation! So I'll discard my third Disciple of the forbidden spell to take back an old friend!" Cain announced as a card shot out of his graveyard. "And I'll summon him! So come on out Chaos Gunner (1450/1000)!"
"Him again? That short weakling will just be obliterated once more!" laughed Maxwell as the Chaos Gunner scowled then loaded his gun.
"Don't forget that my Gunner still has his ability! For each monster removed from play he gains 300 attack points! And that includes yours! And last I counted there's 11!" Cain exclaimed as his Chaos Gunner began to glow a light blue and began to increase his strength (4750/1000).
"That's enough to take out my dragon!" pointed out Maxwell as Cain activated one of his face down cards.
"And in case you had De-Fusion, I play heavy storm!" Cain continued before a powerful windstorm wept across the field destroying all of the spells and traps. "Now I play a card you might be familiar with! Go Collapse it'll cut your Ultimate Dragon's attack in half!"
"What? NO!" yelled Maxwell as his dragon began to shrink to half it original size (2250/3800).
"Let's finish this! GO! Chaos Gunner! Attack with never-ending roulette!" Cain ordered as his Gunner leapt into the air and took aim.
"Nnnnnnnnnoooooooooooo!"
Then the Chaos Gunner fired a rapid amount of energy that instantly collided with the dragon. For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then the almighty dragon shattered into pixels that stabbed Maxwell's body.
Maxwell LP: 0
"Eeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaagggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!" Maxwell screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, Kaiba's deck spilling out of his duel disk.
As Cain turned off his duel disk, the shadow realm around him began to disappear bringing him and Maxwell back to the island. Cain quickly ran over to Maxwell to see that he was still conscious but the eye of Horus was gone.
"I had the best cards…I was only one attack from winning…what happened?" Maxwell asked as Cain picked up the deck.
"You said I didn't know anything about the cards…but look that won," replied Cain as he grabbed Maxwell by the collar. "And now you said I get a prize…I want you to tell me where Ami is and how you know her."
"Ami…I don't know anyone by that name," snickered Maxwell as he slapped away Cain's hand. "The deck shall be returned…but I'll make my escape without anyone knowing my face!"
"Don't be so sure about that!"
Cain and Maxwell turned their heads to see Rioko along with a skinny guy who was a little taller than him emerge from the woods. The strange guy had orange hair that slid to the right side of his face that was being held up by a yellow headband. His clothes were a small black vest, yellow under shirt, and large khaki shorts. A pair of big black shoes and finger-less gloves. In his right hand was a club in the shape of an axe.
"As head of security of Pacific Duelist academy, I Risely," the orange haired guy stated as he walked over to Maxwell. "I'm placing you under arrest for breaking and entering, stealing world class duelist's deck, and issuing a shadow game."
"Very well…Take me in Risely," Maxwell snickered as he put his hands into the air.
"You must be Cain Sonryu…good job, now hand me the deck," said Risely as he held out his hand.
"Fine…" Cain replied as he placed the cards in Risely's hands.
"Good…now it's late you two should head back to your dorm room immediately," Risely ordered as Cain and Rioko walked off.
"So…what happened?" Rioko asked as Cain just slapped his forehead.
"Do…not…ask…" Cain sighed loudly.
"We still up to seeing the deck tomorrow though?" questioned Rioko as Cain just grinned slightly.
"You bet my friend," replied Cain as Rioko stopped in his tracks. "What?"
"That was the first time you called me friend," Rioko stated.
"I guess it was, wasn't it?"
Meanwhile, in the forest…
"Enough of this Risely! The coast is clear!" yelled Maxwell as Risely released Maxwell from his handcuffs. "Please return my cane immediately." Risely then handed Maxwell his cane. "Much better…I see you've grown up quite a lot since the last time I saw you Risely."
"Gee…thanks Maxie!" chuckled Risely scratching the back of his head. "Me and Gron sure have changed these last few years."
"My name is Maxwell you buffoon," sighed Maxwell as he began to walk away. "Now that phase 2 is in process, it's only a matter of time before the President's plan takes hold."
"Right! I'll take care of the deck and set everything up! You don't have to worry about a thing!" laughed Risely as Maxwell sighed loudly.
"I remember you saying that when you took my car to the car wash," sighed Maxwell before disappearing in the shadows. "I'll be heading to Midnight Wood Isle to continue the work the President of the corporation set for me…you have your orders?"
"Of course Maxwell! And the head honcho here should be getting the invite and opportunity to fix the good name of the academy," replied Risely as he ran off towards the card shop.
"Cain Sonryu…I won't forget your name, face, or height," growled Maxwell before he completely disappeared into the darkness.
/-- -- - - - - -- - -- -- -- - - -- - -- //- - -- - - -- - - - - - -- -- -//
Vyser: And there's the next chapter and I hope you all review soon enough!
