Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Ashes was attacked by the spirit of her dead brother while on vacation, but it was only the beginning of a sinister plot by Ramesus to keep CyberV from looking for the Scepter of the Balance. Unknown to anyone, Ramesus sent Dark Shroud to follow Hikari to Domino...
CyberV ran for Mokuba's office as fast as he possibly could, remembering what Ramesus had just told him.
Even as they had hunted for him... Even as Ashes had fought for her very soul against her own brother... Hikari had been in mortal jeopardy.
He reached Mokuba's office and breathed a sigh of relief that he was in.
"MOKUBA!" He paused, panting, trying to catch his breath.
"Hey... What's wrong?!" Mokuba got up to check on CV, who waved him off.
"Got to get a hold of Hikari... She's not answering her cell phone."
"That's not exactly an emergency, you know..."
"Ramesus sent someone after her. He's trying to force her into a shadow game if he hasn't already."
"Oh man... I'll try calling Yugi's grandpa." He speed dialed the number. "Mr Moto, it's Mokuba and... Yes, I see..." There was a pause, and Mokuba hung up.
"Well?"
"...We're too late."
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Arcane Chronicles: Past and Present Danger
Episode 25: Sinister Stalker! Beware the Dark Shroud, Hikari!
Written by: Aaron (CyberV) Thall
Several hours ago...
"HIKARI!" Despite his own self image as a macho tough guy, Joey couldn't help the tears of joy as he scooped up his adopted daughter and gave her the biggest hug any father could give.
"Nice to see you too, Dad... But... I can't... breathe..."
Joey sweatdropped and let go. Hikari immediately elbowed him in the side. "You are SOOOO gullible."
"I shoulda known..." he said, rubbing the spot she'd nailed. "I see that fancy school hasn't softened you up any."
"Me? Soft? Pfft. Never happen." Hikari waved off the notion. "So... Any luck?"
"Gettin' Yugi's deck back? Not yet, but we're workin' on it, so don't you worry. We promised we'd be there to help when the time comes, and you KNOW I always keep my word."
"It's weird though... You'd think Kaiba wouldn't hesitate to give Uncle Yugi back his deck... If only for the challenge."
"Yeah, well when he heard who we wanted ta help..."
Hikari raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Simple. He saw that pal of your's on the news playing Power Rangers with the XYZ Dragon Cannon, and Kaiba flipped his lid!"
Hikari got a mental image of Kaiba screaming at the television and tossing it out of his office and sighed. "He is SUCH a twit..."
"Kaiba or your friend?"
"Choose."
Making a mental note to smack CV upside the head upon her return, she watched as her father grabbed her bags. He strained for a moment.
"What the heck is in these things? ROCKS?!"
"Yes."
"GAH!" Joey flopped. Hikari giggled. Her dad made it WAY too easy.
Watching from the far side of the terminal, Dark Shroud chuckled to himself. If this buffoon was her great protector, Hikari was already as good as his.
He remembered the first time he'd seen her in action, during the initiation duel. She'd been magnificent. True, he knew his fellow teammate Poison harbored feelings for her, but he was foolish enough to think of love.
Dark Shroud merely wanted to possess this vision of perfection, and by the end of the day, he believed that he would.
"And that's how Ikke lost a duel to a rock." Hikari finished her story in-between Joey's snickering.
"Geez, and ta think when I met your pal CV, he seemed almost normal..."
"Yeah... I thought so at first..."
"And did you HAVE to buckle that thing in?" He glanced at a seatbelted Spider-Rock, sitting in the back seat.
"What can I say? LazyMan suggested a buddy system, and none of my other teammates live here."
"But it's just a rock... Right?"
"...It won a duel."
"...Are you SURE that place isn't a mental ward?"
"Yes, Dad..."
"I mean, I've seen some freaky things in my day, but a rock winning a duel's a new one on me."
"Well, it's opponent wasn't very bright, if that helps."
"Oh, it helps..." Joey sighed. Some things weren't worth the effort.
As soon as Hikari had left the airport, Dark Shroud had sprung into action. He hailed a cab, and once he was in it's backseat, he decided to exercise his power.
"Obey." He let his shadow power flow into the cabbie. The man struggled for a moment, then went slack. He lifted his head, almost a zombie. "Now follow her. Lose her and lose your soul, insect."
The cabbie made no response, save to follow his orders.
Hikari grinned with delight as she saw the familiar Kame Game Shop come into view.
"It's good to be back," she said to herself.
"This is your home?" asked Flame Swordsman as he appeared by her side.
She shrugged. 'It is and it isn't. It really Uncle Yugi's home, but it's the next best thing, you know?' She thought her response, so her father wouldn't think her unbalanced.
"I believe I do understand," said Flame Swordsman. "The people within are special to you."
'Yes, very. You know how I came to be my dad's kid, right?'
"Yes, you have told me the tale."
'He and Uncle Yugi taught me almost everything I know about the game. I trained right inside the game shop. It's... It's a special place. And Uncle Yugi's a bonafide hero.'
"Yes, his reputation is known, even in my world. I look forward to meeting him."
Flame Swordsman faded away as Joey parked the car.
"So, Hikari," said Joey, "now that you're back, anything you wanna do?"
"You mean besides beat you in a duel again?"
Joey blushed. "For the last time, I told you I went easy on ya!"
"SUUUURE you did, Dad." She chuckled, but stopped as she saw a familiar vehicle pulling up to the shop. She and Joey unbuckled their belts and exited the car in time to see a most unwelcome face step out of a stretch limo.
The man hadn't aged in ten years. Wearing a sweeping Egyptian styled longcoat of the finest white camelhair, it was surprisingly his eyes which defined him most. His eyes were filled with contempt and hate, and silent mockery of all around him.
He smirked as he saw Joey and Hikari.
"Well well... If it isn't Wheeler and the Prodigal Chimp."
Hikari narrowed her eyes. "Mr. Kaiba..." For obvious reasons, her greeting was cold. She didn't care about the disrespect Kaiba aimed towards her... She was admittedly a duelist in training, and he was one of the best in the world. She figured she'd shut him up one day on the dueling field.
No, what irritated her was that Kaiba had never shown her father, a top ranked and world class duelist, the respect he had earned.
"I see you're back from that Academy already. A vacation, perhaps, or did they realize you were trained by a dueling monkey and throw you out?"
"Holiday break," she said, matter-of-factly. "I'm assuming your MANNERS are on holiday too?"
Kaiba considered that, then laughed silently to himself. "She's got your fire, doesn't she?" he said to Joey. "At least she's gleaned SOMETHING useful off of you."
Joey felt his eye twitch, but Hikari shrugged it off. "I gleaned enough to beat you any day of the week. Care to risk it?"
He brushed off the notion with a wave of his hand. "I don't waste my time by dueling children. I leave that to Mokuba these days. I'm here on far more important matters." He turned away from them and entered the game shop.
"'Important matters'?" asked Hikari.
"You'll see," said Joey. "Come on." They followed Kaiba through the doors. On the other side, it was Duelist heaven. Rare cards everywhere, some of which were legendary in their own time. Hikari especially smiled at the sight of the torn Blue-Eyes that served as the centerpiece of the entire collection. To her, it symbolized the beginning of Uncle Yugi's ascendance to becoming the King of Games, a journey her father had proudly helped with every step of the way.
Of course, Kaiba only had eyes for the King himself, standing at the other side of the room.
"Welcome home, Hikari. We've missed you."
"I missed you too, Uncle Yugi," she said, brushing past Kaiba with intentional rudeness to give him a hug.
"It's good you're here," he said. "After all, my business with Kaiba involves you and your friends."
Realization dawned on her. "You're hoping I can convince HIM to do the right thing? Pfft. As if."
Kaiba crossed his arms. "If I didn't believe that fairy tale about shadow games and Millennium Items from you, Yugi, who on Earth would I believe a girl unfortunate enough to have Wheeler for an idol?"
"She's been LIVING with this threat, Kaiba."
"It's true," she said. "All of it."
"Ridiculous." Kaiba scoffed.
"You wouldn't think so if you had an open mind," said Tea, walking down the stairs. "But then you've always had a problem admitting you might not know everything."
"Kaiba with an open mind? I'd pay good money to see that," added Tristan, right behind Tea.
"Well well. The gang's all here." Kaiba sneered. "It's obvious you're just wasting my valuable time. You signed a contract, Yugi, and I'm holding you to it. The deck stays on display, and that's final."
Kaiba started to turn to leave, but paused as his eyes laid on Hikari.
"Then again..." He smirked. "There might be something YOU can do to convince me..."
Dark Shroud's cab pulled up behind Kaiba's limo.
"Forget," he said to the cabbie, who looked around in a daze, unaware that any time had passed. He would have just stolen the fool's soul, but he wanted his first banishing to be special.
Walking up to the shop's doors, he could see that Kaiba was in negotiations with Hikari's precious clan. No doubt they were trying to regain the deck the King of Games had made famous.
He couldn't allow Kaiba to agree to such an action. Even if it meant endangering his mission.
He paused, thinking about Hikari. Her vibrant red hair, the sparkle in her eyes, the smell of her skin... He'd observed her ever since she'd arrived at the Academy... Oh, how he wanted her all to himself... But no, she had to take the high road and side with the Warrior, one that she had despised, while scorning all who flew under the banner of Evil...
He clenched his fist. If he could not possess her heart, he would happily settle for merely owning her body.
"Oh, hello," said Grandpa Mutou, coming from the back room. "Yugi, have you gotten those olives yet?"
"You want WHAT?!" Hikari was astonished.
"You heard me," said Kaiba. "You do that, and I'll see about returning Yugi's precious deck."
"You have GOT to be kidding."
"I don't kid," said Kaiba. "Do we have a deal?"
"I-" Hikari began to respond, when Flame Swordsman appeared.
"HIKARI! GET OUT NOW!"
"What?"
"GET EVERYONE OUT NOW!"
Even as Flame Swordsman shouted this warning, the windows began to tremble. There was a rolling sound like thunder. Hikari couldn't help but notice a chill in the air. She rushed past everyone and out the door.
"She's right!" exclaimed Yugi, grabbing Tea and his grandfather by the wrists. "HURRY!"
"What is this nonsense?" demanded Kaiba... just before a window shattered. Instinctively, Joey leapt forward, tackling Kaiba and shoving him out of the way of the glass shards. They landed on the floor, and Kaiba immediately shoved Joey off. "Get off of me," he demanded.
Joey glanced at the shards littering the floor. "You're welcome."
Ignoring Joey's point, Kaiba followed Yugi, Tea, and Grandpa out of the store, while Tristan pulled Joey up.
"Something weird's going on here," muttered Tristan.
"Ya THINK?!" yelled Joey before they scrambled out the door.
They arrived to see Hikari glaring at a creepy looking teenager.
"Shroud..." She clenched her fists. "What are you doing here?"
"Such anger..." He sighed. "And after I went through all this trouble to bring you holiday tidings from Ramesus. Bad girl. Daddy's going to have to punish you."
He snapped his fingers, and the sky grew dark.
"What the?!" Joey looked around, knowing the feeling.
"What is this?" demanded Kaiba. "Another parlor trick?"
"It's no trick," said Yugi. "Kaiba, whomever that boy is, he's dragging us into the Shadow Realm!"
"And the King of Games calls it right," said Dark Shroud. "You see, I can't let you return Yugi's deck, Mr. Kaiba... And besides... You needn't worry... I'd never hurt Hikari..."
"Okay, what is with this guy?" demanded Tristan.
"Is it going to rain?" asked a confused Grandpa. Hikari inwardly winced. The last few years had NOT been kind. Grandpa was beginning to suffer Alzheimer's... The Shadow Realm was no place for a man in his condition.
"He's called Dark Shroud," said Hikari. "You could say he's my stalker."
"Stalker?" asked Yugi.
"Yeah. I'm always catching the little freak hunting for trinkets to remind himself of me. But he's never used shadow powers before."
"I've been saving them for a special occasion," said Dark Shroud. "And this is it. You see, we're going to play a Shadow Game... If you win, everyone goes free. If I win, I randomly pick three people here to lose their souls..."
"And if I refuse?"
"I strand all of you here. Well, almost all of you..." He leered at Hikari, making her flesh crawl. "You I'll turn into my own plaything... Your body will be my obedient servant for all of time..."
"I think I may puke," muttered Hikari. "You're a sick puppy, you know that?"
"Yes, Ramesus said as much... It's why I was chosen for the job. And I have this maid's outfit you'd look so good in..."
"HEY! FREAK JOB!" Joey yelled to be heard. "Leave my daughter alone and try me on for size!"
"Be silent!" Dark Shroud gestured, and a bubble appeared around everyone but Hikari. "Now, as my future father in law, I thought you'd be happy. I'll make her very happy... I promise."
"Ugh..." Tea shuddered. "This kid is freaking me out."
"It's just a field spell," reasoned Kaiba.
"If it were, his disk would be active," said Yugi. "This is very real, Kaiba. And I'm afraid that we're in no position to stop him. For now, it's up to Hikari."
"Of course, if you agree to be my obedient doll now, I'll only take YOUR soul."
"I..."
"I'll even let daddy and Uncle Yugi go... After all, with you in my power, they wouldn't dare retaliate."
Hikari could feel herself sweating. She remembered this place from the Monster World. It hadn't improved with age.
"I'll-"
"Duel him," said Yugi, stopping her.
"But if I give up..."
"You can win, Hikari. Take him down. Show him what a true duelist can do with the Heart of the Cards."
"Don't listen to him, Hikari. Be mine. Save your family."
"Oh, I'll save them," said Hikari. "And I'll do it by taking you down." She wasn't surprised as her duel disk appeared on her wrist. She extended it to play mode.
"Very well. I suppose it's for the best, after all. Ramesus would be very cross with me if I came back without the very best of news..." He slipped on his disk and extended it to play mode.
"GAME ON!"
Dark Shroud: 4000
Hikari: 4000
"I'll go first, if you don't mind," said Hikari, drawing.
She looked at her hand. 'I can't afford any mistakes. We lose Uncle Yugi, we might just as well kiss the entire world goodbye!'
"I'll play the spell card Polymerization! It lets me fuse Guardian of the Labyrinth and Protector of the Throne to create the mighty Giltia the D. Knight!" As she said it, the two monsters swirled together to create a powerful warrior on the field.
Giltia the D. Knight: 1850/1500
"And since that was a special summon, I'll also bring out my trusty Jetroid in defense mode!" She placed another monster card on the field, and Jetroid materialized, crouching.
Jetroid: 1200/1800
"That ends my turn."
"If she thinks that silly looking plane is going to save her, she's a bigger fool than you, Wheeler," said Kaiba.
"That silly little plane's a lot tougher'n it looks, Kaiba. Why not pay attention? Ya might LEARN something." Joey glared at Kaiba, barely resisting the urge to slug him.
"Unlikely, but it should be amusing all the same."
"Very well, my dear..." Dark Shroud drew. "And to think, every card I draw brings me one step closer to having you all to myself for all of time..." He sighed, infatuated.
Hikari, for her part, choked down bile at the thought.
"But now, let the onslaught begin! I place one card facedown." A holo card appeared in front of him. "And now I'll play the spell Cost Down." Cost Down appeared.
"We know THAT card all right..." muttered Tristan.
"That's right!" exclaimed Tea. "Kaiba used it in Battle City!"
"And it means Hikari's about to face a powerful enemy indeed," noted Yugi.
"Here's how Cost Down works. I discard one card from my hand..." He inserted a monster card into his graveyard. "And now all the remaining monsters in my hand are downgraded two levels until the end of the turn... Meaning I need make no sacrifice to summon the vicious Vampire Lord!" He placed Vampire Lord in a monster slot, and the bloodsucking menace appeared on the field.
Vampire Lord: 2000/1500
"Now feel his power! Vampire Lord, destroy Giltia with Vampire Bite!" Vampire Lord morphed into a bat and vanished, reappearing behind a surprised Giltia. Before the Knight could respond, Vampire Lord became humanoid again and wrapped his cloak around the monster. There was a scream... then nothing but laughter as Vampire Lord returned to Dark Shroud's side.
Hikari: 3850
Shroud: 4000
"And now Vampire Lord's special ability activates... You have to discard either a monster, spell, or trap from your deck to the graveyard... And I say you should lose a monster."
Hikari winced as she pulled her deck out of her disk and chose Decoyroid, sending the card to the graveyard.
"Sorry, Decoyroid."
Dark Shroud chuckled. "It'll have plenty of company soon enough. But that ends my turn for now, my queen of the night."
"Queen, huh? Prepare to get crowned upside the head!" Hikari drew. "I play the spell Pot of Greed! It lets me draw two new cards!" She did so.
"Draw all you like. It won't save anyone."
"We'll see about that... First, I switch Jetroid to attack mode." Jetroid stood up. "And now I summon Steamroid in attack mode!" A cartoonish train materialized on the field.
Steamroid: 1800/1800
"Now go attack Vampire Lord with Steam Ramming!"
"Foolish," said Dark Shroud. "My Vampire Lord is stronger!"
"He's right," said Kaiba. "She'll only succeed in costing herself life points."
Steamroid rolled forward, ramming into Vampire Lord... Who shattered into pixels.
"But... But how?!" Dark Shroud couldn't believe it.
"Simple. I activated Steamroid's first special ability. When he attacks, his power goes up by five hundred points!"
Steamroid: 1800/1800 +500/0
Hikari: 3850
Shroud: 3700
"A good move. It seems I may have underestimated the power of these silly cartoons." From Kaiba, that was high praise.
"And now, Jetroid! Attack directly with Twin Missile Strike!" Jetroid nodded and fired it's missiles, striking Dark Shroud and staggering him momentarily.
Hikari: 3850
Shroud: 2500
"That'll end my turn." She smirked. "Give it up, freakshow. You're not gonna beat me and I'll never be your girl."
"You won't have any choice!" said Dark Shroud. He drew. "Ah, excellent. I'll play my own Pot of Greed! Two more cards for me!" He drew twice more.
He snickered. "Oh, this couldn't be better." He held up a card. "I play Monster Reborn! Now, I summon from my graveyard the mighty Ultimate Obedient Fiend!" The ground, despite being invisible to all present, trembled all the same as the gigantic monster rose up from behind Dark Shroud.
Ultimate Obedient Fiend: 3500/3000
"I'd say it was impressive," said Kaiba, "If it didn't have a serious weakness."
"That's right," said Yugi. "As long as he has any other cards on his side of the field, the Fiend is incapable of attacking."
"Who said he was staying around?" asked Dark Shroud. "I play the spell Hammer Shot!" A massive mallet appeared in the air over the field. "This card destroys the monster on the field with the highest attack... MY OWN FIEND!" The hammer came down, crushing Ultimate Obedient Fiend into paste.
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Tea was confused. "Isn't that helping Hikari?"
"Yeah, what gives?"
"Watch and learn," said Kaiba. "Or stand around blathering. Either way, this doesn't look good for the Chimp-in-Training."
"What's the deal, Shroud? Why destroy your own monster?"
"Because destroying him lets me activate this spell card... A Deal with Dark Ruler!" The spell card appeared. "You see, to activate it, I had to have a monster of my own of 8 or more stars destroyed. Fiend was ten stars, easily meeting the requirements. And now that Deal is on the field, I can summon from my deck the unstoppable Berserk Dragon!"
Shroud's deck seemed to explode with dark energy, the force alone knocking Hikari back several feet. Slowly, the energy spiraled together, forming a massive undead dragon, the likes of which few had ever seen.
Berserk Dragon: 3500/0
"And for kicks, I'll also summon a monster called Nightmare Horse!" Another card was placed, and a phantasmal steed appeared.
Nightmare Horse: 500/400
Hikari stared at the two monsters with a really bad feeling. She understood the powerhouse dragon, but the Horse had so few attack points. What was the point?
"Berserk Dragon, destroy Steamroid! Infernal Dragon Flame!" Berserk Dragon let loose with black flames, and Steamroid shattered... but not before it's attack points reduced by 500.
Steamroid: 1800/1800-500/0
"I see..." said Kaiba. "It's an excellent attacker, but a weak shield. Perfect for a Wheeler."
"KAIBA..." Joey started to move towards Kaiba, but Tristan held him back.
"Let it go, man. Hikari needs you."
Joey forced himself to calm down. "Sorry, man. You're right. COME ON, HIKARI, STAY TOUGH!"
Hikari: 1650
Shroud: 2500
"Was that... the best... you've got?" She panted. The blast had taken a gigantic chunk out of her life points, and she felt every bit of the damage.
"Only the beginning, my sweet. I reveal my trap card! Vampire's Kiss!" The trap rose up. She could see it was grotesque, showing Vampire Lord draining the blood of a Mystical Elf.
Immediately, Steamroid reappeared... on Shroud's side. But now, it was rusted, falling apart... evil.
"STEAMROID!"
"Zombie Steamroid now," corrected Shroud. "Vampire's Kiss has several effects, which you'll learn as we go along. First, as long as I have a zombie on the field, it cannot be destroyed. Second, as you can see, when a zombie monster destroys one of your creatures... I gain it as a new zombie."
Zombie Steamroid: 1800/1800
"And the other effects?"
"All in due time. But first... NIGHTMARE HORSE! ATTACK HER LIFE POINTS DIRECTLY!" Nightmare Horse galloped forward, running right into Hikari and bypassing Jetroid altogether.
Hikari: 1150
Shroud: 2500
Getting back up, she rubbed her shoulder. 'That HURT! So, the Horse is a direct attacker. That explains a lot. But he's also made a mistake by summoning it. Even my weakest monster could destroy it and take a chunk out of his life points. If I survive the turn, I can bring HIM some pain instead.'
"Now, let's see one of your monsters destroy the other! Zombie Steamroid! Destroy Jetroid! Zombie Rail!" Zombie Steamroid rolled forward, straight at Jetroid. Hikari smirked.
"Big mistake. I activate Jetroid's special ability! Now I can play a trap directly from my hand! GO MAGIC CYLINDER!" Magic Cylinder appeared, sucking up Zombie Steamroid and redirecting him straight at Dark Shroud.
Hikari: 1150
Shroud: 200
"That was nothing," scoffed the Evil Duelist. "Nothing at all. Just like Berserk Dragon's first effect is nothing. A loss of five hundred attack points during each of my end phases is meaningless."
Berserk Dragon: 3500/0-500/0 3000/0
"I end my turn, my love. And my next turn will surely be the last."
"Not happening," said Hikari as she drew. "I play Premature Burial! By paying 800 life points, I can revive Giltia from my graveyard!" Giltia the D. Knight reappeared.
Giltia the D. Knight: 1850/1500
Hikari: 350
Shroud: 200
"Giltia, end the duel by destroying Nightmare Horse! VALIANT DRAGON SPEAR!" Giltia threw his weapon, stabbing Nightmare Horse and shattering it.
Hikari: 350
Shroud: 0
"And that's it."
"SHE DID IT!" exclaimed Tristan. "Way to go!"
"That's my daughter," boasted Joey. "A real champ, just like her old man!"
"No," said Yugi. "Something's wrong. If the duel was over, we would be leaving the Shadow Realm by now."
The smoke cleared from the Horse's demise... to reveal that Zombie Steamroid and Berserk Dragon were still on the field.
"But... How...? The duel's over! You don't have any life points!"
"I said Vampire's Kiss had other effects... It so happens that one such effect, my love, prevents me from losing the duel so long as it's on the field. In addition, now that I have no life points, for every monster on my side of the field, one of your's is destroyed!"
Bats flew out of Vampire's Kiss and engulfed Jetroid and Giltia. When the bats faded away, so did Hikari's monsters.
"Oh no..."
"Oh yes... Now please, finish your turn so that I may claim my prize."
"Oh, I'm not finished yet... I PLAY THE SPELL CARD FISSURE! It destroys the weakest monster on your field!" The ground opened up and swallowed Zombie Steamroid.
"A meaningless and futile gesture," said Dark Shroud. "I still have Berserk Dragon, and he's more than enough to wipe out your remaining life points."
"We'll see..." she muttered. "I place one card facedown and end my turn." A holo card appeared.
"A fighter to the end," noted Shroud. "Perhaps I'll have you wear the policewoman outfit instead..." He drew. "BERSERK, FINISH IT!" Berserk Dragon fired, and Hikari smirked.
"DON'T COUNT ME OUT YET! REVEAL SCAPEGOAT!" Before the astonished eyes of Dark Shroud, four goat tokens appeared. One shattered instantly as the flames hit it.
"I'm far from beaten, you sick psychopath."
"But not as far as you'd think... Berserk Dragon, use your special ability to attack all her remaining tokens!"
To Hikari's horror, the flames spread, destroying all her Scapegoats.
"I'll end my turn, but only because there's nothing you can do. Strike at me all you want. You'll still lose the second I get in any hit at all."
Berserk Dragon: -500 2500/0
'He's right. The only card I have is the one I'm about to draw. Whatever it is, it's my final move.'
"Be strong. Have faith." She could see Flame Swordsman cheering her on.
"Believe in the heart of the cards," said Yugi. "They will guide you to victory."
Hikari nodded. "If you believe in my deck... SO DO I!" She drew. And smiled as she looked at her final play.
"I SUMMON TIME WIZARD!" A clockwork wizard appeared.
Time Wizard: 500/400
"Here's how it works. Time Wizard will either destroy your monsters, and thus Vampire's Kiss... Or himself, which would wipe out my life points. If it comes up skulls, you win. If it's the time machine, I win. It's just that simple."
Dark Shroud looked at Time Wizard's staff. "The odds are against you. The chances are two out of three you'll lose."
"Better a slim chance than no chance at all! GO TIME WIZARD! IT'S UP TO YOU!"
Time Wizard raised his staff, and the clock hand began to spin.
"Come on, Time Magic..."
"Relying on luck. A sign of a weak and desperate duelist. She has a lot to learn before she'll get anywhere in the game." Kaiba sneered. He was tired of this idiocy.
"Did right by me," countered Joey. "And Hikari's got the Wheeler luck!"
"Is that the same luck you relied on when you tried to prove to that mob you were the Godfather of Dueling?" Tristan sweatdropped.
"It's slowing down," said Yugi. "In a moment, this will all be over, one way or another."
"Prepare to be my eternal plaything," said Shroud.
The watch hand slowed... went past the time machine... then a skull... another skull... Before stopping on the second time machine.
"I win." said Hikari.
"TIME MAGIC! TIME MAGIC!" Time Wizard activated his staff, and before Dark Shroud's horrified eyes, Berserk Dragon began rotting away. Chunks fell off the beast as it was reduced to sludge.
"And now that you have no zombies on the field," said Hikari, "Vampire's Kiss is history!" The trap card shattered, and Time Wizard faded away.
Instantly, the Shadow Realm began to disappear as well, as they returned to the real world.
"That was a short night," noted Grandpa, forcing Tea to sigh. The bubble around the group faded away as well.
"It's over, Shroud. Now leave." Hikari pointed at the villain to shoo him away.
"NO! IT'S NEVER OVER! I'LL MAKE YOU MY DOLL ANYWAY!" He leapt at her, ready to force her mind from her body.
He got within two feet before a dark garbed figure ran out and slugged him in the face, knocking him aside with ease.
Hikari blinked, unable to believe who it was that had just come to her aid.
"YOU!"
Her rescuer nodded. "At your service." Poison said it with bravado, the same that he used when performing illusions.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"My job." He glared at Dark Shroud as he got up.
"You... You traitor... Ramesus'll hear of this!"
"No. He won't. You lost a shadow game, now pay the price. PENALTY GAME! DESPAIR DOLL!" The world went negative for Dark Shroud... And his mind went blank.
Poison took a step back as Shroud stood ramrod straight.
"Shroud, wipe all memory of the Academy, Hikari, and me from your mind. Forget dueling. Return to your normal life and never bother anyone again."
"Yes sir." said Shroud, obviously in a deep trance. He turned almost robotically began walking away.
When he was gone, Hikari turned towards him.
"What do you mean you're doing your job?"
"Simple. I guess it's time you knew anyway. CyberV and I have a little arrangement. I watch your back when he can't."
"But... you're one of the bad guys."
"Doesn't mean I can't be a nice guy when I want to."
"Waitaminute..." said Joey. "Yeah, I know you! You're the weirdo we heard about in the video meeting! Poison!"
"You knew?" asked Hikari.
"We did," said Yugi. "We've known for a while. Poison, I thank you for your help."
"Don't. I did it for her. Not you." His voice and eyes were cold. "I still have a score to settle with you someday."
"What do you mean?"
"He's Arcana's son," said Hikari. "He blames you for the loss of his father."
"Arcana... Yes, I remember that duel well. I regret I couldn't save him."
"Regret?" Poison scoffed. "YOU DESTROYED HIM!"
"And if I could bring him back to you, I would," said Yugi. "But I can't. But I can return something to you instead, if you'll come inside." He gestured to the store.
He looked Yugi in the eyes. "You've got five minutes."
Joey, Tristan, and Tea got to work sweeping up the glass as Grandpa went to answer the phone. Kaiba stood there, disinterested, only remaining to see his bargain with Hikari played though.
"Hello? ...Oh yes, it's good to hear from you and... Hikari? It's for you."
"Yeah. Mokuba? You're a little late. Yeah, I handled it. No sweat."
"We're too late..." said Mokuba.
"Hikari..."
"We're too late, and she's already wiped the floor with Dark Shroud!"
"YES!" CV pumped his fist into the air, elated.
"SHE WON! SHE WON!" Rocket Warrior cheered, rocketing around the room while Red-Eyes growled softly and caught him in an attempt to calm him down. "Oh, sorry big guy."
CV took the phone. "Glad you're okay."
"Same here. You coulda told me about Poison."
"...Poison?"
"My knight in tarnished armor?"
CV sweatdropped. "Eheh..."
"I appreciate the thought, but I can take care of myself."
"I know, but nothing beats insurance. Hikari, Ramesus can't learn about Poison."
"I know. His secret's safe with me. Listen... There's someone here that wants to talk to you. Can you hang on for a sec?"
"Sure."
There was a pause.
"Hello?"
"Well," said Kaiba. "So YOU'RE the little idiot making a mockery of my XYZ Dragon Cannon..."
"Seto?" asked Mokuba.
"Mokuba, I suggest you leave. This is going to take a while." Kaiba's tone would brook no disobedience.
"Sorry, CV. You're on your own." Mokuba wisely ducked out of his office.
"Now be fair, Mr. Kaiba," said CV. "It's not like I meant disrespect..."
"If I ever catch you disgracing them again, I'll track you down and make your life a living nightmare..."
"You're gonna use Ed Wood movies on me?"
Hikari winced as she heard Kaiba start a tirade against CyberV. With the dork's ability to turn a phrase, she had a feeling that Kaiba'd be in for one aggravating phone call.
"AND STOP CALLING THEM ZORDS!"
Hikari snickered.
"Hikari," said Joey. "That was cruel."
"Hey, we had to get Uncle Yugi's deck back somehow... CV'll survive."
"I'LL RUIN YOU, YOU LITTLE PUNK!"
"...I think..." Hikari looked around the store. She saw Yugi coming down from upstairs. "Hey, where's Poison?"
"He's gone," said Yugi.
"Gone? Already?"
"Yes."
"So, what'd you give him?"
Poison walked away from the Kame Game Shop looking at the card in his hand. He fought back a tear as he remembered how special it was.
As he moved towards his home, he cradled the Red Dark Magician that was once his father's, and felt like he'd just reclaimed a part of his own soul...
"Hikari," said Yugi. "Take this." He held out two envelopes. "One is for you, the other is for your friend... Assuming Kaiba leaves him in any shape to duel again."
Hikari took them. "What are they?"
"Gifts from... a friend. They'll help the two of you in the coming battle."
She looked out the broken window towards the setting sun.
"I have a feeling we're gonna need them..."
Ramesus opened his eyes and scowled. He could sense Dark Shroud's failure. It would be the work of an instant to undo the penalty game that now bound his mind, but it wasn't worth the effort. The fool had failed, and spectacularly so.
He deserved his fate.
Instead, Ramesus focused on a single card. Through the power of shadow magic, he drew one of Shroud's cards to him. As it materialized, he smiled.
Vampire's Kiss would be a worthy addition to his own deck.
"But first things first," he said to himself. "This holiday of horrors isn't done quite yet..."
He turned away from his desk... Where a picture of Big Andy laid... with a letter opener stabbed through it...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time: Mikey's Revenge! Get Big Andy!