Infernity Mirage

Edited 14 October 2012: The Level Eater error. I have no idea about Mezuki, though...

XXXIV: Temple of the Kings

A journey was an unusual thing, one finds sometimes. There is hard work, there is getting over oneself to crawl up and continue onwards, and there is many more things to drag yourself there, and sometimes you wonder if you make any progress at all. Then, finally, when you finally stand at the last leg of the journey, you feel so awed but you need to press on... though, pressing on is easier once you have decided to take the first step.

"The Temple of the Kings... our final destination..." Rex hissed.

"But it's crawling with shitty zombies," Satsuki noted. "I say we go wild."

"No, most likely they can hold out longer than we can besiege them," Shimotsuki intervened. "Is there any way into the temple itself...?"

"Those with big monsters can stay outside to distract them, I think..." Ayame volunteered. "Then, the rest can sneak in..."

"Ryuuki, you lead the charge in," Shimotsuki decided. "The people who will go with you are Ayame, Kaido, Chase, Rex and Ryuusei. We'll distract the zombies first before following you in."

"Yeah!" we all nodded, knowing what to do.

"I wonder if my skills can still keep up," the Professor mused as he pulled his deck. "Let's begin."

"What?" the cry rang out as we appeared. "Intruders!"

"Winter sweeps the land as the epilogue begins," Shimotsuki chanted. "Its icy clutches upon the earth make themselves apparent. Synchro summon! Ice spear of the one-eyed, Gungnir, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"

With a roar, an icy two-headed dragon appeared in all-consuming icy glory.

"Go!"

The five of us charged in as the rest of them began to summon their own monsters to fight, leaping past the elaborate arches to enter a wide hallway decorated in hieroglyphs that Kaido stared fascinated at until we were stopped by them... the first of the Duellists.

"I am Crow Goblin, and I shall not let you pass," the bird-headed creature growled as we ignored him and ran on. "Oi! You-!"

I gasped as the sword he flung almost hit.

"I'll take care of him," Ryuuki snarled, turning back. "Charge on!"

"Got it!" Kaido hurriedly dragged us on, past many narrow escapes via traps to the second one.

"Yohohoho," the Skull Conductor laughed. "Will you be glad to sing with me? The requiem of your deaths, that is. Young lady... may I see your panties?"

"I'll take care of him, go!" Ayame called.

"Huh?" I yelled as Ryuusei pushed me onwards.

The third Duellist...

"You're all rather boring," the Vampire Lord drawled as it reclined. "Not that I'm complaining too much, but... aren't there more classy people with you?"

"Ryuusei, Chase, Kaido, I'm leaving him to you," Rex smirked as he stepped up, unlocking his DuelDisk.

Screams echoed down as we ran.

"What was that?" I muttered.

"I really don't want to know," Kaido honestly answered as we entered a great hall, almost circular in shape, but with a grand altar at the far end. In the centre of the spacious room was a sunken structure, almost like a stone bowl, and in it was a trussed-up figure of Misawa Daichi.

"Misawa-san!" I called, about to approach.

"No, don't come over!"

I backed away right as the will o' wisps sparked up to light the room, Youkai draped over one seat of the stairs leading up to the huge altar, his white hair sleek, and his crimson eyes curiously flat.

"So you are here," the Lord of Pandemonium, now in elaborate fighting robes and armour, murmured. "You have guessed my purpose?"

"Altar for Tribute..." Kaido noted. "That looks like a Mystik Wok... are you that starved for life points?"

"It is more than that, I assure you," the Lord answered. "Welcome, you are here to see the ritual by which I will ensure myself a new body unto perpetuity."

"Huh?" I blinked. "You... are not that bastard.." why did my heart feel so light upon realising that?

"Patience, patience," the not-Youkai laughed with careless grace. "Shall I tell you all a story first?"

"Chase-kun?" Misawa-san called. "It's my fault... I'm sorry... I came here before."

"A long time ago, this guy entered this temple," the Lord of Pandemonium chuckled. "He was caught, and never did he realise the curses placed and he shed blood here, right in this Mystik Wok. From that blood, I found a flourishing human bloodline in a world full of light, where shadows can spread all the more. There were quite a few mishaps, but I finally managed to create quite a body. Powerful, enchanting, Misawa Nowaki was quite a happy accident. I grew on the darkness of his heart from the loneliness of his powers, and from there the trigger of my release was when he finally unlocked the key and leapt between worlds. I would have preferred to feed on the malice of Misawa Ryokai, but that failed experiment doesn't quite have what I want."

"What exactly do you want?" Kaido voiced out as he looked about. "Even if you offer Misawa Daichi, how does this-" he cut off. "Altar for Tribute, Mystik Wok... Ultimate Offering?"

"Very good, I salute you," the Lord of Pandemonium laughed. "As a Reincarnation Spirit, I will return every generation, but, when this host body dies, I am forced to search for another host to be born in once more. I would miss the generations until I found a suitable host. Well, by a happy accident, I have found the solution to my obstacle to existence. By sacrificing this man, who turned his back upon the human world for the spirit world, I shall bind myself to his bloodline forever, and so ensure that I am reincarnated each and every generation when this mortal body dies!"

"So... Youkai's looks... Ryokai's madness... Misawa Idaten, Misawa Benten... were they all your fault?" I growled, hating this demon wearing someone else's skin. "Humans aren't your meat puppets!"

"Your opinion doesn't quite matter, does it?" the Lord of Pandemonium was laughing as he pulled a simple leaf-blade knife to cut at Misawa-san, drawing a thin stream of blood. "Look!"

Bright red light burst from where the blood dropped onto smooth black stone, as the scene changed and dark mist gathered, right as the Lord of Pandemonium pulled a familiar loop of gold into one hand. "Lord of darkness, the sacrifice has been offered. Come!"

Ryuusei and I backed away as dark mist flooded in from everywhere, shrouding the entire temple until only the burning torches illuminating it were mere spheres of light, and then on the throne of gold, he appeared.

Toned, dark skin, contrasting against a white shenti laced with purple, complete with an ensemble of gold jewellery that looked like a horse could choke on all of them, complete with solid gold collar with little hanging ornaments that clinked quietly, though really, that much jewellery should make more noise. A cloak of royal purple graced his shoulders, and a gold crown bore the Wdjat Eye over his forehead, locks of red, black and blond spiking out from over. Crimson eyes gave a narrow glare from which this king-like being regarded us, as nothing more than common people who should know their place before a living god.

It was a while before this intimidating being spoke, and when he did it was with a voice as velvety and as sinful as the dark itself.

"I do prefer modern wear, after all."

The shadows dove, and the Egyptian royal outfit changed to skin-tight black leather that was just this side of sexy without being over-the-top. The jewellery remained, but some changed to moonlit silver that matched perfectly. It also made him look more like a certain person...

Yes, I was probably drooling, and dropping bi-curious to bi-sexual if not fully embracing it. If you had seen him, so would you.

"I presume then that you have a wish?" this... yami... murmured. "A pity, the Lord of Pandemonium."

"Is it necessary to voice that?" the Lord of Pandemonium reasoned.

"I see you managed to find a body that matched your old one perfectly," the yami spoke neutrally. "And the children behind you seem to be the trial of fate. This ritual will require the energy of the battles you face. Well, then shall we begin? Three against one, with the one gaining three times the life as used. Each side can use their cards to support each other on the field, and if any one from each side loses, their remaining cards on the field can still be used by the players. Winner takes all, in this case... the Lord of Pandemonium would gain his bloodline bond, and you three... do you have a wish?"

"The Marks of the Millennium Items, release us, please," Ryuusei answered. "None of us wanted to kill each other! We just wanted to rescue Misawa-san and Youkai-sempai!"

"...I understand," the yami waved a hand as the centre cleared, Misawa Daichi reappearing beside the yami, no longer seeming to bleed. "Both sides place your lives at stake, along with the additional prize to be won. This ritual will be a Duel."

"Heh," a dark DuelDisk appeared on the Lord's arm. "I will show you, a Duel of darkness..."

"Please do not predict your future even before we begin the reading," Kaido remarked as he pulled his own.

"We'll save Misawa-san!" Ryuusei unlocked his own DuelDisk.

In three seconds I had my own out. "I still have words with that bastard, so I'll have to beat you to get to him!"

"Duel!" We all called.

Lord: LP 12000

Ryuusei: LP 4000

Kaido: LP 4000

Chase: LP 4000

"I'll begin, draw!" the Lord of Pandemonium cackled. "I summon Crow Tengu [1400/1200]!" A loud screech echoed and a black blur shot out, with several black feathers scattering. The blur formed into a large crow like man flying over the road wearing a black Japanese robe over its large body.

"I'll set two cards and end my turn," he cackled. "Well, it's your turn."

"Draw!" Ryuusei ordered. "I summon Lonefire Blossom [500/1400] to the field! Now I tribute it-"

"Hold it! Trap card, Fires of Shiranui!" he called. "Now, neither player can send monsters they control to the grave except by destruction."

"...I see," Ryuusei considered. "I play the Spell, Foolish Burial, to send Tytannial the Princess of Camellias to the grave, and then I play the Spell, Monster Reborn! Revive, Tytannial!"

The red-dressed princess [2800/2600] appeared, looking incredibly cheesed off.

"Now I set a card, turn end," Ryuusei called.

"My turn, draw!" Kaido called. "I summon Amores of Prophecy [600/2000] in defence mode, and then I reveal Spellbook of Secrets in my hand to special summon Justice of Prophecy [1600/800] to the field. I activate Spellbook of Secrets to move Spellbook of Wisdom to my hand. Because I played a Spellbook Spell card this turn, I can move a level five or higher Light or Dark Attribute Spellcaster and a Spellbook Spell from my deck to my hand during the end phase by banishing Justice of Prophecy from the field."

"Nice!" Ryuusei grinned.

"Turn end!" Kaido called.

"Draw!" I considered my options. "Well, I play the Spell, Bullet and Cartridge, so I mill the top four cards of my deck and draw a card before I place this Spell on top of my deck. If I draw it, then it's sent to the grave. I play the Spell, Into the Void, to draw a card, and at the end of my turn I must discard my entire hand to the grave. I set three cards and play the Spell, Contract of the Void, allowing me to discard all cards in my hand and then special summoning Infernity General [2700/1500] to the field. Since this is the first round of battle royale, none of us can attack, so turn end."

"Draw!" he had the gall to smirk even after crippling our Synchros... "Well, I summon Gozuki [1700/800]. Now I use his effect to send Mezuki from my deck to my grave. Now I play Card Destruction, and I trust I have no need to elaborate on its effect, even though we have someone who would not benefit from it... sad, but true. I activate Call of the Haunted to special summon Onmoraki [1200/1000] to the field, and thus draw one card. Now I play the Spell, Magic Planter, to send Call of the Haunted to the grave and thus destroy Onmoraki in exchange for drawing two cards. I set two cards, turn end."

"Draw!" Ryuusei called. "I summon Card Trooper [400/400] and then I mill three cards to increase its attack by five hundred per card until the end phase [400/400 → 1900/400]. Card Trooper, attack Crow Tengu!"

"Ah!" the Lord of Pandemonium flinched. "Ah well, trap activate, Card of Last Will. When one of my monsters is destroyed by battle, I can draw until I have five cards in my hand."

Lord: LP 12000 → LP 11500

Ryuusei: LP 4000

Kaido: LP 4000

Chase: LP 4000

"Tytannial, attack Gozuki!" Ryuusei called.

"Hmph," he scoffed as Tytannial made short work of it.

Lord: LP 11500 → LP 10100

Ryuusei: LP 4000

Kaido: LP 4000

Chase: LP 4000

"So, with that- eh?" Ryuusei blinked as Gozuki reappeared on the field.

"Mezuki allows me to special summon him at the cost of banishing Mezuki from the grave," the Lord pointed out.

"Turn end, and Card Trooper returns to its original attack [1900/400 → 400/400]," Ryuusei relented.

"Draw!" Kaido called. "I reveal Spellbook of Power, Spellbook of Wisdom, and Spellbook of Goethe to special summon from my hand the High Priestess of Prophecy [2500/2100]!" The white-robed magician appeared. "Now, I activate Spellbook of Power to increase her power by one thousand [2500/2100 → 3500/2100]! Go, High Priestess, destroy Gozuki!"

"Trap card, Kitsune Trickery," the Lord of Pandemonium sighed as Gozuki vanished in a swirl of leaves. "By discarding a Zombie Type monster from my deck to the grave, I can prevent the destruction of Gozuki at the cost of stil taking battle damage."

"Well, I activate Spellbook of Wisdom to make her immune to traps," Kaido sullenly continued. "Then, I'll continue with my real aim... Goethe Spellbook, activate!"

"What?" we blinked.

"Goethe Spellbook has three effects, depending on how many Spellbook Spells I banish for this effect," Kaido continued. "By banishing three Spellbook Spell cards, I can banish one card you control, that exceedingly troublesome Fires of Shiranui!"

"What?" he spluttered as his trap cracked.

"Awesome, Kaido!" I yelled.

"Yeah, we can finally Synchro summon!" Ryuusei grinned.

"Turn end!" Kaido called.

"Draw!" I now called. "Because of Bullet and Cartridge, I discard the card I just drew. Now, Infernity General, attack Gozuki!"

"Ah, that's no fun," he shrugged. "Gozuki was summoned in defence, so I take no damage. Draw!"

He laughed as he drew. "I send Skull Conductor from hand to grave to special summon Spirit Reaper [300/200] and Gozuki [1700/800] from the grave. By the effect of Gozuki, I discard a Zombie Type monster from deck to grave. Now, I tribute both Gozuki and Spirit Reaper to special summon from the grave Nine-Tailed Fox [2200/2000]!"

Nine tails swirled as the magnificent fox appeared on the field, glaring at all of us with such hate.

"My normal summon will be on Zombie Master [1800/0]," the Lord of Pandemonium dictated. "Now, I discard a monster to the grave to special summon a level four or lower Zombie, such as Skull Conductor [2000/0] himself."

Kaido gulped as those flat crimson eyes settled on him.

"My Nine-Tailed Fox is capable of piercing effects," the face twisted. "Go, my Nine-Tailed Fox! Fox Fire!"

Kaido screamed as the flames burned at him.

Kaido: LP 4000 → LP 3800

Lord: LP 10100

Ryuusei: LP 4000

Chase: LP 4000

"Thirty-eight hundred points left," the Lord of Pandemonium smirked at the paling Kaido. "Let's find out. Skull Conductor, Zombie Master, direct attack!"

"Kaido!" I yelled as Kaido was run through by the two zombies.

"Kaido-san!" Ryuusei called.

Kaido: LP 3800 → LP 2000 → LP 0

Lord: LP 10100

Ryuusei: LP 4000

Chase: LP 4000

"Che..." Kaido cursed as he began to dissolve into gold dust. "Guess this is the end of me... sorry..."

"Kaido!" I called as the man just... faded out.

"By the end of the battle phase, Skull Conductor is destroyed." the Lord relayed in a monotone. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"You... don't you feel any guilt at all?" Ryuusei glared at the Lord of Pandemonium now.

"Should I?" the Lord of Pandemonium seemed honestly perplexed. "That's why humans are so weird. So he died. And? Humans die. That's what they do."

"You don't care even if you were in a human body...?" Ryuusei growled.

"I don't care," the Lord of Pandemonium honestly answered. "Things happen for a reason, after all. It's just like my very existence is chaos itself. I do what I like, and every one of my followers do this. Why would I consider his death relevant to me?"

I grew cold and numb at this attitude, that finalised once and for all that this was not Youkai, but rather a sociopathic monster masquerading at Youkai.

"My turn, draw!" Ryuusei called. "I tribute Lonefire Blossom to special summon Spore [400/800] from my deck to the field! Now, I use the effect of Card Trooper to mill three cards again. I milled a Dandylion, so I get two Fluff Tokens. Tuning, level one Spore to two Tokens. Evening shades envelop the world; herald of the night, shine. Take flight, Twilight Rose Dragon!"

With a caw, the minuscule dragon [500/1400] appeared.

"Now, I summon the tuner monster, Debris Dragon [1000/2000]," Ryuusei declared. "Tuning, level three Card Trooper to level four Debris Dragon. Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set in bloom! Synchro summon, appear now, Black Rose Dragon!"

A storm of petals kicked up, the actual force buffeting us as Ryuusei's power manifested it even further [2400/1800].

"Tuning, level seven Black Rose Dragon, to level three Twilight Rose Dragon," Ryuusei continued. "Farewell, glorious sun; flower of the night, bloom! Accel Synchro! From the darkness greet me, Night Rose Dragon!"

Black wings spread, the majestic dragon appeared again [3000/2500].

"From the grave, I banish Glow-up Bulb and Hedge Guard to destroy those two face-down cards!" Ryuusei barked.

"Well, trap card, Ghostly Reinforcements!" the Lord cackled. "I pay one thousand points to special summon two level four or lower Zombies like Crow Tengu and Gozuki! When Crow Tengu is special summoned from the grave, I can destroy a card, like that Night Rose Dragon!"

"Trap card, Black Horn of Heaven!" Ryuusei panted. "The special summon of Crow Tengu is negated!"

Lord: LP 10100 → LP 9100

Ryuusei: LP 4000

Chase: LP 4000

"Still, now you have no set cards," Ryuusei continued. "Night Rose Dragon's effect, once per turn I can halve the attack and defence of a monster you control, like Nine-Tailed Fox [2200/2000 → 1100/1000]! Go, Night Rose Dragon, Witching Obscurity!"

"Gah!" the Lord of Pandemonium hunkered down as the fix was destroyed. "When Nine-Tailed Fox is destroyed and sent from the field to the grave, I gain two Fox Tokens [0/0] in defence mode."

"Tytannial, take out his Zombie Master! Show him our hate!" Ryuusei barked as the princess charged.

Lord: LP 9100 → LP 7200 → LP 6200

Ryuusei: LP 4000

Chase: LP 4000

"Heh," the not-Youkai remarked flatly as Tytannial destroyed the monster."You... hate me?"

"Of course!" Ryuusei snapped back. "You... don't you know the pain of losing friends?"

"No," the Lord of Pandemonium murmured. "Comrades, maybe, but... not for long. Not enough to actively seek revenge. I guess this is the sad human mentality. My servants would always return from the grave, no matter how long, so I will see them again. It does not matter, death, that is."

"You..." I murmured, feeling sorry for someone who had lived and died so many times already that death must be familiar to him.

"In here, those who die can be reborn if they win the Dark Game," the yami spoke up. "All their side has to do is win."

"So... if we win, we get Kaido-san back?" Ryuusei asked.

"Precisely," the yami nodded. "It depends on who wins. The Dark Game..."

"Then... turn end," Ryuusei concluded.

"Draw!" I called. "Infernity General, take out his Gozuki with Hell Charge!"

Lord: LP 6200 → LP 5200

Ryuusei: LP 4000

Chase: LP 4000

"Oh?" he spoke lightly as his monster was destroyed. "Did you finally get a dead draw?"

"Nope, I activate the trap, Infernity Inferno to discard this card and one Infernity card from my deck to the grave," I smirked as the card went. "So now I'm still handless. Turn end."

"Draw," he boredly studied the card. "Oh, thank you, I tribute both Fox Tokens to summon Red Ogre [2800/2100], so by discarding two cards I can bounce two monsters to your hand, like Tytannial and Night Rose Dragon, Ryuusei!"

"What?" Ryuusei twitched as both monsters winked out.

"Of course, it only works when Red Ogre is normal summoned," he shrugged. "But... I play the Spell, Card of Demise, the draw up to a hand of five. In five turns, I must discard my entire hand then. I play my own copy of Monster Reborn on Zombie Master, and I discard a card to special summon Skull Conductor once more. Then I activate Double Summon to summon Shutendoji [1500/800]. I use the effect of Shutendoji to place the banished Mezuki at the top of my deck. I have four monsters, and you have none."

My breath caught at the implications...

"Let's begin. Everyone, direct attack."

"Ryuusei!" I yelled. "No, you-!"

"Chase... you can get past to Youkai-sempai... that's why, I'm leaving it to you," Ryuusei gave me a wan smile right as the mace hit him in a shower of gold.

Ryuusei: LP 4000 → LP 1200 → LP 0

Lord: LP 5200

Chase: LP 4000

"Ryuusei!" I yelled, sniffing. "You... you... I'll frigging kill you!"

I had glared, right into flat crimson eyes again, and I saw it. From the abyss stared back...

Chase? It's so dark here, I can't reach my cards, I can't see anything... please...

"What was that?" the Lord of Pandemonium spoke as we both snapped out of the trance, Skull Conductor shattering once more. "You... I see. I set two cards and play the Continuous Spell, Everliving Underworld Cannon, turn end. Take your last turn..."

I was shivering now before this intimidating man...

"Is there a point?" the man asked.

That... little... he is going down. Ryuusei's set card... my draw...

"Draw!"

"Activate Call of the Haunted to special summon Crow Tengu and destroy Infernity General. Everliving Underworld Cannon also inflicts six hundred damage."

Chase: LP 4000 → LP 3200

Lord: LP 5200

I almost wept. "I summon Infernity Mirage [0/0]! Now I tribute Infernity Mirage to special summon from my grave Infernity Demon [1800/1200] and Infernity Necromancer [0/2000]! I use Demon's search effect to play an Infernity Launcher, then I use Necromancer's revival effect to recover the tuner monster, Infernity Avenger [0/0]! Tuning, level four Demon and level three Necromancer to level one Avenger! When the dead and the living meet at zero, above the cage of eternity, the demonic dragon comes out! Synchro summon! Come forth, Infernity Death Dragon!"

Its brain was visible, the dragon [3000/2400] blinked as it roared to the skies.

"I activate my set card, Enemy Controller to move your Red Ogre to defence mode," I muttered. "Then, Ryuusei's card... I activate it! Blind Spot Strike! Your Red Ogre's defence power is added to my Infernity Death Dragon's attack power [3000/2400 → 5100/2400]!"

"Five thousand?" the Lord of Pandemonium scoffed. "But, even if you deal with my monsters, I'll still have life points..." He went silent as a spectre holding a sceptre appeared.

"Forget your monsters," I growled. "I'm dealing with you personally. Infernity Queen's effect in the grave allows Void Ogre Dragon to attack directly... but, I'm not going to use that."

"You're not...?" he stumbled over the words.

"I use Infernity Death Dragon's effect to destroy Shutendoji and inflict half its attack to you as damage," I announced as my dragon did as instructed.

Lord: LP 5200 → LP 4450

Chase: LP 3200

"Trap card open, Shock Wave," I muttered. "I destroy Void Ogre Dragon and we both take damage equal to its attack."

"But... you'll die too..." he was still staring at me.

"Don't worry, that just means that I have a friend waiting. I'll just bring you down with me for now..."

Infernity Death Dragon was rumbling as its black flames hit both of us, and I felt what was five thousand damage first-hand.

Lord: LP 4450 → LP 0

Chase: LP 3200 → LP 0

Never again, dammit...!

"Chase..." long fingers were scrabbling for mine as I felt only the pain, pain and more effing pain, and everything just damned hurt-!

"Chase!"

"Princeton-san!"

"Chase! Are you alright!"

"Please, mou hitori no boku!" Yuugi's voice broke through. "You're the yami here, aren't you? You can save them!"

"I have no interest in saving someone still alive. If you want something from me, mou hitori no ore, you have to pay the price."

"I'll do it. Just... please..."

The Eye of Wdjat glowed, the last sight I saw as crimson eyes bore down at me.

"Contract sealed."

Everything was a blur, a flurry of activity...

"We're alive...?"

"The gate... that's our way back!"

"Jii-chan, let's go home...!"

"I'm sorry... Ryuuki..."

A push, a shove and the feeling of falling-

"Jii-chan!"

-finally, sweet darkness.

Kitsune Trickery / Normal Trap / Effect:

This card can only be activated when a Zombie-Type monster would be destroyed as a result of battle. Negate that monster's destruction (battle damage still applies). When this is done, send one Zombie-type monster card in your deck to the graveyard.

Image: A small Fox Fire immediately vanishing in a cloud of leaves.

Invented by Lux-Nero in his fic Shadowchasers: Risen Nemesis.

The end of the second arc, finally!

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