Chapter 37: Inner Darkness
{Maiami City Duel Stadium: July 21st, 2014, 11:45am}
The entire stadium was packed as it had been the last few days, people buzzing as the qualifiers for the final round of the tournament was going on now, and things had become quite challenging. Yuya stood nearby, looking at the roster of Duelists who had already passed their duels and would be continuing onto the next round. Hokuto Shijima, the Constellar Duelist from LDS, had won his duel with little trouble, and a person by the name of Tsukikage Fuuma and his brother Hikage Fuuma would be going on to the finals, both having hailed from the Fuuma Dueling School, one that Yuya had heard briefly about when someone chose to mention Ninjas once during school earlier in the year. Sighing, he looked at who was still on the waiting list to duel and at the roster of those who would be competiting in the finals with a little bit of frustration.
"So, the qualifiers have begun, but some of the Duelists have at least one additional duel before they truly qualify. Seems like we're uneven, so that must be why some of the duelists have an extra duel..." Yuya heard Yuto sigh through the mental link that they had discovered the day before.
"Probably because I dropped out of this tournament to be the eyes and ears on the outside..." Yuya tilted his head.
"You were gonna be in the tournament?" the other nodded.
"I was, but... I like I said, someone needed to be the eyes and ears on the outside... and I was worried about people thinking I was you and then something blowing up in all of our faces because of how similar we look," Yuto pointed out.
"Fair point... let's see... Hokuto has one more duel that he has to win, and I think after mine this afternoon, I'm in the clear... but up next is Yaiba. Hmm... his opponent is Isao Kachidoki from the Ryozanpaku Duel School..." Yuto narrowed his eyes as he appeared next to Yuya.
"That guy is serious trouble... let me tell you that much... he's not to be trusted..." Yuya glanced his way.
"What makes you say that?" Yuto growled.
"Look at his eyes... their vile... full of unrelenting darkness and hatred..."
"Yuya! Come on! Yaiba's duel is about to start!" scarlet-eyes looked to the pink-haired girl near him.
"Coming Yuzu!" the boy started towards her and soon they were heading towards their seats.
Gongenzaka had dueled just before this duel, having taken down the Phantasmagoric Duelist Yuuzou Tanegashima from the Surprise Duel School in no time flat, seeing past his tricks as if they were child's play while Yuya had spent the entire duel attempting to keep himself from laughing to the point that he felt as though he couldn't breathe. The duelist had claimed that he knew real magic, knowing how to combat Gongenzaka's method of dueling, but he had proven in no time to be a breeze for the giant of a teenager to steamroll by getting right through his stage magic.
Now was the duel between Yaiba Toudo, and Isao Kachidoki, the person that Yuya knew Yuto wasn't fond of. The violet-haired, ice-blue eyed teenager stepped onto the field, and then Yaiba followed, everyone watching with anticipation for an exciting, and fun duel to take place; however, the moment the two of them had said the word Duel it had become anything but. Yuya felt his eyes growing wide in horror as Isao Kachidoki proceeded to beat Yaiba to the point of death with brutal, and fierce hits, jabs, and kicks that made the X-Saber Duelist lose within minutes, and then be sent brutally into the ground.
The Duel ended within ten minutes, but for some of the people in the crowd, it had been ten minutes to long. Yuya tensed, bristling almost like an irritated cat as Gongenzaka worried over the person who had taught him Synchro Summoning. Kachidoki just watched as the medics came and got Yaiba, taking him to be cared for while the shooting a cold look towards Yuya who was still sitting in his seat, nervous and unsure as Nico tried to ease the worries of the audience.
"Yaiba Toudo will be fine, n-now! Shall we announce the next Duels that will be taking place this afternoon and tomorrow?! Would all contestants please put their I.D cards into their duel disks?" everyone proceeded to do so, and for a moment, things seemed to be going fine, each Duelist satisfied with their opponent, but Yuya remained silent, his bangs shadowing his eyes as Yoko watched him in anxiety.
She had known something was amiss all day, the winds were stronger than normal, there had been this charge in the air of something being wrong, but she had tried to keep it to herself, even when she'd done a reading and seen the cards telling her that something would happen to Yuya, and it would happen today. It made her anxious, knowing that something was going to happen, but having nothing to stop it. The announcers came on, informing everyone that the next duel after intermissions, was Shay Obsidian verses one Charles from the Knights of Duels, followed by a Duel between Yuya Sakaki and Isao Kachidoki. It had been in that moment, that Yuto had become deathly silent.
"I don't like this... I've got a bad feeling, Yuya..." the other took in a shaky breath.
"I know... but I can't do anything about it."
"Yuya... are you gonna be okay?" Yuzu asked as she looked to him.
"Yea! I'm just a little nervous is all... but I know enough defensive magic that I can avoid getting roughed up to much if something goes wrong, alright?" he sent her a smile and Yuzu nodded slowly.
"Okay, well, tomorrow, I have Mikiyo Naname as my opponent, so this is gonna be interesting... seeing as we both run Fairy decks," Yuzu stated.
"You'll be fine, just remember, she may be an Idol, but your the showgirl of You Show, and you can outshine her without even a bit of trouble." the girls periwinkle eyes shined, and she smiled to him.
"Thank you, when it's your turn, go out there and knock him dead!" she said.
"I will..."
However, the closer time came for his duel, the more anxious Yuya became, knowing that something was going to happen, and the strange tenseness in his magic alluded to that more than his instincts did. The fact that his entire magical pulse felt like an angry cat or the feeling of the rattling of a snake's tail, told him that things were going to become bad quickly in his duel against Kachidoki, but he couldn't go and tell anyone that he needed a new opponent because he had a bad feeling, that would only have him being called a scared little kid, and he didn't need that being thrown in his face again. Sighing, Yuya slid down the wall he was near while awaiting his call for his turn, watching the duel between Shay and Charles on a screen in the area.
Yuya knew he needed to calm himself down, and judging by the strangely frigid and irritated shifting his magic kept doing, using it even just a little, would result in him getting either to little or to much of his magic being used and during a Duel where you had thousands of people watching, having magic revealed as being real to the world would do nothing more than cause him grief and a world of trouble. Taking in a deep breath, he looked forward, knowing that the time had almost come as he stood, his legs shaking as Shay finished off his opponent and was declared the winner. The duel was over, and he was next, meaning that his life was about to become either incredibly difficult, or he would just get roughed up and knocked out of the tournament. Yuto gave him a mental prod, and Yuya acknowledged it.
"Keep yourself calm, win or lose, you cannot allow him to just beat the hell out of you and reveal yourself as a witch on top of that." the other nodded.
"Yea, I know... just keep your promise and don't butt in okay?" Yuto sighed.
"Don't give me a reason to tell you to get a grip, and I won't. But I get what you're saying... it'll feel unfair if you have someone else helping you out. So, only if you really need my help, will I do anything, promise." Yuya nodded once more.
"Okay then, let's do this!"
{Arena: 2:10pm}
"THIS AFTERNOON'S DUEL IS YUYA SAKAKI, FROM YOU SHOW DUEL SCHOOL, VERSES ISAO KACHIDOKI OF RYOUZANPAKU DUEL SCHOOL!" Nico got everyone excited; however, Yuya remained anxious as he came onto the field, a smile on his face even though inside his was trembling while his opponent came towards him with a sharp look.
"What a tiny creature... you'll be dead before this is over," Kachidoki stated as Yuya looked to him.
"AND NOW, AS THE TWO FACE ONE ANOTHER, ITS TIME FOR US TO SELECT THE FIELD SPELL WE'LL BE USING!"
"Hey! Don't judge me just because of how I look!" the other laughed a bit.
"Even tiny dogs bark, but I judge an animal on their bite... and all I see is the runt of the litter trying to take down a bear," he said. Yuya swallowed nervously.
"IT'S BEEN SELECTED! ACTION FIELD, ON! THE FIELD SPELL, BAMBOO FOREST OF THE IMMORTALS, NOW ACTIVATES!"
The field was quite a sight, rocks and stone bridges floating within the cloud cover mountains while towering, emerald bamboo trees were around them. Kachidoki was on a rock just a ways away from Yuya who was keeping a firm look on his face as he prepared himself for the duel. The martial arts Duelist narrowed his gaze at the boy, his training letting him know that the boy before him wasn't anything like he'd ever faced before. The child was young, and had nothing but a pure light to him, meaning he had no idea of how powerful and devastating the darkness was, and Kachidoki knew, it was his task to teach this little runt that he would stand no chances as an innocent, blind to the terrors of the world. The action cards disbursed, and with a smirk, Kachidoki gave him a motion to come at him.
"Come fight me, little runt," he said as Yuya nodded.
"It's my turn then! I summon Performapal Silverclaw from my hand!" the faithful wolf appeared and Yuya jumped onto its back, the animal moving at quick speeds. The crowds were cheering, having a great thrill at seeing Yuya kick things off and he responded with a wave; however, Silverclaw ran him right into a thicket of bamboo, meaning that he had several leaves in his mouth that he quickly spat out as the audience laughed.
"At least they think your funny..." Yuya rolled his eyes at Yuto's comment while continuing what he was doing.
"I end my turn with that," Yuya stated as Kachidoki looked him over.
"A pup calling on a bigger wolf to help him, very well. My turn! I draw! If only my opponent holds a Monster on their field, I can Summon Hayate the Earth Star without release." the warrior monster wearing the pelt of a mountain lion appeared, staff in hand as it rang in at a level five with twenty-one-hundred attack points.
"Great, a high level Monster right out of the gate," Yuya muttered.
"Battle! I order Hayate to attack Silverclaw!"
the wolf kept running, and Yuya prepared to find an Action Card to stave off the attack, and as they entered another bamboo thicket, a singular card appeared near him, the wolf seeking it as Yuya prepared to capture it. The moment he got close enough to jump from Silverclaw though, two chunks of bamboo were thrown at him, sending the wolf off course as it skidded to a halt nearby and Yuya let out a sigh of relief as he realized he had been able to avoid the sharp chunks, but to his misfortune, he had missed the Action Card, which Kachidoki was now standing next to. Yuya narrowed his eyes, knowing that the other was going to mock him.
"You're so slow! The battle is still ongoing," he said.
Before Yuya knew it, Silverclaw had been defeated, and he was thrown across the ground, his life points going down to thirty-seven hundred as he got himself to his feet. He went through the process of putting Silverclaw into the extra deck, and waited to see what would happen now. To his fortune, the monster couldn't attack him again on its own, but Kachidoki did have an Action Card in his grasp, meaning that with little difficulty, he could change that depending on what the card did. Thankfully though, the other Duelist ended his turn.
"Turn end, continue little pup," he stated.
"So you intend to duel this way until the end, huh? Fine... my turn! I draw! I set the Pendulum Scales using my Scale Four Performapal Trump Witch and my Scale Eight Timegazer Magician! Now I can Summon as many Monsters between level five and seven as I need! Swing Pendulum of Souls, Draw an Arc of Light upon the Sky! Pendulum Summon! Come out! The one with the lovely, dazzling heterochromatic eyes! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" the crowds cheered as the red dragon made its appearance through the Summoning method in a dazzling show of light.
"Hmph.." Yuya smiled.
"Here comes the fun part!" the crowds erupted at his statement as he pointed to Kachidoki.
"Fun part?" he inquired.
"Yea! Duels are supposed to be about having fun." Yuya smiled and the other frowned.
"I live only to win," he said firmly.
"Well, I also want to win. But duels are about more than just that! Maybe you'll see that if you keep kicking the hell out of everyone. Now, I normal summon Performapal Camelump from my hand!" the lazy-eyed camel with a top hat and bow-tie appeared on the field.
"How silly," Kachidoki mentioned as he looked at the Monster.
"Battle! I'll have Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attack Hayate the Earth Star!" the Dragon let out a roar and came racing towards the other Monster.
"Hayate's effect activates. If there are no cards or Monsters on my field other than him, he can negate just one attack!" Yuya tensed as Hayate blocked his attack, and he sighed.
"KACHIDOKI COMES OUT WITH A SWEET TURNAROUND!" the martial arts duelist smirked as he looked to Yuya who shrugged just a bit.
"I didn't expect to beat him in one attack," he admitted.
"What?" Yuya took in a steady breath.
"I activate Performapal Trump Witch's Pendulum Effect! Once per turn, I can Fusion Summon using Monsters on my field! So, I use Performapal Camelump and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon as the Materials!" he announced.
"This is your Pendulum-Fusion... and this means..." Yuya nodded.
"Bingo!"
"Creature that dwells within the lands scorched by the star of fire above us, Dragon of mystery and wisdom, become one with another, so that you may call forth a new power! Fusion Summon! Come forth, ferocious Dragon whose eyes glitter like those of a wild beast! Level eight! Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" the wild, beast-like Dragon came onto the field with a mighty roar, causing Kachidoki to look at it in slight surprise as he looked at the boy before him.
"I recall you now... from many years ago... I suppose this encounter of ours has been preordained," he stated sternly as Yuya looked to him in confusion.
"What're you talking about?" the other narrowed his eyes.
"Come at me!" Yuya smirked.
"I use Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to attack Hayate the Earth Star!" the Dragon started towards them and Kachidoki looked to Yuya.
"I activate the Action Spell, Evasion! This negates an attack from an opposing Monster!" his monster stepped to the side as the Dragon bypassed him once more.
"You know how to dodge things pretty well, don't you?" Yuya stated with a glare.
"Whatever is wrong? Is your fun, honorable dueling already over?" Yuya glowered.
"What?!" he asked.
"If it is over, hurry up and end your turn! For my turn is next!" Yuya sighed.
"Maybe you'll enjoy yourself more this time? I end my turn." Kachidoki drew instantly.
"My turn! Since I control an Earth Attribute Monster, I can Summon Tenma the Sky Star without Release! Now, I activate the Spell Card Polymerization using Tenma and Hayate as Materials. O stars racing through Heaven, soaring above the Earth, weave together and shine as the star of the eternal conqueror! Fusion Summon! Come! Idaten the Conqueror Star!" he called forth his Monster, and Yuya tensed.
"They're both three thousand attack points though. Won't they destroy one another?" Yuto's question had Yuya feeling his anxiety rising again.
"Not necessarily... some Monster's effects keep them from being destroyed in battle. If his Monster has that kind of effect, then I'll be hit with the damage instead. In which case, I need an Action card to try and evade this thing's effects.." Yuya started running, looking for the card as Kachidoki watched him.
"I'll explain Idaten's Monster Effect for you. When it battles a Monster with a Level equal to or less than its own, the Attack Points of my opponent's Monster drop to zero!"
Yuya kept running, trying to get out of dodge so that Kachidoki couldn't block him; however, he ended up being tripped by a broken bamboo shaft, causing him to hit the ground harshly as Kachidoki equipped a Spell Card known as Magic Star Sword to Idaten, using it's effect by sending one Action Card to the graveyard to boost Idaten's attack by one hundred. Yuya got up from the ground, feeling a sharp throbbing in his shoulder, telling him a bruise would be there later as he held the offended spot and looked to Kachidoki who stood before him right then.
Without wasting any time, Yuya started trying to gain another Action Card, but was stopped by a fierce blow to his ribs by Kachidoki as he was knocked aside and hit the ground again. He put the second Action Card into the Graveyard, and Idaten's attack went up to thirty-two-hundred. Yuya went to move again and was kicked aside, letting Kachidoki send a third Action Card to the Graveyard, raising Idaten's attack once more. He was punched in the abdomen, being thrown back as a fourth Action Spell was sent to the Graveyard and Yuya began to feel massive bruises and scrapes forming on his body as he took in a rattling breath.
Yuto was tensing, he could feel it in the back of his mind as the spirit growled low in his throat. Yuya was someone he was supposed to protect, and he hadn't truly needed to until this exact moment when the poor boy was being thrown around like a rag-doll and beaten half to death by his opponent. Without much trouble, Yuto knew that Yuya had severe bruising on his abdomen, chest, and ribs, but his harsh breathing and the way his body trembled, let the other know that those ribs were more than likely broken. Yuya went sliding across the ground as a fifth Action Spell was sent to the Graveyard, and he ran right into a bunch of the bamboo, causing him to cough as he tried to get to his feet.
Kachidoki sent a sixth Action Spell to the Graveyard, kicking Yuya in the side that he'd already been hit in to send him tumbling further into the thicket of bamboo as Yuto did his best to reign in his anger. It was underhanded and cruel, there was no honor or true power to his Dueling, and he saw it for what it was: a merciless beating of someone that he thought was beneath him. For all the things that Yuto didn't know about Yuya, he also knew many things, and what he knew the most was that the scarlet-eyed boy was ten-times the Duelist this sociopath could ever have prayed to be.
Yuya got up, and he ran, moving as quickly as he could while Yuto could only sit back and worry for his safety. He had promised to stay out of this duel unless Yuya desperately needed him, and while he was being hurt, Yuya had already informed him to stay out of it when he started to become angry towards Kachidoki, therefore, he remained quiet, watching and waiting for the other Duelist to do something that would warrant him to retaliate. As they ran, Kachidoki caught up, warning Yuya that he would not be getting the Action Card.
"Watch me!" the other glared.
"You have constantly been able to walk the path of light without a care, while I had to walk down the road of shadows," Kachidoki stated.
"What the heck does that mean?!" the Martial Arts Duelist narrowed his gaze to Yuya.
"I have walked down the path of bitter darkness of my own free will. So, I refuse to lose to a coddled brat like you! I will definitely win this duel!" he informed him sharply.
"You don't know that!"
"Now we battle! I order my Idaten to attack Beast-Eyes! In addition, I activate Idaten's effect! Beast-Eyes' Attack Points become zero!" the Dragon's attack dropped to zero as Yuya kept running, determined to not let Kachidoki beat him that easily.
"Shit!" the other narrowed his gaze.
"The wind of victory blows only for those who have seen real, true darkness!" Kachidoki said as Yuya jumped.
"I'll never give up! I don't care what you have to say!" a crash went off, and the audience watched in worry as the smoke began to clear.
Kachidoki stood with his foot pressed firmly onto Yuya's arm, a glare on his face as Yuya held onto the Action Card he had managed to snag. He put pressure on the limb he had his foot on and then removed it, Beast-Eyes having been destroyed, and Yuya's Life Points having dropped down to one-hundred, the job of finishing off the boy would be nothing, and so, he walked away. Yuya took in a deep breath, knowing that he was in a serious bind as he slowly got to his feet. His body ached terribly, as if someone had pushed him off a cliff and into a ravine of rapid waters. His breathing was rough, his entire form shaking in protest of him moving as he straightened his stance as his heart rate picked up, eyes widened as he gritted his teeth against the pain.
"Now that you are hanging on by a single thread, your darkness is very close." the sky above became dark, thunder rolling above as the storm that had been threatening to come in during the earlier hours of the day finally arrived, rain starting to fall a fraction as everyone watched the duel continue, knowing that the technology was water proof, and that it was nearly over.
"Yuya?" Yuto felt something off about how the boy was behaving, seeming to be in a daze as he tried to reach out to him, but couldn't seem to quite do it.
"You had better fall into the depths of the deepest dark." Yuya took in a steady breath, trying to get his bearings, and closed his eyes.
In that exact moment, a painful throb came from his body, his heart seeming to skip a beat as his breath caught in his throat and his entire body seemed to scream in protest of something. He shook his head, gritting his teeth against it as it happened again, causing him to clutch at his head as the pain spread outwards, increasing by each inch it covered as his magic started to writhe like snakes in hot coals, hissing and snarling as he tried to calm himself down.
Nothing worked though as he tried to do as Yuto had once told him and call his magic back into himself, but it refused, instead it wrapped itself around his form and seemed to seep deep within his skin as he took in a series of quick breaths, and Yuto tried to get to Yuya within his mind, calling out to him as the audience watched, Yoko biting her lip as the boy bowed his head, his hands slowly slipping from his hair as he stood straight again. The sensation she felt then had her feeling as though she was going to be sick as she looked to Yuya, and he turned his gaze upon his opponent.
"No! Yuya!" she leaned forward in her seat, getting the others attentions as they saw her sudden concern and looked back to Yuya as lightning flashed overhead.
Kachidoki watched as the boy turned his gaze to him, in the darkness that now surrounded the bamboo forest they stood in, he saw glowing red eyes staring him down, and instantly with a faint crackle of lightning, he saw the cold expression that Yuya wore upon his face, and a chill went down his spine. Yuya began to move, taking the start of his turn and drawing.
"I activate the Action Spell, Mad Hurricane. This card returns every card on my field to the Deck..." his voice was icy, emotionless and distant sounding, almost as if he was in a trance.
"Yuya... what the hell are you doing?" Shuzo asked.
"Mrs. Sakaki? Is he okay?" Yoko didn't answer the children as she watched, panic clear on her features as on the field, Yuya proceeded to continue his turn.
"I am using Performapal Turn Toad and Performapal Cheermole to set the Pendulum Scales. With this, I can Special Summon multiple Level Four Monsters at the same time. Swing, Pendulum of Souls... carve a rift between this world and the next within the sky! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my faithful Monsters!" Yuzu found herself flinching back as the pendulum summoning appeared in dark colors of red and black, making it seem corrupt and wicked as the portal opened and silver-toned mist spilled forward. It was terrifying, something that she never would have expected to come from Yuya.
"My God... Yuya..." Gongenzaka narrowed his eyes.
"What is happening?" Yoko clenched her pants legs in trepidation, knowing things were about to get bad.
"From my Extra Deck, Camelump and Silverclaw appear! I am using my Level Four Performapal Camelump and my Level Four Performapal Silverclaw to build the Overlay Network!" a series of gasps came from the audience and those who knew Yuya as the two Monsters vanished in colors of violet and amber.
"An Xyz Summon?!" asked Shuzo as Yoko watched.
"Yuya... don't do this..."the others glanced her way as she muttered those words and then looked back to the field.
"Fangs of treason from the pitch-black darkness, oppose crass, foolish power! Descend before us now! Xyz Summon! Rank Four! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!" the black and purple Dragon appeared, it's gold eyes shining in the shadows as it stood behind Yuya, coming in at twenty-five-hundred attack points as it let out it's shriek-like roar.
"That's... Sakaki Pendulum Summoned to Xyz Summon?!" Kachidoki looked at the boy in front of him.
"What in the world are you? This feeling... your not human!" he stated in slight fear. It was a feeling unlike any other, almost as if he was facing down a wild beast that would move in for the kill the second he removed his eyes from it.
"I activate the Monster Effect of my Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! By detaching one Overlay Unit, until the end of this turn, the Attack Points of one Level Five or Higher Monster my opponent controls are halved, and it then gains Attack equal to that amount. Treason Discharge!" the Dragon released purple lightning, raising it's attack points to forty-three hundred, while Idaten's attack dropped to eighteen-hundred as the rain began to fall harder.
"Yuya!" Yuto's voice barely seemed to make a sound in the darkness around him as he tried to call out for the other boy, but received no answer.
"I also detach the remaining Overlay Unit, to activate the effect of my Dark Rebellion! Treason Discharge!" Kachidoki took a step back as his Monster's attack was dropped to nine-hundred and Dark Rebellion's Attack went up to fifty-two-hundred.
"It has fifty-two-hundred Attack?!" he asked.
"I battle! I'll have my Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon attack your Idaten the Conqueror Star!" the other began to panic.
"I activate the effect of Idaten! If it battles with a Monster whose level is equal to or less than its own level, the attack of my opponent's Monster becomes zero!" Kachidoki exclaimed hurriedly as Yuya set those cold glowing red eyes on him.
"Xyz Monsters do not have Levels, thus your effect is useless."
"What? If a Monster doesn't have a Level, isn't it Level Zero?!" he inquired in shock and horror as the ominous Dragon prepared to attack as Yuya gave him a disinterested look and signaled the attack.
"Rebellious Lightning Disobey!"
It struck home, destroying Idaten, and slaughtering Kachidoki's Life Points down to zero in a matter of seconds. The rain and storm roared and fell down from above, the darkness of it all sending a sense of terror upon all who watched as Yuya was declared the winner and the audience remained silent, confused and somewhat spooked by the behavior of the normally jovial Duelist. Yoko was on her feet in an instant, watching as the boy stumbled forward a fraction, and looked to see his opponent on the ground, struggling to get up as he took in a slight breath of confusion and raced forward, going to make sure the other was alright. However, as he drew closer, he felt the sensation of fear radiating off of the other, and almost stopped dead in his tracks.
"Kachidoki!" the other settled terrified eyes on him.
"Stay back! Don't come near me!" he warned.
"I just wanted to -" Yuya reached for him and his hand was smacked back.
"What the hell are you? Some kind of demon?" Yuya shook his head, panic starting to settle in as he started to recall what had happened to him.
"I'm not! I just -" Kachidoki glared at him as he got to his feet and started to step back.
"I don't want your help! Stay away from me! Monster!" the other started to back away even more and as the images of what happened came to Yuya, he felt a whirl of nausea hit him like a kick in the gut.
In a matter of seconds he was running off the arena floor and rushing towards one of the back areas to get away, the feeling of being sick becoming stronger as he tried to get his breath while the echoing of announcers came stating that he was the winner and that they would be postponing the other duels until the rain passed. His body shook, magic gliding across his skin, hissing in his ear as he struggled to get his breath, the realization of something having happened because of it making him feel as though he was going to lose control as he went to his knees, shaking violently as he took in a deep breath, wrapping his arms around his trembling form as he tried to control himself.
None of it made sense, but he knew that his magic had caused him to do what he had, and for some reason, he had been at the very least, half-aware of what was happening, but had let it continue, almost as though he had become addicted to the feeling of pure levity that it had brought him as he cut his opponent down without mercy. He shook his head, curling in on himself in the middle of the cold hallway, the rain having drenched him as he remained near the wall, the noise of people leaving echoing in the stone hall as the light, artificial and dull loomed over him, causing him to feel a sense of discomfort and dread as he remained where he was, rooted in place as though his body couldn't move.
"Yuya!" Yuzu's voice called for him, and she looked into the hallway, seeing his form leaning against the wall, curled up.
"There you are! Yuya, I was so worried, I thought that you had run away..." she started coming closer, feeling a distinct sense of discomfort as she drew nearer to him.
"Yuya... listen, I don't know what happened, but... it's okay! You just got angry is all," she said, coming closer to him.
"Stop!" she stilled, looking at his shivering form.
"Your cold, come on, let's go home and -" he shook his head, putting his hands on either side of his head as he shivered once more.
"Don't come any closer to me, I don't know what happened... I can't control myself right now I -" the boy's breath caught in his throat.
"Yuya? Please, listen to me, I just want to make sure your okay," Yuzu told him as she crouched just before him and reached out.
The second her hand made contact with his skin, she realized it felt icy, and she could hear his breathing becoming a rattling sound as he started to struggle to get free from her grasp. Yuzu tried to calm him down, but in the next instant, she was thrown onto her back as he hissed at her, bearing his teeth in a threatening manner as he backed away, seeming to crawl away from her with a feral sounding growl as he locked unnaturally bright eyes on her form as she slowly moved away, watching him as he remained crouched near the wall. His skin was far to pale, his breathing ragged, and his eyes a shining crimson shade compared to the warm scarlet she was used to. Yuzu stared in disbelief as he tried to stand, his body shaking horribly as he used the wall to try and support himself.
"Yuzu? Yuya?!" the pink-haired girl looked to see the others standing in the entrance of the hallway.
"Dad!" Shuzo rushed to his daughter, looking forward as he saw where Yuya was leaning against the wall, breathing roughly, his bangs shadowing his eyes as they presented the same glow that they had during his duel.
"Yuya... what on earth..." Yoko looked him over.
"So, it's come to this has it," she said.
"Yoko?" Gongenzaka looked at the boy as he bared his teeth.
"Be careful..." Yoko told them as the giant teenager narrowed his gaze to the boy as the children remained back.
"Yuya... what is happening? What was that out there? Why did you do that to Kachidoki? It's not like you to -" the boy hissed at him as Gongenzaka drew closer.
"Big Bro Yuya's acting weird," said Allie as Frederic and Tate moved back a bit and Shuzo started to back up with Yuzu who watched the boy, his breathing coming in ragged pants as he continued to keep a single hand upon the wall to support his body, which visibly shook.
"Yuya, calm down. It's okay, we're just trying to help," Gongenzaka stated.
"Stay... away from me!" his voice came out in a low hiss, spooking the others as Yoko watched.
"What have I done?" her thoughts echoed within as Gongenzaka tried to come close to the boy, but in a matter of seconds was sent backwards by a lash of magic as Yuya settled almost wild eyes upon the taller teenager as he struck the other with a spell, knocking him back and startling him, but not hurting him as a large gash formed in the wall near him.
"Yuya! Please! Calm down! Its just us!" Yuzu called to him, but nothing worked as he took in another series of deep breaths and Yoko watched him, regret eating away at her.
"Yoko, what's happening?" Shuzo asked her.
"He's completely possessed..." the group looked to her in confusion.
"Possessed? By a ghost or something?" asked Tate as Yoko shook her head.
"No..." Gongenzaka made another move and a red hue appeared around Yuya's form, only for another wave of magic to follow it as the giant was pushed back again, the floor cracking as Yuya took in ragged breaths, pain spreading through him as he put a hand to his forehead, skin cold and his mind confused, eyes staring at the ground in a dazed manner.
"Then what's happening to him? This isn't like him," Yuzu said as Yoko nodded.
"Gongenzaka, stand back... I need to get him to calm down before he does something more than just defensive spells." the giant of a teen stepped away and she looked at the boy as he glanced her way.
"Stay... away from... me!" Yuya growled out, his teeth bared in a menacing fashion as Yoko's eyes softened.
"Your possessed by your magic... and the more you try and refuse help, the worse it's going to get for you. Yuya, please calm down and think about what your doing, the others are scared, and their worried for you... so please... just let go," Yoko told him.
"..." the boy looked around him frantically, seeming to go deeper into a psychotic state.
"Possessed by his... magic?" muttered Yuzu as Shuzo watched the boy.
"Yoko how..." she looked to Yuya.
"I just want to help you, but if you resist me, I'll have to be forceful, and I don't want to fight you, Yuya. So please, just -" the boy screamed, clutching at his head as the sound echoed off the walls, sinking deep within the others as the terrifying noise ebbed outwards as he sunk to his knees, and Yoko acted quickly.
She formed a barrier as a lash of magic formed, slicing through the walls and cracking the ground as the boy took in a series of deep breaths, bangs hiding his eyes as he swayed and Yoko moved forward quickly, catching the boy as he fell sideways, eyes closed and breath coming out in shallow gasp-like inhalations. The others moved forward and Yoko placed her arms around the boy while the others stared at the disaster around him, disbelieving as Yoko looked towards them.
"Shuzo, take Tate, Allie and Frederic home... don't tell your parents about this, okay?" the children nodded.
"Take them home? Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes, Yuzu? Gongenzaka? I need your help with getting Yuya home... once you've got the children home, come to my house, alright Shuzo? I'm going to need help." the other two nodded.
"What do you need us to do?" asked Gongenzaka.
"Stay with him while I get the car, once I pull up, I need you to help me get him in the car and get him safely home. Drawing to much attention right now won't help him." Yuzu looked at the boy, pale and shaking as he seemed to struggle for breath.
"Okay..." Gongenzaka came to Yoko and took the boy into his arms as Yoko started to stand and the group walked forward, heading towards the exit up ahead where they could leave and do what needed to be done at that point; however, all of them who had witnessed the way Yuya had lost control were shaken to their cores, and only hoped that they could receive answers soon.
{…..}
Everything's about to change...
{…...}
Author's Note: There was a certain level of anxiety in writing this chapter, because we see Yuya's fears getting the upper hand and causing him to lose control of his magic. In the next chapter, we're going to be getting some answers that I think a lot of you have been wondering about, and we'll be having some more discussions taking place before we get to the pique of the Arc League Championships. So, sit tight everyone, things are about to go from simple to insane, okay... more so than they already have. Tell me what you think, and I'll look for your reviews!
Sincerely,
ShadowDragon94.
Trivia:
Yuya & Yuto have the same kind of mental link that Yugi and Yami had during the events of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters.
Isao Kachidoki is known as Iggy Arlo in the English Dub.
This is the first Pendulum-Xyz Summoning we see in the anime.
This is also the first instance when we see a possession happen to Yuya.