Author's Note: And now for the return of Ensui!
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Darkness Battle; Ensui Reappears!
"Duel! My turn, draw!" The surrounding spectators, all dressed richly and wearing masks, waited with baited breath as the tall young man in the center of the fenced ring drew his first card.
He was a frightening figure in his black trench coat, dark pants, and dark blue shirt. He had short cut black hair and stern but handsome features, though he couldn't have been older than eighteen. Strapped to his arms, legs, and neck were strange bracers. "Prepare yourself for my fires! I summon Red Eyes Black Chick (800/400) and then I sacrifice it!"
A large egg appeared on the field and then shattered, shooting black flames into the air. A huge black scaled dragon soared out, its horns and ruby eyes giving it an almost demonic appearance. "Appear before this unworthy one, Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)."
His opponent, a skinny fellow wearing a long white coat stared wide eyed at the deadly dragon. "Where did an amateur like you get a hold of the legendary Red Eyes!"
"Amateur? Nobody calls me an amateur, in this Underworld of Dueling; I am the Black Dragon King! Activate magic card, Inferno Fire Blast! By forfeiting Red Eyes' attack for the turn I deal twenty-four hundred damage to you!" The skinny man screamed as Red Eyes breathed a huge wave of flame over him. And then the bracers on his body lit up, shocking him. (LP: 1600)
The audience laughed at the man's pain, as this was the reason they came to these underground tournaments. To see duels that pushed people and hurt them without having to witness a Darkness Game. "Now the killing blow! Instant Replay takes the effect of my last played card and uses it again, so go Inferno Fire Blast!"
His skinny opponent screamed again as he was hit by another blast of twenty-four hundred damage. When the flames drifted away he was on the ground unconscious. The crowd roared at his triumph. 'Again I'm victorious…but this Underworld of Dueling…it doesn't bring me the satisfaction I wanted. I want to enter the Pro League…but without a sponsor I can't afford it.'
He spun around, his trench coat flaring out, and he thrust his left duel disk clad arm into the air. "Hear me! I am Ensui Tatakawa, the Black Dragon King! And this Underworld is my kingdom! Beware you who dare to step forth onto the king's land!"
Ensui undid the bracers and tossed them onto the ground. Then he left, his trench coat flitting out behind him as he walked through the crowd, ignoring their cheers. 'I am king of the underworld…but I wanted to be king of the real world of dueling.'
When he reached the lockers he sat down on a bench and held up his deck, looking at his Red Eyes. 'You and I, we'd be dueling with the real pros if it hadn't been for that duel that ruined me. If I had just returned to Obelisk Blue that year, if I had just won that duel…then I would have gotten a sponsorship.'
Ensui looked at the Red Eyes Darkness Dragon in his hand, then at his blank field. Finally he looked over at Mizuki's blank field and empty hand. "I…I have no choice but to end my turn."
As Mizuki's fingertips came to rest on the top card of her deck, Ensui could feel his heart pounding in his chest. 'The chances of her drawing a monster, or even of drawing a monster strong enough are slim…there's nothing to worry about, right? I'm going back to Obelisk Blue!'
Mizuki drew. "Ensui, it's been a whole lot of fun facing you, and this has been by far the toughest duel I've fought the whole time I've been at Duelist Academy. But all good things must come to an end so…it's over. Rune Centurion (1800/1500) is the method of your defeat!"
A man in white armor with rune symbols etched into it was summoned, standing tall with a heavy sword in one hand and a bow slung over its shoulder. "Rune Centurion, finish it! Centurion Slash!"
The former Obelisk Blue took the blade that slashed across his chest with grace, not flinching even as it drove him back. Not letting himself break even as he could hear the sound of his life points dropping. "Mizuki…you're amazing. I never would have thought I could lose to a first year student or even to a Ra Yellow at all." (ELP: 0)
Ensui shook off the memory. At the time he hadn't minded really, because Mizuki had given him a fantastic duel and taught him a lot. But because he had lost he had been forced to remain a Ra Yellow, and graduating Duelist Academy as a Ra Yellow didn't get you sponsorships. It got you mocked. 'Because I lost I couldn't fulfill my dream. Without knowing it she ruined me…'
"Why are you just sitting there wallowing away in your fears when you could be casting them aside with the fires of hell at your command? You could rise up and become the true Black Dragon King who ruled over the dueling world, rather than a mere king of hell." Ensui looked up and saw a young man about his age wearing an Obelisk Blue blazer with blonde hair and green eyes.
"Who are you? And what the heck are you talking about?" Ensui stood up to his full height, making him roughly even with the blonde man. Standing opposite each other it was like dark versus light, fire versus ice with the cold way the other man looked at him.
"Regardless of appearance, I am a student at East School. And you can call me Mr. Shadow. I've come with a proposition. Return to Duelist Academy and duel Mizuki Mitsuhiro. Win and I will personally sponsor you out of my own pocket. Then you'll be able to become the true Black Dragon King." Ensui narrowed his eyes and then suddenly relaxed.
"I'll do it, there's no reason for me not to. And a rematch with her would make me get over my frustrations. But why are you eager to see me duel her?" Mr. Shadow smiled slightly, the look seeming awkward and wrong on the cold young man's face.
"Because I'm interested to see how powerful she really is, and I know you are strong enough to push her to her limits, as you've done it before. Of all the people at Duelist Academy, Mizuki Mitsuhiro claimed you as the one to have pushed her hardest. That is why I want to see it." Ensui nodded, accepting that explanation. It made sense to him, and this was probably someone who wanted to see competition since he went to a different school.
"One final condition. You have to use this field card during your duel with her. That's all." Ensui blinked as Mr. Shadow held out a card to him. He took it and held it up to look at the effect and the name.
"What if I don't draw it?" Mr. Shadow turned around, smirking the whole time as he walked towards the door out.
"You'll draw it, trust me."
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Mizuki yawned and sat up in her bed, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. She groped around on her night stand and finally found the object which had forced her awake. It was her PDA, whining because she had a message. "Who calls at this time of night?"
She flipped it open and found that it was a text only message. "Meet me at the Obelisk Blue Arena in twenty minutes, and bring your deck and duel disk. Its time for a rematch between you and I. If you don't come, you'll regret the missed chance."
Mizuki frowned, not sure whether she should go. She was both curious as to who the person was, and also disinterested because it was nearly one in the morning. But the fact that it said rematch and mentioned the Obelisk Blue Arena could mean something. 'Is Harrison looking for a rematch? If that's so this will be awesome, me dueling the Dark Kaiser. I've been hoping to see if I could take him since last time.'
Pushing away the last remnants of sleep Mizuki got out of bed, pulled on her Obelisk Blue uniform, and grabbed her duel disk and deck. Then she was out the door. Just as the message said she was at the arena within twenty minutes.
"I'm glad you made it Mizuki Mitsuhiro. Or should I say, Rising Star?" Mizuki's eyes widened as the arena lit up, revealing her challenger. Wearing a long black trench coat and a generally dark outfit was an older teen she recognized.
"Ensui! You came to challenge me? But I don't get it; you're a graduate aren't you? Why do you want to duel me?" He frowned and slid on his duel disk, clicking it open. (ELP: 4000)
"Because unless I get this rematch I'll be unsure for the rest of my dueling career. I keep telling myself that it was because I lost to you that I couldn't get a sponsor for the pro leagues. And that's why I was forced to the top of the bottom of the world, where I became the Black Dragon King, the king of hell itself!" Mizuki slowly activated her duel disk, and her life point counter came up. (MLP: 4000)
Ensui thrust his left arm into the air and glared at her. "But I will be reborn from the fires of hell and rise as a king on top of dueling world! All I have to do is take that step and defeat you, and then I will get the sponsor I need to rise to the top! Rising Star, you are my stepping stone!"
He grabbed a sixth card from his deck and then slammed a card onto his disk. "Come out, Pitch Black Dragon (900/600) in defense mode!"
Despite its low stats his monster was a fearsome black scaled dragon with a slobbering maw of sharp teeth. Its wings were folded over its body protectively. "One card face down, then end turn! Come Mizuki; show me the strength of the Rising Star that shot you to my place in Obelisk Blue!"
Mizuki shook her head and drew, determined not to let his talk get the best of her. "I'll duel this for the sake of a fun rematch, not for your weird satisfaction. Rune Mystic (1500/1300) will crush your dragon!"
A white robed man with glowing rune symbols floating around him appeared and then with a flick of his wrist sent a wave of blue energy shooting towards the dragon. Ensui smirked and snapped his left arm out over his set card. "Not yet Mizuki. Negate Attack."
"Protecting that weak monster? Looks like you've got a plan then, so I'll just set a card face down and end my turn." She planted her hands on her hips and waited as the older teen drew fiercely from his deck.
Ensui slapped his card down next to Pitch Black Dragon and a similarly sized dragon appeared. It looked like a dinosaur with a long beak and leathery wings, except it was pitch black. "Meet Black Spear Dragon (2200/0), Spear Dragon's bigger and darker brother! Like him this monster shares a trample effect, so now he attacks!"
A black cyclone of wind shot from the dragon's mouth and tore into her mystic, ripping him completely apart. Mizuki weighed the options and then decided. "When Rune Mystic is destroyed I choose to draw two cards!" (MLP: 3300)
The older duelist pointed with his open right hand at Mizuki's now nearly empty field. "Pitch Black Dragon, attack her directly! Pitch Black Flame!"
Mizuki grinned and wagged her finger back and forth, and then she pointed to her set card. "I activate the reversed effect of Rune Symbol-Thurisaz, which lets me special summon a monster from the grave to the field. Rune Mystic is back!"
"I use the right of recall to end Pitch Black Dragon's attack. Finally I set one card face down. Take your turn Mizuki and I'll crush whatever you bring out with the flames of hell!" Even as he spoke his Black Spear Dragon folded its wings over its body and bowed its head.
"During my end phase after it has battled Black Spear Dragon loses one hundred attack points which go to its defense, and then it shifts into defense mode for the turn." Mizuki nodded, having suspected something like that when he compared it to Spear Dragon.
She quickly pointed at Black Spear Dragon, knowing it to be the biggest threat. "Rune Mystic, attack and destroy that monster!"
Ensui smirked and snapped his fingers. "Black Dragon's Birth in Flames activates when you target a dragon with 'black' in its name for battle. It negates that attack and allows me to add a Red Eyes Black Dragon from my deck to my hand."
He held up the chosen seven star monster and then slid it into his hand. "Now, if you're done I'd like to get on with my turn."
"Not quite, I first set two cards face down and then I'll end my turn." Ensui nodded and snapped a card off his deck, looking eager to make his move. And she knew why, since he was about to bring out his key monster.
He gestured to his two monsters and then burst into flames. "I offer up Pitch Black Dragon and Black Spear Dragon to summon the true king of the flames, the legendary Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)!"
His dark demonic dragon swooped down onto the field and roared, shaking the entire room. Mizuki grimaced as its red eyes bore down on her. "Red Eyes, attack her Rune Mystic with Inferno Fire Blast!"
She threw up an arm protectively, shielding herself from the intense flames that consumed her Rune Mystic. After several seconds the fire died down, letting her alone. "That was an impressive attack…but it cost you." (MLP: 2400)
Ensui's eyes widened as suddenly his Red Eyes shattered like so much glass. "What was that? What happened to my dragon?"
"I told you before that I chose to draw two cards, but when destroyed Rune Mystic's second option is to let me destroy one card on the field, so I destroyed Red Eyes. Looks like you lost three monsters just to take out my one." Ensui grimaced and fanned out his remaining four cards.
"I set three cards face down! Turn End!" Three cards appeared in front of him, keeping his field from being completely defenseless.
Mizuki tossed down her newest drawn card and a white robed blonde man with a long spear in his hands appeared, aiming it Ensui. "Rune Spearholder (1900/1200) is going to take a chunk out of your life points! Direct attack!"
Ensui raised his right arm out over his field and his center card flipped up, revealing a graveyard with a purple border. "Call of the Haunted lets me special summon Red Eyes Black Dragon to the field from the cemetery!"
The Rising Star blinked as her Spearholder was now rushing headlong towards a massive black dragon. "Just like you did I'll call back my attack. And then I end my turn."
Ensui drew and suddenly his face lit up and Mizuki could practically feel him revitalized. "This is where my deck and I show our true power! The power to swarm the field with powerful monsters! I activate Graceful Charity!"
He drew three cards and then handed two of them to the angel that flew down. She took them and flew into his cemetery. "Reverse card open, Disgraceful Charity! All cards discarded by an effect this turn return to their controller's hand!"
The same two cards from before popped out of his graveyard slot and he picked them up, pumping his hand size up to four in less than twenty seconds. "Now, reverse card open! Metal Morph equips to Red Eyes, and then I sacrifice it summon Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon (2800/2400)!"
His Red Eyes was suddenly coated by a steel plating that gave it an ever more fearsome, although more mechanical, appearance. "Now I activate Horn of Calling Dragon, which lets me add one dragon from my deck to my hand."
A card slid out of his deck and he held it up, revealing a Red Eyes Black Dragon. "Next I summon Black Dragon Fighter (1600/1500), and using his effect I forfeit my next draw phase to special summon a dragon with 'black' in its title from my hand!"
As soon as the black armored warrior with glowing red eyes appeared a duplicate of his black dragon flew down onto the field next to it. Its feet slammed onto the ground and shook the arena. "This should be enough, so now I attack with Inferno Fire Blast!"
Mizuki smirked and flipped up one of her set cards. "Rune Symbol-Raidho negates your attack and ends the battle phase!"
The fireball puffed out of existence still in the dragon's mouth, not letting it even start the attack. "Very well, I'm not surprised. I guess I really do have to use this after all."
The Rising Star raised one eyebrow, not following him. He picked one card out of his hand and the side slot of his duel disk, the slot meant for a field card, popped open. 'Ah, his field card Darkness Volcano. So that's what he was talking about.'
"I activate the field magic card, Darkness Game!" Mizuki's eyes widened as a purple dome erupted around them, trapping them within a seemingly endless realm of darkness.
Ensui looked around at the surroundings for the field card. "It's a weird name for a field card, but it is effective. All dark type monsters gain two hundred attack and defense points, and all dark types are reduced by two levels as long as it's in play."
Black Dragon Fighter rose to eighteen hundred attack, Red Eyes Black Dragon to twenty-six hundred, and then Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon to three thousand. "I set one card face down and bring my turn to an end. Let's see what your response is, Mizuki."
When Mizuki didn't immediately react to the end of his turn, he felt a little uncomfortable. She was just standing there staring blankly ahead, her eyes almost empty and not touching him. "M…Mizuki? Are you alright?"
Suddenly her eyes lit up again, refocusing and glowing with a bright inner fire. Those green eyes now practically shimmered with excitement. "Alright? I've never felt this good before! Now, it's my turn!"
She drew and Ensui felt the darkness around them ripple. "Activate magi card, First Day! In the beginning there was nothing but chaos, and then god said let there be light, and it was good!"
A blazing light slammed down from the sky above, piercing the darkness and striking her field. "When First Day is activated all cards on my field go to the cemetery, and then my cemetery and hand are shuffled into my deck."
Ensui suddenly felt nervous and he wasn't entirely sure why. "After that my side of the duel starts over, and my next turn begins." (MLP: 4000)
She drew again, giving her six cards, and Ensui grimaced, realizing she had easily undone all of his effort at damaging her. "I start by summoning Ramiel, Angel of Thunder (3000/0) in attack mode!"
The Black Dragon King watched with horrified fascination as a towering form of pure light with two pairs of angel wings extending out of its back hovered above Mizuki's field. Electricity crackled around its body. "Heeehee, don't be afraid Ensui, Ramiel can't attack."
Mizuki snickered and lifted herself up on her tiptoes, leaning forward and peering across the field at Ensui and his monsters. "See, Ramiel is the sixth leader of the Grigori, or the Watchers. His name means 'thunder of god' and he's watching carefully, ready to protect God's paradise."
Suddenly she flipped around one of the cards she was holding and the ground beneath her feet started to grow grass, with flower beds popping up all over the place. "Growth of the Garden is a continuous magic card that once during each player's turn gains a counter to their field for every light or earth type monster they have. When there are enough counters something special happens."
When she seemed satisfied with that she took another card from her hand and held it up. "I activate the magic card Salt of the Earth, which lets me place one earth type monster from my deck to my hand and special summon it in face down defense."
A monster appeared beneath Ramiel, waiting patiently. "Finally I end my turn with a face down card."
Ensui carefully reached for his set card to start his turn. "This isn't your deck Mizuki, this is entirely different. What's going on with you?"
The teenager put her hands behind her back and stuck her tongue out at him. "Nuh-uh, I'm not telling. You just have to figure it out for yourself. So nyah!"
He grimaced and then flipped over his set. "Jar of Greed lets me draw one card from my deck."
Once he registered the newly drawn card he slammed it down onto his field and a skeletal demon with wide wings and horns arose, its body shimmering with lightening. "Since its level is reduced by two I call out Summoned Skull (2500/1200) with no tribute!"
Suddenly Mizuki grinned and pulled down on her eye-lid, sticking her tongue out at Summoned Skull. "Bah on him! Ramiel, go nuke him!"
The angel's body crackled and then a massive bolt of blue lightning shot out from the center of his chest and hit the Summoned Skull. His new monsters shrieked and then blew apart. "What…what the hell was that?"
"Hehe, that's just Ramiel's special ability you silly. Whenever you summon a monster he destroys it." He gulped, feeling his hand shake. That was such a powerful effect he didn't know how to react.
"Black Dragon Fighter, attack that set monster!" His fighter charged across the field and slashed through the set monster, blowing it apart with a single sweep of its sword.
"Oops, you beat the wrong monster. That was my Cherub of the Garden (400/1200) and when he's destroyed I get to special summon any level four or lower angel sub-type monster from my deck to the field." Ensui threw up both hands as a blinding light filled the field, consuming it all.
When the light was finally dimmed enough to let him look there was another being of pure light, this one with six wings instead of four. "Meet Raziel, Angel of Mysteries (2300/2300). His special effect adds Book of Raziel to my hand!"
Another card appeared in her hand out of nowhere, and then she gave Ensui a brief bow. "Okay, now that I've summoned my monster you can go."
He growled and thrust out his free hand. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, finish off that new angel! Inferno Fire Blast!"
"Ah! Time out!" Ensui blinked as his dragon's fireball stopped in mid-air as Mizuki reached her hands behind her and struggled to reach a spot on her back to itch.
Suddenly she fell backwards onto her butt, and burst out laughing. "Okay, I'm good to go now. I activate my trap card, Watcher's Defense of the Garden! Since I've got an angel in play I can destroy the attacking monster and one weaker monster on your field. Say bu-bye!"
Ensui gasped the fireball reversed directions and hit Red Eyes, sending it flying backwards into his fighter. Both monsters blew into pieces, leaving only his field card and his metallic dragon. "Fine, if that's the way you want to play then so bet it! Flash Flare Blast!"
Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon opened its mouth and sprayed out reddish flames at the weaker angel. Mizuki just giggled and suddenly jumped from her sitting position and did a flip, then landed on her feet. "Raziel, activate your secret ability! Once per turn I can activate a magic card from my hand, so I play Banished from the Garden! This magic card seals one monster out of play for the rest of the game!"
There was a clap of light and suddenly his metallic dragon was no more, leaving his field completely and utterly empty. "I…I end my turn."
He felt afraid in a way he never had, even dueling people in the Underworld of Dueling. 'She's so powerful…and it's like she's not even aware of it. This level of playing, it's like I can't touch her even though she's not taking me seriously. I was once one of the top ten duelists at this school, I was considered a potential for the title of Kaiser at one point…but this girl is surpassing me in every way!'
As soon as she drew the grass spread out, nearly reaching his side. "I've got four counters on my card, so it's almost ready. Just one more and then we're all ready Ensui. Ah, but until then I get to play Book of Raziel!"
Three points of light shot out of the sky and into her hand. They stopped glowing and showed themselves as cards. "Book of Raziel contains secrets of magic, so naturally it lets me add three magic cards from my deck to my hand, though I can't play them or set them this turn or during my next turn. Of course, what's Raziel's effect?"
Ensui felt the strength draining from his limbs as he realized what that meant. "Raziel lets you play one from your hand during my turn…so you don't have to worry about that."
"Yep, that's right! Good guess Ensui, you're sure smart…but I guess I still have to go after you. Raziel, attack him directly!" Light burst from the angel's body and struck him directly and though it burned it also felt almost…healing. (ELP: 1700)
"Okay! I end my turn." Ensui grimaced and looked around at the darkness. None of this had started until after he played that card. And now he knew. He had been set up.
'If I get a monster it won't matter since Ramiel destroys whatever I summon. Plus she can play a magic card from hand to negate it with that monster of hers. Unless I get something worth playing I'm finished.' He drew, and then let out a deep breath.
"I won't stop yet Mizuki, I'm not going to lie down and lose just because you've got some scary power! I activate Treasure from Hell, which lets each player draw from the bottom of their deck until they hold six cards!" He drew a full six cards while she drew just one.
"I activate Card Destruction, sending Black Illusion Dragon (300/700), Kumouri Dragon (1500/1200), Twin-Headed Behemoth (1500/1000), Black Knight of Vanda (1800/1900), and Black Dragon Egg (0/0) to the grave!" He slammed the five named cards into his grave and then drew five more.
"When Black Dragon Egg goes from my hand to grave I can add two dragons with 'black' in their name from my deck to my hand!" He held up an additional two cards and then slid them into his hand.
"I continue by activating Shadow Touched, which prevents dark type monsters from being destroyed by targeting effects this turn!" A living shadow descended onto his field, giving him just the protection he needed.
"I summon Red Eyes Black Chick (1000/600), then sacrifice it for Red Eyes Black Dragon (2600/2200) and then comes the end! I sacrifice Red Eyes Black Dragon for its next evolution! Be born from the darkness and consume everything in your fire!" Red Eyes was engulfed in fire and a newer and larger shape emerged.
It had wider and sharper edged wings and had blood rubies set into them, as well it looked even more fearsome than before. Its massive shape consumed half his field as it soared into the air. "Red Eyes Darkness Dragon (2600/2200) whose special effect grants her three hundred attack for every dragon in my cemetery!"
He laughed with satisfaction as his monster's attack power began to skyrocket. "I have ten dragons in the cemetery, so my Red Eyes Darkness Dragon (5600/2200) vastly surpasses anything you could face me with!"
Despite having already summoned he still had three cards left in his hand, and he didn't seem like he was going to stop. "I play Fire Burst Revival, which brings back two dark monsters from my grave with one thousand less points, though they die at the end of the turn."
A Red Eyes and his Black Dragon Fighter both appeared, their attack points reduced. "Normally I use this card for tribute bait, but this time it's a different purpose! I'll flood the field with this card, Red Eyes Transmigration!"
Both monsters burst into flames and then Ensui himself was covered by that fire. "This ritual magic card requires I offer a Red Eyes and a warrior, and then it turns me into a mighty monster, the all powerful…"
The fire dimmed down, revealing Ensui wearing black armor that was almost exactly like the body of a Red Eyes Black Dragon. "Lord of the Red (2600/2200)! And with this power I'll take out both of your monsters and all of your life points! Darkness Dragon, annihilate Ramiel!"
A massive cyclone of black flame erupted from the dragon's mouth, shrieking across the field towards the holy angel. Mizuki smirked and flipped up one of the cards in her hand. "Again I'll use Raziel's effect to play Banished from the Garden, removing your monster from play!"
There was a clap of light and the flame along with Red Eyes Darkness Dragon was gone. Ensui laughed and slammed the last card in his hand onto his duel disk. "Dragon's Fang activates when a dragon is destroyed or leaves the field this turn, I deal you five hundred damage!"
A spectral pair of fangs shot across the field and bit down on Mizuki. Yet instead of gasping or screaming in pain like he would have thought, she giggled and batted at the fangs until they left. "That tickled Ensui, that wasn't fair!" (MLP: 3500)
"You…I don't know what you are, but I won't lose to you! During a turn where two magic cards are played as Lord of the Red my effect activates! All monsters besides myself are destroyed!" Mizuki giggled as her two angels shattered into a million motes of light.
"You won't be laughing in a second! Here I come!" He flew across the field and swung his fist at her. But his excitement and anger died the instant she reached up and blocked his punch…with one finger. (MLP: 900)
"I…impossible!" Mizuki giggled and flicked his fist, sending him flying backwards. He placed one hand against the ground and let himself skid to a halt, feeling as if he had just been hit with a sledgehammer.
"You're so silly Ensui, so now it's my turn!" She drew without a care in the world, and suddenly burst into laughter as trees sprouted from the ground and flowers blossomed everywhere.
"If it's in the cemetery Book of Raziel places a counter on my Growth of the Garden during my standby phase. And now that I have five, I sacrifice Growth of the Garden!" Vines shot everywhere and flowers bloomed in seconds, trees hurtling from nothingness straight into the sky. Birds flew through the air, and animals walked across the grass.
In less than ten seconds the darkness had been replaced by a beautiful scene that Ensui could only describe as paradise. Behind Mizuki there was a crystal clear pool of water being fed by the most beautiful waterfall he had ever see. "This is…paradise…"
Mizuki giggled behind her hand, excited at how he reacted. "That's exactly right; this is the field magic card Paradise Garden of Eden. And its first effect is to special summon Lord of the Garden-Adam (1500/1400) whose own effect normally removes your hand from play, but your too silly to have one."
Her monster was a dazzlingly handsome man with no shirt, wearing black pants and with dark hair. "The second effect is that as long as it's in play all monsters of the garden, light and earth types under my control, double in attack points."
Ensui felt his hands shaking as Adam's attack score shot upwards to three thousand, setting him higher than his own weakened attack score. "No…I can't lose…"
"Adam's effect lets me discard a plant type to either raise his attack score by seven hundred or by the base attack of one monster on the opponent's field. So I discard one and choose to increase by your attack!" Adam's holographic attack score pumped upwards to fifty-four hundred, making Lord of the Red pale by comparison.
"It's been so much fun, but it's over almost too soon. Adam, attack Lord of the Red!" Vines shot from the handsome man's wrists and hit Lord of the Red, shattering the armor and hitting Ensui in the stomach. He was hurled backwards and onto his back. (ELP: 0)
"Eden's special effect now gives me the destroyed monster's attack as life points, so thanks!" Ensui felt his head hit the cold arena floor, and he couldn't even move. It was as if there was nothing left, no reason for him to continue trying. He had been crushed almost without effort. (MLP: 3300)
Mizuki skipped over to him and looked down at him curiously, her eyes shimmering just as before. "Ooo…since that was a Darkness Game; I guess I've got to make a Punishment Game. And for you…"
She tapped her nose, her forehead scrunching up as she concentrated deeply. Ensui felt himself sweat drop despite how serious the situation was. 'She's acting like such a little kid…'
"I've got it! For your Punishment Game you have to eat twelve dozen Cadbury Eggs in one hour. Kay?" Ensui nodded slowly, and then watched as she skipped away. The garden faded as she left the field, and Ensui had the feeling that he had been witness to something very bizarre.
Ensui blinked in surprise as the same blonde man from before knelt beside him and reached into his duel disk, taking the Darkness Game field card from him. "Thank you Ensui, you've shown me what I needed to know. Mizuki's power during a Darkness Game is determined by her attitude entering it. The chemicals in the body produced by excitement and adrenaline enhance her power and make her enter a euphoric state as I just saw. Whereas if she is depressed or serious, the chemical flow is less, so her power is contained and she is immune to the effects of the game."
Mr. Shadow stood, and then pulled Ensui to his feet. "Tell me, how would you like to assist me further? I'm willing to fund your dueling career in exchange for your furthered assistance."
Ensui stared at the door Mizuki had left from and then looked down at his deck. "Yes, I accept. But…do you think I could maybe learn your name, or at least who you really are?"
Mr. Shadow smiled slightly. "Who I am? My name you'll learn soon enough. But I am myself and nothing more. I am the Tsar of East School, and that is all you need to know."
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Author's Note: So that's who he is eh?
Next Time: Standing second amongst the seven pro duelists brought by Beatrix is the pro duelist who has taken for himself the title of Greed. This duelist's strange and deadly deck clashes against Chizuma, who steps forward to defend Mizuki against Greed's attack. But can Obelisk Blue's number one rookie stand up to the strength of one of the seven deadly sins?
See it all in, Unleashed Sin; Greed's Power!