(A/N: I hope you weren't planning on some levity after that last chapter because between this one and the next, the mood's gonna start to get very heavy handed. Sure, we have lighthearted moments, but this officially marks the Yu-gi-oh cheer taking a back seat and the Danganronpa dreariness shining…er…bleeding through. You'll see what I mean if not by the end of this chapter then most certainly during the next one. Let's go!)
Night had officially fallen on Domino City and with it came every duelist's last chance to obtain the necessary locator cards to be in the Battle City Finals. Among these duelists were Hajime Hinata and Chiaki Nanami, both lacking two locator cards to properly compete in the finals. At first, things had been straightforward, find a duelist, challenge them and move on. Unfortunately, the luck between the two of them had been…poor.
With Hajime's confidence boosted, he was trying to avoid small fry and Chiaki had tried to find either of them a challenge. One could not grow as a duelist if they kept challenging those beneath their ability after all. However, this choice cost them dearly as the weak were quickly weeded out and now it was almost time for the finals and the two of them hadn't dueled since Chiaki's duel with Celeste. It…didn't help that Chiaki had decided to take a nap for three hours and Hajime had to let her use his lap as a pillow on a park bench. At least he was given the cute, reassuring sight of Chiaki's snoring face, but that mattered little when time was now of the essence.
And, to make matters worse, the two had now been hired, for lack of a better term, in taking down a trio of rogue duelists that had been scaring off the locals and spreading rumors of "Ghost Duelists". They'd also been outright stealing locator cards and rare cards and Hajime and Chiaki thought to put a stop to it.
This was how Hajime now found himself face to face with the Zombie Duelist known to the dueling world only as Bonz. After he and Chiaki showed that their fighting game skills applied to real life, Bonz and his goons agreed to settle things with a duel.
"If we win, you give back all your stolen locator cards," Hajime said.
"And you'll go to each and every person back their rare cards that you stole," Chiaki added and made a fist. "Unless you want another Rising Dragon Fist to the chin."
"Fine by me," Bonz chuckled. "But if I win, I'll take your locator cards and a spot in the finals. Part of me is glad that a duelist with a spine finally showed up. Now I, Bonz, can prove that I didn't get these locator cards by making novices believe in real-life walking dead."
"Well, it makes for good television," Chiaki said. "You want this one?" she asked Hajime.
"Me? I thought we agreed you should duel next," Hajime said.
"I can just duel one of his friends after you're done," Chiaki said and fanned out her palm, "While a tag duel would likely be faster, I can't be around to hold your hand in the finals. And, well, you've made it this far on your own, show me what you can do. One last test before we both head off to the finals and really see what you're made of."
"Well, all right then," Hajime said, activating his duel disk. "I'll give it a shot."
Chiaki smiled. "See? You've come so far already. When I suggested you duel Eliza you were really nervous, but now you're assured of your own potential. That makes me happy."
"I can duel," Hajime said. "Because you're right next to me to support me. Even if you don't give me advice or hold my hand, just having you right behind me is enough to help me give it my all."
Chiaki looked down and away, trying to hide a small blush with her hood. "Well…do your best."
"Hihihi," Bonz chuckled. "I hope your monsters aren't afraid of the dark or the graveyard because I'll be sending plenty of them there."
"The only thing my monsters and I are afraid of is not making it to the finals on time because people like you are ruining a tournament with your poor sportsmanship."
"Then be afraid," Bonz said. "Because when, I'm done with you," he activated his duel disk, "You'll never want to duel again."
"Let's duel!" He and Hajime declared simultaneously.
"I'll go first," Hajime declared and drew the top card of his deck. He nodded to himself when he saw his six-card hand. "I'll start by using Fairy Dragon, Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress #1 and Polymerization to bring out Kaiser Dragon!" Hajime declared, summoning an elongated, golden dragon with 2300 attack points. "And, in addition, I'll place one monster face-down and end my turn."
"My turn," Bonz said with a chuckle. "I draw." He drew the top card of his deck. "I'll also place one monster face-down, but I'll also play one other card face-down as well," Bonz said, setting a spell or possibly a trap card. "Hihihi, it's your move, Hajime."
"All right, draw," Hajime declared. "I summon Battle Ox in attack position!" The bull-faced axe wielding warrior took to the field with 1700 attack points and 1000 defense points. "And now, I attack with Battle Ox, destroy Bonz face-down monster!"
A pumpkin with its vines acting as tentacles and wearing a tiara appeared. Chiaki gasped, recognizing it.
"You've just attacked Pumprincess the Princess of Ghosts," Bonz said, "And now her effect activates!" Pumprincess jumped behind Bonz and lashed out her vines at Hajime's monsters. The vines spread like a parasitic infection in a small area around the point of impact.
"What's going on?" Hajime gasped.
"Hihihihihihihi!" Bonz laughed. "Pumprincess becomes a spell card on my side of the field when she's attacked and would be destroyed. Now, at the beginning of every turn, after each of us draw a card, she grows in power and drains your monsters of their energy. And it doesn't matter if you summon a monster now or later," Bonz said as he threw his arm out wide and grinned gleefully, "Because they'll still have their vitality sucked dry by Pumprincess!"
"All right, that might help in a battle of attrition, but right now you're completely defenseless," Hajime declared. "I attack with Kaiser Dragon, Photon Stampede!"
Kaiser Dragon in its breath and unleashed three blasts of plasma from its throat.
"Activate trap card!" Bonz declared, "Zoma the Spirit!"
A fiendish looking, grayish purple, ghoulish gargoyle appeared with piercing red eyes, a piranha-like jaw, bony wings and sharp claws. It intercepted Hajime's attack and Bonz laughed as his shoulders rose and fell.
"Whenever Zoma the Spirit is destroyed, you take damage equal to your monster's attack points."
Hajime gasped as his life points fell all the way to 1600. Clenching his fist and looking worried, Hajime said, "I end my turn."
"Hihihihi, of course you do," Bonz said. "It's my turn." He grabbed the top card of his deck. "Draw." He placed the top card of his deck into his hand. "And now, thanks to the effect of Pumprincess, your monsters get drained for 100 attack and defense points each.
Kaiser Dragon was drained down to 2300 attack and 1900 defense. And Battle Ox was drained down to 1600 attack and 900 defense.
"And next I play the fabled zombie minotaur, Gozuki! Rise from your grave my monster!" From the ground, a gray Minotaur in a loincloth with a massive hammer and 1700 attack points and 800 defense points emerged. It snorted at Hajime and his monsters. "And thanks to Gozuki's effect, I can send one zombie monster from my deck straight to the graveyard." Bonz did so. "And now, I activate the spell card Violet Crystal! This equip-type magic card raises Gozuki's attack and defense power by 300 points."
An eerie purple crystal made its home like a parasitic attachment into Gozuki's back, pumping it full of purple energy that coursed through its veins as the monster surged in size, its attack power rising to 2000. "Now, Gozuki!" Bonz shouted, "Attack his Battle Ox, Hammer of Dead!"
Gozuki leapt forward into the air and attacked Battle Ox. The armored beast put up its axe to block, but was crushed under the force of Gozuki's hammer. With his monster destroyed, Hajime's life points fell to 1200. Bonz cackled. "And the fun is just beginning."
"My turn," Hajime said, sweating a little, heart racing. He was down more than half his life points and so far Bonz hadn't gotten a scratch. Was he in over his head? No, he couldn't think like that. Besides, he had just the cards ready for a fierce counterattack.
"First I draw!" Hajime declared.
"Ah, ah, ah, aren't we forgetting something?" Bonz asked. "Your monsters lose 100 attack and defense points thanks to Pumprincess."
Hajime looked at his Kaiser Dragon, it was starting to look a little sickly.
"That's fine because I plan to turn this duel around! I'll start my turn by sacrificing my face-down monster in order to play Summoned Skull!" The fearsome, bony and fleshy fiend appeared with its whopping 2500 attack points.
"Go, Pumprincess!" Bonz declared. "Latch onto Summoned Skull and drain its energy!"
Pumprincess lashed out and sucked Summoned Skull for 200 attack and defense points.
"That won't protect you for long," Hajime said. "Kaiser Dragon, attack Gozuki! Photon Stampede!"
Kaiser Dragon unleashed a barrage of plasma shots from its mouth and annihilated Gozuki, reducing Bonz's life points to 3800.
"All right!" Hajime declared swinging his fist down in between his legs.
"I wouldn't be celebrating if I were you because Gozuki's second ability activates!" Bonz declared. "When its destroyed and sent to the graveyard I can banish a zombie-type monster from my graveyard, like the one I sent to it last turn," Bonz said, holding up The Snake Hair, "And summon any zombie type monster from my hand, even if I normally have to sacrifice monsters to summon it. So say hello to one of the most fearsome zombies in all of Duel Monsters!" Bonz shouted, slapping a monster onto the card reader. "I summon Red Ogre!"
A terrifying behemoth of pure red skin and muscle appeared on the battlefield. It had 2800 attack points, carried a huge, thick, spiked, metal club and had 2100 defense points.
"That thing is huge!" Hajime declared.
Red Ogre beat its chest with its fists and roared.
Summoned Skull can't attack a monster that powerful. Dammit, I'm screwed! Hajime thought, clenching his eyes shut. "I end my turn!"
"HAHAHAHA! What was all that talk earlier about making me give back everything I stole? It looks like you were just all talk. Now watch as I pull you six feet under!" Bonz declared. He drew the top card of his deck. "Pumprincess' effect activates, dropping all of your monster's attack power by 100 as well as their defense points." Summoned Skull and Kaiser Dragon were both drained, now having 2200 attack and 2100 attack respectively. "And next, I activate the continuous spell Pyramid of Wonders!" An upside-down green pyramid appeared on Bonz's side of the field. "It's ethereal green glow gives all of my monsters 200 extra attack points for each monster you control."
Hajime gasped.
"Now, say goodbye to your Kaiser Dragon. Red Ogre! Attack!"
Bonz's monster slammed forward and bashed Hajime's monster's face in, destroying it.
"Hihihi!" Bonz laughed as Hajime fell down all the way to a mere 100 life points. "Now do you see the power of the undead? Even your fusion monsters don't stand a chance against their might. My ogre is going to demolish anything you put into play and with your life points running basically on empty, there's virtually nothing you can do to keep me from destroying you."
He's right. At this rate, Hajime thought, looking at his hand, anything I summon is just going to get annihilated. He then looked at one particular monster in his hand. Good thing I don't rely solely on fusions to get the job done. "I draw!" Hajime declared, drawing the top card of his deck.
"Pumprincess' effect activates!" Bonz declared, "Your Summoned Skull is weakened once more." Summoned Skull fell to 2100 attack points and 800 defense points.
"Why is why I'm switching my Summoned Skull to defense mode. I'm also playing one card face-down on the field and ending my turn."
Bonz laughed. "I suppose that's all you can do in this situation." He drew the top card of his deck. "Once more, Pumprincess drains the attack and defense points of all of your monsters."
Summoned Skull was starting to look a little bit gray than white with how much of its energy had been drained with 2000 attack and 700 defense.
"Now, let me show you why your pathetic attempts to defend won't save you. I summon to the field Armored Zombie!" A shambling, grotesque looking zombie monster with 1500 attack and 0 defense points appeared. "And thanks to Pyramid of Wonders, its attack points increase to 1900 thanks to you having two monsters on your field. And now, it's time for me to attack," Bonz declared. "Red Ogre, destroy Summoned Skull!"
Hajime's rare and powerful monster was obliterated.
"Now to take out the last of your defense," Bonz chuckled. "Armored Zombie, Skull Shredding Slice, take out his face-down monster!"
"And right into my trap!" Hajime declared.
"Huh?" Bonz gaped with a vacant expression watching as Armored Zombie attacked and destroyed Hajime's face-down Cyber Jar. "A Cyber Jar!"
"Now, all of our monsters are destroyed and we excavate the top 5 cards of our decks. Any of them that can be summoned normally without tributing are immediately summoned to the field."
"And since you lost two zombie monsters, Bonz," Chiaki stated. "Pyramid of Wonders' protection effect doesn't activate."
Bonz growled as he drew the top 5 cards of his deck. "I summon to the field, Dark Assailant, The 13th Grave, and Magical Ghost!" Bonz declared, summoning a fully dressed, skull headed freak with 1200 attack and defense, a cloaked skeleton with 1300 attack points and 900 defense points and a floating, ghostly ghoul with green skin, magician's robes, 1300 attack points and 1400 defense points. "How unfortunate for you though that with Pumprincess on the field for as long as she's been, any monster you play with less than 1800 attack points will automatically be annihilated by my zombie apocalypse." Bonz slapped his forehead. "Oh, silly me, I'm sorry, I'm forgetting about my Pyramid. Make that 2000, and that's assuming you only play one monster. So make your pathetic move. Your attempt to save yourself, I'd say, just backfired horribly. HihihihiHahahahahaha!"
"Don't be so sure!" Hajime declared. "I believe in my deck and in the strategy I've put forth!" Hajime drew the top five cards off his deck and gasped in surprise at what he drew: 5 monsters. "I place 5 monsters in face-down defense position," Hajime declared.
"Predictable," Bonz scoffed. "Go, my zombies, rend apart his monsters! Fill up his graveyard!"
Hajime's monsters were destroyed one by one, eliminating Cannon Soldier, Versago the Destroyer and Koumouri Dragon from the field. That left Hajime with only his other two monsters, but they were inconsequential. After all, as he looked at his hand, he had precisely what he needed to win.
"My draw," Hajime declared. He drew the top card of his deck. Exactly what I need.
"Pumprincess the Princess of Ghosts' effect activates," Bonz chuckled. "Your monsters are drained of their energy. Any monster you play will lose 600 attack and defense points and if you decide to play another monster, my zombies will raise their attack points by 600. Bonz looked positively gleeful. "Not that there's anything you could even play that would save you in this situation."
"Oh? You think so?" Hajime asked with a smirk.
Bonz's jaw went slack as he looked at Hajime confused.
"I activate the spell card Graceful Charity! Now I can draw three cards as long as I discard two." Hajime drew three cards and then discarded two to the graveyard, one of which was his Blackland Fire Dragon. "Next, I activate the spell card Dragon's Mirror! And I combine in with Koumouri Dragon, Blackland Fire Dragon and Versago the Destroyer all in my graveyard to summon out my favorite monster! You talk about the power of the undead? Well witness the power of the void! I fusion summon, Blackland Void Dragon!"
A huge, terrifying, serpentine black dragon appeared with 3100 attack points and 2900 defense points.
"Don't think that will save you, your monster loses 600 attack and defense points thanks to Pumprincess and it can't attack this turn either!" Bonz declared. However, Blackland Void Dragon simply growled at him. Bonz watched as its attack power started to increase. "Wait, what?"
"Blackland Void Dragon gains 200 attack points for every monster that originates from the extra deck still in the extra deck, on the field or in the graveyard. So your 600 points of ectoplasm are nothing to my void dragon's immense power! And since I use 15 fusion monsters, one of which is Blackland Void Dragon itself so that's a 3000 attack point boost!"
Blackland Void Dragon let out an unearthly roar as its attack power surged all the way up to 5600, due to the attack lowering effects of Bonz's Pumprincess.
"S-so what? It still can't attack!" Bonz stammered.
"It can with this spell card. Go, Quick Attack!" Hajime declared.
Bonz gasped again, now Hajime's dragon could attack immediately and Bonz's weakest monster only had 1800 attack points thanks to his Pyramid of Wonders.
"Pyramid of Wonders is great for its protection effect, but unfortunately," Chiaki said, "Since your monster is in attack mode-"
"You're still gonna take damage!" She and Hajime shouted at the same time.
"And brace yourself because this one's going to hurt! Blackland Void Dragon attack! Destroy his Dark Assailant! Void Dragon Blast!"
Hajime's monster roared as it unleashed a furious blast of void energy down at Bonz's monster and completely annihilated all of Bonz's life points.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!" Bonz shouted as his life points were obliterated.
Although the duel had finished, the holograms had yet to cease and Hajime's void dragon, leaned in close to growl at Bonz, Sid and Zygor.
The three graveyard buddies, freaked out, hugging each other and scuttling back in terror from Hajime's monster. "Now you're going to give back everything you stole!" Hajime declared. "Otherwise, I'll come back and I'm bringing Blackland Void Dragon with me."
"Also, I'm personally acquainted with Seto Kaiba," Chiaki said forcefully. "So unless you want to be banned from all future tournaments, you'd best do as we say." She pointed an angry index finger at Bonz and his gang. "How dare you use games to hurt people! Shame on you! Shame on all of you!"
"We're sorry! We're sorry! We're sorry!" The three apologized, bowing their heads.
"We'll return all the locator and rare cards, just let us go!" Bonz pleaded.
"Get out of here and if I catch you punks causing trouble again, I'll serve up another helping of Void Dragon Blast."
"Yeah, yeah, no problem!" Bonz nodded in terror and then he, Sid and Zygor ran off screaming into the night, leaving behind Bonz's Call of the Haunted and two locator cards.
"Kind of a shame," Chiaki said. "I was going to duel one of them, but we'd look like huge hypocrites if I tried to duel them while they were scared of your dragon."
Hajime turned off the hologram projector and deactivated his duel disk. "Yeah, suppose your right. Don't worry, I'm sure there's still a duelist or two we can find that you can win your last two locator cards from. You're going to the finals with me and that's er…final."
Chiaki laughed. "Come on, let's get out of here," she said as Hajime followed after her.
The two made their way to the cemetery entrance as Hajime continued to stare at his locator cards with disbelief.
"What's the matter?" Chiaki asked.
"I just…I still can't believe I made it all the way to the finals. I just…it feels so unreal, you know?"
"Well, it's real," Chiaki told him. "I told you, the only thing you lacked was confidence. So let's head for the finals and you can show everyone just what Hajime Hinata is made of."
Hajime nodded and took a step forward only to suddenly feel weak across his whole body as a haunting purple fog rolled in. What's…going on?
Sinister laughter echoed in his head as Hajime began to wobble on his feet.
"Hajime? Hajime!" Chiaki shouted at him as he collapsed. She picked up his body as best she could. He was breathing, but the look in Hajime's eyes terrified her. They were vacant, empty, like a huge part of him had suddenly gone missing. "Hajime?" Chiaki asked, hyperventilating. "Hajime?" She didn't know what else to do. She tried shaking Hajime, poking several areas, including his naval and even attempted CPR, but nothing seemed to rouse him or change the situation. "No…no this isn't happening. We…we're supposed to go to the finals together. Hajime, get up!" Chiaki shouted in tears.
"I'm afraid it's useless. He can't hear you, my dear."
Chiaki turned around to see a boy around her age with fluffy white hair and a rather intricate golden trinket dangling from his neck. He had a duel disk on one arm and a blood covered bandage higher up it. He wore a light blue jacket over a striped shirt with beige khakis.
His eyes were devilish as he laughed maniacally at Hajime's predicament. "HAHAHAHAHA! Ah, a weakened, off-guard mind is always susceptible to such things. That duel certainly took a lot out of him, but what do you expect when you make a comeback with only 100 life points left."
"Who are you?" Chiaki demanded to know. "What did you do to Hajime?"
"Oh nothing much," the white haired youth said. "I just sent him on a lovely one way trip to the shadow realm as I plan to do to you, Chiaki Nanami."
"How do you know my name?" Chiaki gasped, taking a step back in fright.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" the young man said, his voice eerie and sinister. "Don't you have a more pressing matter on your mind, my dear?"
"Whatever you did to Hajime, undo it right now!" Chiaki shouted.
The young man laughed. "Heh heh heh, that's what I was hoping you'd say. If you want to have any luck at saving your friend," he activated his duel disk. "Duel me. But I should warn you, little girl, that this will be unlike anything you've ever experienced. For this will be no ordinary duel. It will be a shadow game!"
"What are the rules?" Chiaki asked, standing tall. If it meant rescuing Hajime, she was willing to play whatever sick, twisted game this stranger came up with.
"The rules are the same as ever with duel monsters, just with an added twist that is better experienced than it is explained. You wouldn't believe me if I simply told you."
"Then, if it means rescuing Hajime," Chiaki said, activating her duel disk. "I accept your challenge and, when I win, not only will you put Hajime back to normal," she said, pointing at her opponent, "But your locator cards will be mine."
"That's if you win," her opponent said with a sadistic grin. "But all right, those terms are acceptable. Let's hope this isn't the final game you'll ever play. AHAHAHA HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
(A/N: Yeah, this is happening. Next time on Dueling Trigger Finger: Chiaki Vs Yami Bakura. Can the Ultimate Gamer win her first ever shadow game and save Hajime? Will she be able to overcome Bakura's Destiny Board without the aid of a powerful monster like Osiris/Slifer the Sky Dragon? Tune in next chapter to see the first ever high-stakes duel in the fanfic. But remember, this isn't just Yu-gi-oh, this is Danganronpa, so expect an extra helping spoonful of despair!
Until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)