(A/N: I love how none of you predicted what's about to happen. Guess that means I'm more clever than I give myself credit for. Here we go!)
While it was rare for any student to take a mid-day nap at Hope's Peak, Gundham Tanaka had been put on a bizarre sleep schedule on Mikan's advice. He slept twice a day for 5 hours at a time, if he could sleep at all. The intent was to get him back on track, but no matter how many different brands of sleeping pills he took, no matter how many therapy dogs he surrounded himself with, he always seemed to toss and turn and break out into a cold sweat. He would wake, gasping for breath, horrified at the visions that plagued him in his slumber.
Grimacing, teeth clenched, he would go to the bathroom and stare at his visage. Remains of his torture, his imprisonment in the shadow realm, plagued his mind. Ra's burning image, Sonia's half-zombified face, which had been imprinted upon his eyes during his stay, the headstones of the four dark devas, his classmates abandoning him, they all plagued his mind.
But the worst offender was his own guilt. He had failed Sonia. He had been unable to protect her. He clutched at his bandaged arm. Damn my own powerlessness! Are my powers so paltry that I cannot stand up to a dark sorcerer at will? At this rate, I shall never conquer the world, nor make the Dark Queen my consort!
Gundham of knew he was not the only one suffering. Sonia too spent most of her waking hours a paranoid mess, though she did her best not to show it in front of others. The situation with Mahiru, Hiyoko, Natsumi, Sato and now Chiaki and Nagito did not help matters. It had barely been a few hours since the incident and Sonia had barricaded herself in her room.
She sat in her bed, hugging her pillow with a pink bathrobe thrown over herself, wearing poofy, white bunny slippers, shivering. If Chiaki had been taken, what if she was next?
Am I safe as long as I stay in my room? Sonia wondered. Can I sleep? Can I trust my own emotions? What should I do? What can I do? For someone so mighty and proud, Sonia could not help but cower under the current circumstances. Nightmares were plaguing her as well, visions of her country in ruins, the idea that she caused it all just by being herself, the dead bodies of her classmates with a clone of her smiling and holding a knife, covered in blood. Her favorite horror film villains had each tormented her and had their way with her in her sleep. Sonia was afraid to go to sleep. She refused to take the sleeping pills Mikan had prescribed her. It had been 72 hours and Sonia had only managed 4 hours sleep, and not consecutively. Every time she nodded off, a nightmare always seemed to follow, and Marik's laughter could always be heard. Even when she was awake, sometimes she could still hear it.
In the boy's dorms, Gundham continued to ponder the situation. She has not worn her duel disk since the day after Battle City. Gundham recalled when Sonia had accepted an invitation to duel from Chiaki only to cry, cower and collapse the minute Chiaki played a monster face-up. It was the first sign of her trauma. She was trapped longer than any of us. I can't even imagine what she must have been through. Why am I so powerless at a time like this?
Gundham tried so hard to help me…and I can't even bring myself to thank him. I know Hajime ultimately saved us both…but…
What should I do? Both of them thought simultaneously.
"So you curse your own powerlessness, do you? Perhaps I can be of assistance."
Gundham shot to his feet. "Who's there? Show yourself, knave!"
"Do relax, young Tanaka. I am not your enemy." As he had done so with Nagito, Dartz appeared before Gundham, this time dressed in his Atlantean best. "I have come to make a deal."
Gundham immediately became skeptical. He folded his arms, head turned to one side. "Power of the mystical variety does not come without a price. What is yours?"
"You wish to save the life and pride of Miss Sonia Nevermind. Isn't that a desire worth any price? Fret not, I will not ask for your soul in return, nor your eternal allegiance. The price you pay is nothing so material or personal."
"You speak cryptically as if some kind of demon. Your intent is to tempt me with powers beyond my control."
"Beyond your control? No, young Tanaka." Dartz snapped his fingers and imbued Gundham with the power he so casually offered.
Gundham could feel the might of the Orichalcos pulsing through his veins. "This…this is…"
"A small taste of what you can achieve. Join me, Gundham Tanaka! Together, you and I shall usher in a new age for this world!"
Gundham let the power course through his veins. This was it. This is what he had been seeking for ages. Even before Battle City, nay, even as a child, this felt like the power Gundham had sought. True power, not the inspired showboating he was so used to playing up. With this, he could be a true demon.
But was it worth the price? This man, Dartz... Gundham could tell that if he said yes, Dartz would not allow him to escape so easily from underneath his grasp. At best, the power could be stolen away, at worst...Gundham dreaded the possibility.
Gundham clenched his fists and pondered the situation. Unfortunately, the power coursing through his veins made it hard to concentrate. The temptation far too great, the intent to help Sonia far too necessary. Dartz was right, if it was to help Sonia, power was worth any price.
"Then upon my soul, I shall carve the price you so desire. I, GUNDHAM TANAKA, SWEAR MY ALLEGIANCE TO THE POWER OF THE ORICHALCOS!"
The emblem of the Orichalcos embedded itself onto Gundham as he felt his power surge. His Four Dark Devas of Destruction, cowered inside their cages as their master seemed to laugh and cackle like a man possessed.
Gundham looked at his hands as he calmed down from the rush. This power…no…what have I…?
"Do you feel the power, Gundham Tanaka? Can you feel its energy? Do you understand your role in all of this?"
My role… Gundham closed his eyes. He then clenched his fists. A thousand apologies Dark Queen, but it appears I have been swayed down a treacherous path. But…for you…I know there is still something I can do. Even if I must stain my soul, even if I must push us apart, I swear…that I shall save you. Gundham's eyes opened as he smiled gleefully. "The Leviathan requires strong souls to be powered, does it not? Please allow this humble servant of its dark power to acquire a most fitting sacrifice to its jowls."
"I expect great things from you Gundham Tanaka. Please do not disappoint me."
With the power of the Orichalcos at his disposal, Gundham already knew who his first target would be, a proper sacrifice to be placed on the table for the Leviathan to feast upon.
Although he would never be able to duel competitively because of his heart condition, Nekomaru Nidai could still duel with a duel disk. It was only when things became high stakes, and his blood pumped too high that things could get dicey. And this man, 200 pounds of muscle and 6 feet tall was, in Gundham's eyes, the perfect sacrifice to the Great Leviathan.
"Coach Nekomaru! I challenge you to a duel for your soul! If you will not cower before my power, accept my challenge now!"
Nekomaru turned to see Gundham standing behind him. "Well, someone's got a fire in their belly this morning. Sure, just let me grab my duel disk and—" Nekomaru was cut off by a hawk dropping a duel disk down from above and landing on Gundham's shoulder.
"Should've figured you'd deliver when you mean business. Fine, bring it ON!"
"Then I shall go first!" Gundham shouted as his new Atlantean Duel Disk activated.
"Hey, wait a sec! Isn't that the custom duel disk Komaeda had?"
"I did say we would be dueling for our lives! Now, behold! The power of the Seal of Orichalcos!"
"Gundham, no! Not you too!"
"What's the matter? Surely you must've known that my lust for power would drive me to accumulate any dark arts I could?" Gundham asked, clenching a fist. "Come! Let us dance to our demise! And one of us will be seen safely to the pits of HELL!"
Looks like I don't have a choice. According to Mikan, there's no escape from this duel once its started. Sorry, Sonia, but I can't go easy on him.
"It's still my turn," Gundham said. "So first I shall play this monster card! Go Silver Fang!" Silver Fang hit the table and growled angrily as its eyes glowed red, the Orichalcos seal appeared on its forehead and its attack power surged from its normal 1200 to 1700. It still had 800 defense points though. "Next, I shall place 2 cards face-down onto the field. My turn is now complete."
"Then it's my turn then! I draw!" Nekomaru declared, drawing the top card of his deck. "And I'll start by playing this monster: Lightray Grepher!" Nekomaru summoned a sword brandishing warrior garbed in tight blue spandex and equal attack power to Gundham's Silver Fang. "And next, I'm equipping him with this magic card, Fighting Spirit!"
Lightray Grepher let out a proud yell as his attack power surged to 2000. Gundham could see the orange ki around Nekomaru's monster. "And what's more, I'm activating another magic card: The A. Forces! Now all warrior monsters I control gain 200 more attack for every warrior and spellcaster monster on my side of the field, including themselves, making my monster even stronger!"
Lightray Grepher now had 2200 attack points.
"And now, Lightray Grepher! Attack Gundham's Silver Fang and destroy it! Lightray Sword Strike!"
Nekomaru's monster darted forward and attacked Gundham's Silver Fang, destroying it. Gundham's life points ticked down to 3,500.
"Take that, Tanaka!" Nekomaru exclaimed. "Just because I didn't participate in Battle City doesn't mean I don't know how to duel!"
Gundham started laughing. "I'm afraid, Coach Nekomaru, that you did exactly as I had hoped, by destroying Silver Fang, you've allowed me to summon an even greater beast with minimal effort! GO GREEN BABOON, DEFENDER OF THE FOREST!"
A massive, club wielding, orc like monster with green skin and obscene facial hair hit the table with 2600 attack points that then became 3,100 from Gundham's Seal of Orichalcos.
"Hey, hang on! Did you just summon a monster on my turn?"
"Yes. What of it?"
"That's against the rules, isn't it?"
Gundham laughed, tapping a finger to his skull. "How feeble minded we are to not know of monsters such as these. At the cost of 1,000 life points," Gundham said as his life points became 2,500. "I can summon a Green Baboon from my hand or graveyard whenever a beast-type monster of mine is destroyed. Now! Tremble in fear at the might of my monster!"
Clenching a fist, Nekomaru clenched his teeth at his shortsighted actions. Gundham was a Battle City finalist, of course he had to watch out for more than just what was on the field. "Damn. Then I guess, for now, I'll leave this trap card face-down onto the field and end my turn."
Gundham laughed. "What gall. Your attempts to defend yourself will avail you little. No man can withstand the power of the true dark arts!" Gundham pulled a card from his deck to his hand. "And now I shall seal your fate by playing this: My ever reliable PALE BEAST!" Gundham's double face-sided 1500 attack points blue monster hit the table and then all four of its eyes glowed as its attack points jumped to 2,000. "And now the time has come for your reckoning! Green Baboon! Destroy Lightray Grepher!"
"I don't think so!" Nekomaru shouted. "Since you played a new monster in attack mode, my monster got 300 more attack points."
"So?" Gundham asked, unimpressed.
"So, that means I can use this Quick-play spell: Rush Recklessly!" Nekomaru exclaimed as the bull imprinted on the card image was visible to Gundham's eye.
"As if that would save you. I activate my face-down card! HORN OF THE PHANTOM BEAST!" Gundham revealed a staple trap card in his deck. "This raises my monster's attack power by 800 points for a grand total of 3,900. And since your monster only has 3,200 attack points, it means your monster will be DESTROYED!"
"Not quite," Nekomaru smirked. "I may lose a couple of life points, but thanks to the effect of Fighting Spirit, I can sacrifice it if my monster would be destroyed by battle. Just watch!"
Green Baboon clubbed Lightray Grepher in the face and knocked it down onto the ground. It got up, but Nekomaru's life points trickled down to 3,300.
"And thanks to Rush Recklessly being active," Nekomaru said as Lightray Grepher was shown to still have 2,400 attack points. "My monster is safe for next turn."
"We shall see about that," Gundham said. "Pale Beast! Attack Lightray Grepher now!"
"Are you crazy?" Nekomaru exclaimed. He was even more confused when Gundham's monster was destroyed and received 400 points of damage in return. Gundham's life points were now 2,100.
"And now that I have two beast monsters in my graveyard," Gundham said, ejecting both from the card graveyard, I can summon THIS POWERFUL CREATURE! COME TO ME, YELLOW BABOON! ARCHER OF THE FOREST!"
A bow-wielding yellow-skinned beast creature appeared on the battlefield next to its green counterpart. Its attack power surged to 3,100 thanks to Gundham's Seal of Orichalcos. "And since it is still the time for combat, I'm afraid Lightray Grepher's life is at its end. YELLOW BABOON! ATTACK!" Gundham roared.
Gundham's monster fired an arrow that pierced Nekomaru's destroy it and dealing 700 points of damage. Nekomaru's life points now trailed down all the way to 2,600.
"And that's not all! I'll also activate this continuous trap card: Howl of the Wild! Whenever a beast type monster destroys a monster by battle, you lose 300 additional life points."
Nekomaru's life points fell further to 2,300 points.
Gundham chuckled. "I may now be trailing behind in life points, but I have two unstoppable creatures at my disposal. Bow before you superior! Give your soul for the future of the Tanaka Empire! One direct attack from either of my almighty behemoths and this duel is OVER!"
Nekomaru's heart started to throb. Damn it. He's right. His monsters are too powerful and I've only got two cards in my hand and not a damn thing to do about his life points. SHIT! There's gotta be a way out of this! I can't lose! Not here!
Before Nekomaru could start his turn, both he and Gundham were surprised when a shoe imprinted itself on the barrier sealing them inside the battlefield of their duel. The owner of the shoe dropped down and began pounding on the invisible wall.
"Hey! Let me in there! GUNDHAM! I don't know what's going on, but I am going to kick your ass!"
Gundham and Nekomaru looked to the side to see a furious Akane pounding away on the barrier with her fists.
"Akane…" Nekomaru was at a loss for words as to her presence.
"Gundham, I don't know what's going on, but I know you're doing something horrible. I can feel it in my gut. Let me in there and take a crack at you, ya nutjob! Coach! Put me in! I can take him!"
Gundham started to laugh. "Even if you could enter this impenetrable fortress, Berserker, you could not hope to defeat me as I am now. My astral level puts me on higher standing with almost every student at this academy! I will not be defeated by the likes of you! But if you're so eager to die, I can send you to hell along with Coach Nekomaru!"
Akane growled. "Why you…" She pounded furiously on the dome. "Let me in there, you bastard! I'm going to kick your ass!"
"Enough, Akane!" Nekomaru exclaimed. "Stay out of this!"
"B-but…" Akane stuttered.
"This is between me and him! Whatever you do, do not get caught up in this, understand me? This isn't the type of battle I want you to be in."
"C-coach…" Akane didn't know how to react to that. Not the type of battle she should be in? What the hell did he mean by that. All battles were fun…right?
Meanwhile, Akane was not the only one observing the chaos unfolding. Kazuichi Soda had also noticed the situation and he was making a beeline for Sonia's dorm room.
"Miss Sonia! Miss Sonia! It's an emergency!"
From her pillow, Sonia looked up at the door. Oh great. What did that pervert want? She thought. Had he come to take advantage of her sorry state. That seemed like something he would do.
"Gundham's gone crazy and you're the only one I know who can talk that guy down!"
Gundham? No…she couldn't possibly. I can't even meet his eye right now.
"Look, I know you're skeptical to believe me, but what if I am telling the truth?"
There was no response from Sonia inside.
"I don't know what that freak Marik did to you, but the Miss Sonia I know wouldn't just sit by and cower while someone else is in trouble! Look, I know I'm probably the last guy you want to get a lecture from, but this is serious! You and Gundham haven't been the same since Battle City and if you think your behavior hasn't affected the rest of us, you're wrong! We're all worried about you, goddammit! So please, Miss Sonia! I know you can help! I believe in you!" After ranting, Kazuichi took a deep breath and slumped to one side, scratching at his hair. He took a slight pause before then saying, "Please…I'm kind of begging you here."
Just as Kazuichi was about to walk away from Sonia's dorm room, the door opened, revealing Sonia dressed in her Hope's Peak best. Inside, she was trembling with fear. In fact, it was taking most of her will not to just duck back into her room. However, the look on her face was as far from her inner turmoil as she could manage. It was determined, strong and matched her tone of voice as she spoke.
"Kazuichi, please escort me to Gundham! If he is ailing, I cannot stand idly by if there is something I can do!"
Kazuichi's face lit up like a 100-watt bulb. "You got it!" He exclaimed, winking and giving her a thumb's up. "Follow me!" It didn't matter to him that Sonia was doing this for Gundham. What mattered to Kazuichi was Miss Sonia's joy and disposition in general. And, well, he had been successful in motivating her. For now, that was enough. He felt that there was hope for him yet.
As Kazuichi and Sonia made for the scene, Nekomaru began his next turn. "Here I go!" He exclaimed. He drew the top card of his deck, now with three cards in hand. Yeah, this could work, at least for a little while. "I summon to the field Big Shield Gardna, in attack mode!"
A monster looking like a football player, helmet and all, took to the field with 100 attack and 2600 defense points.
"Absurd, your monster is no match for mine. Who would even think to play such a feeble monster in attack mode!"
"Someone with a sound strategy!" Nekomaru exclaimed. "Cause I'm activating a good old fashioned spell card: Shield and Sword! This'll literally turn the tables on the battlefield!"
"What?!" Gundham gasped.
"Since your monsters only have 1800 defense points and my monster has 2600 defense points, that means I'm stronger!"
"Blast!" Gundham exclaimed.
"And now, I'm gonna attack and destroy your Green Baboon!"
Big Shield Gardna charged forward and smashed its huge shield into Green Baboon, destroying it. Gundham lost 800 life points as a result, bringing his life total to 1,300.
"Next, I'm playing this card face-down, emptying my hand for the turn."
"A futile waste of effort!" Gundham declared. "You may have destroyed my monster, but Shield and Sword only lasts for 1 turn and now my monster can destroy yours along with the rest of your life points! You're a fool, Nekomaru Nidai!"
"If you're so sure then go ahead and attack! Make my day!" Nekomaru shouted.
"Believe me! I shall not disappoint!" Gundham exclaimed, drawing the top card of his deck. "Go! Yellow Baboon! Attack! Destroy Big Shield Gardna!"
"Right into it! I activate my trap card! Ready to Intercept! This lets me switch my monster to face-down defense position, protecting my life points!"
Yellow Baboon managed to shoot straight through Nekomaru's defensive monster, but his life points were safe for this turn.
Phew, dodged a bullet there.
"Crafty," Gundham chuckled. "How quaint. I shall simply play this card face-down and end my turn."
Nekomaru started to sweat. He had no cards in his hand and Gundham had a beefy 3,100 attack point behemoth on the field. How the hell was he going to get out of this? No, he couldn't think like that. He just had to dig in his heels and go for it. Victory never came to the man who had already surrendered in his heart.
"I'll show you! RAAAAARGH!" Nekomaru bellowed. He drew the top card of his deck. Nodding to himself, Nekomaru placed the card sideways, face-down in the monster zone. "One card face-down." The appropriate hologram appeared. "Turn's over."
"Over and to your doom!" Gundham bellowed.
However, as he prepared to draw the top card of his deck, Kazuichi and Sonia appeared on the scene. "Gundham!" Sonia exclaimed, showing up.
"See! I told you he was going nuts!"
"No! It cannot be! This is…this is the same seal that took Chiaki and Mahiru's souls is it not? No, perhaps Nekomaru—"
"Hey! Don't look at me!" Nekomaru shouted, sounding offended. "He's the asshole that trapped me in here!"
"No! It cannot possibly be!" Sonia exclaimed looking worried. "Gundham! Is it true? Are you using an evil power to steal people's souls?" Gundham gave Sonia no immediate response. He simply folded his arms. Sonia started to cry. "Why? Gundham…you know what it's like to have lost your soul, to be sent hurtling into the abyss of the unknown. So why…why would you do this? Answer me!" Sonia pleaded.
"In my pursuit of power, Dark Queen, I will stop at nothing." Gundham put on a devilish smile and crossed his arms in a plus shape with his hands facing different directions. "And not even you can stop me!"
"Gundham…please…I don't want you to do this…" Sonia sobbed, eyes shut tight. "Please…stop this right now."
"If I stop now, I will lose my soul."
"Then I will get it back. Please, I know that you're suffering! We both have experienced the pain of the shadow realm. Please! Think of Mahiru! Think of Chiaki! Would they want to see you using the same power that took them away from us?"
Gundham's hands lowered at his side. With the shadow cast by the sun and clouds overhead, it was difficult for Sonia to see the expression in Gundham's eyes.
Am I…getting through? Sonia wondered.
"I am sorry…Dark Queen," Gundham said calmly.
Gundham, Sonia smiled.
However, just as her smile appeared, reflected in it, she saw Gundham draw the top card of his deck and grin with manic glee. "But I have come too far to turn back now!"
"Gundham, no! STOP!" Sonia shouted. But her pleas were falling on deaf ears.
"Bring it!" Nekomaru shouted. "I've still got a monster on the field so unless you bowl it over, you ain't getting to my life points and I've got plenty to give."
"I would not call 2,300 life points plenty," Gundham chuckled. "Behold, the key to your demise. ROARING EARTH!" Gundham activated his face-down trap card, activating it and causing a minor earthquake with its activation as his Yellow Baboon seemed to go wild, arms flailing about, voice howling to the sky.
"I don't understand. It's not a monster." Akane had very limited understanding of how the game was played.
"It doesn't have to be," Nekomaru said. "Roaring Earth lets him inflict damage to my life points even if my monster is in defense mode. And since his monster is a Beast-type, Roaring Earth is gonna activate and deal more damage to me. But even with all that, you're still not gonna finish me off this turn."
Gundham's smile only widened as storm clouds rolled in overhead and thunder clapped across the sky. "Oh yes I am." He flipped a spell card around that showed a beast creature going berserk with action waves echoing from the monster's throat. "Behold as I activate the key to your demise. GO! WILD NATURE'S RELEASE!"
All parties in observance watched as Gundham's monster's attack power surged to 4,900 as rain began to fall. Their expressions turned to one of horror as Gundham declared, "ATTACK!"
It was like watching a death scene from a movie in slow motion. Yellow Baboon nocked an arrow and then let it fly. The arrow flew through the air as Nekomaru's monster was revealed: Good old Giant Soldier of Stone. The arrow tore through it like a ballistae shot. With so much attack power poured into the attack, Nekomaru's life points plummeted all the way to 0.
And from there, the Seal of Orichalcos began to shrink around Nekomaru, Akane rushing to his side as he collapsed. "Coach!" She exclaimed shaking him. "Coach!"
Nekomaru smiled. "No one should look the way you're looking right now, Akane. I can come back, right? This isn't permanent."
"Who cares if it's permanent or not? I can't watch you behave like a vegetable! I can't bear to watch that!" Akane exclaimed, panicking. "My stomach is all torn up in knots. I feel like I'm going to puke! You can't do this, Coach Nekomaru! You can't leave me!" Akane exclaimed defiantly.
"Sorry, but I don't got the option right now." Nekomaru brushed her hair. "Just behave yourself all right. I'll be back before you know it."
"Coach?"
With a smile, Nekomaru let his soul be taken as the Seal of Orichalcos' light warped into the sky.
"Coach!"
With nothing protecting Gundham now, Sonia stomped towards him, mad as a hornet and slapped him harshly across the face. "How could you?" she asked, sobbing. "Nekomaru was your friend! Your classmate! How could you do that to him?"
"Do my actions enrage you Dark Queen?" Gundham chuckled. "Perhaps you would care to stand where Nekomaru fell?"
"I…" Sonia backed up instinctively. Duel Gundham? No…she couldn't possibly.
"Tragic. I would not regret meeting my ultimate demise were it at your hands."
"YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!" Akane screamed, charging at Gundham with full speed. He dodged her fist with significant ease. Arms flailing, tears falling, Akane swung furiously at Gundham. However, with his arms remaining folded, Gundham continued to evade her until Kazuichi ran up and promptly sucker punched him in the face.
As rain now poured, puddles forming on the ground, Gundham landed on his elbow, cheek swollen. He looked at the scornful visages of Kazuichi and Akane and the sorrowful, heartbroken expression on Sonia's face. Gundham grit his teeth, touched his swollen cheek and glared at his classmates.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kazuichi snapped.
"Hold him down!" Akane exclaimed, cracking her knuckles. "I'll break his legs."
"Please stop it! All of you! We're all classmates! I-I'm sure Gundham has an understandable, reasonable explanation for why he did this." Sonia puzzlingly looked at Gundham. "Right, Gundham?"
Gundham stood up, arms folded. "I have nothing to say. Only, that if you wish to defeat me," he lowered his scarf and stared at Sonia, arms at his side, "You must cast aside your fear. Turn back, and you will age. Hesitate and you will die." He chortled then, arms folded. "And seek out my existence. For I, GUNDHAM TANAKA, shall not be satisfied with but a paltry taste of human flesh. For the great leviathan, I shall engulf all humanity under the Atlantean banner in my conquest! FOR THE TANAKA EMPIRE!"
"You sunnuva…" Kazuichi growled frustratingly, gritting his teeth.
Sonia looked like she was going to throw a temper tantrum for a moment. However, something seemed to stir within her. If Gundham was going to be cold, if he was going to cast aside all they'd been through together, then it was her job, not, her destiny to bring him back to the right path, her duty to make him atone.
"Gundham," Sonia said and suddenly she seemed to be reigning in her fear. She cast an arm down, fingers tilted up, wrist bent back at a right angle. "If your intention is to be swallowed up by your own greed, then I shall hold nothing back! I will punish you with the full force of the Nevermind Royal Family!"
"Keheheheh," Gundham chuckled. "Good. Good! I like that confidence in you, Dark Queen. It suits you." He laughed again. "But your words are but wind. None of you have the proper tools to face me right now and by the time you return, I will have become one with the wind." Gundham's body began to convert into shadow as he seem to be being extracted from his current location. "Hear my name and tremble mortals! For I, am GUNDHAM TANAKA! And I shall engulf this world in my darkness!"
Gundham's body then fully converted into shadows and then, he was gone.
With her friend vanished, Sonia's legs gave out and her skirt splashed with mud. As she dropped onto her hands and her knees, she started sobbing. She was not upset about her time in the shadow realm. She was not upset about Nekomaru. She was not even cursing her own weakness that she'd been unable to stop this tragedy.
She was simply crying of a broken heart.
(A/N: How many lines of dialogue does it take to initiate a feels trip? If I'm getting the intended audience reaction, the answer is one sentence XD. Yes, I am evil, where have you been if you didn't realize that by now ;P. Not really of course. I'm just a dick when it comes to being a writer. I'm actually a really sweet, reasonable guy once you get to know me XD. Anyway, I've got nothing else to say right now other than the fact that we are not done taking ppls souls with the Orichalcos.
Next chapter? MORE DESPAIR! Jesus, our heroes cannot catch a break, can they? XD. Don't worry, hope will be coming along soon. I promise. And, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)