A.S- Must finish fanfic! I'm getting soooooooo tired of this! So much work, yet so few reviews! OH yeah! I don't own Yu-gi-oh! But I own the Akurei-Shinzo characters!
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Chapter 17- The Tournament of Honor
"I forgot why I never wanted to summon that whip… oh well, I'll think of it sooner or later," said Zeero questioning himself about the Darkness Whip. They were all back at Shiro's hometown and Daichi had helped them heal their wounds.
"You're just to lucky Shiro," said Daichi inspecting Shiro's left arm. Yugi just then noticed a long black scar along that arm. It was like the scar his half-brother Kuro had on his face, only Kuro's scar was white not black. But besides the color of the scar it was the same length and looked almost identical.
/What's with that scar?/
//Looks almost like Kuro's//
/Maybe it has something to do with them being related…/
//I don't think so, that scar is no ordinary scar…//
"Hey Shiro," said Yugi. "What's with that scar of yours?"
"Oh this? It was before you all came. I fought Kuro, my half-brother. But when our attacks collided our hatred for each other caused these scars. They will only disappear when our hate for each other is gone. But I can always tell when Kuro is in the neighborhood because my scar begins to hurt…" said Shiro.
"So that scar basically represents your hatred for your brother?" asked Kaiba.
"You can say that…"
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"It turns out that door you destroyed when you fought Kemuri, was one of the three gateways to Earth," said Daichi.
"So we've destroyed a chance to get home!?" screeched Mai.
"Well, sort of… But there are two other gateways and I suggest you get to them and destroy them before demons or evil spirits get to Earth. If they pass through those gates there will be no way to return to your world."
"What do you mean?" asked Tea.
"You see, if more evil beings from our world cross into yours both of our worlds would fuse together like they did in the past. Only, if our worlds are fused together for a week then both of our worlds will blow up because of the balance is disrupted!"
"What?!" screamed Joey and Tristan in shock.
"That isn't good…" said Hoshi.
"So where are these gateways?" asked Akio.
"Beats me," said Daichi. "I'm a priest not a locator!"
"But you can find out," said Shiro. "The village elder should tell you, he may be an old geezer, but he should be able to locate weak points in the dimensions."
"True," said Daichi.
"Can I have some SAKE?" asked Zeero.
"No!" screams Katana whacking him over the head with a mallet.
"We're talking about the fate of two worlds and all you can think of is SAKE?!" asked Kaiba.
"…Yup!" (Everyone does an anime style fait except for Zeero who is quite pleased with himself and smiling)
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"Alright, this is the area where the nearest door is located," said Daichi pointing at an area in a map. "The elder says that this area is inhabited by demons so be on your guard."
"That place looks familiar," said Zeero. "It's like I've been there before…"
"We'll leave tomorrow morning," said Shiro. "For now, let's get some sleep."
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"Thanks again for your help Daichi, "said Shiro as the gang was about to head off.
"No problem, anything for an old friend," said Daichi. "Good luck!"
The gang headed towards the mountains, around that area was a forest. Somewhere in there laid the second gateway.
"This place's scent… it's all so familiar…" said Zeero, after walking for several hours Zeero's short-term memory stared to recall this area. "I remember! Oh wait…never mind, slipped my mind again!"
"Would you shut up already! You've said that a thousand times within thirty minutes!" said an annoyed Kaiba.
"For once I would have to agree with Kaiba…" said Yami who came out of the puzzle just in time to see Kaiba beating up Zeero. "Zeero was getting annoying…"
"Shiro! Help!" screamed the kitsune hiding behind him.
"Why is it that I always end up baby-sitting you?" asked Shiro watching Kaiba chase Zeero in circles around him. (sweatdrop)
Just then a whip came down hard on the ground which threw everyone off their feet. When the dust settled they saw a fox demon about an inch or so taller than Zeero with brown hair in a ponytail and his eyes looked exactly like Zeero's. Except this guy's eyes were a lot more serious than Zeero's usual cry-baby/idiotic blank stare. The whip the guy had used against them was the same whip that Zeero had used to beat Tsurugi. (But unlike Zeero the dude knew how to control the whip's power, Zeero hasn't figured out how to summon it again. The only reason he was able to summon it before was that he didn't even try to summon it earlier!)
"Hey I know you!" exclaimed Zeero. The stranger smirked.
"Well of course you know me!" he said.
"Who are you again?" Zeero asked. The stranger collapsed anime-style and got up sweatdropping.
"You baka! I'm your brother, Kenji!" screamed the demon.
"Oh yeah! What are you doing here?" (Everyone else faints anime-style and sweatdrops).
"You out of all fox-demons should know! It's what you've been running away from! The Tournament of Honor! When all of the leader's sons have gained five tails and summoned the whip of darkness they must fight each other to claim the throne!"
"Aiee! That's why I never wanted to summon that whip!"
"Like it or not you're coming with me!" With that kanji grabbed Zeero by the tail and started dragging him away.
"Shiro! Don't let them make me fight! Help!" screamed Zeero, who grabbed Shiro and started to drag him along as well.
"Hey! Let go! Leave me out of your family issues!" shouted Shiro struggling to get out of Zeero's grasp. The rest of the gang sighed and followed them.
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"But Dad! Couldn't you make an exception!?" asked Zeero begging his dad to let him drop out of the tournament.
"I don't know…no one has ever asked to be dropped out before…" said the old fox-demon. Zeero's other brothers stared at him in disbelief.
"What's the matter with you?" asked one of them. "It's an honor to fight in this tournament!"
"Well, no one gets SAKE for winning!" (everyone faints anime-style)
"Always about the SAKE…"sight Shiro.
"How'd you get in here?" asked another one of Zeero's brothers.
"He dragged me in," said Shiro pointing towards Zeero who grinned sheepishly.
"Nice place you got here," said Mai who was looking at the tapestry on the wall. The rest of the gang was also in the building that they were in. Zeero's family didn't want to know how the rest of them got in, so they didn't ask. Although they were very confused on how they got pass the security.
"Interesting friends you've made…"muttered one of Zeero's brothers.
"You're the youngest of your family aren't you, Zeero?" asked Joey.
"How'd you know?"
"It's written all over you," said Yami.
"By the way, we're looking for a door. Have you seen any unusual doors or gates that have appeared around here lately?" asked Katana.
"What does it look like?" asked the old kitsune.
Zeero tried to draw a picture of the door Shiro destroyed when he fought Kemuri, but he just drew a circle. Joey drew a square, and Tristan made a triangle.
"Interesting shapes for doors," commented the old fox-demon.
"Out of the way!" shouted Katana as she pushed the boys out of the way and drew a much better picture of what the doorway looked like.
"Well…" Before Zeero's dad could answer the ground began to rumble. They raced outside and found, well, the door growing out of the ground. "Now that you mention it I have seen something like what you've just described. It's right there."
"Let's destroy it," said Akio.
"Wait! How are we going to get back to Earth then?!" asked Tristan.
"We'll throw you all through the last door before we destroy it!" shouted Shiro as he and Zeero raced towards the door. But before they reached it a plant-demon grew out of the ground! It was an eggplant/octopus looking thing. Basically it had the body of an eggplant and the tentacles of an octopus! Zeero made a sharp U-turn and went yelping back and hide behind his father. "Knew we couldn't destroy the door without some resistance! Chaos Claw!"
Shiro took a swing and one of the eight tentacles and slice it off! But it was immediately replaced by another tentacle which had grown in its place! Then the eggplant dug it's roots deep into the ground. The gang watched and the roots dug deeper into the ground, wondering what the vegetable was trying to do. Then the roots came out of the ground and wrapped themselves firmly around Shiro! Before he could even do anything the roots gave him a jolt of electricity! After the shock the thing flung him to a wall of rocks, then the demon smashed the wall making several rocks fall on top of Shiro crushing him beneath!
"Hey, you fruit! That wasn't fair! I summon Flame Swordsman!" shouted Joey.
"Dark Magician!" shouted Yugi/Yami
"Harpy Lady!" Mai
"Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba (who else?)
Their monsters didn't even get a chance to attack the thing because it's roots had gotten a good hold of them and crushed them!
"Dark Whiplash!" attacked Kenji. The whip was the only thing that seemed to have an effect on the creature for it howled in pain. But it also made it kind of mad… It slowly turned and used its roots once again to capture its prey. In this case it was everyone! Zeero gave a yelp and turned into his fox-form. He managed to dodge all of the roots that tried to grab onto him, but everyone else wasn't as lucky.
"Zeero! Do something!" shouted Yami in frustration as he tried to get out of the plant's grasp.
"Dad, Zeero only has three tails!" shouted Kenji. The old fox opened his eyes and saw his youngest son scampering from here to there trying to find some way to save himself!
"Well I'll be…" he muttered.
"Soul Stealer!" yelled Zeero as he tried to perform his best attack against the weed. The thing, after puffing up like a balloon, opened its mouth and blew out some yellow toxic at Zeero. It must have been some sort of acid since Zeero gave a cry of pain and he reverted back into his demon form. The plant slowly lifted a large tentacle ready to strike, Zeero gritted his teeth ready for the blow…
"Chaotic Oblivion!"
A flash of gold and silver sliced off most of the eggplant's tentacles and roots which freed the others. Zeero turned and saw Shiro, pushing a rock off of him. He looked like he'd seen better days, most of his face was covered in blood.
"I'm not quite dead yet! So don't you forget about me!" shouted Shiro. He stumbled around trying to stand up straight. The plant turned its attention on Shiro, it began to puff up again. Zeero slowly got up to his feet, and then, suddenly, there it was! The Darkness Whip had come to his hand without him even calling it!
"Dark Whiplash!" attacked Zeero. His whip's power wasn't in 100% of his control, but it still managed to split the thing in to. The two sides of the plant fell on top of the door way and crushed it. The whip then vanished, leaving a very tired Zeero behind.
"Zeero," began his father. "I think you have an excuse to not participate in the tournament…"
"Really?!"
"Yes, to be able to summon the Darkness Whip you were suppose to gain five tails. And you only got three (the lowest level for a male fox-demon I might add)."
"Does that mean I can skip the tournament! Yippee!"
"He's a one of a kind fox-demon," said Shiro watching Zeero dancing around happily.
"Yeah," said Yugi. "But it wouldn't hurt if he had and intelligence level as other people…" (He said this because Zeero just ran smack into a tree!)
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Next time on Heart of a Demon: Hey! This is Daichi! Remember me? If you don't go back a few chapters. So anyways while the gang was looking for the final door they run into me again! I'm with this group of priests that our about to worship this…rice bowl? Don't question the Sonraku priests, most of the prayer priests are nuts. Hope the gang can somehow get me out of this mess! See you soon! Next time- The Rice Bowl of the Heavens! Don't ask…
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A.S- Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Five days to write the thing!
Daichi- You all have to review! Keep the reviews coming and the chapters will keep on coming to!
Shiro- Have a nice spring break!