Author's Note: I had to make a few minor updates to Chapters 1 and 2…mainly because I realized that I kept changing the color of Britney's eyes. I finally settled on crimson to match her fiery spirit and red clothing (and because I have a weakness for anime girls with black hair and red eyes *cough Yor Forger cough Tifa Lockhart cough*)
Shout-Outs…
ABOOKS5117: Tension is the spice of storytelling: how else do we keep the reader coming back for more? ;)
ChroniclerDL: 1) The minute I learned about Red-Eyes Dark Dragoon, I thought "definitely writing this into a duel." 2) The anime feel is what I'm aiming for! 3) Cole would probably disagree with you lol.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Champions: Rise of Reshef
Chapter 4: Duel The Darkness!
The mage Heishin and his fellow spellcasters aim to raise the dark titan Reshef from his imprisonment. Once free, Reshef will wipe the slate of the universe clean – and they will rule. To do so, Heishin needs the Century Items. However his plans where thwarted with the warrior king Yasuke sent them hurtling through the universe.
One of the items, the Century Key, was found by Yugi Muto – aka the King of Games and the former holder of the Millienium Puzzle. Yugi and his best friend Joey Wheeler held off Heishin's fellow mages Marthis and Secmeton in a duel for the Key.
Meanwhile, the Century Medallion was found by Cole Yeager. A rising Duelist in his own right, Cole recently defeated Pro Circuit Champion Simon Kaiser in a duel. This caught the attention of Pro Duelist Britney Blaze, who Cole invited for a day around Avalon City. The two got close…and were interrupted by Josh Jackson, a Duelist who had been wanting to fight Cole.
Unbeknowst to Cole, Heishin is controlling Josh using the power of his Century Rod.
Avalon City.
"I just ran into you today," Cole said, confusion written over his face. "What the hell do I have that belongs to you?"
"Ah, so you truly are unaware of the power the Medallion holds," Josh – or rather, Heishin, snickered.
"The Medallion…?" Cole reached into his pocket and pulled out the medallion he'd found. "You want this? Dude, take it-"
"I cannot simply take it. In accordance with the ancient law, it must be won in combat. In a duel."
"Man, you're the persistent kind of asshole aren't you?" Cole muttered as he took out his deck. "Fine. Let's do this-"
Before he could move any further, Britney's hand reached out and grabbed his arm. The knight Duelist turned and saw a worried look on her face. "Don't," she said quietly. "I don't know what all this talk about medallions and ancient rites is about, but I don't like it."
"Britney, trust me. This guy won't be a problem."
"But-"
She was cut off when his hand wrapped around hers and gave a gentle, but firm squeeze. "I'll be careful, I promise," Cole said with a wink – causing a faint blush to color Britney's cheeks. She let go of his arm and pointed a finger at him. "You'd better not lose, mister!"
Cole gave her a thumbs up before turning to Josh. "All right, Josh – bring it on!"
The Realm of Godai.
Atop his throne, Heishin sneered. This overconfident fool! He has no idea of the magnitude of this duel. Even though this card game is…different from the Diaha of old, I've had centuries of experience. Crushing this boy will be simple.
He raised his Century Rod and spoke…
Avalon City.
…and his words flowed out of Josh's mouth, even as the possessed Duelist triggered his Duel Disk. "Prepare to lose everything, you little fool."
Cole triggered his own Duel Disk, a look of determination on his face. "Let's Duel!" he shouted as both players drew five cards.
Cole: 4000 LP/ Josh (Heishin): 4000 LP
Meanwhile…
The Beyond The Fourth Wall Shop.
"Two of the Shrouded Justice packs, please," Eli Weston said as he placed a handful of dollar bills on the counter. "And…the latest issue of Zompire."
The clerk, Lewis, pushed his trilby hat up on his head as he rang up the purchases. "And done! Pleasure as always, Eli."
"Thanks Lewis!" Eli took his purchases and walked over to where his sister and Hana Hikari were flipping through the racks of manga. "Ready to head over to Cole's house?"
"Just about…" Hana said absentmindedly, lost in a volume of Sailor Moon.
Just then, the back opened, and Martin – the other owner of Beyond The Fourth Wall – came out with a stack of Duel Monsters booster packs in his arms. "Oh, looking for Cole, are you?" he said, a slight hint of a British accent underlining his words. "He was just in here."
"He was?" Hana looked up from her manga.
"Yeah, he and Britney were looking through the cards – he even brought a few packs."
"Britney…Britney…" Eleanor scratched her head. "How do we know that name?"
"Britney Blaze," Eli said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "She was watching Cole and Simon Kaiser's duel with us."
"And they were…together?"
"Yeah that's what it looked like-Oh, bugger!" Martin shouted as Hana breezed by him, causing him to nearly lose his grip on the boxes he was holding. The Westons yelped as she took them firmly by the arms and all but ran out the door.
The Kaiser Manor.
"Done," Simon Kaiser said, picking up his new deck. Three days of constantly refining, searching for the right cards and combinations…and he had a new and improved dragon deck. Now all I need to do is to find Cole Yeager, he thought.
He couldn't forget how the knight Duelist had managed to get the upper hand in their match, dismantling his strategies and stopping Typhon in its tracks. And then, at the right moment…
"Buster Blader's effect kicks in! Now he gets 500 extra attack points for every Dragon-type monster on your field and in the graveyard! And last I checked, you have a lot of dragons…"
"Typhon…my Assault Wyvern, Decoy Dragon, and Rare Metal Dragon…plus the Shield Wing and Dragon Knight of Creation I discarded with Card Destruction…" Simon's face was nearly as white as the streaks in his hair. "That's 3000 extra attack points!" (ATK: 2600 - ATK: 5600)
"And more than enough to wipe you out!" Cole shouted triumphantly. "Buster Blader, attack Typhon! Destruction Sword Flash!"
Buster Blader drew his sword and leapt up into the air, charging at Typhon. There was a massive white flash of light, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. Soon, the dragon hunter landed in a kneeling position. Two seconds later, Typhon's head crashed to the ground. Its body plummeted into the ground and then shattered into pieces.
Cole: 1700 LP/ Simon: 0 LP
No one had ever beaten Simon until that day. No one. And yet, he didn't feel anger. He felt a fire, a hunger that wouldn't die down until he faced Cole in a Duel again. And this time, he'd win.
The heir to KaiserTech stood up, pulling a blue trench coat over his silver shirt and blue pants. He slipped on a pair of silver sneakers and picked up his Duel Disk, as a mustachioed man in a tuxedo walked in. "Are you heading out, Master Simon?"
"Yes, Grady," Simon slotted his deck into his Duel Disk, his eyes steely with resolve. "Prepare the car."
"I'll take the first move!" Josh shouted, drawing a card. "I summon Don Zaloog in attack mode!" A muscular man with long black hair and an eyepatch appeared, sporting a tan vest and a tattoo of a scorpion on his muscular bicep. In his hands he wielded twin knives. (Level 4/Dark/Warrior/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1500) "Then I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn."
"My move!" Cole said, drawing. He looked at the monster he just drew and smirked. "I summon the Skilled White Magician in attack mode!" A mage dressed in a white robe appeared. In one hand, it grasped a staff with a tapered point that resembled a spear. (Level 4/Light/Spellcaster/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1900) "Attack Don Zaloog with White Magic Destruction!"
The Skilled White Magician raised his staff and fired a ring of pure white light. It traveled through the air and sliced through Don Zaloog, shattering the thief in half. Josh didn't even flinch.
Cole: 4000 LP/ Josh (Heishin): 3700 LP
What's with this guy? Cole thought. Earlier today, he was chomping at the bit to duel me…and now it's like I'm fighting a wall. He plucked a card from his hand and set it into his disk. "I set a card facedown and end my turn."
"Then it's time I stopped going easy on you," Josh snickered as he drew. "I activate the spell card Premature Burial! For the small cost of 800 life points, I can bring Don Zaloog back from the grave!" Once more, Don Zaloog appeared, his daggers held on the defensive.
Cole: 4000 LP/ Josh (Heishin): 2900 LP
"All those life points just to bring that guy back?" Cole muttered.
"Don Zaloog is full of surprises, as you'll soon find out. Next I activate Card of Sanctity! We both draw until we have six cards in our hands." Josh pulled three cards from his deck, while Cole pulled two. "And finally, I activate Mustering of the Dark Scorpions! Now that Don Zaloog is on the field, I can summon his companions – the greatest band of thieves who ever lived! Meet the DARK SCORPIONS!"
Behind Zaloog, four figures appeared.
The first was an immensely tall bald man, who bore a massive mace on his shoulder. "Gorg the Strong!" (Level 5/Dark/Warrior/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1500)
The second was a bony youth with blonde hair that stood straight up in spikes, and a mischievous grin on his face. Strapped to his back was a hammer. "Chick The Yellow!" (Level 3/Dark/Warrior/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000)
The third was a lanky man with spectacles and a sinister grin on his face. He pulled out a knife and licked it while eying Cole. "Cliff The Trap Remover!" (Level 3/Dark/Warrior/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1000)
The fourth was a lovely brunette woman, and in her hand, she held a whip made from thorns. "Menae The Thorn!" (Level 4/Dark/Warrior/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1800)
Four monsters in one turn? This guy must be up to something, Britney thought, her arms crossed. Then she heard a chuckle from Cole's side of the field.
A frown crossed Josh's face. "And what's so funny?"
"You don't know the effect of my Skilled White Magician, do you? See whenever my opponent activates a Spell Card, he gets what's known as a Spell Counter." Indeed, the three orbs around the Skilled White Magician's collar were glowing with a faint blue light. "And now that he has three, I can sacrifice him to summon a special friend," Cole continued. "I special summon the Buster Blader!"
The Skilled White Magician disappeared from the field, and seconds later the Buster Blader stood in his place, drawing his mighty sword! (Level 7/Earth/Warrior/ATK: 2600/ DEF: 2300)
At that moment, Hana, Eleanor, and Eli came around the corner. "Hey, Cee's in another duel!" Eleanor remarked.
"And he pulled out Buster Blader again!" Eli added, a huge smile crossing his face. "He's bound to win!"
Simultaneously, a limo skidded to a stop near the dueling grounds, and a flash of blue and white tumbled out. "Keep it parked, Grady!" Simon shouted as he rushed forward. He stopped and saw Cole standing there triumphantly, Buster Blader at the ready. Hmph, looks like Cole got himself into another duel. No matter, I'll step in after this scrub and claim my victory.
The Realm of Godai.
A dark smile crossed Heishin's face. Does this boy think his knights are enough to scare me? The deck I've given my puppet will teach him a VERY painful lesson. "All the attack power in the world won't mean a thing once I activate this card!" He lifted his Century Rod once more…
Avalon City.
…and Josh's hand reached forward and pressed a button on his Duel Disk. "I activate Dark Scorpion Combination! Now that all five of the Dark Scorpions are on the field, they can attack your life points directly!"
"WHAT?!" Cole, Britney, Hana, Eleanor, and Eli shouted.
"There is a drawback…the damage each card inflicts will be 400 points each. But the worst is yet to come," Josh continued, a sadistic smile twisting his face. "Now, my Dark Scorpions, teach this inferior Duelist what happens when you challenge High Mage Heishin!"
The Dark Scorpions leaped past Buster Blader and charged at Cole. Don Zaloog whipped his daggers across his chest, causing him to stumble back in pain. Menae lashed her whip repeatedly, covering him in scratches. Chick took out his mallet and whammed it into Cole's stomach, causing him to drop to his knees in pain. Then he felt a hand around his neck…and he howled in agony as Cliff's knife drove into his back.
"COLE!" Hana shrieked.
"Cole, get up!" Britney screamed.
But their eyes widened in horror as Gorg stalked forward…and swung his mace into Cole's face, sending the knight Duelist flying and slamming into the side of Sam's burger stand.
Cole: 2000 LP/ Josh (Heishin): 2900 LP
Slowly, and ever so painfully, Cole stood up. "Why…why did that hurt? They're holograms-" He groaned and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Foolish boy," Josh snickered, wagging his finger. "When you accepted my challenge, you also accepted the rules of a Shadow Game. And in this game, the winner will lose much more than a mere duel…they will lose their life."
A chill shot down Cole's spine, and he pushed it down. Death?! I've fought some intense duels before, but I'm not ready to die…
"And the death doesn't stop with your body…I'm also killing your deck!" Josh continued, flipping his second facedown. "RobbIn' Zombie! Every time a monster inflicts battle damage to my opponent, they must discard the top card from their deck!"
"What?!" Hana shrieked. "But that means Cole loses five cards!"
Cole shakily reached forward and pulled five cards from his deck, depositing them in the graveyard. "This can't get worse…"
"Oh, but it can," Josh sneered. "My Dark Scorpions each have a special ability that activates when they deal damage. First, Don Zaloog will make you discard one random card from your hand." Cole glared and sent another card to the graveyard. "Then, Cliff destroys your face down card!" Cole didn't move, as his Defense Draw shattered into a million pieces. "Chick returns your Buster Blader to your hand. Then Gorg will send the top card of your deck to the graveyard." Once again, another card was sent to the graveyard. "Finally, Menae lets me add another Dark Scorpion card to my hand…" A card slid out of Josh's deck and he held it up. "I think I'll add another Dark Scorpion Combination!" He slid it facedown. "I end my turn. Make your final move wisely, Cole Yeager…no matter what you do, the shadows will swallow your soul."
Cole slowly reached for his deck…but as his fingers touched the top card, he froze. A familiar feeling crept alongside his body…a feeling he had never felt before.
Fear.
What if Josh…or this Heishin guy, or whatever…is right? What if I lose? And I do die? I'll never surpass Dad…never see Britney or my friends again…and God knows how many cards I've lost because of his Dark Scorpions. Can I beat him?
"COLE!"
Cole jerked out of his stupor and saw Simon standing there, arms folded. "You're not thinking of giving up, are you? Because the Duelist who defeated me said that he fights to the end. And I know you won't lose to this third-rate amateur!"
"He's right!" Britney said. "You have cards, so you have a chance!"
They're right…I can turn this duel around! All I need is the right card. Fire dancing in his eyes, Cole took the top card of his deck and swiped it off. "Draw!" He looked at his hand, then up at Josh, and there was no mistaking the look of determination on his face.
"You should have finished me last turn…because now I go on the offensive! And I promise you: every one of your Dark Scorpions is going to fall by my hand."
TO BE CONTINUED…
Next Chapter: 'King Meets Knight'
Cole goes on the counterattack, but will he be able to overpower Heishin's Dark Scorpion combo? Meanwhile, Yugi and Joey meet a mysterious figure who knows more about the Century Items. And another Item finds an unlikely user.