Heart of the Cards
******
Chapter Seven: "Simple As That"
(Will's P.O.V.)
"Let the games begin."
What was my life coming to?
Here I was, a Red-Eyes Black Dragon, about to fight my friend, who was a Dark Magician, in a castle that we'd been trapped in for only a day that seemed like a year. If I won, Ebon lost. If he won, vice versa. He was only 100 points stronger than me in attack; the duel could go either way.
I turned my head to shoot a glare at that... GIRL, sitting there with my brother and Ivy as her hostages. Ivy gave me a brave smile from behind ruffled blonde hair, and mouthed the words, "don't worry about us."
Blaine locked eyes with me and gave me a meaningful look, which said clearly that I should be concerned about my duel, and not their welfare.
There would be hell to pay once this was over.
"Hurry up. I don't have a lot of time." The girl snapped. I resisted the urge to kill her. Ivy spoke up. "But what are they supposed to DO? Why do you even have life points? Isn't this just some kind of gladiator event?! Whoever loses, loses, whoever wins, wins!" She yelled, struggling against the girl's arm.
Blaine hung his head, and anyone who didn't know my brother well would think he was crying. But I could tell what he was doing. Blaine could never think properly unless he was focusing intently on the ground or the sky, and even though this caused him to space out and wander off at times, it was the amazing conclusions that he drew from these periods of time that made his "learning disorder" different from other kids his age. I smirked. Blaine would figure something out, without a doubt.
The girl, in response to Ivy's query, said, "Well, if you don't want life points, that's quite fine. But I had something else in mind." She looked over at the '8000' on my side, and lowered her eyes. Suddenly, a small green gauge appeared by my points. I stared at it.
She did the same to Ebon's side, and said, "Happy? Now with each attack, this gauge will drop, until the life points run out. I think that's fair."
"But that isn't how Duel Monsters works!" Ebon lashed out, pointing at her. "You said that this was a DUEL, not your own little game!"
"And it is. I just changed the rules a bit. Get used to it. Now, Red-Eyes," she said to me. "Try to go into attack mode. All you are doing right now is standing. That's not how you fight. Mentally, prepare for battle. You get into... what was that... ah, yes, "scraps" a lot, don't you? Prepare as if you are about to fist fight. Get your adrenaline running. Physically, stand at the front half of your slot. The red part."
I scowled, mainly because this girl was treating me like I was a five-year- old. As if to prove a point, I stepped calmly to the red zone of my square.
Instantly I felt a surge of heat flare up beneath my skin. It bubbled forth in my veins, shot through my heart, lit me on fire from the inside out!
I lifted one hand and stared at it in a daze. How could simply changing positions feel like this? The heat radiated around my claws, vibrating through the air until I was certain Ebon and Ivy and Blaine, and even the entire population of the castle could feel it, too.
Power.
Raw, superhuman power.
I shook my head out, trying to regain my sense of self. I felt strange; like if I didn't ignore this new feeling, it would eat me whole without mercy.
Ebon looked at me with wary concern written on his features. With his staff clutched firmly in one hand, and the other balled into a fist at his side, I could tell that he was shaking, even though he tried to hide it.
I wondered if I was shaking too.
"Good job, Red-Eyes. Now, Dark Magician, you to."
I closed my eyes and jerked out of pent up tension as Ebon obeyed reluctantly. Maybe, if we were lucky, this girl would have a lot more to explain.
"Now hurry up. First move goes to Player One."
Yeah right, wishful thinking that this girl would take a long time doing anything. I opened my eyes again, and saw that "Player One" was Ebon.
Shit. This was NOT good. Ebon was stronger than me. Sure, 2500 deducted from 8000 wasn't deadly, but it was still about a third of my life. I'd be down to 5500, and he'd be up at 8000 still.
Still. I would rather lose than take down a friend.
Ebon cringed and closed his eyes. "The hell... I won't."
"Do it!" I snapped, surprising everyone, including myself. "The faster we get this over with, the faster we can get out of here."
"Will, I am NOT going to attack you. I...." he said, almost accusingly. Then, he sighed, stepping backward to the blue instead of the red section of his square. "Defense."
I blinked in shock. "What?! Defense?! Ebon, you know better than to do that on your first move! I can destroy you in a second!"
Ebon leveled his eyes with me stubbornly, and nodded, as if saying, "Your turn, WILL".
I clenched my clawed hands into fists. WHY couldn't he just attack me and get this over with?!
"Fine. I'll go defense as well."
I felt the power flow downward, into the pit of my stomach. It was lessened, subdued, but not by any means gone. It was swimming just below the surface of my skin, waiting patiently to escape.
"Well, isn't this exciting." Said the girl, startling me. I'd gotten so wrapped up in the "duel", that I'd forgotten she was there. "Are you going to insult one another and sit in defense mode all day? Really now, I thought I'd picked SKILLED cards."
I ignored the comment, and smirked, shifting my weight onto one leg to get more comfortable. "Y'know, maybe we ARE. What'cha gonna do 'bout it?"
She smiled coldly, and stood up, yanking Ivy and my brother with her. Blaine was shocked out of his thoughtful revere, and emitted a muffled squeak of protest. Suddenly I wasn't so smug anymore. Did she REALLY have to remind me about the circumstances of this duel?! For god's sake, Blaine was only twelve, just short of thirteen. He shouldn't have to be going through this.
My friend rage consumed me again. "LOOK, we're DUELING, ok?! That's ALL you said to do! So LET THEM GO!!!"
"I'm getting bored. And I can't analyze your skill if all you do is pussy- foot." She tossed Ivy and Blaine, but just as I was about to scream "RUN!", she snapped her clawed fingers and whoops, they were shackled to the walls. Not by chains though... it looked more like thick, liquid black rope, which dripped and stained across their wrists and necks. Ivy cried out in pain, as the viscous liquid was right over the small laceration in her throat. I saw Ebon visibly twitch.
"Now." The girl climbed up onto a part of Ebon's platform that I hadn't noticed before. It looked like an actual place for a human being to play. She flicked her black hair behind one ear, and said "Looks like I'll have to help you two along."
Ebon looked up at her bitterly. "What the hell are you doing? You really think I'm gonna listen to YOU?!"
I scoffed. "What about our deal, huh?"
She looked unamused. "MY idea of a duel, Red-Eyes, is one where there is a winner, and a loser. And it's quite apparent that if I leave it up to you two, that isn't going to happen."
"How the hell do YOU know?!" Ebon yelled, pointing at her. I inwardly cringed; he might have a bad temper, but he was really quite pathetic at threats and snappy comebacks.
The girl laughed, for the first time, and I swear it sounded like shattering glass or wind chimes. "Don't try that. It was painfully obvious." Suddenly, all mirth dropped out of her features. "Now, Dark Magician. attack Red-Eyes."
Ebon looked humored, and lifted an eyebrow. "What do I do? Punch him?" I laughed.
The girl lifted her hand, and clutched it into a fist, palm down, the way I did when I was holding a candy for Kennie, but he had to guess which hand it was in first.
Ebon's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth ever so slightly. Then, he jerked. The girl looked unamused, and swished her outstretched hand in a half circle.
Ebon spun around to face me, and I took a few steps backwards. I didn't like the way he was looking at me. At ALL. It was the same look he gave me whenever we dueled. Competitive, but with a smirk that showed how much he loved a good fight. And it was also the way he looked right before he would play one of his devastators, like Dark Hole or Raigeki. The glint in his eye was almost malicious this time, though.
"Ebon? What's up with you?" I asked firmly, putting a hand out to wave in front of his face.
"D-Die!" he shouted, suddenly stepping backwards. Before I could react, he drew back her hand and shoved it, palm open, fingers spread, at me.
I hadn't even seen the way he was clutching his staff. Mentally cussing myself out, I thought 'Dark Magic Attack...' an instant before it hit. I expected to feel heat, but on the contrary, it was cold. Devastatingly cold. So cold that it forced the air from my lungs. I doubled over and crumpled to my knees, although I wasn't sure why. It didn't hurt, did it? Had I just lost my balance?
I looked down at my chest, the place where the blast had hit. Dead center. If that had been like a ray gun, or something, I would be dead. I had a nano-second to ponder that.
And THEN, it hit me.
Pain! White hot, shooting, searing pain! Not cutting my skin, but seeping THROUGH my skin, through my skin and right into the core of my being. Slashing my internal organs, ripping up my straining heart, a whirlwind through my insides.
Only then did it break the skin, a gash appearing, and then a hole the size of my human palm. It didn't go all the way through me, but it was big enough, messy, like a ditch dug out in my flesh. Blackish red blood gathered around it, and I shakily lifted one hand to push at it, in hopes that I could stop the blood flow from dripping out of my cracked black armor plate.
"A-a-"
"That's what you get, Red-Eyes. If you go soft, you will die. Simple as that."
The girl I could only just make out through blurred vision. She had one hand still positioned like that. The position looked so familiar, but my fuzzy brain could have cared less. I winced and closed my eyes. Somewhere from very far away, I heard Ivy and Blaine calling out my name.
"Well, Red-Eyes. Your HP won't drop, seeing as you were in defense mode. But really, shouldn't you attack now? Before you're mortal soul can't handle the pain?"
I shakily stood up, fighting the urge to scream and curl up on the ground. "Y-You... aggh...... you f-fucking bi-tch.!"
Ebon regarded me with the shocked, yet pleased expression he had whenever I managed to survive the card that he was sure would take me out. I growled, slightly.
"E-bon, what the... fuck was that for?"
"F-Fight me, Will...!" he said, strained. I frowned, getting used to having a gaping hole in my chest, sadly enough. I still felt like I could drop dead at any moment, but the confusion and raw anger I felt kept me on my feet. Why the hell would he...
The girl. Her hand.
Wait...
Then I realized it. How could I have been so stupid?!
A puppet! That's what it looked like, it looked like that girl was holding the strings of a puppet! That girl had attacked me, not Ebon. She had a vice grip around his mind. "You bitch! Uggh... you-you're controlling him, ar-en't you...?!"
"Controlling. Hmmm... maybe. But if he was strong enough, I think he would have freed himself now."
I scowled. "That's not... true. And y-you ch-cheat-ed... Now FUCK OFF," I paused to hack at a warm liquid in my throat. Blood, I realized with a start. "... and let us... go..."
"Are you going to attack, or what? Red-Eyes?"
I glared up at her, weakly. "N-no. I will not."
Ebon lifted his hand, and I cringed away, but he was only charging up the next attack. It was still my turn, but what was I supposed to do?! I couldn't attack, it's not like it was Ebon's fault. But then, if I refused to fight, I would die. Either way, there would be pain.
I swear the girl could sense my inner dilemma. "I think I can help you decide, Red-Eyes. Just take a look over there." She gestured calmly with her puppeteer hand to Ivy and Blaine, and Ebon consequently pointed there to. I slowly looked over.
And almost screamed. Ivy was crying, tears streaming from her eyes as she tried desperately to claw away the gunk at her neck. She had pulled her hands away from the wall, but a thick string of gluey substance still linked her to it, wrapping around her wrists. No matter how much she clawed at it, it oozed back into place.
Whatever it was, it was hurting her. Blaine wasn't struggling, he was down for the count. My brother was laying still up against the wall, head lolling on his right shoulder, as the ooze began to form a case around his legs.
I understood suddenly. It was going to smother them alive!
"NO! STOP IT, LET THEM GO!!!" I shouted, ignoring the rip I felt in my throat from straining myself. "How DARE you!!!"
She blinked, rather impatiently, but concerned as well. In a detached way. "You shouldn't yell like that with your injuries. I've said before, I won't kill them. Their deaths would be quite useless, really. And I hate that. Just finish the duel, and I'll even promise you that Dark Magician nor you will die. This can be so painless, if only you'll cooperate."
I closed my eyes in pain, physical and otherwise. There really... WASN'T any other way, was there?
"Fine." I said. Stepping as quickly as I could back into the red zone. "I attack."
The power pushed up at my weak resistance, and exploded out of me. Simply exploded. I'd burst and yelled before, I'd broken down and cried, but nothing was compared to this. Through my arms, in my neck, burning in my wound, down through my legs and into the tip of the unfamiliar tail. I pulsated. I felt like I was lost in a dream as I stretched my arm back and formed a ball of red energy. In fact, I didn't even realize that I let go until...
"U-Uggh-!" My eyes snapped open, and the power vanished. I swayed on the spot and fell to my knees. Looking up, I saw Ebon pressed up against the platform, eyes clenched shut, breathing heavily. My breath caught in my throat. Had I caused that much damage...?
Large series of burns and cracks were present along his chest armor. His arms were gashed and bloody, no doubt from trying to lessen the attack. A scratch across his left eye, blood running from a wound on his left forearm, and a large bruise forming from his collision with the stand.
But the worse damage was the gash that my blast had left. Apparently his arms were a feeble defense, and it hit right where I had intended. Dead center chest, just like mine. Blood, good ol' regular human blood, red, created a growing stain across the shards of his armor. The wound looked like mine. Exactly.
"E-bon...?"
"Good job, Red-Eyes. I've decided to call this duel to an end. You've both fought admirably. I commend you. Not many would be able to attack their friend."
She stepped off of the platform, and walked calmly over to Blaine and Ivy. Bending down and touching a hand to the black liquid, she caused it to shrink in mass until it was no more than a small drop of tar the size of a marble. Slipping it into a pouch at her side, she stood up.
Ivy groaned and gasped, and Blaine moaned slightly, coming to.
It was all over in a second, and the girl was gone.
Ebon had long since collapsed in a heap on the ground, red staining the black of his hair. He wasn't moving. I tried to reach over to shake him, but lost strength halfway there. A form, Ivy, I thought, her outstretched hand as she ran to us on the platform, and Blaine's voice weakly calling out "Will!" were the last things I registered before the world spun out of control in gray and crashed into black.
******
******
Chapter Seven: "Simple As That"
(Will's P.O.V.)
"Let the games begin."
What was my life coming to?
Here I was, a Red-Eyes Black Dragon, about to fight my friend, who was a Dark Magician, in a castle that we'd been trapped in for only a day that seemed like a year. If I won, Ebon lost. If he won, vice versa. He was only 100 points stronger than me in attack; the duel could go either way.
I turned my head to shoot a glare at that... GIRL, sitting there with my brother and Ivy as her hostages. Ivy gave me a brave smile from behind ruffled blonde hair, and mouthed the words, "don't worry about us."
Blaine locked eyes with me and gave me a meaningful look, which said clearly that I should be concerned about my duel, and not their welfare.
There would be hell to pay once this was over.
"Hurry up. I don't have a lot of time." The girl snapped. I resisted the urge to kill her. Ivy spoke up. "But what are they supposed to DO? Why do you even have life points? Isn't this just some kind of gladiator event?! Whoever loses, loses, whoever wins, wins!" She yelled, struggling against the girl's arm.
Blaine hung his head, and anyone who didn't know my brother well would think he was crying. But I could tell what he was doing. Blaine could never think properly unless he was focusing intently on the ground or the sky, and even though this caused him to space out and wander off at times, it was the amazing conclusions that he drew from these periods of time that made his "learning disorder" different from other kids his age. I smirked. Blaine would figure something out, without a doubt.
The girl, in response to Ivy's query, said, "Well, if you don't want life points, that's quite fine. But I had something else in mind." She looked over at the '8000' on my side, and lowered her eyes. Suddenly, a small green gauge appeared by my points. I stared at it.
She did the same to Ebon's side, and said, "Happy? Now with each attack, this gauge will drop, until the life points run out. I think that's fair."
"But that isn't how Duel Monsters works!" Ebon lashed out, pointing at her. "You said that this was a DUEL, not your own little game!"
"And it is. I just changed the rules a bit. Get used to it. Now, Red-Eyes," she said to me. "Try to go into attack mode. All you are doing right now is standing. That's not how you fight. Mentally, prepare for battle. You get into... what was that... ah, yes, "scraps" a lot, don't you? Prepare as if you are about to fist fight. Get your adrenaline running. Physically, stand at the front half of your slot. The red part."
I scowled, mainly because this girl was treating me like I was a five-year- old. As if to prove a point, I stepped calmly to the red zone of my square.
Instantly I felt a surge of heat flare up beneath my skin. It bubbled forth in my veins, shot through my heart, lit me on fire from the inside out!
I lifted one hand and stared at it in a daze. How could simply changing positions feel like this? The heat radiated around my claws, vibrating through the air until I was certain Ebon and Ivy and Blaine, and even the entire population of the castle could feel it, too.
Power.
Raw, superhuman power.
I shook my head out, trying to regain my sense of self. I felt strange; like if I didn't ignore this new feeling, it would eat me whole without mercy.
Ebon looked at me with wary concern written on his features. With his staff clutched firmly in one hand, and the other balled into a fist at his side, I could tell that he was shaking, even though he tried to hide it.
I wondered if I was shaking too.
"Good job, Red-Eyes. Now, Dark Magician, you to."
I closed my eyes and jerked out of pent up tension as Ebon obeyed reluctantly. Maybe, if we were lucky, this girl would have a lot more to explain.
"Now hurry up. First move goes to Player One."
Yeah right, wishful thinking that this girl would take a long time doing anything. I opened my eyes again, and saw that "Player One" was Ebon.
Shit. This was NOT good. Ebon was stronger than me. Sure, 2500 deducted from 8000 wasn't deadly, but it was still about a third of my life. I'd be down to 5500, and he'd be up at 8000 still.
Still. I would rather lose than take down a friend.
Ebon cringed and closed his eyes. "The hell... I won't."
"Do it!" I snapped, surprising everyone, including myself. "The faster we get this over with, the faster we can get out of here."
"Will, I am NOT going to attack you. I...." he said, almost accusingly. Then, he sighed, stepping backward to the blue instead of the red section of his square. "Defense."
I blinked in shock. "What?! Defense?! Ebon, you know better than to do that on your first move! I can destroy you in a second!"
Ebon leveled his eyes with me stubbornly, and nodded, as if saying, "Your turn, WILL".
I clenched my clawed hands into fists. WHY couldn't he just attack me and get this over with?!
"Fine. I'll go defense as well."
I felt the power flow downward, into the pit of my stomach. It was lessened, subdued, but not by any means gone. It was swimming just below the surface of my skin, waiting patiently to escape.
"Well, isn't this exciting." Said the girl, startling me. I'd gotten so wrapped up in the "duel", that I'd forgotten she was there. "Are you going to insult one another and sit in defense mode all day? Really now, I thought I'd picked SKILLED cards."
I ignored the comment, and smirked, shifting my weight onto one leg to get more comfortable. "Y'know, maybe we ARE. What'cha gonna do 'bout it?"
She smiled coldly, and stood up, yanking Ivy and my brother with her. Blaine was shocked out of his thoughtful revere, and emitted a muffled squeak of protest. Suddenly I wasn't so smug anymore. Did she REALLY have to remind me about the circumstances of this duel?! For god's sake, Blaine was only twelve, just short of thirteen. He shouldn't have to be going through this.
My friend rage consumed me again. "LOOK, we're DUELING, ok?! That's ALL you said to do! So LET THEM GO!!!"
"I'm getting bored. And I can't analyze your skill if all you do is pussy- foot." She tossed Ivy and Blaine, but just as I was about to scream "RUN!", she snapped her clawed fingers and whoops, they were shackled to the walls. Not by chains though... it looked more like thick, liquid black rope, which dripped and stained across their wrists and necks. Ivy cried out in pain, as the viscous liquid was right over the small laceration in her throat. I saw Ebon visibly twitch.
"Now." The girl climbed up onto a part of Ebon's platform that I hadn't noticed before. It looked like an actual place for a human being to play. She flicked her black hair behind one ear, and said "Looks like I'll have to help you two along."
Ebon looked up at her bitterly. "What the hell are you doing? You really think I'm gonna listen to YOU?!"
I scoffed. "What about our deal, huh?"
She looked unamused. "MY idea of a duel, Red-Eyes, is one where there is a winner, and a loser. And it's quite apparent that if I leave it up to you two, that isn't going to happen."
"How the hell do YOU know?!" Ebon yelled, pointing at her. I inwardly cringed; he might have a bad temper, but he was really quite pathetic at threats and snappy comebacks.
The girl laughed, for the first time, and I swear it sounded like shattering glass or wind chimes. "Don't try that. It was painfully obvious." Suddenly, all mirth dropped out of her features. "Now, Dark Magician. attack Red-Eyes."
Ebon looked humored, and lifted an eyebrow. "What do I do? Punch him?" I laughed.
The girl lifted her hand, and clutched it into a fist, palm down, the way I did when I was holding a candy for Kennie, but he had to guess which hand it was in first.
Ebon's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth ever so slightly. Then, he jerked. The girl looked unamused, and swished her outstretched hand in a half circle.
Ebon spun around to face me, and I took a few steps backwards. I didn't like the way he was looking at me. At ALL. It was the same look he gave me whenever we dueled. Competitive, but with a smirk that showed how much he loved a good fight. And it was also the way he looked right before he would play one of his devastators, like Dark Hole or Raigeki. The glint in his eye was almost malicious this time, though.
"Ebon? What's up with you?" I asked firmly, putting a hand out to wave in front of his face.
"D-Die!" he shouted, suddenly stepping backwards. Before I could react, he drew back her hand and shoved it, palm open, fingers spread, at me.
I hadn't even seen the way he was clutching his staff. Mentally cussing myself out, I thought 'Dark Magic Attack...' an instant before it hit. I expected to feel heat, but on the contrary, it was cold. Devastatingly cold. So cold that it forced the air from my lungs. I doubled over and crumpled to my knees, although I wasn't sure why. It didn't hurt, did it? Had I just lost my balance?
I looked down at my chest, the place where the blast had hit. Dead center. If that had been like a ray gun, or something, I would be dead. I had a nano-second to ponder that.
And THEN, it hit me.
Pain! White hot, shooting, searing pain! Not cutting my skin, but seeping THROUGH my skin, through my skin and right into the core of my being. Slashing my internal organs, ripping up my straining heart, a whirlwind through my insides.
Only then did it break the skin, a gash appearing, and then a hole the size of my human palm. It didn't go all the way through me, but it was big enough, messy, like a ditch dug out in my flesh. Blackish red blood gathered around it, and I shakily lifted one hand to push at it, in hopes that I could stop the blood flow from dripping out of my cracked black armor plate.
"A-a-"
"That's what you get, Red-Eyes. If you go soft, you will die. Simple as that."
The girl I could only just make out through blurred vision. She had one hand still positioned like that. The position looked so familiar, but my fuzzy brain could have cared less. I winced and closed my eyes. Somewhere from very far away, I heard Ivy and Blaine calling out my name.
"Well, Red-Eyes. Your HP won't drop, seeing as you were in defense mode. But really, shouldn't you attack now? Before you're mortal soul can't handle the pain?"
I shakily stood up, fighting the urge to scream and curl up on the ground. "Y-You... aggh...... you f-fucking bi-tch.!"
Ebon regarded me with the shocked, yet pleased expression he had whenever I managed to survive the card that he was sure would take me out. I growled, slightly.
"E-bon, what the... fuck was that for?"
"F-Fight me, Will...!" he said, strained. I frowned, getting used to having a gaping hole in my chest, sadly enough. I still felt like I could drop dead at any moment, but the confusion and raw anger I felt kept me on my feet. Why the hell would he...
The girl. Her hand.
Wait...
Then I realized it. How could I have been so stupid?!
A puppet! That's what it looked like, it looked like that girl was holding the strings of a puppet! That girl had attacked me, not Ebon. She had a vice grip around his mind. "You bitch! Uggh... you-you're controlling him, ar-en't you...?!"
"Controlling. Hmmm... maybe. But if he was strong enough, I think he would have freed himself now."
I scowled. "That's not... true. And y-you ch-cheat-ed... Now FUCK OFF," I paused to hack at a warm liquid in my throat. Blood, I realized with a start. "... and let us... go..."
"Are you going to attack, or what? Red-Eyes?"
I glared up at her, weakly. "N-no. I will not."
Ebon lifted his hand, and I cringed away, but he was only charging up the next attack. It was still my turn, but what was I supposed to do?! I couldn't attack, it's not like it was Ebon's fault. But then, if I refused to fight, I would die. Either way, there would be pain.
I swear the girl could sense my inner dilemma. "I think I can help you decide, Red-Eyes. Just take a look over there." She gestured calmly with her puppeteer hand to Ivy and Blaine, and Ebon consequently pointed there to. I slowly looked over.
And almost screamed. Ivy was crying, tears streaming from her eyes as she tried desperately to claw away the gunk at her neck. She had pulled her hands away from the wall, but a thick string of gluey substance still linked her to it, wrapping around her wrists. No matter how much she clawed at it, it oozed back into place.
Whatever it was, it was hurting her. Blaine wasn't struggling, he was down for the count. My brother was laying still up against the wall, head lolling on his right shoulder, as the ooze began to form a case around his legs.
I understood suddenly. It was going to smother them alive!
"NO! STOP IT, LET THEM GO!!!" I shouted, ignoring the rip I felt in my throat from straining myself. "How DARE you!!!"
She blinked, rather impatiently, but concerned as well. In a detached way. "You shouldn't yell like that with your injuries. I've said before, I won't kill them. Their deaths would be quite useless, really. And I hate that. Just finish the duel, and I'll even promise you that Dark Magician nor you will die. This can be so painless, if only you'll cooperate."
I closed my eyes in pain, physical and otherwise. There really... WASN'T any other way, was there?
"Fine." I said. Stepping as quickly as I could back into the red zone. "I attack."
The power pushed up at my weak resistance, and exploded out of me. Simply exploded. I'd burst and yelled before, I'd broken down and cried, but nothing was compared to this. Through my arms, in my neck, burning in my wound, down through my legs and into the tip of the unfamiliar tail. I pulsated. I felt like I was lost in a dream as I stretched my arm back and formed a ball of red energy. In fact, I didn't even realize that I let go until...
"U-Uggh-!" My eyes snapped open, and the power vanished. I swayed on the spot and fell to my knees. Looking up, I saw Ebon pressed up against the platform, eyes clenched shut, breathing heavily. My breath caught in my throat. Had I caused that much damage...?
Large series of burns and cracks were present along his chest armor. His arms were gashed and bloody, no doubt from trying to lessen the attack. A scratch across his left eye, blood running from a wound on his left forearm, and a large bruise forming from his collision with the stand.
But the worse damage was the gash that my blast had left. Apparently his arms were a feeble defense, and it hit right where I had intended. Dead center chest, just like mine. Blood, good ol' regular human blood, red, created a growing stain across the shards of his armor. The wound looked like mine. Exactly.
"E-bon...?"
"Good job, Red-Eyes. I've decided to call this duel to an end. You've both fought admirably. I commend you. Not many would be able to attack their friend."
She stepped off of the platform, and walked calmly over to Blaine and Ivy. Bending down and touching a hand to the black liquid, she caused it to shrink in mass until it was no more than a small drop of tar the size of a marble. Slipping it into a pouch at her side, she stood up.
Ivy groaned and gasped, and Blaine moaned slightly, coming to.
It was all over in a second, and the girl was gone.
Ebon had long since collapsed in a heap on the ground, red staining the black of his hair. He wasn't moving. I tried to reach over to shake him, but lost strength halfway there. A form, Ivy, I thought, her outstretched hand as she ran to us on the platform, and Blaine's voice weakly calling out "Will!" were the last things I registered before the world spun out of control in gray and crashed into black.
******