THE DESCENT OF LOST SOULS
Chapter Fifteen: The Duel of Shadows (Part Two)
Day Seven of the Quest - Midnight
Location: The caves of Thera
Purpose: Duel against the Essence
General Point-of-View
The Essence, after taunting Emrys, ended her turn.
As of now, Emrys life points stand at 3000. The Essence, on the other hand, had 1500 life points left since she used two Seven Tools of the Bandit to counter her opponent as well as the 500-life point deduction due to Emrys' Black Pendant.
In spite of her opponent's 1500-point lead, the specter had the upper hand. Before ending her turn, she placed another facedown card in her Magic and Trap slot.
Running out of options, the hazel-eyed duelist stared at the dark spirit as she angrily mused, "She's blocked everything that I set out against her."
What was worse, the First Seal of Orichalchos' magic began to spread throughout the field.
Once the First Orichalchos Ring completely enclosed the two duelists, Emrys reeled as her chest heaved heavier for much-needed oxygen.
The specter taunted once more, saying, "Since I have sent Axe of Despair in your graveyard, you can sacrifice one of your precious monsters on the field to place it on top of your deck."
With gritted teeth, Emrys replied, "No, I choose to draw another card." After doing so, she placed a monster card facedown. She then declared, "Maha Vailo - attack Mask of Darkness!"
The spellcaster donned in blue robes attacked its target - thus sending it to the graveyard.
Once Maha Vailo was done, Emrys then looked at the emerald dragon and said, "Luster Dragon - attack her leftmost facedown card!"
The mythical creature flapped its mighty wings and emitted a burst of green and orange flames, thus exposing its victim - the Magician of Faith.
Magician of Faith
One Star
ATK 300 / DEF 400
Light / Spellcaster / Effect
FLIP: Select one Magic Card from your Graveyard and return it to your hand.
Before the dainty mage was sent to the Graveyard, a magic card returned to the specter's hand.
Emrys then pondered, "If I didn't know any better, she asked for Harpies' Feather Duster to return to her hand...."
Harpies' Feather Duster
Normal Magic Card
Eliminate all your opponent's Magic and Trap Cards on the field.
"You are right, crest-wielder," smugly remarked the dark spirit immediately after Emrys' ended her turn. "However, I have bigger plans in store for us." After quietly drawing a card, she then placed it down on the field and said, "I activate Pot of Greed!"
The ghoulish green cauldron-like pot appeared and worked its magic - giving the dark mist the two top cards from her deck. Once the ghoulish pot had done its work, it disappeared within the void.
The Essence mischievously cackled. Raising its shadowy right arm, she then audibly declared, "I activate the Second Seal of Orichalchos!"
Second Seal of Orichalchos
Field Magic Card
This card can only be played if the Seal of Orichalchos is active on the field. At the end of your Main Phase One, increase your Life Points by 500 for each monster on your field. You may negate a direct attack by sacrificing one monster on your side of the field to destroy the monster that initiated the direct attack.
As the Second Orichalchos Ring formed and surrounded the duel arena, its mystical energies reverberated within - tossing Emrys against an invisible wall that the First Orichalchos Ring created, while leaving the Essence unfazed.
Since the specter had one facedown monster before the beginning of the turn, her overall Life Points boosted up from 1500 to 2000. She placed two cards face down and then ended her turn.
Emrys stared at the field and breathed hard. While feeling the pounding pressure of the two Orichalchos cards, as well as the pending need to turn the tables in her favor, she mused, "I need to clear as many monsters on her side of the field as possible." Gazing into her holographic deck and placing all her trust in it, she pondered, "Deck, don't let me down...."
She drew and then looked at the newly added card before her. After briefly raising an eyebrow and slightly frowning at the card she just drew, she then thought, "If this is what you think that I need, then so be it. I place my trust in this card, and in you...."
Although weak from exhaustion, she confidently placed the newly drawn card face down on the field and declared, "I activate Fusion Gate!"
Fusion Gate
Continuous Magic Card
Acts like Polymerization. However, monsters used for fusion through this card are removed from play.
As soon as the black vortex appeared from the void - allowing the duelists to hear the frightening sounds coming from the other side.
Emrys then looked at her facedown monster card and said, "I flip-summon the Magician of Faith - thereby retrieving a magic card from my graveyard!"
"Are we not being repetitive?" the specter snidely remarked upon seeing the dainty mage for the third time.
Ignoring the insult, Emrys placed the newly-revived card from the graveyard. By activating her own Pot of Greed, two additional cards added to her one-card hand. With such heartfelt appreciation and renewed hope emanating from her, she then told her deck, "Now I understand.... Thanks...."
Concentrating on the field, she then declared, "I use Fusion Gate to merge Red Eyes Black Dragon and Meteor Dragon! Come forth, Meteor Black Dragon!"
The dark spirit sneered, as the ferocious roar echoed throughout the cave and became louder each second, "Activate Bottomless Trap Hole!"
Bottomless Trap Hole
Normal Trap Card
When your opponent Normal Summons, Flip Summons, or Special Summons a monster with an ATK of 1500 or more, the monster is destroyed and removed from play.
Once the abyss-like pit appeared in the middle of the field, the roar from the Meteor Black Dragon disappeared into oblivion.
Emrys mused through gritted teeth. "I've got to turn this around! One of my best monsters didn't even make it on the field!" Recalling the last time that she dueled for such high stakes - a duel that she teamed up with Yugi and his dark half - she pondered while her muscles began to convulse from exhaustion, "How I wish that you're here, love. I need you and our friends...."
A sarcastic chuckle bounced against the cave walls, as its owner remarked, "Instead of thinking about insignificant humans, maybe you should be wrapping up your turn as we speak...."
Hazel eyes immediately and intensely burned in anger. "I care for them and I love them; they are not insignificant!" Minutes later, Emrys then said while glowering at her shadowy opponent, "I end my turn."
"Much better," the specter snickered, as she drew a card. Immediately after drawing, she placed the newly-drawn card on the field face down and ended her turn. Due to the Second Seal of Orichalchos' magic, her overall Life Points increased by another 500 - thus bringing her up to 2500.
Now barely able to muster the mental strength to maintain the cards on her side of the field, Emrys drew a card for her turn - expending most of the energy she had left to continue the duel. She clenched her fists, placed the card facedown, and then said with such resolve, "I end my turn."
Gesturing with her spectral hand, the Essence told her opponent as she finished drawing the card for her turn, "Why do you not just give up, crest-wielder? If you are not able to continue the duel, then you forfeit this duel - as well as your soul and your life - over to me."
"I won't quit!" yelled Emrys in between pain-ridden breaths, as everything in front of her began to blur.
By this time, the dark spirit placed one card face down, and then declared, "I flip-summon the Mask of Darkness. My servant, attack her Magician of Faith!"
Mask of Darkness
Dark / Fiend / Effect
ATK 900 / DEF 400
FLIP: Select one Trap Card from your Graveyard and return it to your hand.
Due to the power of the First Orichalchos Seal, Mask of Darkness' ATK boosted up to 1400 points. As the Magician of Faith - armed with a mere 300 attack points - bravely stood and eventually died, Emrys' Life Point counter dwindled down her overall life points to 1900.
The dark spirit, on the other hand, maintained her 2500 overall life points.
The hazel-eyed duelist grimaced in pain - falling hard on her knees for the second time. The Essence, on the other hand, malevolently laughed at her opponent's suffer.
"After the many times you have gashed your own flesh with that switchblade, you must be relishing this experience. This is what you wanted, is it not? Do you not enjoy the euphoria from such pain?" asked the specter in sarcastic amusement.
"You're sick!" Emrys spat, as she struggled, got back on her feet.
"Before I end my turn, crest-wielder, I activate this card - The Third Seal of Orichalchos!"
The Third Seal of Orichalchos
Field Magic Card
This card can be activated only if the Seal of Orichalchos and the Second Seal of Orichalchos are activated on the field. All magic and trap cards that affect the controller on this card are negated and destroyed.
Emrys' eyes widened, as she saw the Third Seal of Orichalchos card stand up and activate. Her mind, as tired as it was, ran like clockwork to figure a way out of the present predicament.
The third luminous bright green ring formed in the middle of the duel field, and began to expand - hoping to merge with its two predecessors.
With no way out, Emrys followed her instincts and did the only thing that she thought possible....
She focused every ounce of her remaining mental and spiritual energies on the Third Seal of Orichalchos - doing every dire move to stop the card from activating by merging the card's magic with her own....
End of Chapter Fifteen
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Normal Disclaimer
Yu-Gi-Oh is the copyrighted property of Kazuki Takahashi.
Alexandra Emrys, Yoshiko, The Scrolls of Passage, The Portal of Osiris, The Dead Incantations, other original characters and venues, and this fan fiction are the properties of the author. This fan fiction is also written for entertainment purposes only, thereby releasing the author from any liabilities.
Author's Note
The next installment for the Lost Souls Story Arc - When Memories Would Never Be Enough - is now posted. Immediately after the last chapter of When Memories Would Never Be Enough is posted, the first chapter of what is tentatively called The Battle for Lost Souls will be posted.
Thanks again for reading and constructively reviewing.