What Was, What Is, and What Shall Be

by thegymrat

The climatic end to the final duel of light and dark! The might of these two forces push against each other in order to decide a winner. If dark succeeds then all life ceases to exist. Pray for your very soul that light succeeds. Epilogue time.

35. Citadel of Endless Light

Disclaimer: No ownage of Yugioh belonging to this guy who is writing who is me.

Author's Note: Here it is, the amazing(hopefully) conclusion to the duel against Ihachi. Find out who lives, who dies, and who gets the clap in this exciting(again hopefully) chapter of What Was, What Is, and you get the picture.

Quote of the Chapter: "Anyone who says 'Guns don't kill people' is either being metaphorical or has never been shot by one. Anyone who is being metaphorical about guns has never been shot by one. So there is one thing you can always know about anyone who says 'Guns don't kill people'. They're an idiot." -Me, from an argument about gun safety with a friend

Advert of the Chapter: Today I'm advertising Zatken. No, that's not a story, she's an author on The reason I'm not giving a specific story is because she's got a string of about five or six stories, each one about seventeen chapters or so long all on the same track. Its good stuff, and original too. If you're looking for character development and plot, then this is great stuff. If you're just looking for crazy duels, then don't look here because she's only had about one duel per story so far that I've read. Check out her stories and laugh, cry(possibly unless you're too macho or it just doesn't touch you), and perhaps even spin your chair around and go 'wow, that's a lot of stories' then read and enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Four: Citadel of Endless Light

What had happened in the past was the past. The people of today were not the same people that they had been in the long forgotten times of old. They knew nothing of who they had been, what they had done, and how it had all ended. But that changed nothing....

No matter how much she tried to tell herself otherwise she couldn't help the feelings flowing through her at the sight of the tall teenager standing in the doorway. He had a new name, he had a different past, but despite these things something about him still screamed out to her, still gave her the same feeling as before.

This boy...no he was a man, not a boy....was the spitting image of her brother, and she couldn't help but feel that in some way this man was her brother. Her relationship with her brother had been....unusual to say the least. The things that had transpired between them had cast a shadow across all of the lands of Egypt.

This man was not Drago, no matter how much they looked and acted alike. Even the similarity in their names was mere coincidence, Drake only being a nickname. Yet these thoughts didn't help her in the slightest in throwing off the fear of the past. Because she could see it all, see herself in the ancient temple of the gods, and she could see him standing in the doorway.

Three and a half millennia ago they had found themselves in a confrontation that each knew would potentially be their last. He had stood in the entrance to the temple, to that citadel of light that was the home of the gods, and he had spoken simple words to her. He had said, "The duel of the twin gods will now begin."

And her she found herself faced with his reincarnation, faced with the same strength and determination that his past self had displayed. He had spoke words that were far to similar to his words in the past for it to be mere coincidence. Somehow he knew the truth, somehow he knew the truth of the past.

"Then let it come to an end! I will relish ending our long unfinished battle! This time it will be I who makes the final choice, not you! And I choose life for myself, and death for you!" An explosion of power knocked Kirani and Serenity to the side, blasting them straight towards the columns. Striking at such a speed would easily shatter their spines, most likely killing them.

A pocket of power made its way from Drake to the girls in an instant, and they were cradled in the warmth of his strength. Slowly he lowered them to the ground, and raised his arm, a duel disk appearing upon it, ready and waiting to be used. "You were the one who chose before, and nothing has changed since then. I've already death by coming here to defeat you, and I'll do again if I have to." (DLP: 8000)

"This is not merely a continuation of your duel with the others, but it is also a new game, a new duel despite its true age. I want you to shuffle your grave in with your deck, and your hand if you'd like to. You can draw a new hand of five, but you can also keep the cards you have on the field." Ihachi smiled at his words and pulled her grave out of her cemetery. She shuffled it into her deck, and then looked over her hand.

"Before I shuffle this in and get a new hand, I'll set one magic or trap card on the field. Since of course you haven't had a chance to do anything, I'll just end my turn without attacking you." With that said she shuffled the three cards she held into her deck and drew five new cards, giving her new and improved options. Now it would be Drake's turn, and he had no chance.

"No matter what you draw you're already finished! You don't have any cards to work with and you've got no chance of drawing a card that can save you. I've already got the card in my hand that I need to destroy you next turn. So draw, draw and die!" Drake nodded calmly, accepting these words. He drew his card and turned it up so that Ihachi could see what it was. She gasped in shock, unable to believe his luck.

"Card of Sanctity." He started drawing cards, not even through his second draw before Ihachi was finished with her drawing. Since she had already had five cards she only had to draw one card. He glanced at his six cards and smiled again, power radiating off of him. He had what he needed.

"Do you think that draw was luck? I'm sure you do, its just in your nature to think something like that. However, that's hardly the case. Each card I've drawn is a part of a duelist who has fallen before you. Kaiba, Yami, Kai, Bakura, Serenity, and Kirani. With their combined strength I will achieve victory." With this said he selected his cards and started his move.

"I lay two cards face down and summon Neo the Magical Swordsman(1700/1000). I'll destroy the first Altest." Neo, the blonde haired magic user, raised his blade in a salute to his master. Then he pointed his blade level at the valkyrie and chanted some words in latin that none of them recognized. A burning spear of yellow light shot from the end of the sword and blasted a hole the Altest, killing her. (ILP: 8700)

"You aren't invincible, you aren't unbeatable. In fact you are, in some ways, weaker then any of the duelists I've faced in my time. You rely too heavily on the ideal of the power of your cards and not the strength of yourself working with the cards. Only by becoming one with your own deck and knowing it like you know yourself can you become a true duelist." Ihachi snarled, furious at being lectured. Drake just flashed her a smirk, and then motioned for her to begin her turn.

Ihachi's hand jumped to seven cards and she merely glanced at her new card before making a choice on what she needed to do. She already had the card that would finish him off, she just had to use it. His damage didn't even matter, because it was already erased. "You're still pathetic, no matter how much you try and say otherwise. No matter what cards and what strategies you fools call against me you will fail, because I am a Goddess!" (ILP: 9200)

"I activate the magic card, Instant Phase! This will allow me to have double of one phase in this turn, and since I don't have a battle phase this turn I'll use my card to give myself one. Now my remaining Altest will attack, removing X-Head Cannon from the cemetery!" The last Altest rushed forwards, blade swinging towards Neo. Neo's blade rose up, connecting with the valkyrie's sword and they began pushing against each other in a contest of strength.

"Reveal magic card, Shrink!" Drake's card flipped up, and its power went into action. Where before the two monsters had been almost evenly matched, now Altest was starting to be pushed back as her body decreased in size. Once she was almost half the height of Neo, the blade wielder mage slashed at waist level, decapitating Altest. (ILP: 8400)

"Fine then, Brunhilde will destroy Neo!" The stronger valkyrie rushed in, sword swinging in order to strike down the previously victorious mage. Neo's blade went up, deflecting the attack. Brunhilde made a feint to her left and then struck from the right. Neo's blade managed to knock the attack aside to the most part, but it still nicked his shoulder, drawing blood. Suddenly Neo's eyes started burning with a blue inner light, and something changed.

"I reveal my trap card, Power of Philosophy! This increases Neo's attack power by the defense of the attacking monster! Neo, counterstrike and cut down Brunhilde!" With a surge of magical strength, Neo threw Brunhilde backwards. He unleashed a flurry of deadly sword strikes, all designed to dazzle and confuse the woman. She attempted to follow the motions of the blade, but got lost, allowing Neo to strike. She went down, a slash from shoulder to hip. However she quickly rose up again, defense reduced. (ILP: 6500)

As Brunhilde's defense dropped to one thousand, Neo's attack dropped to twenty-seven hundred, making it apparent that the effect remained in play, even if the card didn't. Ihachi grimaced and grabbed one of her other cards. "I'll set a card face down and end my turn." There was no point in risking further damage, and Fridwulfa wasn't strong enough to take on Neo at the moment.

Drake added another card to his hand and made a 'hmmm' sound. Then a bright smile lept onto his features, and he grabbed two of his cards, one from each end, and shoved them into his magic and trap zones. "I'll set two more cards face down. Now Neo will destroy Valkyrie Shaun!" Neo charged energy to his blade and then sent a spiraling stream of purple magic at the simple valkyrie, intent on crushing her.

"Reveal Aurora Veil! This negates your attack, ends the battle phase, and allows me to put a card with 'valkyrie' in its name into my hand!" A ripple of light jumped between Neo and the weaker valkyrie, protecting it for the moment. Ihachi ejected her deck and searched for the card she wanted, then motioned for Drake to continue. All he could do was end his turn.

Ihachi drew another card, and then quickly separated the card she had selected last turn. She slammed it onto the field, picking up Shaun and sliding her into the cemetery after doing so. "I'm sacrificing for Valkyrie Sovite, in order to destroy Neo the Magical Swordsman!" The familiar valkyrie was summoned, and with a swift stroke of her blade she gutted Neo, dropping him to his knees in pain. It took almost a minute for Neo to perish, but he did so.

"I'll combine the magic of Mischief of Goddesses Time to grant my monsters two battle phase. All my monsters will now attack. Brunhilde, Fridwulfa, Sovite, destroy Drake!" The three valkyries charged across the field, the hooves of their horses pounding against the marble as they went in for the kill. The combined attacks of these valkyries would do serious damage, dropping him past the half way mark. The second attack would finish him off easily.

"Open face down card, Shot From the Dark! I'm using it to activate Mischief of Goddesses Time from your cemetery! Now you're the one who loses her battle phase as time jumps ever onwards!" The valkyries came to a halt, and Ihachi furiously ended her turn, allowing Drake to take his turn.

"I summon Skilled Chaos Magician(1800/1600), and have it attack Sovite!" His gold robed chaos user appeared, twirling his staff like a baton between his two hands. A charge of black and light magic rose at the opposite ends of his staff and then shot out, combining into a purple light that streaked towards Sovite.

"By placing a magic card from my hand on top of my deck and then shuffling, I can activate Judgement of Buodan, negating your attack!" The purple light exploded in front of Sovite, doing no damage whatsoever. With no more options left to him after his failed attack, Drake finished his turn off then and there. Now it was time to see if Ihachi could take back control of the duel. (ILP: 7500)

"Now I'll activate a magic card which will represent the past and present. It is Goddess of Guardian Elda! By discarding a magic card from my hand, the present, I can set a trap from my cemetery onto the field, which was the past!" She deposited her magic card, and Drake was reminded of the card that Taichi had used against him. Apparently his card was just a recolor of this card, only he had to declare the name of the set card unlike this one.

Her trap appeared, and Drake was certain he knew what it was. It was most likely Aurora Veil, with which she would stop any attack her made on her. "Now, Fridwulfa will attack Skilled Chaos Magician!" The powerful valkyrie rushed in, blade at the ready to strike down his mage. Now it was Drake's moment to make sure he didn't lose a good monster.

"Reveal Justice of Thought! I now activate the first magic card on my deck, before shuffling. The second card from the top of my deck is my first magic card, and its Swords of Revealing Light!" Ihachi threw up her arms as glowing green swords shot out, nearly slicing through her and her monsters. However, they did keep her monsters in check, preventing them from attacking at all for this turn and two more afterwards.

Drake picked up his next card, his thoughts focused on what he needed to do. He could certainly get rid of her current trap by attacking, but should he? He had a monster capable of being worth the attack, so if he wanted to risk giving her another monster he could. "I set one card, and attack with Skilled Chaos Magician."

"Chain with Aurora Veil!" Again a ripple of light stopped the chaos attack dead in its tracks. Ihachi flicked through her deck, smirking as she came across the card she wanted and then placed it in her hand. Now that he had gotten rid of her trap card, and potentially given her a card she could use against him, he would end his scared are we? Well I won't let something as measly as a single magic card stop me. I'll set a card face down." The brown backed card appeared, and then Ihachi looked around at the swords that surrounded her. She shrugged, and her valkyries followed suit, all of them obviously unconcerned that they couldn't attack at the moment. (ILP: 8000)

"I'll end there. Now you've only got two more free turns, because my next turn is the last turn for the swords. After that, you'll be finished by the power of my Goddess Deck." She smirked again and waved her hand, indicating that it was his turn at last. Drake could only smirk back, because he knew something that she didn't. He knew exactly what he had been hoping for.

"Ihachi, this duel is just about to start. I made those attacks specifically so that I could make sure you ended up at eight thousand life points. I wanted us on even terms in that respect before I truly went on the offensive. Now that time has just about come." He drew his card and grinned, knowing that shortly he could go on the offensive. Ihachi just yawned.

"Oh please. You already tried an offensive, and despite some effectiveness it ended up with me back at my starting life points. You're bluffing won't do you any good against me, because I won't fall for it." Her sneer was enough to say that she didn't buy it even without the use of her words. Dalin glanced between the two, trying to find some sign of stain, or perhaps a glance into what they were thinking. Drake was a picture of calm, and Ihachi a picture of arrogance. Nothing else could be seen.

"Believe what you will, its still going to happen. I play a monster in defense mode and end my turn." His monster appeared in card form, horizontally floating next to his Skilled Chaos Magician. The Valkyries on the other side looked down at the card and scoffed, their horses feet pawing at the ground as they waited for the time when they could again attack, unhindered by the Swords of Revealing Light.

Ihachi drew another card, the glow of Solem Wishes bursting around her, and motioned to her valkyries to calm themselves. The horses settled, but the valkyries still looked restless, hands held tight on the hilt of their swords. They wanted to leap into action in the instant the swords were down, and that was most likely what Ihachi had in mind anyways. (ILP: 8500)

"Ha! My life points are now past the starting point, so how do you figure yourself as having gone on the offensive? I happen to notice that you're still sitting there, cowering behind your Swords of Revealing Light. My next turn I'll show you true power. For the moment, I can only end my turn." As soon as she said this the swords faded away, and the valkyries on their horses reared up, cheering as the way opened for their attack. Things were even again, though of course Ihachi saw that she had the advantage.

Drake drew another card, giving him a total of three cards. The cards in his hand weren't all critical, but he was certain he would need the effect of his set monster. He just had to hope for luck, because fate had nothing to do with what would happen next. "I flip my set monster, Sage of Everlasting Light(500/400)! Upon being flipped I flip a coin. If I guess right I draw five cards, if I guess wrong, I lose five cards. So let's do this. Coin Toss!"

He drew the coin from his pocket and flicked it into the air, both of them watching it make a spiraling arc, spinning as it went. The parabolic arc would take it down and back into his hand, and then he would know if he won or lost the toss and possibly the duel. "I choose heads!" The coin spun and he reached out to catch it, hiding it within his clenched fist.

He opened his palm, and saw a smiling face. He replied in kind, his face breaking into a grin as he showed Ihachi the coin, heads up. Swiftly he drew five more cards, giving him all the options he needed to make the offensive he had promised. "I set two cards and summon Apprenticeship Magician(400/800)!"

The two brown cards appeared in front of him, followed by a blond spellcaster with spiky hair. He was merely an apprentice, but it was a different power that Drake would be drawing on momentarily. The third and final counter, that was what he needed. "Upon being summoned Apprenticeship Magician lets me place a magic counter on one card, and so I'll use that counter on Skilled Chaos Magician."

"Now I activate my previous set card, Dark Magic Revival, activating Shrink from my graveyard!" The Shrink magic card was used, and the power of Brunhilde dropped to a mere nine hundred, though it was still stronger then two of his monsters, it wasn't greater then Skilled Chaos Magician. It would be easy to attack it. After being used the Shrink card went to Ihachi's cemetery.

"I sacrifice Skilled Chaos Magician and his three counters to special summon Black Magician of Chaos(2800/2600)!" A burst of dark light and a wisp of smoke later he had his strongest magician on the field, and he was already ejecting a magic card from his cemetery. With the card he had taken, he could do everything he needed to do, but it would wait.

"I set one card face down. Now, I play the magic card that represents the unity of my monsters and myself, the power that comes from relying on the strength of others to give onself strength instead of relying only on yourself. I play, Magician's Cross to combine two of my magician's attacks into a single attack of three thousand! My Sage and my Apprentice will attack Brunhilde together!" The two magician's crossed their staffs and fired a wave of magical energy, shattering Brunhilde's shield completely. (ILP: 6400)

"Black Magician of Chaos, use your chaos magic to destroy Brunhilde and remove her from the game!" Like you always see in the anime, the two monsters rushed towards each other at great speed. The magician swung his staff and the valkyrie swung her sword, both of them coming to rest opposite each other, Black Magician of Chaos in a crouch. Slowly Brunhilde collapsed, falling off her horse and then fading away. (ILP: 4500)

"I'll end my turn now. Now you see the truth. I wasn't bluffing at all, and I'm not even remotely finished yet. So go ahead and make whatever attack or move you want, because I'm ready for you." Even as he spoke these words, he could see that Ihachi wasn't really listening. Her eyes were ablaze with rage, she could hardly seem to focus at all.

"How dare you?! Remove my monster from the game will you? I'll crush you for it! All I need to do is attack with Fridwulfa. But first I'll set one card, protecting myself for later if there is a later." Fridwulfa readied herself, her armored horse prancing and anxious to carry her mistress into battle. Fridwulfa stroked the horse's nose, and watched idly as the card appeared behind her. Meanwhile Solem Wishes did its work. (ILP: 5000)

"Fridwulfa, attack!" The valkryie, powered up to twenty-eight hundred attack power thanks to its effect, rushed in at his weakest face-up monster, the Apprenticeship Magician. If the attack succeeded then Drake would be taking a lot of damage, too much in fact.

"I activate two of my set cards! The first is Union of the Minds! By sacrificing monsters on the field I can summon a monster from my deck with the same sacrifice requirement. It also forces you to switch the target of your attack, namely to my Black Magician of Chaos. And I'm summon Dark Magician(2500/2100)!" The two smaller magic users vanished, replaced by the purple robed mage with his great power. Fridwulfa shifted in mid-attack and headed towards his stronger monster.

"Reveal Force of the Dead, my second trap! When monsters leave my field in any way I can destroy magic or trap cards on my opponent's field equal to the number that left. So I'll destroy Solemn Wishes and your newest set card!" His trap was revealed, and blasts of energy erupted from it, coming in the form of familiar spirits, looking just like his two sacrificed monsters. The spirits rushed through the named cards and obliterated them completely.

"Finally I activate Shot From the Dark, reusing Shrink from your cemetery and putting it back in mine where it belongs. Time for Fridwulfa to get small!" In mid-gallop the mighty valkyrie turned into a little pigtailed girl in armor who was barely able to hold up her sword. Black Magician of Chaos raised his staff and fired a small streak of energy which exploded across the valkryie's chest, and in a flash of light she was completely gone. (ILP: 3600)

"Thanks to the effect of Black Magician of Chaos, your monster didn't go to the cemetery and therefore you couldn't use its effect to maintain it. I told you, I'm ready for anything you have throw at me." His jacket whipped about by the wind of their two interacting powers, and Dalin could sense the change. Ihachi was becoming angrier by the second, and whatever was about to happen wouldn't be good.

He moved in front of the others, readying his energies. A silver shield of light formed in front of him, and just in time too. Ihachi's power exploded. "YOU BASTARD! AGAIN YOU REMOVE MY PRECIOUS VALKYRIES! I'VE BEEN GOING EASY ON YOU MORTALS THE WHOLE TIME, BUT NOW THAT ENDS! NOW YOU WILL SUFFER UNDER THE ULTIMATE POWER OF MY DECK!"

Red tendrils of energy jumped about the temple, blowing chunks out of columns and blasting apart the throne. Nothing that the tendrils of power touched survived, and the tendrils were coming straight at the rest of the group. Drake moved to extend his shield, but noticed that Dalin already had one up. The shield protected the group from the tendrils, keeping them from harm and keeping him from having to expend any extra power.

"This is the power of the valkyries, this is the power of my goddesses, this is the power that I've been holding back. Behold, the Citadel of Endless Light!" She slapped the card into her field card zone, and then it began. Her raging power subsided, and the temple began to shake for a completely different reason. Something was rising up behind Ihachi, something huge and awe inspiring.

It was a building, with domes and spires, a palace with palisades, towers, and a portcullis. The thing that made it unique was that it was glowing with an intense inner light, and a ring of floating spheres generated more light, illuminating the entire temple. This glorious light seemed pure, but quickly Ihachi's power took control of it, and the power became tainted. It was tainted light, the light of darkness.

"Bow before the horror of my citadel, for in my next turn its awesome might will crush you, and I will have the ultimate victory!" Drake stared up at the amazing sight of the Citadel of Endless Light, and he couldn't help but feel that there was something about this card to fear. It was similar to the feeling he got when he saw the gods in action. It was the feeling of pure unadulterated power.

"That is the last part of my turn. Now its over, and so are you!" With the declaration of her turn's end, it became Drake's time to draw a card. He did so, giving him a total of five cards in his hand. He considered his options, trying to decide what to do. He had no knowledge about Citadel of Endless Light, so he couldn't be certain what it could do. He'd have to tread lightly.

"No single card can save you. It's always pathetic when any duelist believes that one single card can claim victory by sheer force of power. But that's just how you are, always relying on raw power to win. My cards work together to bring me success, and that's why I'm going to defeat you." He smirked and raised one clenched fist, an explosion of golden power roaring off of his body. Ihachi sneered right back at him, flaring her own power in a contest of will and strength.

"My monsters will attack!" The Dark Magician and Black Magician of Chaos raised their respective weapons and opened fire at Ihachi's Valkyries. A sphere of chaos energy shot across the field, followed closely by a stream of dark magic. Suddenly the Citadel issued forth a blaze of light, and the valkyries exploded, becoming spheres of pure light.

"By sacrificing my valkyries I can negate your attacks and end your battle phase!" The spheres shot forwards, colliding together to form a wall of light. The two magic attacks slammed into the barrier and exploded, sending ripples across the wall like pebbles falling into a lake. The attacks had no effect whatsoever.

"I place two more cards face down. Now its your turn Ihachi, show me what you're capable of. With no monsters and just a puny field card in play, I doubt you've got any way of achieving success." His turn ended, with him still holding three cards. She held four cards in her hand, which increased to five when she drew. But he was right, he still had the advantage.

"My Citadel of Endless Light has a steep upkeep, but it's well worth it. I now pay three thousand life points to maintain Citadel of Endless Light!" Drake watched in confusion as ripples of energy were leached off of Ihachi and into the towering building of light. Three thousand life points was higher an upkeep then any he had ever heard of before. What kind of power did this field card have if its upkeep was that high? (ILP: 600)

"Next I'll restore my life points with Reward of Discard, depositing the remaining four cards from my hand into the grave to boost my life points by four thousand, higher then they were at the start of the turn!" She grinned and folded her hand up, slamming it into her cemetery slot. As she did so, a blue glow surrounded her, showing evidence that her life points were being restored. Things were once again more even. (ILP: 4600)

"Its now time to reveal one of the several effects of my citadel! I will pay two thousand life points to special summon to the field as many valkyries in the cemetery or out of the game as I can fit on my field! So I raise two Valkyrie Sovite's, two Valkyrie Brunhilde's, and a Valkryie Fridwulfa!" The five named monsters appeared in bursts of light, filling up Ihachi's monster zones. Despite their dominating presence, it wasn't anything to worry about, as Drake's monsters had greater attack power. Except of course for one simple fact. (ILP: 2600)

"The effect of my two Sovite's now comes into effect! Your Dark Magician and Black Magician of Chaos are destroyed!" The two identical monsters charged across the field, sweeping with their weapons. The two magic users raised their staffs in defense, but the heavy blades of the two valkyries sliced through the wands and into the mages, killing them and taking them off the field. Drake pocketed Black Magician of Chaos since it was removed from the game.

"And with no monsters to defend yourself with, I'll attack directly with all five of my monsters to end this duel in my favor!" The five monsters rushed across the field, blades swinging and at the ready. Ihachi threw back her head and laughed as the five women rushed at Drake, ready to cut him down in a second. Drake simply stood there, calm as ever.

"You've walked into your own demise! Reveal trap, Mirror Force!" The silver barrier erupted in front of him, blocking the attacks of the five monsters. Their swords collided against it, and the force was reflected back at them, sending them hurtling back towards Ihachi. In moments they would be gone, finished, and leaving a clear field for Drake to work with.

"Fool! Citadel of Endless Light prevents my valkyries from being destroyed by magic or trap cards! You've negated my attack, but my creatures remain intact!" Instead of being destroyed as they should have been, golden auras sprang up, cushioning their falls. They floated to a casual rest, the hooves of the horses pawing at the ground, ready for when they would next take action.

That was the last part of her turn she could take, so she motioned for him to start his turn. He drew a card and looked at what he now had, then down at his field, and at hers. He considered the cards in his graveyard and those in his deck, and he started to smile slightly. Perhaps things would work out better then he thought, as long as he played his cards right. Silently he muttered to himself, "Pun intended."

"I set one monster and one card face down. That's all for now, but know one thing. Shortly your citadel will be gone, and you'll be finished! You can't afford to pay its upkeep in this next turn, so it will be destroyed!" His two cards appeared, and he smirked at Ihachi, knowing that he was right. The Citadel of Endless Light was certainly powerful, but with an upkeep cost of three thousand points, even starting at eight thousand life points you'd only be able to keep it for two turns.

Ihachi smirked as she drew her card, and then she raised her hands into the air. "During my standby phase my Citadel will increase my life points by one thousand times the number of light types on my field! So my life points raise instead of diminish even as I pay upkeep!" A stream of light poured forth from the tallest tower of the citadel and rushed into her outstretched arms. She was inundated with life giving power, and her life points shot up, overbalancing the decrease from the payment. (ILP: 4600)

"I'll use the magic card Painful Choice." She ejected her deck and searched through it, finally settling on five cards. She turned them to face Drake, revealing each of them to him. He looked at them from their distance, and considered the options. He only knew the effects of two of the cards, and he didn't trust the others, so he knew what he would choose. He picked the card second to the left, Blessings of Goddess, and let her discard the rest.

"It didn't matter what you picked, because I can activate my face down card, Fallen Angel's Gift, returning the discarded cards to my hand!" She ejected the four cards from her cemetery and returned them to her hand, causing Drake to grimace. The other card he had known was Raigeki, which meant he could kiss his monster goodbye right her and now.

"The time has come to reveal the second greatest force of this deck. Three cards which represent the past, the present, and the future. Three goddesses with which to bring about your end! I play Goddess Skuld's Oracle, Goddess Beldandy's Guardian, and Goddess Urd's Altar!" Three attractive goddess appeared on the field, standing upon the ramparts of the Citadel of Endless light, overlooking the field. Drake had a bad feeling about them.

"Now I play my remaining two cards, Raigeki to destroy your set monster, and Blessings of the Goddess, to grant me five hundred life points whenever a monster is special summoned! Say goodbye to your life points!" A bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky and blew his set monster sky high, getting rid of the last of his monsters. He wasn't defenseless though, and she knew it. Otherwise she'd never have used the other cards.

"My creatures will attack!" Her five monsters rushed forwards, but Drake chained with his quick-play card, Protection of the Destined. It was a magic card that prevented him from being dealt battle damage during this turn, so long as he had a spellcaster in the cemetery or on the field. Ihachi grimaced, and declared the end of her turn.

Drake drew a card and started to say what he was going to do, but Ihachi suddenly spoke up first. "The first goddess comes into play! Due to Goddess Skuld's Oracle you must now draw three cards and show them to me, not seeing them yourself. Then I arrange them in whatever order I want, and you replace them on your deck!" He drew the three cards and showed them, watching as they appeared in giant form in front of him, facing her. She selected the order, the middle card first, then the card on the right, followed by the left card.

He replaced the cards and started to talk again, but the next goddess started to glow, and so did his deck. "Now I use the effect of Goddess Beldandy's Guardian! I can guess the name of the card on top of your deck, and if I'm right then its set on the field! And since I arranged them I already know. A monster will be set face down on the field, and since it was special summoned I gain life points!" Drake grimaced as he played the monster in face down defense position, and watched as her life points rose. (ILP: 5100)

"The effect of the last goddess is now mine to use. Goddess Urd's Altar allows me to name a face down monster on your field. If I name it correctly its removed from the game. So I simply name it, Guardian Magician of the Night, and watch as it vanishes from play!" Drake's eyes widened as he realized just how bad a situation this was. His guardian magician faded away, and he pocketed the card. Now each turn she could remove one of his monsters from the game, and know what cards he had coming next. These goddesses were incredibly dangerous, he had to get rid of them.

"I set one card face down, and end my turn!" That was the best he could do, and he had to depend on that card. Ihachi had no idea what it was, so he was somewhat safe, however the next time he drew then she'd know for certain. He just had to have hope, he had to believe that he could survive his way through the next few turns. He had to have faith in his strength just like he always had.

Ihachi drew, and again a column of light surged down upon her, boosting her life points yet again. With this increase she would rise nearly to the starting point of life points, nearly back up to eight thousand. With each turn the situation became worse, but Drake would hold on to his own hope. "I set one card face down. Next I'll teach you about more of what Citadel of Endless Light can do." (ILP: 7100)

"By giving up my battle phase I can sacrifice any number of light types on the field once in the turn to deal six hundred damage to you for each sacrificed. Of course if I use this effect I can't use the revival effect, but that's just fine. I sacrifice my five monsters to deal three thousand points of direct damage!" The five monsters shattered and formed into beams of light which rushed forwards, slamming into Drake's chest and dealing serious damage to him. (DLP: 5000)

"And I'll reduce the defense power of my Brunhilde's and my Fridwulfa to allow them to remain on the field. With that said, I shall end my turn." She smirked at this, watched as the monsters restored themselves, the only difference being that their shields were broken in half. The situation just kept getting worse and worse for Drake.

He drew his card, and watched as she arranged his three next cards, going from left to right in that order. Then she declared monster and he was forced to set the card, increasing her life points yet again. "And I name that monster as Mystic Elf, removing it from the game!" His elf vanished, and he pocketed it like his other removed cards. With this move, their life points became even more uneven. (ILP: 7600)

"I won't be giving up just yet Ihachi, I still have faith in my own power. I know that our choices have been made, and I'll follow it through to the end, because that was my choice! Through tears of crystal we did battle in the past, and I made that one critical choice, a choice caused by the one you made. Everything since then has been because of you and that choice. Its not over until I lay dead and you suffer eternally! One card face down, then end!"

She added a card to her hand, giving her just one card. Now she had a choice to make, and Drake knew what she was going to choose. She had broken even in life points this turn, so now she was going to up her monsters. She also wouldn't be attacking, because her effects prevented her from doing so. "I pay the two thousand life points."

The two Sovites returned the field, an odd choice from her, but nevertheless it was her choice. However since she had special summoned two monsters she would gain five hundred life points for each one, nearly negating the cost of reviving them in the first place. A brilliant combo of cards she had created. "Now I activate Reginleif, drawing five cards!" (ILP: 6600)

"I set a single card face down, and end my turn." The card appeared beside her four permanent magic cards, all in front of the citadel. With these cards all together that meant she had a full field of cards, both magic and trap. She had virtually no options, but she had a lot more power then Drake had. She thought that could bring victory, but Drake would prove her wrong.

He drew a card and watched as his cards were rearranged, happy to discover that he hadn't had a monster amongst those cards. So he was simply forced to discard the card that she had named, his Chain Destruction trap card. Why she had gotten rid of that he didn't know, but it didn't matter. "Its time to renew my options! I activate Reload, shuffling my hand into my deck and drawing an equal number of cards. Now you'll have no knowledge of my cards!"

He drew three more cards and smirked, hoping that he could keep this idea going. If this worked out, he'd be regaining the advantage in this duel, but only if it worked out. He just had to keep hoping. "I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn." Ihachi smirked, thinking to herself just how worthless his move had been.

Now that it was Ihachi's turn she got a chance to regain life points, being boosted by a total of two thousand yet again because of the five monsters she had on the field. As Drake knew, she was going to do something very predictable, she was going to use the second effect of her citadel. "I sacrifice my five monsters!" The five creatures turned into points of light and erupted on a barrier he formed with his power, protecting his body, but not his life points. (DLP: 2000)

"Reveal trap, Restoration, boosting my monsters back to their original defense strengths!" The three remaining valkyries hadn't had shields because they had been destroyed, but the effect of Restoration brought those shields back. With their defenses now back at two thousand a piece, they would be up for being sacrificed as many times as needed.

"You see Drake? Its worthless. All of your attempts at victory accomplish nothing, all of your hopes and dreams mean nothing to me. My Citadel of my Goddesses and Valkyries are just to great a power for you to handle. I shall set a single card face down, and finish my turn." The card appeared, replacing Restoration. Drake gave her a casual nod, and drew his next card, waiting for her to activate her goddesses. (ILP: 8600)

The three cards appeared, and were quickly rearranged. She declared monster and the card was set on the field. Drake knew what it was since he was the one who had set it, so he knew she was about to remove it, which would help destroy his deck. She had also just gained more life points, but he wasn't bothered at all. "Your set monster is Old Vindictive Magician!" He nodded and removed the monster from the game. (ILP: 9100)

"Now that we've done that, how about I use Trap Reflector? I'm gonna run the risk that it will count the valkyries on your field, as I use Reginleif from the graveyard!" He got his wish as the effect went off, and he drew three cards, one for each valkryie she had. This meant that he now held one card in his hand that Ihachi didn't know about. That was going to have to do it for him.

"I've got the answer now Ihachi. I know how to defeat you and your combos, I can turn the tide here and now! To do so I sacrifice my set monster for Disintao-Elder Mage(2300/1700)!" The magician that appeared was an old man in purple robes with long graying black hair. In his left hand was a pure black staff with a sapphire set into the head of it. He was impressive, and obviously of the Dark Magician family of monsters.

"That's your answer? A feeble old wizard? What could he possibly do? HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!" Her laughter continued, but neither Drake nor his elder mage seemed bothered by it. They shared a conspiratorial smirk, and Drake held up two cards from his hand, and he interrupted her laughter.

"By discarding two non-monster cards from my hand, Disintao allows me to destroy all of my opponent's magic and trap cards. So say goodbye to your precious citadel and your combos! Torrent of Magic!" Disintao raised his staff above his head, and a blue glow surged around the sapphire. Suddenly an arc of blue light burst from it, sweeping across each of the individual cards on her field. As the light touched them, there was an explosion, filling most of the room in dust as they were cleared away.

The smoke filtered away, revealing a supreme lack of goddesses, and other cards. Ihachi stood in front of Drake, fury etched across her face. However to Drake's surprise the fury slowly faded into a dull smirk, still angry but slightly satisified. Then he saw the glow of light, and the Citadel reappeared. "You did well, but Citadel of Endless Light can't be destroyed by magic, traps, or effect cards."

Drake grimaced, then glanced at his other cards. He had a few options left to him, so he might as well make do. "I set one card face down. Now Disintao will attack a Brunhilde!" Disintao leveled his staff at the powerful woman and sent a beam of blue magic at the creature, blasting her shield almost completely apart. It also did its part in denting Ihachi's life points. (ILP: 8600)

Now that it was once again her turn she was ready to undo the damage that had been done to her. She placed the sixth card into her hand, and enjoyed the feelings of streamers of light and power rushing through her body. It had no effect on her life points, but it did feel nice. "Now what shall I do? I could drop you to a meager two hundred life points, or I could wait and do it all in my next turn. What do you think?"

The punk duelist swept his gaze over the field, then allow it to rest on his most recent placed card for a few moments. He smiled slightly, not realizing that Ihachi was watching. That look meant he wanted her to attack using Fridwulfa to try and clear a path, then he would activate his placed card to turn the tide on her. No, she wouldn't fall for such a thing. "Do whatever you feel is right. I'm not one to contradict your decisions."

"Alright then, I know exactly what I'm going to choose! I sacrifice my three monsters to the effect of the Citadel of Endless Light!" Her three creatures let out cries of pure joy as their souls were ripped from their bodies, and all their mass was converted into raw light and energy. Those points of light coalesced and then shot forwards at....well the speed of light. Drake swept his hand in front of him, creating a barrier that absorbed the assault. But he wasn't done quite yet. (DLP: 200)

"I'll chain that effect with Lariat of Flame! This trap increases both player's life points by one thousand, and prevents you from using that effect ever again!" A rope of flame erupted from his card and shot out across the field, wrapping itself around the Citadel's tallest spire. With that eternal flame on the eternal light, the sacrificial effect of the Citadel of Endless Light was now useless. Ihachi, was of course furious. (DLP: 1200, ILP: 9600)

"Damn you! But I can still win this duel without that effect, I've got the power for it! Next turn I'll bring you down, just you wait. For now I place a single card face down and end my turn!" The card materialized behind the three Valkyries in the slot on the right that was right next to the bend in the DD2. It was her waiting trap, and she would use it to tilt the scales just a bit more. She would win, that was for certain.

As soon as Drake drew his card he was stopped by Ihachi. She thrust one arm forward and intoned her move in that crystal voice of hers. As she did so, her face down card slowly lifted itself up, revealing a man clawing at his face as he melted away. "Feel the wrath of my trap card, Faltering Life! You must remove two random cards from your hand, and for that I gain a further one thousand life points!"

The punk duelist glanced down at his three cards, then folded them up. He silently unfurled them and held them out, facing down. A black, sickly hand rose from her trap card and meandered across the field. It paused when it reached him and snatched the middle card. Drake snapped them together and then apart again. The hand paused, considering its options, then took the card on the right. They faded away, and Drake was left with one chance, one card, one hope. (ILP: 10600)

Slowly he dropped his gaze to the single card he held in his hand. It still remained facing the marble floor, so he had no idea what it was. He tilted it up slowly, spotting the green edge that declared it as a magic card. His breath caught in his threat for that moment, for he knew that he had two magic cards in his hand. "Here's hoping...."

He flipped the card up all the way, and stopped dead, staring at it. Ihachi raised an eyebrow in questioning, and Dalin did the same. What was so shocking about the card? Was it just a bad card. In response to the card and not to their stare he threw his head back and started laughing. Dalin watched the other duelist, uncertain whether he was happy, or if he had just lost it.

"Its time to turn the tide of this duel, time to show you exactly what kind of strength that you've been dealing with! Your Faltering Life card could have stripped from me the one chance I had to turn the tide, but instead fate and luck were on my side! Here is the card that will bring me victory in this duel!" He held the card up, then twisted it around so that it was facing Ihachi. She stared at it for a moment, and then took a step backwards, horror written across her features.

"But....how? That's just too lucky! It can't be possible, I refuse to believe that!" She took two more steps back, and then caught herself, realizing she was appearing afraid. This didn't make any difference did it? She still had the most power, she was still the superior one. One card wouldn't make her lose this duel....she still had the advantage, no matter what he thought!

"I don't feel that there is such a thing as too lucky, unless of course its bad luck for another person. In this case that's exactly what it is, so now I'll really introduce you to your bad luck. Activate magic card, Absolute Control!" As soon as he activated the card, the effect started coming into play. By its magical effect he would be able to gain control of one permanent magic or trap card on the field. Drake had only one choice of what to control.

"Come to me, Citadel of Endless Light!" A tornado of light was kicked up, the raw power of the Citadel being unseated from its place. The palace around them shook as the Citadel moved, swirling together into that unusual light vortex. It rippled in space and in time, and then shot across the field. It settled down, and now the Citadel that had dominated Ihachi's side, was now on Drake's side of the field.

"All this power has come to me. I've got all the power that you've been using against me during this whole duel. I can choose to use it against you, but I've also got one other choice. In this case I feel it is the right one. What I choose....I choose to send Citadel of Endless Light to the cemetery!" Ihachi let out a scream of fury as the Citadel began collapsing in on itself. This was the end of its awesome power.

"NOOO! My Valkyries will go with it!" The once mighty Citadel became a shrinking point of light, but the smaller it got the greater the force of its pull became. It was collapsing mass of light, and it was going to be creating a miniature black hole. Being right next to it Drake had to exert the most power, his golden aura being pulled in as he fought it off. Ihachi held herself steady with her magic, and Dalin did the same at his distance.

The Valkryies however were not so lucky. The lacked the power that the three duelists had, and therefore all they could do was gallop in the opposite direction in an attempt to escape. Their attempts were futile, no amount of running away could save them now. They were pulled steadily backwards until they reached the event horizon, and then they were no more. Removed from the game. "And that, as they say, is that. I think I chose right."

Ihachi stared at her completely empty field in horror, unable to comprehend how things had so suddenly changed on her. Drake had his cards, a single remaining face down card and his deadly Disintao-Elder Mage. "You have nothing to defend yourself with, leaving me an open path directly to your life points! Disintao will attack those life points!" The old magic user sent a stream of blue light out of his staff, which collided with Ihachi's energy barrier, not damaging her but still dealing the damage to her life points. (ILP:7300)

"Just think Ihachi, everything you worked so hard for has unraveled completely in just a single turn. That is the kind of power that I possess. The power to bring death even where there is the greatest amount of life. That is the power that is possessed by someone who has chosen to accept death. My powers are limitless because I have no life to hold it back, but your eternal life keeps you bogged down by barriers between you and ultimate power!" His power flared, pushing Ihachi back slightly. It wouldn't have happened had she been prepared, but she was still furious and in shock about the destruction of he Citadel.

"You're going to pay! This is I swear! I'll show you the truth of my power, I'll show you what else I can do! The second greatest force of the Valkryies! Walkuren Ritt!" A torrent of roses whirled across the field as she used her magic card. Drake could faintly here an old Germanic symphony rising up as the card's effect came into play. Ihachi slammed her four monsters onto the field as swiftly as she could.

"Rise Valkyrie Sigdrifa(2300/2300), Valkyrie Mist(1700/1200), Valkyrie Rota(1500/500), and Valkyrie Granidor(1700/1900)!" The four named Valkyries road out onto the field, accompanied by the storm of rose petals. Each one was another beautiful woman in armor, on a horse, with a sword and a shield. Valkyrie Granidor bore enough resemblance to Fridwulfa that Drake was certain they two had something in common with each other.

"Valkyrie Sigdrifa's strength is equal to your Disintao's so when they clash both will be destroyed, opening a path for me to destroy your life points and your very soul! I won't let you come back at all, ever again! ATTACK MY VALKYRIES!" All four charged forwards, swords at the ready. Disintao rushed to meet them, catching Sigdrifa's blade with his pure black staff and stopping it. The two were dead even.

"You want luck Ihachi? Lets find out just how lucky I am! Open face down card, Take One Chance! I now get the opportunity to use a single card from my cemetery, and I've got to hope its something good!" He placed his hand next to the cemetery slot, and caught the card that was ejected. He glanced at it and then raised it up, activating its power.

"Mirror Force!" Ihachi cried out in horror, unable to understand how he had gotten so lucky. He had only a single chance at stopping her, and it went well for him! The silver barrier shot up between Disintao and Sigdrifa, and the four Valkyries were hurled backwards, shattering into fine powder, leaving no trace that they had ever been there at all.

"I won't be defeated, I refuse to. I place this single card face down, and end my turn!" The card appeared in front of her, face down. It was perhaps her last hope, and it was of course the last card in her hand. She now had zero cards, just like Drake. They were almost dead even in options, but he held the field advantage at the moment. If she had her way that was going to change.

Drake pulled his next card free, only casually glancing at the diminished deck he had in his deck holder. He held the advantage, so he needed to keep it up. He had to press her with everything he had, he needed to achieve victory here and now. He couldn't allow her to get a leg up. "I set one card face down."

As soon as the card appeared in front of him he declared his next move. This should take Ihachi down a notch and make things a bit more even. "Disintao, attack directly!" The elder mage sent that pulsing blue magic at Ihachi, ready to drop her to a more reasonable level of life points. If the attack connected then she would fall to an even five thousand life points. It was higher then his, but still better then seventy-three hundred.

"Now it is you who have fallen into a trap! The quick-play magic card Cloud With Silver Lining! Like Aurora Veil it negates your attack. Like Aurora Veil it lets me place a special card into my hand. But in this case its not a valkyrie, it's a divine type monster! Any divine type at all!" She ejected the needed card from her deck, and the attack fizzled, halted by a silvery wisp of cloud that got in the way.

Drake nodded, and then declared the end of his turn. Ihachi drew another card, giving her a total of two cards in her hand. Whatever divine type she had chosen, that goddess would serve her well. All her goddesses were incredibly powerful, so he had to assume that this one was as well. Whatever it was, he would be ready. "I summon Goddess of Birth(300/300)!"

The name goddess appeared, a beautiful woman with flowing snow white hair that ran down her back to waist level. She had a motherly appearance, and her flowing robes rippled in a nonexistent breeze. Ihachi was smirking now, which meant there was something powerful about this goddess. "Now to reveal her effect! By sacrificing her and one thousand of my life points I can special summon a Valkyrie Goddess(3000/3000) from my deck!" (ILP: 6300)

In an explosion of light the goddess was no more. In her place stood a valkyrie like none Drake had seen through the entire duel. Her armor was forged of gold and it shone in the rays of sun that filtered in through the doors of the temple. Locks of golden hair cascaded down her back, and eyes that were a field of blue stared at Drake. Her sword was a thing of flame, and her shield was like warped air. "Her power is incredible...."

"Indeed it is. For every card that has been removed from the game my Valkyrie Goddess gains five hundred attack and defense points. This is the creature that destroyed Seto Kaiba, for its power became so great he could not stand against it. Now witness the awesome power of Valkyrie Goddess!" The valkyrie raised her sword into the air, and it erupted in a firestorm. Her power raged, and soon it was settled at an astounding 12000/12000. It was incredible.

"Valkyrie Goddess, destroy Disintao with your Sword of the Eternal Flame! Destroy him and strike down Drake for him, end him here and now!" An explosion of fire leapt from the blade, streaking towards Disintao. The elder mage stood no chance against such a great power, and with that attack he would be destroyed, and along with him the last of Drake's life points.

"Activate Magical Hats!" The four hats materialized, sweeping up Disintao and hiding him from Ihachi. The attack barreled onwards, striking the hat that was second from the right. The smoke cleared away, revealing absolutely nothing. Disintao was perfectly fine, and Drake had a chance to recover.

He drew his card, then he shifted Disintao into defense mode to protect his life points from a further attack. He still had three hats, and two of them were empty. At least for the moment. "I'm going to set a monster in defense mode under one of the hats. Now see if you can guess where my monsters are. Your Valkyrie Goddess is strong, but she doesn't guarantee victory." With that said, he finished his turn, giving it over to Ihachi who had more she could do.

"You fool, her power will be what wins this duel, I guarantee that. I summon Valkyrie Hildr(1900/1700) to even the odds of finding your monsters. Now my Valkyrie Goddess will attack the hat on the left, and Valkyre Hildr will attack the hat on the right!" The explosion of flame erupted on the far left hat, and a single sweep of a blade cut straight through the far right hat. There was the sound of metal against metal, and Hildr's blade was stopped.

"You've attacked Guardian Magician of the Day(1400/1900), whose defense is equal to Hildr's attack. He is revealed, but he still remains." Ihachi just shrugged, completely ignoring the air robed magic user. With no more hats it was obvious where Disintao was, so the remaining hat faded away, revealing him in a crouched position with staff held up above his head in defense.

"It'll only take a few more turns to finish you, that's all. You're just delaying the inevitable. End turn." Her turn was finished, and Drake drew his card. He glanced at it, staring for several seconds. He was thinking of what he could do, hoping that he could win this duel. He didn't want to place the burden on anyone else. He had hoped not to have to come and face her, but she had proved too strong. Even the power he had helped Kai with wasn't enough.

'If I use this card right I might be able to make this work, but I can't be certain. Its worth a shot though.' He nodded to himself and placed the card down on the field. "I set a single card face down. Now I'm ready for you. Go ahead and take your best shot." The card shimmered into view, and that was all he could do for the turn. Ihachi smirked, seeing that victory would soon be hers. All she needed to do was keep up her attacks and she would win.

"I equip Hildr with Suspension Bridge of Hero, granting her the same effect as my Valkyrie Goddess has, at least for her attack points. Now she raises to ten thousand nine hundred attack points! My two monsters will attack and destroy your two monsters!" The fire shot forwards, followed by the sword assault of Hildr. However Drake wasn't ready to go down because of a few paltry attacks.

"I chain with Mechanical Magic Mirror! This lets me use a magic card from your cemetery, and I'm using Cloud With Silver Lining!" The silvery cloud placed itself in the way, absorbing the fire attack and the sword strike. Slowly it faded away, leaving Drake's two monsters left in place, perfectly intact. Ihachi raised an eyebrow and then started laughing at him.

"What a pointless move! Certainly it saved your monsters, but its not like you can use the second effect of Cloud With Silver Lining. I'll just end my turn, but know that in my next turn I'll most certainly destroy you. All I need is a third monster, then you will perish." She ended her turn with a haughty toss of her hair, sending the russet brown locks flying back over her shoulder. She flashed him a smirk, and then tossed one in the general direction of Dalin. Should Drake fall, he would probably step up, the fool.

Drake lowered his eyes, letting his energy reach out to the souls that hung around him. Each of these bodies in chains were truly souls, souls that could join with him to grant him what he needed. There was one card in his deck that he needed, and if he didn't draw it now then he was finished. 'Please, everyone, she can't win. I beg of you, help me get what I need.'

He let out his breath as he felt the reassuring touch of nearly a thousand souls stroking his. They gave him their confidence, their determination, their faith in him. They were allowing him to determine their fate. He drew calmly, and looked Ihachi straight in the eyes without looking at his cards. "What seems like a long time ago I was asked a question by a strong person. He asked me that if I could save every person in the world but had to give up the life of another, or my own to achieve it, could I do so? At the time I had no answer."

He raised the card up so that it was in front of his eyes, then he lowered it, his face still blank. His eyes on the other hand were shining with determination, with faith in himself and in all those who had granted him faith. "Now I do. The answer is YES! Now I'll prove it by defeating you and dooming myself. I offer my Disintao-Elder Mage and Guardian Magician of the Day in order to summon my strongest monster, my favorite monster. A monster that you will recognize! The second of the twin gods will shortly rise, for I summon Omegus(3500/3200)!"

She had been wrong. He did have a divine type that he could get from the effect of her magic card. That card was Omegus, a one of a kind card that had been sent to his sister in a letter. She had given it to him, along with the other card that came in that letter. He had never understood its significance until he stared into the Pool of Memory, and now he knew. "The text on Omegus always said that it had the ability to become a god. I always assumed that it just meant it could achieve amazing heights of power. But now I know the truth."

He placed his next card into its activation slot, and watched as a brown robed figure appeared in front of him. "In order to bring about the truth of its godhood I must combine it with another one of a kind card. I combine it with Wizard Mentor, and with this combination I can offer up Omegus to create the Divine Warrior God, Omega!" His two cards exploded with golden light, Omega's silver sheen swept up in the golden wave. The power was enormous, almost more then he could comprehend. It was a familiar strength that felt right to him.

In place of the silver armored warrior demi-god there was a ten foot tall man who, if anything, would have to be described as beautiful. His features were like those of porcelain, his eyes a blazing field of royal blue. His armor was all gold, shoulder pads extended out, and every inch of it glowing in the reflected sunlight. His long locks of blond hair blew in the incoming breeze of wind, and his hand rested on the hilt of his sheathed blade. He was a male mirror to the Valkyrie Goddess.

"Omega's power is absolutely unrivaled, for upon being summon his attack and defense points are set. He has the immunities of any divine monster, and his attack and defense are equal to the total attack and defense powers of every monster to be played in the entire duel. So witness my power and his all in one stroke!" Omega unsheathed his blade, and light exploded from it. The blade was forged from the light of the sun itself, a blade of power greater even then the Valkyrie Goddess'. His power surged upwards, the spirits of all the lost monsters of the duel flowing into him.

Ihachi fell to her knees, her eyes wide and staring at this familiar and deadly creature. It was absolutely impossible...but here it was. The end....once again the end was coming to her. The soaring power of Omega was far beyond anything she had ever seen before in this game. Its power was unrivaled. "Omega(238600/238600), I want you to finish this duel. Strike my former sister down with your Omega Blade!"

With a casual sweep of his blade, Omega cut through the particles of air themselves. The air in the path of his blade's cut exploded into flames, sending that power of the sun arcing towards Ihachi and her monsters. The two valkyries were vaporized by that raw power, and even Ihachi's barrier was shattered by that power. (ILP: 0)

She collided with one of the marble columns, the force of her impact sending chunks flying from it. She closed her eyes, at last unconscious, completely out of it. Omega faded away, and the duel was over. But that wasn't all that was over, so was everything. As they watched the palace around them started to crumble into dust, and the False Eden outside was blown away as ashes upon the wind.

"All that was done is now undone. Everything is right again. Now I can fade away in peace." Drake let out a satisified smile, and dropped to his knees. He was completely exhausted, all of his energy used up. He had nothing left to give, no way to even stand. Everything faded away around them, and all that was left was the blackness of the Shadow Realm. They were still there, still trapped....but that shouldn't be the case. With Ihachi's presence gone they should have been hurled back into the real world, where he would meet his end.

"Dalin, something's wrong. We should still be here. Everything should be back to normal." Dalin followed the other duelist's gaze, traveling across the darkness. Drake was right, all of it should now be undone. Taichi was gone, Ihachi was gone, so there shouldn't be anything holding them in the darkness. It should all be over, everyone should have been returned as well, but their forms were still prone on the ground behind them.

"Nothing is wrong. In fact everything is exactly right. Everything went perfectly according to plan." Drake's eyes traveled across the darkness to the source of that voice, trying to find it. Dalin had already seen it, but he was unable to say anything, shock held him for the first time he could remember. He was too surprised to speak, he could barely understand how it was possible.

Kevin Hunter now stood over Ihachi, golden energy flowing from her body into his outstretched palm. The instant that golden energy touched his hand it was corrupted, becoming a jet black that was absorbed into his body. He raised his other hand, and the last trickles of Drake's power left him, absorbed into the body of Kevin Hunter. "That was good of you to deal with the problem, to fix everything. I knew I could count on you idiots to do the job for me. Now all the soul energy I could possibly need is with me, and there's only one thing between me and the success of my mission."

His gaze came to rest on Dalin, and suddenly the angel duelist understood completely. He understood the feeling he had gotten when he first met Kevin's eyes, the feeling of looking at something eerily familiar. He had seen those eyes before, but they had been a different color, they had belonged to a different person. Yet this was the Shadow Realm, and this was a creature of pure shadow. "Taichi...."

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Author's Notes: HA! Eat your heart out Kazuki Takahashi, that's a surprise! Booya! Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and now wait till next episode where things get wierder.

Original Cards

Ihachi: Instant Phase, Valkyrie Fridwulfa, Citadel of Endless Light, Reward of Discard, Blessings of Goddess, Valkyrie Granidor, Restoration, Faltering Life, Cloud With Silver Lining, Goddess of Birth, Valkyrie Goddess

Drake: Power of Philosophy, Skilled Chaos Magician, Shot From the Dark, Justice of Thought, Sage of Everlasting Light, Union of Minds, Force of Dead, Protection of the Destined, Guardian Magician of the Night, Trap Reflector, Lariat of Flame, Absolute Control, Omegus-Warrior Demi-God, Wizard Mentor, Divine Warrior God-Omega

Original Submitted Cards: Aurora Veil(Time Mage), Reginleif(Time Mage), Valkyrie Mist(TM), Valkyrie Rota(TM), Valkyrie Sigdrifa(TM), Valkyrie Hildr(TM), Disintao-Elder Mage(G.O.T Nick, whose card I slightly altered)

Anime Series Cards: I used a lot. All Valkyries and Valkyrie related cards that I didn't list are from the anime, from KC Grand Prix. Other cards like Take One Chance and Mechanical Magic Mirror are also from the anime. Too many too list. So, that's all.