Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh! Of course I do own all the original characters specifically stated previously.
Author's Note: I'm sure this will truly intrigue you. So read on and enjoy!
Quote of the Chapter: "There is no such thing as good, nor is there any such thing as evil. These are just concepts created by humanity. The only thing that really exists in this case are opinions of right and wrong. Consider the man who kills prostitutes becaues he believes their job to be evil and sinful. Then consider the courts that send him to life in prison for killing prostitutes because a jury decided that killing these women was evil and wrong. Both have completely opposite views of right and wrong, good and evil. Who is right and who is wrong in such a case? That, as I've been trying to say, is completely up to you." -Me
Advertisement: 100 Years After Battle City by Aldea is today's advert. No, its not the most original name I'll agree with you there. Hoewver its got great characters, brilliant duels, cool storyline, so on and so forth. Definetely one of the top Yugioh stories out there. Read and enjoy! DO IT I TELL YOU! Oh, and remember one thing while reading. Any resemblance to any characters in Yu-gi-oh is purely partially intentionally on the part of the author. The names have been changed to protect the innocent, the guilty, and the slightly off-color. This story is like a fine wine, it only gets better with age, and I congratulate it on being over a year old. I tip my hat, doff my coat, and run as the police chase after me for indecent exposure. Siyonara!
Chapter Thirty-Five: Choir of Hell
"Taichi...." Dalin's words seemed to falter in the darkness, the true essence of their meaning being absorbed by the negativity of the air around them. If it even was air. In response to the utterance of this name, Kevin Hunter smiled, a cruel and wicked thing that was very familiar. It was the same smile that Taichi had always worn when he was doing something evil that he enjoyed.
"In a manner of speaking, yes I am. At the moment I'm Kevin Hunter, so Taichi doesn't really fit me. That body is gone, just as was supposed to be. This is who I am now." Dalin locked eyes with the evil creature that was now Kevin Hunter. He could feel an enormous darkness residing within Kevin, a darkness so great he didn't think even Ammut who resided within him could devour it.
"Who you are now? You are always the same thing, just a pathetic spirit of evil that twists human beings into doing what it wants. You are nothing, everything you once were is lost in the sands of time!" These words echoed like thunder, passing through the shadows in an instant, but remaining forever. Kevin Hunter tilted his head, listening to those echoes. He brought his head back to its natural angle, and then he grinned, a wide and malevolent thing that brought hatred to one's heart.
"Hardly. You don't know a thing about who or what I am. Which is rather fitting isn't it? After all, you don't know a thing about who you are besides being the vessel of Ammut. That is why I will win, because unlike you I know the truth of myself." His grin fell and he turned away from Dalin, making a sweeping gesture with one hand. The shadows seemed to swirl like dust in the wind, creating eddies of dark power.
Slowly a door opened. That was the best Dalin could do to describe it, for it was a thing that was wreathed in flame, in blood, in pure evil. This 'door' resonated with the essence of all evil, it screamed out with the agony of untold numbers of living beings. The door was suffering, it was sin, it was... "The Gates of the Dead. From here we pass onwards to the underworld....to Hell."
When the door finally stopped, fully open, something happened. Like a blast of existence the sounds and feelings collided with Dalin. He staggered under the pressure of an infinite number of voices screaming for help, screaming in pain and suffering. Yet amongst that he could hear voices of darkness doing something strange. They were singing, singing a song that Dalin could recognize only in that it seemed to interpret all that suffering into not words but concentrated feelings. "What is that?"
Kevin blinked and looked up and back to Dalin. He had already been more then halfway through the door, descending the steps when the other had spoken. He tilted his head to listen, and then smiled. Now he realized what Dalin was talking about, he had forgotten how people always made comment on it. Dalin was taking it better then most, usually people curled into a ball and sobbed upon hearing it.
"It's the Choirs of Hell, singing their everlasting song. It has a nice beat to it, but I've always thought it could use a drum solo. Or at least I've thought that since they invented drums. Anyways, its not really important, it's just sort of background noise. Pleasant, but nothing to really think about." Dalin tried not to stare in shock at this comment. Pleasant? Only a creature as malevolent as this thing that was now Kevin Hunter could possibly believe the dark feelings issuing forth from that song were pleasant.
"Sheesh, don't just sit there, we have to get going. I've got the place waiting for us, so we've got to head down now. If it were the full me then they wouldn't even think about canceling, but as it is I'm not really. So we have to get there before they decide to change the schedule. Anyways, its not like you've got anything to wait around here for." With that said he turned away again, and started his way down the stairs. Dalin stared after him for several seconds, and then he followed.
The moment he passed through the doors the feelings became stronger, like a wave crashing down upon him. He almost felt that he was the one in pain. It wasn't that the feelings were being forced upon him, but so much agony from so many at the same time could be felt be even the least empathic person. "Its almost too much. Is this really Hell?"
Kevin grinned, not even bothering to look back at Dalin. He threw his response over his shoulder as he walked on, now reaching the flat part of their travels. "Not quite, we've still got a little ways before we reach the full thing. See, you can tell from the sign up ahead, we've got one more door to go through and then the road to Hell is next." Dalin heard these words and focused his eyes on the door up ahead and the sign on it.
They stopped in front of the door, and Dalin stared up at it. Etched upon the obsidian in what was almost certainly blood were familiar words that had always seemed to be just a joke to him. He had never thought it would actually be like this. Upon that sign it said, "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter..."
Kevin Hunter placed his hand on the door, and waited patiently, stepping back to give the door room. The solid obsidian that seemed forged of the same stuff as the first door, only more concentrated, slid aside very slowly. Once it was out of the way he stepped through, and motioned Dalin onwards. "Everybody always thinks its really bad, and they always seem afraid of the guard. But really its no worse then the stuff that goes on up on Earth." He paused in passing to stroke the middle head of a giant three headed dog that stood beside the door. It panted in the heat, massive tongue lolling out to the side. It turned its left head to Dalin, and it seemed to grin smugly at him.
They walked upon a simple stone street, yet it wasn't as simple as it seemed. The millions of individual stones seemed to have an inner glow, and they emanated positive feelings. Compared to what was coming from the inferno that awaited them, it was amazing. It was a sudden good amongst the bad, and he supposed that it was a form of torture in its own right. "What is this stuff?"
His guide stopped for a moment and looked down at his feet. He shrugged his shoulders idly and continued walking, but he didn't neglect to give an explanation. "They're raw compilations. Basically that just means that they are focused combination essences. Lots of the better and more positive essences combined together into these stones and what they are." That explanation seemed enough for him, so he ceased speaking and continued walking.
Dalin stopped walking and dropped into a kneeling position. He rested his hand against one of the stones and felt a rush of a something familiar. It was the sort of feeling that he was certain parents had whenever they did something for their children. He rose and started following Kevin again. "What exactly do they combine into?"
Kevin smirked, not letting his happiness at being asked this question show. He had hoped Dalin would ask, because he loved saying it. The few times he had lead someone down this path it had always given him joy to answer the question, to feel the despair that rolled off his companion as they heard the truth. It worked best when put simply. "Good intentions."
The angel duelist nodded as if this were the most natural thing in the world. It felt right, felt like that was as it should be. He had no knowledge of what Hell was really like, but he was beginning to get the picture. Hell was individual, he was almost certain of it. "What's Hell really like?"
The demonic entity that now called itself Kevin Hunter was almost surprised by this. Never before in his existence had anyone successfully manage to come to the conclusion that led to such a question. None before him had ever realized it, not in the entire history of this places existence. "It isn't really a place, so I can't describe it. In reality I'd have to say that Hell is really just the focal point of the worst Essences. Hatred, Lust, Greed, every single Essence that makes up what humans call Evil. It changes for whoever enters, it's always very specific, but it seems to be going for the cliche with you. I guess Ammut confuses it."
The muscular Thai-American felt that this explanation was the right one. Ammut was in fact a demon in its own right, a part of the process in determining those in the Underworld in the Egyptian pantheon. Ammut wasn't evil, nor was it good. Its presence within a human who had little memory of who he really was probably confused whatever force decided upon Hell's appearance. "How much farther?"
Dalin didn't need Kevin to answer the question. The instant he stepped off of that last good intention he knew that they had reached Hell. A boiling inferno now surrounded them, the road that had lead the way was nowhere to be seen. Pits of lava, boiling oil baths, mountains where one would roll a stone up for all eternity. It was all here. "Bah! In the good old days they didn't need so much pomp to make an impression. It's all that idiot Dante's fault. He decided to make up a bunch of crap and then market it, and what do we get? A lot of idiots premature expectations."
The tortures weren't really what mad this place bad, he was certain of that. After a million years of pushing a rock up a hill it probably didn't bother you at all, it probably started to feel right. What really made people suffer, what made them abandon hope, that was in the water so to speak. Or in the air. Kevin was right, every negative thing was all built up here, and you could feel it. He had to use sheer force of will to remain standing and not fall to his knees, sobbing.
"Come on Dalin, its about time we got started. Space has no real meaning here, so this is as good a place as any. Well, here we go with pomp. Rise Up Spirits Of Hell, Rise Dark and Icky Things! It Comes Now, Upwards It Rises, Upwards Comes The Place Of Doom, Where Many A Man And Woman Have Met Their Fate In Combat As Nasty Gooey Red Demons Watched In Pleasure, Feeding Off Their Suffering! Come Mortal And Enter This Final Chamber, Where Death Awaits You From Various Pointy Objects!" If Kevin hadn't cracked a smile Dalin would have been certain that he was serious, but as it was he knew that this was all bullshit that he was doing because it amused him.
The ground around them rumbled, well not ground really but that wasn't the point. Black rods shot up from the surface they stood upon, intertwining with what looked like the organs of some enormous creature. Together they all combined, surging into one thing, becoming what Dalin was painfully aware was an arena. A living arena. "Now, let the spectators come."
Suddenly Dalin was inundated with every horrible thing he could think of. He felt as if there was never any chance of having any positive feeling again. The things that came and did this....they were just a presence, physical only by will alone. They were countless demons of the underworld, most of which were far less pleasant then the demons described in stories. "Get on your feet mortal, it's almost time to begin."
Dalin had been unaware that he had dropped to one knee, but yet there he was. He forced himself into a standing position, focusing his own will and magic into a barrier to separate himself from the continuous bombardment of darkness. It was trying to consume him, to sweep him away by sheer force of mass. It was almost too much to handle, and perhaps it was too much to handle. "Is this....a duel?"
Kevin nodded and then thrust his left arm forwards. What might be called a dark duel disk exploded outwards, forming upon his arm like a living thing. It was sweeping and much more organic looking then the DD2, and the far edges of it had protruding spikes. Dalin could faintly see two beady red eyes looking around from their spot at the deck holder. "Well, I've got my disk. Where's yours?"
It took Dalin a moment to process this information, and he stared at his left arm. Where previously there had been a duel disk there was nothing. He could feel his cards as if they existed elsewhere, but he wasn't sure where. Slowly he tugged upon his magic, upon the positive emotions buried in his mind, and he gave the area where his duel disk had been a push.
His duel disk was much the opposite of his opponents. It was pure white and seemed to be formed of angel feathers all flowing together. It was like a single small wing that extended outwards from his arm. There were no eyes, that was one thing to be happy about. There was no counter, and he looked around for where his life points would be tracked. "What next? Neither of us has a deck."
Kevin sighed and rolled his eyes. Dalin watched as he made a pass with his right hand, and a deck materialized in his own disk. It was a fairly thick disk and Dalin was certain it contained many different cards. He couldn't expect the same strategy as he had used before, he always changed when you least expected it. "Just focus on the cards that should exist with you and they will appear. Only if they exist within the recesses of your mind as if they were right can they flow unto you."
He did as he was told, and the deck formed in its slot, perfectly shuffled and ready. Shortly they would begin the duel, but there was still the trouble of counting life points. He started to speak but Kevin beat him to the punch, raising his arms above his head. He intoned his words in that harsh and somehow happy voice of his. "Now we rise up to do battle!" And so they did. Platforms appeared beneath their feet, things of living tissue that had barriers at the top of sharp spikes that angled outwards and inwards. Nothing got in, nothing got out.
Across from him he could see the tissue of Kevin's platform distort. In the center of the platform knots of flesh rose up, cysts of pure darkness that Dalin could feel. These cysts formed into four numerals, showing that Kevin maintained eight thousand life points. He was certain that his own platform had numbers for his life points. "I see. I'm ready to do this. Ready to defeat you." (DLP: 8000)
Kevin smirked and drew his opening hand, watching Dalin draw his own five cards. Then Kevin drew a sixth card, and the duel was truly on. "Defeat me? You can't defeat what you don't understand, and I understand you perfectly. You are going to lose, can't you tell? After all, the crowd is on my side!" Kevin was right, the demons were all chanting for him, chanting words that Dalin didn't recognize. What was worse, the singing of the choir was louder then ever. They were in the crowd. (KLP: 8000)
"Let the final duel begin! Dark versus Light, Evil versus Good, Demons versus Angels. Let's have some fun!" With that spoken the duel was truly on. It would be their first and only battle, it would be the duel that determined the fate of the world. Yet inside Dalin knew that defeating Kevin or whatever he was wouldn't bring back those who had been lost. But it would stop the Essence of Destruction from being released, and that was what mattered....wasn't it?
"Hmmm....oh I know what I'll do to start us off. I'll introduce you to a new rule of this Dark Game. In this game, like our duel disks, we must make each card work using force of will and our magic. Of course since my demons are native to this realm, it will be quite easy for me. Your angels are at an odds, so that will make it more difficult." He grinned, and his announcement was followed by cheers from the surrounding crowd of demons. Dalin grimaced, coming to understand that this duel would not be completely fair. He should have expected as much.
"Now, lets give the boy a good example. I shall summon Demon Soldier(1900/1500)! Come forth my faithful warrior!" The demonic warrior rose up, literally. Like the platforms it flowed into existence, like tendrils of flesh worming together. It took several seconds of this before the completed purple demon warrior was finished. It stood strong, and drew its blade, raising it into the air. The demons cheered in response.
Dalin had felt the minimal effort that Kevin put forth into summoning the Demon Soldier, and he knew based on the strength of the creature that it would have taken slightly more if it were not for the very place they resided in. Summoning a similar creature would undoubtably be more difficult for him. "Whatever methods you take, I shall still achieve victory. Bring on your demons, for I am ready."
Kevin nodded, a sly smile sliding across his features as he glanced down at his hand again. He fiddled with the cards for a moment before selecting the cards he wanted and sliding them into their proper places. Two cards formed themselves in the same organic manner as the Demon Soldier had, but it took almost no energy at all. Obviously the effort came in activating cards, not setting. "I place these two cards face down. Now I dare you to attack, because your pathetic deck and its angels are nothing to me."
The demons roared in response, and the choir belted out their hellish song with greater enthusiasm....if that was possible. Dalin kept his face clear of any emotion as he surveyed his opening hand, looking for options before his first draw. He needed to gain a quick advantage, but he had no monster strong enough to defeat the Demon Soldier. He had to hope for a good card. "First I draw."
He pulled the card free and placed it amongst his other cards, then shifted them aside to get a look at it. The card was perfect for what he needed, it would give him just the boost necessary to defeat Demon Soldier and gain the advantage he wanted. "Now I will summon Hysteric Angel(1800/500)!" Dalin had been right, it required more power from him. He felt the essence of the card straining against Hell's very presence, and he forced his power upon the card, pushing as he had with his duel disk.
In a burst of angel feathers the female angel was born. The swirling mass of feathers coalesced into the tall figure of his angel. She wore a school uniform, clutching books in one arm. Small dovish wings extended from her back, and she absent mindedly adjusted her glasses. Kevin took one look at his angel, and burst out laughing. "This is what you bring out to challenge my demon? How pathetic! Already she weakens!"
Dalin's eyes dropped to the form of his angel, realizing suddenly that Kevin spoke the truth. She was shaking her head, trying to get rid of the constant pressure that was Hell itself. The everlasting hell song of the choir was getting to her as well. He had to reassure her with a flow of his power before she calmed herself. "She is not weak Kevin or whatever you might call yourself. Especially not after I add Cestus of Dagla to her, boosting her stats by five hundred points!"
She dropped her books to the ground as Dalin put the effort into creating the two blades that she picked up as they appeared. These simply formed themselves out of a few feathers, and took much less energy then she had. Now he was ready with a monster of twenty-three hundred attack points. "Not only does it boost my monster's attack strength, but it also gives me any life points of damage I do to you. Now, Hysteric Angel will cut your Demon Soldier down to size!"
She swept across the field with a single sweep of her wings, swinging the blades at the Demon Soldier in an unpracticed manner. The demon used his blade to block her first stroke, knocking her off balance. The soldier took this opportunity to laugh at his opponent, who seized the moment and slid her blade across his belly, opening him up and pouring his innards onto the ground. "My angel is victorious." (KLP: 7600, DLP: 8400)
"Oh yes, it is isn't it? But I have to thank you, for you have given me a special opportunity by destroying my demon. I can now pay one thousand life points to activate Token of Black Hearts, bringing forth four Black Heart tokens!" His life points took a dip, and four of the most disgusting things Dalin had ever seen erupted from the ground, forming almost instantly. They were giant hearts, which pumped gallons of black ichor onto the ground. Their attack was minimal, but Dalin had a bad feeling about them. (KLP: 6600)
"But wait, there's more! You see, demon blood is very dangerous. It's a deadly poison to any who drink it, save demons who are immune to its effect. However, any human who succeeds in withstanding the poison gains great power, and gains an extended lifetime." As he spoke, Kevin made a gesture with his hand like a puppet master pulling on some strings. The fallen Demon Soldier rose up off the ground and into Kevin's outstretched hand. He gripped the demon by the back of its neck, holding it there, limply.
"And by drinking the blood of my fallen demons, not only will I gain more power for the rest of the duel, but I will also gain more life...more life points that is. And I can drink their blood so long as you kill them in battle, and I have this card active. Demon Blood!" Kevin's second trap flipped up, the image of a human kneeling and drinking from the wrist of Dark Ruler Hades quite clear on it. Dalin grimaced, realizing that Kevin was about to undo almost all the damage done to him.
Kevin pulled the Demon Soldier's neck back, and then dropped his head to the demon's neck. The crowd let out a howling cheer as he ripped its jugular out with one hand, letting the blood flow freely. He placed his mouth against the ripped throat and gulped down the gushing blood, restoring his power. Dalin felt the waves of power flowing into his opponent, and he knew that he was losing any advantage he had gained. (KLP: 7550)
"Now I am stronger then ever, and you, you weaken with every moment! No matter how small an amount it is, you will still grow weaker and weaker while I grow stronger and stronger. You've already lost this duel, and there's not a thing you can do about it." His lips were stained by the black blood of his faithful and now fallen demon. He wiped it away with one hand, then casually licked his fingers clean of all that blood, a satisfied smile playing across his face as he did so.
"You haven't won this duel Kevin, and you won't! I finish my turn by setting a single card face down. Take your turn, it won't matter to me. I will gain power as my life points grow, and you know my deck can accomplish that. This duel is more even then you think." Kevin let out an exaggerated yawn, and the demon crowd let out a loud and equally false laugh. Dalin's card formed from the drop of a feather, ready to be used at a moments notice. The duel had truly begun, and they were more even then either would admit.
Kevin drew another card into his hand, and then he started smiling. Everything was prepared for him, he had his methods all set out before him. No matter what Dalin thought, it was he who held the true advantage, and he would now prove it. "You know Dalin, there are many different types of demons. Some fight, some use magic, some are simply for physical labor. The deadliest ones though, they stay behind the scenes and control others, even other demons." As he spoke he was fingering the card he had just drawn, obviously happy about it.
"I just so happen to have a demon in my hand that is exactly like that. It's a bit costly to summon, but well worth it over all. Particularly in this moment. Now I get to show the strength of manipulation, and how much power it takes to summon a high level monster. I sacrifice two Black Heart tokens to summon Demon Manipulator(1400/1400)!" The two middle giant hearts exploded, sending more black gore pouring onto the ground. But energy pulsed within that gore...and Dalin knew danger when he saw it.
The Demon Manipulator formed itself, revealing a red skinned demon with long horns extending from the back of its head. It work a long flowing black robe, and in one arm it held a chain of human skulls. A smirk similar to Kevin's rose on its lips. "And now that he's been revealed, he goes to work. And like any good manipulator, he lets his lackys do the work. So say goodbye to Demon Manipulator."
As quickly as he had appeared, the Demon Manipulator vanished. Kevin picked the card up off his duel disk and then placed it into his deck. Next he ejected the deck and shuffled it. "From behind the scenes Demon Manipulator will do his work. He goes back into my deck face up, and if I draw him he gets special summon. Of course, if he's special summoned something wonderful happens, but more on that later. Right now, I want to introduce you to his minions." Three cards ejected from Kevin's deck and he grabbed them each.
"The Demon Manipulator is skilled in the art of demon puppetry, so his servants are of course puppets, demon puppets, controlled through strands of his own hair in fact. Here come the three Kugutsu(1800/1800)!" Kevin slapped the three cards onto his disk, and Dalin watched them form in all their glory. They were twisted version of the original manipulator, dark tendrils emerging from within the robes. They looked deadly, but their strength was too little to defeat Hysteric Angel at its current level.
"Oh? Do you think that Hysteric Angel is stronger? I'm sorry, but that's a miscalculation. You see, when a Black Heart token is destroyed I can increase any monster's strength by three hundred. So I can increase the attack power of the middle Kugutsu by six hundred, making it more powerful then your angel." As he spoke the Kugutsu swept is tendrils out and scooped up gobs of the leftover hearts. The tendrils curled back up and under the robe, and Dalin could feel the power of the creature rise.
"The nifty thing about Kugutsu is that they are mirrors of each other. Whatever the attack strength of one is, well then that's what the attack strength of the others is. That means that my other two also gain six hundred attack and defense points. And its all thanks to you and my Demon Manipulator!" A dark line of energy shimmered between the three creatures, and the power of the other two shot up to equal that of the middle Kugutsu. Now he had three monsters of twenty-four hundred attack strength.
"Now my first Kugutsu will crush your puny angel with its mighty grip! Squeeze the life out of her!" The demon puppet's tendrils exploded from under its cloak, shooting out and wrapping around the Hysteric Angel before she could even put up a defense. The tendrils squeezed and the angel's eyes bulged. It took several seconds before she stopped struggling, and the Kugutsu dropped her. (DLP: 8300)
"The second Kugutsu will attack directly!" Its tendrils shot out towards Dalin, but he was ready for it. He raised one arm and focused his energy into his placed card, certain he could make it work. It rose up, revealing its power. Kevin's laughter was cut off in mid-stream as the tendrils struck a barrier of light that were between it and Dalin's life points.
"Drain Shield stops your attack and increases my life points, and my own energy levels!" The energy flowed back into him and he felt the pressure of Hell lift from him momentarily as his energy was boosted. It didn't take long before the pressure was back, but he felt much better then he had. His life points were also better off, but he knew it wouldn't last much longer. (DLP: 10700)
"Very well, the last Kugutsu will attack you directly!" There was no barrier to stop the tendrils this time, and he was forced to raise his own energy barrier, deflecting the tendrils if only barely. The force of the strike against his barrier shoved him nearly into the spikes behind him. Now he knew their purpose. If one was unable to guard oneself against an attack, then it would mean instant death. Loss by lack of power. Kevin wasn't playing around. (DLP: 8300)
"Your Drain Shield helped you, but not by much. I can undo your strategy quite easily, and believe me...I will. For the moment I can't continue attacking, so I guess I'll just set a card face down. Now its up to you to make a move. Have fun." The card formed itself from the ground, and Kevin's turn was up. The demons, Kevin, and Dalin all knew that despite Dalin's higher life points, it was Kevin who held the advantage.
Dalin added another card to his hand, perusing it carefully. He kept himself from reacting quite well, but somehow Kevin knew that he had drawn something good, because Kevin smirked at that exact moment. However, he couldn't possibly known that the power Dalin held was the power of god. "I feel the strength you have now Dalin. Bring it before me if you can, and I will defeat the power of god as I have before in the past."
Dalin couldn't help the widening of his eyes. His mental defenses were complete, they were perfect...yet somehow Kevin knew what he had. He hadn't felt a mental invasion, so perhaps Kevin merely senses the great power of his god card. He grimaced and selected his cards. "I set a monster and one card face down. End turn."
The demons booed his move, and he ignored them. It didn't matter what a bunch of foul creatures thought of him going on the defensive, he knew that it was the most strategic path at the moment. Kevin held the power advantage, so he would have to play defense for the moment until he could bring out the great power of god. That would be his best path to victory, the gods would grant him success.
Kevin rubbed his chin after drawing his card. He had something quite useful...but now he just had to decide what he would do with it. Leave it for later, or get it on the field now? Oh well, he could decide that after he made his attack. "I attack with a Kugutsu!" The tendrils of the demon puppet shot straight at Dalin's set monster, intent on bringing about its complete and total destruction.
"Reveal trap, Energy Absorption! I will now negate your attack, end the battle phase, and increase my life points by half of your Kugutsu's attack strength. And since you have so kindly raised your Kugutsu to such a great power, I will become greater because of it." The attack struck the barrier, and lines of red light coruscated together, then plunged backwards and into Dalin's body. He started smiling as the glow of gathering energy surrounded him. In moments his life points would be much higher.
"I said it before, you strategies will fail against mine. After all, it only takes a single card to unravel your strategy. Now I bet you're wondering how a single card can do all that, but I'm about to show you. It's called Bad Reaction To Shimochi!" Taichi's set card from the previous turn flipped up and started glowing. Then things started to change.
Dalin's eyes widened as the positive energies flowing around him started to alter. A roaring red hatred flooded through his veins, tainting his body. It was not his hate, nor was it focused at all. It was merely the opposite of the loving caress of energy that he had felt moments before. "Stop! Get out!" He raged at the hatred with his own positive energies, unaware that by raging he was only making things worse.
"How utterly pathetic. The hateful energies that were converted from your Energy Absorption will make you feel the pain that should have been there. In fact, you'll lose exactly the same amount of life points as you should have gained. Such is the power of Bad Reaction To Shimochi, and so will it continue to be for as long as its on the field!" His laughter ripped a chunk of Dalin's confidence away as through a mist of hatred he saw the major strategy of his deck fall apart right in front of his eyes. There wasn't anything he could do to stop it right now. (DLP: 7100)
Suddenly Dalin's thoughts feel upon those who had fallen before him. The strongest duelists in the world were all gone, and now all that stood between this sickening creature and the release of a force that would destroy the universe....was him. He would never defeat Kevin if he held such hatred in his heart, so he had to banish it. He pulled himself into a little defensive bubble within his own mind, and called upon all the positive thoughts and feelings that he could find.
Kevin watched in amusement as Dalin drew in upon himself, trying to fight the rising tide of hatred. If he succeeded then he'd be able to continue the duel successfully, however even if he succeeded he would be finished. It wasn't just Kevin's strategies that would do it, it was the fact that fighting off the hatred would take precious energy that Dalin couldn't afford to waste. "Try as hard as you can, it won't accomplish a thing. Victory has already been guaranteed to me."
He found the source of that hatred, a rolling red mass of fire and darkness. Pulling together the positive blue glow that he had found he moved with it. He struck with it like a scalpel, surgically attacking the places where the beast of hatred was part of him. Piece by piece it fell away, and at last with one final attack it left him, exiting his body. It was then reabsorbed by Hell. Dalin's knees nearly buckled, but then he focused his energy back to where it belonged. "Victory is never guaranteed to anyone. Not to you and not to me. So finish your turn."
"Very philosophical of you....almost. I suppose it isn't truly guaranteed, but it's the closest thing to it. You see, the dark will always devour the light because that is what it's supposed to do. Previously the light has been victorious and therefore the Essence of Balance decrees that it is darkness that will now succeed. When it does, Destruction will be released and all things will come to an end. I place one card face down, then end my turn." The card grew into its place on the field, and Kevin's turn was finished. He barely noticed the few demons in the crowd who started considering the end of their own existence.
Dalin drew his next card and then turned his gaze on Kevin. "I don't understand. If you succeed in releasing the Essence of Destruction, then you too will be destroyed. There won't be anything left in the Universe at all, there won't even be a Universe at all. So why? Explain that to me." Now all eyes in the stadium were on Kevin, but through it all the choir didn't stop singing.
"To answer that question I'd have to reveal exactly who or what I am. Since you didn't ask that I won't answer. Suffice it to say that what I am is actually looking forward to the moment when it ceases to exist. Besides, there will be something left. The Essences. Where there was nothing, something will rise. There is after all, an Essence of Creation. The Universe will be born again." Curious glances flew between demon's. Demons who thought such a thing was the reason of their existence, and others who didn't want to cease to exist, even if everything would start again.
"I see. In that case I'll wait before asking the necessary question. I don't want to keep the crowd waiting, nor you. So I will activate the Pot of Greed." He deposited the card into the cemetery, and then he drew the top two cards off his deck. He looked them over and kept his face clear of any reaction as he discovered for the second time in this duel, the power of God was with him.
"Again? I wonder which God you now hold in your hand. That's two of three, but do you think you can succeed in summoning them. Do you think it even matters?" Dalin's eyes connected with his opponent's, and the two duelists stared past the outer essence and in to what hid itself. The two different darkness that resided within these piles of flesh and bone. Yet despite the guiding force within him, Dalin felt that this duel was his, and not the Devourer's.
"You will discover the power of my Gods when the time is right. For the moment I can't summon either, so I'll have to wait and so will you. But I have a card that will allow me to wait. Activate Swords of Revealing Light!" As he intoned these words, glowing golden swords fell from the sky, crashing down around the pedestal that Kevin stood upon. His opponent rolled his eyes as they blocked his way.
The jeers of the crowd meant nothing to Dalin, but the singing of the choir of Hell was becoming more strident, more painful to hear. Every time he did something they didn't like, they started singing louder and with more feeling. It was almost a form of agony to hear those voices singing in his head, to feel those emotions washing over him. Kevin just smiled. "It would appear the crowd doesn't approve. But don't worry, I understand you're move and the strategy behind it. You want to summon God? Well go ahead, I'll just wait for it."
Dalin nodded in acceptance of these words. Kevin was confident in the strength of his various strategies, confident that he could defeat the Gods. Dalin would allow him that confidence for the moment, because it would only make it that much sweeter when he used the Gods to crush Kevin completely. For now, he waited. "End turn."
Kevin added another card to his hand, giving him three cards that he could use. He held the card up in front of his eyes and smirked when he saw its familiar form. The demons of the crowd would certainly be satisfied, and he could easily use this card to his advantage. Dalin wouldn't have any idea what hit him. "I sacrifice a Black Heart token for Dark Ruler Hades(2450/1600)!"
The heart shattered, slopping black blood all over the ground. Emerging from within it was the tall and powerful form of the blue skinned demon who ruled the realm of the Underworld. This was Dark Ruler Hades in all his glory, a devilish monster with great power. Kevin had yet another strong monster to use now. "Of course, I believe its time to grant my Kugutsu further power."
The Kugutsu closest to the recently shattered Black Heart token unfurled its tendrils, sending them whipping down across the ground. It scooped up as much of the blood and gore and various little chunks that it could. Then it rolled its tendrils back up and under its cloak, consuming them in whatever way it had. "Now the power of my Kugutsu increases by another set of three hundred attack and defense!"
A black aura surrounded the three demon puppets for those several seconds as they absorbed that added energy. Dalin could sense the darkness within them grow as their power did, rising to a deadly twenty-seven hundred attack and defense strength. While this was certainly impressive, it meant nothing against the Gods. "With my Kugutsu growing stronger in each moment, I don't believe I have anything to worry about."
Kevin casually used one of his fingers to poke at one of the glowing green swords. There was a flare of light, and he pulled his finger back. He showed it to Dalin who was surprised to see the charred mass of reddened flesh that had once been the front part of Kevin's index finger. Yet Kevin hadn't reacted at all to what must have been a good deal of pain. "This is why I will win. Allow me to truly explain."
Slowly he trailed his tongue down his wounded finger, sticky saliva falling upon it. After a few moments of this he inserted the finger into his mouth and sucked on it, grinning as he did so. Soon he pulled it out and revealed it to Dalin, showing off the pink new flesh of his finger. "While every move you make and every moment you are here is deadly to you, I can't be harmed. Pain is pleasure to me. Injury is nothing. I can repair this body with the merest thought, and it won't take any energy either."
To demonstrate his point further he shoved his entire right arm straight through the closest sword. The sword flared up, its energies reacting to the negative presence. There was a crackling as it fought against his dark energies, and then smoke curled up from the now dull and gray blade. The blade crumbled into dust, revealing Kevin's scorched and ruined arm. "Oh the pain, the pain. You see, it's nothing to me. It also proves the contempt I have for your cards. In this realm I could crush them with my own power. With the blink of my eye I could destroy the swords and then destroy you with my monsters."
He smirked and licked his lips as though relishing the thought of killing Dalin off. Or perhaps he was just relishing the thought of the end of all things for whatever reason he relished such a thought. Then he raised his arm and watched it as the burnt flesh faded and was replaced by new flesh as quickly as it had been destroyed. "Destruction will always lead to Creation, no matter what the situation. So really you shouldn't fear Destruction, you should embrace it."
"Embracing Destruction would mean releasing all thoughts of life and love, and every other thing worth existing for. It would mean sacrificing the infinite lives that exist, and the infinite possible lives that are still out there in some form of limbo. To embrace Destruction is to embrace the Beast of Defeat." Dalin's words echoed throughout the stadium and suddenly there was silence save for the singing of the Choir of Hell.
Then Kevin started laughing, filling all of Hell with the hateful sound. "The Beast of Defeat? What an idiotic sentiment, as are life and love. You who have never known true suffering will never understand that embracing Destruction is embracing the natural course of things. All life ends! All life has a beginning as well, and this Universe cannot have a beginning without that end! I embrace Destruction and I will allow the natural course of life to be complete in a way the Gods wouldn't allow long ago!"
Dalin shook his head, denying such a thing. He didn't know everything that Kevin did, but he knew enough about life to know that there were missing pieces to what the creature was saying. "The Gods did exactly what living things do, they feared the end of their lives and fought against it. For some reason they managed to succeed, and from then on all living things have attempted to prolong their lives for as long as possible. Though all things come to an end, it must be natural, and not forced. One creature such as yourself cannot decide when the process will begin."
"You damned fool! Every living thing no matter how important or unimportant is just a tool in the end. Even what I am. This is the course that my existence now follows, therefore it wasn't I who decided when the process would begin, it was something much greater. It was the Essences. My creation eventually leads to the destruction of the Universe. Its simple math. It is my DESTINY!" The rage was painted clearly upon his features, and Dalin could only wonder what thing had happened in this creature's past to give it such hatred of existence. Why would it want to end its own life and all others?
"I sense that there is something deeper then what you say, something more real than these false words about destiny and nature. I think those are just excuses for you. I don't yet know what your reasons are, but I believe that before this duel is over I will learn. For now I must ask, is your turn finished?" As he spoke the words the crowd finally remembered that they were here for entertainment, not for a philosophical debate. They shook of the lethargy and started their roaring and cheer and booing again.
"Yes, I'm finished. Take your turn and don't get your hopes up. I don't reveal anymore then I intend to." Dalin gave him a slight inclination of the head, revealing that for the moment he would accept these words. Yet he knew that they weren't true, for he was certain that Kevin hadn't intended to say as much as he just had. Perhaps having human form affected him more then he thought.
Dalin drew another card into his hand, and glanced down at it. He sighed and selected that card and placed it upon his disk. He focused his energy and watched as the horizontal form of the card was arranged by the flow of angel wings. "I set one monster in defense mode. That's all I can do." The demons had a good laugh at his expense, aware that he was running away. Of course, they weren't considering that he was preparing to unleash the Gods, because to them defense was just a form of cowardice, no matter the intent.
Kevin followed Dalin's example and started his turn in complete silence. Yet again he was rewarded with a monster with which he could make good use. He placed it upon his duel disk and focused his energies into it, watching as it started to appear. "I'll sacrifice the final Black Heart token in order to summon Dark Baltar the Terrible(2000/1000)!" The final token exploded.
The assistant of Dark Ruler Hades was formed from that mass, his entrails taking shape and a shell forming around him. Finally the powerful and tall blue demon was on the field, wiping off the goo that was on his skin from the shattering of the black heart. It let out a loud roar, and then the other demons cheered for it. "Since the last of the tokens was destroyed I can transfer that last bit of power to my Kugutsu, making them easily as powerful as a Blue Eyes White Dragon."
The Kugutsu scooped up the last of the gore and consumed it, granting them each a further three hundred points to each stat. Now they sat at a very deadly three thousand attack and defense points, enough to make most monsters cower and duck for cover. Dalin didn't even flinch as they reached this point of power. He knew that the Gods had greater strength. "Make them as powerful as you like, it won't matter whatsoever."
"Is that so? Well we'll see won't we? After all, you've got two monsters on the field, so you only need one more to complete the needed set to summon God. I've got one more turn where I can't attack, so I guess this means you will get to summon God. But obviously you're not thinking of something. Oh well, we'll just have to wait for that slow brain of yours to catch up. End turn!" The demons were as confused as Dalin was. None had any idea what Kevin could have meant.
Dalin drew his needed card and looked over his hand. His eyes fell upon the gods and he contemplated them. Certainly they were powerful, but what about them could he be missing? What was it that Kevin meant? Could he just be trying to make some sort of bluff? Shaking off such thoughts, Dalin made his move. "I'll set a single card face down, following by a monster in defense mode."
The two cards appeared, brought about by the usage of Dalin's own energy. The third and final monster was set next to the other two, giving him the needed three for sacrifice. In his next turn he could summon God, and then he would show Kevin true power. He would crush Kevin's strategy under the foot of his Gods. "That is all. My turn is now over."
The dark duelist merely glanced at his card and then at the field. He smirked a little, and then turned his gaze back to Dalin. The angel duelist met his gaze easily and unflinching. "You still don't understand do you? You don't get the strength involved at all." Dalin's confusion was evident, so Kevin took it upon himself to start explaining, to show exactly how hopeless everything was.
"It's really rather simple. It takes energy to summon monsters and to activate cards. The strongest the monster the more energy it takes. What the Hell is stronger then a god card?" The implication struck Dalin like a nail between the eyes. He hadn't even considered that before this moment. The Gods were tremendously powerful, and they took energy to summon even under normal circumstances, if not an enormous amount.
Here in this place and under these rules it would take a huge amount of power to summon and maintain a god. He wouldn't have to worry about staving the power of Hell off his gods, but he did have to worry about summoning them in the first place. He had no idea if he had the needed strength to do so without losing a critical amount of energy. "You see it now don't you? Now you know how hopeless it is! You can't even summon the gods, and next turn I'm free to attack!"
The choir of Hell sang its hellish song, the demons cheered for Kevin, and Kevin laughed that evil laugh of his. He had proved just as he wanted to that Dalin stood no chance against him, for the one chance Dalin might have had to claim victory was now out of reach. It was hopeless....or so Kevin thought. "Bow and beg and I just might let you live for a few moments longer. Go ahead Dalin, I'll certainly enjoy it."
Dalin remained strong despite these words, despite the taunts, despite the crushing pressure of Hell. He was the untouchable, the indefatigable. He would not lose this duel, he could not for the very fate of the Universe itself was riding upon it. The lives of all beings now and evermore were all hinging upon his success in this duel. Should he lose, all things would come to an end. "I bow to noone. And I swear that I will succeed by the power of the Gods. This is my promise, this is my determination. This is the fate that I promise for you!"
Kevin let out an exaggerated yawn, and the demons chuckled just as they had the last time he did so. He smirked at Dalin, and waved with his cards, gesturing idly across the field. "Even should you manage to summon a God and keep it in play, it won't matter. My strategy is just too great to be defeated. End turn." With those words he moved the turn to Dalin, who would now display whether or not he had what it took to summon God and fulfill his promise.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Author's Note: There it is, the first chapter of the duel between Kevin and Dalin. You see Paul, I told you that you'd never see Dalin versus Taichi, and this is why. Hahahahahahahhahahahahaa! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy. The funny thing? This chapter was only eleven turns of a much longer duel. MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!
Original Cards
Kevin: Token of Black Hearts, Demon Blood, Demon Manipulator, Kugutsu
Dalin: Energy Absorption
Author's Note: I'm sure this will truly intrigue you. So read on and enjoy!
Quote of the Chapter: "There is no such thing as good, nor is there any such thing as evil. These are just concepts created by humanity. The only thing that really exists in this case are opinions of right and wrong. Consider the man who kills prostitutes becaues he believes their job to be evil and sinful. Then consider the courts that send him to life in prison for killing prostitutes because a jury decided that killing these women was evil and wrong. Both have completely opposite views of right and wrong, good and evil. Who is right and who is wrong in such a case? That, as I've been trying to say, is completely up to you." -Me
Advertisement: 100 Years After Battle City by Aldea is today's advert. No, its not the most original name I'll agree with you there. Hoewver its got great characters, brilliant duels, cool storyline, so on and so forth. Definetely one of the top Yugioh stories out there. Read and enjoy! DO IT I TELL YOU! Oh, and remember one thing while reading. Any resemblance to any characters in Yu-gi-oh is purely partially intentionally on the part of the author. The names have been changed to protect the innocent, the guilty, and the slightly off-color. This story is like a fine wine, it only gets better with age, and I congratulate it on being over a year old. I tip my hat, doff my coat, and run as the police chase after me for indecent exposure. Siyonara!
Chapter Thirty-Five: Choir of Hell
"Taichi...." Dalin's words seemed to falter in the darkness, the true essence of their meaning being absorbed by the negativity of the air around them. If it even was air. In response to the utterance of this name, Kevin Hunter smiled, a cruel and wicked thing that was very familiar. It was the same smile that Taichi had always worn when he was doing something evil that he enjoyed.
"In a manner of speaking, yes I am. At the moment I'm Kevin Hunter, so Taichi doesn't really fit me. That body is gone, just as was supposed to be. This is who I am now." Dalin locked eyes with the evil creature that was now Kevin Hunter. He could feel an enormous darkness residing within Kevin, a darkness so great he didn't think even Ammut who resided within him could devour it.
"Who you are now? You are always the same thing, just a pathetic spirit of evil that twists human beings into doing what it wants. You are nothing, everything you once were is lost in the sands of time!" These words echoed like thunder, passing through the shadows in an instant, but remaining forever. Kevin Hunter tilted his head, listening to those echoes. He brought his head back to its natural angle, and then he grinned, a wide and malevolent thing that brought hatred to one's heart.
"Hardly. You don't know a thing about who or what I am. Which is rather fitting isn't it? After all, you don't know a thing about who you are besides being the vessel of Ammut. That is why I will win, because unlike you I know the truth of myself." His grin fell and he turned away from Dalin, making a sweeping gesture with one hand. The shadows seemed to swirl like dust in the wind, creating eddies of dark power.
Slowly a door opened. That was the best Dalin could do to describe it, for it was a thing that was wreathed in flame, in blood, in pure evil. This 'door' resonated with the essence of all evil, it screamed out with the agony of untold numbers of living beings. The door was suffering, it was sin, it was... "The Gates of the Dead. From here we pass onwards to the underworld....to Hell."
When the door finally stopped, fully open, something happened. Like a blast of existence the sounds and feelings collided with Dalin. He staggered under the pressure of an infinite number of voices screaming for help, screaming in pain and suffering. Yet amongst that he could hear voices of darkness doing something strange. They were singing, singing a song that Dalin could recognize only in that it seemed to interpret all that suffering into not words but concentrated feelings. "What is that?"
Kevin blinked and looked up and back to Dalin. He had already been more then halfway through the door, descending the steps when the other had spoken. He tilted his head to listen, and then smiled. Now he realized what Dalin was talking about, he had forgotten how people always made comment on it. Dalin was taking it better then most, usually people curled into a ball and sobbed upon hearing it.
"It's the Choirs of Hell, singing their everlasting song. It has a nice beat to it, but I've always thought it could use a drum solo. Or at least I've thought that since they invented drums. Anyways, its not really important, it's just sort of background noise. Pleasant, but nothing to really think about." Dalin tried not to stare in shock at this comment. Pleasant? Only a creature as malevolent as this thing that was now Kevin Hunter could possibly believe the dark feelings issuing forth from that song were pleasant.
"Sheesh, don't just sit there, we have to get going. I've got the place waiting for us, so we've got to head down now. If it were the full me then they wouldn't even think about canceling, but as it is I'm not really. So we have to get there before they decide to change the schedule. Anyways, its not like you've got anything to wait around here for." With that said he turned away again, and started his way down the stairs. Dalin stared after him for several seconds, and then he followed.
The moment he passed through the doors the feelings became stronger, like a wave crashing down upon him. He almost felt that he was the one in pain. It wasn't that the feelings were being forced upon him, but so much agony from so many at the same time could be felt be even the least empathic person. "Its almost too much. Is this really Hell?"
Kevin grinned, not even bothering to look back at Dalin. He threw his response over his shoulder as he walked on, now reaching the flat part of their travels. "Not quite, we've still got a little ways before we reach the full thing. See, you can tell from the sign up ahead, we've got one more door to go through and then the road to Hell is next." Dalin heard these words and focused his eyes on the door up ahead and the sign on it.
They stopped in front of the door, and Dalin stared up at it. Etched upon the obsidian in what was almost certainly blood were familiar words that had always seemed to be just a joke to him. He had never thought it would actually be like this. Upon that sign it said, "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter..."
Kevin Hunter placed his hand on the door, and waited patiently, stepping back to give the door room. The solid obsidian that seemed forged of the same stuff as the first door, only more concentrated, slid aside very slowly. Once it was out of the way he stepped through, and motioned Dalin onwards. "Everybody always thinks its really bad, and they always seem afraid of the guard. But really its no worse then the stuff that goes on up on Earth." He paused in passing to stroke the middle head of a giant three headed dog that stood beside the door. It panted in the heat, massive tongue lolling out to the side. It turned its left head to Dalin, and it seemed to grin smugly at him.
They walked upon a simple stone street, yet it wasn't as simple as it seemed. The millions of individual stones seemed to have an inner glow, and they emanated positive feelings. Compared to what was coming from the inferno that awaited them, it was amazing. It was a sudden good amongst the bad, and he supposed that it was a form of torture in its own right. "What is this stuff?"
His guide stopped for a moment and looked down at his feet. He shrugged his shoulders idly and continued walking, but he didn't neglect to give an explanation. "They're raw compilations. Basically that just means that they are focused combination essences. Lots of the better and more positive essences combined together into these stones and what they are." That explanation seemed enough for him, so he ceased speaking and continued walking.
Dalin stopped walking and dropped into a kneeling position. He rested his hand against one of the stones and felt a rush of a something familiar. It was the sort of feeling that he was certain parents had whenever they did something for their children. He rose and started following Kevin again. "What exactly do they combine into?"
Kevin smirked, not letting his happiness at being asked this question show. He had hoped Dalin would ask, because he loved saying it. The few times he had lead someone down this path it had always given him joy to answer the question, to feel the despair that rolled off his companion as they heard the truth. It worked best when put simply. "Good intentions."
The angel duelist nodded as if this were the most natural thing in the world. It felt right, felt like that was as it should be. He had no knowledge of what Hell was really like, but he was beginning to get the picture. Hell was individual, he was almost certain of it. "What's Hell really like?"
The demonic entity that now called itself Kevin Hunter was almost surprised by this. Never before in his existence had anyone successfully manage to come to the conclusion that led to such a question. None before him had ever realized it, not in the entire history of this places existence. "It isn't really a place, so I can't describe it. In reality I'd have to say that Hell is really just the focal point of the worst Essences. Hatred, Lust, Greed, every single Essence that makes up what humans call Evil. It changes for whoever enters, it's always very specific, but it seems to be going for the cliche with you. I guess Ammut confuses it."
The muscular Thai-American felt that this explanation was the right one. Ammut was in fact a demon in its own right, a part of the process in determining those in the Underworld in the Egyptian pantheon. Ammut wasn't evil, nor was it good. Its presence within a human who had little memory of who he really was probably confused whatever force decided upon Hell's appearance. "How much farther?"
Dalin didn't need Kevin to answer the question. The instant he stepped off of that last good intention he knew that they had reached Hell. A boiling inferno now surrounded them, the road that had lead the way was nowhere to be seen. Pits of lava, boiling oil baths, mountains where one would roll a stone up for all eternity. It was all here. "Bah! In the good old days they didn't need so much pomp to make an impression. It's all that idiot Dante's fault. He decided to make up a bunch of crap and then market it, and what do we get? A lot of idiots premature expectations."
The tortures weren't really what mad this place bad, he was certain of that. After a million years of pushing a rock up a hill it probably didn't bother you at all, it probably started to feel right. What really made people suffer, what made them abandon hope, that was in the water so to speak. Or in the air. Kevin was right, every negative thing was all built up here, and you could feel it. He had to use sheer force of will to remain standing and not fall to his knees, sobbing.
"Come on Dalin, its about time we got started. Space has no real meaning here, so this is as good a place as any. Well, here we go with pomp. Rise Up Spirits Of Hell, Rise Dark and Icky Things! It Comes Now, Upwards It Rises, Upwards Comes The Place Of Doom, Where Many A Man And Woman Have Met Their Fate In Combat As Nasty Gooey Red Demons Watched In Pleasure, Feeding Off Their Suffering! Come Mortal And Enter This Final Chamber, Where Death Awaits You From Various Pointy Objects!" If Kevin hadn't cracked a smile Dalin would have been certain that he was serious, but as it was he knew that this was all bullshit that he was doing because it amused him.
The ground around them rumbled, well not ground really but that wasn't the point. Black rods shot up from the surface they stood upon, intertwining with what looked like the organs of some enormous creature. Together they all combined, surging into one thing, becoming what Dalin was painfully aware was an arena. A living arena. "Now, let the spectators come."
Suddenly Dalin was inundated with every horrible thing he could think of. He felt as if there was never any chance of having any positive feeling again. The things that came and did this....they were just a presence, physical only by will alone. They were countless demons of the underworld, most of which were far less pleasant then the demons described in stories. "Get on your feet mortal, it's almost time to begin."
Dalin had been unaware that he had dropped to one knee, but yet there he was. He forced himself into a standing position, focusing his own will and magic into a barrier to separate himself from the continuous bombardment of darkness. It was trying to consume him, to sweep him away by sheer force of mass. It was almost too much to handle, and perhaps it was too much to handle. "Is this....a duel?"
Kevin nodded and then thrust his left arm forwards. What might be called a dark duel disk exploded outwards, forming upon his arm like a living thing. It was sweeping and much more organic looking then the DD2, and the far edges of it had protruding spikes. Dalin could faintly see two beady red eyes looking around from their spot at the deck holder. "Well, I've got my disk. Where's yours?"
It took Dalin a moment to process this information, and he stared at his left arm. Where previously there had been a duel disk there was nothing. He could feel his cards as if they existed elsewhere, but he wasn't sure where. Slowly he tugged upon his magic, upon the positive emotions buried in his mind, and he gave the area where his duel disk had been a push.
His duel disk was much the opposite of his opponents. It was pure white and seemed to be formed of angel feathers all flowing together. It was like a single small wing that extended outwards from his arm. There were no eyes, that was one thing to be happy about. There was no counter, and he looked around for where his life points would be tracked. "What next? Neither of us has a deck."
Kevin sighed and rolled his eyes. Dalin watched as he made a pass with his right hand, and a deck materialized in his own disk. It was a fairly thick disk and Dalin was certain it contained many different cards. He couldn't expect the same strategy as he had used before, he always changed when you least expected it. "Just focus on the cards that should exist with you and they will appear. Only if they exist within the recesses of your mind as if they were right can they flow unto you."
He did as he was told, and the deck formed in its slot, perfectly shuffled and ready. Shortly they would begin the duel, but there was still the trouble of counting life points. He started to speak but Kevin beat him to the punch, raising his arms above his head. He intoned his words in that harsh and somehow happy voice of his. "Now we rise up to do battle!" And so they did. Platforms appeared beneath their feet, things of living tissue that had barriers at the top of sharp spikes that angled outwards and inwards. Nothing got in, nothing got out.
Across from him he could see the tissue of Kevin's platform distort. In the center of the platform knots of flesh rose up, cysts of pure darkness that Dalin could feel. These cysts formed into four numerals, showing that Kevin maintained eight thousand life points. He was certain that his own platform had numbers for his life points. "I see. I'm ready to do this. Ready to defeat you." (DLP: 8000)
Kevin smirked and drew his opening hand, watching Dalin draw his own five cards. Then Kevin drew a sixth card, and the duel was truly on. "Defeat me? You can't defeat what you don't understand, and I understand you perfectly. You are going to lose, can't you tell? After all, the crowd is on my side!" Kevin was right, the demons were all chanting for him, chanting words that Dalin didn't recognize. What was worse, the singing of the choir was louder then ever. They were in the crowd. (KLP: 8000)
"Let the final duel begin! Dark versus Light, Evil versus Good, Demons versus Angels. Let's have some fun!" With that spoken the duel was truly on. It would be their first and only battle, it would be the duel that determined the fate of the world. Yet inside Dalin knew that defeating Kevin or whatever he was wouldn't bring back those who had been lost. But it would stop the Essence of Destruction from being released, and that was what mattered....wasn't it?
"Hmmm....oh I know what I'll do to start us off. I'll introduce you to a new rule of this Dark Game. In this game, like our duel disks, we must make each card work using force of will and our magic. Of course since my demons are native to this realm, it will be quite easy for me. Your angels are at an odds, so that will make it more difficult." He grinned, and his announcement was followed by cheers from the surrounding crowd of demons. Dalin grimaced, coming to understand that this duel would not be completely fair. He should have expected as much.
"Now, lets give the boy a good example. I shall summon Demon Soldier(1900/1500)! Come forth my faithful warrior!" The demonic warrior rose up, literally. Like the platforms it flowed into existence, like tendrils of flesh worming together. It took several seconds of this before the completed purple demon warrior was finished. It stood strong, and drew its blade, raising it into the air. The demons cheered in response.
Dalin had felt the minimal effort that Kevin put forth into summoning the Demon Soldier, and he knew based on the strength of the creature that it would have taken slightly more if it were not for the very place they resided in. Summoning a similar creature would undoubtably be more difficult for him. "Whatever methods you take, I shall still achieve victory. Bring on your demons, for I am ready."
Kevin nodded, a sly smile sliding across his features as he glanced down at his hand again. He fiddled with the cards for a moment before selecting the cards he wanted and sliding them into their proper places. Two cards formed themselves in the same organic manner as the Demon Soldier had, but it took almost no energy at all. Obviously the effort came in activating cards, not setting. "I place these two cards face down. Now I dare you to attack, because your pathetic deck and its angels are nothing to me."
The demons roared in response, and the choir belted out their hellish song with greater enthusiasm....if that was possible. Dalin kept his face clear of any emotion as he surveyed his opening hand, looking for options before his first draw. He needed to gain a quick advantage, but he had no monster strong enough to defeat the Demon Soldier. He had to hope for a good card. "First I draw."
He pulled the card free and placed it amongst his other cards, then shifted them aside to get a look at it. The card was perfect for what he needed, it would give him just the boost necessary to defeat Demon Soldier and gain the advantage he wanted. "Now I will summon Hysteric Angel(1800/500)!" Dalin had been right, it required more power from him. He felt the essence of the card straining against Hell's very presence, and he forced his power upon the card, pushing as he had with his duel disk.
In a burst of angel feathers the female angel was born. The swirling mass of feathers coalesced into the tall figure of his angel. She wore a school uniform, clutching books in one arm. Small dovish wings extended from her back, and she absent mindedly adjusted her glasses. Kevin took one look at his angel, and burst out laughing. "This is what you bring out to challenge my demon? How pathetic! Already she weakens!"
Dalin's eyes dropped to the form of his angel, realizing suddenly that Kevin spoke the truth. She was shaking her head, trying to get rid of the constant pressure that was Hell itself. The everlasting hell song of the choir was getting to her as well. He had to reassure her with a flow of his power before she calmed herself. "She is not weak Kevin or whatever you might call yourself. Especially not after I add Cestus of Dagla to her, boosting her stats by five hundred points!"
She dropped her books to the ground as Dalin put the effort into creating the two blades that she picked up as they appeared. These simply formed themselves out of a few feathers, and took much less energy then she had. Now he was ready with a monster of twenty-three hundred attack points. "Not only does it boost my monster's attack strength, but it also gives me any life points of damage I do to you. Now, Hysteric Angel will cut your Demon Soldier down to size!"
She swept across the field with a single sweep of her wings, swinging the blades at the Demon Soldier in an unpracticed manner. The demon used his blade to block her first stroke, knocking her off balance. The soldier took this opportunity to laugh at his opponent, who seized the moment and slid her blade across his belly, opening him up and pouring his innards onto the ground. "My angel is victorious." (KLP: 7600, DLP: 8400)
"Oh yes, it is isn't it? But I have to thank you, for you have given me a special opportunity by destroying my demon. I can now pay one thousand life points to activate Token of Black Hearts, bringing forth four Black Heart tokens!" His life points took a dip, and four of the most disgusting things Dalin had ever seen erupted from the ground, forming almost instantly. They were giant hearts, which pumped gallons of black ichor onto the ground. Their attack was minimal, but Dalin had a bad feeling about them. (KLP: 6600)
"But wait, there's more! You see, demon blood is very dangerous. It's a deadly poison to any who drink it, save demons who are immune to its effect. However, any human who succeeds in withstanding the poison gains great power, and gains an extended lifetime." As he spoke, Kevin made a gesture with his hand like a puppet master pulling on some strings. The fallen Demon Soldier rose up off the ground and into Kevin's outstretched hand. He gripped the demon by the back of its neck, holding it there, limply.
"And by drinking the blood of my fallen demons, not only will I gain more power for the rest of the duel, but I will also gain more life...more life points that is. And I can drink their blood so long as you kill them in battle, and I have this card active. Demon Blood!" Kevin's second trap flipped up, the image of a human kneeling and drinking from the wrist of Dark Ruler Hades quite clear on it. Dalin grimaced, realizing that Kevin was about to undo almost all the damage done to him.
Kevin pulled the Demon Soldier's neck back, and then dropped his head to the demon's neck. The crowd let out a howling cheer as he ripped its jugular out with one hand, letting the blood flow freely. He placed his mouth against the ripped throat and gulped down the gushing blood, restoring his power. Dalin felt the waves of power flowing into his opponent, and he knew that he was losing any advantage he had gained. (KLP: 7550)
"Now I am stronger then ever, and you, you weaken with every moment! No matter how small an amount it is, you will still grow weaker and weaker while I grow stronger and stronger. You've already lost this duel, and there's not a thing you can do about it." His lips were stained by the black blood of his faithful and now fallen demon. He wiped it away with one hand, then casually licked his fingers clean of all that blood, a satisfied smile playing across his face as he did so.
"You haven't won this duel Kevin, and you won't! I finish my turn by setting a single card face down. Take your turn, it won't matter to me. I will gain power as my life points grow, and you know my deck can accomplish that. This duel is more even then you think." Kevin let out an exaggerated yawn, and the demon crowd let out a loud and equally false laugh. Dalin's card formed from the drop of a feather, ready to be used at a moments notice. The duel had truly begun, and they were more even then either would admit.
Kevin drew another card into his hand, and then he started smiling. Everything was prepared for him, he had his methods all set out before him. No matter what Dalin thought, it was he who held the true advantage, and he would now prove it. "You know Dalin, there are many different types of demons. Some fight, some use magic, some are simply for physical labor. The deadliest ones though, they stay behind the scenes and control others, even other demons." As he spoke he was fingering the card he had just drawn, obviously happy about it.
"I just so happen to have a demon in my hand that is exactly like that. It's a bit costly to summon, but well worth it over all. Particularly in this moment. Now I get to show the strength of manipulation, and how much power it takes to summon a high level monster. I sacrifice two Black Heart tokens to summon Demon Manipulator(1400/1400)!" The two middle giant hearts exploded, sending more black gore pouring onto the ground. But energy pulsed within that gore...and Dalin knew danger when he saw it.
The Demon Manipulator formed itself, revealing a red skinned demon with long horns extending from the back of its head. It work a long flowing black robe, and in one arm it held a chain of human skulls. A smirk similar to Kevin's rose on its lips. "And now that he's been revealed, he goes to work. And like any good manipulator, he lets his lackys do the work. So say goodbye to Demon Manipulator."
As quickly as he had appeared, the Demon Manipulator vanished. Kevin picked the card up off his duel disk and then placed it into his deck. Next he ejected the deck and shuffled it. "From behind the scenes Demon Manipulator will do his work. He goes back into my deck face up, and if I draw him he gets special summon. Of course, if he's special summoned something wonderful happens, but more on that later. Right now, I want to introduce you to his minions." Three cards ejected from Kevin's deck and he grabbed them each.
"The Demon Manipulator is skilled in the art of demon puppetry, so his servants are of course puppets, demon puppets, controlled through strands of his own hair in fact. Here come the three Kugutsu(1800/1800)!" Kevin slapped the three cards onto his disk, and Dalin watched them form in all their glory. They were twisted version of the original manipulator, dark tendrils emerging from within the robes. They looked deadly, but their strength was too little to defeat Hysteric Angel at its current level.
"Oh? Do you think that Hysteric Angel is stronger? I'm sorry, but that's a miscalculation. You see, when a Black Heart token is destroyed I can increase any monster's strength by three hundred. So I can increase the attack power of the middle Kugutsu by six hundred, making it more powerful then your angel." As he spoke the Kugutsu swept is tendrils out and scooped up gobs of the leftover hearts. The tendrils curled back up and under the robe, and Dalin could feel the power of the creature rise.
"The nifty thing about Kugutsu is that they are mirrors of each other. Whatever the attack strength of one is, well then that's what the attack strength of the others is. That means that my other two also gain six hundred attack and defense points. And its all thanks to you and my Demon Manipulator!" A dark line of energy shimmered between the three creatures, and the power of the other two shot up to equal that of the middle Kugutsu. Now he had three monsters of twenty-four hundred attack strength.
"Now my first Kugutsu will crush your puny angel with its mighty grip! Squeeze the life out of her!" The demon puppet's tendrils exploded from under its cloak, shooting out and wrapping around the Hysteric Angel before she could even put up a defense. The tendrils squeezed and the angel's eyes bulged. It took several seconds before she stopped struggling, and the Kugutsu dropped her. (DLP: 8300)
"The second Kugutsu will attack directly!" Its tendrils shot out towards Dalin, but he was ready for it. He raised one arm and focused his energy into his placed card, certain he could make it work. It rose up, revealing its power. Kevin's laughter was cut off in mid-stream as the tendrils struck a barrier of light that were between it and Dalin's life points.
"Drain Shield stops your attack and increases my life points, and my own energy levels!" The energy flowed back into him and he felt the pressure of Hell lift from him momentarily as his energy was boosted. It didn't take long before the pressure was back, but he felt much better then he had. His life points were also better off, but he knew it wouldn't last much longer. (DLP: 10700)
"Very well, the last Kugutsu will attack you directly!" There was no barrier to stop the tendrils this time, and he was forced to raise his own energy barrier, deflecting the tendrils if only barely. The force of the strike against his barrier shoved him nearly into the spikes behind him. Now he knew their purpose. If one was unable to guard oneself against an attack, then it would mean instant death. Loss by lack of power. Kevin wasn't playing around. (DLP: 8300)
"Your Drain Shield helped you, but not by much. I can undo your strategy quite easily, and believe me...I will. For the moment I can't continue attacking, so I guess I'll just set a card face down. Now its up to you to make a move. Have fun." The card formed itself from the ground, and Kevin's turn was up. The demons, Kevin, and Dalin all knew that despite Dalin's higher life points, it was Kevin who held the advantage.
Dalin added another card to his hand, perusing it carefully. He kept himself from reacting quite well, but somehow Kevin knew that he had drawn something good, because Kevin smirked at that exact moment. However, he couldn't possibly known that the power Dalin held was the power of god. "I feel the strength you have now Dalin. Bring it before me if you can, and I will defeat the power of god as I have before in the past."
Dalin couldn't help the widening of his eyes. His mental defenses were complete, they were perfect...yet somehow Kevin knew what he had. He hadn't felt a mental invasion, so perhaps Kevin merely senses the great power of his god card. He grimaced and selected his cards. "I set a monster and one card face down. End turn."
The demons booed his move, and he ignored them. It didn't matter what a bunch of foul creatures thought of him going on the defensive, he knew that it was the most strategic path at the moment. Kevin held the power advantage, so he would have to play defense for the moment until he could bring out the great power of god. That would be his best path to victory, the gods would grant him success.
Kevin rubbed his chin after drawing his card. He had something quite useful...but now he just had to decide what he would do with it. Leave it for later, or get it on the field now? Oh well, he could decide that after he made his attack. "I attack with a Kugutsu!" The tendrils of the demon puppet shot straight at Dalin's set monster, intent on bringing about its complete and total destruction.
"Reveal trap, Energy Absorption! I will now negate your attack, end the battle phase, and increase my life points by half of your Kugutsu's attack strength. And since you have so kindly raised your Kugutsu to such a great power, I will become greater because of it." The attack struck the barrier, and lines of red light coruscated together, then plunged backwards and into Dalin's body. He started smiling as the glow of gathering energy surrounded him. In moments his life points would be much higher.
"I said it before, you strategies will fail against mine. After all, it only takes a single card to unravel your strategy. Now I bet you're wondering how a single card can do all that, but I'm about to show you. It's called Bad Reaction To Shimochi!" Taichi's set card from the previous turn flipped up and started glowing. Then things started to change.
Dalin's eyes widened as the positive energies flowing around him started to alter. A roaring red hatred flooded through his veins, tainting his body. It was not his hate, nor was it focused at all. It was merely the opposite of the loving caress of energy that he had felt moments before. "Stop! Get out!" He raged at the hatred with his own positive energies, unaware that by raging he was only making things worse.
"How utterly pathetic. The hateful energies that were converted from your Energy Absorption will make you feel the pain that should have been there. In fact, you'll lose exactly the same amount of life points as you should have gained. Such is the power of Bad Reaction To Shimochi, and so will it continue to be for as long as its on the field!" His laughter ripped a chunk of Dalin's confidence away as through a mist of hatred he saw the major strategy of his deck fall apart right in front of his eyes. There wasn't anything he could do to stop it right now. (DLP: 7100)
Suddenly Dalin's thoughts feel upon those who had fallen before him. The strongest duelists in the world were all gone, and now all that stood between this sickening creature and the release of a force that would destroy the universe....was him. He would never defeat Kevin if he held such hatred in his heart, so he had to banish it. He pulled himself into a little defensive bubble within his own mind, and called upon all the positive thoughts and feelings that he could find.
Kevin watched in amusement as Dalin drew in upon himself, trying to fight the rising tide of hatred. If he succeeded then he'd be able to continue the duel successfully, however even if he succeeded he would be finished. It wasn't just Kevin's strategies that would do it, it was the fact that fighting off the hatred would take precious energy that Dalin couldn't afford to waste. "Try as hard as you can, it won't accomplish a thing. Victory has already been guaranteed to me."
He found the source of that hatred, a rolling red mass of fire and darkness. Pulling together the positive blue glow that he had found he moved with it. He struck with it like a scalpel, surgically attacking the places where the beast of hatred was part of him. Piece by piece it fell away, and at last with one final attack it left him, exiting his body. It was then reabsorbed by Hell. Dalin's knees nearly buckled, but then he focused his energy back to where it belonged. "Victory is never guaranteed to anyone. Not to you and not to me. So finish your turn."
"Very philosophical of you....almost. I suppose it isn't truly guaranteed, but it's the closest thing to it. You see, the dark will always devour the light because that is what it's supposed to do. Previously the light has been victorious and therefore the Essence of Balance decrees that it is darkness that will now succeed. When it does, Destruction will be released and all things will come to an end. I place one card face down, then end my turn." The card grew into its place on the field, and Kevin's turn was finished. He barely noticed the few demons in the crowd who started considering the end of their own existence.
Dalin drew his next card and then turned his gaze on Kevin. "I don't understand. If you succeed in releasing the Essence of Destruction, then you too will be destroyed. There won't be anything left in the Universe at all, there won't even be a Universe at all. So why? Explain that to me." Now all eyes in the stadium were on Kevin, but through it all the choir didn't stop singing.
"To answer that question I'd have to reveal exactly who or what I am. Since you didn't ask that I won't answer. Suffice it to say that what I am is actually looking forward to the moment when it ceases to exist. Besides, there will be something left. The Essences. Where there was nothing, something will rise. There is after all, an Essence of Creation. The Universe will be born again." Curious glances flew between demon's. Demons who thought such a thing was the reason of their existence, and others who didn't want to cease to exist, even if everything would start again.
"I see. In that case I'll wait before asking the necessary question. I don't want to keep the crowd waiting, nor you. So I will activate the Pot of Greed." He deposited the card into the cemetery, and then he drew the top two cards off his deck. He looked them over and kept his face clear of any reaction as he discovered for the second time in this duel, the power of God was with him.
"Again? I wonder which God you now hold in your hand. That's two of three, but do you think you can succeed in summoning them. Do you think it even matters?" Dalin's eyes connected with his opponent's, and the two duelists stared past the outer essence and in to what hid itself. The two different darkness that resided within these piles of flesh and bone. Yet despite the guiding force within him, Dalin felt that this duel was his, and not the Devourer's.
"You will discover the power of my Gods when the time is right. For the moment I can't summon either, so I'll have to wait and so will you. But I have a card that will allow me to wait. Activate Swords of Revealing Light!" As he intoned these words, glowing golden swords fell from the sky, crashing down around the pedestal that Kevin stood upon. His opponent rolled his eyes as they blocked his way.
The jeers of the crowd meant nothing to Dalin, but the singing of the choir of Hell was becoming more strident, more painful to hear. Every time he did something they didn't like, they started singing louder and with more feeling. It was almost a form of agony to hear those voices singing in his head, to feel those emotions washing over him. Kevin just smiled. "It would appear the crowd doesn't approve. But don't worry, I understand you're move and the strategy behind it. You want to summon God? Well go ahead, I'll just wait for it."
Dalin nodded in acceptance of these words. Kevin was confident in the strength of his various strategies, confident that he could defeat the Gods. Dalin would allow him that confidence for the moment, because it would only make it that much sweeter when he used the Gods to crush Kevin completely. For now, he waited. "End turn."
Kevin added another card to his hand, giving him three cards that he could use. He held the card up in front of his eyes and smirked when he saw its familiar form. The demons of the crowd would certainly be satisfied, and he could easily use this card to his advantage. Dalin wouldn't have any idea what hit him. "I sacrifice a Black Heart token for Dark Ruler Hades(2450/1600)!"
The heart shattered, slopping black blood all over the ground. Emerging from within it was the tall and powerful form of the blue skinned demon who ruled the realm of the Underworld. This was Dark Ruler Hades in all his glory, a devilish monster with great power. Kevin had yet another strong monster to use now. "Of course, I believe its time to grant my Kugutsu further power."
The Kugutsu closest to the recently shattered Black Heart token unfurled its tendrils, sending them whipping down across the ground. It scooped up as much of the blood and gore and various little chunks that it could. Then it rolled its tendrils back up and under its cloak, consuming them in whatever way it had. "Now the power of my Kugutsu increases by another set of three hundred attack and defense!"
A black aura surrounded the three demon puppets for those several seconds as they absorbed that added energy. Dalin could sense the darkness within them grow as their power did, rising to a deadly twenty-seven hundred attack and defense strength. While this was certainly impressive, it meant nothing against the Gods. "With my Kugutsu growing stronger in each moment, I don't believe I have anything to worry about."
Kevin casually used one of his fingers to poke at one of the glowing green swords. There was a flare of light, and he pulled his finger back. He showed it to Dalin who was surprised to see the charred mass of reddened flesh that had once been the front part of Kevin's index finger. Yet Kevin hadn't reacted at all to what must have been a good deal of pain. "This is why I will win. Allow me to truly explain."
Slowly he trailed his tongue down his wounded finger, sticky saliva falling upon it. After a few moments of this he inserted the finger into his mouth and sucked on it, grinning as he did so. Soon he pulled it out and revealed it to Dalin, showing off the pink new flesh of his finger. "While every move you make and every moment you are here is deadly to you, I can't be harmed. Pain is pleasure to me. Injury is nothing. I can repair this body with the merest thought, and it won't take any energy either."
To demonstrate his point further he shoved his entire right arm straight through the closest sword. The sword flared up, its energies reacting to the negative presence. There was a crackling as it fought against his dark energies, and then smoke curled up from the now dull and gray blade. The blade crumbled into dust, revealing Kevin's scorched and ruined arm. "Oh the pain, the pain. You see, it's nothing to me. It also proves the contempt I have for your cards. In this realm I could crush them with my own power. With the blink of my eye I could destroy the swords and then destroy you with my monsters."
He smirked and licked his lips as though relishing the thought of killing Dalin off. Or perhaps he was just relishing the thought of the end of all things for whatever reason he relished such a thought. Then he raised his arm and watched it as the burnt flesh faded and was replaced by new flesh as quickly as it had been destroyed. "Destruction will always lead to Creation, no matter what the situation. So really you shouldn't fear Destruction, you should embrace it."
"Embracing Destruction would mean releasing all thoughts of life and love, and every other thing worth existing for. It would mean sacrificing the infinite lives that exist, and the infinite possible lives that are still out there in some form of limbo. To embrace Destruction is to embrace the Beast of Defeat." Dalin's words echoed throughout the stadium and suddenly there was silence save for the singing of the Choir of Hell.
Then Kevin started laughing, filling all of Hell with the hateful sound. "The Beast of Defeat? What an idiotic sentiment, as are life and love. You who have never known true suffering will never understand that embracing Destruction is embracing the natural course of things. All life ends! All life has a beginning as well, and this Universe cannot have a beginning without that end! I embrace Destruction and I will allow the natural course of life to be complete in a way the Gods wouldn't allow long ago!"
Dalin shook his head, denying such a thing. He didn't know everything that Kevin did, but he knew enough about life to know that there were missing pieces to what the creature was saying. "The Gods did exactly what living things do, they feared the end of their lives and fought against it. For some reason they managed to succeed, and from then on all living things have attempted to prolong their lives for as long as possible. Though all things come to an end, it must be natural, and not forced. One creature such as yourself cannot decide when the process will begin."
"You damned fool! Every living thing no matter how important or unimportant is just a tool in the end. Even what I am. This is the course that my existence now follows, therefore it wasn't I who decided when the process would begin, it was something much greater. It was the Essences. My creation eventually leads to the destruction of the Universe. Its simple math. It is my DESTINY!" The rage was painted clearly upon his features, and Dalin could only wonder what thing had happened in this creature's past to give it such hatred of existence. Why would it want to end its own life and all others?
"I sense that there is something deeper then what you say, something more real than these false words about destiny and nature. I think those are just excuses for you. I don't yet know what your reasons are, but I believe that before this duel is over I will learn. For now I must ask, is your turn finished?" As he spoke the words the crowd finally remembered that they were here for entertainment, not for a philosophical debate. They shook of the lethargy and started their roaring and cheer and booing again.
"Yes, I'm finished. Take your turn and don't get your hopes up. I don't reveal anymore then I intend to." Dalin gave him a slight inclination of the head, revealing that for the moment he would accept these words. Yet he knew that they weren't true, for he was certain that Kevin hadn't intended to say as much as he just had. Perhaps having human form affected him more then he thought.
Dalin drew another card into his hand, and glanced down at it. He sighed and selected that card and placed it upon his disk. He focused his energy and watched as the horizontal form of the card was arranged by the flow of angel wings. "I set one monster in defense mode. That's all I can do." The demons had a good laugh at his expense, aware that he was running away. Of course, they weren't considering that he was preparing to unleash the Gods, because to them defense was just a form of cowardice, no matter the intent.
Kevin followed Dalin's example and started his turn in complete silence. Yet again he was rewarded with a monster with which he could make good use. He placed it upon his duel disk and focused his energies into it, watching as it started to appear. "I'll sacrifice the final Black Heart token in order to summon Dark Baltar the Terrible(2000/1000)!" The final token exploded.
The assistant of Dark Ruler Hades was formed from that mass, his entrails taking shape and a shell forming around him. Finally the powerful and tall blue demon was on the field, wiping off the goo that was on his skin from the shattering of the black heart. It let out a loud roar, and then the other demons cheered for it. "Since the last of the tokens was destroyed I can transfer that last bit of power to my Kugutsu, making them easily as powerful as a Blue Eyes White Dragon."
The Kugutsu scooped up the last of the gore and consumed it, granting them each a further three hundred points to each stat. Now they sat at a very deadly three thousand attack and defense points, enough to make most monsters cower and duck for cover. Dalin didn't even flinch as they reached this point of power. He knew that the Gods had greater strength. "Make them as powerful as you like, it won't matter whatsoever."
"Is that so? Well we'll see won't we? After all, you've got two monsters on the field, so you only need one more to complete the needed set to summon God. I've got one more turn where I can't attack, so I guess this means you will get to summon God. But obviously you're not thinking of something. Oh well, we'll just have to wait for that slow brain of yours to catch up. End turn!" The demons were as confused as Dalin was. None had any idea what Kevin could have meant.
Dalin drew his needed card and looked over his hand. His eyes fell upon the gods and he contemplated them. Certainly they were powerful, but what about them could he be missing? What was it that Kevin meant? Could he just be trying to make some sort of bluff? Shaking off such thoughts, Dalin made his move. "I'll set a single card face down, following by a monster in defense mode."
The two cards appeared, brought about by the usage of Dalin's own energy. The third and final monster was set next to the other two, giving him the needed three for sacrifice. In his next turn he could summon God, and then he would show Kevin true power. He would crush Kevin's strategy under the foot of his Gods. "That is all. My turn is now over."
The dark duelist merely glanced at his card and then at the field. He smirked a little, and then turned his gaze back to Dalin. The angel duelist met his gaze easily and unflinching. "You still don't understand do you? You don't get the strength involved at all." Dalin's confusion was evident, so Kevin took it upon himself to start explaining, to show exactly how hopeless everything was.
"It's really rather simple. It takes energy to summon monsters and to activate cards. The strongest the monster the more energy it takes. What the Hell is stronger then a god card?" The implication struck Dalin like a nail between the eyes. He hadn't even considered that before this moment. The Gods were tremendously powerful, and they took energy to summon even under normal circumstances, if not an enormous amount.
Here in this place and under these rules it would take a huge amount of power to summon and maintain a god. He wouldn't have to worry about staving the power of Hell off his gods, but he did have to worry about summoning them in the first place. He had no idea if he had the needed strength to do so without losing a critical amount of energy. "You see it now don't you? Now you know how hopeless it is! You can't even summon the gods, and next turn I'm free to attack!"
The choir of Hell sang its hellish song, the demons cheered for Kevin, and Kevin laughed that evil laugh of his. He had proved just as he wanted to that Dalin stood no chance against him, for the one chance Dalin might have had to claim victory was now out of reach. It was hopeless....or so Kevin thought. "Bow and beg and I just might let you live for a few moments longer. Go ahead Dalin, I'll certainly enjoy it."
Dalin remained strong despite these words, despite the taunts, despite the crushing pressure of Hell. He was the untouchable, the indefatigable. He would not lose this duel, he could not for the very fate of the Universe itself was riding upon it. The lives of all beings now and evermore were all hinging upon his success in this duel. Should he lose, all things would come to an end. "I bow to noone. And I swear that I will succeed by the power of the Gods. This is my promise, this is my determination. This is the fate that I promise for you!"
Kevin let out an exaggerated yawn, and the demons chuckled just as they had the last time he did so. He smirked at Dalin, and waved with his cards, gesturing idly across the field. "Even should you manage to summon a God and keep it in play, it won't matter. My strategy is just too great to be defeated. End turn." With those words he moved the turn to Dalin, who would now display whether or not he had what it took to summon God and fulfill his promise.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Author's Note: There it is, the first chapter of the duel between Kevin and Dalin. You see Paul, I told you that you'd never see Dalin versus Taichi, and this is why. Hahahahahahahhahahahahaa! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy. The funny thing? This chapter was only eleven turns of a much longer duel. MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!
Original Cards
Kevin: Token of Black Hearts, Demon Blood, Demon Manipulator, Kugutsu
Dalin: Energy Absorption