Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.
Author's Note: The second part of Final Duel of this story commences, and Dalin will have to learn if he has the strength needed to defeat Kevin...or die trying. Read, enjoy, then review!
Quote of the Chapter: "Hell is other people." -Source Unknown
Advert of the Chapter: Today I'm advertising Dark Dragon League. This is a story written by the member of a dueling league called the Dark Dragon League which was started by Chuck ZFB and is currently run by me. The author, GearfriedIronAngel has taken already existing people and made them into characters in his story, which includes cool duels, monster battles, and hidden secrets. Check it out and enjoy, and remember, the names have not necessarily been changed to protect the innocent, so don't go accusing people. Its not their fault....probably.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Gates of the Dead
Drake's feet dragged as he tried to make his way to the door. Even with Kirani and Serenity helping him stand it was difficult to walk, because he was bigger and heavier then the two of them. The door was a concentration of evil, a road to Hell itself. Dalin was in there, most likely fighting for all of them at that very moment. They had to get in.
"The Gates of the Dead....I've always wondered what they would look like. When I died I didn't see anything, so I wonder just how real this is. Are you two afraid?" He looked between both of them, watching their movements, watching their eyes. They didn't speak, they just shook their heads. He could see the stark terror in their eyes, could feel their fear through his item. The question had been a formality.
"You don't have to come with me. I know that this will be truly terrible, and I can't ask either of you to follow me in there." He knew, even as he spoke, just as he knew that they were afraid. They were going to come with him, and there was no amount of arguing that could stop them. Beneath that fear was a fierce determination to remain at his side, and to help Dalin. They knew what was at stake as well as he did.
"Dalin needs our support, he needs us to keep that cheater from pulling some kind of stunt." Serenity clenched her fist in emphasis, her words underlined by the intense feeling of determination. In that moment he reached out to her through his Millennium Disc and gave her a bit of his courage, to stave off the all consuming terror that she was feeling.
Kirani didn't speak immediately. Instead she reached out and took hold of the door. It creaked open, and then it stopped. All three of them were on the ground in an instant, the feelings had been too sudden. It was the utter agony of all those who existed in Hell. It was the concentration of every bad thing ever to happen in the history of the Universe.
Drake reached within himself and pulled on the little bit of power he had recovered. He pushed it through the Disc and linked the three of them, bolstering each other from the terrible feelings that were coming through that door. Now they just had to continue on their way. "There's a saying that Hell is other people. I think....I think in some ways that just might be true."
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Sounding over the cries of these demons was a lilting song. Tones of utter despair intoned by the invisible choir that was the essence of every ounce of agony in Hell. The Choir of Hell's song was not loud, but it could still be heard no matter how loud everything else got.
The focus of all of these demons within this coliseum were a pair of what appeared to be humans. Yet neither was entirely human, for within each one there was an ancient spirit of some kind of demon. Within the tall, muscular blonde man there resided the spirit of Ammut, the Devourer of Souls. A demon who was hated by other demons.
Within the body of Kevin Hunter, an average human duelist, there was something sinister. What this spirit was it was not known, but its goal was all that mattered. It wished to bring about the release of the Essence of Destruction thereby ending the Universe. Its reasons were unknown, but it was truly determined.
At the moment the turn was that of the taller duelist, Dalin Sumatin, who had a single card face down and three monsters on the field. He had two cards in his hand, both of which were Gods. He was about to draw his next card. His one hope in this duel lay in summoning the Gods, however the energy required to summon and maintain them might be too much for him.
His opponent, Kevin Hunter, has three Kugutsu, demon puppets summoned by the effect of the Demon Manipulator. Each of these three monsters has three thousand attack and defense points, making them formidable foes. A Dark Ruler Hades is also on his field, along with a Dark Baltar the Terrible. Bad Reaction to Shimochi, a permanent trap, has turned Dalin's life point gaining strategy against him. Kevin also holds one card in secret, face down on the field. His hand consists of three cards.
Dalin took a deep breath and drew another card into his hand, bringing him up to three cards. As soon as he drew the green swords that surrounded Kevin started to fade, unsealing him. Now in his next turn he would be able to attack with all five of his monsters. If Dalin was to defeat him, he would have to unleash the power of God in this turn.
He had one thing to do first, before he attempted to summon God. He just had to hope that Kevin couldn't counter it. "I'll begin my turn by activating Heavenly Array of Light! By discarding one light type monster from my hand I can destroy any card on the field. I choose to destroy Bad Reaction to Shimochi!" He took his newly drawn card, an Atom Firefly, and shoved it into his cemetery slot.
His face down card lifted up, revealing an angel firing a bow that shot an arrow of light. The little green spherical angel emerged from the card and drew back on the bowstring. It let loose the arrow, sending the glowing thing of light hurtling at Kevin's trap card. The arrow pierced through it, and it shattered into tiny little pieces.
"Congratulations Dalin, you succeeded in destroying the card that twists your strategy. Now I'll see if I can destroy any more of your strategies. Reveal Demon Catapult!" His face down card flipped up, and from it emerged the a catapult formed of rotting corpses and the skulls of fallen victims. By using its effect Kevin could sacrifice one of his demons to send a number of cards in Kevin's hand or deck to the cemetery equal to the level of the demon he sacrificed.
"Let's get busy. Hades, set yourself one the catapult and launch yourself to destroy the top six cards on his deck!" The blue ruler of Hell situated himself into launch position. Then he hurled a ball of fire at what was the trigger. The ball of flame activated the catapult, and Hades was sent hurtling towards Dalin. This impact would be impressive.
The large figure of the demon ruler was coming straight at the angel duelist. In seconds it would impact. He could raise a barrier of his energy to protect himself and possibly run low on the needed power to summon a God, or he could let it impact and potentially be thrown into the spikes behind him, thereby ending his life and the duel. Not much in the way of a choice.
Moments before it struck Dalin came upon a third option which was much better then the other two. He ducked. Dark Ruler Hades went sailing over his head, screaming at the top of its lungs. Dalin stood once again, and watched in fascination as Hades crashed into the crowd. Demons fell upon him instantly. "Well, that was certainly close."
"That's just unfair. Who said you could duck?" Dalin raised an eyebrow and looked back at his opponent who was pouting like a little kid who was deprived of a special treat. As quickly as that look appeared, it was gone and replaced by the evil grin that had once been associated with Taichi Nobuki and was now associated with Kevin Hunter. Dalin just shook his head in exasperation.
It was now or never. There were no more face down cards to change the situation, no way to alter anything. He grimaced and deposited his six cards into the grave, knowing that Kevin had gone after his deck because he was confident that Dalin couldn't summon the Gods. Either that or he had some other motive in mind. "Here we go. I tribute my three face down monsters in order to summon the mighty Obelisk the Tormentor(4000/4000)!"
The three set monsters vanished in a blaze of light, shooting up into the sky and swirling around each other. Dalin could feel the power rising off the card he held out as he put forth the effort to summon it. The three balls of light that had once been monsters converged together, and Dalin slammed the card down onto his angelic duel disk.
An explosion of power flowed from it, nearly knocking Dalin backwards into the spikes behind him. He continued to focus his energy and his positive emotions upon summoning Obelisk. The presence of Hell was fighting him, trying to keep him from summoning the mighty monster. Kevin was, as was usual, laughing. "You see! You lack the strength! You're just another pathetic mortal!"
The card was already on the duel disk, now he just had to summon it. Pulling on everything that he was he extended his right hand forwards, palm outstretched. This was the hand that was bejeweled by the Icon of the Devourer, the item that was wielded by the servant of Osiris. The god he was to summon wasn't Osiris, but he still needed that power. "Great Lord of the Dead, Great Osiris, grant me the power I need!"
As he spoke this words he felt something moving within him, felt something reach out and touch him. He recoiled instinctively, for the presence felt like Death itself. As soon as he relaxed he discovered that the presence reaching out to him was that of Ammut. It was offering its own power to help him in this mission, for though it was a demon that devoured souls, it did not wish to die, and its purpose was to prevent the release of the Essence of Destruction.
"OBELISK, I SUMMON YOU! COME FORTH!" His eyes had fallen shut as he focused on the inner presence that was Ammut. Now they shot open, revealing eyes that were pure silver, glowing with an intense inner power. The eyes on the four-fingered ring on his right hand sprang open, and the full power was unleashed.
Kevin's eyes widened as Dalin pulled drew upon Ammut, reaching a level of power that the other demonic creature hadn't believed Dalin was capable of. He slowly settled down, his mouth shifting into a sneer of disgust. "So the mortal finally draws upon Ammut. Poor fool doesn't realize that if he tries to do this for very long during this duel, Ammut will forcibly devour his soul."
The glowing light coalesced and began to take shape. The demons in the crowd had fallen silent, awed by the power Dalin was displaying and by the power of the creature that he was summoning. It formed before them, a towering blue titan of power. Its massive hands clenched into tight fists, and its wings extended out to full length behind it. Its mouth set into the perpetual visage of terror. "Obelisk....has been summoned. Thank you Ammut, thank you."
Dalin slowly released his connection with the demon, aware that such a great amount of power could do to him what it had done to Drake, or what it had done to Ihachi. Drake had been unprepared for such a large amount of energy and it had nearly killed him. Ihachi had....well she had become addicted to power. Once the energy had faded, he knew that he was ready to continue this duel, stronger then ever.
"I have done what you thought I could not, and now my God towers above your puny creatures, ready to smite them with its awesome powers. So go forth Obelisk and crush whichever of these paltry foes that you so choose." Obelisk's large and beady eyes surveyed the four lesser monsters arrayed beneath him. They were all so very tiny, they couldn't possibly be threats to his greatness. But a few were stronger then the others and they would be his first goal. His eyes settled upon the middle Kugutsu.
"God Hand Crusher!" Obelisk's mighty fist descended, like a meteor heading towards the impact point. The Kugutsu saw the blue meteor heading towards it and reacted as any would in such a situation. He turned to run, its tendrils reaching to grab hold of whatever it could find to help it pull itself away. Like so many before it, it wasn't fast enough. Obeliks' fist crushed it into a pulp, leaving only a single tendril still attached to the platform the at Kevin stood upon.
"Bravo, bravo. You did well for such a puny mortal. Defeating one of my Kugutsu like that. Of course by destroying it you grant me more power, and you hardly manage to hurt me." Dalin grimaced as he remembered the effect of Demon Blood. Now Kevin would gain power and life points from the destruction of the demon puppet. Kevin reached out and picked up the tendril, plunging his teeth into it and sucking out whatever blood he could get.
Dalin sensed Kevin's power increase as the demon duelist absorbed the blood into his system. It would grant him greater power, and it would increase his life points by nine hundred, half of the Kugutsu's base attack strength. Dalin would only have managed to deal a measly one hundred life points in that attack. (KLP: 7450)
While Dalin might have succeeded in bringing out Obelisk, the duel was far from over. There was much more to be done, and he had to hope that he could get rid of Kevin's defenses before the other duelist managed to think up a way to defeat the Gods. What was worse, to get past Kevin's defenses, he'd have to grant the other duelist more life points and more power. "End turn."
Kevin idly drew a card and examined it, then he smirked. He had a method to use, he'd just have to wait for it. Of course he could also wait and allow Dalin to assist him by destroying his monsters. "For the moment I think all I have to do is sit back and let you do the work, granting me power and life points. I'll summon the second Demon Soldier(1900/1500) in defense mode." The purple demon formed itself from entrails and slime, just as all of Kevin's other monsters had. It crouched in defense, its hand on it sword, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.
"Now I believe that all I can do other then that is to switch my two Kugutsu and my Dark Baltar into defense mode." The two remaining demon puppets dropped into a crouch, extending their tendrils into a shield in front of them. Dark Baltar had to settle for crouching down and raising its arms up above its head as a makeshift shield. None of it would help block the incredible power of Dalin's God.
"Since there isn't any more I can do right now, I leave it to you to take your turn and make the most of it. That is the end of my turn, and the beginning of the end for you. All you can do is help me, so I feel no disgust with myself for playing defense. Play on!" The demons looked between the two, uncertain whether to cheer Kevin as they had before, or to boo because he was now the one defending. Strategy didn't come easily to them, so they were uncertain.
As soon as Dalin added the second card to his hand, he knew what he could do. He was about to somewhat replenish his hand, and he now had a new method to bring out a God. Though he wasn't sure if he wanted to, he felt he needed to. Only the Gods could defeat a duelist like Kevin. "I summon Venus, Angel of Creation(1600/0)"
The feminine angel took shape from a cloud of angel wings. She stood tall and proud, her long golden tresses flowing outwards from her body. The three spheres that were her constant companions circled her head, ready to be summoned at a moments notice. She was more dangerous then she appeared to be, and Dalin knew just how to use her. "Now that I've got an angel on the field, I remove one card from my cemetery to activate its effect. Angel Heart! When I've got an angel on the field I can remove it from the grave to draw cards equal to the level of one angel on the field."
With this said he started drawing, adding three more cards to his hand. Now he had four cards, one of which was a God. Using the needed method, he might be able to summon it, but the question remained of whether he should. "I activate Terraforming. This lets me search my deck for a field card and add it to my hand." He ejected his deck and shuffled through it, finally picking the card he wanted. Then he reshuffled and returned his deck to its normal position.
"This place could use a bit of cheer and a bit of remodeling. So I'll play my field card, Sanctuary of the Sky!" As soon as he activated the card he felt something flowing into his body. It was a wave of pleasant emotions, good thoughts, everything that was the opposite of Hell. The palace in the sky took shape behind him, reforming the stadium a little bit to make room.
He gasped as power flowed back into him, restored by the mere presence of the Sanctuary of the Sky. With its power in play, he knew that he could win this. His angels were invincible, his power was being supplied by an outside source, and he had one God on the field. Now he knew he could summon another. "This duel just got a whole lot different."
"No matter what you do, it won't really make a difference. A few cards can't determine this duel for you, so don't even bother thinking they will. Sanctuary of the Sky is nothing to me, a paltry card that can be eliminated as easily as any other. The God is a different matter, but not by much." Kevin sneered at Dalin, his disrespect for the other duelist and for his cards evident. Dalin would have to teach him respect.
"We'll see if that's the case. I'll now use the effect of Venus, and pay one thousand life points to special summon two of the Holy Shine Spheres!" He felt energy drain out of his body, but it was replaced just as quickly by his field card. Venus whispered a few words, and two of the spheres that floated around her moved into attack position, their five hundred attack and defense points ready for us. Of course he only needed them for the next turn. (DLP: 6100)
"Obelisk, choose your next target." Again the titan's eyes roved over his options. After just a few seconds he settled on the Kugutsu that had stood next to the last one he destroyed. He might as well destroy each of the strongest first before moving on to the weakest. After all, there was that little angel beneath him to take care of weak ones.
"Now, destroy it." Obelisk didn't attack with his God Hand Crusher. If anything the attack he used would have to be called the God Foot Crusher. Obelisk raised one huge clawed foot, and stomped down on the Kugutsu, turning it into goop. Blood splattered out from underneath the foot, and Kevin gathered that up, drinking the little bit that was left. The life points settled into their new places. (KLP: 8350)
Venus glanced imperiously up at Obelisk, plainly impressed at the strength of this huge creature. He was not one to be trifled with, a good thing that he was on her side. "Venus, do me a favor and get rid of the Demon Soldier." Venus nodded in acceptance, and raised her two dainty hands, aiming them at the demonic soldier.
A burst of green light shot out from her hands and speared through the Demon Soldier, punching a hole right through its stomach. Kevin let out a roaring laugh and pulled the soldier to him, sinking his teeth into the flesh of its neck and drinking deeply. Dalin could feel the rising power, and he grimaced as the life points once again readjusted themselves. (KLP: 9300)
With Kevin's monsters dropped to just two, it was almost time for Dalin to turn this duel completely around. He just had to get rid of Baltar and the last Kugutsu, then he'd be able to go in on the attack. Next turn he would heat things up by summoning the second God, that was certain. Kevin would stand a chance against two gods, and with Sanctuary of the Sky in play he wouldn't have a problem summoning the next one. "That's all."
Kevin drew another card into his hand, and then nearly burst out laughing. He never would have guessed that he would draw this card now, though it was hardly a bad thing. Things were starting to shape up, and shortly he could make things go his way once again. "I place one card face down on the field." The card formed in front of him, shaped by his will. It was ready to be used whenever he had need of it.
"I know what you're up to Dalin, and I quite approve. Go ahead and bring on every God that you can, I'll defeat each and every one of them. Obelisk, Osiris, Ra. It doesn't matter to me, all it will take is the power of my deck to defeat them. You are nothing to me!" The crowd cheered in his favor, despite the fact that the advantage belonged to Dalin. They were simply pleased by his words, certain that Kevin would be the winner since he was more or less on their side.
"That's all I have to do for this turn, and I beg you to consider the options I've already presented. Embrace Destruction, embrace your own demise. It will make things much easier for you. After all, no matter what you do you're going to Hell anyways." He smirked and finished his turn, leaving it to Dalin to continue the trend he had started. Dalin would attack and increase his power, and then things would quickly change. He knew they would.
"What do you mean by that?" Dalin's words were sharp and true, and just what Kevin had been expecting. It was so easy to predict mortals that it almost wasn't worth the effort. Almost. But the amusement factor was just too great to pass up, so he had to do it, even if it was easy. It wasn't as fun as breaking someone, but it was fun nonetheless.
"Simple. All roads lead to Hell, and Heaven doesn't even exist. Heaven is just a trifle thought up by a bunch of sentimental fools he hated their lives and hoped that there was some kind of paradise waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. Well they were wrong, Hell, the concentration of despair and agony, is all that remains for one after death." His laughter rang cold and true through the stadium, and the demons beat against the backs of chairs and stomped on the ground creating an uproar to emphasize the point.
Dalin shrugged these words off, certain that Kevin was just messing with his head. He drew his next card, given him a total of three. Now he could clear the path and unleash his devastation upon Kevin. He would have victory because there was no other option. "I sacrifice Venus and the two Holy Shine Spheres in order to summon Saint Dragon Osiris(X000/X000)!"
The mighty red serpentine dragon took shape, its huge mass standing alongside the enormous Obelisk. Both were huge, but each in a different way. Osiris' coils stretched across the stadium, a few of them crushing hapless demons. Since Dalin had two cards in his hand, Osiris had two thousand attack and defense points, making it stronger then Dark Baltar's defense.
"Obelisk, take out your target first." For the third time Obelisk set his sets on a Kugutsu, the last of the Kugutsu. With a sweeping kick he sent it hurtling into the air. It was speared onto the spikes of Kevin's platform, and it made it easy access to Kevin who scooped up the seeping blood and gulped it down. With the flowing blood of the last Kugutsu, Kevin's life points soared once again, and his power rose as well. (KLP: 10200)
"You've made a grave error. You see, because you destroyed the last Kugutsu, I may now special summon Demon Manipulator to the field. Since it is being special summoned, its stats automatically double, setting it at twenty-eight hundred attack and defense points. The master rises from the shadows to strike back!" The original demon, the thing that was almost identical to the demon puppets but more pure, was revealed, taking shape on the field. However it was about to become a victim.
"Since your monster has been summoned, Osiris will strike it with Summon Lightning Impact!" Osiris opened its second mouth wide and formed a ball of purple energy within it. Then it unleashed that ball of energy, sending it hurtling straight at Demon Manipulator. When it struck the demon would become a weak monster with only eight hundred attack points, easy prey for Osiris' actual attack.
"Dalin, did you know that Osiris' Summon Lightning Impact is actually considered an attack? Since that's the case, it makes it easy to activate my set card. Reveal permanent trap, River of Styx!" From his trap came a river that screamed of despair, of the forgotten, of those who have fallen into darkness and never returned. It shot out in a spray of water, intercepting Osiris' attack and stifling it. Then it came crashing down, forming a looping river around them.
"Upon activation the River of Styx negates an attack. Of course now it will grant each of my demons immunity from directly targeted trap cards. It also ends your battle phase, preventing you from eliminating my Dark Baltar. Your turn and your Gods are just about finished." Kevin's look was a victorious one, but all Dalin could see was a pitiful delay. One turn wouldn't stop him, and in the next turn he would defeat Kevin, he was sure of it.
"Oh, and in case you were thinking of setting a card to protect Osiris, think again. River of Styx prevents you from setting any more cards or summoning any other monsters for the duration of the turn. Looks like all that's left for you is to end your turn and let me take down Osiris." Dalin grimaced, realizing that Kevin was right. With only two thousand attack points, Osiris was no match for Demon Manipulator. This was bad.
Kevin drew another card giving him a total of four. He didn't even bother to look at the card, he simply made a motion with his hand. A side slot in his dark duel disk slid out, giving him a sixth space outside of his magic and trap zones. A separate slot that could only be intended for one thing and one thing alone. "It's time that I change things a bit, and make myself more at home. After all, the home field advantage is supposed to be mine."
Slowly he guided the card he had drawn into the open zone, and then with a pass of his hand he closed it yet again. Smiling he looked back up at Dalin, and began to speak. "We exist now in the place that is much the opposite of your Sanctuary. Just as this place is the opposite, just as we are opposites, so must there be an opposite to your Sanctuary of the Sky. " The edges of the waters of the River Styx started to glow a dull red, and the waters began to boil.
"So now I unleash the awful might of the place that we now reside in. The awesome power of one field card. It is my proof that all roads truly do lead to Hell, for that is exactly what my field card is. HELL!" Everything exploded. Kevin's arms rose above his head and jets of flame rocketed up from the ground, sending gobs of molten rock spewing through the air. The flames shot across the field and wrapped around the heavenly building that was Sanctuary of the Sky. The angels that flitted around it cried out as they and the building were burned from existence.
"Come demons, come ghouls, come goblins, come orcs, come spirits, come devils! Your home is here at last!" Dalin saw the distinct shape of a volcano rise behind him, saw demons of different shapes and sizes take form in the fire, driving helpless humans onwards using whips and spears. The flames now consumed everything, there was no floor, on fire and boiling lakes of lava. They were now in a coliseum that contained a miniature form of what was outside the coliseum.
"With the power of the field card Hell, each of my demons gains invulnerability in battle against non-demons. However Hell is superior to Sanctuary in the Sky. Though my demons lose five hundred defense points, they each gain eight hundred attack points, raising all my demons to new heights of power!" Dark Baltar and Demon Manipulator grinned wickedly as their power rose, Dark Baltar to twenty-eight hundred attack and Demon Manipulator to thirty-six hundred attack. Baltar's defense fell to a mere five hundred, and Demon Manipulator's to a decent twenty-three hundred. They were now too strong.
"But that's not all! I activate the permanent magic card, Circles of Hell, further completing the realm of Hell!" As Dalin watched, the flames became partitioned into nine individual sections, these sections each contained a different feeling. The pieces of Hell were coming into existence. Hell itself, the River of Styx, and the nine Circles of Hell. Kevin's new strategy was that of Hell itself....
"Circles of Hell grants my demons immunity from directly targeted magic cards, completing their set of immunities. Battle, traps, and magic. Now they are utterly invincible. Furthermore, upon being activated it increases the attack and defense of my demons by five hundred, and will continue to do so in each standby phase." The smirks on the two demon's faces only widened as they gained even more power, Demon Manipulator even reached a height of strength slightly greater then that of Obelisk. Even the God was impressed.
"I move them both into attack mode. Now my two monsters will slay your Gods and crush your final hopes of victory!" Demon Manipulator raised the palm of its hand and then shot a jet of fire at Obelisk. The God monster attempted to fight it off, but it was somewhat too much for it to handle, and it was burned alive. With its fall and the lack of Sanctuary of the Sky, Dalin could feel the pressure of Hell redouble. It became worse when Dark Baltar smashed Osiris apart with his bare hands.
"Now I'll lay a single card down on the field, and end my turn." Kevin's turn was over, and it had been especially effective. Though he had not been touched physically, Dalin could feel his power leech from his body with a loss of such a great number of life points. Without the backing of his Sanctuary and with the sudden added presence of Kevin's Hell field card, things were just getting worse by the second. He had to pray for something effective in his next turn, or he'd be finished. (DLP: 4700)
The muscular angel user looked over his hand that now contained three cards. In his previous turn he had spared cards because Osiris needed the attack points. Now he couldn't afford such a thing. He had to defend himself or risk suffering the consequences. "I set a monster in defense mode and one card face down. End turn."
His brief advantage was gone, and Kevin held all the cards now. He could only hope that soon he would be able to find a way to defeat the deadly combination of cards that Kevin was unleashing, otherwise all of existence was doomed. Even his duel with the Pharaoh hadn't been this high tension, this dangerous....or this difficult.
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The shared bound between the three of them was all that kept them going. They had entered Hell, and what now stood before them was a giant coliseum. Unfortunately it was surrounded by a long line of various nasty looking demons, one of which was obviously a large ogre-like bouncer. Dalin had to be inside that coliseum, Drake was sure of it. "We need to get in."
The large bouncer demon lowered its eyes, finding Drake looking up at it from about waist level. It quirked its single eyebrow as it had only one eye, and then hefted its club. The club was easily as thick around as Drake was, and a little bit taller. It would turn him into pulp if it was swung his way. In a deep and booming voice the bouncer spoke. "Lotsa people need to get in, big excitement, fate of the world and all that on the line. Of course everybody wants to see Ammut die, sure you do to. Then again....you three look like humans....are you?"
Drake glanced at his decidedly human companions, and then came to a sudden conclusion. He had an honest answer to that question. "Actually I was, but I'm dead now so I don't think that counts. These two are my spirit guides, they helped me get here. Please, we need to get in to see this, we need to. Please?" The demon eyed them carefully, and slowly he came to a conclusion. Drake could practically see the demon's head starting to overheat with the effort of that thought, but the conclusion still came. The bouncer lifted his club into the air.
Suddenly an attractive woman with several pairs of angel wings appeared in their midst, her arms folded very casually. The demons around them gasped and backed up, even the bouncer seemed shocked. Finally he spoke. "Everybody get aside, I crush the angel." Drake was about to open his mouth, but quickly found himself being pulled through the now unguarded door.
Once they were in, Drake turned to Kirani and quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "Wingweaver? That was certainly quick thinking." She grinned back, and then the two girls grabbed him by the arms and started leading him on, and into the stadium. As soon as they entered they found themselves surrounded by roaring demons, staring down at a dueling field wreathed in flame. The two duelists were exactly who they had come to see.
"Dalin....know our presence. We're here to support you." Extending their feelings outwards using his Disc, he guided them to Dalin. The angel duelist blinked and Drake saw his gaze rise to their position. At this distance he probably couldn't see them clearly, but he nodded never the less, certain as to who it was. With renewed vigor he awaited Kevin's move.
"Let's see what you think after I begin my next attack. First I'll activate Demonic Recount, my face down card. I'll shuffle my two cards into my deck and then draw two more, at the same time granting me one thousand life points. An effective card which will assist me in crushing you completely." He shuffled the two cards into his hand and then pulled free two more, the look on his face a feral grin as he saw the cards in his hand. Whatever he had drawn, he was happy about it, and that didn't bear well for Dalin. (KLP: 11200)
"Let's bring Hell even closer to completion shall we? I summon Cerebus the Three-Headed Demon Dog(2000/2000)! A powerful level five who can be summoned without tribute if Hell is in play. And of course he gains eight hundred attack points, making him stronger then most monsters. And Circle of Hell does its work for my other monsters as well!" The massive three-headed dog formed on the field, its fangs dripping poisonous saliva into the fire beneath its paws.
Demon Manipulator and Dark Baltar greeted the demon dog with a nod of the head, and then closed their eyes as a wash of power swept through the circles and into their bodies. Their strength rose, bringing them to forty-six hundred and thirty-eight hundred respectively. "Cerebus will attack your set monster!"
The demon dog leapt on Dalin's set monster with glee, tearing into it with its fangs, shredding it into tiny pieces. In those brief moments before it was ripped into too many shreds to be recognizable, Kevin had seen the little flat squirrel. "Nimble Momonga is destroyed, allowing me to special summon two more face down and lets me gain one thousand points." Two more set cards appeared on Dalin's field, keeping his defenses up. (DLP: 5700)
He had felt the increase in his power, so he knew that such a thing still helped, if only for a bit. It was certainly a good thing the squirrels weren't like his angels, otherwise they'd be a little bit more difficult. Their brains were too simple to be affected very much by Hell at all. "Dark Baltar and Demon Manipulator will crush the other two!" The two demons attacked the squirrels, destroyed them. However Demon Manipulator's attack didn't go unheeded. (DLP: 7700)
"Upon the attack of Demon Manipulator I activate Enchanted Javelin to raise my life points by its attack strength!" Kevin grimaced as the javelin with little angel wings sucked up some energy from his demon's attack and then shot back at Dalin. Instead of causing him harm he could feel large amounts of power flowing back into him, allowing him to recover. (DLP: 12300)
Unable to make any further moves, Kevin declared the end of his turn. As soon as Dalin started his own turn, he felt a wave of fear, and just as quickly he brushed it aside. There was no time to have such a feeling. Despite how precarious his position was, he had to keep fighting. He had no choice in the matter. "I set a monster in defense mode. That's all I can do."
When Kevin drew he couldn't help but laugh, watching the power of his monsters rise. The dog now over three thousand, the baltar at over four thousand, and the manipulator over five thousand points. Three extraordinarily dangerous monsters with extreme amounts of power. With such great strength he couldn't help but win. "Hell comes closer and closer to completion with each and every move I take. Now I'm going to show you another piece!"
He slipped the card into one of his magic and trap zones, activating it instantly. The familiar edifice rose up, the same feeling rolling off of it that all those present had felt before when they first passed through it. The familiar little pathway that started the road to Hell, a gate. "I activate Gate of the Dead! With its presence I will continue to raise my forces, and you will see how in the next turn....if there is a next turn for you. Cerebus, destroy his set monster!"
The middle head took aim and spewed a jet of acid down upon the card. A screaming man in monk's robes with a halo above his head cried out before he was incinerated. Then an identical man took his place, crouching in defense mode. "Ascending Man(500/1200) is weak, but has a similar effect to Nimble Momonga. When he goes to the cemetery from the field I gain five hundred life points and get to summon another in defense mode." (DLP: 12800)
Kevin roared in anger and called out the next attacks. His two other monsters incinerated the last two Ascending Men, burning them to ashes. Despite this, Dalin remained strong and proud, his energy renewed with each strike. He had surpassed Kevin in life points, but he still had a distinct disadvantage. With the Ascending Men gone, Kevin finished his turn. (DLP: 13800)
Dalin surveyed the field, considering the implications of Kevin's various combinations of cards. The field of Hell increased his demons by eight hundred attack, meaning even the weakest demon could have great strength. It also prevented his demons from being destroyed in battle by anything but another demon. Should Dalin get rid of Hell and destroy the demons in battle, Demon Blood would increase Kevin's life points.
Furthermore there was River of Styx, which defended Kevin's demons from any directly targeted trap card. A card like Drain Shield wouldn't work now. Circles of Hell continuosly increased the attack and defense power of Kevin's demons and prevented them from being destroyed by directly targeted magic cards. And he had no idea what Gates of the Dead could do. "I draw."
He instantly played the card, revealing the magic of Payment of Debt. The card went to the cemetery, and then he drew the top three cards of his deck. Payment of Debt had originally been revealed by Taichi, but Dalin also found use for the card since it was quite effective. He looked over his three cards and closed his eyes briefly. Not a single monster. "I set three cards face down. That completes my turn."
Kevin snickered slightly, certain that victory was his. Dalin couldn't stop his monsters with traps or magic, and with no defensive monster, he was completely finished. All he needed to do was attack with his monsters and he would have victory. "Victory is mine Dalin, you have no way of defending yourself." He drew his card and smirked, deciding on exactly what he would do.
"Watch the effect of Gates of the Dead as it summons a monster that doesn't count towards my total. A Lost Soul token with three hundred attack and defense points!" The doorway opened slightly, and a shimmering black orb floating out. It was small, and its stats puny. But it was a demon sub-type, and therefore it would be gaining quite a bit of power.
"Circles of Hell activates once again!" The ripples of power flowed into the four monsters, granting them each further power. The Lost Soul token reached a decent sixteen hundred attack strength, the weakest of the four. Cerebus followed after with a thirty-eight hundred, then came Dark Baltar with one thousand more, and lastly there was Demon Manipulator with a dangerous attack strength of fifty-six hundred. Together they had more then enough power to deplete Dalin's life points to zero.
"Each of my monsters will attack directly!" The roars of the demon thundering in both duelists ears as they four monsters launched their attacks, sending spirals of flame, acid, and blue energy straight at the angel duelist. If this attack connected he would be finished, and Kevin couldn't see a way for Dalin to save himself. His cards worked too well, so this duel was over!
"Your River of Styx has a fatal flaw Kevin! It only prevents me from using directly targeted traps on your monsters! Mass targeted traps aren't even slowed down. So I activate Heaven's Judgement, a trap which will remove your directly attacking monsters from the game!" The attacks spiraled into a flowing vortex of light, and that light moved forwards and consumed the four monsters, leaving Kevin's field bare of monsters.
Kevin heard the laughter of humans, and his eyes shot up through the crowd. His gaze fell upon the faces of the three remaining humans that were in the Shadow Realm. Serenity, Kirani....and of course Drake. Those damned irritating brats had come to cheer on Dalin as if that could help him? What idiocy! It wouldn't save him at all, and no single trap could defeat him. "This isn't over Dalin, so bring your next move upon me. I'll just crush you next turn."
Dalin nodded and then condiently drew his next card. He knew now that Kevin was far from invincible and just as prone to mistakes as anyone else. He was as good a duelist as ever, his deck was very powerful, but he could be tricked, could be beaten. All it took was some extra effort and a few good cards. "I summon Absorbing Angel(1300/800)!"
His new monster took a bit of effort to summon, but not a huge amount, not with the amount of extra power he had gained. It helped a little, so he didn't have to worry. This angel was a very fat boy in brown shorts and a white t-shirt which didn't cover his navel. His wings hardly looked enough to carry his weight. The demons and Kevin laughed at it.
"Absorbing Angel, attack directly!" The angel took flight, astounding the crowd with such an incredible feat. It surged forwards and tried to crush Kevin with its bulk, but the demon duelist casually erected a barrier, forcing it to bounce off. Yet the damage was done, and for the first time in this duel Kevin had dealt real damage to his opponent. (KLP: 9900)
"There is my proof. If you can take such damage, then you can be beaten. I will win this duel no matter what words and strategies you use. Dalin Imaki Sumatin does not lose, nor does he falter in any cause in takes up. I see all things to their completion." This was the completion of his turn, and hopefully the start of a new trend. If he could keep the field clear for a little while longer then he would be able to defeat Kevin.
As soon as Kevin's turn started the doorway of the Gate of the Dead opened, allowing another Lost Soul token to emerge. It was powered up by the effect of Circles of Hell, raising it to sixteen hundred just as the last one had been. Kevin sneered as he took his newest card and slammed it down onto his field. "A further piece of Hell, which I summon by sacrificing the Lost Soul token. I summon Thanatos(1900/1800)!" The token shattered, and up rose a tall hooded figure wielding a scythe and riding a pale white horse. One skeletal hand was visible, holding the scythe.
"My Thanatos has a special effect which I might reveal next turn, but for the moment his purpose is clear. He will crush your little piggy angel!" The rider on a pale horse charged forwards, an economy of motion as he swept down with his scythe. Yet to Kevin's surprise the scythe met thin air, for the fat angel was no longer there. Kevin looked around in confusion, and then spotted one of Dalin's face down cards being revealed.
"Again I don't have to effect your monsters to come out the best in a situation. The card Angel Swap lets me return an angel on my field to my hand in order to special summon one angel from my hand, regardless of conditions. So here's what I replace it with!" Kevin's eyes widened as the tall form of Archangel Zerato rose in the place of the Absorbing Angel. With a swing of his sword the archangel forced Thanatos back to Kevin's side. However, thanks to Hell it received no battle damage, keeping it alive and making Kevin lose no life points.
"Damn you! I swear I will achieve victory! For now I simply set one card face down, and declare the end of my turn. Just wait, I will win this duel and show you utter agony before I bring about the end of all things." Dalin was not concerned with these words. He knew them to be true in a sense, but he had no intention of losing, therefore he wouldn't just allow Kevin to achieve victory. He would fight for all he was worth.
Dalin's draw brought him just the card he needed, and his gaze fell casually upon Thanatos. With that monster in the way he couldn't get to Kevin's life points, but with his newest card he could change that. "First I'll start off by resummoning Absorbing Angel!" Again the fat angel took shape, ready to join its much taller and stronger brethren in engaging in battle with the fell demons. He had to win, there was no other option.
"Now I activate the magic card, Heaven's Lance. In order to use this card I must select one angel on my field. I select Zerato. Now my opponent, you, must select a monster on your field with an equal or lesser level." Since Kevin only had one monster it wasn't hard to fit that criteria. He announced that he was selecting Thanatos, and motioned for Dalin to continue. It didn't matter, he was confident that his monster was safe.
"The effect of Heaven's Lance allows me to avoid the protection of Circles of Hell. Circles of Hell just protects your demons from being destroyed by directly targeted cards. Heaven's Lance will remove both monsters from the game for the duration of the turn, thereby bypassing the destruction aspect of Circles of Hell." Zerato reached out and gripped the glowing lanced that was offered to him. Now he was armed with the needed weapon.
Zerato swept across the field and stabbed the lance into the belly of Thanatos. Since Thanatos was merely a skeletal figure, this had no effect. But it did allow Zerato to pick Thanatos up and carry him off as the angel took flight into the sky, fading out before reaching the ceiling. Now the path was once again clear. "Absorbing Angel attacks directly!" The angel struck Kevin's barrier for the second time in this duel, and the crowd laughed at his expense. (KLP: 8600)
Kevin's gaze raked across the field, his anger silencing the demons. However, three very human voices still laughed at his expense. He was about to strike out, but then a smile came over his features. No....he had a better idea. "You're impressing me enough that I think the stakes will be higher. You see, I never really thought you'd inflict any real damage to me." He gestured with his hand, and the laughter was silenced.
Now, hanging from lengths of black chain just above the fires, were the three spectators. Drake, Serenity, and Kirani, all tied up and ready to be dispatched into the flames. "Here's the new feature to this already exciting duel. Whenever you successfully deal damage to my life points the three of them will be lowered a little closer to the flames. When I deal damage to you, they get raised a bit. So if you deal too much damage to me, they get to fry. Willing to risk them?" His laughter covered the shouts of the three, so Dalin didn't know what they were saying.
Dalin felt his gaze travel up to the three people he had come to know in the past day or so. To think it had been such a short time. His gaze met Drake's, and the other duelist gave him a tight lipped smile. Drake understood what Dalin had to do, and he wasn't angry. There was no understanding from the other two, only terror and uncertainty. He had to act, and he had to feel no remorse. "Do you think such a thing will delay me? I won't fall prey to such weaknesses. This duel is more important then either of those three, so I will win it even if it costs them their lives."
Kevin was astonished. He had never expected Dalin to so easily accept the deaths of these three on his conscience. Had it been the pathetic excuse for a Pharaoh he was certain the tactic would have worked perfectly. In fact on most duelists it would have, but apparently Dalin was made of sterner stuff. "I'm so proud of you Dalin, like a father is proud of his son when he takes his first steps. You've learned the first lessons in depravity, and that makes me glad."
The angel user could only scowl and declare the completion of his turn. He couldn't let Kevin get to him. The words meant nothing, so there was no point in listening. It was just that....his words seemed so true. It did feel wrong and right at the same time, like he was making the wrong choice for the right reasons, or something along those lines. "End turn."
The demon duelist drew another card, and watched in satisfaction as the doorway opened, unleashing another Lost Soul token. However he had more in mind then just a single little token. Zerato and Thanatos returned to the field, both completely unharmed. "I now activate Double Mode, which simulates a second standby phase, allowing me to produce another Lost Soul token." A second little black sphere emerged from the doorway, joining the first. And now he had what he needed.
"It is time to show you the one who is perhaps like you, or perhaps like me. In trying to do what was right he fell into darkness and became something terribly wicked. He became one of the most hated creatures of all time, became something so much worse then anything else. I will tribute my two Lost Soul tokens in order to unveil this hated being, to unveil the power that will be your defeat. For this monster is no demon....it is an angel!" The two tokens shattered, and power started flowing inwards, forging itself around a column of darkness that was intertwined with light.
"This creature is the only dark main-type angel in the entire game. That is just one of the various things that makes him unique. Now, meet the form of your destructor, Lucifer-The Morning Star(2650/2200)!" The angel took shape, revealing a darkly handsome made with pitch black eyes, flowing golden hair, and expansive black wings. He seemed to radiate confidence and power, and it seemed to take no strength at all for Kevin to summon him. It was too easy.
"Meet the truth of your defeat, for with this monster I can do just as Lucifer is said to have done! I can turn angel against angel, brother against brother! By forfeiting my battle phase for this turn I can take command of all the angels on your field! So come to me as I use the Call of the Morning Star!" Lucifer opened his mouth and began to sing. The sounds were horrible and haunting, yet beautiful at the same time.
Zerato and Absorbing Angel moved forwards as if possessed, stumbling towards Kevin. Kevin's laughter did not drown out the haunting sound of Lucifer's song which was now mingling with the song of the choir, becoming something more hellish then ever before. It took only moments, but now everything had turned around. Kevin had four powerful monsters....and Dalin had none. "The end has come for you Dalin! With the singing of Lucifer's song I have brought about the last moments of your life. One the next turn, you will die."
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Author's Notes: It rages onwards, the duel between Kevin and Dalin! And I'm amazed to announce that these twenty-seven turns have only taken up two chapters. This duel was going to be a three-parter....but now I'm considering extending it into a four part duel. After all, that was only half of the duel. The duel against Ihachi was 79 turns and it lasted just three chapters, but because of dialogue and various cool stuff this one is becoming longer.
Original Cards
Kevin: Demon Catapult, River of Styx, Demon Manipulator, Cerebus the Three-Headed Demon Dog, Circles of Hell, Demonic Recount, Gate of the Dead, Thanatos, Double Mode
Dalin: Heavenly Array of Light, Ascending Man, Heaven's Judgement, Payment of Debt, Angel Swap, Heaven's Lance
Original Cards not by Me
Kevin: Hell, Lucifer-The Morning Star. Both of these cards were submitted by Vaurnut, or rather, not submitted but he let me use them anyways.