Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh
Chapter 47: A Darkness Game with a twist
Giovan just sat in his seat patiently, waiting for the smoke to clear so that he could see the life point totals. Whose card went off first? Did Yami's Dark Magician take Rikuo out, or did the Ring of Destruction eliminate them both?
Finally the smoke cleared to show the life point score...
Yami- 0
Rikuo- 0
Giovan scratched his chin in thought while the two duelists slowly came back to their feet. ("I could use this to my advantage if I play my cards right, so to speak.")
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Rikuo glanced at the life point totals on the scoreboard and he groaned. He yelled over the smoke to Yami. "Looks like we are going to have to duel again pharaoh. This duel doesn't count."
"On the contrary," Giovan said. "This duel counted. Both of you lost. Therefore I will have to change the rules of the duel against me a little." ("With the changes being to my advantage of course.")
Yami cleared the ringing in his head and looked up at Giovan. "And what changes would that be?"
The black-suited business man emotionlessly looked down at Joey and CJ. "I suggest you get off this island. There is a helicopter waiting for you on the roof."
Joey frowned and shook his head. "No chance suit-boy. I'm staying here to cheer on Yugi."
CJ nodded. "Ditto for me. Daniel's my buddy and I'm not leaving him to duel alone."
Rikuo knew what Sestros had in mind for this duel, and he didn't want anyone to be hurt when it happened. ("Daniel, tell them to go. If they stay then Sestros will use them as weapons against us.") He felt Daniel's consciousness slide to the fore-front of their mind and his voice said, "CJ, please get Rebecca and Amy off the island. I don't want them to get hurt."
CJ clenched his fists, but he knew that he couldn't leave Rebecca and Amy alone in this place. ".......Alright....I'll go. But if you die......" He left the threat unspoken and carried Deondre out.
Joey looked at CJ and then hefted up the still-unconscious Kaiba. "I'll make sure that he stays out of trouble. Good luck Yug." And just like that the ancient beings were left to themselves.
Giovan turned and walked to the end of his balcony. He pressed a button and an elevator door opened in the wall. "This is no place to finish our battle. Follow me." He stepped into the elevator and it closed. In the middle of the dueling arena an elevator rose up and slid open its doors.
Rikuo looked to Yami and nodded slightly. "I should warn you that Sestros possesses incredible magical powers. In fact, where-ever we are going is most likely going to be somewhere that fits his insane tastes. Prepare yourself and your stomach for whatever we are going to see."
Yami didn't look worried. "I'm not afraid of him. Are you?"
Rikuo stepped into the elevator and nodded. "If you want to know the truth pharaoh, I'd be a fool not to be afraid of him."
Yami joined him in the elevator, and as it slid back into the ring, the two spirits were cast into hell.
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As the elevator door slid open, the first thing that greeted both duelists was darkness. There were no lights at all. Rikuo stepped in first, the golden-amber orbs of his eyes the only light source they had. Yami placed his hand on the demon's shoulder and used him as a guide. They were walking at a slope going down, which meant that they were headed somewhere deep underground. Minutes later, they ran into a large steel door. Wreathed in blue-white flames, the door depicted the image of a warrior standing with an enormous sword over one shoulder. The etchings of the blade itself were lined with gold and silver inlays.
"What does this mean?" Yami asked the question expressionlessly. He knew something was at work here, because he could feel the emanations of magic from this place. "This place...it feels like a burial ground."
Rikuo scowled angrily. Now he knew what Sestros had been after all of this time. He was after the power of the demon lords and their weapons. "It is a burial ground. My burial ground." The door opened and the two entered.
Waiting for them inside was a place of reverence, where fearsome depictions of demons were etched onto the smooth stone walls. At the far end of the chamber was a pedestal, and on top of it was the thing that Rikuo had always hoped to see again. His sword....
The weapon had its tip embedded in the earth, and it was rusted slightly, but Rikuo knew the intricate inlays of silver that could only be part of his blade. ("So the howling sword never was destroyed hmm?") Rikuo stored that bit of information in the back of his mind. He would be sure to get the weapon back after he utterly wiped out Sestros.
The room began to fade away, the stone of the walls getting less and less substantial. Finally the effect stopped and the first thing to greet Yami and Rikuo's ears was the sound of a pipe organ playing a hollow and depressing song. As there eyes adjusted to being put back into darkness again, they saw that in fact there was a pipe organ in the new room.
It was made entirely of flesh and bone, with different parts of creature's bodies used to adjust how the sounds came out. In Rikuo's mind that fact alone made him think of Sestros. ("It would serve his sick tastes alright.") He frowned and expected Sestros himself to be playing the organ. He was surprised to find a skeleton sitting in the seat, its bony fingers playing over the sickly keys with the ease of a master.
The room they had been brought to reminded Rikuo far too much of Sestro's old chamber. In fact, it was an exact replica of the place. Different torture devices lined the dark room, some of which seemed to have been recently used.
And standing at the end of grisly royal chamber was the monster behind it all. Giovan bowed to his two guests, a smile of perverse pleasure upon his face. "Welcome Rikuo. Welcome Pharaoh. Welcome to my little royal chamber. I hope the décor suits your tastes, because it certainly suits mine." His laughter echoed off of the walls and sent shivers down the spines of the two 'guests'.
Rikuo hid his building fear beneath a shroud of indifference. "So Sestros, I see that your plan was to try and gain the power of the Demon Lords through collecting their weapons. Did you really expect to be able to just walk up and take them from their resting places?"
Giovan waved a finger in the air. "You misunderstand my plan Rikuo. I want the weapons, but first I must collect the souls of the twelve demon lords. The soul of the Dragon Lord rests in my possession, and as soon as I destroy you then I will have the soul of the Wolf Lord as well."
Rikuo's duel disk clicked into place. "I've had my fill of you Sestros. In the name of all those who you have killed, I will banish your dark soul off of this plane. If you die here, then you will not be reborn as anything, because you will cease to exist."
Giovan nodded, his silver and black duel disk clicking into place. "Fair enough Rikuo."
"So what exactly do I have to do with your sick plot?" Yami decided that he had been silent long enough.
Giovan sneered. "I am after all forms of power Pharaoh. The Egyptian God Cards are just another form of great power for me to command. On that note, remove your God Cards from your disk. Their Egyptian magic will not respond well to this place."
Yami frowned but complied, and then his duel disk clicked into place. "Alright, let's get this duel underway."
Giovan held up a hand to signal a momentary pause. "Before we begin, let me establish the rules of this game. Since it will be a two on one duel, I will draw two cards each turn and I will be allowed two summons. Because technically you both lost, as an added handicap I will have 16000 life points as well. Are we agreed?"
Rikuo and Yami nodded. They didn't like the idea of Giovan being at an advantage, but they knew they would still win in the end.
Giovan's dark smile showed his fangs this time. His eyes had turned crimson red. "Then let the darkness game begin!" The air around them shifted and warped into a black and purple sphere as the contract was sealed. The duel for the power of the Egyptian God Cards and the soul of the Wolf Lord began.
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CJ barreled right past a trio of Emissaries, using his size advantage over them to immediately send all of the robed men flying out of his way. He was almost to the room where Rebecca and Amy were. Apparently Giovan had changed his mind on letting them go, because the entire complex was after him now. Deondre had already awakened, and after a quick fill in on what was going on the two duelists were on their way for their rooms. They needed to get the girls and their stuff too. Joey had separated from them because his room was on a different floor, though he had promised to meet them on the roof of the castle. ("Let's just hope he keeps his promise.")
The sound of a gun firing a bullet and then said bullet whizzing past his cheek blew all thought from CJ's mind. "Sorry boys, but the boss says you are sticking around. Now raise your hands up and turn around slowly, or else the next shot will be right between your eyes."
CJ grimaced and did as he was told, lifting his hands up and turning. ("Looks like we won't be leaving anytime soon.")
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Giovan smirked and drew his five cards. Then his now-clawed hand flashed over his deck and he placed his two new cards into it. "Are you ready to feel the cold touch of my Torture Machines Rikuo?"
Rikuo nodded resolutely to Yami. This was going to have to be a team effort or else they didn't stand a chance. "Do your worst Sestros. It won't be enough this time."
Yami returned the nod to his partner. "With our combined teamwork you will be defeated."
Giovan snorted and slapped two cards face-down onto his disk. "That's very wishful thinking boys. Unfortunately my two face-down monster cards disagree with your little optimistic statement. I am also going to set four cards face-down. Now take your turn Yami."
Yami drew his card and he smirked. "With a hand like this I won't need the Egyptian God Cards to win this duel. I set one monster face-down and two cards face-down. You're up Rikuo."
The wolf demon drew and understood the general plan in this duel. He would most likely be focusing on attack, while Yami played on the defense for him. "I set a monster in defense mode and two cards face-down." He was in no hurry to run face-first into one of Sestros' little Torture Machines or trap cards. The last time he tried that he had lost. "End turn."
Giovan drew his two and placed both of his newly drawn cards into his graveyard. "Rikuo, your physical avatar is the Wolf Demon Lord, so don't you think it would only be fair if I had one too?"
Rikuo snickered. "I don't think they'd make a card of a creature that ugly Sestros."
Giovan's face twisted in rage. "Just for that I'm going to take you out first. I have already sacrificed the necessary monster cards from my hand, so it is time to play this last card I am holding." He slid it into his disk. "Activate Anointment of Torture! This allows me summon forth my physical avatar and the ultimate weapon of my deck."
In the middle of the field a spiked cage exploded out of the ground. Within it was a shadowed figure that was glaring at the two duelists with its crimson eyes. The cage clicked open and the monster stepped out onto the field. It was wearing chains that wrapped around its body like armor, and in its hand it held a spiked whip. "Say hello to the Torture King (2800/3000) in attack mode!" The creature began to laugh insanely, the torture devices in the room creaking and squealing in response to it.
Rikuo shivered involuntarily. He knew too well what it was like to be in so many of those machines. "You think I'm impressed? It may be powerful, but have you forgotten that we are protected?"
Yami added to that, trying to reinforce his own confidence. "Exactly. You cannot attack either of us directly, and if you do decide to attack then you are a bigger fool than I originally thought Garlin."
Giovan didn't seem to listen. "Attack Rikuo's face-down monster!" The creature cackled insanely and snapped its whip across the field, instantly crushing the face-down monster.
Rikuo held up his card and snickered. "You need your hearing fixed old man. You've just attacked my Wolf Demon Soldier. (1400/1200) When it is destroyed in battle I may special summon a Wolf Demon Lord from my deck, hand or graveyard to the field." A card was shot out of his deck and he caught it. He glanced at it to make sure it was correct, and then he slapped it down on his disk. "Wolf Demon Lord (2400/1000) would like to thank you personally for getting him onto the field." The samurai demon appeared and growled at the Torture King.
Giovan shrugged and pointed to Yami. "End turn."
Yami drew and his smile said that he was ready to get started. "I sacrifice my face-down monster card to summon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) in attack mode!" A female version of the Dark Magician appeared. "Now I end my turn."
Rikuo drew and he thanked whatever god had promised that Jinzo would always be around for Daniel. "I hope your Torture King was worth getting onto the field Sestros, because he is about to leave! I play the magic card Polymerization and I will fuse Jinzo and Wolf Demon Lord to create the mighty Steel Wolf General!" (3400/2000)
Giovan flipped up one of his face-down cards. "By now I think that you would have learned Rikuo. Activate Fusion Cancel! As long as this continuous trap card remains on the field you will be unable to fuse anything or create any kind of union between monsters."
Rikuo frowned as his Polymerization was sent to the graveyard. ("Looks like I have no choice.") "You want to play hardball Sestros? Then let's play! I sacrifice Wolf Demon Lord to...."
Giovan flipped up another face-down card. "Do I look stupid to you!? Reveal Mask of Restrict! As long as this continuous trap card remains on the field neither of you can sacrifice your monsters in any way, shape, or form!"
Rikuo stared at his hand and sighed. "End turn."
Giovan drew his two cards and laughed. "I see you are starting to feel the despair of this situation? I play the magic card Pot of Greed to draw two cards from my deck." He drew his two cards and nodded to himself. "Now I summon two monsters in face-down defense mode. End turn."
Yami looked at Giovan's field with eyes wide. ("He almost already has a full field of cards.") He drew and threw Rikuo a look. Hopefully the wolf demon had caught it, because if this plan didn't work then they were in trouble. "I summon Kuriboh (300/200) in defense mode and set one card face-down. I hope your draw is better than mine Rikuo."
Rikuo drew and a wisp of a smile appeared on his face. "That it is. I play the continuous magic card Spell Economics. As long as this card remains face-up on the field neither I nor Yami have to pay life points for any magic card. End turn."
Giovan drew his two and took one of the face-down monsters off of his disk, sliding it into his graveyard. "I sacrifice my face-down monster to summon King Shadow Jam (2000/2000) in defense mode." A huge blob of black slime appeared on his field. Atop its head was a golden crown.
Rikuo rolled his eyes tiredly. "These things? Didn't you learn from when Daniel defeated Hawk?"
Giovan flipped up another of his face-down cards. "I reveal the continuous trap card Provocation. Now you must attack my King Shadow Jam every turn will all of your monsters in attack mode. Trust me Rikuo, my strategy is light years beyond the foolish strategy that Hawk had." He slid a card into the last slot on his duel disk. "Now I play this card face-down and end my turn."
Yami drew and watched as his Dark Magician Girl lifted her staff and fired a blast of magic energy at the King Shadow Jam. He already knew that nothing was going to happen though. Both monsters had equal attack and defense totals, meaning that neither was going to be affected by the attack.
That wasn't the case this time though. The King Shadow Jam did something completely unexpected. It dodged the attack, hurled itself onto Yami's field, and ate his Dark Magician Girl.
Yami stared in horror as he watched the Dark Magician Girl dissolve from within the black blob's mass. The worst part of all of it was that she didn't explode or fade like a hologram was supposed to. He watched as her flesh instantly decayed and withered away, leaving nothing but some random bones floating in the monster's mass.
The King Shadow Jam slithered back over to Giovan's field, its attack score jumping up by the attack of the monster that it had just absorbed. (4000/3700)
Giovan sneered at the still horror-stricken pharaoh. "Understand now? King Shadow Jam's special ability means that every time it battles a monster and is not destroyed, it absorbs that monster and gains that creature's stats to its own." He looked over at Rikuo. "That means that your Wolf Demon Lord is next on the menu, mutt."
Yami looked over at Rikuo with something of a pleading glance. "I will defeat your monster Garlin. Just watch and see. End turn."
Rikuo drew and watched as his Wolf Demon Lord slammed its sword into the ground, releasing a blast of blue-white flame that traveled along the ground to hit the King Shadow Jam.
Giovan burst into laughter as he watched the King Shadow Jam get ready to absorb the attack and then eat the mutt's favorite monster. ("I love crushing the hopes of others. It's just too much fun.")
Right before the attack hit though Rikuo flipped one of his face-down cards. "Sorry Sestros but I play Remove the Strength! This quickplay magic card removes all strength increases from your monster for this turn, meaning it is back where it started!"
Giovan's eyes went wide surprise as his King Shadow Jam shrank down in size. (2000/2000) It managed to let out one weak gurgle before the Howling Sword blast destroyed it. Giovan somehow managed to conceal his anger beneath a veil of indifference as he slid his Provocation trap card into his graveyard as well. "Nice little save mutt, but I still will annihilate you when all is said and done."
Rikuo threw a thumbs-up to Yugi and slid a card from his hand into his disk. "I play Opponent Reborn! This magic card allows me to resurrect one monster from any player's graveyard to their field in the mode of my choice, so I revive Yami's Dark Magician Girl in attack mode!"
Yami smirked at Rikuo. "I owe you one demon."
Rikuo puffed his chest a little at the unspoken compliment. "Keh!"
Giovan's angry growl brought their attention back to the duel. "Are you two done yet?"
Rikuo nodded to Giovan. "Go ahead Sestros, make your next play."
Giovan drew his two cards and he sneered. "Rikuo, remember when we first met?"
The wolf demon visibly flinched at this. Now Sestros was digging into memories that the ex-general didn't want to see or remember. "I'm warning you..."
Giovan continued to talk unabated. "You were such a cute child. I was surprised that a great wolf demon such as your father could spawn such an innocent little pup. Of course without your help I would never have been able to kill him either. You remember that fateful day, don't you Rikuo?"
Rikuo trembled in a mix of rage and fear, his memories beginning to surface. "SHUT UP!!"
Yami watched the exchange with pure rage in his eyes. "What's the purpose of this Garlin!?"
Giovan slid a card from his hand into his duel disk slot where the Provocation trap had been earlier. "I just thought a little background would be good for my next ritual magic card. Activate Feral Blood Altar!" A small altar appeared next to him with a golden bowl in the middle of it. He held one wrist over it and with his other hand he slashed a small cut in said wrist. Blood dripped into the bowl for a few seconds, and then the altar disappeared. Giovan's cut instantly disappeared. "By sacrificing 2000 life points, I may summon forth a monster that I think Rikuo will recognize all too well."
Yami- 8000
Rikuo- 8000
Giovan- 14000
The ground shook and an enormous form crashed to the ground from the air. It was a giant wolf. The creature stood about 40' at the shoulder, was covered completely in raven black fur and its crimson red eyes shimmered with anger down at Yami and Rikuo. It looked down upon the two duelists in front of it and howled, the sound shaking the entire room. "Allow me to introduce Wolf Demon King (3000/1700) in attack mode!"
Yami looked over at Rikuo. "What is that...." His words froze in his throat. He was seeing something that should have been impossible. It didn't seem like Rikuo would be capable of it.
Tears dripping down his cheeks, Rikuo stared at the Wolf Demon King with eyes shining in sadness. "Father...." He was gone, his mind withdrawing into itself at the sight of his dead father, back from the grave...
Giovan looked over at the now unreachable Rikuo and chuckled darkly. "I guess we'll just have to cut him out of the duel until he comes back to himself. That means it's just you and me Pharaoh."
Yami face was filled with disgust and hatred for this evil beast in front of him. "You did that just to get him out of the duel!? You would dare to subject someone to such memories!?" The eye of Ra upon his head was glowing brightly now, and his magical energies were pulsing like a living thing. "GARLIN! I've had enough of you and your sick games!"
Giovan snickered and pointed at Yami. "Then just try and stop me Pharaoh. Wolf Demon King, attack his Dark Magician Girl now! Lunar Flame Blast!" The giant wolf opened its jaws wide and charged up a glowing ball of ghostly flame. It aimed its muzzle at the Dark Magician Girl and fired, the blast tearing across the ground as it prepared to consume Yami's monster....
To be continued...
Next Chapter: A Grim Reminder
Author's Notes: I hope I am doing this alright. The duel isn't too hard to keep up with is it? If it is then please let me know in your review so I can fix that. This is where the duel really picks up, because Rikuo has been effectively disabled thanks to Giovan. Anyway, please review and let me know how I am doing so far with this duel and story arc. Thank much, bye.
To Victor: Keep in mind the situation in Chapter 31 with CJ and the sudden complete recovery from Cyclone's attack. I don't do stuff like that randomly. Look at the fact that Deondre suddenly had six cards in his deck that he never knew about. Trust me, magic is at work with those two.....it's just not a big part of this arc of the story.
TheChazMan: Sorry about the whole Ra thing. In all honesty I was tired and I actually had the magic card Abyssal Designator sitting in a pile of cards next to my desk. I looked at it and went, "Wow...anti-god card..." Then divine inspiration took its course.