Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Demon Duelist Legacy-Dark Soul Arc

Chapter 5: A sudden burst of power

Aishito flipped his other face-down card. "By playing the continuous magic card Spell Economics, I don't have to pay life points for any magic card costs. You know what that means right?" He sneered darkly as Daniel slid his hand into his graveyard. "That's right. This two card combo forces you to discard your entire hand on each of my turns." His voice had risen to a fevered pitch. "In other words boy, you're mother will die before this night is done!"

As much as Daniel wanted to protest, he just didn't have the strength anymore. ("I...can't....lose...")

Aishito pointed at Daniel's face-down monster. "Shiraku attack his defender!" The spellcaster charged up a ball of bright white that flew across the field and blew Daniel's face-down monster apart.

Daniel grimaced and tried to summon up the strength to draw his next card. With visible effort he managed to draw the top card of his deck. He stared at it, trying to will his vision to clear enough for him to see what the card was. By the color of the card itself, he could tell it was a magic card. ("If...left....hand....gone...must....set...") He slid the card into his duel disk and nearly fainted with the effort.

Aishito drew and slid his newest card into his disk. "Now I play the magic card Monster Reborn. Take a wild guess what monster I am going to bring back under my control."

Even in his nearly unconscious state, Daniel was able to groan. "...Jinzo..."

Aishito snickered as the green armored humanoid appeared on his field. It didn't chuckle though, like when Daniel had summoned it. "That's right little boy. Now my monsters, attack his life points directly!" The two creatures fired their attacks, which mixed into a pulsing ball of light and dark energy.

When it hit Daniel was thrown back against the gymnasium wall heavily. He landed on his knees and coughed up a small spray of blood.

Daniel- 2400

Aishito- 6800

Aishito smirked and motioned to his opponent. "End turn. Now either draw or say good-bye to your mother."

Daniel couldn't hear him though. The duelist had already lost consciousness.

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Saito nodded. "Mokuba Kaiba was too easy to kidnap from right under Kaiba's nose. As long as we have him the smug bastard has no choice but to obey our every whim."

Deondre's hands trembled at his sides. "You monsters." His fists clenched tighter and tighter. "Now that I know that piece of information, I can't lose. You hear me Saito? This will be an all-or-nothing duel! The loser dies."

The grin on Saito's face widened. "This is rich! Are you telling me that you challenge me to a darkness game?"

Deondre's face was set in stone. "That's right. Saito Hiroshi, I challenge you to a darkness game!"

Saito frowned as the air around them pulsed and twisted into a sphere of black and purple light. ("How did he do that? He shouldn't have been able to invoke the powers of a darkness game. Only I should have been able to do that. It's no matter though, he'll be destroyed very soon.") He drew five cards from his gauntlet and threw them into the darkness above him. They all came back down much larger and surrounding him in a half-circle. "Alright then, I suggest you get ready to lose your soul in this place."

Deondre looked down at the gauntlet and nodded. ("When Daniel dueled him before using these rules he needed to turn into his demon form. Maybe I bit off more then I could chew this time.") It was too late now though. He concentrated and sure enough, his form was surrounded by a faint purple energy. He drew the five cards off of the top of his deck and threw them into the air. He felt each card tug on his soul and drain it of energy as they landed before him in their spiritual forms. In fact he could already feel beads of sweat adorning his forehead. ("I feel like I just ran a mile. Is that how much of a drain it is just to draw the cards themselves? How am I supposed to project them then?")

Saito saw the doubt on Deondre's face and sneered. "Losing your nerve already? Perhaps you should have thought before you acted? Oh well though. There's no escape from this duel now." He motioned to the center card in his card zone. It launched into the air and flipped over to reveal a demonic humanoid covered in spikes that was crouching with its arms in front of it. "I'll begin this spirit duel with Neudoria (1200/800) in defense mode! End turn."

Deondre looked at his five cards apprehensively. He knew that whatever monster destroyed Neudoria would be destroyed itself, and that would leave him wide open to attack next turn. With only 2000 life points, he couldn't let that happen. ("I had better play something small. If this really is tapping into my spirit energy then I can't summon out something too big or else I may lose just because I drained myself. He motioned to one of his side cards and it launched into the field. The card flipped over and spat out a blond-haired magician in a crouching position. "Then I summon Apprentice Magician (400/800) in defense mode! End turn." He was already breathing harder now that he had expended the power to summon the monster.

Saito lazily drew and flicker the card into his hand zone. "You're nothing more then a pitiful human being. What made you think that you could challenge me here?" He motioned to one of his side cards and it flipped. "I activate the magic card Stop Defense! This will switch your Magician into attack mode!" A blast of lightning struck Deondre's monster and it stood up from its crouching position.

Deondre bit his lower lip. ("Crap...")

Saito could finish this duel right now if he had wanted, but what was the fun in that? ("No...I want to watch him drain his life force into these cards before I trample him like the human worm he is.") He motioned to the Neudoria and it stood up from its crouching position. "I switch Neudoria into attack mode. Now attack his monster!" The demon screamed and launched across the field, slashing its claws across the purple robed mage's chest. The Magician screamed in pain and then exploded.

Deondre- 1200

Saito- 2000

Deondre grabbed his chest and fell to one knee, his vision fading in and out as the damage from the attack sucked the very life out of him. The worst part of it all was that when his monster had died he had felt its pain. He had felt the claws slash across his own chest.

Saito snorted at the sight of the human collapsing after only losing one monster. "This is something like comparing a forest fire to a candle flame. You don't have the spiritual strength to face me in this place."

Deondre pulled himself up to one knee and motioned to his gauntlet. It spat out a card that shot into the air and materialized into the form of another Apprentice Magician. "Maybe...but as a duelist I'm your better. Apprentice Magician's special ability allows me to summon a level two or lower spellcaster monster from my deck when it is destroyed in battle. So I summon another Apprentice Magician in defense mode."

Saito sighed at the annoyance and his self-replicating magicians. "You're making this harder then it has to be. Why not just accept oblivion? Prolonging your suffering isn't doing you any good."

Deondre drew a card off of his deck and flicked it into the hand zone. It stayed its normal size for a moment, and then slowly grew to spiritual size. He shuddered as he felt the card consume more of his already almost gone energy. ("This...is too...hard...")

Saito sighed and placed the palm of one hand against his forehead. "This isn't even entertaining anymore. Just surrender and stop wasting my time."

That was the incentive Deondre needed to hear. Calling up his remaining strength he came to his feet and motioned to another of his cards. It slowly lifted into the air and flipped over to reveal a female spellcaster with blue and purple robes. "I summon Magician of Faith (300/400) in defense mode. End turn."

Saito drew a card from his deck and when he looked at it, he chuckled. "I'm done being patient." He flicked it up into the air, where it grew and flipped over. As the face of the card became visible to Deondre, he felt his waning strength grow even weaker. "I summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500) in attack mode!" The enormous form of the mighty dragon appeared on the field and roared at Deondre. "He's hungry for a snack. Guess who looks appetizing right now."

Deondre frowned and braced himself for what he knew was coming. ("I have to hold on.")

Saito pointed at the Apprentice Magician. "Wipe it out Neudoria!" The demon howled and flew across the spectral distance, snapping its claws down on the magician and tearing it apart.

This time the drain from his creature's death was too much for Deondre to even hope to use the Apprentice Magician's effect again. He was using his remaining energy just to stay standing.

Saito sighed and pointed at the Magician of Faith. "Now good-bye and good riddance. Burst Stream!" The dragon opened its jaws and released a powerful lump of energy that blew the female magician apart.

Deondre clutched his sides in pain and then he collapsed to the ground, all of his life force gone.

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Daniel found himself floating in an endless void of shadow. He frowned and assumed that he was somehow back inside his mind with Rikuo somewhere nearby. "Alright Rikuo, come on out!" All that he got in return was silence. "Rikuo?"

Now he was afraid. If this wasn't his mind, where was he?

"You've been through a lot Daniel," a gentle voice behind him said.

He spun around to find himself face to snout with an enormous jet black wolf. ".................."

The wolf chuckled and took a couple of steps back into the void. "After all of the madness you have been through in the past, this surprises you?"

Daniel sighed and shook his head to clear the initial shock. "Not really. So what do you want?"

"It's not what I want Daniel, it's what you want."

He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What I want?"

The wolf nodded. "Think about it. You yourself wanted to handle this on your own. Are you sure that was what you wanted though? Are you really willing to risk the life of your mother, who you barely know or remember, over a matter of pride?"

Daniel frowned unhappily. "This is my problem though. I don't want the help of Rikuo, Deondre, CJ or anyone else for that matter."

A sigh escaped the wolf's muzzle. "You're a thick-headed kid aren't you? What's so wrong about having any help?"

Daniel turned away from the wolf angrily. "You don't understand at all."

"Perhaps I don't but once again, is this really the situation to be prideful in? Right now you are passed out on the floor of that gymnasium, and if that wasn't bad enough, Aishito is about to tell his men to execute your mother."

"WHAT!?" Daniel spun back around. "GET ME BACK THERE!!!"

"I can't. Your body is drained of all of its strength. When you sealed off Rikuo you cut your soul in half. Right now you are drained of all of your power. That leaves you only one avenue of revival."

Daniel growled and turned away. "Damn you..."

The wolf shrugged its massive shoulders. "I don't make the rules of life kid."

Daniel sighed. "Alright...you win." ("Rikuo?")

("What the hell do you want ningen?")

("Save my mother, and kill the Shadow Corporation bastard that dared to threaten her.")

(".........Fine.")

The wolf sighed. "Was it really that hard?"

Daniel didn't answer him though. He let the void claim him and drift into sleep.

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Aishito cackled once more as he pulled out his cell phone. He flipped it open and hit the speed-dial for his henchmen on the roof. As soon as he heard a voice answer on the other line he snickered. ("Too bad boy.") "Kill..."

"Not so fast Aishito. This duel isn't over yet." A gruff voice from behind him said.

He turned to find himself facing the wolf demon Rikuo. "Ah, I was wondering if you were going to show up or not."

Rikuo grinned and stretched his neck out a little. "I would never miss a party where killing a Shadow Corporation member is one of the party games."

Aishito sneered. "Look at the life point totals and the fields. I'm in the lead and I'm in best position to win. So don't get all high and mighty on me because you're a demon. In this duel you are nothing."

Rikuo drew and looked at his card. He smiled just enough to reveal a fang. "Oh I beg to differ Aishito. In fact watch as your entire strategy crumbles around you before this turn is over. For you see I play..."

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Saito sighed and watched as the smoky darkness of the orb surrounding them began to engulf Deondre's body, intent on absorbing his soul. "This was a pitiful duel. I was expecting him to at least be a little bit of a challenge." He watched as the last tendril of the darkness fell over Deondre's face and he was gone.

A few seconds passed and then calm laughter could be heard from all around Saito. "Oh...I'm sorry," A voice from within the darkness said. "Did you think it was over?" The darkness of the orb cleared to reveal Deondre, now standing and surrounded in an impossibly strong purple aura of spiritual energy. "Did you think that I was beaten?"

Saito stared in confusion at the suddenly recharged duelist. "That's...not possible. You are a normal human. Your energy was completely gone. How is this possible?"

Deondre looked down at his hands, and then he brought his eyes up to give Saito a look that seemed to burn into his soul. "I'm a normal human? If anyone here is a normal human, it is you. I on the other hand..." His lip curled into a smirk. "Am far from a normal human."

Saito snarled. "You think you can win in this spirit duel against me? I highly doubt your pitiful deck can withstand the power of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons, mister...?"

Deondre chuckled. "Since you are going to lose your soul, I will give you my name." The darkness of the orb fully reformed as the darkness game came back into effect. "I am Valeus, your executioner."

To be continued...

Next Chapter: Pushing back

Author's notes: Hello everyone! Not much to say about this except that if you guys have a question for me then please post it in your review. Alright, later.