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Demon Duelist Legacy-Dark Soul Arc
Chapter 29: Yami vs. Hikari
Rikuo's jokes disappeared in an instant. "You..."
Daniel already had his duel disk in place. "When I'm done with you, there won't be anything left but a bad memory. So let's get this duel underway, shall we?"
Rikuo didn't answer his other half. He just continued to stare.
Daniel calmly drew his five. "Is something the matter Rikuo?"
The wolf demon shook his head a few times to clear it. "You could say that." He started to tick the reasons off on his fingers. "One, you're supposed to be captured at the moment. Two, we share the same body, so how is it that you are...well...there..."
Daniel rolled his eyes and drew his sixth. "I was captured, until Envirius freed me. He and I had a little talk that came to a pretty interesting conclusion. Second, I have my own body because this is a darkness game."
Rikuo drew his five on reflex, though he had no intention of dueling his other half in a darkness game if he could avoid it. "Why would you make a deal with the man who is holding your mother as his hostage?"
Daniel's eyes lowered to the ground and he clenched his fists. "My...mother died about eight years ago. It was a plane crash." He brought his attention back to his other half. "And the reason I made a deal with Envirius is because I never wanted any of this!"
The glare he was giving Rikuo bordered somewhere on murderous. "I never wanted to have you in my head. Because of you, now I'm a demon! A DEMON! I don't want it and I never will. That's why the winner of this duel will get possession of our body, while the loser is banished forever. So that way when I win I will become what I used to be. I want to be a human again. Just a normal, everyday human!"
Rikuo snarled, his eyes glowing. "So that's what this is all about!? You're helping this madman because you want your life to go back to how it used to be!? ARE YOU INSANE!?" The wolf demon looked beyond infuriated now. "And to think I came all this way just to rescue you too!" He cracked his knuckles and then picked up his hand. "Just know that I'm not giving up without a fight. If you really want to duel me in this kind of darkness game, then so be it. I won't hold back."
"I'm not expecting you to." Daniel slid two cards into his disk. "I set two cards face-down and then..." He placed down a monster, "...I summon Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600) in attack mode!" A red mechanical dragon appeared on his field. "End turn."
Rikuo drew and slid two cards into his disk. "First off, I should let you know that right now you are acting like a spoiled brat more than ever. Secondly, I'm playing Stress of Battle and Spell Economics."
Daniel winced, though not because of the insult. It was because now every time Rikuo played a monster, all of his creatures would lose 500 attack points permanently. And as long as Spell Economics was on the field then Rikuo wouldn't have to pay any life points to use his Stress of Battle card.
At the sight of his other half's wince, Rikuo winced a little himself. Then he remembered that he had risked life and limb to come all this way, just to get betrayed. ("Plus if I beat him, I get to keep this body forever. I won't be part of him anymore.")
Was that what he really wanted though? Did he want to destroy part of himself? "I summon Wolf Demon Soldier (1400/1200) in attack mode!" As the demon pike-wielder appeared on his field, his Stress of Battle card drained Daniel's Y-Dragon Head of some of its attack points. (1000/1600) "Attack now!" The wolf soldier howled and charged, running the steel dragon through with its pike.
Daniel flipped up his face-down card. "I won't lose that easily! Reveal Limiter Removal, which will double the attack of all machine sub-type monsters on my field. As you should know, the only downside is that they die at the end of the turn." The Y-Dragon Head screeched and opened its jaws, unleashing a wave of electrical energy that destroyed Rikuo's Soldier instantly. (2000/1600)
Rikuo- 7400
Daniel- 8000
Rikuo's deck whined and then spat out a card, which he slapped onto his disk. "Oh, how forgetful you are, my little ningen. When Wolf Demon Soldier is destroyed in battle I may special summon Wolf Demon Lord (2400/1000) from anywhere to the field!"
There was a flash of light as his physical avatar appeared and howled. "And since another monster just hit the field, your creature loses another 500 attack points." (1500/1600) "Howling Sword!" The Samurai slammed its weapon into the ground and sent a wave of phantom blue-white flame to consume Daniel's metal monster.
Rikuo- 7400
Daniel- 7100
Rikuo snickered at the crestfallen look that has crossed Daniel's face. "Are you starting to realize that while in theory you might be able to beat me and take back your body, in real life such a thing is nowhere near as easy." ("Why do I sound like a villain when I say that? Why do I feel guilty for doing this to him?") "End turn."
Daniel drew and flipped up his other face-down card. "Sacrificial Revival allows me to summon one monster from my graveyard, though it may not attack or defend for me." His Y-Dragon Head formed on the field, and then it instantly exploded. "Now I sacrifice my monster to summon Jinzo!" (2400/1500) The green metal humanoid appeared on his field and chuckled coldly.
Even though Rikuo knew that Daniel had something planned, he couldn't help but whistle in amazement. "You always seem to have him out when you need him."
"And you always seem to get the Wolf Demon Lord out when you need him," Daniel evenly replied.
Rikuo smirked. "True. It's not like it will matter though. By the end of this duel, one of us is going to cease to exist."
Daniel slid his next card into his duel disk. "That will be you, not me. Activate Brain Control, giving me command of your Wolf Demon Lord for a turn." A purple brain appeared on his field and released a wave of mental energy that seized control of the demon, brining it over to his field.
Rikuo looked down at his hand and growled.
Daniel pointed at his other half. "Now Jinzo and Wolf Demon Lord, direct attack!" The two monsters released their attacks, blasting the wolf demon back a few feet.
Rikuo- 3600
Daniel- 7100
Daniel nodded. "End turn." The Wolf Demon Lord returned to Rikuo's field.
The ancient spirit glanced at the two monsters on the field. "Why didn't you use it?"
Daniel looked at the Polymerization card in his hand. "I didn't use it because I didn't want my monster to have anything to do with yours. I want nothing more to do with you in general."
Rikuo drew and he fanned out his hand. ("I could win this duel right now. But the card I would have to use...") "Wolf Demon Lord, suicide into Jinzo!" The demon flew across the field and slashed Jinzo in half. In a burst of digital light they both vanished. ("I could have crushed him. Why can't I!? It's not like destroying humans is anything new to me.") He slid two cards into his duel disk. "End turn."
Daniel drew. "You're nothing more than a parasite that changed my body to fit your own needs." He slapped down a monster. "I summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500) in attack mode!" A blue and yellow robot appeared on his field. "Attack his life points directly!" The machine charged up its cannons and fired a blast of energy that rocketed towards the demon.
Rikuo flipped up one of his face-down cards. "Negate Attack will protect me from all attacks this turn." A whirling vortex appeared and absorbed the force of the attack.
Daniel slid two cards into his duel disk. "I'll set these. End turn."
Rikuo drew and slid a card from his hand into his disk. "I'm getting tired of you and your constant complaining. So I'll use Monster Reborn to revive your Jinzo under my control!" The ground beneath him shuddered and the armored form of Jinzo appeared.
Daniel didn't seem bothered by the fact that his favorite monster was about to be used against him. It didn't bother him either that the attack of his X-Head Cannon was dropped. (1300/1500)
Rikuo pointed at the X-Head Cannon. "I never much liked those hunks of steel anyway. Get rid of it Jinzo." The monster cupped its hands together and released a ball of black energy that destroyed the X-Head Cannon and a portion of Daniel's life points.
Rikuo- 3600
Daniel- 6000
"End turn."
Daniel drew and he knew what he had to do. He slid his card into the duel disk. "I play the magic card Monster Reborn, reviving your Wolf Demon Lord under my control!" The ground beneath him exploded and the armored form of the demon samurai rose up. "End turn."
Rikuo drew and chuckled weakly. "Irony is a funny thing. I have your favorite monster under my control and you have my favorite monster under your control. How interesting..."
Daniel didn't think it was very interesting. "I'm going to tear this card up as soon as I get the chance to. Until then though...make your move."
Rikuo knew that he could win this duel right now. ("It's within my power to end this.") He reached his hand down to press the button on his disk. "I'm tired of playing with you Daniel! Reveal face-down card..." His hand was wavering over the button that would trigger his card. ("Dammit...I can't do it.") He drew. "End turn."
Daniel raised an eyebrow at his other half's behavior. "What's the matter Rikuo? Are you starting to forget your strategies?"
Surprisingly, Rikuo didn't seem angry. He seemed more confused than anything else. ("Why can't I end this? It's not like I care about Daniel at all. If I had my way then I'd want nothing to do with him. So why can't I just kill him and move on?")
Daniel drew and frowned. "End turn."
Rikuo drew and he stared at the card. ("Hmm...perhaps I could do something with this. First I'll need to get Jinzo off the field.") He slid a card into his duel disk. "I activate Demonic Sacrifice. Now we must both either sacrifice a monster or half of our life points."
Daniel immediately slid the Wolf Demon Lord into the graveyard, while Rikuo did the same with the Jinzo. "What purpose did that serve Rikuo? Why not just suicide our monsters into each other again?"
Rikuo didn't answer. "I set this face-down. End turn."
Daniel drew and smirked. "I'll wipe you out in just a scarce few turns. Go Wave-Motion Cannon!" A huge green cannon appeared on his field. "This machine will charge up once every turn, giving it a spell counter. I may sacrifice it to deal your 1000 life points per counter at any time during my turn. So until then, enjoy your last few minutes of existing. As soon as this is over with, I'll be free."
"Free of what, Daniel? What is it that you want to be free of?" Rikuo's question rang with a tone that he had never used before with his other half. Honest and complete curiosity.
"I want to be free of you! This isn't my life, it's yours! I...don't...want...THIS!" He punctuated each sentence by throwing his hands up and motioning to the darkness around them. "I don't know what life was like for you, but for me life isn't supposed to be like this. I went to that tournament to find out information about my mother, and then I wind up becoming...you! I'm not your host! I'm your plaything! You're an insensitive jerk who I cannot stand. Yet I can't get rid of you because YOU LIVE IN MY HEAD!!!"
It shouldn't have bothered Rikuo. He shouldn't have cared what Daniel though about him. Yet...
Daniel watched as Rikuo lowered his eyes to the ground. "Is your turn done?" He asked innocently.
"You're not even listening to me, are you? You don't even care!" Daniel slid a card from his hand into his disk. "Yes, my turn is done. So go ahead Rikuo, draw."
Rikuo drew and slowly looked up at his...hikari. "So that's what you think of me? I'm nothing but a parasite, hmm?" His features slowly twisted into anger. "I'm done with you!" He tapped the button on his duel disk that he had avoided before. "I thought about being gentle, and trying to sway you from this insane course you've decided to take, but now I'm done!! Activate Hell Meteor!" The card flipped up and up above Rikuo the sky tore open, revealing a pulsing dimension of fire and darkness. "And before you go and think that you are going to survive it, I reveal the card that means your doom." He slid the card he had drawn into his disk. "Endurance Drain, which doubles the damage of one magic card. Get ready to take 8000 life points of damage!"
Up above the wolf demon's head, a huge ball of red and black flames began to develop, getting larger and larger, until it loomed like a miniature sun over the battlefield. "Daniel...goodbye." The fireball dropped out of the sky, rocketing towards the boy.
Daniel dropped his hand to the ground and fell to his knees. If there was one card that would have disabled him, it would have been the Hell Meteor. ("Not again...the flames...") He clutched his skull and crashed to the stone, quivering in terror. ("Not that place again...no...please...")
Rikuo's fist continued to clench tighter and tighter. ("Well Rikuo, you've done it. You've not only about to succeed in killing a boy and taking his body, but just to make it stick you're using a card that he has a psychological fear of to do it. And for all you know, you probably are going to wind up trapping his soul in that place, where he will be tortured for all eternity...")
His fist clenched tighter and tighter. ("It's not like he doesn't deserve it. He did insult me, even though I came to save him. He has the audacity to tell me off. No one does that and escapes unharmed.")
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The being within Daniel's ravaged body smiled and bared his fangs once more. "I shall, but only if you tell your master not to involve Daniel's friends and loved ones in his madness. If he wants the boy then come after him directly." When Viper nodded he continued, "As for my name?" His next smile sent fear into Viper's heart. "I am the hunter. I am the wolf. But if you need a name for me then call me...Rikuo."
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Daniel growled and drew his card. "You are a fool! Rikuo remembered that it was his fault your family had been killed. He was willing to lose to you."
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"I had some time to think about it though and I have decided that you made the correct choice. You are forgiven for now." For Rikuo, that was the best version of an 'I'm sorry' that Daniel was going to get.
Daniel nursed his ribs and glared at his darker self. "I hate you."
Surprisingly, Rikuo smirked proudly. "I know."
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All he could feel was the sadness at having failed, and the understanding that he would never see his friends or family again. ("I won't let myself die honor-less though.") He knew that Rikuo must have been rubbing off on him more then the demon would let on.
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Daniel rolled his eyes and walked over the door that led back into his body. "Whatever you say, Mr. Big bad wolf demon." He tugged the handle and right before he stepped through he said, "And thank you for your help Rikuo."
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Daniel returned the growl loudly, startling most of his class. He leapt up out of his chair and grabbed his backpack. "Fine Rikuo! I'll deal with the entire situation myself!!"
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("Rikuo?")
("What the hell do you want, ningen?")
("Save my mother, and kill the Shadow Corporation bastard that dared to threaten her.")
(".........Fine.")
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Rikuo opened his eyes slowly, expecting to see a prison for his soul. Instead, he still sat in the forest. Jasmine was gone. ("Daniel, are you alright?")
When silence was his answer, Rikuo felt very cold. ("Daniel!?") Still there was no answer. He hesitantly reached out with his mind to connect to Daniel's thoughts.
All he found was a single, lingering mote of light. As he brushed it vanished, leaving behind a message. ("Rikuo...save my mother. Watch your temper. Help the others. Get me back......")
Rikuo returned to his mind to feel tears drip down his face. ("He paid for my mistake....") His head lowered to the ground, and then snapped up as he howled into the night sky.
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Rikuo's mind slipped back to the present, all of the memories flashing by at impossible speed. He felt the tears on his cheeks, and he understood what he had done wrong. After all of this time, he knew why he had reborn within the boy's body.
("He is the true wolf demon lord...I was supposed to protect him. Yet I have just sentenced him to death.") The Hell Meteor was getting closer now, the heat so intense that the cowering Daniel somehow managed to sink lower to the floor in an attempt to escape it.
Rikuo looked at his face-down card. ("So be it.") "Reveal face-down card, Spirit Mirror! This allows me to select one magic card that is targeting a player and switch its target!" A huge hand mirror appeared and caught the Hell Meteor, holding the huge fireball suspended in the air.
Daniel felt the Meteor stop, and he looked up slowly, his eyes red and his face still pale. "Rikuo?"
The wolf demon looked at the ground instead of his hikari. "I've failed in my duty. I've lost my honor. Daniel, don't let them do whatever they want. That's all I ask of you." He raised his voice enough for the voice recognition system of the duel disk. "I am redirecting the Hell Meteor at myself!" The mirror shuddered and then exploded, the blast launching the fireball towards Rikuo now.
Daniel watched through blurry eyes as his other half was about to be barbecued by the very Hell Meteor that had been about to consume him. ("Rikuo?")
Rikuo smiled sadly. "Later." And then he was engulfed by the Hell Meteor.
To be continued...
Next Chapter: Balance
Author's Notes: To Gryphinwyrm7: The Legendary Weapon Card of the Snake Lord will be shown to you, just not in this arc. Keep in mind that I'm working on setting up a plot for the next arc. Sorry, I can't spoil the surprise by telling you what the Weapon Card does.