Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh. Also, this is not meant to offend anyone religiously, so please do not take it that way.

Demon Duelist Legacy-World Tour Arc

Chapter 36: Valeus' purpose; divinity unleashed

Valeus drew, and his features twisted again into a dark smile. "Get ready, because I'm about to show you something that very few beings get to see." Grasping the card between his fingers, he held it up into the air. "I'm about to show you why they call this 'Game of Gods'!

Rikuo felt sweat beginning to develop on his brow. ("Gods? What's he mean?")

Taking another card from hand, Valeus slapped the chosen card onto the table. "First I play the magic card Tribute from the Grave, which will allow me to sacrifice monsters in my graveyard to charge my summon! Now I call upon the power of god!" Lightning crashed somewhere in the darkness.

Rikuo was nearly sweating literal bullets now. ("A god...it can't be!")

Holding the card into the air, Valeus roared out, "I sacrifice the three monsters in my graveyard to summon this!" He nearly cracked the table with the force of his play. The card exploded into flames, spraying the entire void with its blazing energy. "This will begin your end!"

The fire gathered together around one point behind Valeus, forming into some kind of huge humanoid being. Letting out one echoing roar, the creature finished its transformation. It now looked like a giant made completely out of fire, with a pair of orange eyes that glared at Rikuo from across the table. It stood at least 40' tall, waiting patiently behind its master.

Rikuo, eyes wide, stared at the creature. "That thing..."

Valeus nodded. "God of Fire-Kossuth. (3000/3500) With its special abilities, you're going to be hard-pressed to defeat it. I'm confident you will find a way though."

The wolf demon wasn't really listening. "Is that thing a...god card?"

"Good, there is some brain in that skull of yours." Valeus glanced back at Kossuth. "The elemental god of fire, which was created by some nameless cult not too far back. Of course, it is a soul card, as I doubt Maximillion Pegasus would print something like this."

Rikuo looked down at his friends, and then up at the monster before him. ("Damn...how am I going to kill that damned thing?")

Valeus smiled and pointed at Jasmine. "Kossuth, kill the wench!" The hell-giant roared and lunged forwards, its fist positioned to pound the Kitsune into the table.

Rikuo looked at his two face-down cards. ("These won't help me!") "Jasmine!"

Throwing her arms up in front of her, Jasmine prepared for the worst...

"That's enough Valeus!" Ryu threw his body in the way of the attack, shuddering as the flaming fist slammed right into him.

Ryu- 5000

"Ryu!" Jasmine, Rikuo and Esmin all yelled at once.

"I'll...be alright." The dragon demon looked damaged, but he also seemed like he would survive.

Valeus frowned. "So, you wish to protect each other? It's too bad that Kossuth's special ability allows me to pay 1000 life points once per turn to allow him to attack again. So if you want to be a martyr, then let me show you how you're supposed to do it!" Throwing back its fist, Kossuth slammed the burning limb into Ryu's body again.

Valeus- 203100

Ryu- 2000

"Stop it Valeus!" Rikuo yelled. "They're not part of our battle! If you consider yourself any kind of true duelist, you'll come after someone who can fight back!"

Ryu crashed into the ground, plumes of smoke coming off of his body. "It's alright...Rikuo. I'll survive this."

Valeus' steel-grey eyes watched Ryu appraisingly. "I must admit that I am impressed with how resilient you are my dear dragon. Not many can take two hits from a god and say they are alright." He looked up at Rikuo and smiled enough to reveal a single fang. "What do you think? Is Kossuth worthy of the name god?"

The wolf demon drew. "Why must you hurt? What is it that makes it so you have to injure innocent people?"

Placing the single card that was his hand aside, the demon mage laid back in his seat. "Sure, I'll give you all a little history lesson." Clearing his throat, Valeus began, "Long ago there were both demons and humans on the planet. They knew of each others existence, though they didn't really bother with the other. And then it began..." With a wave of his hand, the darkness to their right was transformed into an overhead view of the world. "The humans started to take over, polluting everything with their touch. Eventually the demon races became like the humans..." His voice dripped with venom. "And that disgusted me, for I watched the world warp and change over my ten thousand years of imprisonment."

His black hair lifted up slightly on an unseen wind. "And then I got free. I originally created the Purge as a way to gather power, but now I know the truth about its potential. You see I first understood what I had to do when I escaped from my prison into Deondre's body..." His smile, still calm, was tinged with a strange emotion, like a mix of humor and anger. "I have to end the universe and start it over again! Except this time, I will be god!"

"You're nuts," said Rikuo. "And I'm going to put you in your place right now."

Valeus smirked and pointed at Kossuth. "Can you? My Fire God Card is too strong for anything in your possession to defeat me."

"I will find a way." Rikuo wasn't planning on giving up. There had to be a weakness to that card.

Valeus shook his head slowly. "Do you even understand why I want to battle you? It's certainly not because of anything you could possibly offer me challenge wise, that's for sure." Ignoring Rikuo's angered growl he continued. "Did it ever occur to you why you are able to stand against opponents like Yamidra and Sestros, who overpower you incredibly, and still manage to hold your own against them? Don't tell me that you think it is because of your own skill in battle..."

"What are you getting at Valeus?" Rikuo wanted to continue this duel...but something about this interested him.

"As you know, the world is full of many different kinds of power. Well, I obviously need a certain amount of power to even begin destroying the universe, and that power will come from the gods." The demon mage motioned back at Kossuth, who stood silently. "This creature was once nothing but an idea, as were all gods...and then it gained power as people revered it, until it eventually became a true creature. Power is all relative...and gods are full of the purest energy in existence. The Egyptians had strong gods, but so did many other cultures...and that has been my goal for the longest time."

Rikuo understood, yet he couldn't comprehend how that was possible. "You have been collecting gods? What are you babbling about, that's impossible! Gods are beyond you!"

"Gods possess power, but they are nothing unique. Just like in Duel Monsters, each god is simply the same energy warped in a different way. And don't you dare have the audacity to tell me that I cannot gather the power of the gods. Right behind me is my first convert, but certainly not the last...for I possess four other God Cards in my deck!" Kossuth roared into the darkness. "And each one is more powerful than the last. Yet for all the power I have, it will not be enough to defeat the other gods. They would crush my army with ease." His hand pointed at his opponent. "That is where you come in, my dear Rikuo...for you see I actually was giving you the simplified version of how energy is. In the world, there is a type of energy that has the power to crush other gods and divine beings beneath its might."

Rikuo felt a drop of sweat slide down his cheek. "Impossible...it's not true..."

Valeus threw back his robes, "It is true, Rikuo Amero. Now bring out the killer of gods that you possess, before I kill off your friends!"

Ryu looked back at Rikuo weakly. "You...have a God Card?"

The wolf demon shook his head vehemently. "Of course I don't! I'm not anyone special enough to possess a weapon of that magnitude."

"Don't deny it Rikuo, for you have felt it since you were but a boy, haven't you?" Valeus sneered at the sight of his opponent flinching at his words. "It's the killer of gods, and you have it. I want it, so bring it out!"

Growling, Rikuo slammed his fist so hard into the table that the stone cracked. "Shut up and duel!"

Valeus was sure he was correct...Rikuo knew about the God Card. "End turn for now."

Rikuo placed his hand on top of his deck, ignoring his bloody knuckles. "My turn, draw!" His face paled at what cards were in his hand. ("I have nothing to stop him from attacking again with Kossuth...") "I switch Wolf Demon Soldier into defense mode!" The pike-man fell to one knee. "Then I'll set one card face-down on my field. End turn!"

Valeus drew. "You cannot deny me, Rikuo! Bring...it...out!" Looking at his card, his insane smile widened. "Kossuth, attack the wench!" The fire giant roared and launched its fist across the field to punch right through Jasmine.

Ryu tried to stand to throw himself in the way, but he couldn't find the strength to do so. "R...Rikuo!"

The wolf demon's head was hanging out of sight. ("There's nothing I can do...none of my cards will affect a God Card.")

Esmin spat onto the ground. "Screw you, Valeus." He threw himself into the way of the attack, screaming in pain as the fires burned across his chest.

Esmin- 5000

Valeus growled in anger. "Little pest...DIE!" Kossuth's special ability triggered and the god attacked again, slamming its fist right into Esmin.

Esmin- 2000

Valeus- 202100

As the smoke cleared from the fires of Kossuth's attack, it threw back its head and roared in anger. From in front of it, Valeus snickered, "He wants a challenge Rikuo. Can't you be a dear and give him what he wants? After all, it's been so long since he has been outside of his card, that I'm sure he would just want some company."

"No...I will not..." Rikuo was about to draw, but Valeus held up the card he had drawn.

"Hold it Rikuo, I play the magic card Divine Hammer. Now one Divine attribute monster on my field may attack immediately. Take a wild guess which divine monster it will be." Kossuth roared and cocked back its fist, getting ready to crush one of Rikuo's three friends. "Now...which one of them dies?" His finger came to rest pointing at Jasmine. "That one...kill her." Kossuth roared and threw its fist across the field, ready to completely annihilate the Kitsune in one strike.

"NOOO!!!" Rikuo slammed his claw towards Jasmine, but it was stopped midway by a field of energy. "JASMINE!!!"

The fist continued to rocket towards her, and all she could do was stand there and prepare to die...

"Jasmine!" Esmin already knew what had to be done. ("It was a short time being alive, but sweet enough....") Using what little energy was left in his body, the white Kitsune hurled himself into the way of Kossuth's attack. There was pain, but not as much as he would have thought.

Esmin- 0

"BROTHER!" Jasmine fell to her knees, tears dripping down her cheeks.

Ryu glared up at Rikuo. "If you have it, then use it now!"

Valeus snickered at the pile of ash where Esmin had been. "Fool...doesn't he realize that one cannot meddle in the affairs of gods without feeling divine punishment?" The demon mage smirked at Rikuo. "Come now, why don't you bring out your god so he can play?"

Rikuo, his eyes squeezed shut, drew his card.

Valeus threw back his head, wild laughter echoing across the void. "Well Rikuo, are you going to bring it out, or not!?"

Now Ryu's eyes were pleading. "Why won't you play it? I don't understand what the problem is!!! Jasmine is in danger, Rikuo!"

The wolf demon was quivering, every part of his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Or perhaps you just don't love her, after all?" Valeus threw in. "Perhaps she was nothing but a fling for you...eh Rikuo?"

Rikuo shook harder and harder, his eyes squeezed as tightly shut as they could be.

Kossuth roared once more, wanting a challenge...

"Rikuo please!" Yelled Ryu...

"Or then again..." Valeus licked his lips sickly, "Maybe she was just meant to be a sex toy you never got around to..."

Rikuo shook even harder, and his hair fluttered around his head on invisible air streams...

"Brother...I'm sorry I hated you..." Jasmine whispered out, oblivious to everything going on around them.

That was the breaking point...

The dimension shook as Rikuo's fists crashed down into his side of the table, shattering the stone. His eyes snapped open to reveal crimson irises. "ENOUGH!!!!" That single sound stopped everyone, even Valeus, in their tracks. "You wanted to see my god Valeus? To tell you the truth, I feared it..." Rikuo's voice sounded beyond angry or enraged...it sounded like he had reached his limit... "But my fear of it pales in comparison..." His raven-black hair flapped around him, the dimension shaking like there was an earthquake going on, "...to my HATE OF YOU!!!" Rikuo grabbed the monster card from his hand that had originally been blank. "So you wish to see my monster!? You wish to see my GOD!?"

Valeus nodded calmly. "Yes I do."

Rikuo, his face locked into a position that could kill lesser men on the spot, raised the card into the air. All around them, the dimension trembled as huge amounts of energy were being pulled together to create something. "Then it looks like you get your wish!!!" His two face-down monsters and his Wolf Demon Soldier faded off the field.

It began to form, creating huge claws capable of slashing through nearly anything. It continued to form itself, taking on a shape distinctly canine. The darkness formed an orb around the creature, blocking it off from view.

("This is it...the monster that will bring about the destruction of reality!") Valeus' face was locked into permanent excitement, his steel-grey eyes not even phased by the sudden windstorm that had picked up around them.

The darkness sphere disappeared to reveal a huge black wolf-like monster. It stood at least 80' from paw to shoulder. Throwing back its head, the monster howled into the darkness realm, shaking the dimensional barrier with its anger. Rikuo didn't even need to look at the card to know the creature's name. "Valeus...I present to you the monster that has the power to slay gods. Here he is, and you will soon suffer under his wrath...Fenrir-Destroyer of Gods!" (4000/4000)

To be continued...