A voice came from the announcement system: "There will be a half hour break before the quarter finals. During that time, the next arena will be prepared and your respective opponents will be selected."
-O-
Sevanos entered the control room for the tournament to see Opaka and Barbas at computer terminals. "I need information, Barbas."
"On what?" Barbas called up a search engine.
"You're going to use Google?" Sevanos asked.
"Everything is on Google." Barbas shrugged.
"Find information on a group known as the Abyss. And cross-reference with the name Illarya." Sevanos ordered.
"I'll have everything for you by the semi-finals." Barbas reported, pleasantly.
-O-
"Raven!" Kaomi ran up to him. "I don't know what to say about earlier. But I do know that I'm not about to loose you to that psychopathic Sevanos. That much is for certain. So, I'm going to stand by you. Whatever you are about to face, I'm gonna face it with you."
"Kaomi, that means a lot. But I can't let you. This is my fight."
"Screw destiny, Raven! Let me help you!" Kaomi screamed at him.
"If all goes right, stay away from the finals, Kaomi."
"Raven..."
"Please."
-O-
"Remaining finalists, report to Floor Thirty for the next round." The much-anticipated announcement came.
-O-
"Alright, people." Alan stood in front of a large pair of metal doors, "Past here is the stairs to the roof. There is an arena set up there for the remainder of this tournament. Hope your not afraid of heights. When your not dueling, you'll be in this room watching on these monitors," he gestured to television screens, "Now, the first match will be Shuyin versus Ilarya. That'll be followed by Alex versus Raven, Kaomi versus Sevanos, and Cid versus Aura." Alan walked through the large doors, Illarya and Shuyin right behind them.
Each duelist shot a glance at his or her opponent.
Raven then approached Kaomi, "Be careful."
"Like you need to tell me." Kaomi closed her eyes and let memories consume her:
"Kaomi, I've been meaning to tell you something, and since I'm probably only three hours away from another plane of existence, and I may never be able to talk to you like this again, I might as well say it now."
"What is it?" she asked.
"Kaomi, if I don't make it, know that I loved you all along." He paused, "Also know that I cannot let you face Sevanos, because I cannot loose you, even if I'll loose myself soon enough anyway. Promise me, you'll stay in this realm, and I promise you I'll come back."
"It's a deal."
"We had a deal, didn't we?" Kaomi asked, visibly ill at ease.
"I suppose we did. Sadly, it seems fate got in the way." Raven looked depressed, "If he does anything to you, I swear I'll banish him forever, and I'll get you back. I swear it."
More memories flooded Kaomi:
"Something wrong?"
"It's Raven." Kaomi sighed, "If he looses against Sevanos, he'll be banished to some Shadow Realm or something. All I know is I may never see him again. I guess I'm just now realizing how bad that'd be. I don't think I could go on without him."
"So, you two care for each other?"
"Well, yeah. I guess..."
"So, let that hold you together. A solid bond like that can take the rigors of long-distance. Well, transdimensional, I'm not sure, but I'd imagine it would work." Aura suggested.
"You're a good friend, Aura." Kaomi smiled, "Let's head down."
"Raven, I care about you a great deal. No matter what happens, let knowing that strengthen you. Duel for me." A tear formed in her eye, "If that turban dude, Shadi or whatever his name was, was right, I'm going to loose this duel. And then I go to that Shadow Realm place like those two guys who lost to Illarya and Sevanos."
"I'll save you." Raven clenched a fist. "Damn fate. Damn destiny. Damn it all! I'll save you, Kaomi."
-O-
Shuyin smiled, peering at his hand. "This'll be fun."
"Indeed." Illarya replied.
"I'll go first. I activate Dark Designator." A shadowy hand reached into Illarya's deck, "This will add Exodia the Forbidden One to your hand. Now, I play Card Destruction."
"Not bad, mortal."
"And now, here goes my Cannon Solder in defense mode. And a little something face down. Go."
"I play Vorse Raider." Illarya said, emotionless. "Attack."
"Zero Gravity." Shuyin smiled, "Something I picked up watching other duels." He drew, "This'll hurt 'em. Scapegoat!" four small goats appeared before him, "And sacrifice all my monsters wilth my Cannon Solder, including my Solder himself. Cannon Solder, inflict 2500 points of damage! And, go."
"I will" her Life Points fell to 1500. "Set one card and have Vorse Raider attack."
"Ouch." Shuyin replied, sarcastically, as his Life Points fell to 2100. "I play Mystical Elf in defense mode."
"Reveal Destiny Board." She said, still emotionless, as F appeared above her. "And with that, let us take our game to a new level." A cloud of darkness consumed them.
Shuyin cursed reputedly under his breath.
"Now, sacrifice Vorse Raider for the Summoned Skull." A skeleton emerged on her field, "Skull, attack."
"No..." Shuyin drew, "Wait, yes! Go, Heavy Storm!" A gust tore away the set cards on the field, and blew the Destiny Board into the realm of shadows. "And I play Tribute to the Doomed, discarding my Big Burn to destroy the Summoned Skull." He smiled, "Go."
"You have finished yourself. You no longer have a hand." Illarya commented. "I summon Yata-Garasu. My Yata attacks, and you can no longer draw. You're locked." She reported, as Yata struck him endlessly. The shadowy world faded, Shuyin with it.
-O-
"I promise you, Alex, this won't take long." Raven stood opposite Alex, "Let's Duel!"
"I play my Goblin Attack Force! Your move." Alex grinned.
"Wipe that stupid grin off your face." Raven ordered, "Activate Soul Exchange and Tribute Doll so I can bring forth the tyrant Dragon!" Raven smiled. "What are you waiting for? Go already."
"Okay. I defend. Go."
"Summon my Dancing Fairy. Fairy, attack him." Three tiny faries blasted away the defending warrior, and the fireball from the great Tyrant Dragon followed.
"That's not nice!" scowled Alex as his Life Points fell to 1100. "Defend."
"Spell card, Stop Defense." Raven slid onto his field The Big Shield Gardna rose. "Tyrant, finish him!"
"Wow..." Alex watched the fireball plow through his monster, "I must really suck to loose this bad."
"Yeah..." Raven nodded. "Better rework your deck."
-O-
Sevanos laughed manically as he drew his first cards. "Let's follow Miss Illarya's shining example." Shadows surrounded them.
"Bring it!" Kaomi drew. "No? Than I will. Go Swords of Revealing Light." Swords flew at Sevanos, binding him. "And send out my Dark Blade. Fair to warn you, your Shadow Games can capture you too." Kaomi smirked.
"Fine, then." Sevanos drew. "I play a card face-down and my Jinzo #7! Little Number Seven can attack you directly. Of course, I can't attack, so go."
"Okay. Dark Blade, attack!" ordered Kaomi.
"Reveal Gravity Bind!" The Dark Blade was unable to move. "Now, to enhance my Jinzo, I play the spell Seven Completed. This raises my monster's attack power by 700. Still can't attack, so go."
"I play a monster in defense mode. End my turn."
"That's right. Here's another Seven Completed." Sevanos laughed.
"Shut up, maniac." Kaomi shot a glance at her hand. It was a long shot, but it would work. "I play Cost Down, allowing me to summon my Patrician of Darkness! And now, I play these two spell cards, Demotion! Each lowers my Patrician's level by one, meaning it's not bound. Destroy J-7." Kaomi ordered.
"Not bad." Sevanos' Life Points fell to 3900. "But you won't get much farther. Heavy Storm will blow my bind away, and these two cards-" he set tow traps face-down, "-will ensure my victory."
"Nice bluff, Sevanos. If both my monsters attack, you'll be down to 100 Life Points. So, do it!" Kaomi ordered.
"No bluff, fool." Sevanos laughed. "Reveal my two traps, Mirror Force and A Hero Emerges, bringing forth my mighty Wingweiver!" A six-winged angelic figure fizzled into existence. "And this wonderful Winged Messenger will attack you." A beam struck Kaomi down.
"These holograms are a bit too realistic for my taste." Kaomi coughed.
"Itai, you fool! They're not holograms anymore." Sevanos laughed, "In this realm they're very real. And there ready to consume your mind."
"Let me feed 'em something else." Kaomi struggled to her feel. Her Life Points at a tiny 1250.
"You realize it is fated that you loose this." Sevanos shrugged.
"Screw fate. I make my own destiny." Kaomi drew. Nothing.
"You see? Call it whatever you will. Fate. Destiny. Karma. Whatever you believe, believe this. Life runs along a proper course. This course in unchangeable. This course in infallible. You fate is to be consumed by these shadows. You can't fight it. Why try? It only causes stress, and gets you nowhere. Just follow your course. As long as fate isn't fought against, life runs smooth." Sevanos lectured, as he drew, "It is all predetermined. To do anything that isn't your fate is pointless, not to mentionimpossable."
As Sevanos drew and examined his hand, Kaomi's mind turned to more memories.
Raven and Kaomi walked into the game shop selling the Duel Disks.
"Kaomi Itai. Let's see." The man typed away, "Three stars, Seiyaryu is the rarest card. Approved."
"And him?" Kaomi asked.
"Name?"
"Raven Vaniver."
"We have no records of him."
"He's good. Better than me. He has Tyrant Dragon."
"Tyrant Dragon? Well, we can make an exception." The man grinned slyly.
A smile spread across Kaomi's face. A light charged in the hands of the great angel, but she swam in her sea of memories.
The cloaked stranger drifted up. "Duelist Itai." his voice was deep and forceful. His face was shrouded in shadow. "I saw you on the boat to Duelist Kingdom. You were trading with a man named Lios. Lios was my friend, and told me of a good deck. I searched for you on the island, but I only met you on the mainland. Now is my chance to see your amazing deck."
"No." Raven stopped him, "I am a duelist, too. First you beat me, then you beat Kaomi!"
"Raven!" Kaomi felt pure shock.
"How will I be respected as a Duelist if I never duel?" Raven asked her.
"Raven!" Kaomi cried as the blast grew to full charge, "Raven, if you can hear me, I do love you!" tears shot from her eyes, "RAVEN!" The blast crashed into her. Kaomi was thrown back, and she vanished into the abyss.
-O-
"Kaomi!" Raven watched on the television. "KAOMI!" Raven's pendant began to shine brightly. He clenched his fists and let out a scream His scream the sum of all the rage and anger and sadness felt by all of mankind. His fists became as the righteous weapons of a divine avenger. "Kaomi!" he violently released his hands, aimed at the screen. The screen instantly exploded in a small fireball. "I promised to save you." He breathed heavy as he fell to the ground. "I'll save you." He lost consciousness.
-O-
Raven awoke to see Kaomi standing above him. "Raven?" she stood above his bed. "The Semi Finals will happen soon. It's almost six o'clock." She explained, "You've been out for a good five hours."
"Kaom-" he struggled to form a thought.
"She's gone." Raven blinked. It was Aura. Not Kaomi. Raven sighed.
"He'll pay."
"You and I square off in the semi-finals." Aura pointed out, "I'll try not to hold back, but..."
"Don't. If anything, I've got to hold back. If I give it my all, that might happen again. So, why so long between phases?"
"Well, you totally destroyed the deck monitor with that Shadow Blast of yours." Aura explained.
"What?"
"Something I read after a Google search for 'Shadow Realm'."
"Oh."
"You've got some power, Raven. Just focus it. Save Kaomi." Aura closed her eyes. "I can't beat you, you know that."
"Yes."
"Are you ready to go topside?" Aura offered him a hand.
"Sure."
"OH!" Aura pulled out her deck box, and drew five cards. "Seiyaryu, Dark Magician of Chaos, Dark Blade, Millennium Shield, and Thunder Dragon. She told me you'd need these should anything happen to her in her duel with Sevanos and asked me to deliver them too you."
Raven held the cards, and tears formed again, but these tears subsided to a great blazing fire in Raven's eyes. "He'll pay."
-O-
"So, what have you got on her?" Sevanos sat in a chair next to Barbas at his computer.
"Here we go." Barbas pulled up a web page. "It says; 'The Abyss. A group believing in a connection between mystic powers of ancient Egypt and Duel Monsters. Their goal is to unify the two, and they believe the resulting power will bring about the end of the world. And during this total destruction, the Agents of the Abyss, their twenty-one leaders of this organization, can save the world from ruin and make it theirs to command.' As for Ilarya; 'The one who presides over the Agents of the Abyss, the first of the twenty-one, is know simply as Illarya. She has earned the self-appointed title God-King of the Primordium. Those in the group (borderline cult) known as The Abyss regale her as the ultimate mistress of the Shadow Arts of Egypt. The abilities taught to the ancient sorcerers.' It also says the Abyss is characterized by small black metal cube pendant things. Several finalists had those."
"This is big." Sevanos read with great interest.
"And if it's right, you're in deep trouble." Barbas looked up at him.
"I can defeat a God-King." scoffed Sevanos, "What of Vaniver?"
"Did a search on that nifty ability of his. 'Shadow Blast'. Creates a massive surge of energy. Used normally to summon monsters into the Shadow Realm and isn't supposed to be useable in this realm.' So how did he use it?"
"In his emotional state, his power goes uncontrolled." Sevanos smiled, "All the easier to corrupt."
"Yeah, corrupt away, but put a cap on his power-o-meter. That thing isn't meant for this world. What if he summons a monster into this realm? Huh? Destroys the HQ?" Barbas grew concerned.
"I'll get the Mystics right on it." Sevanos walked out of the room.
"Fifteen minutes till six." Opaka reported.
"New monitor on-line?"
"Yes."
"Good."
-O-
Raven stood in the room outside the Arena, pure rage in his eyes. He stood wearing a black T-shirt, black jeans, and a black leather trench coat.
Sevanos entered, smiling. "Hello, old man."
"Let's get this over with, peroxide-head." scowled Raven.
Illarya merely stood aside, "Are you ready, Sevanos?"
"Are you, Miss God-King?" scoffed Aura.
"Let's get this over with. Raven versus Aura."
"No." Aura deactivated her Duel Disk, "I can't stand in Raven's way."
"Duel me." Raven almost commanded.
"Alright..." Aura reluctantly drifted onto the rooftop arena.
-O-
Raven launched his disk, "Expect a quick defeat. I have to end this fast. Fast and honorable. So let's duel!"
"I can't in good conscience stand in your way." Aura drew, "But if you want honorable..." she shook her head, "Go, Millennium Shield and Sword, allowing me to add the Millennium Sward to my hand. Now I play my Dark Elf in attack mode. Go." A dark-skinned elf rose before her.
"Set two cards face-down and play Exchange!" Raven and Aura met at the center of the field "I'll take your Millennium Sword."
"I'll take your Dark Magician."
"Fine. Your mistake." Raven smirked. "Go."
"Dark Elf! I pay 1000 of my Life Points to allow you to attack! Assault him now!" Aura's counter fell to 3000.
"Reveal Negate Attack!" Raven smiled, "Here goes a monster in defense mode. Go."
"Sacrifice my Dark Elf for Millennium Shield in defense mode." Aura sighed, "Go."
"Reveal my Bubonic Vermin. As any good plague, my Vermin multiply!" Three Vermin appeared on his field, "And sacrifice two to summon Millennium Sword. Now, my Millennium Sword is fine alone, true, but here is a little added support. Activate Rush Recklessly. Now, my sword, attack!" The Millennium Sword sliced through the Millennium Shield. "Now, to ensure my Magician remains safe, Card Destruction." He threw his hand away, "Go."
"Spell card; Dark Hole!" Raven guarded himself as the Millennium Sword was swept off the field. "Defend."
"Defend all you want. Here goes my spell. Monster Reborn! Come on back, the Seiyaryu I just discarded!" The shining pink dragon appeared before him, "For all of the rage of mankind. For all of the vengeance to be served. For Kaomi. I stand strong! Seiyaryu, attack!"
"Millennium Crusader! Replace yourself!" A solder wearing Eye of Anubis-adorned armor vanished, being replaced by a facedown card. "Now I'll reveal it. Allowing me to create a chain of Crusader Summoning, filling my field." Five slight variations on a single theme of solder appeared.
"Aura, this is it." Raven smiled, "Activate Change of Heart and Tribute Doll, allowing me to summon my Barrel Dragon in defense mode, and switch Seiyaryu to Defense as well!" The great metal dragon rose.
"I can still keep my defenses up!"
"Sure you can. Set this and end my turn." smirked Raven.
"I play Opticlops in Defense-"
"Make that Attack, go Zero Gravity! And to really make you mad, Staunch Defender! All your monsters must attack Seiyaryu. Meaning, that each is destroyed, and their suicide runs affect your Life Points. You're done." Raven smiled as the Crusaders each attacked, and each fell to Seiyaryu's Mystic Flame.
-O-
Sevanos, in his flowing white robes matching his snowy-white hair, stood opposite the odd Illarya. "I'll have you know, my good God-King," he began, "I've researched you. I know about your 'Abyss', and I gotta say, you're a crappy leader. You take out two of your own to forward your own cause. You freak."
"Prepare to eat your words!" A world of shadows consumed them, "But this Shadow Game shall show you just how powerful I am. No parlor tricks like you pull. This will be a quality Shadow Game. As we each summon monsters, a unique strain will be placed upon our minds. As monsters are played, and attacks are made, the strain will increase."
Like a truck, a light hit Sevanos. He floated alone for a moment and heard a familiar voice. It was Seros. Allow me to take over! Screamed inside Sevanos' head. "No!" Sevanos clutched his head, screaming back, "I can take care of myself. And once this is over, I will be free of you! To live my life as I see fit!" Never, Sevanos, The voice replied, because after this, you'll cease to be. Sevanos screamed in pain as the more powerful Seros took over, transforming Sevanos into his most powerful from. His hair jet out at odd angles and seemed longer. A glowing Eye of Anubis formed on his forehead. He seemed to radiate power and both good and evil at once. Most odd, wings of white light appeared on his back. He had become his ultimate form, Yami Sevanos.
This new being, not man nor spirit, stood opposite a stunned Illarya. "You shall not get between me and my fate." He roared, in a harmony of Sevanos' and Seros' voices.
"What did you do?" demanded the startled Illarya.
"I embraced those outside myself." Replied the harmony of voices that was the voice of Yami Sevanos.
"It matters not. We shall duel."
"That sounds about right." laughed Sevanos, as he drew, "Here goes my first move, Hysteric Fairy!" A mad laughing angel appeared before the Yami.
"I defend with this monster."
"I defend with this monster." The Yami replied, mockingly, as he defended, "Fairy, attack!" An arm, bound by a chain, shattered.
"I play Gemini Elf! Gemini Elf, destroy the defending monster." The elves hit the Arsenal Summoner.
"Fool, you have guaranteed your defeat. That card allows me to obtain my Guardian Angel Joan." The Yami laughed manically, "I'll set one card face down and play Card Destruction! Now I activate Monster Reborn!" from his Graveyard, the Guardian Angel Joan formed on the field, "Joan, attack!"
"Pass."
"Activate the Autonomus Action Unit, returning your Elf, and sacrifice it and my Fairy for Wingweiver,. My Angels will obliterate you! And with your Life Points, go your mind!"
"How did you survive the strain of those monsters?" Illarya stared in shock as the angels flew at him.
"You underestimate the power of my new form. My Yami form is supreme in power, God-King." Yami Sevanos laughed as he exited the arena. Illarya was no longer in the arena.
-O-
"That's a Yami." Explained Aura, "According to what I've read, it is a mergence of a millennia-old being with oneself through use of Shadow Powers."
"Looks dangerous." Raven watched on the screen.
"It is." Aura sighed, "Look, you're going to have to use this power to defeat Sevanos now. So you better focus."
"Got it."
"Then it's time." Aura escorted Raven to the metal doors, "Let ancient energies flow through you. And may fortune favor the foolish."
"Right." Raven nodded. He exited.