I'm such a slacker. ^_^;;; Hopefully I can update more often now, with most of my school projects out of the way…
John: o_o; That was a maybe… _
LunaticChaos: Yep. Now you've scarred him for life, poor guy. _ And thank you for reading.
*Chapter 5: Former Human*
It was midday before they finally halted, having arrived at a place to rest. It was a part of the woods where the trees closed in, making it hard for anyone outside them to see anything inside.
Ryei surveyed the spot. "We've been traveling for hours. Let's stop for a while."
Zari hesitated, and then sighed. "Fine, but only for a few minutes. We must keep moving."
Valor sat down gratefully; being the youngest, he had found it difficult to keep up with the others. Zari's injuries had been giving her problems as well, although she refused to admit it. She started to lean against a tree, but winced and changed her mind as her back flared with agony.
Varen gave Zari a questioning look. "You still haven't told us why you two are being chased."
"All will be explained, once we are out of danger," Zari replied.
"Why not now? I'd prefer to know why we are wanted dead," Varen informed her.
"We don't have the time to tell it right now; we must keep moving."
"Why not tell it while we are walking?"
"Because we should not make any extra noises to inform our pursuers where we are."
Varen glanced around the area. "We haven't seen anyone all night. I understand why we are trying to get away from the Side Capital, but I doubt that anyone will catch up with us at the rate that we are moving."
Zari looked over at him. "It doesn't matter who you are fighting-never underestimate your opponent."
"Besides, we should save our breath," Hope pointed out. "And I mean that literally. If we're trying to make it to the Capital, then we still have a long way to go."
"I guess so," Varen relented, still unsatisfied.
Yamato was not paying attention to the conversation, instead listening for a sign of the ones who chased them. His eyes narrowed suddenly.
Was that… footsteps?
"I'm going to survey the area," Yamato announced. "It won't take long." Then he left.
"We'll leave the minute he gets back," Daine decided. "Are you all ready?"
Everyone nodded in response, except for Gaignun-nobody had really expected him to though.
The next few minutes were spent in uncomfortable silence. Nobody really knew what to say.
Gaignun suddenly snarled. What is that? It smells human… yet metal at the same time!
Before Hope could ask what he meant, he ran towards Valor. Alarmed by the sudden change in the wolf, Valor jumped backwards, closer to the trees.
That was when the person made his move. He leapt out from the cover of the trees, and struck Valor over the head. The boy would have collapsed had the attacker not grabbed him before fleeing, Gaignun following.
Zari was after them in an instant. It took the others a few seconds to realize what had occurred before they too came.
"What the heck just happened?!" Karen exclaimed as they ran.
"I'd like to know myself!" was Varen's response.
Even though Zari had a head start, they caught up with her quickly. Gaignun's snarls told them which way to go. Then a sudden yelp sounded.
Gaignun? What's wrong? Hope asked in alarm.
I was too eager to catch the attacker. I did not expect an attack, but a blow over the head from his fist taught me otherwise.
Are you alright? Can you keep going?
Yes; I escaped the worst of it.
"Hope!" Karen called. "Something is up ahead… I think it's Gaignun! It looks like he is hurt!"
"He'll be fine," Hope assured as the wolf got up. "Let's hurry, or that guy will get away!"
"I bet he already has," Varen said. "Think about it. He had a head start, and hasn't been traveling all night like us."
"We still have to try!" Hope protested.
"I second that," Daine agreed. "Let's continue on."
"But which way did he go?" Karen wondered.
A clash of metal answered her question. They quickly followed the sounds to find the source of the fight.
Yamato was swinging his huge blue sword at an amazing speed, trying to cut down the man they had been following. But even though Yamato was very swift, his opponent managed to block all of his attacks with a switchblade.
This was the first time they had managed to see the attacker clearly, and Daine had never seen anything like him. His body structure seemed human, as did his head and the part of his chest that was shown. His short black hair and calculating blue eyes looked genuine as well. But the rest of his body was very different. He wore a long sleeved blue and gray shirt with pants that matched. But Daine saw, when he blocked another strike, that his arm actually appeared to be some kind of metal. His feet seemed to be some kind of silver boots. His right hand was black, and seemed normal enough. But his left hand, while it was in the shape of a human hand, looked as though it was covered with some kind of shiny silver armor. Also, the switchblade he was using actually came out of his left arm.
His right arm was holding onto Valor, who was unconscious at the moment. This made it difficult for Yamato to attack, since he had to be careful not to hit the boy. But his opponent was always ready to guard any attack he attempted.
"Enough of this!" Yamato's adversary said. His deep voice also seemed like a human's, to Daine's surprise. As Yamato brought down his sword again, his foe actually caught the blade with his left hand. Before Yamato could pull it away, his opponent's left hand began to glow blue, before electricity shot out of it. The blade, being metal, conducted the energy. Unaware of the danger, Yamato had not let go of his blade, and was instantly blasted backwards by the electricity.
The attacker threw Yamato's sword at him, but Yamato rolled out of the way before the blade hit him.
Varen stared in amazement. "Yamato can still move? I don't know about you guys, but if I was hit by electricity, I would be completely unable to fight."
Karen had run over to him. "Yamato! Are you alright?"
Yamato got up. "I'm fine-I've dealt with much worse."
"That's true," she admitted. Then she turned her attention to their opponent, and swiftly drew her bazooka out, pointing it at the attacker. "Let go of Valor now!"
"I doubt that you would risk using such a weapon," was his reply. "I recognize that weapon as one that would cause a chain reaction. Not only would I probably still be able to fight, but the boy would die."
Karen let the weapon fall to her side with a glare at their adversary.
Zari unsheathed her swords. "We aren't about to let you get away."
"You're surrounded on all sides," Ryei informed the attacker. He had managed to sneak behind him, cutting off an escape route. "Just hand over Valor and we'll let you go."
"That is not an option that I can take," he answered. "My orders were to bring back the boy alive, and kill the seven that traveled with him."
"Then why didn't you try to kill us?" Daine asked. "You could have easily assassinated one of us before we even knew you were there, so why didn't you?"
"We have too few people in this world without needless slaying. As long as I bring back the one I am supposed to, there should be no reason for extra bloodshed."
Hope had brought out her bow, with an arrow notched. "You're hiding something. There's another reason you didn't want us to die."
"If you must know, I disapprove of killing altogether," the attacker told her. "But I will if necessary. Move out of my way, or I will not be so generous."
"When you're outnumbered? The chances of beating all of us are slim to none. You had best give up," Ryei stated.
"Then let us do this in a way that will not require wounds," he suggested. His switchblade folded back into his arm, and in its place he strapped a Duel Disk.
"And you carry a Duel Disk when you are attempting to murder and kidnap… why?" Varen said.
"I have had certain occasions where the best way to solve a problem is with a duel," he explained. "So, do any of you wish to accept my challenge?"
Zari stepped up. "I will."
"Are you sure about this?" Hope asked.
"It is my fault that Valor, and all of you, are in danger in the first place. It is only fair." Zari turned to her opponent. "So what are the stakes?"
"If I win, you will allow me to leave with no resistance. The boy comes with me, and the rest of you move on to wherever you were going. If I lose, I'll return him and leave. Fair enough?"
"Yes. But I have another question. Who, and what, are you? You cannot be human."
"No, I am not," he nodded. "I was once one, but now I am a cyborg. My model number is not important-you may refer to me as Zarek. And you are?"
"Zari. Let's begin, shall we?"
The first thing Valor felt was a deep pain in his skull. Trying to ignore it, he cautiously opened one eye. When seeing that he could not escape the iron grip that held him, he closed his eye again.
I hate this! Why must I always be so helpless? Why must I endanger others all for my sake? Why can't I, for once, look after myself? Why can't I help defend them, instead of always being the one who needs to be saved?
All he could do was listen to how the duel turned out, while pretending to still be unconscious.
"So we are to play with Deck Masters?" Zarek concluded. "Then I will choose the Red Eyes Black Metal Dragon."
The machine emerged with a roar. It was a long, silver dragon covered with what seemed to be armor. It had a slender appearance, but its claws and teeth were as sharp, if not more, than daggers. Its red eyes glared at them as it hissed.
"My choice will be Wandering Hero, Freed," Zari announced.
The monster that appeared looked like a human wearing purple armor, outlined with gold. He had a yellow cape and an elegant sword strapped at his side. On his head was a silver band, part of it concealed by his yellow hair, which went down to his shoulders. His blue eyes seemed calm, yet ready to attack when necessary.
What do you think of him? Hope asked Gaignun.
He has caused many deaths, yet he does not enjoy his work. His heart is filled with confusion and sorrow. The smell of blood was not an odor he wished to acquire.
Is he trustworthy?
He is honorable. If he was to say he would help us, he would carry through with it.
Zari: 8000
Zarek: 8000
"Ladies first," Zarek offered.
"Very kind," Zari muttered, drawing. "I'll start off by summoning Volt Girl. (1900/800) And then I will lay one card down. That is all."
"I will first summon Bowgunian. (1300/1000) Then I play Theft. It is an equip magic that I will place on Volt Girl. She becomes my own monster, and as long as it is still equipped, you gain 1000 Life Points every one of your Standby phases."
When the Volt Girl arrived at Zarek's side of the field, a black aura came from Bowgunian. The Volt Girl cried out as it consumed her. In a matter of seconds, she had vanished.
"What happened?"
"You triggered my Volt Girl's effect," Zari explained. "If there is a non-Light Main-Type monster on the side of the field with Volt Girl, she is automatically destroyed."
"That might actually be more of an advantage to me. I will now equip Bowgunian with 7 Cards. Now I can raise either his attack or defense by 700 points. I will choose to raise his attack."
"No, you won't. I activate Magic Jammer. By discarding Saint Magician (300/400) from my hand, your magic card is negated and destroyed."
"It doesn't matter to me. Bowgunian attacks directly. Then I lay one card down."
Zari: 6700
Zarek: 8000
"I assume it is my turn now. I summon Executioner Makyura (1600/1200) and attack your Bowgunian."
"You have triggered my trap, Reactive Armor. This card can only be activated when your monster attacks, and when it is, that monster is destroyed."
"In that case, I will lay two cards down and end my turn."
After Zarek drew, the Bowgunian took aim with its bow and shot Zari in the chest with an arrow.
"How the heck did it do that?"
"On my standby phase, Bowgunian's ability activates, causing you to lose 600 Life Points," Zarek told her.
Zari: 6100
Zarek: 8000
"I will now sacrifice my Bowgunian for Android Psycho Shocker. (2400/1500)"
"I'm not impressed," Zari informed him as the machine emerged.
"If you are saying that because of the trap card you have down, think again. As long as Android Psycho Shocker is on the field, all trap cards are negated."
"That could cause a problem," Zari admitted.
"I had hoped so. Android Psycho Shocker attacks directly. It is your turn."
Zari: 3700
Zarek: 8000
"So Zarek's using a machine deck, but what the heck is Zari trying to play?" Varen wondered.
"We'll find out soon enough," Karen shrugged.
I'm going to have to pull a winner, Zari thought. Otherwise I don't stand a chance against that thing. She looked over at Valor, the whole reason why she was doing this, and then drew. She smiled at it. "Well, it looks like I've drawn the perfect card for this occasion."
"And what would that be?"
"Just watch. I will remove my Saint Magician and Executioner Makyura to special summon Chaos Soldier-Messenger of Creation! (3000/2500)"
Everyone stared at the monster that appeared in awe. Its gold armor, well-crafted shield, and lethal sword told them the red-haired warrior was not someone that should be messed with.
"Chaos monsters… I've heard of them, but I have never actually seen one," Ryei commented. "It is said that the most powerful ones are extremely hard to come by."
"That is for a good reason," Zari said. "They are simple to get out with the correct deck, and they have very deadly effects. I will have Chaos Soldier attack Android Psycho Shocker, and then use his effect. He is allowed to attack again if he killed a monster in his first strike."
Zari: 3700
Zarek: 4400
Varen whistled softly. "What a comeback!"
"She's not home free yet," Daine pointed out. "I get the feeling that Zarek still has something up his sleeve."
Zarek didn't seem to be very concerned about the loss of his powerful monster. "I will first play Jar of Greed, to draw two more cards. Then I will play Raise Dead, to bring back Android Psycho Shocker."
"What good will that do you? He's still too weak to take out my Chaos Soldier."
"He will be strong enough, once I bring out Drillago! (1600/1200)"
Zari raised an eyebrow at the heavily-armed machine. "Did I miss something?"
"I am going to activate my Deck Master's ability. By sacrificing one Machine Sub-Type on my side of the field, another Machine Sub-Type has that attack added onto it. So by sacrificing Drillago, my Android Psycho Shocker gets 1600 more attack. (4000/1500)"
"That is way too cheap!" Varen protested.
"No, not really. Once it is my end phase, the powered up monster is automatically destroyed. But the damage will be done. Android Psycho Shocker obliterates your Chaos Soldier. I lay one more card down, and then end my turn."
Everyone shielded their eyes as the machine exploded, light filling the area. When it was safe to look again, they found that the Android Psycho Shocker was gone.
Zari: 2700
Zarek: 4400
"Let's see how this will turn out," Zari stated. "I activate Angel's Gift, to draw three cards and discard two others. Perfect… I discard another Volt Girl and Destruction Ring. Now I play Cyclone, to destroy your face down card."
"I will chain it. My Cry of the Living Dead will bring Android Psycho Shocker back to the field."
"What's the point in doing that?" Hope asked. "Once Cry of the Living Dead is destroyed, the monster that was brought back is destroyed as well."
"You forgot that Android Psycho Shocker negates all traps," Daine reminded her. "Including Cry of the Living Dead's worse effect."
"Oh yeah…" Hope nodded sheepishly.
"A good idea, but one I can easily deal with," Zari told him. "I will activate my own Deck Master's ability. By removing two Light Main-Types, one monster on your field with over 1700 attack is destroyed. So I will remove my two Volt Girls to destroy your Android Psycho Shocker. After that, I summon Mad Dog of Darkness. (1900/1400) He will attack directly."
Zari: 2700
Zarek: 2500
"I prefer not to take gambles," Zarek commented, eyeing her face down card. "I will place one monster in defense mode and end my turn."
Zari examined her next card. "I do too. That is why I am not taking any chances. I play Black Hole, destroying all of our monsters."
"My Air Guard Gear Golem is destroyed. (800/2200)"
"After that, I will summon Demon Soldier. (1900/1500) Demon Soldier attacks directly, and then I end my turn."
Zari: 2700
Zarek: 600
"I can do nothing but place another monster in defense mode…"
"This should be the end," Zari announced. "I play Black Forest Witch. (1100/1200) Demon Soldier attacks your defense monster."
"My Cannon Soldier didn't stand a chance. (1400/1300)"
"Black Forest Witch finishes the duel."
Zari: 2700
Zarek: 0
Zarek nodded, shutting off his Duel Disk. "You are a worthy adversary. And you won fairly." He handed her Valor, who was still faking unconsciousness.
"So you will leave now?" Karen inquired.
"Yes," he replied. "It was an honor to die to one as skilled as you. I wish you all luck."
"What do you mean, die?" Zari asked.
"I failed my mission, and the one who sent me to do it will not be happy with it," Zarek explained. "I have heard of his background… several men have died for just reporting things he does not wish to here, even when they are fact. I stand no chance."
"Yet you do not care?" Hope said sadly.
"Maybe, but I am not sure," he responded. "I should rightfully be deceased, yet I was brought back to life. I do not know whether I was brought back for a purpose, or by accident. I just don't know if I want to be alive or dead right now."
"That's a cheerful thought," Varen muttered sarcastically.
Daine had been thinking, but now he looked at the cyborg. "If you are killed, you'll never know, right? Why should you report back to your employer if he's only going to slay you? If you come with us, you at least have a chance at staying alive."
"Yeah, come with us!" Hope agreed.
"Are you sure about this?" Varen asked doubtfully.
"He's fine!" Hope assured. "Just trust me on this, ok?"
"Whatever you say…" Varen sighed.
"Very well," Zarek said. "I will join your group, to try and help in any way I can. Maybe I can mend the trouble I have caused."
"Then let's get moving," Ryei suggested. "We are still being pursued, remember?"
"That is true," Zarek agreed. "The soldiers were ordered to stay out of my way while I searched for all of you, but they won't follow those orders for long. We had best make good use of the head start we have."
Zari had been looking over Valor. He waited for some time, before opening his eyes.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
"I think so… my head hurts, but that's all."
"I apologize for that," Zarek said to him.
"Zari, can you explain everything to him later?" Daine requested. "We can't stay here."
Zari lifted Valor. "I am ready."
After a few minutes of preparations, they were back on their way.
To be continued…
