Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Legends of the Demon Duelist-Rival School Arc

Chapter 22: Unleashing the Wolf

"Forces of darkness!" Rikuo snapped his fingers. "Let the darkness game begin!" A sphere of darkness appeared around the field, immediately stealing all sight of what was going on.

Ichigo snarled. "You're insane."

"Maybe, but I'm better than you," Rikuo slid the last card in his hand into his disk. "I set one card face-down and let you sweat out the fact that now you're staring down a god. And not just any god, but the monster that gods fear. End turn." Fenrir snarled and barked twice, nearly sending Ichigo off of the arena.

Ichigo drew. ("Fighting that thing for right now is not an option.") "I set one monster in defense mode. End turn."

Rikuo drew. "I summon a monster in face-down defense mode. Fenrir, wipe out his set monster with Black Inferno's Roar!" The wolf opened its jaws and sprayed the set monster with black flame.

"Reverse card open!" Ichigo pointed at one of his now face-up cards. "Mirror Force will negate your attack and destroy Fenrir!"

"Fenrir special ability activates! By sending one monster on my field to the graveyard I can protect it from the effect of one trap card!" He slid the set monster into the graveyard and Mirror Force exploded. "The battle continues!"

Ichigo's face-down monster revealed itself to be a man holding a sniper rifle. He screamed and then burned to ash.

Rikuo smirked. "I've got you now. End turn."

Ichigo frowned and drew. ("I've got a chance…but it requires a bit of luck and a lot of good timing.") "I currently have two cards face-down…" He pointed at one of them. "Mirage of Nightmare reveals itself!" The card flipped up. "Also, I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Rikuo drew. "Since it is my fifth turn since activating Card of Demise, my hand is sent to the graveyard." A guillotine blade fell from out of nowhere and slashed his hand card in half. "Go now Fenrir! Crush his…"

Ichigo held up his hand. "The effect of Mirage of Nightmare lets me draw four cards." He drew four cards and then snickered slightly. "Alright, continue."

"Black Inferno's Roar!" The huge wolf sprayed the set card with fire. It revealed itself to be some kind of silver-colored crab robot.

Ichigo calmly watched his monster explode. "The effect of Cyber Shadow Retriever (1000/1000) lets me pick up Cyber Shadow Soldier and add it to my hand!" He slid the card out of his graveyard and added it to his hand.

Rikuo shrugged slightly. "Mirage of Nightmare will force you to discard more than half of your hand at the start of your turn."

"Reverse card open! Shadow Portal triggers when a monster on my field is destroyed as a result of battle! Now one Cyber Shadow from my deck will be added to my hand!" He caught a card that was spat out of his deck. "In response, I activate Emergency Provisions!" Mirage of Nightmare and Shadow Portal disappeared.

Rikuo frowned. "I see…interesting play. End turn!" Fenrir snarled, because it was getting impatient will all of this waiting.

Ichigo- 5000

Rikuo- 7800

Ichigo looked down at his deck and then drew slowly. "This card…" He threw it down. Up in the air above him a swirling vortex of darkness appeared. And from within it a single dark-clothed form started to slowly lower onto the field. "Awaken now…" The form touched down and opened its crimson eyes.

Rikuo's eyes widened at the warrior. "What is that?"

Ichigo and the monster both struck a rather ridiculous-looking pose at once and then pointed at Rikuo. "Meet the power that is a defender of the just! The true heart of the hero! A warrior who defends those who need it!" They both slammed their right foot into the ground and squared off against the god and its master. "We are Elemental Hero-Shadow Man!" (700/200)

Rikuo wasn't sure whether to laugh…no, he just laughed. "Is this what you think a hero is?"

"When Shadow Man is my only card in play I draw two cards!" He drew twice, now giving him eight cards in his hand. "It's time…"

"It's time for what?" Rikuo had a feeling….like there was a power building in the distance.

"From my hand I activate Nightmare Synopsis!" Ichigo took the magic card and another card from his hand, sliding both into the graveyard. "This card's effect allows me to discard a card from my hand to add one equipment magic card from my deck to my hand." He held up a card. "Silent Rebirth allows me to revive one normal monster!" A medium-sized warrior wearing a helmet appeared on the field in a crouching position. "Cyber Shadow Soldier (1600/1600) is summoned in defense mode!" He slid a card into his disk. "I activate Soldier's Oath! This equipment magic card can only be used on Soldier. When Soldier is used in a fusion all of the material components for that fusion are added to my hand instead of send to the graveyard or removed from play pile." The warrior stood up and saluted Ichigo.

"A fusion that can beat Fenrir?" Rikuo narrowed his eyes. "No way…"

"Open your eyes and check this out then!" Ichigo smiled and opened his field magic card slot. "Fusion Gate activates now!" The darkness above them began to swirl and twist. "This card lets us fuse monsters without needing to use Polymerization!" He held up a card. "Cyber Shadow Assassin…though I could fuse Snake it would do no good against Fenrir! So instead….I'll bring out my fusion Elemental Hero!" The vortex stretched down and swallowed up Shadow Man, Soldier, and the Assassin card in Ichigo's hand.

Ichigo stared as the tornado faded to reveal a black-armored superhero wearing a black visor and with a blaster on one arm.

Rikuo blinked in surprise. "Tempest?"

"You're partially right! Elemental Hero Dark Tempest!" The warrior struck a pose. (2800/2800) Ichigo pointed at Fenrir. "Attack now! Shadow Tempest!" The warrior aimed its blaster at the god and released a blast of silver energy.

"Are you stupid? Fenrir has far more attack points that your creature!"

Ichigo tapped his temple and then his disk spat out Fusion Gate. "I sacrifice one card from my field to negate all battle damage and instead destroy the monster Dark Tempest battles with! Elimination Tornado!" Dark Tempest flapped its wings and shattered the god. "Also, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Rikuo narrowed his eyes. "I won't be put on the defensive by you! It's my turn now." He drew. "I activate the magic card Repair Facility! This continuous magic card will remain in play until I choose to throw it out. End turn."

Ichigo drew. "Here's the opening! Go Shadow Tempest!" The warrior aimed his blaster at Rikuo. "Direct attack!" A blast of silver energy slammed into the wolf demon and bowled him over. "End turn."

Ichigo- 5000

Rikuo- 5000

Rikuo drew. "Perfect draw for the situation. I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Green glowing swords of light slammed down onto the field. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "I can't attack but that's no matter. I set a monster face-down and end my turn."

Rikuo drew. "Turn one of Swords…and I end without playing anything."

Ichigo drew. "Then for now I end my turn."

Rikuo drew. "Again, end turn."

Ichigo drew. "Here we go…" He looked at the card and his eyes widened slightly. ("Polymerization….it might come in handy…") "I place a card face-down and end turn."

Rikuo drew. "Swords is over…" The glowing swords of light shattered. "But now I have all of the pieces in place to get rid of your field. Repair Facility, for every turn in play, lets me sacrifice a card from my hand to send it to the graveyard!" He discarded his three hand cards and the magic card exploded. "So now I can choose any three machine monsters from my deck and add them to my hand." He held up three cards from his deck and threw one down. "Steel Revenge (300/200) in defense mode. This monster's special ability lets me special summon it when added to my hand. By discarding one card from my hand I can destroy all cards in play and then you may draw two cards!" He discarded one card and Ichigo's whole field exploded into dust.

The half demon drew twice, giving him eight cards in hand.

Rikuo took the last card in his hand and placed it down. "Now I summon Steel Shield (0/2000) in defense mode to protect my life points. End turn."

Ichigo drew. ("Nine cards…") He grabbed a card from his hand and threw it down. "I summon Cyber Shadow Relay (0/1600) in defense mode." A little wheeled robot with a satellite dish on top of it appeared on the field. "Also, I set two cards face-down. End turn for now."

Rikuo drew. "Do you understand why I hate you so much?"

"Is it because I'm such a nice guy compared to you?" Ichigo snickered. "Or maybe you just dislike the fact that I like your daughter instead of fear her like you had hoped?"

"I hate you because you are foolish. You don't understand the dangers that await you. Your father won't always be around to protect you." Rikuo closed his eyes, and the card in his hand began to pulse. "I…I cannot let you emerge from this duel without learning the truth! You must understand the lesson I hold! So therefore…" He held up the drawn card. "I must play this! Hope of Faith!"

"Hope of Faith?" Ichigo's eyes widened. ("That's the card Eri told me about…")

"I sacrifice Steel Shield to summon…" Rikuo pointed at his monster and it disappeared, replaced by a red pillar of light that split into a white pillar and a black pillar. Both formed into a pair of nearly identical knights.

"I am Yami Knight!" (6000/0) The first one looked like Rikuo, its black armor seeming to suck up all light.

"I am Hikari Knight!" (0/6000) The other one looked like Daniel, its white armor radiating the very element that its counter-part absorbed.

They slammed their swords together. "We will fight the darkness!" Both knights stood back to back and pointed at Ichigo. "Prepare for battle villain!"

Ichigo nearly face-fell. "I'm not a villain!"

"Silence!" Yami Knight launched across the field and slashed through Relay.

Rikuo closed his eyes. "End turn."

Ichigo drew. "I'm not beaten yet!" He looked at the drawn card. "From my hand I activate Magic Juncture. This card lets me take one magic card from my deck and place it aside. During my next standby phase it comes into my hand. End turn."

Rikuo drew. "I activate Fusion Return!" He caught a card from his graveyard. "Polymerization…fuses together light and darkness!" Both knights were pulled into a swirling vortex. "Awaken now, the almighty Balance Knight!" (20000/20000) A black and white knight slowly lowered onto the field. "I am the ultimate warrior. Even your fusions cannot defeat me Ichigo."

The half demon paled. "20000 attack points…." He pointed at one of his set cards. "Go Safeguard!" A steel shield appeared in front of him. "This quickplay magic card will negate your attack!"

Balance Knight didn't even bother attacking. Rikuo smirked and glanced at his set card. "End turn then. Let's see what you have."

("20000 attack points…in a fusion no less….") Ichigo dropped to his knees. "I'm beaten…out of all of my fusions none of them have the power necessary to defeat a monster with 20000 attack points. Dark Tempest is gone already…."

"Then you're surrendering?" Rikuo frowned and Balance Knight looked disappointed. "How pitiful…"

Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut. ("I have some ways to get rid of it…but they're all used up or gone….")

("You mustn't surrender Ichigo! Stand up!")

("Ahran?")

("No…") A phantom form materialized in front of the half demon. It was of a man in a black body-suit with a bandanna around his forehead, the edges of the piece of cloth flapping in an invisible wind.

Rikuo and Balance Knight both looked in surprise at the phantom that stood on Ichigo's field. ("What's going on now?")

"Ichigo. In my time I have had to fight friends and enemies. I've faced opponents that I never thought I could defeat. And yet…I believed…" Snake closed his eyes. "If all else fails, remember your mission. Remember that it, above all else, is key."

"The mission…" Ichigo started to stand. "The power…of each Cyber Shadow…" Behind him his Cyber Shadow monsters began to appear in phantom form, one after another. "And…the mission…" His and Snake's eyes both turned to meet Balance Knight's and Rikuo's respectively. "Rikuo!"

The wolf demon frowned. "What do you want?"

"I want you to understand…to understand that your daughter is free! I don't want to take her away…but I want to make sure she is happy no matter what she does!" Ichigo pointed at the two. "You may be better than me…but my mission is clear! You won't be making me understand anything! I'll be the one making you understand!"

Rikuo's dark features melted slightly. ("You passed…you figured it out.") "Ichigo…" He smiled. "Let's see you try and win."

Ichigo looked down at his deck. "The power rests within me…not within anything else! It's my turn now, draw!" He drew. "This is it Rikuo! One way or another this duel is ending right now! Polymerization!" He held up two cards. "Assassin and Soldier fuse…" Snake's phantom form began real. "Special Operative Snake (2000/1800) is summoned!"

Rikuo chuckled. "It's impressive…but nothing more than that."

Ichigo smiled slightly. "I'm not done yet! From my hand I summon Brave Wolf Swordsman!" (1400/1200) A warrior that looked almost exactly like Ichigo appeared on the field. "Then I play the magic card Brave Wolf Howl!" The swordsman tilted back its head and howled loudly, the sound shaking the arena. "This card can only activate when Brave Wolf Swordsman is in play! The attack of all monsters that you have in play is cut in half!" (10000/20000)

Rikuo shrugged. "10000 is still too much for you."

Ichigo held up another card. "The power of the magic card Double Spell lets me discard a magic card from my hand to fuse Cyber Shadow King of Swords with Brave Wolf Swordsman!" Brave Wolf Swordsman held up its sword and shimmered. "Double Spell gives me your Polymerization card to use!" It changed its body and strength growing. "King Wolf Swordsman in attack mode!" (2600/2000)

Rikuo narrowed his eyes. "You have no cards in hand. So that means that your monster must have an effect that can take down Balance Knight?" ("Not that it matters. My face-down Mirror Force card will put you in your place.")

Ichigo pointed at his set card. "Reveal Lighting the Way! This trap card activates when there are two fusion monsters or more in play!" Energy flowed from the trap into his deck. "I draw four cards!" He drew four times. "From my hand I play the magic card Inherited Strength! This magic card lets me sacrifice one card from my hand to sacrifice a monster that I have in play!" King Wolf Swordsman exploded into dust. "The attack points of my monster transfer to Snake!" (4600/1800)

"It's nowhere near enough!"

"Not yet…" Ichigo held up another card. "I activate the magic card Blessings of Luna!"

"Isn't that a continuous magic card?"

"Not this one. Its power lets me take back a magic card and a monster card!" Ichigo held up two cards. "Now I play the magic card Projected Strength! This card allows one Cyber Shadow in play to gain double attack points. However, it can no longer attack!" (9200/1800) Snake stood tall…but not tall enough. "Also…the final piece of the puzzle! Field magic card Legend's Battlefield! As long as this card is in play and a Special Operative is in play it gains 2000 attack points!" (11200/1800)

Rikuo laughed. "You said it yourself, it can't attack."

Snake and Ichigo both sneered at once. "Snake's special ability…" Taking the last card in his hand, Ichigo discarded it. "Allows me to discard a card from my hand to destroy a monster in play with attack strength lower than or equal to its own." He pointed at Balance Knight. "Balance Knight is destroyed!" Snake pulled a small black detonator out of nowhere and pressed down on the plunger, blowing the mighty knight of balance apart instantly.

Rikuo slid back a few feet and braced himself. "You're good..."

Ichigo pointed at Rikuo. "I'm more than good! Snake's special ability also deals half of the attack points of the destroyed monster to your life points!"

Ichigo- 5000

Rikuo- 0

Rikuo looked down at his life point counter in amazement. "Incredible…you did it." He started to chuckle. "Alright, you've made your point."

Ichigo smiled weakly as the darkness game sphere started to fade away. "That's what you get, psycho."

As the darkness cleared everyone sat silently, waiting to see what the result was. Ichigo was on his knees and Rikuo was standing, so everyone started to gasp in surprise. They all thought he had lost.

"It was a great game." Ichigo met eyes with Rikuo. "Maybe next time I'll be able to beat you."

Rikuo's eyes widened hugely. ("He's…") "Yeah, you put up a great fight though." He felt something that he'd never felt before. It was pleasure. That whole duel had been something he had enjoyed. The moments where his life points were dropping and rising all at once were great.

The gasps intensified.

Rikuo held his hand out and Ichigo grasped it. The wolf demon pulled him to his feet. "By the way…" He leaned in close and half-laughed out, "Gotcha."

"Huh?" Ichigo blinked in confusion….until he heard applause echoing out from the stands. Everyone was clapping rapidly. "What's all this about?"

The Principal smiled and stood up from his seat. "Ichigo Pilkington…you've just passed a special test. A special test that determines the first new member of a special new rank in the Duelist Academy."

"A new rank?" Ichigo looked at Rikuo, and then up at the Principal. "What is it?" Something was thrown over his head. He pulled it off and stared at it. It was a black and silver-trimmed version of his Osiris Red uniform.

"Welcome to Fenrir Black." Rikuo gave a dark little smirk. "And say hello to your teacher."

Ichigo fainted.

To be continued…

To G.O.T. Nick: See now? It was partially an act under Rikuo's part. He wanted Rikuo's full power.

To Star: And he says 'Damn you too.'

To Bobbomp: Okay.

To Anime Albino: You're going to steal Ichigo? Beware the wrath of Eri.

To Raine: Not necessarily. Midnight is infinitely patient.

To Seeker of the Soul: Rikuo has the worst levels of humor in that head of his.

To falcon demon general: Naw, he hasn't snapped.

To Dais: He got it in the end.

To Sinister: You know what….nevermind.

To generic reviewer: Then don't cheer. Just watch.

To LucienShadowMaster: Wow you ask a lot of questions. Calm down or put breaks in your questions.

To Rex: That's very true. He isn't running in with blind rage now.

To BLS-EotB: Welcome to the reviewing family. There was no way Ichigo was going to be able to summon all of the Titans to the field in that time. As for Divine Paladin, it only comes out when either Valeus or Apocalypse Dragon is involved.

To Hogwarts-Knight: Rikuo is using Fenrir because he has found out how to control the god's power more than before.

To Voidtemplar: He's no crazier than normal.