Chapter Eleven: My Heart, My Duel
Adrift. They were all adrift. The only positive thing that they could think of was that the sun was starting to get lower, and therefore it wasn't as hot out. Of course that also meant it was going to be colder, and there was nothing they could do about it. "Editing your deck?"
Dalin nodded once and then returned to his work, trying to figure out a way amongst his cards that could fight a strategy like D'harim's. The power of his deck had never counted on something as incredibly fast as D'harim's monsters. Even if he could drain the attack of one or two and add it to his life points it seemed that D'harim was capable of multiplying the number of monsters he had in an instant.
All of them had their mind on the situation in one way or another. Whether it be contemplating the loss of three of the world's strongest duelists, or fearing the power of D'harim, they all had something to think about. Two in particular were affected by the duel, Mokuba and Serenity. Both were now asleep, having exhausted themselves crying. It wasn't often that your brother was stripped of his soul in front of your eyes and brutally tortured as well.
Kai stared out into the distance, trying to figure out what could be done. Certainly they could paddle, but that wouldn't get them that far. He sighed and shook his head, trying to clear it of the negative thoughts that were welling up. 'How can we defeat that kind of power? In a one on one duel D'harim would just be too strong to defeat. But if we face him in multiples he's just gonna turn us against each with his traps like he did Joey, Kaiba, and Yami.'
Kai felt time pass rather than really noticing it. Although it got darker his attention wasn't on the actual world enough to see the difference. Instead he simply knew he had been thinking for a long time. He was certain by this time that he was the only one awake. Or at least he had thought so until he heard a whisper. "Autumn is worried about Drake. Her item can usually sense souls like yours can, especially if AB helps her. What about your item Dalin?"
The bi-eyed duelist looked towards the angel user out of the corner of his eye. The muscular man was still busy editing his deck, apparently not having stopped for the past few hours. He was having trouble deciding, and that was something new to Kai. "I've detected nothing. That enormous power he was exuding has vanished without a trace. Whether he is dead or simply out of power I don't know. I doubt either her item or mine can sense a soul at this great a distance, so for the moment we can only wonder."
"We're all alone in the world aren't we?" The
words that Kai spoke surprised even himself. He hadn't intended to
speak them, not even in his mind let alone out loud. He didn't bother
to look at the two other men. Silence reigned between the three men, a
silence of agreement. They were utterly alone, and they knew it.
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"Would you look at that? A pretty girl sitting all by herself in a coffee shop. Want some company?" Drake grinned down at the familiar form of Kirani, who leaned her head back to smile up at him. She gestured with one hand to the seat in front of her and he sat down, joining her at the table.
"Coffee?" Drake shook his head, not being in the mood for coffee. It had been a week since he had seen her last, and he was eager to catch up. Ever since they had started this pattern it seemed that they would meet somewhere else. It was a matter of variety, and of exploring what they liked and didn't.
Over the course of the past month and a half Drake had learned that Kirani liked Italian food, disliked Mexican food, loved coffee, preferred white chocolate to dark, and other such silly things. "I've never been much of a coffee person myself. I figure I've got enough energy without it."
He had also learned more important things, things that truly meant something. Kirani found a sunset more beautiful than a sunrise, particularly if it was an ocean view. She cared how others thought of her, but not so much that she let it impact the way she acted. Whenever she was in a tough spot she willingly accepted support. She wasn't arrogant, she wasn't cruel, she was fun loving and caring. She was just...Kirani.
Drake had the strangest sensation that he was falling in love with her.
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The bright light that overcame them was enough to wake everyone on the drifting boat up. They covered their eyes and readied themselves to leap into the water if need be. At the moment there was no telling what was coming near, and the most likely answer was the aircraft carrier or something sent by them. "It's smaller than the aircraft carrier, and relatively silent. A smaller boat or a....."
Dalin's comment went unfinished as the light dimmed a little to giver them a clearer view of what was coming closer. It was in fact a relatively small shining white yacht, and a cheerful looking Kirani was leaning out the pilot's cabin and waving to them. "Ahoy!"
Sighing with relief the group put their hands into the icy water and started paddling. Less than a minute later they were alongside the yacht, and Kirani was putting a rope ladder down so they could all climb up. "You guys are in trouble aren't you?"
Ryu pulled himself over the ladder and onto the bottom and then casually leaned against the railing, waiting as the others climbed their way up. He rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. "When are we not in trouble?"
"Good point." It took just about a minute, but soon everyone was onboard. Kirani moved amongst them, looking for injuries. When she saw none she seemed satisfied and stepped back to look them all over. Despite the fact that they seemed unhurt she couldn't tell if they were really okay. 'Something seems off about them. What am I missing?'
It hit her hard and she couldn't help but shiver at the thought. 'I'm not the one missing something...they are!' She looked amongst them once more and then looked down at the speed boat below the yacht, trying to make sure that she hadn't missed anyone. "Joey, Kaiba, and Yugi....where are they?"
The hung heads was enough of a response. Suddenly Serenity burst out into tears and ran to Kirani, burying her head against the older girl's shoulder. Kirani placed her arms around the younger girl and stroked her hair comfortingly. "Shhh...it's going to be okay. Everything is going to be just fine."
Meanwhile Mokuba had broken down against, and Autumn was busy seeing to him. Kirani looked up from her sudden charge and shot a look to the one who always seemed to radiate control. In a situation like this, he would be in the one in charge. Her eyes told all that was needed, and Dalin knew that when all were set aside he would have to explain what had happened to her.
"Let's get these two into bed. They could use a little bit of sleep. Then I'll show the rest of your to where you'll be sleeping. If anybody wants some food I can show you where the kitchen is. Keep in mind it isn't that big, but it's got plenty of food. Only a couple of people can be in there at the same time, so don't crowd." She motioned to Autumn and the other girl took her hint and picked up Mokuba. Kirani ushered Serenity out in front of her, not being sure if she could carry the other girl, and headed below decks.
The men, all of them exhausted and ready to
sleep, milled around briefly. Dalin descended into the speed boat and
picked up all of their belongings, every single bag, and slung them
over his shoulders. Then with that weight on his back he pulled himself
back up and onto the yacht. "Figure out whose bag is whose. We'll need
a little bit extra to keep warm. And we can't have anyone losing their
cards, because I've got a feeling we're going to need them."
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"He defeated all three of them so easily? With barely any help from his partner?" Dalin could only nod, barely believing it himself. Despite all his working he still didn't know if he could defeat D'harim in a duel. Perhaps if he used the Heart of Justice against the other duelist he could do it, however without it he would lose to D'harim's Death Knights and the Heart of Suffering.
"So what do we do now?" Kirani's question was an obvious one, but it needed answering anyways. By this time everyone but the two of them were in bed, and that was what allowed them to have this conversation. Once she got this answered, there was one more thing she needed to know.
"Everyone is exhausted both mentally and physically. To suggest that we push on at this very moment could be disastrous to their morale. These aren't soldiers, they're teenagers. They've faced troubles before, but I don't believe anything this big before. Ihachi was just a joke compared to this. There's so much more involved. And I'm truly the only one besides you and Drake to have dealt with Taichi." Dalin noted Kirani's body briefly quivering at the sound of the name. It apparently brought up bad memories for her.
"Alright then, I'll just keep us here for the moment. In the morning we'll decide where we go from here. I just have one more question. Do you know where Drake is?" Dalin shook his head and stood, his head brushing the ceiling. Boats like this just weren't designed with someone his height in mind.
"Neither I nor Autumn has been able to detect any trace of Drake. There's no way for us to figure out exactly where he is. I do have a feeling that these robed men know, the problem is getting them to talk. Until tomorrow." Dalin gave her a parting nod of the head and then he was out the door, leaving her alone in her room to think about all that was going on. And there was a lot to think about at that.
Shedding her clothing the duelist readied herself for sleep by pulling on a simple long t-shirt, one that didn't even reach mid-thigh. It was the most comfortable thing for her to wear when sleeping, particularly with the sheets she had. She would have prepared something more decent, but she hadn't been expecting company. It had only been chance and a bad feeling that had caused her to turn around. "Tomorrow..."
She sighed and snuggled up under her sheets, her eyes slowly drifting shut. Hopefully her sleep would bring good dreams, and with good dreams maybe she could forget for a moment the terrible things that were happening. All would be well once he was back, she was sure of it. He had saved her once before, and he would do it again. "Drake..."
And then she drifted off to sleep.
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The sun was right at the bottom of it's arc, half hidden by the skyline, it's dimmed glow sending waves of crimson across the clouds. A reflection of the sun could be seen in the waters, and it made a rainbow pattern of light appear there. The scene at the Domino Peer was amazing, and standing at the pier gave Kirani a perfect view. She sighed, leaning against the railing as she stared out into the setting sun. "It's perfect."
"I've felt the same way every time I've been here." Kirani turned around, discovering that the speaker was none other than Drake Ihachi. She let out a string of laughter and quickly embraced him in delight. He returned the hug, and Kirani couldn't help but remember the past like this. Being in his arms felt so right...but no. He only saw her as a good friend. After all, they didn't really know each other that well.
Kirani pulled back from the hug, grinning up at Drake, who she hadn't seen for close to three months. Not since he had last departed Domino. "Good to see you ya big lug. How goes things with Kaiba? I hear you two are becoming close." She laughed at the thought of that. She had heard about the duel the two had fought, and what had happened. What was amazing was that they were dueling in a mainly friendly manner. Anything friendly and Seto Kaiba didn't seem to mix in her mind.
"Not close per se, he still considers me something of a rival though. The money is definitely good, it's better than my last job with KC. It lets me pay for my sister's hospital fees, pay for Tenjiku's apartment, my own, and with enough left over for some perks. Plus job security is great, and there are other benefits. But enough about me. I wanna hear what you've been up to." She smiled that amazing smile of hers that out shown the sun, and turned to lean against the railing. He joined her there, both of them watching as the sun set.
"After the Ghouls disbanded I did some dueling. But I was at a little fishing village when I found what I really wanted to do. There was a family there who was looking to hire someone to be a pilot for their boat, drive them around a bit on the waters. It fit me so well, I knew I could do it and love it. I've had plenty of experience piloting boats, and I just love the ocean. So I took the job. I've had several others, but at the moment I'm the personal pilot for some rich family's yacht. The pay is decent, and I get to be on the ocean all I want." There wasn't a sound for several seconds, but then Drake spoke up again.
"What is it about the ocean that you love so much?" The older girl sighed a bit, a wistful look on her face as she began to speak.
"I love the ocean because of its beauty, and because it seems to be an endless dream. I feel that I can get lost in its great depths and yet still be happy. The ocean is freedom, and that's what I've always wanted in life. To be free to do as I wish to go where I wish. That was the real reason I joined the Ghouls in the first place, in order to escape the mediocrity of normal life. But it just ended up being a different version of the same thing." She let out another sigh and leaned in against his shoulder, relaxed at being so close to him.
"The Ghouls saw you as sort of a mother figure you know. Malik may have created the Ghouls, but you were the one who kept most of them together. Not those psychos that Malik had as his heavy hitters, but the regular people amongst us. Some of the things Malik wanted us to do weren't exactly good things, but no matter how bad it got they said you were always there. And I guess they agree with me on one thing. One look at your smile just sets everything right." Kirani had no idea what to say to that, so she merely tried and came up empty. A sputtering response that didn't get her meaning out.
"I've always thought dreaming was best when you're awake honestly. To really live your own dream in life is the best thing I could possibly think of. One day, maybe we should both take a trip on a boat of our own. Nobody to keep us in line, no mediocrity for us. A life of freedom, a dream of life." He didn't look at her as he spoke. Instead his gaze stayed focused on the horizon where the sun was continuing its descent. Her gaze followed his, and they continued to enjoy the view.
"You're always dreaming Drake. That's one of the things I like about you. The times I've heard you say "Kirani, I've always had a dream of doing this, or doing that" makes me feel happy. To know that somebody in the world still has joy from simple things. Despite your tough exterior and your fighting spirit, I think you're more of a kid inside. Always dreaming up another adventure." Drake laughed at this, but he didn't bother to deny it. Kirani leaned in closer to him, and if this meant something to Drake he didn't let on. She placed her head on his shoulder and felt herself drifting off.
"I'm that way because of one simple fact. We're most alive when we're chasing dreams. Don't you think so Kirani?" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Kirani..." The young woman jerked awake from her dream, and looked around. The voice she had heard had seemed so familiar, like that of someone she knew. Yet it was too quiet for her to tell exactly who it was. "Kirani..."
She pulled the covers off and got up, looking around the cabin. Slowly she crept toward the door and flicked the light on. What she discovered was that nobody was in her room, not a single soul. "Who was saying that? Is anybody there or am I just dreaming still?"
There was silence for a moment more, and then a whisper from above the stairs that went up from her room to the top deck. "Kirani..." Following the voice she ascended the stairs, and soon found herself on the deck. It was foggy out, which was surprising considering it hadn't looked like it was going to be bad weather earlier. But sometimes these things just got blown in by the winds. "Kirani..."
She followed the voice off to the side, unable to see the speaker because of the fog. The closer she moved the clearer the voice became. She'd just need to hear it a few times and then she'd be able to place it. "Kirani..."
Kirani stopped as she saw that she had reached the pilot's cabin, with the door open. The familiar person saying her name must have gone in there. Carefully she moved forwards, ready to figure out what was going on. She slipped into the room and reached out and flicked on the lights. Light flooded the pilot's cabin and she found nothing. "But there isn't another exit and I'm sure the voice came from here. Am I really just dreaming?"
"You know, you look sexy dressed like that." The confident voice in its clear tones was fully recognizable now. She had heard that voice many times before, and she had enjoyed the sound of it. There was only one person in the entire world who sounded like that, or who would be stupid enough to say that to her without thinking.
"Drake, you're back!" She whirled around and saw not Drake, but someone else entirely. Hanging from a pipe over the door by his knees was a figure in a brown robe. None of his features were visible except for icy blue eyes beneath his hood. Drake's eyes were violet, and he was definitely taller. "Who are you?"
The robed man dropped down, twisting in mid-air so that he came up facing her, crouched on his knees. "I'm not the little punk that's for sure. But it was sooooo easy to manipulate you into thinking I was. A few 'Kirani...'s in his voice and a fog of sleep to keep you drowsy and the others unconscious was all it took. Now it looks like I've got you all to myself, and I'm going to enjoy it." He chuckled, his voice cruel and fairly young. When he said 'Kirani' though, his voice was identical to Drake's.
"What the hell do you want from me you bastard?" He chuckled at her response and rose to his feet. She discovered quickly that he wasn't as tall as she was, being about an inch shorter. Her blue eyes glared into his light blue eyes, and she followed his gaze. It was somewhere it shouldn't be.
"Kinda cold isn't it Kirani?" She growled and wrapped an arm around her chest. With her free hand she took a swing at him. Laughing he jumped to the side, and his body seemed to dissipate into a swirl of wind. He passed straight through the glass and reformed outside of it. He gestured tauntingly to her, motioning for her to follow.
"Go ahead, try all you want. I'm more than you can possibly handle!" Not bothering to cover up she ran out the door and onto the deck, heading straight for him. Her mind was clouded by anger and this strange fog that made it harder for her to think. She ran after him, but he kept floating backwards, propelled by his powers.
Finally he stopped as she reached the bow of the yacht. With nowhere else to go he jumped back some dozen feet and landed...in mid-air. He was supported by absolutely nothing, and he didn't seem bothered by the fact that he couldn't reach her. "Poor Kirani. You've got no power on your own, not without someone to back you up. You can't possibly handle my power. In fact, after your last defeat in a duel I doubt you're capable of giving even a mouse a real challenge!"
She grimaced at his comment, wanting nothing more than to jump out there and tear him a new one. But since he was standing in mid-air over ice cold water and she was barely wearing anything it made falling into that water much more dangerous. "You think so? I'll grab my deck and crush you here and now!"
"No need for that, I brought your deck and your disk along. Don't worry, I know how weak you are so I didn't look at your cards or change them." He reached into his robe and pulled out the compacted duel disk with the deck already in it. She easily caught the underhanded toss, and placed the disk on her arm. It felt cold on her bare skin, but anger made up for it.
"I'll show you that I'm enough of a duelist to defeat you ten times over. I'm no coward, and I don't fear anyone because of just one loss! I've got my own strength, and I'll show it to you here and now, so let's duel!" She pressed the activation button and the disk snapped into place, the life point counter ready to go. (KLP: 4000)
She snapped six cards off the top of her deck, ready to start this duel even if he hadn't activated his own disk yet. She'd go first, and then she'd show him real power. "I'll start this duel off with a unique monster. I summon Gilford of Thunder(1800/1600) to the field!" Her monster appeared along with a peel of thunder, and was revealed as a warrior roughly the size of Gilford the Lightning, however the armor was a darker color than Gilford's and his sword was smaller and at his hip.
"Gilford of Thunder draws his blade, and his special ability will activate! Now that I've summoned him I get to draw one card off the top of my deck and one card from the bottom. So here I go!" She drew the first card off her deck and then one from the bottom, boosting her hand so that it contained seven cards. Already she had a strong monster and two extra cards with minimal effort.
"See? Does it look like I'm afraid to duel? I've got skill and power, and you're just lucky no player can attack the first turn. I set two cards face down and end!" The two cards appeared, one behind Gilford of Thunder and one to its left. Her turn was over, but thanks to the effect of her monster she still had a good sized hand of five cards. He'd have to chew on that, because she would have more options when his turn was over than he did.
"You actually believe that you're a strong duelist don't you? Poor little Kirani. She so desperately wants to prove herself. And I'll show you just how much of a cowardly child you are. Witness the face of fear itself!" He placed a hand on the mask portion of his robe and pulled, tossing it aside and sending the robe flaring out backwards like a cape. Now he stood there in front of her in a red body suit with the infinity symbol on the left breast, brown cape behind him.
The moment Kirani's eyes set upon his face she felt her knees weaken. Terror pooled up in her belly and she dropped to her knees, her eyes clouding up as fear took over. It seemed so impossible, and yet the face of her only fear stood before her. "Taichi..." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"The end has come for you Kirani, with this next card I will bring about your defeat. So here it is!" He snapped the card off his deck and held it in the air in triumph, without even looking at it. Then he snatched his Dark Elf and slapped it onto one of his monster zones.
The dark skinned spellcaster appeared, being the exact opposite of her counterpart, the Mystical Elf. Their stats were also reversed, Dark Elf having 2000 attack and 800 defense. "Next I'll flip up my face down monster, X.E.N.O.!"
A monster that looked much like a mollusk with teeth and a tongue appeared, and snaked that tongue around the Ceremonial Bell, dragging it over to Taichi's side of the field. He smirked as his life points started to tick down to nearly zero. (TLP: 87)
"When flipped, X.E.N.O. allows me to take control of one monster on your side of the field until the end of this turn. This gives me a total of three monsters. Now, by sacrificing 500 life points as compensation, I can now normal summon again this turn!"
Laughing, the dark haired boy held out one of his arms. His eyes glinted evilly as he pulled a simple knife from his pocket and then slammed it into his wrist. Pulling the blade out, he turned his wrist upside down so that the blood could splatter onto the ground. His laughter only grew as the blood splashed upon the ground at his feet.
"What the hell are you doing?" Taichi merely continued laughing as he let more blood pour from his wrist. Then, smearing the blood upon his hand, he grasped the second card he had drawn by the effect of Pot of Greed and slammed it onto his monster zone, shattering his other three monsters in the process.
"I'm not surprised you don't understand. Your concepts of power and commitment are hardly up to my standard. You see, the card is Blood Compensation, so I must give up my own blood to summon my next monster. And through that blood I gain a bond with my monster like nothing you could possibly understand! You see..this is more then a simple game...it's a Shadow Game!"
Drake whipped around as he heard these words and ran up to Kaiba. "Kaiba! Cancel the duel right now! If you don't something terrible could happen!"
The older duelist grunted in response and gestured to the blood that seeped through his arms, and the weak Rishid that stood in the corner. "Rishid, Bakura, Malik. They have suffered, and Malik has even died. For the first two I would say that they were weak, so they were defeated and didn't deserve to continue. However with Malik's death something happened. At that moment I should have canceled this entire tournament and had Dalin arrested. However I can't do that anymore."
Grabbing the CEO by the front of his shirt Drake pulled him forward, so that they were almost eye to eye. "And why the fuck can't you?"
He sighed and looked away, refusing to meet Drake's eyes. "Because I'm no longer in control of this tournament. If I tried to cancel it, these duels would still continue. I can do nothing about that. I don't care that Malik is dead, but this Taichi, I want to see him lose. He also claims to have a power greater then God, and I believe he's referring to the god cards. Therefore I will see this monster, and I will find a way to claim it."
Back on the field the blood of Taichi was now creating a pool in what would be one of the monster zones and everything was starting to shake. The entire blimp rattled, and with a brief flash, the lights went out and the holographic projectors deactivated.
Joan was still standing there, despite the deactivation. The blimp itself was beginning to descend, a lack of power forcing it to plummet to the ocean below. "Now my monster, now my master! For what was, for what is, and for what shall be I call upon you!"
A black fire ignited upon the blood, spinning around it until some sort of occult symbol appeared. Suddenly a massive hand, the size of a human body erupted from it and crashed down on the field. The tan fleshed arm began pulling itself up, dragging the massive body up with it.
Slowly the monster rose up, showing its true horrifying self as a monster that existed completely outside of the holograms that generated the rest of the monsters in the game. It generated itself, creating an aura that made Joan just as real as it was. This monster was a true terror to behold, particularly for Kaiba.
The sound of bone contacting with bone wasn't enough to pull anyone's gaze away from the monster. Kaiba slowly reached up a hand to his nose, wiping the blood that blossomed there off, though it wasn't enough to stop the flow. Drake dropped his fist to his side and shouted at Kaiba, rage filling his heart. "Stop the duel! DO IT NOW!"
Kaiba closed his eyes and looked away, now ignoring the flow of blood down his chin. This was his fault...this was...it was...real. "I'm sorry...I can't do anything."
Taichi's laughter echoed above the deep guttural sounds of his new monster, whose snake head charm was enough to let even an amateur duelist recognize it. "Its all over Kirani...for now my supreme monster, a force beyond God will eliminate you. No...it will do more then simply eliminate you. It will obliterate you. EXODIA! OBLITERATE!"
Exodia raised its unchained hands and called
upon its awesome energies and then extended its arm, sending a massive
wave of deadly energy cascading over Joan, killing her so quickly that
it was as if she never existed. The wave hurtled onwards towards
Kirani, ready to enveloped her as well.
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"I see by the look on your face that you remember what happened when last we dueled. I admit I'm not the same person, but the spirit that controlled me left a lasting bit of knowledge in my mind. Humanity is worthless and it should be destroyed. Therefore I'm going to assist Eikyuu in his goal, and strip humanity of their disgusting nature!" She couldn't respond, fear gripped her insides like a steel hand.
He
extended one arm, activating his Duel Pod which was brown in color. He
picked up five cards and then a sixth. "When this duel is over there
will be a punishment for losing. And it's going to be because of one
card. And that punishment is identical to what happened in our last
duel. Do you remember that?" She quivered, her mind throwing her
backwards in time. She remembered all too well.
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Taichi stood there on a pool of his own blood, grinning maniacally. Kirani felt fear envelope her as she noticed that his arm had stopped bleeding. There was no visible wound at all, it was as if it had never happened. She tried to speak, to say something, anything. But no sound came out.
A wicked look in his ice blue eyes the demonic boy raised one hand and displayed a blank Duel Monsters card to her. He smirked and spoke his next words in a voice that echoed in her mind. The last words that she heard. "As a penalty for losing this game, I can inflict Punishment Game. Your soul now belongs to me Kirani!"
Kirani
felt a pulling on the very core of her being, a flash of extraordinary
pain beyond description as that essential part of her was ripped away.
Then she knew no more.
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"Your soul will be stripped away when I win this duel, not by the power of a game of darkness, but rather by the power of my first card. Seal of Orichalcos, I call upon your power! I invoke you in the name of the force that is you creator, The Immortal One Eikyuu!" The blazing green seal formed beneath their feet, creating a brand new field with deadly effects. Kirani didn't even notice it forming, because she couldn't tear her eyes away from the face of her greatest fear.
"I hope you'll at least put a little effort into this duel, because otherwise I won't get to have any fun. Now I set one card face down and a monster in defense mode. Back to you little Kirani." His two cards appeared in front of him, and then it was Kirani's turn. Unfortunately she wasn't moving. She wasn't even responding. It didn't appear as if she had noticed his move at all.
"It seems you've gone catatonic. I suppose I'm going to have to ask the judge what the ruling should be. Oh wait! There is no judge, so I'll decide. You've got just one minute to begin your turn, otherwise you automatically lose the duel!" He threw back his head and laughed, his dark voice echoing through the fog. Kirani was trapped within her own fear, and there was nobody here but him. No way out for her at all.
"It seems you've gone catatonic. I suppose I'm going to have to ask the judge what the ruling should be. Oh wait! There is no judge, so I'll decide. You've got just one minute to begin your turn, otherwise you automatically lose the duel!" He threw back his head and laughed, his dark voice echoing through the fog. Kirani was trapped within her own fear, and there was nobody here but him. No way out for her at all.
"Let's begin the countdown now shall we? Starting at this moment you have exactly one minute to draw your card. That's all. No exceptions to the rule. Of course I made up the rule, so I don't suppose its official. Not that it matters since the Seal is going to accept my ruling anyways since I'm the one with power over it." He smirked and walked forwards across the base of the Seal, his footsteps entirely silent. He wandered around her in a circle, inspecting her closely. His time in the asylum had changed him, and he couldn't say there weren't certain things he wanted to do.
"Perhaps I'll extend the time that you have to draw your card. Did anybody ever tell you anything about the real Taichi Nobuki? No? Well that's because nobody ever knew anything about him. Wealthy relatives, uncaring family. Father dead for years. Nobody noticed him at school, even his so-called friends only cared about dueling him and trading with him because he had a lot of money for cards." He continued to circle her as he spoke, his hand drifting to stroke her hair.
"Nobody was ever there for him, not even his mother. She was too wrapped up in her own life, and she didn't care about his pursuits at all. She'd feign interest in his activities occasionally, but usually it was just a 'welcome home Taichi' or 'see you later Taichi'. She never really gave a flying fuck about him. She was a selfish bitch who wouldn't have given him the time of day unless he screamed the question in her ear! She was a cold-hearted fucking bitch! The bitch deserved to die, she deserved it damn it!" He lashed out with one hand, the blow knocking Kirani onto her side. Her lip was bleeding, but there was no response from her.
"It wasn't just her either. Everybody ignored him, everybody hated him. No...they didn't hate him. They didn't care at all. And that was worse to him. It was like the real Taichi Nobuki didn't even exist. So one day he decided to end it all, to end his life. In his final moments he told the world in his rage that he wished that every last one of the fucking bastards would die screaming. Then he hung himself." He dropped down next to her, his hand caressing her cheek. He didn't seem bothered by the lifeless eyes that stared up at the sky.
"Suddenly he woke up, and he found himself in a simple room. Everything but the room was dark, so so black that it terrified him, and yet he welcomed it. Someone came into the room. It was himself, except this one seemed so much more confident, so much more worthy of attention. The other version of himself told him that soon he'd get his desired wish, and every last man, woman, and child in the world would burn in the fires of Hell. The other Taichi asked the original if he'd enjoy seeing all those who had wronged him suffer. He said yes." His hand slowly traveled down to her chest, his eyes not even touching her. He was lost in his fantasies, lost in his own world even as he did as he had secretly threatened.
"The other Taichi set up a television for him, where he could watch and see it all happen. Through his other self's eyes he watched confidence grow. He didn't beat down the problems, he tore them apart. Every situation that came up he used his mind to solve, torturing the boy's tormentors with their own thoughts and fears. He killed one, broke every bone in the boy's body one by one while the kid was still awake. He made sure the kid stayed awake. In the end he left the broken body in the principle's office, and the principle was arrested." Still lost in the past he continued his actions, unhindered by the lifeless Kirani.
"The other him was planning something. It took him several months, but in the end he had what he wanted. A tournament of Duel Monsters was about to begin, and was going to participate. Shortly before Battle City was going to begin he grew tired of the boy's mother, and he picked her apart with his bare hands. The boy saw it all from inside his own mind, and he began to understand that pain was something he had never truly experienced, this other self was truly a god of pain." He leaned his face in close to hers as he spoke the next words, his eyes staring into hers yet not connecting in any way.
"The boy watched his other self inflict great pain upon everyone he encountered, all for one goal. Total elimination of all life. Not just on Earth, but all of it everywhere, including himself. The other self was so sickened by humanity and all other forms of life that he wanted to end it all. And the boy began to feel that somehow this other self's thoughts were right, only perhaps too extreme. Mankind needed to be broken, not destroyed utterly. Because the other self had shown him pain, and he now knew it to be a far worse fate." He leaned in closer until their noses were touching, his breath beating down on her face and her lips. She didn't react at all.
"The other self made his first example a beautiful girl. He crushed her beneath his heel to make her and others feel pain, and he took her soul for himself in order to hurt those who cared about her. His next victim was a strange man that the boy didn't know either, and this one he burned alive after breaking his spirit. Next he tossed aside another boy and a girl, taking the girl's soul to break the spirit of the boy. Finally he moved on to one of his prime targets, the boy he had first targeted when he caused pain to the beautiful girl." He began to breath heavily, his mind taking him directly back to those events, seen form his own point of view.
"The other boy dueled bravely, yet in the end he was no match for the other self. The other self could only laugh as he struck out with his monster, making blood flow. And the boy proclaimed his strength, and then he fell. He died. The other self killed that boy, he killed Drake Ihachi. But then he died, and the last thought that entered the boys mind was that all was going exactly as planned. The boy was to be a scapegoat, and soon existence would come crashing down. The boy did as he was told, and he died as well. Died in a flash of pain as his body was consumed by fire." He began to pant, his body seizing up in memory of those events. His face twisted into a rictus of pain.
"I died that day! I was baptized in the fire and born again as a new man! They sent me away with the crazy people and in that time I relearned my hatred for humanity! Then I was offered a chance to gain power, to become the Knight of Air, one of the three Knights of Order! My chance to crush humanity beneath my heal and break them completely was at hand!" Suddenly his gaze cleared and he glanced at his right wrist as if at an imaginary watch. He smirked widely and pulled backwards slightly so that he could truly face her.
"Time's up." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Author's Notes: Yeah...kinda freaky. This wasn't entirely what I had intended with this chapter, but hey! I think it turned out pretty good.
G.O.T. Nick: You'll see. Glad it hit hard, and yes, he does indeed kick ass.
Void Templar: I've got a Thirdly.........Actually, I don't.
The White Mage: Well, it's not so much killing as taking souls...but yeah.
WolfGeneral: Thank you oh other great one.
Original Cards
Kirani: Gilford of Thunder
Taichi: Blood Compensation(in flashback), Exodia(in flashback)
Anime Original Cards
Taichi: Seal of Orichalcos
