Author's Notes: Now, for the stunning conclusion to the Nick/Dalin duel.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Scales of Justice
Nick placed his hand next to his deck, and it proceeded to spit a card out of his deck for him in place of his draw phase. This was it, the moment that Dalin had known would be coming. "Thanks to the effect of Freed I now have the final piece of the puzzle. Not that it matters."
He threw the card down onto his Duel Pod, and the monster was summoned up. Clad in similar gray armor and red pants, this warrior was different than the other three. This one was a woman, and had long black hair and a whip in her hands. "This is Dark Scorpion-Maenae the Thorn(1000/1800)."
A bond of soul energy now created a circuit between Nick and his five monsters, connecting each one of them together. Freed seemed an outsider to this, and the now united Dark Scorpions glared at Dalin with glowing red eyes. "With the power of the Seal of Vengeance my monsters now have nearly twelve thousand total attack points."
"I had something all planned out for you, but it appears it isn't even needed. You can't handle the strength of the Seal of Vengeance let alone the strength of the Dark Scorpions. In just one moment all six of my monsters will attack you, and no single set card can stop them all! Face it Sumatin, you're going to lose, and I'm going to have my revenge." The scorpions and Nick all began to laugh, anticipating the soon to be achieved revenge.
"Nikolas Selket, I am a sending of justice, and therefore I am protected by the powers of the light. Strive as hard as you wish to defeat me, but in the end it is I who shall claim victory. I am prepared for your attack, and I do not bluff." Nick sneered, feeling the energy flowing off Dalin.
"You're no sending of justice! The justice to be dealt is mine, and I am its sending! I am a weapon of justice, sent to strike you down for the sins of your past! Now greet your forebears as you reach your deserved resting place. GO TO HELL!"
And six monsters began their charge towards Dalin's life points.
Suddenly a shining wall of light swept upwards around Dalin, and each of the six monster's attacks bounced off of it, leaving the angel duelist unharmed. "My quick-play magic card Light Barrier prevents me from being attacked by monsters for the duration of the turn."
Nick snarled, his hands bunching into fists at seeing his attack deflected. "So be it! You're safe for now, but your field is empty and you have no cards in your hand. You're top decking, and that's a sure fire path to defeat!"
Dalin smiled slightly as he slipped a single card off the top of his deck, and then held it up facing Nick. "I've never really had a problem with top decking. Payment of Debt lets me draw three cards."
He picked up the top three cards of his deck and then fanned them out. He looked over the top of his cards at Nick, and began to speak. "Payment of Debt is a one in one hundred card. That means that only one hundred copies exist, and it's extremely rare. After all, three cards at no cost is quite a good effect. Unfortunately for you I have all the cards I need to defeat you."
'If I continue to allow him to gain Hate Counters on my field his Vengeance Tokens will drain me faster than I can recover. I also run the risk of having my own monsters attack me. But thanks to an old opponent I know exactly how to fix that.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dark energy flared up around the muscular duelist, and a grin circle appeared beneath his feet, before shooting out and encompassing him and Rose. Kai was struck by the expanding circle and hurled several feet away and onto his back. He gulped and looked up, seeing the fierce look on Dalin's face as he stared down Rose. A fierce look accompanied by the Seal of Orichalcos that appeared on his forehead and that of each of his monsters. "You shouldn't have given me this power, because now my monsters are strong enough to easily crush each and every one of yours! You're nothing compared to my new strength!"
"Is that so sugar? I don't think so. See, there are plenty of monsters who can gain dark power. But of all the angels that exist, only angels that aren't heavenly can gain dark power. Heavenly angels, that is light type ones, can't. If they do, they become fallen angels, or demons. And they are then cast from heaven, falling straight to Hell. And since your monsters are ALL heavenly angels, granting them dark power doesn't strength them...it kills them!" Dalin's fists squeezed tight together as his monster's cried out in pain, and were consumed by the darkness, vanishing from the field.
"So that was your plan was it? To turn all my angels into fallen ones and strip them of their seats in heaven? To destroy them all and prevent me from summoning any monsters to attack you with? How pathetic. Attack me all you wish, it won't do you any good. I'll still crush you." Rose just smiled before slapping down another monster onto her monster zone.
"I'll let you know now, that when I'm involved, the word impossible has no meaning. I can defeat any opponent! And I've discovered the flaw in your plan that will allow me to win the duel, so now I draw!" He snapped the top card off his deck, and dark power flared up around him. He glanced once at the card before slapping it onto the field. A brown backed card appeared horizontally in front of him.
"The problem with your strategy is that the Seal of Orichalcos operates just like any other field card. It only affects face up monsters. Therefore a set monster won't gain dark power, so even a heavenly angel won't be destroyed by it while face down. Not only that, but your pathetic Death Plant can't destroy a face-down monster with it's effect either. So go ahead and attack my monster if you dare, but for now my turn is over."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Thanks to a duel with one of your compatriots I learned the method of getting around a similar strategy to the one you're using. Your Hate Counters can only affect face up monsters. So I set my monster face down." It appeared before him horizontally.
Nick narrowed his eyes, covering his surprise. 'I didn't even know about that. I hadn't realized my Hate Counters couldn't go into face down monsters, but he's right. My Seal of Vengeance is a field card, so it still does have its limits. He's clever...'
"Now, I complete my turn by setting a single card face down. Your turn Nikolas." Dalin folded his arms across his chest and started idly tapping the single card in his hand against his arm. He had a theory about his opponent's intents, now he just had to see if he had prepared for the situation correctly.
The knight smirked as for the first time in several turns he actually drew. He barely looked at the card before slapping it down onto his Duel Pod. "This monster isn't really necessary, but I consider it back-up. Dark Scorpion Assembly(1000 + 500/1000) in attack position."
A monster that was each of the Dark Scorpions bunched together took up a position in rear defense. Each figure's head now bore the symbol of the Seal of Vengeance, granting the whole further life points. "That's not really my plan. My plan revolves around the five Dark Scorpions, which I just happen to have on the field."
Once more the soul bond flared up, and the Dark Scorpions flexed their muscles, ready to attack at a moment's notice. "You asked earlier if I was a person capable of unleashing the combined strength of the Dark Scorpions. Now I'm about to answer you through the use of my face down cards."
Nick extended one hand out over his leftmost face down card, which proceeded to flip up. It was a trap, with an image of each of the Dark Scorpions on it, all of them charging forwards. The text beneath it was in Egyptian, just like nearly all of Dalin's cards. "This is Dark Scorpion Combination, and it spells your doom!"
Each of the scorpions stepped forward in front of the other two monsters. Don Zaloog was at the head, and they held their weapons at the ready. In moments they would strike according to the power of the trap card. "Dark Scorpion Combination can only be activated when I have Don Zaloog, Cliff, Chick, Maenae, and Gorg together on the field. All of them are here, so now I get a special effect."
Don, Cliff, Chick, Maenae, and Gorg all started to glow, and Dalin felt their power grow. Not their power in the game, but rather the power of their bond. The use of this trap was binding them closer to Nick. 'If I'm to win this duel, I must defeat this bond. That's my task.'
"The turn that Dark Scorpion Combination is activated all of my Dark Scorpions will attack together for a grand total of two thousand damage. Also, since each of them has an effect that works when damage is dealt I will force you into a position of being top decked, since after dealing damage I'll pick back up Dark Scorpion Combination." Dalin nodded, knowing what that meant. If the right attack went through then Nick would get another chance to play his ultimate trap.
"Time to show you my strength. Dark Scorpions, attack him together!" The group of five thieves bounded towards Dalin. He took a deep breath in response, and then depressed a button on his disk, causing his face down card to flip up.
Nick threw up his hand as a blaze of light washed over his scorpions, temporarily blinding him. When his vision returned, spots now included, he saw all of his Dark Scorpions, mulling around blankly. Then he noticed something else. "What happened to Gorg? Where is he?"
Dalin took the card he had activated from his disk and held it up, showing it to Nick. "This trap is known as Rise to Heaven, and its power allowed me to remove Gorg from the game until the end of your next turn. Also, I gain it's attack power as life points." (DLP: 4650)
His opponent grimaced and then motioned sharply towards his remaining four Dark Scorpions. "Then what happened to them? Why didn't they finish their attack and crush you?"
"Simple, because Dark Scorpion Combination requires all five of them to be together to work. You declared an attack with them, and when Gorg vanished their combination fell apart, and so did their attempt at an attack. Without Gorg, your attack was a failure." Nick shook his head in frustration, but realized that Dalin was right. Not that it would matter in the end.
"Fine! I still have two monsters who haven't attacked this turn, and they're about to. Dark Scorpion Assembly, destroy his set monster!" The grouped monster smashed Dalin's creature apart, but suddenly a tall man in monk's robes with long brown wings stood in front of them. Dalin also drew a card off the top of his deck. (DLP: 4350)
"This is my Ascended Man(1200/500), who is a monk who spent his life being pious in order to become an angel on earth. When one dies, another shall take his place, just as is the way. And since he requires no possessions, he leaves me his legacy by allowing me to draw a card." Dalin smirked at his own explanation, now tapping two cards against his arm.
"I'll just kill another one even if it means another draw for you. At least you'll take three hundred more damage from my Seal of Vengeance. Freed, cut him down!" The bearded warrior slashed his blade through the middle of Ascended Man, and the robes collapsed. Seconds later the robes rose up again, once more filled by a monk with angelic wings. (DLP: 4050)
"My turn is over. I admit I'm impressed with your skill, but I won't allow you to get away with your actions. You will die at my hand, no matter what the cost." He slid a single card onto his disk, and finished his turn. Now he had to await Dalin's next move.
Nick blinked as Dalin immediately flipped his newest card around and showed it to him. It was Lady Justice with balance scales, and on each scale their was a strange jar with runes drawn upon it. "This special magic card is called Justice Unleashed, and it will allow me to bring forth the monster that I consider my favorite."
"A ritual?" Dalin nodded once, and then picked up his last Ascended Man off his disk and took another monster from his hand, sliding them both into the cemetery. The Lady Justice appeared in front of him, and both angels were sucked into the twin jars.
"First of all, since the last Ascended Man went to the grave I get to draw a card. Now I may special summon this level seven monster. Be unleashed! Sol, Angel of Justice(1900/1900)!" Lady Justice vanished in a tornado of angel feathers, and standing in her place was by far the most beautiful of the monsters Dalin had revealed so far.
Standing as tall as Dalin, Sol was a woman with long flowing white robes, and pure shimmer silver hair that hung to the middle of her waist. Her beautiful features were detracted slightly by the blindfold wrapping around her face, covering her eyes. Sol had her hands clasped together in prayer, and a silver glow shone around her. "Sol will be your undoing."
Nick narrowed his eyes in confusion, uncertain exactly what this meant. It didn't make much sense to him. "A level seven with only nineteen hundred attack and defense points? How is that going to help you at all?"
"For one thing you put Maenae the Thorn in front defense, and as long as Sol is face-up you cannot activate traps in during the battle step when an angel attacks. That means Maenae is wide open, so Sol will destroy her!" Sol pulled her palms apart, creating a shimmering sphere of silver light. With a little push the silver ball shot across the field and blew the female thief to pieces. The spirit rushed out and struck Nick in the chest. (NLP: 2300)
"Bastard...you'll regret destroying one of my scorpions! Your monster is still weaker than Freed, and when Gorg returns that will make two monsters that can defeat your angel. Just you wait, I'll crush you soon enough!" Dalin nodded solemnly, and then took two of the three cards in his hand and slid them onto his disk.
"That may be so, but until that moment I'll continue to duel. There is too much at stake to merely give up, and that isn't in my nature anyways. Turn end." Nick shot him and glare and then picked up his next card, starting off his turn fast.
"Time to say goodbye to your precious woman! Freed will destroy her with ease!" Freed raised his blade high over head, and then jumped up into the air. He came down fast, swinging his blade towards Sol. Dalin sighed and triggered one of his two face down cards.
"When you played your Seal of Vengeance I lost the ability to play one of my key cards, the field card Sanctuary of the Sky. But the hope still remained in my heart that its power would be unleashed. That hope has come true with my continuous trap card, Hope of Sanctuary!" His card flipped up, and a glowing barrier surrounded Sol, blocking Freed's attack.
"Hope of Sanctuary requires me to discard a card as activation, but then it makes my field treated as being under Sanctuary of the Sky. As long as it remains active each of my angels is protected from battle damage." Nick growled, but took pleasure in noticing the presence of a Hate Counter on Sol's robes. It seemed she wasn't immune to his field card, and in just a few turns he'd use Dalin's favorite monster to defeat him.
"So be it. Each of my other monsters is in rear defense and protected, except for Freed, Gorg, and the Assembly. So I switch the Assembly into defense mode, and end my turn. Now Gorg returns to me!" The hammer wielding muscular thief appeared next to Zaloog, meaning Nick's field was now nearly full, with only two zones remaining unfilled.
Dalin picked another card off his deck, and after a quick glance at it he slid it into his cemetery. "Now I shall show you exactly what gives Sol such great power. By discarding one light type each turn I may activate one of three effects."
A heavenly glow surrounded Dalin, and Nick heard the distinct sound of a life point counter clicking away. "One of her effects is the increase of my life points by one thousand. Also, since my monster wasn't destroyed I am not attacked by its spirit." (DLP: 5050)
So quickly all of Nick's hard work was gone, and Dalin was past his starting point. He had known ahead of time that Dalin used a life point gain strategy, but that didn't mean he couldn't be irritated by it. He had thought his Dark Scorpion Combination would be the perfect weapon to defeat Dalin, but in the end the angel duelist had even defeated that with almost casual ease.
'Everything I do he destroys! Everything that I touch is burned away by him! He'll pay, oh by god he'll pay!' With hatred burning in his eyes, Nick prepared to take action as soon as he got the chance. All he needed was a way past Hope of Sanctuary and he would crush Dalin.
"Sol, destroy Dark Scorpion Assembly!" Another ball of silver light went out, and blew Nick's monster into fragments. The spirit rose up and passed through his leg, causing it to spasm painfully. He dropped to one knee, gritting his teeth in pain. (NLP: 1900)
"I swear, as soon as I get past your Hope of Sanctuary that you'll pay! Just you wait!" Dalin nodded, grim faced as he ended his turn. He knew that Nick was very serious, but he also knew that in order to stop the threat of the expanding Darkness Realm he had to win this duel.
Speaking of which, the borders of the Darkness Game had expanded past the ceiling and could now be seen right above them. At least three feet were past the ceiling, and it seemed to be spreading quite rapidly. At this rate there was no telling how long it would take before it swept over them. 'Time is running out. I must win or everyone will suffer.'
"Here's the first part of my plan. It isn't much, but it will have to do. I pay the life points to create another Vengeance Token(200/200)!" The black kanji creature was summoned, floating in mid-air in front of his other monsters. He was lucky it didn't count towards his monsters, otherwise it would be taking up a much needed space. (NLP: 1700)
"I may not be able to activate traps when your angels attack me, but that doesn't mean I still can't prepare. So I set one card face down, and that will be the end of my turn. Come get me Sumatin!" His card appeared next to Freed, leaving him with just one open zone.
In the meantime his opponent had already drawn a card, and he was sliding it into one of his m/t zones. "I cannot attack this turn, however I will activate a continuous magic card that will work well with Sol. It is called Jofyul Light of the Heavenly Realm, and as long as it is in play I draw one extra card each draw phase.
"Nikolas, I swear by the power of Sol and myself that before this duel is over that justice will be served. No matter what that justice is, it will be served. That I swear." Nick was shocked to hear these words, not quite understanding what they meant.
He shook off his surprise and then reclaimed his anger once again. "It will indeed be served, but it is I and not you who will be delivering that justice! And by the end of this duel the truth will be known!"
With no more cards to play, Dalin's turn was complete. He was ready to face whatever Nick had ready for him. He was ready to face Nick's power. He knew exactly what was going to happen, but he wasn't worried at all. 'Before this duel is over, we will know the truth Nikolas. I must know the truth, just as you must know the truth.'
As soon as Nick started his turn, the third and final of the needed Hate Counters appeared on Sol. At the same time, his Vengeance Token shattered, having gone past its one turn limit. "My Vengeance Token is gone, and it's time for me to regain life points and for you to lose them!"
The dark energy struck Dalin in the belly, cutting him slightly, and then fading away. On the other side of the field the dark energy seeped into Nick's body through the pores, empowering him with hatred and with the lust for vengeance. It also empowered him with more life points. (DLP: 4750, NLP: 2100)
"Say goodbye to your precious cards! I activate my set Dust Tornado, and I'm aiming right at Hope of Sanctuary!" A black tornado whipped into a frenzy and ripped Dalin's continuous trap to pieces, dropping the barrier. Now Dalin's angels were vulnerable to attack.
"I'm not finished Sumatin! I also activate a continuous trap of my own, the one that will ultimately cause your demise! This trap is known as Skull Invitation, and as long as it is in play we each lose three hundred life points whenever one of our cards go to the grave. Lucky for me Dust Tornado had already hit the grave before my trap activated. You on the other hand..." He smirked as a ghost swooped out of his now face up trap.
"I see, this is your strategy to deplete my life points. I'm prepared, so continue." The ghost wrapped around him and squeezed. Dalin barely even seemed to notice it outside of a grimace. His strength was impressive, but Nick knew it wasn't unlimited. And he was still losing blood from the cuts that Nick had inflicted and the damage dealt from Nick's attacks. (DLP: 4450)
"Next up, I sacrifice the three Hate Counters on Sol to have her attack you directly! Your own favorite monster is my first step to victory!" Sol turned around and faced Dalin, black energy blazing in her hands and hatred blazing in her eyes. She unleashed the attack straight at him, point blank range.
"I will never allow my own monsters to harm me. Never will it work." The attack fizzled out seconds before striking Dalin, and Nick took a quick glance at Dalin's remaining set card. Yet there had been no change. It was still set, and there was no sign it had done anything.
"How did you do that? You didn't even play your face down card!" Dalin placed a hand in front of his disk, and a card suddenly ejected from his cemetery. He flipped it up and declared what his move had been.
"For the cost of Hope of Sanctuary I discarded Sanctity of the Buried, which allowed me to negate that attack from the graveyard and end your battle phase. Being activated from the grave it has a special cost, so I must remove five of my cards in the cemetery from the grave." He slipped another five cards out of his cemetery and then slid them all into his back pocket.
"DAMN YOU! YOU DON'T DIE! WELL YOU WILL, IT'S WIN, LOSE, OR PROVE YOUR SO-CALLED INNOCENCE BEFORE YOU SINK BELOW THE SANDS!" Before Dalin could even ask what Nick was talking about, the ground under Dalin shook, and his feet began to sink. He looked down, and to his surprise saw that the ground had turned into quick-sand.
"I see. Well, I won't struggle. I'll just have to win, that was my intent in the beginning anyways. Are you finished?" Nick grimaced, infuriated by Dalin's nonchalant attitude. He slapped a card onto his disk, and it formed in front of him face-down and horizontal.
"That monster in defense mode, and then I'm done. But you will be as well as soon as I start my next turn. Remember, without your Hope of Sanctuary your Sol, Angel of Justice is nothing but fodder for my Freed and Gorg." He folded his arms, just like Dalin, and now awaited the angel duelist's next turn.
Dalin quickly drew two new cards as per the effect of his continuous magic card. He looked at both of them carefully, and then chose one of them to play. "Prepare to meet the power of balance in the form of a single card. I summon Goddess of Balance(1200/1200) in attack mode."
A heavenly being appeared next to Sol, waves of clothing flowing out behind her. Her features were concealed by a natural glow that surrounded her, and Nick realized that she truly was a goddess. He could literally feel the power coming off of her. "Damn..."
"Yes. Goddess of Balance, attack Gorg the Strong." Nick had no idea what was going on, but he did know that his opponent had just ordered a weak monster to attack his strong one. And with ease the brutish thief crushed her with his hammer, and she faded away as if she had never been. (DLP: 3350)
"Thank you Gorg, you helped me. You see, now the effects of the Seal of Vengeance and Skull Invitation are worthless, because when Goddess of Balance is destroyed in battle she is instantly removed from the game, where I then must choose one of her effects to blanket the field." Nick nodded, knowing that unless the card went to the cemetery he couldn't deal damage.
"So you had your monster commit suicide just to get her effect into play? You must be desperate to so casually through away your life points like that. Or she must have some pretty deadly effects to use, is that it?" Dalin didn't answer him in words, he simply set another card onto his disk, emptying his hand.
"You will see in due time. For now, I set a card face down and end my turn." Nick narrowed his eyes at the two face down cards, and then took a look at his own face down card. It was pretty useless at the moment, since it would only work if Dalin attacked, but with Sol on the field he couldn't use it when Dalin attacked.
Nick slid a new card off his disk, and smirked at what he saw. This card and the monster he had set would quicken the pace of this duel by quite a great deal. "I start off by activating Silent Thief of the Night, which will take the top two cards of your deck and send them to the cemetery. So you lose six hundred points and I lose three hundred."
Dalin dumped the two cards in his grave, and then was attacked by two ghosts, while a single ghost wrapped around Nick and drained him of life points. But Nick's smirk faded when he saw the life points after his card had been played. (DLP: 2750, NLP: 1650)
Nick opened his mouth to protest, but was silenced when Dalin pointed upwards. What Nick saw when he looked up was the form of Goddess of Balance floating above them, a pair of scales in her hand. "The effect I chose was Damage Balance. Now whenever I take effect damage you lose half of the same amount."
"Fine, I'll kill you first anyways! I flip my set monster, Needle Worm(750/700)! This monster's flip effect forces you to discard five cards off the top of your deck!" Dalin slid five cards into his grave, and five ghostly spirits slammed into him, further weakening his life points. But Nick shared that damage. (DLP: 1250, NLP: 900)
"Thank you, by using Needle Worm you sent an angel to the cemetery, allowing me to activate my placed card, Shield of Souls. This will prevent me from being attacked at all anymore during the turn that an angel went to the cemetery." A glowing shield appeared in front of him, preventing Nick from making any sort of attack.
"So what? Time for us to both feel the burn of your loss!" Another ghost shot out of Nick's trap, and hit Dalin head on. The powerful duelist grunted in pain as it passed through his body, and the silent pain that Nick briefly saw in his eyes told him the truth. The attacks and damage were taking their toll on him, and he was still sinking beneath the quick-sand. (DLP: 950, NLP: 750)
"I have a method in my deck of restoring my life points, so I won't be gone. Soon you'll lose Dalin, just wait! All it will take is a few turns and then this duel will be over!" He had no cards left to play, so his own turn was finished. Now it was time to see what Dalin could do, to see if he could once again recover.
Nick's enemy drew two cards, and then sighed when he saw them. "There is no next turn for you Nikolas. I start by activating Angel's Feather Storm, usable only with an angel on the field. It will blow away all of your magic and trap cards."
Sol spread her wings out, and then with one fell sweep sent a current of air and feathers across the field, shattering Nick's single set card and his Skull Invitation. With their power gone Dalin wouldn't be losing any life points from his trap. "No...Needle Worm!"
Despite his outward stress, inside Nick was smirking. Now he had no face down cards, and Dalin would feel completely confident in attacking his supposedly weak monster with Sol. And since Needle Worm was in attack mode, it would be his end. 'Or so he thinks. Sol has a Hate Counter, so I'll just destroy her with my Vengeance Death Strike the moment he attacks.'
"Attacking you would be pointless, as you would merely use that special ability of your Seal of Vengeance again, leaving me with noting. However, I have one card in my hand that will drain away my life points, but will defeat you." Nick gulped, trying to hide the fear in his eyes as Dalin made this declaration. If Dalin remembered Vengeance Death Strike and still had a method of victory, there was nothing he could do about it.
"This magic card is known as Temporal Disruption. It will now destroy every monster on the field, and allow each player to draw one card for each of their monsters destroyed this way, up to a maximum of five cards." A temporal warp appeared in the middle of the field, and each and every one of their monsters was pulled into it, broken down by the energies within.
"According to the effect of your own Seal of Vengeance each of us will now be attacked by the spirit of our dead monsters. Sol is a level seven, so I will lose seven hundred life points, and you will take three hundred and fifty from my Goddess of Balance." He smirked, and Nick was left to contemplate the rest of the move on his own.
"And each of my monster's spirits will also attack me, making more than enough damage to finish me off. Well played Sumatin...but there's one thing you didn't think of." Dalin's smirk slipped at this declaration, and the symbol of Vengeance that burned on Nick's forehead lit up, and the Seal beneath their feet glowed a deep red as well.
"The Seal of Vengeance is under my control, so I now negate all the damage that it would deal this turn, freeing us both from that damaging effect!" Dalin kept his reaction guarded to avoid revealing his emotions, but inside he was frustrated. His attempt to win the duel had failed, and he had lost one of his best monsters in the process.
"I may have failed to defeat you, but I take consolation in the fact that your entire force of monsters, all of your Dark Scorpions, are now dead. Your turn Nikolas." The thief duelist drew six cards, five from the effect of Temporal Disruption and one for his turn.
Nick took a look over his hand of cards and then he began to laugh. The first laughter that Dalin had really heard from his opponent. "All your efforts to defeat the Dark Scorpions...failures. Now, I pay two hundred life points to create a Vengeance Token(0/0)!" (NLP: 550)
"This is the moment when you suffer, because my Dark Scorpions are going to return in just a moment. I sacrifice my Vengeance Token for Don Zaloog-Hunter of Treasures(1900/1500)!" A monster that was identical to Don Zaloog appeared, only he was older, with a beard and a few more scars on his person.
"This older and more experienced version of Don is from when the group split for a few decades. But then the thrill of the game brought them back together. Just like in the past, this Don does the same. When I sacrifice summon him I can take two Dark Scorpions from my deck and special summon them to the field!" Nick smirked and two cards ejected from his deck, which he caught and slapped down onto his Duel Pod.
"Cliff and Gorg are back, and he won't be alone for long! I play Dark Scorpion Reunion. For each card I discard I can revive one Dark Scorpion from the grave, so I revive Maenae and Chick as well, bring the gang back together!" The two remaining scorpions arrived next to their brethren, uniting the Dark Scorpions once more. And the soul bond was as powerful as ever.
"All your hard work, and all of it for nothing! Now each of my Dark Scorpions is imbued with the power of the Seal of Vengeance, assembling their combined power at a grand total of ninety-four hundred attack power!" The scorpion's eyes started glowing red as the deadly symbol appeared on their skulls.
"Dark Scorpions now reunited...attack Sumatin directly and win me this duel!" The five monsters rushed forwards, and Dalin immediately slammed the card in his hand into the disk, causing blue light to surge around him.
"My Justice For All magic card will now set my life points at twice their starting amount. With this power I can easily continue this duel!" The blue light faded, and his life points shot up, far beyond their starting mark. (DLP: 8000)
"Fool! It's nowhere near enough, I've still got this won!" Dalin raised one arm, and a shining shield appeared on it, and he proceeded to block the attacks of each of the scorpions. Then with one mighty push he hurled them back to their side of the field, causing them to stumble into Nick.
"I had another card in my cemetery that I could activate at any time. It is called Shield of Justice, and you sent it there with Needle Worm. For the next three turns I cannot be touched by either battle damage or effect damage, and I choose battle damage." He turned his stern gaze on Nick, and lowered the shield that was attached to his right arm. Now if Nick even tried to attack he would simply deflect it with ease.
"You saved yourself for now Sumatin. But my turn isn't over. I set two cards face down. Let's see if you can possibly recover." Dalin was willing to accept that challenge, even knowing that as soon as he started his turn he would lose half of his life points. But that didn't bother him. In fact, very little did bother him.
Dalin drew once, and then a second time. He looked at the cards with only a modicum of curiosity, and then slid them into his duel disk, leaving only two spaces open. Nick was now facing two face down cards and the prospect that Dalin could draw two cards each turn. "I set those two on the field. End." (DLP: 4000)
While Dalin was very calm, Nick was feeling about the same as he had been earlier in the duel. Enraged. Needless to say he didn't draw his card so much as he did yank it off his deck. "Perfect. This card will allow me to crush you once I go on the offensive."
He took it and placed it into his disk next to his two face down cards. It appeared face up, and the image was that of the Dark Scorpions all working together to enter a tomb. "This continuous magic card is known as Bonds of Thieves. As long as its in play my Dark Scorpions gain three hundred attack and defense points."
The bonds of the soul between the five scorpions and Nick all suddenly increased as each one got a sudden boost in power. Now even the normally weak scorpions were contenders, ranging from eighteen hundred to the older Don at twenty-seven hundred. "That's not all my card does. Now each of the Dark Scorpions has the ability of every other Dark Scorpion on the field, and should you choose to attack a Dark Scorpion, I can choose to block it with another."
Dalin nodded, realizing what this meant. As long as he had Don Zaloog-Hunter of Treasures on the field and this card was well, he could block any attack against his weaker scorpions with his brute attacker. 'So a simple attack is sealed. Defeating his Dark Scorpions is more difficult than I thought...but perhaps that isn't the method I should be using.'
"Since I still can't deal battle damage to you it would be stupid to even bother with an attack. Your turn Sumatin, and don't waste it. After all, your life points are about to be cut in half once again." He sneered and settled down, waiting for Dalin's turn to start. However, before Dalin did they both noticed something.
"Interesting." Dalin peered up above them, where there was regular space. The Darkness that had been seeping down and expanding was all of a sudden gone, which meant someone had managed to end it. But at the point it was at he didn't know anyone who could stop it outside of himself and perhaps Drake.
"Who gives a damn about a little black sphere? You're dueling for your very life here! So pay attention!" The angel duelist nodded and returned his attention to the duel. He placed his fingers on the top of his deck, signaling that his turn was starting. It also triggered Justice For All's side effect, and reduced his life points. (DLP: 2000)
Dalin took his two new cards, and then put them to good use. "First I summon Holy Shine Sphere(500/500) in defense mode." A little glowing ball of light was his newest monster, and it was hardly impressive, especially since it was a normal monster. Nick hardly looked worried at seeing it summoned.
"Next I set a single card face down. The stage is nearly set Nikolas. The final choice is coming. End." Nick had no idea what to think of Dalin's newest comment, so he didn't reply. Instead he just drew a card, hoping it would give him a way to get past Dalin's three set cards at no risk to his Dark Scorpions once Shield of Justice faded.
Nick grimaced, and slid his new card onto his disk. It appeared next to his other two set cards, leaving him with a single open zone left on his entire duel disk. "One card face down. This is the last turn for your defense, so savor it. On my next turn you will die, I swear it."
'Oh and how true it is. My set card combo will crush him with the greatest of ease. Dark Scorpion Combination and Dark Scorpion Skill Test are all that I need to defeat him. And Explosive Repercussions is just the back-up.' The thought of tearing Dalin apart was what kept him going. Now that his turn was over, the Shield of Justice would be gone, and Dalin would be fresh meat for the slaughter.
"End turn." Dalin's face was set solidly and solemnly as the Shield of Justice faded. He knew just as well as Nick that unless he found a way to defeat Nick's deadly combination and his soul bond then he'd be finished. This could very well be Dalin's last turn if Nick got his way. (DLP: 1000)
Said duelist drew the top two cards of his deck, anticipating a simple normal turn. However, what he got was a sudden glow of blue light that began to surround him, and the symbol of justice appeared upon his forehead. There was a flash, and everything changed.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It was quiet. Night in Cairo was much quieter than it had been back home in Chicago, and even though Nick's family was only staying in Cairo for about a year and half it had come to seem like home. Nick's father had come to set up business in the city which would take concentrated efforts, and Nick and his mother had come with him.
The only unfortunate thing was their temporary location. Until they found a better place to stay that they could rent for the duration of their stay they were stuck in a relatively dangerous part of Cairo. The man they were renting it from said to walk quickly if they were in the streets at night, for thieves were known to lurk the area. Thieves in Cairo were notoriously brutal, or notoriously silent. The worst were both.
Nick was only twelve, so he was never really bothered by this. After all, nothing could possibly happen to him or to his family. Nothing ever had, so nothing ever would. It was just the way things went. Sure he was aware that other people suffered that sort of fate, but nobody he knew would. That was the way the world worked, even if he didn't know why. That's the way he believed it worked, just like any other twelve year old.
The young blonde boy shivered under his covers, suddenly awakened by a breeze. He hadn't left the window open, so it seemed odd that there was a breeze in his room. After getting out of bed he took a look and saw that his window was firmly shut, so he exited the room.
He hadn't gotten far when he heard rummaging, and then a sudden shout. He rushed around the corner, and saw his father facing a man a good eight or nine inches taller. Nick's mother was behind his father, and looked absolutely terrified.
In the darkness Nick couldn't get a clear look at the man, but he did see a few details. The most prominent one were harsh green eyes that burned in the night, and the shining knife that the man held in his hand. "Bad luck, that's all this is for you. Go back to bed, and never report this. Then all will be well."
"You can't talk to me like that, you can't be here. I've already called the police and they're on their way!" The man cocked his head to one side after listening to Nick's father speak. All was quiet for a moment, and then the man moved.
Nick didn't believe that a man so large could move so swiftly and fluidly, but he did. He darted forwards and grabbed Nick's father by the forehead, tilting his head up. The man's right arm came up and pressed the blade to Nick's father's throat, and then slashed it to the side. Blood flowed freely, and his father gurgled, clasping at his ruined throat. "Then I'll have to make this quick. No witnesses."
Nick stared dumbly at his father's body, watching as he sunk to his knees, hands still clutching his throat, eyes staring forward in horror. Soon all he could see was the blood running red between his father's fingers, seeming black in the darkness.
Another brief cry brought Nick's attention back to the scene, and saw that a similar act had been performed on his mother. Quick, and almost surgical. The man killed with the grace of a professional, of one who did it as a pastime. "I hate it when it gets messy. So be it."
Nick stood frozen to the spot, looking at the steadily dying figures of his parents. He couldn't take his eyes off them, could barely hear the sounds of the man rooting around in the little home they had rented. When everything of value was taken, the man returned to the front room, and found Nick sitting with his parent's hands held tight in his, sitting in a pool of their blood.
"A kid. That means another corpse. Sorry kid, but you'll be joining your parents now." Nick felt his head pressed backwards, his throat revealed and ready for the man's blade. The man moved forwards, and then jerked his attention away when a siren was heard coming closer.
In that moment Nick came to his senses and tried to hurl himself away. The man snarled and took a slash at Nick. The boy screamed in pain as the blade gouged down across his forehead, eye, and to his cheek. "No time. Unlike your parents, it looks like luck is on your side."
In that moment, through red streaked eyes, Nick caught a glimpse of the man's face. He could barely register it in the dark and through his blood, but it was something he latched onto, even as the man turned and started to leave. Nick reached out, grabbing at the man's waist, trying to stop him.
As big as the man was, it was easy for him to casually shove Nick aside with his foot, and as Nick went down he pulled something slightly out of the man's pocket. A single brown backed object fluttered to the ground, unnoticed by the man as he fled the scene.
Nick stood up, his vision fogging over from blood loss and from pain. He staggered around a few steps, trying to go towards the door, trying to head after his parent's killer. But there wasn't enough strength in his body, and he passed out, his body slumping down between his parents.
He would never forget that the last thing he had ever seen with two eyes was the blade that had killed his own parents.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dalin paused for a moment, and then resumed his actions, knowing exactly what to do. "I play Heart of Justice from my hand, and combine it with my face down Sanctuary of the Sky in order to create Sanctuary of Justice!"
A celestial building formed behind him, a heavenly glow shining brightly from it. It contrasted greatly with the blood red color of the Seal of Vengeance. "So you think to combat my Seal with your Sanctuary? How laughable!"
"No, I have the way to win already prepared. Reveal face down card, Monster Reborn. I revive Sol, Angel of Justice(1900/1900)." Once more the beautiful woman who represented justice took shape on the field. It was the perfect place for her to be, with the Sanctuary of Justice right behind her.
Nick grimaced, realizing that if Dalin somehow did get an angel strong enough to beat Don then he wouldn't be able to chain an attack with his usable trap card thanks to Sol. 'But Sol isn't strong enough to defeat Don, and he has only one card left in his hand. He can't stop me, vengeance will be mine!'
"Now, I summon the creature that will be your defeat. First I must sacrifice Holy Shine Sphere. Then I can unleash Earth, Angel of Destruction(1650/0)!" A mighty angel hit the field, clad in brown robes, with brown wings extending behind him, and a large scimitar in one hand. This was Earth, an angel created to destroy others.
"Sixteen hundred and fifty attack points, no defense points, and it's a level five? What can this thing do that you think it can defeat me?" Dalin closed his eyes for a moment, and then at last began to explain.
"Earth may attack magic or trap cards as if they were monsters. The cards he attacks may not be chained. Set cards are considered to be in defense mode while face-up cards are considered to be in attack mode. All magic and trap cards are considered to have zero attack points and zero defense points." Nick felt his hand shake, and the single card left in his hand dropped to the floor beneath him.
"And since my Bonds of Thieves is face-up you can attack it with Earth and finish me off. With Sol on the field I can't chain with another card to stop it, so I can't stop you from finishing me. You've won...and so my vengeance is lost. But...why create the Sanctuary of Justice?" Dalin's answer came as action.
All of their monsters faded away, and in the center of the field there was now a gigantic set of balancing scales. On one side was the kanji for innocent, and on the other was the kanji for guilty. "Because, this is the final choice. I have activated the ultimate ability of Sanctuary of Justice, called Scales of Justice."
Dalin motioned to the two sides of the scale, and began to explain. "According to this effect my opponent my now choose one of two options. If you choose guilty, I automatically lose this duel. If you choose innocent, the turn continues as normal, and I will use Earth to finish the duel."
Nick could do nothing but stare at Dalin in shock. It made absolutely no sense. Why would he risk his victory, risk his very existence, and give Nick the choice of guilty or innocent? "I don't understand...you know I hate you, you know I despise all that you are. Why are you doing this?"
"I have seen your past through magic, I have seen the death of your parents and I have seen all of your pain. Now as a sending of justice I am giving you the chance to choose about me. Am I the person who caused all of this, or not? Guilty or innocent? The choice belongs to you." Dalin let his hands drop to his sides, and he watched Nick with a calm, unwavering expression.
'He's just giving me the chance to win even though he already has a guaranteed win in front of him? He doesn't benefit this at all, so why would he do it? Would a real killer give me this chance? Was he telling me the truth before?' Nick squeezed his eye closed as tight as he could, and gripped his head, shaking it back and forth. The struggle between his lust for vengeance and his lack of true proof was beginning.
Dalin watched passively as Nick deliberated with himself, struggling to come to a conclusion about Dalin. He wasn't aware of how much time passed, nor did he care. All he knew was that the decision had to be made, no matter what.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Nick rose to his full height, his single eye meeting Dalin's eyes. Nick's countenance was cold and absolutely calm, nearly a mirror of Dalin's. Then he spoke.
"I've made my choice. And I choose..."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Author's Notes: By god, I feel so evil ending it like that. Also, keep in mind that Sanctuary of the Sky as used by me doesn't have the same effect as the actual card. I made it more powerful.
Review Response
WolfGeneral: Not one turn kill. It was a five minute duel. Oh, and he's not evil.
The White Mage: For several reasons. One of them being that when you're a god you generally delegate. It's a god thing.
Time Mage: Bah, that chapter wasn't a waste of time. It was important, although not quite as dramatic as this one.
G.O.T. Nick: If you were a god with control over almost all of mankind, wouldn't you be full of yourself?
VoidTemplar: Oh Eikyuu's deck is forged from himself. Since he's a god, that makes it extremely powerful.
Original Cards
Dalin: Light Barrier, Payment of Debt, Rise to Heaven, Ascended Man, Justice Unleashed, Sol-Angel of Justice, Hope of Sanctuary, Joyful Light of the Heavenly Realm, Goddess of Balance, Shield of Souls, Angelic Feather Storm, Temporal Disruption, Justice For All, Earth-Angel of Destruction, Heart of Justice, Sanctuary of Justice
Nick: Silent Thief of the Night, Don Zaloog-Hunter of Treasures(actually created by someone else who has no account on Dark Scorpion Reunion, Bonds of Thieves, Dark Scorpion Skill Test(didn't use it), Explosive Repercussions(didn't use it)
