What, me end the fic? Not this chapter...

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Disclaimer/Claimer: same one as last time, folks


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Wherever he was now, it wasn't anywhere on The Continent or any island that Yuugioh had ever seen. No, he would NEVER have been able to forget anyplace that looked this fantastic!

Swirling around and around the present location of Eden's gods and goddesses was a maelstrom, filled with streaming, rainbow-colored curtains of gas and swirling, twinkling silver and gold lights.

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'Did the Creeds throw us into outer space?' Yuugioh wondered.

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Maybe not - unless there was supposed to be a huge glass box or whatever for them all to stand in out here. Which, by the way, was actually there - it was like standing inside of a Temple made from perfectly clear glass.

And for some reason, all the gods and goddesses present were in Humanform.

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Looking at them, all gathered together, Yuugioh suddenly felt that weird feeling again - the one that sometimes popped up now and then, telling him that he was something very different and strange from any other god or goddess in Eden.

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Except that, now that he could compare himself to the others, the feeling seemed truer than ever. Everyone else was garbed in robes, cloaks, and whatever other sorts of outlandish garments they had ever concocted. And they all bore their colors and symbols most prominently.

But Yuugioh's outfit was still the same as it had always been before in Humanform - blue and black and metal and leather, no sign of any stylized eyes that he could spot, and the only thing crimson on him were his own eyes. Even his hair continued to totally defy godly logic and remained wildly spiked in three colors - Yuugioh could see this in his reflection on the nearest wall.

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"Oh there, little friend, why such a long face?" someone asked him from behind.

"Ah, but sister, he's too short otherwise!" another person laughed.

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Turning around, Yuugioh found himself face to face to face with Athena and Minerva.

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At least he assumed they were Athena and Minerva, since they were both black and white all over. And it was easy to see how they were twins now - except for the color, both their Humanforms looked and sounded exactly the same. The only easy way to tell them apart was to remember that while Athena had white hair, Minerva had black hair.

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"Maybe so, but he's still cute even in this guise!" Minerva giggled, and Yuugioh felt himself blush, much to his mortification.

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"I see someone here has never heard of our HighTemple before," Athena mentioned.

"Indeed not, my sister, but let me explain things - you're such a bore!" Minerva replied.

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This weird glass Temple in outer space was called the HighTemple. Minerva and Athena explained things as quickly as their rhyming allowed for it, and despite having the makings of a splendid headache afterwards Yuugioh soon learned the basic information every god and goddess was supposed to know - how it was considered neutral ground, sort of like The Continent, and how the gods and goddesses of Eden could only come when passing judgments on one of their own.

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"But we were sent here by the Creeds, weren't we?" Yuugioh asked, "Is there still going to be a judgment?"

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"Oh, THERE you are!" Layweh's voice huffed from behind Athena and Minerva before they could respond.

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"C'mon!" she insisted, grabbing Yuugioh by the arm and dragging him off, "We can't start without you, you know!"

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"Can't start without - wait, what are you talking about!" he demanded.

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Layweh didn't answer, but continued bodily dragging Yuugioh through a throng of deities.

Absently, he noted that her Humanform reflected her relaxed, perky way of dealing with life - a simple, sky-blue dress with no sleeves, bare feet, and long shimmering sapphire hair hanging loose. The weird squiggly thing that was her symbol was sewn into the dress, looking almost like an unimportant and simple design.

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Then there was no more time, because he was being shoved out into an open space. All the gods and goddesses of Eden - not as many as the HighTemple could hold, thanks to all their fighting - were watching with interest.

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"Here we go, and now we may proceed," Kazul announced.

He looked to be a tall, elderly man. Silver was evident, and so was his symbol - a circle etched with a thin diamond.

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"As it was in the beginning, so it is today," Kazul intoned, "The power of the Creeds are unlocked. So it was predicted by Yurras, our last HighGoddess. Now it is time for a new HighGod…or HighGoddess…to be selected, and then they shall pass judgment over this most heinous war we have been waging."

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"Enough, Old Man," growled Wrartz - a younger version of Kazul, he looked, but his silver coloring was darker, "We all know how it works - the one measured to be the strongest of those nominated shall be the HighGod. And when I receive this most honored position, my first act shall be to eradicate those who have dared to stand in my way."

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"Ah, the overconfidence of youth," Kazul chortled, ignoring the way Wrartz's face flared red at the insult, "You have only been nominated, my cousin. Now, let the powers of the Great White Creed, keeper of Highgods and HighTemples, chose its next master!"

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Hanging unnoticed above the gathered gods and goddesses' heads was a strange, opaque, flat, crystalline disk of some sort. This, amazingly enough, was the legendary White Creed, which had vanished off of Eden shortly after its creation (or so Layweh had told him), and by itself was equal in power to both the three Dark Creeds and the Four Rainbow Creeds.

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It now lowered itself, and moved amongst those nominated. It seemed almost alive, circling those it found more interesting, and turning briefly clear when it rejected the person in front of it.

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Rotund Oralldor, rail-thin Dekos, and two others, a god and goddess Yuugioh didn't know, both evil, were rejected by the Creed.

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Then the White Creed reached Wrartz…

And before going within three feet of the evil god, it abruptly stopped and began jerking erratically in place and 'flashing' clear, over and over -

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A most emphatic NO.

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Most of the evil gods laughed at the sight, and several good gods cheered, and Wrartz looked ready to murder all of them simultaneously with his bare fingers.

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The Creed checked out Kazul briefly, and before making a final decision moved to examine the only other remaining god - Yuugioh himself.

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And it found him to be utterly fascinating - circling him several times at several levels, and despite its not having any arms or hands, he would have sworn he felt it tugging on his hair - before very slowly going clear, as if in sorrow that this utterly astounding individual had ended up being under-qualified for the job…

…Before flitting in front of Kazul and flashing with a bright, white light, thus confirming its decision.

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Those on Kazul's side cheered; those who weren't settled for making various disparaging noises, and Wrartz went red and purple with utter fury.

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"NO!" he bellowed over the hubbub, "I WILL NOT BE DENIED!"

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He leapt for Kazul, but before he got anywhere close Wrartz slammed into an invisible barrier, which sent him sprawling.

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"I have been chosen as HighGod," Kazul solemnly intoned, "The ancient secrets and powers of this position, therefore, are at my command, for as long as I may live from this moment onwards. Now, Wrartz, it is my duty to pass judgment over you."

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"Old fool, feeble geezer," Wrartz snarled from the floor, "I'll see you and everyone else here DEAD! I'll crack your bones and hurl you screaming into the Great Abyss!"

Everyone else was backing away by this point - Wrartz was raving now, driven to the point of insanity with his own rage.

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"The mortals we care for have said it correctly," Kazul said, still solemn and sad, "All you seek is death, for all that surrounds you and serves you. You are a creature of darkness, Wrartz."

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"No!" Wrartz yelled.

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"You are a creature of death, Wrartz," Kazul continued, ignoring him, "You are a creature of fear and terror, Wrartz. My judgment is thus - you are no god, Wrartz. You are naught but a demon. So have I declared, so you be!"

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And Wrartz seemed to change in appearance - his symbol vanished right off his Humanform body, and he seemed to be growing claws and fangs and a tail -

"As a demon, you have no place amongst mortals," Kazul addressed the former god, who only issued a guttural snarl in response, "You have no place amongst us. You shall be cast into the World of Demons, to live amongst your own kind. Now!"

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At the other's feet, a circle drew itself, glowing with power. The demon formally known as Wrartz hissed and leaped straight up, trying to avoid it, but sheets of green fire rose from the circle and wrapped themselves around its legs and arms, dragging it down screaming until it vanished.

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Before anything else could happen, Kazul stepped over to where Yuugioh was standing - his headache was going completely insane now - and with a touch on the shoulder, everything around them vanished.