Author's Notes: Onwards we go!

Chapter Seventeen: Into the Underworld

"Father, you're friend is not who he claims to be. Just take a look at this." Eri threw down a computer printing of a paper article in front of the elder wolf demon's face. Rikuo blinked and then picked it up.

"Up and coming young duelist wins Junior Division Championships...yeah? So what?" Eri growled in irritation and motioned for him to continue reading.

"Young Umiko shocked audiences by plowing through older opponents in the Junior Division Championships with her deadly skill and cards. When asked where she gained such strength as a duelist, she replied: "My dad has been a great influence on me and he taught me everything I know about Duel Monsters. Without him I never would have made it this far."

Rikuo glanced up at his daughter questioningly, but once again she motioned for him to continue his reading. "After hearing this we asked her father Daisuke how he felt about his daughter's success. He replied by saying: "I'd say that I couldn't be happier, but I know she's going to try for higher levels soon enough, and I know she'll do great. I know she's going to keep making me happier because she never gives up."

"Daisuke? So what, it's probably just a coincidence." Eri growled at him and picked up the scrap and flipped it over. There on the back was the continuation of the article and a picture of the daughter standing next to her father.

Rikuo stared at it blankly, despite recognition. The man with his arm around the young teenage girl could have been the spitting image of Drake so long as you added a number of years to him. "You see? This man is in his thirties, just like the kid you faced back then should be. This new guy...he looks like he's eighteen. This picture is from two months ago, so the only explanation is that this guy is not Daisuke Ihachi the guy that you faced all those years ago."

Both wolf demons turned their heads to look down at the teenager lying in one of the school's hospital beds. Nearby his companion Kai was in bed as well with bandages wrapped around his stomach. "Very interesting. When he wakes up it looks like we'll have to talk."

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"Yeah, what do you want?" The greasy haired man continued chewing his tobacco, shooting a glare at the two people in front of him. In the meantime he leaned up against the door and fingered the duel disk that sat behind him.

Daniel and Ryu shared a glance, and then turned back to the man. "The Underworld of Dueling. That's why we've come. We want to enter."

The greasy haired fellow smirked and pulled out the duel disk and slipped it onto his arm. "You think you're good enough? Well, I hope you know what you're getting into. Each of you must defeat me to get in through this entrance. Which one of you fools is first to face my wrath?"

Ryu sighed and stepped forward, turning on his duel disk. "I don't have time to waste on flunkies like you, so let's get this over with. Draw your cards so I can finish you off."

"You're gonna wish you never dared to come to the Underworld of Dueling!"

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Fifteen minutes later he stumbled back against the door in horror as his life points dropped to zero. "Errr...fine, you can enter. But your little friend has to beat me as well if he wants in!"

Daniel grimaced and loaded his deck into his duel disk. "I won't waste any energy against you by playing easily, I'm going all out from turn one. This time the bell tolls for thee."

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The greasy haired man collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back into his head, the sound of a ringing bell still in his ears. Ryu and Daniel stepped over him and pulled open the door and then began to descend the steps walking into the darkness.

"Into the Underworld we go."

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"And you're absolutely sure you want to do this?" Davis nodded to his wife, and then they both stepped out of the car. They now stood in front of what looked like a regular warehouse, but they knew the truth.

They started to walk to the entrance, but suddenly a woman dressed in gothic garb stepped out of the shadow. "Where do you two think you're going?"

"Into the Underworld of course." The woman chuckled and raised her arm, revealing a duel disk.

"Not without defeating me you aren't. And cutey, I think you'll be the first to fall."

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Asriel smirked and returned her duel disk to its starting position. After Davis had beaten the woman it hadn't been that hard for her to win as well. "You're good, but you were no match for Pendragon the Lightning. Sorry, and thanks for playing."

The gothic woman groaned and collapsed, letting them walk right past her and into the door. Now it was time for them to head downwards into the Underworld of Dueling.

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"You aren't Daisuke Ihachi." The response to this comment was simple blinking, until the same paper was tossed in front of him.

"Ah. Well, I guess that means I have to explain everything." Rikuo folded his arms over his chest and glared down at the injured duelist.

"You certainly do. Now start talking." Drake nodded, and then looked over to some of the others for support.

"If you remember, I said the reason I looked like this was magic. Well, that's true. See, we aren't exactly from around here. We're...from another dimension." When he finished speaking, Rikuo and Eri shared a confused look and then turned back to him.

"Another dimension? What exactly does that mean? And how does that explain why you barely look older than when we faced each other?" Drake shrugged and then pointed over to his large friend, Dalin.

"That's the guy you should ask, he's the one who figured out how to bring us here by traveling partially through the lands of the dead." Now the two wolf demons turned to face Dalin, who arched an eyebrow at the sudden attention.

"It's simple. Dimensional travel isn't like walking through a door, it's like navigating through a windy river. We simply wound up farther up shore than we anticipated. Now that I know I can navigate that river successfully, so the problem is ended." And with that he was finished speaking, giving them a look that said he brooked no argument.

Rikuo growled and threw his arms up in the arm in frustration. "Fine! Different dimension, whatever, I don't care anymore. Let's just get this crap over with and find whatever it is that's screwing with us and kick its ass. Agreed?"

There was a chorus of agreement, and then they huddled in and began to share the knowledge they had gained.

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Asriel and Davis hit the wall and a jet of flame shot by directly where they had just been standing. "And this is how they normally duel? They're all psychotic! They have to go through a maze with traps just to reach their duels!"

"That's correct, this is how we normally duel. And if you want to progress any farther you'll have to defeat me, second level of the guard. And I won't be so easy to defeat as that fool you faced outdoors. Now, which of you wants to go first?" Asriel stepped up and unfolded her duel disk, ready for action. (ALP: 4000)

The man smirked and unfolded his own duel disk, his life points rising as he did so. "I hope you're ready to lose girl, because I can guarantee that this won't take that long. I am Jeremiah and you're going to lose." (JLP: 4000)

Jeremiah did a little quick work and drew six cards total, then held them up so he could see them. Asriel narrowed her eyes and did the same, only drawing five cards instead of six. "Ah, perfect start. I summon Tribute Ghoul(700/900) in defense mode and set one card face down. Go ahead."

His monster was a little brown gremlin which stared up at Asriel fearfully. She frowned and looked over her cards, and then made a decision. "I summon Command Knight(1200/1900) in attack mode who boosts all warriors by four hundred. Now it attacks Tribute Ghoul!"

Jeremiah smirked as his face down card flipped up, and three robed figures appeared to block the strike. Asriel grimaced and selected more cards to play. "Waboku huh? Fine, I set one card face down and end my turn."

"First I start with Mystical Space Typhoon to shatter your set card. And then I sacrifice Tribute Ghoul to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch(2400/1000)! His tribute effect blows up your monster, and Tribute Ghoul lets me draw two cards since it was tributed."

Asriel's eyes widened as the mighty monster blew apart her lone monster, leaving her field empty. She glanced out of the corner of her eye and noticed Davis seemed irritated. "If you manage to defeat me, you'll regret playing that card. My husband doesn't appreciate it."

"It hardly matters! My Elemental Monarchy Deck is a tough foe to defeat. Zaborg, attack her directly!" Asriel grimaced as bolts of electricity slammed into her body at maximum intensity, singing her badly. She struggled to remain upright as more than half of her life points drained away. (ALP: 1600)

Jeremiah smirked and placed two of his cards onto his duel disk in order to protect his monarch. Asriel shuddered and drew, and a quick look at her hand told her all she needed to know. "I play Brain Control and take command of your Zaborg. Then I play Knight's Emblem which grants him the title of a knight for one turn."

Zaborg shifted over to her side of the field, and then a shield appeared in one hand and a sword in the other. "Next I trigger Heavy Storm to blow away your set cards."

Jeremiah's eyes widened as the tables turned on him all of a sudden, leaving him completely open. "Now I equip him with Knight's Fury which doubles his attack points as long as he has 'knight' in his name. Then the finish, Knight's Thunder Shock!" (JLP: 0)

Jeremiah was thrown backwards and came skidding to a halt a dozen feet away, a shocked expression on his face. Asriel shook her head in disgust returned her duel disk to its normal position. "Now it's time you face my husband's wrath, and I don't think you're going to like it."

His eyes widened as a very angry looking Davis stepped forward, his duel disk already in place. "Someone close to me used that set, and for using it for darkness I'm going to make you pay. Now stand and duel!"

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Ryu shook his head and held up motioned to his field card, Fusion Gate. "I initiate the effect of Fusion Gate and fuse together Grand Emperor Typherious and Infernus the Pyro Dragon in order to create...Grand Pyrus Dragon-Envoy of the Tempest(7000/10000)!"

Daniel whistled in awe at the sight of the enormous dragon that was crammed into the small hallway. Ryu's opponent stared at it in horror and backed away, knowing that his Dark Ruler Hades(2450/1600) was no match for it. "Grand Pyrus Dragon attacks!" (LP: 0)

Daniel stepped up and patted the dragon demon on the shoulder, grinning down at the fallen duelist. "Seeing you in action makes me glad that you're on my side, because you can be really scary, you know that right?"

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"You can't come and that's final. Now return to your dorm!" The rest of the group held back as Rikuo finished explaining all of the various reasons why his daughter wouldn't be accompanying them.

From Eri's point of view this was rather unfair since her father's various reasons were all "Because I said so." Since this was the case she was forced to stomp away in a very pissed off manner that said that she would be complaining later.

Kai sighed and looked at the rest of his companions as they waited. "You don't think it's a sign that we're doing this on the fifteenth of March do you?"

There was no reply whatsoever. "You know...the Ides of March?"

Still no reply. He sighed and turned away in annoyance. "I swear nobody ever knows anything about history these days."

Off to the side Kirani was fussing over Drake, who was currently wearing lots of bandages over his shoulder wound underneath a plain black long-sleeved shirt. "Are you sure you want to come along? It's going to be a strain to duel with your shoulder like that, especially since your duel disk goes on that arm. It's not a light device after all."

"I appreciate the concern Kirani but I've taken a lot of worse injuries and still kept going and dueling, so I can do so now. Even if it breaks open during a duel it's not like blood loss is gonna kill me." At that moment Kai took the time to look back over his shoulder and add a comment.

"But didn't you say once that blood loss was one of the major aspects that contributed to your brief death in Battle City?" Drake grimaced as Kirani eyeballed him cooly, obviously calculating what her next step would be now that she had this information.

"This is revenge for that Isis comment isn't it?" Kai just smiled slightly and turned back to wait for the boat that was going to take them off the island.

Up ahead Rikuo couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. "Weirdos, every last one of them is a total weirdo."

"Come on, let me put some ointment on it at the very least." There followed a yelp, causing Rikuo to chuckle again.

"Spread the damned ointment, don't stick it into my shoulder!"

"Sit still you baby or it'll just be worse!"

"I said don't stick your fingers in it! It stings!"

Rikuo sighed and dropped his head into his palms, shaking his head slowly. "And these people are going to save the world? We're all doomed."

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A muscular man with long-blonde hair who bore a suspicious resemblance to Fabio stood directly in front of an underground club entrance. Standing in front of him was a group of five strange people, all of them demanding entrance to the Underworld of Dueling.

"I can't believe you think you can even get past the first guard, me the mighty Fazio!" He laughed and flexed his muscles, kissing his biceps as he did so.

His posturing was halted when one of the men in the backed stepped up, revealing himself to be taller and even more muscular than Fazio was. "Sumatin! I had no idea these people were with you sir! But you know procedure, first I must duel them regardless to prove their strength."

Dalin paused, and then motioned for them to step up. "Very well, duel them all. I guarantee you won't win even a single duel." With that said he leaned up against the wall and folded his arms, watching them like a hawk.

Rikuo narrowed his eyes at the big man, but not knowing what to do about it he simply activated his duel disk. "Give me your best you crappy-ass Fabio-imitation, and let's get this duel over with." (RLP: 4000)

"The great Fazio does not lose!" (FLP: 4000)

Fifteen minutes later...

"I can't believe the great Fazio lost!" (FLP: 0, RLP: 2300)

"Bah, get used to it, because a new trend has just started."

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Forty-five minutes later the entire group descended a flight of stars and found themselves running through a metallic maze full of booby-traps. Watching them from a control booth was a very muscular man who bore a striking resemblance to one of those on screen.

"Interesting...prepare things for them. If they get past the other guards they will face the top tier of our duelists. Whoever is available may choose their targets, but I reserve that one. He and I will duel, because if I am right then he will be the one to push me to my limits, the only one capable of doing so."

As he turned and walked away to begin preparations he didn't notice a blonde girl complete a duel with Fazio and enter the complex. She snickered and slipped down the steps, heading after the party. "Sumatin-senpai, I'll stay with you no matter what. Alice doesn't back down so easily!"

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Next Chapter: Two Warrior Souls

Author's Notes: Now we get to the biggest meat of the story. Probably lamb, but I'm not sure. Depends on if you're kosher or not.

Review Responses

WolfGeneral: Rikuo's deck is fun to work with, so it wasn't hard.

Time Mage: I talked to you about this, so no need to say anything about it here.

Original Cards:WG(WolfGeneral), TM(Time Mage), G(Gryphinwyrm7)

Jeremiah: Tribute Ghoul

Asriel: Knight Emblem, Knight's Fury

Ryu: Grand Pyrus Dragon-Envoy of the Tempest(WG), Infernus the Pyro Dragon(WG), Grand Emperor Typherious(WG)

Anime Cards