So here we are again. I kept on trying to work on this chapter, but then I had the end of the marking period, work, the frustration of knowing that my country is going to directly down to Hell over the next four years, and the fact that my little brother got some games downloaded onto my computer, so now I have to fight him for control of this thing. Anyway, I apologize. Now, before we go on, I have to do the ad and Card of the Chapter.
Go read The Dark Dragon League by Gearfried the Iron Angel. He updates faster than I do, his chapters are a lot easier to fallow, and have some awesome content, like teenagers fusing with their favorite monsters (Who doesn't like reading about a kid who just turning into Reflect Bounder?!). So go I say. Read it in the lapse between reading this and my next chapter!
For our Card of the Chapter, we'll do things a bit differently, and what I mean by that is that I'm going to do a card that has only appeared in the Anime thus far, but that I've decided to do just because I want to:
Treasure of the Guardian Goddess-(Continuous Magic)-Discard five cards to activate this card, and then draw two from your deck. From now on, you draw one more card during your Draw Phase.
OK, now that's sweet! Ditch five cards to draw TWO each turn! I mean, it's a great card. Sure, it may seem costly at the beginning, but in just a few turns, you'll be off quite well, and then some. Bottom line, one of my favorite cards, and not just because one of the two coolest characters in the show (Raphael) uses it! Let's pray that Konami makes this and others like it into real cards soon, like how they have with Perfect Machine King, which we get later this month.
OK, enough of my babbling, let's get on with it!
Chapter Twelve: The Passive Opponent and the Greatest Threat
'So here I am.' Kai Kaethan thought as his Duel Disk activated. His opponent was a young man, probably around fifteen years of age, with blond hair and blue eyes, the perfect 'Arean'. To top it all off, he was from the Germanic area of Sweden, and so his Japanese, although fluent, was very slurred.
Both boys had been desperate for a Duel, yet neither had been willing to risk more than one Locator Card. However, it all was all the same to Kai.
"I will make the first move." Eric grinned, drawing his sixth card. "I play the magic card Pot of Greed to draw two new cards." he smiled, glancing at the new additions to his hand, smirked, then chose two of the others from his hand. "I'll set one card face down and summon a monster in defense mode. End."
Quickly, Kai drew his first card. "I'll summon my Breaker the Magic Warrior (1600/1000/300) in attack mode!" he shouted as his favorite monster appeared. "And because of his magic counter, he now has 1900 attack points." he explained as Breakers sword began to glow a pale blue.
"I activate my trap card!" Eric shouted. "Jar of Greed allows me to draw one new card from my deck!"
'That seems like a waste of a card and deck space.' Kai commented in his mind. 'What's he planning?'
"Breaker, attack!" The scarlet robed sorcerer raised his sword high as he charged towards the horizontal card on Eric's field, cutting a small rat monster in half.
"You've destroyed my Bubonic Vermin, which allows me to search my deck for another one and place it in defense mode!" Eric cried with joy as another card appeared on the field. "Now I'll play Dragged Down to the Grave, forcing each of us to reveal our hand to the other, then discarding one card from the others hand, and finally drawing a new card to replace it!" Cringing, Kai revealed his hand of five cards: Dark Magician, Rope of Life, Soul Crosswire, Alter of Resurrection, Card of Sanctity. "I'll discard your Alter of Resurrection."
"My turn." Kai scowled, keeping his cool as he shoved the card into his Graveyard. Shrugging, Eric revealed his hand, which consisted of mostly worthless traps and monsters: Jar of Greed, Reckless Greed, Skelangle, Backup Soldiers, Sangan, and Treasure of Grief. "I'll discard your Reckless Greed." he mandated. Eric simply replied and both Duelists drew their new card. However, the broad smile that lit up Eric's face upon seeing his new card did not go unnoticed by Kai.
"Now I'll set one card face down, and then activate my Treasure of Grief magic card! Then I'll set one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."
Slowly, Kai drew a card. 'What's with the guy? Drawing, defending, thinning his deck-' Kai froze mid draw.
"You're trying to summon Exodia!" Kai shouted accusingly. Eric looked up, a bit shocked, yet smiling devilishly.
"Well, I'm not denying it, am I." he responded.
"No, but now I know what I'm up against, and what your strategies will consist of." Kai chuckled. "Now I'll summon my Silent Magician (1000/1000), which I drew thanks to your Dragged Down to the Grave." Kai's new monster was so small and innocent that, when compared to the confident expression Kai had affixed to his face that it was actually laughable! The monster stood about three feet tall, with red and black robes and white hair that was tinted azure, and it held a short wand with a crescent moon at the head.
"I don't know what you're planning." Eric slurred in his Swedish accent. "But it can't save you from the unstoppable Exodia! I activate my second Jar of Greed!"
"You've activated my Silent Magician's special ability!" Kai shouted as Eric drew his card. The small magician began to glow, his form growing slightly as it did. When the light had faded, the same monster remained, and yet it was not the same. It was taller, with a slightly less innocent look on its face. "For each card you draw, my Silent Magician will gain 500 attack points, and grow another level! This is Level One, and the one before was Level Zero!"
"Clever." Eric chuckled. "But it still isn't going to change things."
"You never know." Kai responded, maintaining his nearly stoic expression. "To complete my move, I'll set one card. Now Breaker, attack his face down monster!" The scarlet robed warlock leapt into the air, sword arm raised, making it more than easy to cut through the small rat that appeared. However, just as quickly as it was gone, a new Bubonic Vermin had appeared in defense mode t take it's place. "Silent Magician, attack!" The small child magic user lifted his wand, aimed, and released a small ball of light which blasted the final rodent to pieces. "I end my turn."
"I draw!" Eric smiled again. "I'll set one card face down and then I'll summon another monster in defense mode!" The two brown backed cards appeared in front of the young Swede.
"Don't forget, because you drew a card, my Silent Magician grows to Level Two, and now possesses an attack strength of 2000!" Kai commented as the magician glowed again, growing slightly taller and older, now appearing to be in his pre-teenage years. "Now I'll draw and order my monsters to attack yours!" Kai shouted as both of his spellcasters used their own respective attacks and obliterated the two monsters.
"You've destroyed Skelengal and Sangan, meaning I can draw a new card, and then search my deck for a monster with 1500 or fewer attack points!" he nearly cackled as he acquired the two new cards, boosting his hand up to four cards. "And I've chosen my Right Arm of the Forbidden One!"
'But did he get another piece from Skelangle?' Kai ruminated.
"End turn."
"I'll draw again." Eric grinned. "And yes, I'm aware that your Magician is now Level Three (2500). Now I'll summon Spirit Reaper (300/200) in attack mode!" Eric shouted as a small monster in purple robes, all parts of its body covered and hidden while it carried a gleaming scythe in its hands. "Next I'll play the magic card, Ghost Armor!" As the magic card activated, wisps of thick smoke began to swirl around the messenger of death, making it partially translucent. "This magic card makes the equipped monster immune to batter damage." Eric calmly explained. "Now Spirit Reaper, attack his Breaker now!" Eric commanded. The spirit creature charged the magician swordsman, who slashed down on the monster....
Who did not disappear.
"What's going on, Eric?" Kai demanded. "Your Spirit Reaper should have been destroyed by that attack."
"He should have, but because of his special ability, he's invincible to monster attacks, as well as magic and trap cards." Eric laughed. "And because he battled a monster, but did not destroy it, my Treasure of Grief allows me to draw one card." he said, slipping a sixth card into his hand while Kai's Magician gained another 500 attack points (3000). "And because Ghost Shield protects him from receiving battle damage, I can attack over and over again without fear of losing Life Points, meaning I can draw more and more cards. And finally, I'll set one card face down."
"Tell me, Eric, how many Exodia pieces are in your hand?" Kai inquired. "After all, you seem so confident that I can't beat it, so why not tell me now hopeless it is."
Eric smiled. "Nice try, but I wont reveal that; not yet anyway."
"Fine. I draw!" Kai scowled. "I'll sacrifice Breaker's magic counter to destroy you Ghost Armor, as well as lower his attack points by 300 (1600)!" The sword in Breaker's hand began to vibrate softly as the magical energies it possessed were focused into it's blade, creating a blue glow at the tip. Swiftly, he slashed down, creating a crescent of the magical light, which passed through the Spirit Reaper, pulling in it's wake a force of wind which ripped the vapor from the ghoul. "Next, I'll sacrifice Breaker to summon Chaos Magician (2400/1900)! Attack!" The black robed illusionist aimed his staff at the Spirit Reaper, magic forming at the tip.
"I activate Command Silencer!" Eric shouted, continuing into a tangent in Swedish which Kai couldn't even begin to understand. A totem pole appeared on his field with and eagles face at the head, which emitted an earsplitting shriek. Kai's Magician's both looked around seeming to be confused, the magic fading from their wands. "This card will stop your attacks this turn, and allow me to draw one more card." Eric calmed himself, returning to Japanese Dialogue. "I've now draw exactly half my deck, Kai. The last two pieces will be mine soon!"
"In the mean time, my Silent Magician has grown to Level Five, with an attack power of 3500!" Kai responded as his wizard grew again, now hosting the features of a man, with a stern face, while white hair reached down to his upper legs. "And thank you for revealing to me the fact that you currently have three of the pieces in your hand." he grinned slightly.
"Draw!" Eric shouted, a mischievous smirk on his face. "I play Graceful Charity to draw three cards, at the expense of two!" he quickly snatched the three cards off of his deck and deposited two from his hand. Meanwhile, Kai's Silent Magician had gained a total of 2000 more attack points (5500)! "Now, reveal face down card, Backup Soldier!" Eric called as the trap activated. "This card allows me to retrieve up to five monsters from my Graveyard and place them in my hand." he exclaimed. "Return to me, Right Arm of the Forbidden One and Left Arm of the Forbidden One!" Eric held his fingers over his Graveyard, which promptly ejected the two cards. "One more to go." he cackled.
"One more!" Kai cried. "If that's the way it is to be, then I must destroy his hand, and soon."
"I'm not done yet." Eric cut Kai off. "I'll place one card face down, and then I'll order my Spirit Reaper to attack your Silent Magician!" Again, the announcer of death attacked, and again he passed through the monster he was opposing. "I'll discard my Kuriboh to block the battle damage, draw a card (Silent Magician-6000), and then set it face down." he concluded.
"My move." Grimacing, Kai looked at the card he had drawn. "I may not be able to destroy your Exodia, but your Life Points are still open! Chaos Magician, attack Spirit Reaper!" The black robed conjurer quickly charged his attack and launched it, which exploded on impact with the Reaper, leaving Eric slightly shaken as his Life Points dropped significantly.
Kai-4000/Eric-1900
"Silent Magician, finish him!"
"Activate trap card!" Eric shouted. "Hope Chest will lock my Spirit Reaper into an unbreakable box for one attack, serving as my last hope." he sighed as a wooden box appeared, sucking in the Spirit Reaper and locking shut just before the attack struck, causing the wood to burst and splinter. "And now it's my move!" Eric drew his card and sighed. "I switch Spirit Reaper to defense mode, and then I'll play my Swords of Revealing Light!" Around Kai formed the three almighty swords of pure celestial energy, cutting his monsters off from Eric's. "I end my turn."
"My Silent Magician now has 6500 attack points." Kai pointed out as he drew a card. "And it looks like you're on the run. I'll summon my Mage of the Midnight Star (1700/1300) in attack mode and end my turn." A man in midnight blue robes appeared, brandishing a large staff with a crescent moon and multi-pointed star resting within it on the top.
"I draw my card, raising your Silent Magician's attack points to 7000," Eric growled. "And I'll end my turn, discarding one card to keep my hand at six." he snarled.
"My move." Kai whipped the card from his deck, pleading for the card he needed. Scanning the new card quickly, he grinned widely. "Farewell, Exodia!" Kai called. "Go, Hand Rebirth!"
"It's not possible!" Eric screamed. "I was so close!"
"Regardless of how close you were, discard your hand, and draw five new ones!" Kai countered, watching with satisfactions as his Silent Magician increased by another 2500 attack points, all the way up to 9500! He was unstoppable!
"Now, I'll summon my Mystical Exorcist (1800/1400) in attack mode, and end my turn."
Erik drew his card, raising Silent Magician's attack points to 10000, and thinning his deck down to seven cards! "I have to say that I am thankful to an extent." he slurred. "Now I can summon the greatest beast ever. Exodia may be gone from my hand, but a divine being is never truly gone, so long as his followers have faith in him, and continue to fight for his cause." Kai's eyebrow raise. "I play Tribute to the Doomed on your Silent Magician!" From the ground underneath Kai's monster sprung forth a plethora of Egyptian bandages which wrapped around his magician tightly before pulling it down to Hell. "And to pay for it, I'll ditch this last sacrifice, the Head of Exodia."
"What's your plan, Eric?"
"Let me show you." he responded, pressing a button on his Duel Disk and activating his one face down card.. "I play Pact with Exodia!" he shouted as a pentagram appeared on the field, from which began to emerge something, It was huge, with black skin, and obviously Egyptian. It's eyes were a vicious crimson, and around its arms, legs, and neck were chains smelted in the forges of Hephaestus, or some other godly blacksmith. "Behold, Exodia Necros (1800/0)!"
"What can it do?" Kai wondered. 'If it's a copy of Exodia, but only has 1800 attack points, it must have some sort of devastating effect.
"You'll see, right now." Eric responded. Raising his hand, he gave some sort of command, which Kai could only guess to be an order to attack. However, he was not a scholar in the Germanic tongue. The black demon raised his fist and swung with all his might, crashing it down on Kai's paralyzed Exorcist, who threw several of his charmed slips of paper at it. However, the holy spell did nothing to hinder Exodia, and burned upon making contact with him, while his fist smashed into the priest, crushing him. Yet, Exodia remained, even though it should have also been destroyed.
"I see. You're Exodia can't be destroyed in battle with a monster of the same attack strength as it, am I correct?" Kai asked.
"That's part of it." Eric responded, hiding a small sneer. "However, there's more. My Exodia Necros also gains 500 extra attack points after battling a monster (Exodia-2300), as well as every turn. Now, I set one card face down, and end my turn."
'OK, I don't think he's planning on drawing any more cards faster than he has to.' Kai pondered. 'And his Exodia now has 2300 attack points, and next turn will have 2800, more than my Chaos Magician can handle. I need to counterattack, and now!'
"I draw, and I will play my Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light. Now, Chaos Magician, attack!" The black robed magician held his staff at waist level, firing a ball of yellow light.
"Activate face down card!" the Swede responded. "Time Jump will instantly make three turns pass by, giving me an extra 1500 attack points (Exodia-3800)!" The mighty beast raised his arm ans swatted the ball of light aside. "Now, Exodia Necros, attack him back!"
"Activate trap card, Mechanical Magic Mirror!" Kai shouted as the trap activated and the wire figure of mirrors appeared, an image of a totem pole with a speaker at the top appeared as sonic rings erupted from the mirrors, overlapping on each other and halting the attack. "My trap card allowed me to activate your Command Silencer, stopping your attack, and allowing me to draw one card." Kai breathed a low sigh and continued. "I'll switch my Chaos Magician to defense mode, set one card face down, and end my turn."
"I'll draw, and now my Exodia Necros has gained another 500 attack points (4300). Exodia Necros, attack and destroy his magician." With ease, the black fist crashed down, smothering the black-robed sage and destroying him, and raising Exodia's attack points again (4800).
"I'll draw and activate my face down card, Dark Magic Curtain!" The face down card flipped over to reveal a skeleton archway with a drape hung from it, which quickly parted to allow the purple robed sage to enter. "By paying half of my Life Points, I can specially summon my Dark Magician (2500/2100) in attack mode!"
Kai-2000/Erik-1900
"You're Exodia Necros may be immune to monsters, but how does he feel about magic cards." Kai grinned slightly. "I play the magic card, Thousand Knives, which will allow me to instantly destroy one monster on your side of the field!" he shouted as an array of decorated daggers appeared, which were thrust forward by a wave of the Dark Magician's wand. The blades closed in on the black fiend which was Exodia, but shattered on impact, the pieces falling harmlessly to the ground.
"You can't destroy him, no matter what you target him with!" Eric shouted back, a few Swedish words slipping out as he did so.
"Target..." Kai muttered under his breath. "Alright, how's about a card that doesn't target, like my Dark Hole!" Above the field came the swirling vortex of nothingness that sucked in the Dark Magician and the Spirit Reaper, yet the Exodia seemed completely unphased thy any of this.
"He can't be destroyed!" Eric screamed. "Why don't you get it?"
"Every card has its weakness, and I'll keep on trying until I find Exodia's!" Kai responded. "I'll set two cards face down, and end my turn."
"Now that you have no monsters left, I'll attack and finish you off!" Eric called, drawing a fourth card while his Exodia gained another 500 attack points (5300). "Exodia, attack!"
"Reveal trap card, Revival of Dark Magic!" Kai shouted as the trap card flipped over. "This rare trap card will revive one magician in my Graveyard for one turn." Kai explained as his Dark Magician returned to the field.
"You'll still lose!" Eric continued.
"You're wrong," Kai declared. "I also activate the trap card, Magician's Ordination!" the other trap card flipped over, and a burst of light halted the black demons charge. "Your attack is negated and I get to draw one card!"
"Fine, I end my turn." Eric sighed as Kai's Magician disappeared.
"You're running out of time, Eric." Kai commented, noting the four cards which remained in Erik's deck. "Soon you'll deck out."
"You're the one who's wrong." Eric responded. "I'll have you beat within these next four turns."
"We'll see." Kai replied, drawing from his few remaining cards. "I summon Illusionist of the Midnight Star (1500/1800) in attack mode!" Kai's new monster was a young woman in dark blue robes with streaks of silver running randomly through them. "Then I'll play my Gathering of Magic card, which allows me to place any magic or trap card from my deck into my hand for the cost of 500 Life Points."
Kai-1500/Eric-1900
Swiftly, Kai had pulled the desired card from his deck and set it face down on the field, leaving him without any cards in his hand, and a rather weak monster on the field. Grinning, Eric drew his card, leaving himself with a deck of three. "If you think a bluff like this will scare me and Exodia, you're wrong. You want me to not attack this turn, and that's why you're giving me that look. However, no Duelist would ever pay one-quarter their total life points to set down a card to block my path with, and if you're planning on destroying my Exodia Necros with your trap, you know it's futile. He can't be effected! And now he gains 500 more attack points (5800)!" Howling, the black juggernaut clenched his fist, which began to glow a fiery gold. "Exodia Necros, attack and finish him off!"
"Activate trap card!" Kai shouted as the monolith of an arm drew closer.
"Don't tell me you actually wasted your Life Points to do what your monster could have done had it been in defense mode!" Eric laughed.
"There's no way my Illusionist of the Midnight Star could have done what I'm going to do now!" Kai shouted. "For I am going to destroy Exodia with my trap card, and you can't stop it!" The first froze inches away from the young girl magician, who didn't flinch, although her cape did flap about for a second. "I activate Reversed Worlds!"
The trap card revealed two skeletons lying parallel to each other, their bodies facing opposite directions. "In exchange for 1000 of my Life Pints, I can flip our decks with our Graveyards!"
Kai-500/Eric-1900
"Now you no longer have the five pieces of Exodia in your Graveyard, so now your Exodia Necros can't remain on the field!" True to Kai's word, the black Exodia began to crumble to dust, it's body falling into large pieces, which would dissolve the instant they hit the earth. "And now, it's my move." Kai explained, drawing from his newly refilled deck. "And I'll play the magic card, Alter of Resurrection! This magic card allows me to draw two more cards, and then activate another from my Graveyard." In one motion, Kai had drawn the two new cards from his deck, and also slipped one from his Graveyard into his magic zone. "I'll activate my Lost Text magic card, which allows me to sacrifice my one spellcaster and special summon a new, more powerful one in its place in attack mode!"
For a third time in that match, the Dark Magician appeared, glaring at Erik, the young man who had commanded his execution earlier, while at the same time, looking at the withering Illusionist of the Midnight Star, which was fading away.
"Now Dark Magician, attack his Life Points directly!" The man obeyed, and with a quick wave of his stave, he had released the final wave of magic, which assailed Eric and depleted his Life Points.
Kai-500/Eric-0
Breathing deeply, Kai shut off his Duel Disk and shuffled his cards, looking up only when the Swedish youth was directly in front of him, Kai's prizes gripped in his hand.
"Here, my Locator Card and Swords of Revealing Light." he said, handing them to Kai, who pocketed the silicon card and flipped the magic card on top of his deck. Bowing in thanks, Kai turned, and retreaded in his usually stoic manner. "Thank you." he heard Eric call after him. "Thank you for showing me that there are ways of overcoming what seems to be invincible. Thank you for showing me true power." he finished, and then muttered a short phrase in Swedish before he himself departed.
To Be Continued....
And there you have it. Sorry again that I made you wait so long for that. Also, do note, that this chapter, the next, and possibly the one after that, all take place around the same time as Kevin's Duel with the Rare Hunters, meaning you're gonna have to wait a bit to learn Vaun's secret! MUAHAHAHA! See ya.
Original Cards:
Magicians Ordination, Soul Crosswire, Ghost Armor, Hope Chest, Mystical Exorcist, Illusionist of the Midnight Star, Gathering of Magic, Lost Text