All right, I will say this now. The main duel in this chapter made me want to shoot myself several times in the head. It was and will probably remain the most annoying duel for me to write, due to how annoying mathematical calculations were. But you guys ought to like it since you don't have to worry about that kind of thing. So enjoy!
John: Fell's leave might not be as heart wrenching as you would think…
Captain Obvious: Yep, I had the right word then, but it is tricky to spell. Marth's my main, and my favorite character in Super Smash Brothers: Melee. Link I'm ok with, I don't like Kirby much. Fell isn't leaving quite yet, save your goodbyes until he does.
Chapter 22: Dawn of the Sun God
"There he is," Draken said into the silence that was only broken by the sound of Raid's wings.
Larka watched him approach, her nervousness increasing with every second. However, knowing that her friends were there to back her up comforted her. She remained where she was, waiting for Raid to land.
Hope felt an uneasy feeling as they approached. She couldn't tell what it was that made her feel this way, but she felt as though something bad was going to happen. This did not make her any happier about the situation. All she could do was pray that Larka would make it through this.
Will also thought that something seemed odd. He could not pin point what this strange new emotion was. It wasn't fear, or apprehension; it was almost a feeling of excitement.
Raid landed a short distance away, and five figures jumped off of him, approaching the group.
It was no shock to any of them that Sarius, the Child, and Cyrus were three of them. But they were somewhat surprised to see Aya and Adene there as well. In a second, Sahaqiel and Bowen appeared too.
"I am glad to see you are all here at the appropriate time," Sarius said as a greeting.
"Why did it have to be this early?" Rue complained. "If Lario hadn't shown up, we probably would still be half-asleep now."
"So, Lario came here first… how did he fare?" Sarius inquired.
"Zack beat him in a duel and he left," Darche said.
"Ah… well done," Sarius directed towards Zack. "I do hope you will not interfere with this match I wish to have, though."
"This is one battle I cannot fight for her," Zack stated. "But I will remain here as a supporter."
"We all will," Kisara said quietly, and nobody spoke against her.
"You are fortunate to have so many friends, Larka," Sarius told her. "I personally do not mind an audience. Aya and Adene wanted to watch as well, so they came along too."
"What about Mach and Shadow?" Kazel asked.
Adene laughed at that. "Shadow is probably getting supplies to throw a party since he'll be so happy to leave this world when the time comes. Mach would be trying to restrain him."
"They are waiting for us to return, in other words," Aya said. "Mach liked dueling, but Shadow has resented it from the start."
"What about you two? Did you like this game?" Perseus questioned.
Adene nodded. "Yeah. It was pretty fun while it lasted."
"I enjoyed it," Aya seconded.
After a moment of silence, Sarius said, "Well then, shall we get started?"
"…If you are ready," Larka replied, slowly walking towards him. Malon followed at her heels, his ears flat against the back of his head.
When she stopped in front of him, he began to speak. "Larka, Limiter of light, I am in need of the power that is inside of you. However, I must win this fairly. Therefore, I challenge you to a duel. If I am the victor, you are to relinquish your power to me. If you win, I shall not bother you again on the matter. Also, I will give you something of mine that you will find you have needed. Do you accept?"
"Yes," Larka said at once.
"Good. Then we shall begin at once…"
"Are you sure you want to let them start when it could be interrupted so easily?"
"You!" Rue exclaimed, causing everyone to turn to him.
"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked.
"He's Rue, of course something is. To be more specific, it's his mind," Draken said. "But way to break the serious mood."
"Sorry…" Rue replied while he thought, What do you mean?
"That man called Juno is after the Limiter too, you know. If he is left alone, the duel may get about five minutes in at max before he arrives here."
How can you be so sure that he is near? Rue asked suspiciously.
"I'm a demon, remember? I can sense him nearby. His energy is impossible to miss."
And what do you propose?
"…A delay, of sorts."
You think I can beat Juno? Rue thought incredulously.
"I meant that I would face him, you pathetic wuss."
You? Ok, now I know you're up to something, Rue accused. Since when do you do anything to help others?
"I have a reason for wanting to go against this one. He interests me. I am doing this for my own desire, not to help your little hybrid friend."
What was surprising Rue the most was that he was feeling emotions that weren't his own. He had felt faint signs of that when he had talked with Demon Rue before, but it was more obvious than ever now. Despite the way Demon Rue was talking, he did seem to have some form of concern for keeping the people in the group alive. However, Rue couldn't tell whether this was because Demon Rue cared about them or he planned to use them in some way or another. Knowing him, Rue was leaning towards the latter.
Still, it would cause a good enough distraction so that Larka and Sarius could finish their duel, right?
"Yes."
Fine then, I'll let you duel him, even though I have no idea why you'd want to.
"Guys, I have to do something," Rue said abruptly. "It's really, really important, or I wouldn't be leaving at a time like this. It's not like I'm trying to abandon Larka or anything. I can explain later, but please let me do what I must right now."
"If it is that vital to take care of now, you had best go," Larka agreed. "I do not feel as though you are abandoning me. Good luck in whatever your task may be."
"Thanks," Rue replied, relieved. "I'll be back as soon as possible."
"Do you want anyone else to come?" Claire asked, concerned. It wasn't like Rue to suddenly run off when one of his friends was in the middle of something so important, after all.
"I must go by myself, but thanks anyway." He turned to Ruecian, who had been watching him. "Unfortunately, that applies to you too. I'm sorry… but it has to be done this way."
Ruecian gazed at him for a long moment, and finally nodded.
"Thanks for trusting in me," Rue said gratefully. Ok, which way do I go?
"Past the Chaos Emperor Dragon. Keep going straight. When they cannot see us anymore, I shall take over."
Fine. But no killing sprees, all right?
"…I did that when I was barely coming into consciousness again. It is an act only lowly demons frequent in, although we all enjoy slaying a few things now and then. The point is, I have no interest in doing such a thing at the moment."
Really reassuring, Rue thought as he went past Raid, who glared at him but did not move. Once he was past Raid, he took off at a run, going straight forward.
When the temple was no more than a black speck behind them, Rue heard the demon say, "I will take it from here on out. All you need to do is not resist when I attempt to gain control."
Fine, Rue mentally sighed. Then he felt as though dark energy was spreading through his whole body, trying to seize it. Rue's first reaction was to want to throw any kind of defense he possibly could against it, but keeping Demon Rue's words in mind, he stayed still, his eyes shut in pain.
When they opened, they were blood red.
"It's been a while since I have been out like this," Demon Rue commented, flexing his hands. "I really should do it more often… but I suppose my precious host with his annoying ideals wouldn't allow me to do that."
You're damn right I wouldn't, he heard Rue say.
Demon Rue raised an eyebrow. "How interesting… you can still hear me, eh?"
Obviously.
"Irritating," Demon Rue said. "But there isn't much I can do about that."
That's my body I'm loaning you. Make use of it or I'm taking it back.
"Fine, I get the point." Demon Rue concentrated on the area around him, trying to get an idea of where Juno was. He found the course quickly, and set off.
…
"What could be so urgent that he has to take off now of all times?" Draken wondered.
"I don't know. It worries me, but there's nothing we can do about it," Claire said. "We have to support Larka now."
"Right," Draken agreed, temporarily putting aside his concern.
"…If you are done with discussing that, may I ask that we begin?" Sarius requested.
"Let us finish this," Larka said, turning on her Duel Disk. Malon barked in agreement.
"Didn't Master Tirran say that this was the girl who defeated Bolt, Mistress Aya?" Adene asked.
"Yes. That means she must have at least a decent degree of skill," Aya answered.
"Your brother has improved since the last duel we had," Sarius said as he activated his Duel Disk too. "I expect you to do just as well, if not greater."
"I will do my best to fulfill your expectations," Larka assured.
…
Juno had not really had any leads on where to look for the Limiter until he had seen Raid fly by. Luckily, it appeared that Tirran and his companions had not noticed him. He had managed to see the direction they had gone in and was now following it. He was quite sure he would run into Tirran-and the Limiter-very soon.
Suddenly, he saw someone standing in front of him, right in the middle of the direction that he was walking. He paused, considering the person in front of him. He recognized Rue from when he had seen him in the lake, but now he seemed different. Juno then caught sight of his eyes, and concluded that something was indeed different about him. He assumed that something was possessing him, which might actually make him somewhat difficult to get rid of, much to his annoyance.
"You shall not pass," Demon Rue stated. "Not until you best me, at least."
"Why should I have to listen to you? Do you know just who I am?" Juno said, reaching towards his sword.
"Juno, correct? Sarius' worst enemy. You sound almost like a demon yourself, due to how evil you are rumored to be. Once again, the rumors disappoint me," Demon Rue smirked.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Juno demanded, eyeing him suspiciously.
Demon Rue shook his head with a pitying expression. "I thought your aura would be much darker than this. Yet I sense that part of it is light energy, of all things. Is this truly the same man everyone else was talking about?"
Juno moved almost too fast for Demon Rue to react on. His sword sliced cleanly through Demon Rue's midsection, cleaving him into two. Yet when Juno's sword had exited his flesh, it mended instantly, dark energy repairing him so it looked as though he had never even been hurt there.
"Do not speak of such useless sentiments," Juno growled, sheathing his sword. "You may care for things like that, but I do not. I discarded those worthless emotions long ago."
"…I suppose I won't argue against that," Demon Rue replied, staggering up. "I was almost too late to be able to save my host…"
Way to go, you sarcastic jerk, Rue said to Demon Rue, ticked off that he had nearly made them both wind up dead.
"I was merely speaking the truth." Before Rue could reply, Demon Rue said, "I can tell another attempt at healing such a wound would deplete me of all my energy. So let us get to the chase."
"You have already irritated me," Juno stated. "If you wish to live, I advise moving. I have business to accomplish."
"I am challenging you to a duel," Demon Rue declared. "If you decline, I have cards that can make this area impassible for quite some time. It would delay you more than simply playing a duel, I can assure you."
As much as Juno hated to admit it, he knew that was certainly possible. So, much to his disgust, he said, "Fine. When I win, you are going to leave, immediately, and never interfere with me again. You will also not alert the Limiter and her group that I am coming. Understood?"
"If you win, sure, I'll do that. If I win, however, you need to leave the Limiter and her companions alone," Demon Rue stated.
"You are quite the hypocrite," Juno said, bringing out Zork.
"I want their lives preserved for my own gains, and nothing more," Demon Rue replied. "But as you said, you are in a rush. We had best start, unless you want the Limiter to lose her power before you even reach her."
Juno did not bother responding to that, partly because he saw no point in making the effort to, but also because it was true.
…
Larka: 8000
Sarius: 8000
"If you wish to go first, then you may do so," Sarius offered.
"Thank you, I will," Larka replied. "I lay one card down and summon Blade Knight. (1600/1000) I'm done."
"I start by placing a monster in defense mode and placing a card down. Go ahead," Sarius said.
Larka was somewhat hesitant to try a full-scale assault on Sarius, but trying to wait it out probably would not help matters. "I'll summon Dunamis Valkyria!" (1800/1050)
"In response, I activate Tidal Wave," Sarius declared. "All monsters on the field are destroyed. I lose my Mirage Dragon." (2100/1500)
"I cannot do anything else," Larka said, looking a bit nervous about the position she was now in.
"Now it is my turn to go on the offensive," Sarius stated. "I summon Black Warrior Werewolf." (2100/1500)
"I know what his effect is, so I activate Emissary of Harmony now! Battle damage will be decreased to zero now," Larka said.
Sarius nodded. "Good call. If you had waited until the battle step, Black Warrior Werewolf would have prevented you from activating trap cards. Since it would be pointless to attack, it is your turn now."
Larka was unsure about what she would be able to do to combat Sarius' powered up monsters. With Raid constantly boosting every monster he summoned, it would be difficult for her to overcome them. Much to her relief, she managed to draw the card that would help her overcome that.
"I summon Volt Girl (1900/800) and equip her with Shine Castle! This raises her attack by 700! (2600/800) Volt Girl attacks your Black Warrior Werewolf! I lay one card down and end my turn."
Larka: 8000
Sarius: 7500
"First blood is hers!" Miles said triumphantly.
"But it is the last blood that counts the most," Will stated.
"How about a little more enthusiasm?" Miles retorted.
"Will is right to be cautious," Darche told him. "The duel has just begun. It could go either way."
"That won't stop me for cheering for her successes!" Miles declared. Nobody could argue against him about that.
"I will play Angel's Gift, to draw three cards and discard two," Sarius said. "Swift Black Ninja and Wandering Hero, Freed go to the Cemetery. Then I remove both of them to special summon Chaos Soldier-Messenger of Creation!" (3500/3000)
"That's not good," Amy stated as the Chaos Soldier appeared.
"It's been destroyed before and it can be again," Gaston assured.
"I also summon Twilight Zone Survivor! (2300/700) Chaos Soldier attacks!" Sarius said.
Although Larka was worried about how she would get rid of it, this attack was not a large threat to her at the moment. "I activate another Emissary of Harmony!"
"So, you got two in the starting hand? Quite fortunate," Sarius commented. "I'm done."
Luck seemed to remain with Larka as she saw her next card. "I summon my own Wandering Hero, Freed! (1700/1200) I'll activate his effect. By removing two Light Main-Type monsters, he can destroy a monster on the field that has more attack than he does. I will remove Blade Knight and Dunamis Valkyria to do this! Now I play Shine Spark!" It took a moment for everyone to adjust their eyes to the new, bright field. After the spectators could see again, Larka continued. "This raises all Light Main-Types attacks by 500 and lowers their defense by 400. (3100/400) (2200/700) Volt Girl attacks your Twilight Zone Survivor, and Freed attacks directly!"
Larka: 8000
Sarius: 4500
"Dang, Sarius is getting owned!" Miles grinned.
"It seems pretty one sided," Neo agreed.
"I still feel like he has something hidden up his sleeve," Will stated.
"…Me too," Hope said, looking worried.
Max had been concerned with how she had looked right before the duel started, and her appearance now only reinforced this. "Are you all right, Hope? You've been acting oddly."
"Yes," she responded. "I just have an uneasy feeling about this."
"As do I," Will seconded. "We'll probably see what is causing this soon enough."
At the same time, Adene was saying to Aya, "Master Tirran is planning something, isn't he?"
"I would assume so," Aya said. "He certainly is not out yet."
Sarius did not seem overly concerned with his newest loss. "I play Cyclone, destroying your Shine Spark." The light faded away, leaving them back in the darkness of the waning night. (2600/800) (1700/1200) "The only other thing I do is lay one card face down."
Larka considered her options. An attack seemed very risky, but if it went through, she would be the winner. Finally, she decided to attempt it. "I will attack you directly with Volt Girl!"
"I activate my trap card, Holy Barrier-Mirror Force!" Sarius countered. "It negates your attack and destroys all of your monsters in attack mode."
"So close… I lay one monster in defense mode and end my turn," Larka sighed. The longer the duel dragged out, the more nervous she was getting.
"I summon Twilight Zone Survivor (2300/700) and attack your defense monster," Sarius said.
"You destroyed my Ninja Master-Sasuke…" (1800/1000)
Sarius paused, and then said, "That is all I will do."
"I lay one monster in defense mode and a card face down," Larka stated. "I can do nothing else."
"She's not kidding," Draken said. "Those two cards were the last ones in her hand!"
"Don't worry, she still has the advantage," Sakura assured. "She should be able to win this one."
Sarius gazed at the card he had just drawn, and raised an eyebrow. "Well, well… isn't this interesting? I was hoping this would come up, but I did not expect it so soon. I lay one monster face down and end my turn."
"He didn't attack! But why?" Neo wondered.
"It is likely that he did not want to trigger Larka's face down card," Zack said. Although he seemed nervous about the situation Larka was in, he was trying his best to hide his unease.
"I play Jar of Greed, to draw two cards." Larka looked at both of her cards, and then shook her head. "That is it…"
"Now it is time to see if my strategy pays off," Sarius said. "I activate a magic card, Coins From Heaven! It removes all of the cards on my field and in my hand so that I may draw two cards."
"Wow. That seems pretty horrible to me," Miles commented. "Why would anyone pay such a hefty cost?"
"If I get the right cards, you will find out," Sarius stated. He drew the two cards, and then smirked as he looked at them. "This is exactly what I wanted. Now the true test will begin for you, Larka. I play a magic card, Twilight Fusion!"
"Twilight Fusion? What does that do?" Larka asked worriedly.
"First of all, it costs me 2000 Life Points to activate it."
Larka: 8000
Sarius: 2500
"Then we both special summon as many monsters as we can that were removed from the game," Sarius told her. "I bring out Twilight Zone Observation Machine, Twilight Zone Survivor, Swift Black Ninja, and Wandering Hero, Freed!" (1300/1700) (2300/700) (2200/1700) (2200/1700)
"All I can bring out is Volt Girl and Blade Knight…" (1900/800) (1600/1000)
"…So that's why you two were feeling weird," Draken said to Hope and Will. "You somehow knew he was going to pull off this stunt."
Hope shook her head. "No. It's something else…"
"Hope is correct," Will agreed. "It will come very shortly."
"It is indeed time," Sarius said. "I sacrifice Twilight Zone Survivor, Swift Black Ninja, and Wandering Hero, Freed!"
The three monsters vanished instantly from the field as he removed them from his Duel Disk and placed another card there. Before anyone could ask what was going on, the Child stepped forward, the ball he held glowing. Then it rose out of his hands, going to the center of Sarius' field.
Then Sarius began to speak, but not in English. The words that echoed around the field were causing the light the ball emitted to intensify.
"What is he saying?" Miles whispered, not really expecting an answer from anyone.
But to their surprise, Will started talking as well, his words seeming to match with Sarius' as he recited: "Phoenix of the morning light, reveal thyself unto my sight. From thy shell thou must emerge, with golden light, this world to purge. Seek thee now my wary foe, thy flaming wings to bring them woe. From the ashes thou must rise to bring sweet victory to mine eyes. Grace this field with dawn's pure light, as I call thee forth in my due right..." Will stopped there, leaving Sarius to say the final line alone.
"Sun of God Dragon, Ra!"
Everyone stared in shock as the sphere burst open with a flash that blinded everyone. Then a creature appeared that sent despair through the group.
Glowing in the light of the sun that had just begun to rise was a huge, golden creature. It had two legs and two arms with three claws on each. Its tail was amazingly long, being at least the length of the monster itself. The two wings it had were even bigger, and were in fact larger than the rest of its body. Behind its neck was a ring with symbols marked upon it. Its head seemed like a bird's, with a huge beak full of razor sharp teeth and a blue jewel set on its forehead. Its eyes were blood red, and they were locked on Larka, who was petrified in shock and fear, with Malon cowering behind her, whimpering.
"Impossible! Sarius had Ra, the third god card, this whole time?" Draken said in disbelief.
Hope did not even register his words. Similar to Osiris, she was hearing something.
My true master… I must return to him. It is my purpose. So where does this sorrow I feel come from?
Hope stumbled backwards, holding her hands to her forehead as the words faded, leaving a large headache.
"Hope!" Gaston quickly pulled her down to her knees before she could fall over. "What is happening to you? You acted this way when Osiris came too. Please, tell me what's wrong!"
"I… I don't know…" Hope stammered.
"Just hang in there," Max said softly, taking her wrist with his hand. "It will be over soon."
Hope nodded weakly, slightly reassured.
Will watched Ra descend from the sky. "I saw this… it was a vision. That's how I knew something was about to happen."
"Larka…" Zack whispered, his eyes filled with worry. Despite how much stronger he was than normal humans, Osiris had managed to inflict much damage on him when he hadn't even been directly hit. The thought of Larka being in an equally fierce attack was agonizing for him. Fell did not say anything, but his body was completely tense, as though he was barely resisting the urge to run over to her side.
Larka had not moved, her eyes locked with the god's. All of her senses were screaming to run away, as fast as she could, yet she was frozen in place.
"So this is the power he has been wielding," Aya said, looking a bit surprised. Adene couldn't think of a response to that.
"What you saw before was Ra in his Sphere Mode," Sarius explained. "This is his true form. He can only be called upon in the language of Hieratic, which I happen to know. That means he will follow my commands. As for how strong he is… well, his stats are unknown at first. (?) They only take value when Ra is brought to the field. His stats are the three monsters' stats that I sacrificed to bring him out added together. Also, as he is a God Main-Type, Raid increases his stats as well. (7200/4600) Raid can also increase his attack, not only Light and Dark Main-Types. I can also have Ra do this."
The Twilight Zone Observation Machine suddenly turned into golden flames, and entered Ra.
"By sacrificing a monster, its stats are added to Ra's." (8500/6300)
"That is even stronger than Osiris!" Kazel exclaimed.
Sarius began to speak in Hieratic again, and Ra's body glowed as golden flames surrounded it again. It flew up into the sky, and then dived straight at Volt Girl. All she had time to do was let out a terrified meow before Ra slammed into her, causing light and heat to flood the field. Larka staggered away, covering her eyes from the intensity.
When she could finally see the results, it was easy to tell that Volt Girl was long gone. Ra was now behind Sarius, but still staring at her, sending a fresh wave of fear through her.
"That was a technique of his known as God Phoenix," Sarius said. "By paying 1000 Life Points, one of your monsters on the field is instantly destroyed."
Larka: 8000
Sarius: 1500
"Now that you have witnessed his power with your eyes, let us see how your body can handle it!" Sarius stepped backwards, towards Ra. Then, as though Ra was made of water, Sarius entered his body. Ra began to glow once more.
"What happened to him?" Gaston asked in amazement.
To their further shock, Sarius' voice echoed into their minds. "This is an ability called One Turn Kill. I pay all but one of my Life Points to raise Ra's stats by that amount." (9999/7799)
Larka: 8000
Sarius: 1
"Now you shall feel the true power of the gods!" Ra rose up into the air, and then dive bombed towards Blade Knight.
"Larka! No!" Zack shouted.
Larka would have remained there, trembling, if he hadn't spoken. But his voice brought her back to reality, and without thinking, she flipped over her trap card. "I activate Holy Life Barrier!" She desperately slid her Gilford the Lightning into her Cemetery. As she did so, Malon jumped away from Larka, whining frantically.
"You cannot stop Ra with a simple trap!" Sarius said as Ra crashed through the barrier, plowing through the Blade Knight and running into Larka.
Nobody could see through the roaring flames where Larka was, but they did hear her long scream of agony, which tore through them.
By the time it cleared, Ra was back on Sarius' side of the field. Malon had been slightly caught in the blast, and all of his fur was blackened, having been singed from the flames. But everyone was paying more attention to Larka.
Max had had a horrible injury from Obelisk's punch. Brandi had come off even worse trying to stop him from crashing into the tombstones. Zack had been seriously hurt by Osiris, but his metal body had helped him get through the duel with less harm than most would have.
None of these compared to Larka now. Her whole body was burned, the skin torched and blackened. Even her silver hair, which had always seemed so pure, was now colored black from the flames. It was a wonder that her clothes were not burned away, but they too had been blackened. Her Duel Disk and cards were a little better off; at least the Duel Disk still looked as though it could function somewhat, and the cards could be identified as what they were.
It seemed as though she was dead, how still she lay. Malon went to her at once, whimpering as he nosed her arm. She did not respond though.
Fell seemed almost in a state of shock as he stared at Larka. Unlike him, Zack reacted almost immediately. He ran up to her so fast that by the time anyone registered what he was doing, he was already kneeling beside her.
"Larka…" Zack whispered, placing his hand lightly on her neck as despair flooded through him.
Then he thought he felt something. He remained still, hope rising. After a moment, he felt complete relief as he felt her pulse once more.
"She is not dead, although if you do not help her soon, she might be," Sarius stated. "I have won the duel. If you wish to ensure that he survives, act now."
Zack was about to take out a card when Larka suddenly reached out, grabbing his arm.
"…Z-zack?" Larka managed to say.
"Larka! Please hold on; you'll die unless you're healed!" Zack said.
"N-not yet…" Larka whispered.
"What?"
"I… I have not… l-lost yet…" Larka murmured.
"Your spirit for fighting on, especially after taking a blow such as that, is admirable. But it is over. You lost 8399 Life Points from having Blade Knight be destroyed. Save your strength," Sarius said.
"N-no… I can… go on…" Larka weakly raised her other hand, placing it next to her Life Point counter. Zack looked at it, and his eyes widened at what he saw.
It was a one.
Larka: 1
Sarius: 1
"She's right; she still has one Life Point. How is this possible?" Zack asked in disbelief.
Hope thought over what had happened, and exclaimed, "It was the Holy Life Barrier!"
"What do you mean? That didn't do anything!" Miles protested.
"It forced her to discard a card to activate it," Hope explained, her head pounding as she spoke. "Remember what Blade Knight's effect is? If the player has one or less cards in their hand, his attack goes up by 400! So Ra only did 7999 damage to her!"
"Unbelievable," Claire said quietly, which summed up what practically everyone was thinking.
"How impressive," Sarius responded. "I suppose that means the duel is not over yet. If you wish to risk your life in finishing this match, then rise. I will face you once more."
Larka tried to get up, but almost instantly fell with a soft cry of pain.
"Larka, stop!" Zack begged. "You're going to kill yourself doing this!"
She slowly turned her face towards him, and he saw tears fall from her vivid yellow eyes. "I… got them all… into this. I want to… be able to… finish it. I have been… so useless to them. Now… I have… a chance… to assist them. I don't… want to… waste it. Please, Zack… help me do this…"
There was a moment of silence, and then Zack gently took her right arm and placed it over his shoulders. "All right. If this is what you want… then allow me to be beside you as you do it."
"…Thank… you…" Larka whispered as she shakily stood, leaning against Zack as she did so.
"In your state, you will not be able to even draw a card," Sarius commented. "What is it you hope to do?"
"…The monster… on my field…" Larka said softly. "Zack… flip it over…"
He did so, and a Saint Magician appeared. (300/400)
"So now you will search your Cemetery for a magic card and add it to your hand," Sarius stated.
"Shine Castle…" Larka gasped out. "I need… Shine Castle…"
"Very well." Zack took it from her Cemetery. "Now what?"
Larka looked down at her Soul Monster. "…Malon… please… bring out… the monster I need. The one… that is just as… strong as it… always must be…"
Malon stared up at her for a moment, and then nodded. He sat down and howled, his most lonely and mournful one yet.
A monster appeared, its body seeming to be made out of mirrors.
"Mimic Illusionist!" Sarius exclaimed. (?)
"That's it!" Claire said. "Mimic Illusionist copies the stats of a monster on the field! So that must mean that it is at least even with Ra!" (9999/7799)
"…And then… I equip it… with Shine Castle…" Larka said quietly.
Zack inserted the card, and the Mimic Illusionist began to pulse with power. (10699/7799)
"…Attack… Ra…" Larka whispered.
The Mimic Illusionist brought up its hands, and then shot out a stream of golden fire that was identical to Ra's. It hit the god, causing it to roar in agony as it began to fade away.
Despite the fact that pain now blinded her, Larka was satisfied as her grip on Zack loosened, and she began to fall, unconscious as she went through the air.
Larka: 1
Sarius: 0
…
Demon Rue: 8000
Juno: 8000
"Since you are the one who proposed this duel, I will go first," Juno said. "I summon Senju God. (1400/1000) When he is summoned, I may place a ritual monster from my deck into my hand. I do so, and then lay two cards face down. Go."
"Those face down cards do not appeal to me, so I think I will get rid of them," Demon Rue stated. "I play Tempest, destroying both of them."
Juno did not seem concerned with his loss. "They were Reverse Dice and Torture Wheel."
"Then I summon Demon Soldier (1900/1500) and attack Senju God. I also lay one card face down and end my turn," Demon Rue concluded.
Demon Rue: 8000
Juno: 7500
Juno smirked as he saw what he had drawn. "I have drawn a Dark Main-Type, which just so happen to be my own Demon Soldier. This allows me to use Zork's Deck Master ability. By paying 500 Life Points, I destroy one of the monsters on your field. I choose Demon Soldier, of course."
Demon Rue: 8000
Juno: 7000
"Not a bad effect," Demon Rue commented.
Juno did not bother responding to that. "Now I summon Demon Soldier and attack you directly! I'm done."
Demon Rue: 6100
Juno: 7000
"I can't just let you run rampant with that thing," Demon Rue told him. "I summon Mad Dog of Darkness (1900/1400) and activate a magic card, Shrink. It cuts your monster's attack in half. (950/1200) Mad Dog destroys your Demon Soldier, and then I end."
Demon Rue: 6100
Juno: 6050
"Nor may I let you keep that," Juno stated. "I play Enemy Controller, forcing Mad Dog into defense mode. Then I summon Black Warrior Werewolf (1600/1000) and attack. That is all."
"Hm…" Demon Rue considered the cards in his hand. "This could be tricky, but it should work out. I lay a monster face down and activate Seal of Time. This trap forces you to skip your next draw phase. I place a card down and end my turn."
"Those are meager defenses for what I have planned," Juno said. "I summon another Black Warrior Werewolf. (1600/1000) My first one attacks your defense monster!"
"You destroyed The Black Cat That Brings Unhappiness," (500/300) Demon Rue announced. "This means its reverse effect activates. I search my deck for a trap card and place it on top of my deck."
"Fine. My other Black Warrior Werewolf attacks you directly."
Demon Rue: 4500
Juno: 6050
Demon Rue grimaced. "I hate to have to do this… but I summon Kuribo." (300/200)
"…That is beyond pathetic," Juno said in disgust as the cute monster appeared.
"Believe me, I would rather use something else," Demon Rue assured. "In this case, however, it is necessary. I lay a card face down and end my turn."
"It seems you will be finished with your last act of defiance being bringing out a furball," Juno sneered. "I summon Sonic Bird (1400/1000) which has a similar effect to Senju God. The only difference is that I pick a ritual magic card. Now I will use the card I got, Pact with the Dark Master! By sacrificing Sonic Bird and Black Warrior Werewolf to fulfill its requirements of having to have eight levels sacrificed to be brought out, I can special summon Dark Master-Zork!" (2700/1500)
"How interesting," Demon Rue commented. "So that is what your deck is based around. Well, unfortunately for you, I have a plan already laid out that can kill it. It all relies on this trap card that I now activate!"
Kuribo whimpered softly before suddenly exploding. The purple spores remaining from it attached themselves to Zork and Black Warrior Werewolf, which caused them both to fade away.
"What the hell did you do?" Juno growled.
"It is called Deck Destruction Virus of Death, and it is the center of my deck," Demon Rue informed him. "By sacrificing a Dark Main-Type with 1000 attack or less, all of the monsters on your field and in your hand with 1500 attack or more are destroyed. Also, for the next three turns, you must show me what you draw. If it has 1500 or more attack, it is sent to the Cemetery instantly."
About time you did something right, Rue said.
"You would have been doing even worse," Demon Rue pointed out. Rue didn't respond to that.
"Damn," Juno muttered. "I can do nothing else…"
"Then allow me to go on the offensive," Demon Rue said. "I play another trap card, Cry of the Living Dead, to bring back my Demon Soldier from the Cemetery in attack mode. Then I summon Skilled Black Magician. (1900/1700) Both attack you directly."
Demon Rue: 4500
Juno: 2250
Demon Rue was about to declare the end of his turn, when a sudden flash of light from the distance distracted them both.
"What was that?" Juno said.
Demon Rue smiled coldly. "What do you know? It seems that the third god card has been played."
No way! Rue exclaimed. Does that mean Sarius had Ra all along? Impossible! Just what have I missed?
"I am sure your little friends will be able to catch you up on it."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Juno demanded.
"You will see soon enough, if you win," Demon Rue shrugged. "It's your turn."
Juno drew, and then smirked as he showed Demon Rue the card he had received. "This is not even a monster. It is actually an equip magic that I plan on using now. So I play Continue the Contract! By paying 800 Life Points, I special summon a ritual monster from my Cemetery and to the field. I choose Zork, of course."
Demon Rue: 4500
Juno: 1450
"This will not end well," Demon Rue said flatly as Zork appeared.
"Zork's effect lets me roll a die once on each of my turns. I will roll one now," Juno stated as the die appeared on the field. It went into the air and then landed, tumbling about, until it stopped on a one.
Juno seemed satisfied with the results. "Not a good roll for you. When I get a one or a two, Zork destroys all monsters on your side of the field. With a three, four, or five, it destroys one of your monsters. If I should be unlucky enough to get a six, it would destroy all of my monsters."
I'd say that you're screwed, Rue commented as Demon Soldier and Skilled Black Magician were destroyed.
"Shut up."
"I will command Zork to attack you directly," Juno said. "Then I am done."
Demon Rue: 1800
Juno: 1450
"…I can only lay one monster in defense mode, and then end," Demon Rue sighed.
"I drew Attack Nullification," Juno announced, revealing it. "It makes no difference though. I will roll the die."
This time, it landed on a five. Demon Rue watched as Zork obliterated his monster. "You destroyed my Mask of Darkness."
"Then you are through," Juno said. "Zork attacks directly!"
Demon Rue: 0
Juno: 1450
"It seems I was overconfident and careless," Demon Rue stated. "I will have to rethink some strategies in this deck."
"Enough with your talk," Juno snarled. "We had an agreement. Leave at once."
"No need to doubt my word. I do have enough honor to follow through with the win terms," Demon Rue said, slipping a card into his Duel Disk. "I suppose I will not get to see you again. A pity. I would have wanted a rematch, but it seems that will not happen. So I bid you farewell." He suddenly ran off, moving at a speed beyond human's normal speed.
"Candle of Fate," Juno said to himself, recognizing the card. After a moment of silence, he stated, "He will not tell them of me, but I must get there at once." Recalling Zork into his Soul Card, Juno set off once more.
…
Demon Rue's speed burst wore off just as he came up to the temple. He took the long way around on purpose so that he was behind the temple. He stood at the corner of the structure, where they would have seen him if they had bothered to look. But everyone's attention was on the duelists, one who had just appeared on his side of the field and one who was falling.
"That is all I can do for now," Demon Rue stated. "I am done." Then he was gone, leaving Rue standing there, looking bewildered.
What happened here? he wondered, watching the scene. Although he wanted to tell them that he was here, and warn them of Juno, he knew that he could not. So he remained where he was.
Zack caught Larka as she fell, tenderly laying her on the cloud they stood on. Malon began to whine again as Zack reached for his support cards.
"No need to bother with yours. Use these instead," Sarius said as he came over, holding out a Healing Rain and three Blessing of Gods. "With amplified powers, Healing Rain should take away most of the damage, although you will have to wait a few minutes."
Zack was not sure if this could be trusted, but he knew that none of his cards would work very effectively. So he accepted the cards and placed them into his Duel Disk. The rain began to fall instantly. After a few painstaking moments, the burns that darkened her skin began to recede as her hair started to become its normal silver color. Malon's fur was also becoming its normal brown.
"Why did you want to help her?" Zack asked.
"She won. It is only fair that I do so," Sarius stated.
"I can't believe she managed to pull it off!" Miles said happily as they went over to the area where the rain was falling. "What a way to win!"
"And against a god card, of all things!" Neo agreed.
Amy looked over at Larka in concern. "Those cards are helping, but it's still not enough. Sakura, can you lend a hand?"
"Of course!" Sakura said, going over to Larka and putting her hands on her chest. A warm, red glow started to form around Larka's body, enhancing the Healing Rain's effects even more.
"There goes our chance at getting this Limiter," Aya commented as she, Adene, and the Child joined them.
"It was a fair victory, and one I can respect," Sarius replied. "I have few regrets about losing."
Sakura finally lifted her hands away from Larka, who now looked fully healed. Even her clothes, Duel Disk, and cards were back to normal. A few seconds after the Healing Rain faded away, she opened her eyes. "…Zack?"
"It's all right now," Zack said. "You won, and you're completely healed now. At least, it looks that way. Can you stand?"
"I think so…" She rose slowly, and nodded. "I feel fine…"
"That's a relief," Claire sighed. "We were so worried…"
"Especially Zack. I thought he was going to kill himself again, suicide device implanted or not!" Miles shuddered.
"Zack…" Larka turned to him. "You helped me get through that… and thanks to your assistance, I was able to win. You saved my life."
"It was Sarius that healed you, not me," Zack said guiltily.
"No… I meant before. Your voice brought me to my senses. Thank you…"
Then, without warning, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. After a moment of shock, Zack returned it.
"OH GOD! MY EYES! THE GOGGLES! THEY DO NOTHING!" Miles yelled, running around like a crazed lunatic, ripping off the goggles he had gotten from the card Sonic Bird and throwing them far away.
I don't blame him, Rue thought as he kept his eyes covered from the scene.
Will caught up to him and slammed him over the head with his book, dropping him flat on the cloud. "Quit acting like an idiot for once."
After a long moment, Zack and Larka drew away. All Zack could say was, "That was unexpected. I did not think you would be bold enough to do that."
Larka blushed deeply. "Well… you were the one… to confess first… I felt like I should do something in return… was that wrong of me?"
"Yes," Miles muttered as he attempted to get up. Another book slam sent him right back into the cloud.
"No, not at all. I am grateful," Zack said softly.
The silence that followed was broken by Sarius saying, "I can assure you that I am happy for both of you, but I must discuss something before you can continue on."
They turned to him expectantly. Seeing he had their attention, he brought out a card, Ra, and showed it to them. "I assume you still need this?"
"Yes. It's the only god card we don't have yet," Hope said.
"Then here you go." Sarius held it out to Larka.
Her eyes widened in astonishment. "You're giving me Ra? But why? That was not part of the duel conditions…"
Sarius smiled slightly. "I told you before we began that I had something you needed. I planned on using this as a worthy item to put at risk for gaining your Limiter powers. I have lost, so it is now yours."
Larka hesitated, and then looked at the Child, who gazed back at her calmly.
"He will be fine without it," Sarius stated.
The Child nodded. "Hai."
"Thank you," Larka finally said, reaching out. However, before she touched it, she drew her hand back. "But what if it decides I am not worthy of wielding it?"
"Try touching it lightly," Draken suggested.
"Ok…" She put her fingertips on it gently, and then jumped away, holding her hand. "No, it is not for me."
"Then who should attempt it next?" Claire inquired.
Hope was feeling a sudden urge to volunteer herself, but she fought it back down to the best of her ability. She had no idea why she always felt so… greedy, when it came to the god cards, and it ashamed her.
"I advise letting Will try," Kazel said.
"Huh? Why him?" Miles asked as he staggered over, holding his hand to his head. "So he can brutally tame it with his book if needed?"
"…No. He was able to tell what Sarius was saying when he summoned Ra," Kazel reminded them. "That is not an ordinary feat."
Will shrugged. "All right, I'll give it a shot." Then he went up to Sarius and took the card from his hand.
"Well? Is it burning you?" Draken questioned.
"Obviously not, or I would have probably thrown it at Neo," Will said dryly. "It feels fine."
"Did you have to be so cruel about it?" Neo complained.
"After what you did to my kitchen today, yes," Will stated, placing Ra into his Duel Disk for safekeeping.
"Then that is settled. We shall have to move on to try and find the second Limiter," Sarius told his companions.
"Wait!" Larka suddenly said.
"Hm? Is there something else you need?" Sarius inquired.
"…Now that you cannot win these Limiter powers from me, the only one left to try is Juno, right?" Larka asked.
"Yes. If you can defeat him, you will not be bothered with it any more," Sarius stated.
Larka thought for a moment, and then said, "Is there a way for you to take the Limiter powers from a person without them dying?"
"Yes. The method I prefer does not involve killing the Limiter, as I said to you when I was explaining everything to you," Sarius answered. "My method can go one of two ways. If the Limiter is completely willing to give up the power, then I obtain it rather swiftly. It causes no pain whatsoever, which is one reason I prefer it. However, if the Limiter fights against it…" Sarius shook his head. "The pain is unimaginable… hence why it is very important for me to win against the Limiter first, so that they will give up their power freely."
"I see…" Larka paused, and then said, "Can I offer my Limiter powers to you then?"
"Larka! What are you saying?" Miles exclaimed. "The whole reason we fought these lunatics was so that you wouldn't have to give up this power in you! And now you want to just toss it aside?"
"It does seem like an odd thing to do," Perseus agreed.
Larka turned to them. "This whole time, I was fighting more out of fear of the wrong side getting my powers. That… and I did not want to die." Larka looked away from them. "That might seem selfish, but I was truly frightened by it all…"
"We all fear death," Draken said reassuringly.
"Zack," Miles stated.
"Shut up," Draken growled at him before continuing. "I know I for one do, at least. Don't concern yourself over seeing that as such an action."
"Well… look at it this way," Larka said. "These powers are not doing anything for me. They are within me only to prevent things that shouldn't be entering the world from coming in, right? I don't see why I should need to keep it." She hesitated, and then added, "I also do not want to have to face Juno. If he is as bad as you guys say… I am afraid of fighting him as well. I would have fled from this duel when Ra emerged if I had not been too scared to… how would I fare against someone like him? Sarius seems like the best option. Besides, he did give us Ra."
"…Is that what you really want?" Fell asked.
"Yes," Larka replied.
Sarius came up to her. "I suppose there is no reason to argue. I am surprised by your decision, and I cannot say if it was right or wrong on your part. But I will take the Limiter powers if you offer them."
"I do," Larka stated. Then she looked over at Zack, expecting him to protest about this.
Instead, he said, "If this is your choice, I accept it."
Larka smiled brightly in response, which told him that those had been the right words to say. Then she turned to Sarius. "So what am I supposed to do?"
"Just relax, and do not try to resist what I am doing at all," Sarius instructed. "It will be over shortly if you do so." Then he brought his hand up a few inches away from her, over her heart. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Larka answered, her voice firm even though she seemed a bit nervous.
Sarius' eyes narrowed as he began to concentrate. Then a white light came from Larka's heart, flowing into his hand. Unlike the light that Hope had given to Max and Kisara had relinquished to her, this light seemed to ripple, almost as though it were a liquid. It continued to flow into Sarius for a few moments, and then it was over, the last bits of light entering Sarius. Then silence consumed the area.
Rue was vastly relieved. Juno's missed his chance! Now everything should be ok.
Right as he thought that, Raid suddenly turned, hissing. Everyone followed his gaze at once.
Juno stood there, looking furious. "I was too late… damn it all!" He brought forth his Duel Disk. "It seems there is no point in staying here. My only chance of claiming this world is to find the second Limiter. And that, Tirran, is something I am ahead of you on!"
"Wait!" Sarius protested. It was no use though. Juno pressed a button on his menu and vanished, returning to the real world.
To be continued…