Hey all. For those who don't know me, I am Time Mage, and this is a group fic by WolfGeneral, Seeker of the Soul, and myself. This was proposed a few weeks ago, and so we thought we'd give it a try. Each chapter will be by a different author, focusing on a different character, so styles will change each chapter, which should keep this rather interesting. Anyway, read on!
Walking Another's Path
Chapter One- Mistaken Identities
"Everybody has a reason to fight. For some, it's a matter of running away from something, and some do it to feel strong. Some fight for survival, and others for fun. Me? I guess that's just one more thing that makes me different from other people. I don't have a reason. At least, I didn't..."
Kyoto was a relatively pleasant city, full of people and buildings, businesses and workers. People went about their daily lives, enjoying comfort and security. The city was so grand and prosperous that it was home to many prestigious Duel Monsters tournaments. People from all over would often visit the ancient capital city for one competition or another, hosted at the large and start of the art stadium that had been built by Industrial Illusions near the grounds of the old Kyoto Castle.
Such a tournament had just ended, and the participants and spectators were all on their way home, congesting traffic in the parking lot and surrounding roads of the stadium, locking many people in place for hours to come, envious of those who lived in the city and could walk or take public transportation.
Walking in a manner indicating that he was leaving said event was a young man, probably nineteen or twenty, dressed in a shirt the color of the twilight sky with the sleeves rolled to his mid forearm and hanging open over a gray shirt and khaki pants.
Using his left hand to brush a strand of silver hair out of his eyes, the young man's vision was blocked for half a second by his Duel Disk, which was in its standby position. After retracting said hand, he was startled by a figure moving in the opposite direction of him, and was unable to sidestep in time.
Bracing for impact, the young man prepared himself to plow headlong into the other man, which would lead to an argument of right of way, manners, etc, and possibly, if the other man had enough of a temper, a duel. Yet much to the man's surprise he did not collide with the on-comer. It was as if the other man had been able to completely step to the side in a fraction of a second and keep going as if they had never been on a collision coarse.
However, even if this was the case, the man had been unable to get to the side as much as he had hoped, and the two brushed their shoulders against one another with a light tap, but that was all. Muttering a faint "Excuse me," the two walked on their ways.
Unfortunately, when their bodies connected, the two men had, without knowing it, made a third party very happy. Jerking his head around to focus in on the two, a man from over a hundred yards away twisted his lips into a cold smile, a special light in his eyes. Running a hand along the brim of his fedora, he analyzed the two men, and decided on his target.
Keiji Saigo had gone through life in a relatively normal fashion. Having run away from home at an early age he had forced himself to live by wits, luck, strength, and any other resource he found he possessed. Of course, he somehow still found himself attending school. For one reason or another, he couldn't ignore the fact that he had a startling intellect that required continuous exercise, even though his life of self-sufficiency and personal study tended to put him at a higher level than anyone else his age, leading to an early graduation three years previous.
Shortly after leaving home, Keiji had discovered Duel Monsters, a card game of strategy, psychology, spirit, and luck, and had become fully immersed in it. Now, after years of practice, Keiji was using the game as a source of income to help him survive along side his job as a teacher's assistant. They wouldn't let him get anything better until he was older.
Keiji hadn't told anyone about his living situation, fearing someone would find a way to force him back into his parent's home until he was twenty, the legal age of adulthood in Japan. As a result, the school didn't know the job they had given him wasn't sufficient for meeting his needs, hence why he'd turned to Duel Monsters tournaments as a means to get by, and thanks to his continuously high rankings, afford occasional luxuries.
In the tournament just completed at the Kyoto Duel Monsters Coliseum, as was it's official title, Keiji had placed sixth, falling to a skillfully played deck comprised of monsters his opponent had called Dark Scorpions, which had gone on to take second place, while first belong to a deck of monsters Keiji had only heard of and hoped he'd never have to battle known as Death Knights.
Raising a hand to protect his eyes from a sudden gust of wind, Keiji made a quickly right-hand turn toward his apartment. It wasn't a fancy complex, but it more than met his needs of a bed, kitchen, and walls to block wind and a roof to keep out rain. It was near the outskirts of town, another reason it was so cheap; at least, cheap for Japan.
Kyoto was a city that, depending on your point of view, was either fortunate or cursed. The once ancient center of trade and government was today neighbor to a large pocket of communities which played house to a number of demon tribes. Some of the most ancient and powerful demonic dynasties were said to live in Japan, especially in reservations such as the one near Kyoto.
The humans and demons avoided each other at all costs, and for centuries the peace had held. Some people spoke in legends of days long passed when humans and demons would ally themselves with each other to face one impending threat or another, or that they would engage in war with one another. Such events were common in children's bedside stories, as well as literature through the ages, although no evidence existed to promote such theories further than oral tradition.
Keiji himself had never had much of an opinion on the matter. The way he saw it, both humans and demons had every right to live on the earth in a way that didn't lead to war or suffering. He had never seen a demon, nor had he ever ventured into their territory out of fear for his own life and the possible danger he may encounter. He was certain not all demons were as violent or savage as some people made them out to be, but he was also rather certain that it would be of great risk to his own safety if he were to try and make contact. ("No, better to leave them to their own affairs, at least until we can get them to open an embassy with us.")
"Amarai of the Dragon demons, I challenge you to a Darkness Game!" Keiji whirled around, a confused look on his face. Standing in the entrance to the ally was another man, probably around thirty or so, in an old brown trench coat and a Duel Disk on his arm.
"Who's Amarai?" Keiji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't play dumb with me, demon. I felt that energy spark when you bumped into that other kid. He maintained a normal human energy signature, but you've been glowing ever since then." Keiji simply scratched his head in confusion.
"You must have the wrong guy." was finally all he could offer as an answer. The stranger, in response took upon himself a suddenly dumb look of equal confusion, but quickly regained his resolve and went rigid again, raising his arm and activating his Duel Disk.
"You almost had me convinced, dragon, but I know it's you. You're currently the only demon in the human lands, so you're the only one who could have provided that energy spike."
Sighing and shaking his head, Keiji turned back to his original course, intent on leaving the demon hunter to go looking elsewhere.
"You think you can run from me, dragon? I am Ryoushi Myou, one of the greatest Demon Bounty Hunters in Japan. There's an exceptional bounty on your hide, and I will collect."
"Sorry, but I must be going. And my name isn't Amarai, its Keiji Saigo."
"You may have changed your name, but I know it's you, dragon. Now, how do you want to die? In a Darkness Game, or with a shaft of steel thrust through your heart?" However, Keiji was no longer listening and was nearly out of the ally. "Fine, have it your way." Snapping his fingers, Ryoushi chuckled lightly as a black fog appeared in Keiji's path, to both their sides, and behind the hunter, all growing together into one single form. Much to Keiji's surprise, when he touched the fog, his body ricocheted back a few inches, unable to pass through.
Turning around slowly, Keiji's eyes began to widen. He had heard about these Darkness Games, duels that came about because of demon contact. However, it was common knowledge that only demons could generate this field of magic.
"I have no choice, do I?" Keiji finally spoke, but it was not a question. Extending his arm, his Duel Disk snapped into action, his deck already shuffled and in place. (KLP:4000) Ryoushi did the same. (RLP:4000) They both drew five cards, and then Keiji drew a sixth, planning on taking the first turn.
"I summon Ranger of the Falling Stars (1700/1400) in attack mode." A man in archaic attire, like those one might see on a forest dwelling outlaw appeared, covered by a green cloak, a short sword strapped to his belt. "I'll then set two magic or trap cards face down, and end my turn."
Drawing a card, Ryoushi began to survey his hand. After a few seconds, he made his play. "I play Hold of the Different Dimension, a card that can only be chained to by a negation effect, and if successful will prevent you from activating set magic or trap cards for one turn." Keiji shook his head, signaling that he did not have any method of stopping the activation, and grimacing as his two set cards became coated in a shimmering blue light. "Now I will set one magic or trap card and play my Soul Absorption magic card. Finally, I'll summon a monster in defense mode and end. Now go, dragon."
Drawing a card, Keiji looked at his opponent. Something about the guy just seemed off. He was so confident, even though he thought he was hunting a demon. That meant he was either very foolish, or he had earned this job. However, despite that, he hadn't gone on the attack, meaning he either had a bad opening hand, or he was waiting for something, or for Keiji to attack. There was only one way to find out.
"I summon Ranger of the Moon (1400/1000) in attack mode." Another man appeared, dressed much like the first only in an off-white cloak and with two long knives at his waist. "Now I'll equip him with the magic card, Shooting Star Lance, raising his attack and defense by 400 (1800/1400)!" Instantly a long shaft appeared, clasped in the hands of the bough-cloaked man, a curved blade at the end, looking like a sliver of the moon.
"Impressive as your monster now is, I doubt he can get past my monster." Ryoushi chuckled.
"Let's find out." Keiji responded, raise a hand and pointing at the brown backed card on Ryoushi's field. Raising the weapon, Keiji's monster stealthily, yet silently, and slashed the card in half. However, much to Keiji's surprise, it looked as though his monster had cut-not through a card- but through the air itself, and now there seemed to be a rip in the fabric of the nothingness which is thin air.
Noting Keiji's confusion, Ryoushi began to explain. "The monster you destroyed is Dimension Soldier (1200/800), and when destroyed he is removed from play, but he'll take your monster with him!" With these words, the rip in the fabric of reality began to pull on Keiji's monster, sucking him in before sealing up. "And then my Soul Absorption activates, granting me five hundred Life Points for each card removed from play, such as our two monsters, meaning I gain one thousand life points!" (RLP:5000)
"Normally, yes," Keiji agreed with his opponent, aware of what the magic card did. "However, you didn't take the special abilities of my cards. Both Ranger of the Moon and Shooting Star Lance have the effect that when they are involved in destroying a monster in battle, they instantly deal the opponent five hundred damage, undoing the Life Points you just gained." (RLP:4000)
"Now, since it's still my turn, I'll have Ranger of the Falling Stars attack you directly!" The green and brown garbed forester drew his sword and charged Ryoushi, swinging directly down, the tip of his blade grazing the man, but not actually cutting him. (RLP:2300) "End."
Drawing, Ryoushi made a quick decision on his move and slapped a card onto his monster zone. "I summon Dimension Assailant (1700/1600) in attack mode!" A man with a limber body, dressed in a silver body suit and wielding a large sword appeared. "Dimension Assailant, attack his Ranger of the Falling Stars!" Glancing at his cards, Keiji began to wonder if he should use his monsters special ability, which would allow him to discard one card from his hand to stop the attack, but decided against it, preferring to let Ryoushi clear his own field himself.
Slashing down with his sword, Dimension Assailant was halted by a short sword, the collision of their blades causing sparks to fly. At the point where the swords met appeared another rift like the one created by Ryoushi's previous monster, meaning that this new one would do the same and remove both from play. As the two vanished, Keiji heard Ryoushi's Duel Disk tallying up his new Life Points. (RLP:3300)
"Now, to end my turn, I play Dimension Journey to special summon level four or lower monsters with 'D.D.' or 'Dimension' from my out of play pile to my empty field." the demon slayer explained as his Dimension Assailant appeared alongside another man who looked like a younger version, only with red hair and a shorter sword.
Drawing a third card, Keiji instantly played it. "Pot of Greed to draw two cards." Raising his hand size to four, Keiji looked at his two face down cards, which he knew would be locked down for the remainder of his turn. "I summon Ranger of Nightfall (1800/1500) in attack mode." Dressed in a navy blue cloak and in slightly less ragtag clothing was Keiji's new monster, armed with a single bladed and short-handled axe.
Instantly, Keiji chose another card from his hand. "If your Hold of the Different Dimension may keep me from activating any set cards, but I can still play cards like normal, such as my Evening Star Bow, which will raise Ranger of Nightfall's attack by two hundred (2000)."
Slipping the hatchet into a loop on his waist, the wanderer raised his left arm as a short bow appeared in his hand and a quiver of arrows on his back. "Since attacking your monsters would be rather foolish of me, I'll use the effect of my Evening Star Bow to skip my monsters attack this turn and instead deal you direct damage equal to the total levels of your monsters multiplied by fifty." Knocking an arrow and taking careful aim, the ranger released the string, firing the bolt past Ryoushi's monsters and striking him in the left shoulder, causing the man's entire body to twist and nearly lose balance. (RLP: 2500)
Satisfied, Keiji slid one more card face down and nodded, signaling that Ryoushi could begin his turn. Drawing a third card, Ryoushi used his middle and ring fingers to grab another card from his hand which he slapped down as a monster and then inserting the drawn card into a magic zone. First appeared the monster, a woman with strawberry blonde hair and dressed in a black and silver body suit, a short sword that appeared to be made of some form of electrical energy. Behind her was the image of the magic card, which showed a swirling formation in the air with three silhouettes faintly visible against it.
"This is my D.D. Warrior Lady (1500/1600), and the magic card is Dimension Blitz, allowing me to summon any more copies of the Dimension monster I just summoned from my deck, so here are two more D.D. Warrior Lady's (1500/1600 x2)!" Two more copies of the female warrior appeared, their swords crackling.
"Go face down card!" Keiji called as one of his three set cards flipped up, now free from Ryoushi's magic card. "Hidden Soldiers activates when you summon a monster and allows me to special summon one level four and Dark monster from my hand, so I summon another Ranger of Nightfall (1800/1500) in attack mode." Standing tall next to his brother was another warrior with a blue cloak, but he had no bow and arrow like the first one.
"No matter how many of your monsters you have, I still have more, and I will now clear them from the field, dragon!" Ryoushi shouted back, depressing a button on his Duel Disk, flipping his trap card up. "Spirit Barrier prevents me from taking damage when my monsters battle." he explained, even though Keiji knew what the card did, and so he also knew what Ryoushi was planning.
"Now, Dimension Soldier, as the weakest of my monsters, will attack your first Ranger of Nightfall, removing them both from play, giving me one thousand Life Points while losing nothing thanks to Spirit Barrier." Running up to Keiji's monster, the shortest of the warriors raised his sword and slashed down, but his attack was dodged with a simple sidestep, and so the warrior struck the air, cutting a hole into space and time which both monsters began to be pulled into, their bodies compressing and stretching to fit into the thin hole.
"I activate the other card you locked down at the beginning," Keiji called as a green boarded card flipped up, meaning it was a quick-play. "Star Streak Impact destroys up to two magic or trap cards on your field -Soul Absorption and Spirit Barrier, in this case- when I have a Ranger in play and will then deal you three hundred damage for each of the destroyed cards." From the sky above the field fell two streaks of light at high speeds, each on crashing into one of Ryoushi's two continuous cards, shattering them. (RLP:1900)
"But that means I'll take damage!" Ryoushi moaned as the two monsters completely vanished into the rift and his Life Points fell further. (RLP:1100) "It doesn't matter, tough, since you'll lose in the end! Dimension Assailant, attack his final Ranger of Nightfall!"
Charging with his sword raised, the tallest of Ryoushi's four remaining monsters charged, crashing into Keiji's monster, who swung his axe and caught the warrior in the stomach before they both vanished, dealing Ryoushi minimal damage once again. (RLP:1000)
"I activate my final face down card!" Keiji called, understanding what was coming, and rather against taking forty-five direct damage from Ryoushi's three remaining monsters. "Standing In Moonlight activates when a Ranger leaves the field and raises my Life Points by that monster's base attack." (KLP:5800)
"You're a stubborn one, aren't you dragon? No wonder the bounty for you is so high. Of course, you're almost finished. D.D. Warrior Ladies, attack!" Charging as one the three women raised their swords attacked Keiji, catching him in his shoulders and chest, knocking him back, feeling like he'd just been hit by a swinging tree. With just a single group attack, Keiji's Life Points had been dropped to just barely above that of Ryoushi. (KLP:1300)
"I already told you, I'm not a dragon demon." Keiji coughed, rubbing his sore chest. "And my name is Keiji."
"Stubborn enough to keep on lying, even in times such at these." the hunter smiled and shook his head. "But whether you admit it or not, Amarai Reiki, in the end this Darkness Game will ensure that you come with me and surrender yourself to the one who demands your bounty."
"First off," Keiji growled and drew a third card. "I'm not a dragon demon named Amarai Reiki, so I'm worthless in that regard. Second, I'm not going to lose."
"You're much more disciplined than I had heard about you, Amarai, and you lack that fiery, egotistical and aggressive spirit as it common in dragon demons. Is that why you left your families lands?"
Rolling his eyes at the futility of trying to convince the hunter otherwise, Keiji looked at his drawn card and the two in his hand. "I summon Starlight Ranger (1500/1300) in attack mode and set one card face down. Go." A man in a blue cloak, lighter in shade than Ranger of Nightfall's, appeared, a simple staff in his hand. Behind him appeared a face down card, a potential trap, or possibly just a bluff.
"D.D. Warrior Lady, attack his monster!" Ryoushi ordered one of his three monsters. Without hesitation she ran up to Keiji's monster and stabbed him in the stomach. However, with his final breath, the man raised both arms, staff held horizontal, and then lowered said arms, using them and the staff to trap the warrior lady, causing both of them to fade away. "Now, I'll have another D.D. Warrior Lady attack directly and finish you off!" Ryoushi ordered and one of the remaining two ran up to Keiji, sword raised to spear him through.
"Go face down card, Attack Guidance Armor!" Keiji shouted as demonic armor appeared around the one female soldier who had remained at Ryoushi's side. The eyes on the chest plate of the armor flashed a deep red for a second and then the attacking woman stopped, her eyes glazed over. She then blindly turned around and ran towards her sister, who panicked and raised her own sword, the two sisters being impaled by the weapon of the other.
"Very good move, dragon, but still not good enough." Ryoushi mocked, a smug smile on his face. "I'll set one card face down and end my turn."
Keiji drew a card and grimaced. ("Great, I've got one high level monster and one magic card.") Setting a card face down, he ended his turn.
"Seems that you're running out of moves, Amarai." the demon hunter laughed while drawing a second card, which he slapped onto the field, unleashing a man who was rapped in brown and white robes that were torn and ragged, covering most of his body. "This is the Survivor of the Different Dimension (1800/200), and he'll be the one to finish you off." Running at Keiji, cape flittering, the man raised a fist punched at Keiji.
"I activate Shrink." he countered as his magic card flipped up to reveal the image of a Battle Ox being shrunk down in size. "This card will cut your monsters attack points in half for the turn (900)." As the holographic card image shattered and the effect resolved, Keiji was caught in the chest by the fist of the Survivor of the Different Dimension, sending him crashing to the ground hard. (KLP:400)
Struggling to lift himself up, Keiji smiled at Ryoushi, who had a rather irritated look on his face. He nodded, and Keiji drew to start his turn.
"I play Graceful Charity." Sliding three cards off of his deck, Keiji looked at the four he now held before depositing the monster he had been holding onto for a few turns, plus a magic card. "Now I summon another Ranger of the Moon (1400/1000) in attack mode, and I'll equip him with Battle Crest, raising his attack points by one hundred times his level (1800). That ends my turn."
"And now you lose, dragon." the bounty hunter smiled. "I play Dimension Vortex , removing one monster from each of our fields from play, but we both then special summon one out of play monster back to the field." he explained as both monsters on the field faded away. Instantly his Dimension Assailant (1700/1600) reappeared, but Keiji was surprised when the Survivor of the Different Dimension also reappeared.
"What's this?"
"This, dragon, is the effect of my Survivor. When he is removed from play, he returns to the field."
"Be as that may, by removing my monster from play you've destroyed my Battle Crest, activating its special ability, allowing me to draw until I hold four cards!" Keiji explained, drawing four times. "Also, I return my Ranger of Nightfall (1800/1500) to the field."
"It would seem that we are at an impasse." Ryoushi smiled.
"Not really." Keiji responded. "Knowing you, you'll suicide one of your monsters against mine, more than likely your Assailant, and then attack directly with your Survivor." Ryoushi was, needless to say, dumbstruck by the fact that Keiji had predicted his move. So surprised, in fact, that he missed the sense of fear in Keiji's words.
"You may have figured it out, young dragon, but it doesn't mean you can stop it. Survivor of the Different Dimension, attack!" Lunging forward, fists pulled back, the wanderer prepared his attack. In response, Keiji's monster prepared his hatchet.
"Activate magic card," Keiji called.
"There are none!" Ryoushi countered.
"This is a special one." Keiji explained. "It's known as Sanctity of the Buried, and it activates only from my graveyard, removing five cards from my graveyard from play to activate, and to negate your attack." Keiji explained as a fistful of cards shot into his waiting hand from his graveyard.
"Very well, I end my turn." Ryoushi growled, looking at his two card hand.
"Your mistake." Keiji sighed, much to Ryoushi's confusion. "Sanctity of the Buried only stops one attack. You could have attacked again, and I wouldn't have had enough cards to remove this time."
Shaking with fury, the demon slayer narrowed his eyes, as if trying to cause Keiji's very soul to collapse on itself. "Why you son of a-"
"I activate Ranger of Nightfall's special ability, sacrificing him to special summon two level four or lower Ranger's from my deck to my field in attack mode." Dissolving into dots of light, the navy blue robed warrior vanished and was replaced by two identical men in black clothing with black cloaks, but with streaks of light randomly placed on the capes. "These are my Rangers of the Eclipse (1900/1900 x2)."
Swallowing hard, Ryoushi tried to take in what was happening, until he remembered his face down card. With it, he'd survive while reducing the numbers of the enemy's ranks.
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face-down card." Keiji continued. Ryoushi's jaw dropped as fear began to set in.
"Have you forgotten, dragon, that my Assailant will remove the monster you attack him with from play?" he taunted, hoping his opponent had an attachment with his cards that he could exploit. Much to his joy, when he looked the silver-haired man in the eye, he saw that there was indeed such a connection.
"I haven't forgotten." Keiji admitted. "Which is why I'll have to finish you with the first attack, before he can be removed from play."
"What?"
"Go, equipment magic card, United We Stand!" he shouted, sliding the magic card into his Duel Disk. "This card gives my Ranger of the Eclipse eight hundred extra attack points for every monster on my field, and I have two, meaning he now gains sixteen hundred attack points (3700)!" Pulling out a crossbow from beneath his cloak, Keiji's chosen monster took aim, two arrows on the track of the arbalest instead of the standard one. "Fire!"
With a gentle squeeze of the trigger, the mechanized weapon released the spring, resulting in the string snapping straight and launching the two darts at Ryoushi's monster, sticking into the Assailants chest and dealing two thousand points of damage. (RLP:0)
"But...I am one of the greatest demon hunters-"
"I'm not a demon, and my name is Keiji!" the young man restated yet again. "And now, since this was a Darkness Game, I get to inflict a Punishment Game, correct?" With eyes wide, Ryoushi refused to respond in any way. "As such, I forbid you from ever hunting again."
And with that declaration, the fog began to fade, and Keiji could tell by the positioning of the stars and moon that it was now nearly eleven pm. It was getting late, and he had work in the morning.
Walking up the stairs to his apartment, Keiji did not notice the figure standing over Ryoushi Myou, a disgusted look on his face, and then turning up to look at Keiji's apartment. Cracking a smile, he began to plan.
"Tomorrow's gonna be a long day for you, won't it, Amarai Reiki."
To Be Continued...
And there you have it. The first chapter of our joint story. But who is Amarai Reiki, and why are there people after him?
Hey there folks, it's your friendly neighborhood demon general here to spread good cheer and such. I hope you liked Time Mage's introduction to the world we're holding this fic in, and I hope you enjoy being exposed to a world that is our little brainchild. Anyhow, next chapter up is from me, and it will involve the 'mysterious' Amarai, the dragon demon these hunters are after. Who is he, and why is he a wanted demon? We'll find out next time, now won't we? Check it out in Wandering Dragon!
Also, the Ranger cards are mine! They were made for this story, and for use by Keiji only. I think he used about three cards that aren't mine, and you should know by now which ones those are. As for the Dimension cards, if it's one you didn't recognize, then it's most likely Wolf General's, Seeker of the Soul's, or mine.
Anyway, that about wraps that up. Next chapter will be brought to you by Wolf General or Seeker, so be on the lookout.