Well, uh... I guess no one wanted the MIDI, lol. Ah, well, then! Here's the next chapter!
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"Darkness Absolute"
By: Von Stupor
Chapter 11
The four duelists all backed away from each other, giving ample room to summon their monsters. Yugi and Von Stupor stayed toward the rear of the room while Dolimus accompanied his father closer to the main entrance. A dark fog emitted from Yugi's Millennium Puzzle and engulfed the room as they all became frozen in time. An aqua-colored glowing platform appeared in front of each duelist so as to act as a table for which they would place their cards.
Five cards were whisked from each player's deck and placed in front of them as shields. The goal for winning this game would be to attack the opponent directly after eliminating their five shields, also via direct attack.
"Since I am the one being challenged, I get to go first," Dolimus announced. "…And because we are playing by rule of Kaijudo, I, being the first to move, may not draw a card." After carefully reviewing his hand, he set one monster and two M/T cards, ending his turn.
"I draw," announced Serban. "I shall set Snake Attack as mana and end my turn."
"I draw, and set three M/T cards," said Yami. "Your turn, Von Stupor!"
"Serve me well, my deck!" he commanded, drawing his card. "I'll set one M/T card and summon 'La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp'!"
La Jinn materialized in front of Von Stupor, a smirk on the entity's face.
"Now La Jinn! Attack Dolimus's face-down monster!" Von Stupor ordered the djinn.
The genie sailed across to Dolimus and slapped his face down card. A thief appeared from within and stuck a dagger in La Jinn's throat. La Jinn countered by clutching the man and squeezing him, thusly breaking his spine and felling both monsters.
"You've attacked my Night Assailant," commented Dolimus. "Like Man-Eater Bug, its flip effect allows me to destroy one monster on the field. Looks like I'll have the tactical advantage next round."
Von Stupor looked at Yami apologetically.
"Don't worry, Von Stupor," he encouraged his partner. "The duel is not over yet."
"I draw, and I set one M/T card," Dolimus continued. "Next, I'll summon Archfiend Soldier to the field and play 'Reload'. This card allows me to shuffle my hand into my deck and draw the same number of cards back out. Next, I'll use my Archfiend Soldier to attack Yami's shield!"
The evil mercenary dashed to Yami upon materializing and impaled one of his shields with his large sword, sending it in a beam of light back to the pharaoh's hand.
"My shield…" Yami mumbled.
"Yugi… or Yami, for that matter. You're making me do this, you're making me fight, don't you understand?" asked the vampire to Yami.
Sighing, he answered, "Dolimus, this is how it must be… I must save my friend!"
"I am your friend! You don't care about me?"
"Dolimus, I'm sorry… this is the hardest thing I or Yugi have ever had to do. However, you were in the wrong! I cannot let this go! …And sadly, this is the only way…"
"Enough! I can't change your mind, obviously. I guess I'll have to finish this. Then I'll have to migrate to another place, and begin this all over again…"
"This has happened before?"
"Yes, everywhere I go, I have to make friends, and then my friendships are dashed to bits when either they or someone else discovers my secret! I am forced to protect it from them… and then move on, before I am caught…"
"Dolimus, you have killed innocent victims?"
"No! I have a heart, you know. I only killed those who had the nerve to try and do something about it, like you are! Everyone else cared, and understood… they agreed to keep it secret for me. They actually understood!"
"Dolimus… this is a tragic confrontation, I understand… but I can't let you keep going on like this! You're changing the lives of innocent youths against their will and killing off other people for trying to defend them!"
"What else am I supposed to do! I need blood to live, Yami!"
"You were living off of the hospital blood banks for a short while."
Dolimus was silent, staring. A tear began to well in his eye.
"Enough banter!" shouted Serban. "Let us allow our cards to determine who is truly in the right and who deserves the punishment. I draw! Next I shall set my Snake Attack spell card as mana and then tap them both to summon my Writhing Bone Ghoul! With a power level of 2000, it can easily contend with your weaker Duel Monsters. However, due to summoning sickness, it cannot attack this turn."
A disgusting fiend of black crept up from the floor. Darkness oozed off of it like a liquid and seeped into the floor.
Yami drew and activated 'Pot of Greed', drawing two cards in the process.
"Next," he continued. "I'll play 'Cost Down', which lowers the star levels of all monsters in my hand by two! Then, I'll follow with summoning 'Dark Magician Girl'!"
Serban perked an eyebrow at this.
"Go, Dark Magician Girl!" ordered its master. "Attack the Writhing Bone Ghoul with Dark Magic Attack!"
The spell caster pointed its wand at the ghoul and fired a mighty blast, incinerating the creature instantly.
"My turn," said Von Stupor. "I'll summon the Sonic Bird! This monster has an effect where when normal summoned, allows me to place a ritual magic card from my deck and place it into my hand!"
Von Stupor extracted the card from his deck prior to ending his turn.
"I'm next," said Dolimus, drawing a card. "I'll first play Snatch Steal on your Dark Magician Girl, Yami!"
A man dashed over to the female and snatched her up, scampering back to Dolimus's side of the field and putting a handgun to her head.
"Now I'll sacrifice both Archfiend Soldier and Dark Magician Girl to tribute summon the powerful Zoa!"
A devilish creature then materialized onto the field in place of the two tributes and loosed a mighty roar. It glared at the opposing duo.
"Go, my creature! Attack the baron's Sonic Bird!"
The creature leapt clear across the field and came down with a crash on top of the bird. It smashed it into the ground with its mighty hand and scooped it into its mouth. Crunching furiously, it swallowed the fowl whole, jetpack and all, and tromped back to its side of the field.
"Now I'll activate 'Dust Tornado' on your face-down M/T card. This trap card allows me to destroy one of your Magic or Trap cards and set one of my own."
"So goes my 'Negate Attack'…" mumbled Von Stupor in reply and his protective trap was ripped apart by the tornado emanating from Dolimus's field.
"I am next!" announced Serban. "I shall set my 'Dark Reversal' spell card as mana and then tap all three to summon 'Gray Balloon, Shadow of Greed'!"
An eerie fog with a face formulated in front of him and grimaced.
"This monster's attack power is 3000, which is more than enough to exterminate most of your puny Duel Monsters. Once it recovers from its summoning sickness, nothing will halt its rampage against your shields!"
"Not if I stop it first!" cried Yami, drawing. "I'll play the magic card 'Raigeki', which destroys all of my opponents' monsters!"
Magnificent lightning bolts rained down on top of the Zoa and Gray Balloon, striking them both down and clearing the opposition's field entirely.
"Now I'll summon the Gemini Elf, and follow up with 'Monster Reborn', to bring back my Dark Magician Girl!"
The sacred ankh appeared above Yami's head as the Dark Magician Girl fazed into existence. It floated down and joined its newly materialized partners, the twin elves.
"Now, my Gemini Elf! Attack Serban's shield directly!"
The two began a dash toward Serban.
"Not so fast," cried Dolimus from afar. "I'll defend him with 'Waboku', which reduces all battle damage from an opponent's monster to zero for this turn!"
"Not if I counter with 'Seven Tools of the Bandit'!" retorted Yami. "I will sacrifice one of my shields to halt the effects of your trap and destroy it!"
"No! Father!"
One of Yami's shields shot into his hand and Yami's monster did a team kick at Serban's, returning it to his hand.
"Now, my Dark Magician Girl, attack Serban's shields again!"
The young magician obeyed and launched a Dark Magic Attack at yet another of Serban's shields, reducing his total to three.
"Hahaha… go ahead, Mr. King of Games… You're only giving me more potential mana," the old man taunted.
"Careful, Yami…" Baron Von Stupor told his friend while drawing. "Your shield count is down to three remaining as well…"
Yami nodded in acknowledgement.
"I shall set one M/T and one monster, thus ending my turn!"
"I'm next," said Dolimus, a serious look in his eyes. He was visibly upset, for obvious reason.
"I will play 'Nobleman of Crossout' on Von Stupor's face-down monster! This magic card will destroy one face-down monster and remove it from play!"
"Not quite," Von Stupor retaliated. "I'll activate 'Magic Jammer', which allows me to discard a card from my hand— namely my 'Neko Mane King'— to negate the activation of and destroy one of your magic cards!"
A knight appeared to destroy Von Stupor's card, but was too weak and pitiful to lift his sword properly. It fell out of his hand and pierced his armor, near his collar bone and felled himself instantly.
Growling, Dolimus set one monster and ended his turn.
"Next," Serban said after drawing, "I shall tap three mana once more to summon another Gray Balloon!"
"Oh, no!" cried Yami to himself. "If this keeps up, his overpowered Duel Masters monsters will overcome us both!"
He then drew a card.
"Perfect!" he crowed. "Serban, I will halt your parade of overpowered monsters with this! 'Harpie's Feather Duster'!"
Serban's jaw dropped.
"This destroys all set magic or trap cards on the field, and since all of your mana are spell cards, then that destroys all three, leaving you with nothing to summon your monsters with!"
"No!" he cried. "I need that mana!"
A large feather appeared and blew a stream of violet dust at him, dissolving all of his mana in an instant.
Yami then set a monster and ended his turn.
"Well, that is perfectly fine. I still have my Gray Balloon, and I hardly doubt you have the necessary force to stop it," gloated Serban with confidence.
"Don't be so sure," crooned Von Stupor, wagging his finger. "I have a surprise for you! For you see, I shall now play 'Black Illusion Ritual'!"
Serban looked to Dolimus in confusion, who in turn coughed in surprise.
"How could you have Relinquished? Only Maximillion Pegasus owned that card!" he sputtered in disbelief.
"Let us just say I have some connections… Either way, I shall tribute 'A Man with Wdjat' from my hand to ritual summon Relinquished!"
Relinquished emerged from its sacred pot and looked straight at the Gray Balloon.
"Indeed, my Relinquished! Absorb his Gray Balloon, Shadow of Greed and add his power to your own!"
The creature began a deep suction emanating from its torso, and the Gray Balloon wisped into it without a moment's hesitation. Serban appeared panicked.
"Who has gained a lead now, O nocturnal predator?" asked an arrogant Von Stupor.
"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, befuddled.
"Father, Relinquished is a fearsome monster that can absorb monsters and use them as a shield against attack. On top of that, it assumes the monster's attack in defense."
"Or in the case of my Gray Balloon, its power level…"
"Now, attack Dolimus's set monster!" commanded Von Stupor. "We shall leave them both without way for defense! Absorption Blast Attack!"
Relinquished blew away Dolimus's set monster, revealing a Cyber Jar.
"You've flipped my Cyber Jar! Now all monsters on the field are destroyed, and we draw five cards from our decks!" Dolimus informed the others. "Any monsters level four or under are immediately summoned in either face-up attack or defense positions!"
The Cyber Jar sprang from the card and absorbed Relinquished's attack into it, along with Relinquished, and Yami's Gemini Elf, Dark Magician Girl, and set monster.
Drawing five cards, Von Stupor brought forth a Dark Blade, Dolimus brought forth a Berserk Gorilla and Double Coston, Yami brought a Mystical Elf in defense mode, a Witch of the Black Forest and another Gemini Elf, and Serban brought forth two Writhing Bone Ghouls and three Wandering Braineaters.
"What!" cried Yami aloud. "This can't be! Serban's side of the field is entirely full!"
"Indeed it is!" he replied with hearty laughter. "Every single one of my monsters has a power level of 2000, and while my three Wandering Braineaters cannot attack, they have the special 'Blocker' ability, which allows me to use them in the place of any other of my or my son's monsters during an attack! Even if you best his 2000 attack monster, I can easily block it with one of mine, and I hardly think that you can begin to match the power of my bone ghouls by next turn!"
Oh, no! Yami thought, panic-stricken. They have gained a serious power advantage as a team, and if I don't act fast, this game may cause either I or Von Stupor our lives!
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When Yami busts out THAT classic line, you know something's not good! Hey, guess what? There's another MIDI waiting for you all, to enrich your reading experience. Simply email me at with the subject "fresh piney scent" and I'll send it to you! Simply play it once you read the words, "This duel is about to end very soon," and let it repeat from there!