This is it! A duel I've been waiting to write for some time. For the first time, I have braved the journey into the depths of the mind and soul of Nikolas Selket. I apologize this took so long, but I was stuck on some writers block in scripting another duel for a different chapter I was trying to work on, but more on that in a moment. On top of that, I spent this week downloading and watching the awesome anime Bleach, which you have got to see for yourselves.
On a side note, I would like to again inform those few of you who do not know, that there is a group fic being written by myself, Seeker of the Soul, and WolfGeneral. It is posted with WolfGeneral's story, and is entitled Between Black and White. It's really cool, especially since we have demons in it. Check it out. I'll have chapter eight of it up soon, as that's the duel that I was hung up on, but now it's finished, so I just gotta write the actual chapter.
Now, let's do this!
Chapter Three-Scorpion Sting
Kai Kaethan had faced a number of challenges in his life. He had been isolated in by his peers at school and had to get by on his own. Dealing with his parents death had been long and arduous. His dealings with Teken Arashi and learning about his position as the Guardian of Time had pushed him to a new echelon of power rather suddenly. And, of course, facing off with the three thousand year-old soul thief, Bakura, had nearly killed him.
However, Kai now faced something just as terrifying and heart-stopping as all of those combine: himself. More accurately, his own emotions. He was sitting out on his front porch, Etsu Akira next to him, happily rambling about herself, as was Kai's request. While listening to her, he was also turning over a number of thoughts in his mind.
'Do I really like her? Does she really like me? No, it's just because I'm "broken" that she's taken an interest in me. She feels sorry for me. Except, hasn't she always been there for me since before my depression? No, sh was just a friend then. Now she wants to get intimate because she wants to fix me. Except, maybe not. Maybe...If I kissed her...NO! No, I can't think like that! I don't deserve her either way. After the way I treated her and-'
"Kai?" she cut him off, a befuddled look in her eyes as he tilted her head forward to try and look into his face better. "Are you listening to me? I'm talking about myself because you asked me."
"Of course." he spluttered, trying to put together the fragments of speech he had picked up from her in his divided state of mind. "I was just thinking is all. Sorry if you thought I was ignoring you." Etsu opened her mouth to pursue the subject of his thoughts, but he spoke first. "So, how's it been these past few years since Battle City? I haven't seen you too much, albeit more than I did before the tournament. I heard you got a student teaching appointment at the elementary school?"
"Yeah, it's fun." she said, off-handedly. She obviously wasn't very interested in herself. She was trying to get to something, and Kai, being the curious humanist he was, couldn't help but try and figure out what it was.
Suddenly, without warning, Etsu began to crane her head up towards his face, her eyes half closing. Kai was shocked by the sudden advancement, but was thunderstruck when he suddenly found himself pushing his own head forward, his own eyes growing relaxed and his lips twisted to a more "appropriate" position.
NO! STOP!' he screamed in his head. However, despite his protests, he kept on pushing his head forward, his lips nearly reaching hers. He could taste her breath on his tongue, the sheer desire she held for this, and he felt is own heart blazing with such emotions for her. Yet still his intellect continued to resist. 'You can't! If you get involved with her, she'll be put in danger! It's the way your life is! So long as you are a Guardian, you can't afford to-'
"Kai!"
Both the silver-haired boy and the brunette turned sharply to face the pathway leading to the porch. Standing twenty feet from them was a young man with sleek black hair and in a white haori and blue hakama.
"Vaun?" Kai asked, puzzled while Estu sighed in disappointment. He had been so close! However, she knew Kai, and he'd put the mystery behind Vaun's appearance before whatever it was they were about to do. Standing up, she brushed herself off, as did Kai before they approached the boy samurai. "Vaun, I thought you were returning to your temple."
"I was," the black-haired boy agreed. "However, things came up. We need to talk. It's urgent."
"How ur-" Kai was cut off by Vaun's quick words.
"Kai, I need allies. As the Guardian of Soul, I have to stand up to what's coming. You're perhaps the best duelist I know, and so I thought of you first."
'Guardian?' Kai's head began to spin. 'Tenken, you mean Vaun is...'
"Inside." Kai stated firmly. He'd get to the bottom of this. However, first he had to speak with Vaun and find out what he knew. Turning, he and his two companions slowly entered the house.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At that same time, although not that same time, the sun was beating down on the sands of Egypt. Several hours behind Kyoto due to time zones, Cairo was still in the late afternoon, and many merchants were desperate to make their last few sales for the day. On their way home they would poor what littler they had earned throughout the day into buying food for their families evening meal.
Ever since the upheaval seventy years ago, the entire world had been in economic peril, and Egypt had been hit harder than most other lands. Even before the chaos, Egypt had been a starving nation, poor and nearly desolate, thanks in large to the fact that its resources were few and far between, the people dependant upon the Nile Valley for survival.
Well, most people were. Others preyed upon the populace for their survival, whether it be a corporation using them for cheap labor, while others practiced professions which depended on other peoples stupidity in everyday life, such as doctors and lawyers.
However, Egypt was also home to a young man who lived in his own tier. He wore white desert clothes with a white cloak to block out the sun. A series of wrappings around his face hid his features except for his right eye, nose and mouth, plus a few spikes of dirty blonde hair sticking downward from his bangs.
At the present time, he was walking through the streets of a small market, smirking as people cried out in surprise or horror or a combination of the two as they realized that their wallets and coin purses, along with any other valuable they owned, either disappeared or was suddenly much thinner than it had been earlier that day.
Chuckling lightly, the young man patted the inner pocket of his cloak. He hadn't stripped the people of everything, and nothing that was of obviously great sentimental value, such as wedding rings, but he had relieved them of enough that, combined, it would feed him for a week or so.
"Besides," he jokingly muttered to himself. "This balances things out. Everyone now has the same amount of money, that I made sure of. How can they complain for being equal?" Laughing lightly at his joke, the blonde-haired man exited the market, his mission complete. As he reached the end of the next street, however, something mysterious caught his eye. Or, more accurately, someone.
Adorned in silver robes from some archaic age, the man walked with an arrogant air about him. He was adorned in gold jewelry on his arms, ears, neck, waist, forehead, and just about anywhere else that a person may display their valuables. More than likely he also had some more on his person, but not in a location that one would want to see displayed.
"This guy gives the term 'brass balls' a whole new meaning." he muttered, smirking. "But I must say, it wouldn't be very fair to let him flaunt all that in the eyes of the destitute people of Cairo." he decided, steering slightly off his original course to walk by the obviously rich man. Walking right past the jewel encrusted man, the young thief reached out, completely unseen in his actions, and removed three solid gold rings from the mans right hand, two silver wristbands from his left arm, a small pouch of gold coins from the unknowing victims pant pocket, and finally his right earing.
Laughing out loud, the pickpocket continued on his way, amused that he had so easily ripped the man off. Then again, maybe the guy just had so much that he didn't notice the loss of a small sum of gold. Well, it was obvious that this man was in need of a lesson in humility.
Stashing the plunder in another pocket within his cloak, the white robed man ran back, brushing by the man, again moving faster than could be seen by human eyes. As he passed the man, it was as if time froze for the thief as his fingers danced across his victim, snatching more rings, bracelets, a gold mantle, and finally, the rich mans silken shoes laces.
Saluting with his index and middle fingers, the blonde clicked his tongue against his cheek and continued on a few feet before turning around, the flourish of his cape hiding his actions as he stashed away the loot. Just as he finished turning, the young man laughed hysterically as the man tripped over his own feet as they came loose from his leather boots, no longer fastened by laces.
"That," he laughed to himself, turning to return to the road that would lead to his home. "That was too much fun. Unlike Robin Hood, I don't need to give to the poor to feel good about what I do; I just need to make a pompous ass fall on his ass." he laughed a bit more.
Turning the corner, his laughter died in his throat. Directly in front of him was the same rich man he had just looted. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. This was a bad sign. This man had just fallen flat on his face, oblivious of the young mans movements, yet now, here he was, staring the young man down.
Choosing to play it cool, the blonde smiled, acting as if the mans appearance hadn't surprised him. "Pleasant weather today, isn't it?"
"Nick Freeman," the blonde froze. No one had called him by that false name in years. Not since...Shaking his head, the rich man continued. "You have just plundered the sacred jewelry of the Pharaohs. You will return it, and then you will make restitution in the form of your soul."
Raising his one visible eyebrow, Nick shot the man a quizzical glance, not sure what to make of the situation, but deciding he should continue to play it cool. "Not my name. Sorry, but you've got the wrong guy. My name's Selket."
"You can change your name all you want, Nikolas, but it does not change the fact that you have desecrated sacred objects, and now you must repay with interest." the Egyptian man growled.
"I owe nothing." Nick shot back, preparing to storm past the man, even if he had to beat him into the sand to get that. True, the man was bigger than him by a relatively significant amount, but Nick was a veteran of many types of fighting, and wouldn't loose to a rich jackass, that was for sure.
"Well then, perhaps I should explain that I know who you are, Guardian of Man." That got Nick's attention, and he zeroed his eye on the man, narrowing it slowly. This man obviously knew more than he should have, and he apparently had planned on facing Nick.
As he contemplated this, Nick felt an odd sensation on his legs, as if he had a snake slithering around his ankles. Looking down, Nick realized he wasn't completely wrong. However, in place of a serpent, streams of gold were wrapping around his ankles while short ribbons of the material dug into the sand. Trying to shift his feet, Nick was shocked to find that he couldn't pull the chains of gold loose from the sand. Shooting a harsh glare at the man, Nick didn't need to ask his question.
"I was instructed to face you in a duel." the dark skinned Egyptian smiled, throwing a Duel Disk to Nick, which stopped with a dull thud in the sand at the feet of the masked thief. "And so I was given these articles of jewelry to lure you to me and then force you into a duel." he explained simply. "The only way you can escape is by beating me. So, what do you say, Nikolas Selket?"
Gritting his teeth, Nick pulled a deck of Duel Monsters cards from his cloak, annoyed that his own talents had betrayed him. If he hadn't gathered so much of the gold, there may not have been enough to hold him so tightly, and he might have escaped before this man could have confronted him.
Reaching down and snatching up the Duel Disk, he inserted his deck and activated the device. (NLP:4000) Staring across the field, he saw that his opponent had done the same.
"Now you face the power of a tribe of tomb keepers who punished all robbers. No bandit could get past them, and so this tribe was chosen above all others to protect the Valley of the Kings from burglars and to punish them without question. Now I, Asim al'Adin will continue this tradition." he boldly declared, drawing six cards. (ALP:4000) "And I will start by summoning a monster in defense mode and setting one card face down. Turn end." he smiled, fanning out his remaining four cards.
Rolling his visible eye, Nick drew a card. "I set two cards face down." he began as two holographic cards appeared in front of him. "Next I will summon Dark Scorpion-Cliff the Trap Remover (1200/1000) in attack mode." A young man in his mid twenties appeared, his skin lightly tanned by the sun. His pants were long and red, ending where his leather boots began, while a leather vest is all the covered his torso. He snickered at Asim and his monster, the fading sunlight reflecting off of his old-fashioned spectacles, as well as from the short, multi-purpose knife in his hand. "And now I shall equip him with Cliff's Toolkit, raising his attack points by four hundred." he explained as the brown-haired man whipped out a strip of leather that was folded over itself many times and began to unwrap it, revealing a plethora of picks, knives, wires, and other such devices.
"Heh, the Dark Scorpions." Asim snarled at seeing Nick's monster. "You think your highway men can hurt me, when I have the righteousness of the gods on my side?"
Nick's eye began to twitch in a most unnatural manner and speed while his fists began to tremble. "Highway men? Did you...Just call...the Dark Scorpions...highway men!" he snarled viciously at the man. His first turn wasn't finished, and already he had an overpowering desire to forget the duel and slit this mans throat. Asim merely laughed. "Do not take a scorpion lightly." Nick seethed. "Because, even if you crush them underfoot, it's only because they stung you first, and their venom is already coursing through your veins. Cliff, attack his monster!" he commanded, the glasses-wearing man responding by choosing a long, thin knife from his collection which he jammed into the face down monster on Asim's field.
The emerging monster was a woman in black clothes and dark skin, who rolled to the side and kicked up, catching Cliff in the stomach and throwing him back to Nick's field, clutching his stomach in pain.
"Your thief, in his impulsive and arrogant manner, ran headlong into my Gravekeepers Spy (1200/2000), whose superior defense has not only lowered your Life Points (NLP:3600), but now you've triggered her flip effect, allowing me to summon another Gravekeeper from my deck whose attack power is fifteen hundred or less." Asim explained as a card extended from his deck and he slapped it onto his Duel Disk.
A man in black robes appeared, gold manacles wrapped around his forearms and a large gold belt-buckle being all that really stood out. "Gravekeepers Curse (800/800) is my monster of choice, and when summoned he deals you five hundred damage." Asim laughed as the black robed man clasped his fingers together and began to chant. A thick mist exuded from the air around him and swirled around Nick, who merely coughed lightly to clear his throat. (NLP:3100)
"A bunch of men in shiny robes think to stop the Thief of the Desert?" he laughed, brushing himself off. "They think to make me repay all that I have taken? Keh, pathetic. They couldn't stop the Scorpions then, and now that I have joined their ranks..." he let his voice trail off. "It only proves how pathetic your traditions are."
"Pathetic?" Asim sneered. "I'll show you pathetic. I play my face down card, Book of Moon, flipping my Gravekeeper's Spy back to its face down position." he called as his lone face down card stood erect and emitted a silver stream that spiraled around the black garbed woman and she faded away, replaced by the image of a brown backed card laying horizontal.
Looking his remaining two cards over, Nick nodding, signaling the end of his turn. However, as Asim drew, he pressed two buttons on his Duel Disk and his two face down cards flipped over, revealing two traps. "The first card I activate is Coffin Seller, which will deal you three hundred points of damage every time one of your monsters goes to the graveyard. Although not the best trap on its own, in my hands it can be used in a deadly manner, such as how I am using it now. My second card is Drop Off, forcing you to discard the card you just drew."
"How unfortunate for you, Selket, that the card I am discarding is a magic card known as Dark Room of Nightmare. Therefore, I don't lose Life Points." Asim chuckled as he slid the card into his graveyard. "Besides, that card isn't a part of my strategy against you, so it's no great loss to me." Looking his remaining four cards over, Asim continued to plan.
"I flip over my Gravekeeper's Spy, summoning another weak Gravekeeper to the field, and I choose Gravekeeper's Cannonholder (1400/1200)." Another man with dark skin and arabic robes appeared, this one shouldering a massive cannon barrel. "Now I use my Cannonholder's special ability, sacrificing a Gravekeeper to deal you seven hundred points of damage."
Instantly the black robed Gravekeeper's Curse turned into a ball of light and merged with the metal cylinder, which released an explosion, firing the energy and striking Nick in the chest, pushing him back slightly. (NLP:2400)
"Don't forget," Nick said, rubbing his chest. "Since you sacrificed a monster to the graveyard, you lose Life Points." (ALP:3700) Asim ignored Nick's statement, though, and waved his hand over the field to give out his next attack.
"Next I will sacrifice my Gravekeeper's Spy for my Gravekeeper's Chief (190/1200) in attack mode." The newest Gravekeeper was a man with a neatly trimmed beard, white robes with emerald trim, and holding a long gold staff with a cobra shaped head. "And when summoned, my Chief allows me to special summon one Gravekeeper from my graveyard, namely my Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800) in attack mode!" Again the black robed man appeared and repeated his chant, lightly intoxicating Nick with the miasma of his spell. (NLP:1900) "Next I will once again sacrifice my Curse to my Cannonholder, dealing a further seven hundred points of damage." Again Nick was struck by a bolt of blue light fired from the cannon, pushing him back a bit more, dragging the manacles as he slid. (NLP:1200) "Finally, Gravekeeper's Chief, attack his Dark Scorpion now!"
Raising the serpent-headed stave, the man shouted something in some ancient tongue before smashing the rod down, the blow hard enough to kill Cliff instantly. (NLP:900) Growling in frustration, Nick watched his opponent for the signal before drawing a card.
"Bastard, you'll regret that. No one sends my Dark Scorpions to the graveyard, especially not after insulting them like that!" he shouted, slapping another card onto his Duel Disk. The new monster was female, about the same size as Cliff but with a more slender build. Her clothing was feminine, but otherwise was the same as Cliff's, and in her hand she clutched a barbed whip.
"This is my Dark Scorpion-Meanae the Thorn (1000/1800) in attack mode!" As her name was announced, Meanae uncurled her whip and cracked it against the ground a few times, although the Gravekeeper's merely snickered at her.
"Ah yes, Meanae." Asim commented, folding his arms and slightly bowing his head with amusement. "Tell me Nikolas, have you ever pondered the fact that she's the only female member of the Scorpions, while there are four men? Makes you wonder what her real purpose in the gang was, doesn't it." he laughed loudly and so failed to notice as Nick's eye narrowed.
"You..." he seethed deeply, selected another card from his hand, which he inserted into a magic zone. "I equip Meanae with Meanae's Thornlash, raising her attack points by five hundred (1500/1800)." The whip in her hands began to loosen and fell from her grip as it transformed, the thorns becoming slightly hooked while a long barb formed at the tip. "Dark Scorpion-Meanae the Thorn, attack Gravekeeper's Cannonholder!"
Lifting her arm straight up, Meanae began to twirl her hand at the wrist, moving the whip into motion, swirling until the entire string was held out straight by the force of the spinning, and said force was growing. With a small howl, she snapped her arm down, the whip snapping against the white-robed man, ripping a number of holes in him before he exploded in a shower of light. (ALP:2700)
"Why did I lose so many Life Points?" Asim asked, gawking at his Duel Disk in disbelief.
"First off, you drained an extra six hundred Life Points last turn when you sacrificed your monster to summon your Gravekeeper's Chief, and then again when you used your Cannonholder's effect the second time. Then, just now I dealt one hundred damage through battle and another three hundred with my trap card."
Clenching a fist, Asim reached for his deck to draw another card, but was cut off by Nick's harsh voice. "I wasn't finished! Dark Scorpion-Meanae the Thorn's effect allows me to place any Dark Scorpion card from my deck or graveyard into my hand after she deals damage to you. I'll take Cliff back from the graveyard." he explained as the card slipped in between his index and middle fingers. "Next, Meanae's Thornlash allows me to instantly set or summon the card I get through Meanae's effect. Return to the field, Dark Scorpion-Cliff the Trap Remover (1200/1000)!" Appearing next to the brunette beauty was the brown-haired man, knife at the ready. Flashing his teammate a thumbs up, they both turned their attention on the men in arabic robes, eyeing the various ornaments they wore. "I set one card face down, and that ends my turn." As the brown backed card appeared, Nick smirked over at his opponent while folding his arms, his hand of cards empty.
Drawing his new card, Asim's eyes danced with a proud light. Opening the field card zone of his Duel Disk, the Egyptian shoved the card in. All around the two players formed a set of sheer cliffs so that they were standing in a desert valley. Looking around, Nick took his new surroundings in, unsure of what to make of the situation. He was interrupted, though, by a low moaning sound reverberating off of the canyon walls, seeming to come from everywhere at once.
"This is my Necrovalley field card." Asim explained, grinning and waving at the field around them as though it were some great work of art that he were displaying. Nick simply looked on, unimpressed. "This card will empower each of my Gravekeeper's with an extra five hundred attack points." Motioning toward the white-robed Gravekeeper's Chief both players noticed as its attack points rose (2400/1200). "Now, Gravekeeper's Chief, would you please be so kind as you rid the field of Cliff the Trap Remover once more." Raising his staff, the clan leader prepared his attack, but was stopped as Nick pressed a button on his Duel Disk.
"Dark Scorpion Evasion, activate!" the thief shouted as his trap card flipped up. As the staff swung down the two Dark Scorpions sprung to the sides and the snake-headed rod crashed into the sand where they had been standing. As he moved through the air, Cliff took a set of pins from his belt and flung them at Asim, striking his deck. "This card negates your attack and allows me to discard cards from your deck equal to the level of the monster you targeted, so that would be your top three cards."
Growling, Asim pulled the cards free and slipped them into his graveyard. He then turned his attention to Nick's side, where the Coffin Seller trap card was beginning to glow with a blood red aura. "It seems you had some monsters there." Nick commented as Asim's Life Point counter ticked down. Of the three cards discarded, two had been monsters. (ALP:2100)
Drawing a new card, Nick prayed silently for a good topdeck. Glancing at the card, he smiled, slipping the card into his Duel Disk. "Life Slashing Treasure allows me to draw five cards, but I must discard my entire hand in five turns." he explained, refilling his hand. Selecting two of the cards, he slid them into his magic zone. One of the holographic images was simply of a face down card, while the second revealed itself as a continuous magic card with an image of a man in the same clothing as the other Dark Scorpions, but with long, pale hair and an eyepatch, struggling to extend his arm enough to reach a brown sac that had fallen into a crevice.
"One card face down, and my Thieves Endurance magic card." he declared, choosing another card from his hand, which he placed onto the plate of his Duel Disk. Dressed in the clothing of the Dark Scorpions and the black tattoo on his right arm. However, this one was apparently much younger than the others, no older than fifteen. He also had a mess of blonde hair spiked straight up, and his weapon of choice was a large wooden mallet. His eyes were bouncing around with intense paranoia and he seemed to be trembling, his thin limbs vibrating with fear. "This is my Dark Scorpion-Chick the Yellow (1000/1000)."
Asim gave Nick's new monster a scrutinizing look before throwing his head back and laughing with his baritone voice. "Your monster is small and pathetic." Asim boomed. "Just look at him as he trembles in fear of the setting sun. Without a doubt he is the most worthless member of the entire set of highway men."
Again narrowing his eye, Nick began to ponder exactly what he'd do to this pompous ass after he took the guys pride as a duelist. Perhaps he'd cut off his fingers and use the severed limbs to gouge out Asim's eyes.
"I'll set another card face down," Nick continued, lowering his hand down to one. "And finally I play my Silent Thief of the Night magic card, instantly discarding the top two cards of your deck. And remember, I have Coffin Seller in effect." Dropping the two cards into his graveyard, Asim grimaced as he saw that they were both monsters. (ALP:1500) "Now the effect of my Thieves Endurance card activates." Nick called as his second continuous card began to glow with an emerald green light. "This card activates whenever a Dark Scorpion's effect is activated or whenever one of my cards causes you to discard cards. When that happens, I will receive three hundred Life Points." (NLP:1500)
Since Nick had no more cards in his hand, Asim took that as the signal to start his turn, and so he pulled another card from his deck. "I summon Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500+500/1000)." Another dark skinned man appeared, also dressed in black robes, but clutching a long spear in his hands, which he spun around threateningly. "Gravekeeper's Spear Solder, attack Meanae the Thorn!" Leaning forward, the tomb guardian bent his arms back and thrust forward, jamming his spear into the stomach of the feminine thief. (NLP:1000)
"Since you destroyed Meanae, you destroyed her Thornlash as well!" Nick called as extended his hand down to his graveyard. "When that happens, I get to take any card from my graveyard and place it into my hand." Glancing down at his graveyard, Nick was surprised to see that it had not ejected the card like he expected. "What's...going on?"
"Didn't you know, Nikolas?" Asim chuckled. "Necrovalley is such a well protected tomb that the spirits of those who have passed on are forever bound to it."
"Bastard!" Nick shouted. "You think I'll let you separate my Scorpions, you son of a bitch?"
Asim, however, didn't seem to be listening as he turned his head away from the sky to look at the field. "Ah yes, that's where I was. Gravekeeper's Chief, attack Chick the Yellow and end this duel!"
"Go, Dark Scorpion Skill Test!" Nick shouted as his trap card flipped up and poured a shimmering aura onto Chick, who stopped trembling for a moment and actually seemed filled with confidence as he raised his hammer. Shouting loud as he arched his whole body back, Chick swung his weapon down, a golden streak of light firing from the point of impact and aimed for Asim's field, striking the advancing clan leader and sending him sailing backwards before he vanished. "This card allows me to activate the effect of a Dark Scorpion on my field as if he had dealt damage, so I used Chick's effect to return your monster to your hand. And, since a Dark Scorpion's effect activated, I gain Life Points." (NLP:1300) Nick explained as Asim placed the card into his hand. Selecting two more cards from his hand, he set them face down and then nodded to Nick to go.
"I play Pot of Greed." Nick began, drawing his two cards. "Next I play my Secret Passage to the Treasure!" he called as Chick raised his mallet and smashed it down on the ground, kicking up sand into the air. When the dust had settled, Chick was already hoisting a hinged door open and jumping inside. "This card allows a monster on my field with one thousand or fewer attack points to attack directly!" As he finished speaking, the sand in front of Asim exploded into the air, forcing the Egyptian to step back slightly. As the sand fell out of the air, Chick was revealed, hammer at the ready. Swinging down, Chick struck Asim in the shoulder, throwing him back even farther. However, for some reason Asim's Life Points didn't decrease.
"I activated my trap card," Asim explained before Nick could ask. "Spirit Barrier is a continuous trap card which reduces all Life Point damage I would take to zero as long as I have a monster on my field."
"Hmph, well you wont have a monster on your field for long. Don't forget about Chick's effect." Nick called, his voice carrying less rage than it had held up until then. "I'll have him return your Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier to your hand, clearing your field quite nicely. Also, since a Dark Scorpion's effect was activated, I gain Life Points." (NLP:1600) Turning to his third monster, Nick raised a hand and pointed at Asim. "Cliff the Trap Remover, attack his Life Points directly!"
Lazily walking up to Asim, Cliff drew out his knife and slashed at Asim before returning to Nick's field, a smug grin on his face. (ALP:300) Grinning with an unusual look of amusement, Nick loosened his tough expression slightly before continuing with his move. "Since Cliff did damage, I can destroy one magic or trap card on the field; Necrovalley falls!"
As Asim recovered from the attack, the air around them began to rumble and rocks clattered along the cliff walls, only a few at first, but over time becoming more and more numerous and larger until whole sections of stone would crash to the ground. A few seconds later the rubble faded away and both duelists were once again alone in the streets of Cairo. Nick continued to snicker at the shocked Egyptian. "Oops, it seems I've desecrated a few more tombs. And soon, I think I'll cash in on my spoils. In fact, I'll start the cash-in right now. My Dark Scorpion got to activate his effect, so I'll gain even more Life Points." (NLP:1900)
"You'll pay!" Asim barked, drawing a card. However, he had barely placed the new card into his hand when Nick's hand flew to his Duel Disk and pressed a button and one of his face down cards flipped up. It depicted Cliff the Trap Remover in the doorway of a small hut. Said hut was in ruins, as if it had housed its own hurricane. In fact, the trap cards image of Cliff himself seemed to be affected by the same unseen force, as if he were being blown out of the building.
"Trap Dustshoot requires you to have at least fours cards in your hand to activate. Now I get to look at your hand and send one of those cards to your deck, which you will then shuffle." Nick explained to a growling Asim. "But no need o show me; I already know which card I want: Gravekeeper's Chief!"
Sneering, Asim shoved the named card into his deck and quickly shuffled before replacing it in his Duel Disk. Looking over his remaining three cards, Asim took a quick glance at Nick and smirked. "You fool. You gave up a chance to look at my hand. Not only did you make a poor choice in which card to send to my deck, but missed a chance to gain some information on my other cards. Then again, from a two-bit thief I guess I shouldn't be so surprised by this. Did you learn that bit of stupidity from Don and his little band as well?" he laughed for a moment until he was cut off by a small rock smashing into his face before bouncing to the ground. Rubbing his face, Asim quickly learned that his nose was bleeding. Looking up, he found Nick glaring hard at him, his body hunched over as if he had just thrown something.
"I was gentle that time." he warned the tomb guard. "The next one wont be so smooth, and I think I'll aim for something you might miss a bit more. Maybe one of your eyes. Losing an eye can really teach you a lot about life."
"You think you and your circus group deserve to oppose me?" the Egyptian continued to provoke, this time barely twisting his head to the side enough to avoid a jagged-edged stone that went sailing by.
"I'll set two cards face down." he began as the two brown-backed card images appeared. "Next I'll re-summon my Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500/1000) in attack mode, and I think I'll have him go after Cliff this time." Seconds after reforming, the black robed warrior snapped his weapon into a battle position and charged, skewering into Cliff's chest and reduced him to a flurry of fading lights. (NLP:1600)
Drawing his card, Nick smirked and then broke into all-out laughter. Turning the card around, he displayed it for his opponent while he regained some control over his breathing. Inserting the card into his magic zone he began to explain.
"This card is called Thieves Trophy, and it allows me to draw cards from my deck equal to the number of cards I've made you discard, up to ten cards." he explained, drawing seven new cards, giving him a hand of eight. Choosing one of his new cards, he reached down and pulled Chick off of his Duel Disk and placed the new monster onto the plate.
"I sacrifice Dark Scorpion-Chick the Yellow to summon the strongest member of the group, Dark Scorpion-Gorg the Strong (1800/1500)!" he called as Chick vanished and a new man in the same attire as the previous three and with the same tattoo on his right arm appeared. However, unlike the previous three members, this thief was huge! Standing at a height that was at least a foot and a half beyond the others, Gorg had excessive amounts of muscle on every part of his body. Even his skull was larger than the previous Dark Scorpions, although his scalp was completely void of hair, the skin reflecting the unobscured sun. At the same time, Gorg's eyes were closed and his face displayed a look of gentle, sagely kindness, making him appear innocent, despite the massive steel mace in his hands.
"That's your strongest?" Asim tried to keep from falling down in hysterics for fear of getting sand in his robes. "Sorry to disappoint you, Desert Thief, but it will take much more than a blind, balding, gentle giant to beat my Gravekeeper's, bound by their oat of duty."
Completely ignoring his opponent, Nick turned back to his cards. Choosing the one card he had held in his hand at the end of his last turn, Nick paused a moment, as if caught in thought, and then turned to the tomb keeper.
"Asim, did you think I was being foolish for leaving Cliff in attack mode, even though I knew it was likely you would have another monster with enough power to defeat him? Did you think I would turn my back on my Dark Scorpions, just on the basis that they don't wield overwhelming attack points, or simply because you had managed to seal one of them in my graveyard? Never!" Closing his mouth for a second, Nick's jaw twisted around for a moment and then he spat out a wad of saliva that was quickly absorbed by the parched sand. "Cliff may be the most egotistical member of the group, but he's still every loyal to them. He gave his life in order to destroy your Necrovalley so that the entire group might live and have the strength to defeat you."
"Spare me." Asim rolled his eyes, but if Nick heard this, he ignored it.
"The Scorpions were bonded tighter than even family itself. Not only would they die to save another, or to get revenge for a fallen comrade, but they also trusted each other without question. Their faith in one another was so strong that if something were to happen to one of them, then that Scorpion didn't even considered worrying. Their faith had become more than just belief that the others would save them and be safe themselves, but in their minds, it was fact. They could charge into any situation blindly, and know that they would all come out together. That is what made them so effective. Not only was their teamwork beyond flawless, but they could do their own individual parts without the fear of what might happen to the others."
"I'm sure that makes for a fascinating speech when your trying to rally a group of guerillas to fight an opponent they can't win, but it doesn't mean a thing in this duel." Asim yawned, seeming to be only partially attentive of what was happening.
"This is what it has to do with this duel!" Nick shouted as the holographic image of the magic card appeared. "Dark Scorpion Reunion allows me to discard cards from my hand to revive that number of Dark Scorpions from my graveyard. Cliff did his part in getting rid of your Necrovalley, and Chick allowed his good friend Gorg to enter the fray, so now I'll do my part by bringing them and their third companion back!" Shoving three cards from his hand into his graveyard, Nick waited a few seconds with great confidence as his device shot three cards into his hand, which he then laid upon his field and the three previous members of his group appeared, every one, including the normally shaken Chick, ready for battle.
"Gorg the Strong, you're all that is needed to end this duel, so go and destroy his Spear Soldier!" Nick ordered, although the tone in his voice was not that of a harsh taskmaster, but rather of a compassionate leader directing his team in the best course of action while maintaining his authority. Nodding, Gorg hefted his weapon and charged the field, seeming to know where his target was, despite his disability. "When Gorg destroys your monster, you'll lose three hundred Life Points from my Coffin Seller; exactly the amount needed! Normally it would be twice the needed amount because you'd lose three hundred from battle, but your Spirit Barrier drops that to zero. Then, just for fun I'll send one of your set cards back to your hand through Gorg's effect."
"I cannot accept defeat from those who are bellow even the most flea-infested rat who carries the most deadly plague imaginable." Asim shouted in defiance as one of his three set cards flipped up. "Your instincts may have led you correctly in regard to the fact that none of my set cards will hurt your highway men, but you were wrong in thinking I'd lose this easily!" As he shouted, his two remaining cards exploded, as did the image of the Spirit Barrier card. At the same time, Nick could hear a Life Point counter ticking. Glancing down at his own, he quickly affirmed that it was not his Life Points being changed, meaning it had to be Asim's; and if Asim's Life Points were being affected by his own cards going to the graveyard, than it was more than likely that they were going up.
"My trap card is known as Life Exchange, and is a trap card that allows both players to sacrifice magic and trap cards on their field to raise their Life Points by one thousand per card sacrificed. I sent three cards, so I will gain three thousand Life Points." (ALP:3300) Asim explained, just as Gorg's weapon descended upon his soldier who had lifted his staff to try and block the attack, but the wooden shaft simply snapped in half and the steel head continued in its path to crush his skeleton. However, because Asim no longer had his Spirit Barrier, he took damage both from the battle and from Nick's trap card. (ALP:2700)
"Doesn't matter!" Nick shouted, slashing his hand through the air. "Meanae, Cliff and Chick, team direct attack!" As a single body, the three bandits bounded across the field toward Asim, only to have what was either a very large worm or a rather fat and short snake. In fact, whatever it was, there were two of it, eyeing the coming Scorpions with mild interest. "What is this trickery?" Nick demanded.
"Two of the cards I had set face down were copies of the trap card known as Statue of the Wicked, and when it's destroyed-"
"When it's destroyed you get a Wicked God Token, and since you had two, you get tokens." Nick finished, his voice sounding rather flustered. "Fine, Cliff and Chick will destroy your tokens, since their effects wouldn't be able to do anything right now, and then Meanae will attack directly." Simultaneously, Chick and Cliff brandished their weapons and struck, Chick smashing his target into nothing while Cliff slit the second one open with his knife. Meanae then cracked her whip against Asim's lower waist, and Nick was sure he heard the sound of metal being impacted. (ALP:1700)
'Brass balls, just like I thought.' he snickered before continuing his turn. "Because Meanae did damage to you, I get to place any Dark Scorpion card from my deck into my hand. Also, since her effect is being triggered, Thieves Endurance will increase my Life Points yet again." (NLP:1900) Reaching down to his deck, Nick finished pulling the card from his deck that he been extended for his taking. "Turn end."
"As inspirational as that turn may have been, I think it's time I got serious and played this duel the way I planned to from the start." Asim growled, playing the card he had topdecked, which turned out to be a rather common magic card. "Card of Sanctity allows us both to draw until we hold six cards. I will be rewarded with six cards for my long services and reverence to the sacred burial grounds of the pharaohs, while you only get three because of your hoarding and disrespectful nature." Both players drew the appropriate number of cards and took a second to look them over. Asim then chose two more, one of which he inserted into his field card zone!
"Another Necrovalley?" Nick wondered as the field card was registered by the dueling system. Asim, however, continued to smile with ultimate arrogance.
Much to Nick's relief, the steep valley walls did not return. In their place formed a large green circle, encompassing the two players and the field, but everything else was locked outside. The final step of the card was the appearance of a bizarre, six-pointed star beneath their feet.
"This, Nikolas, is my Seal of Orichalcos, the ultimate field card." Asim gloated, even as he inserted the second card he had chosen into his magic zone and a continuous magic card image appeared to his side. As the card image appeared, Nick frowned as a new set of cliffs appeared around them, although this time they weren't nearly as tall or steep, and the continuous howling was not present, meaning this card was not the same as Necrovalley. "And this continuous magic card is known as Valley of the Dead, and while it's active all Gravekeeper's will receive an extra three hundred attack points, and it also acts as a Necrovalley!"
Of course, Nick knew what that meant: if one of his Dark Scorpions were destroyed, he wouldn't be able to bring them back. Fortunately, he had the last piece of the puzzle in his hand, and on his turn he'd fight back, full force and finish this duel.
"Next I will set one monster in defense mode, as well as one card face down, and then I'll play Royal Tribute." he declared as a horizontal card image appeared. "Royal Tribute can only be activated when I have Necrovalley in play, and it then forces us to discard all monsters from our hands to the graveyard. All I have is my Gravekeeper's Chief, so I will lose three hundred Life Points from your Coffin Seller. However, I'm sure you're about to take a slightly heavier blow." (ALP:1400) Smirking, Asim watched Nick's face, which was fixed on one of the cards in his hand; the card he had searched for with Meanae, meaning Asim's guess had been correct concerning which card Nick had chosen.
"You..." Nick seethed deeper than at any other point in the entire duel while he deposited the card to his graveyard. "You bastard. You force me into a duel that I had no interest in being in, you insult my Dark Scorpions, you judge me even though you don't have any right, and you threaten me, saying you'll take my soul. However, this...this just goes too far. Forcing me to discard my favorite monster and the leader of the Dark Scorpions is just sick and cowardly. You couldn't even defeat him in direct combat!"
As he spoke, Nick's voice rose in volume and intensity. As he did so, it was plainly noticeable that rocks and sand were beginning to shake and scatter away from the blonde man. On top of that, to the trained eye was visible an aura of dark crimson energy.
"You wanted to face the Guardian of Man?" he demanded, his cloak billowing. "Very well! I will take this duel to the next level. But know this: I have no intention of using even half of my power to defeat you!"
"Bold words." Asim smiled as Nick drew a card. "But I have the Seal of Orichalcos now."
"I wouldn't give a damn if you had one million Life Points, I'd still beat your ass!" Nick shot back. "I play Monster Reborn on Don Zaloog!" he shouted, activating one of the most powerful cards in the game. However, nothing happened.
"Idiot." Asim smirked. "Did you forget that Valley of the Dead has Necrovalley's effect of sealing your graveyard?"
Looking back at his hand, Nick berated himself. It wasn't that he had forgotten, but just that he had been so blinded by his rage for that moment that he had acted on instinct rather than common sense.
"I'll set two cards face down and play Emergency Provisions to sacrifice them both and gain two thousand Life Points (NLP:3900), and then I'll have Gorg destroy your face down monster!" he commanded, the red energy around him starting to grow stable as the face down cards appeared, then shattered, and Gorg raised his weapon, which he smashed down on a man in Egyptian robes and holding up an iron rod which stopped the attack.
"Gravekeeper's Guard (1000/1900) is ever so slightly too strong for Gorg to defeat while in defense mode." Asim explained. However, as he spoke a red light appeared in the eyes of his monster while a small image of the green seal formed on the forehead of that same monster. "And now my two magic cards will empower him with a total of eight hundred attack points (1800/1900). And finally, since he was flipped face up, Gravekeeper's Guard returns one monster on your field back to your hand, and I choose Gorg."
Snarling, Nick placed the card into his hand, understanding perfectly what Asim was thinking. In order to summon Gorg again, he'd have to sacrifice one of the three remaining Dark Scorpions again, but this time he wouldn't be able to revive the sacrificed monster, thanks to Valley of the Dead. In the mean time, Asim had a monster who easily outclassed all three of Nick's, protecting the Egyptian and halting the Thief of the Desert in his tracks.
"I'll set one more card face down and end my turn."
"Then we'll return to the routine of my holy men reigning divine justice down on your highwaymen." Asim laughed, ignoring Nick's flaring aura and threats. "I flip up my face down card, Rite of Spirit, a trap card that allows me to revive a Gravekeeper in attack mode, even if Necrovalley is in play."
From the sand emerged a stone alter of Egyptian origin, blue flames dancing upon it. Then, in a single burst, the flame tripled in size and then faded away, leaving only the white-robed Gravekeeper's Chief (1900+800/1200) in its place. Seconds later the black-robed Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier (1500+800/1000) appeared, twirling his lance around.
"Now, to kill Meanae and Chick once more, only this time they wont come back!" Asim laughed as his two monsters prepared their attacks, but hesitated as a purple mist began to flow around their feet, from which they backed away.
"No attacks this turn." Nick countered, indicating one of his set cards. "My Dark Scorpion Poison prevents any battle until my next battle phase, and will also deal you one hundred damage for every Dark Scorpion I control." (ALP:1100) Nodding, Asim ended his turn while setting a single card face down.
"I set three more cards face down and switch Meanae, Cliff and Chick to defense mode." he declared, ending his turn and reducing his hand to one, which was obviously Gorg. He knew his face down cards wouldn't affect the field much, but he was almost out of time and he needed to preserve those cards for now.
"I play Mirage of Nightmare." Asim called, playing the one card from his hand. "Gravekeeper's Chief and Spear Soldier, attack Meanae and Chick!"
"Go face down cards!" Nick shouted as two of the three cards he had set flipped up. "First is my Dark Scorpion Ambush, allowing me to summon a Dark Scorpion from my hand and raise its attack by three hundred, so I will choose Gorg the Strong (1800+300/1500)!" Instantly Nick's brute force monster appeared, weapon at the ready and his kind features replaced by a rather annoyed look directed at the two Gravekeeper's. However, Asim's two monsters continued in their charge, but ground to a halt when they saw Gorg's features lighten up and the other three Scorpions ran up to him with unparalleled smiles on their faces. Chick jumped onto Gorg's back while Meanae hugged the giant, and Cliff simply stood next to him, a grin on his face showing his relief.
"Why are your monsters mocking me?" Asim demanded as he continued to watch the absurd showing of merriment by the thieves. 'They're thieves, and so they have no right to act with simple joy! Their hearts are black and cold!'
"It's very simple." Nick explained, motioning to his second trap card. "Blessing of Birth is a trap that activates when a monster is special summoned, and it ends your turn. I guess you could say that the Dark Scorpions are so happy that Gorg's back that they can't think about fighting, and your Gravekeeper's, who stand for justice, can't attack a group that acts so innocently."
Because of his trap card, Nick was allowed to instantly start his turn. However, after drawing his card, he noticed Asim drawing cards as well.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nick nearly barked. Asim pointed to his Mirage of Nightmare magic card, which was glowing with a tan aura.
"My magic card allows me to draw during each of your standby phases until I hold four cards. However, during my standby phase I must discard that same number of cards."
"Clever." Nick snarled, glancing at his single card. "I, on the other hand, can't use this card, because it's now been five turns since I played my Life Slashing Treasure magic card, so I must discard it." With no cards left in his hand and only one card on the field that could possibly protect his four Dark Scorpions, Nick made up his mind. "Gorg the Strong, attack and destroy Gravekeeper's Guard!" he ordered his slightly powered up warrior, who once again attacked the man with the iron staff, but this time the brittle metal snapped with ease and the holder shattered. "That ends my turn."
"No cards in hand and only a group of weak pickpockets at your disposal." Asim smiled with confidence. "I'll grant you credit for your ability to have continuously restored your hand and protect your monsters, but in the end, destiny was with me." Asim smiled. "And so, when I defeat you, your soul will be taken by the Seal of Orichalcos, and I will dispose of your lifeless body and return all that you have stolen to its rightful place."
"Hurry up and draw, and then discard your five cards." Nick barked, uninterested in anything else his opponent had to say to him.
"Discard?" Asim asked as he drew and then taking one of the cards he had drawn on Nick's turn. "I play Sandstorm, a quick-play magic card that will destroy all non-Gravekeeper cards on the field. Normally this effect would cost me a Gravekeeper from my hand, but Valley of the Dead, acting as Necrovalley, makes up for that. So, say farewell to your Scorpions." As he finished speaking, a cyclone filled with sand burst to life at Asim's side, first shattering his magic card and his other set card, and then striking Nick's field. "I should also mention that for every one of your cards destroyed you will lose five hundred Life Points. In total, you'll lose forty-five hundred Life Points, plenty to finish you."
With a final blast of power, the twister dissipated and the sand fell to the ground, revealing Nick's empty field. His Coffin Seller, Thieves Endurance, face down card and his four Dark Scorpions were all gone and he was up to his thighs in sand. Coughing and brushing his cloak off, the Thief of the Desert took in the devastation. Instantly the red aura around him began to expand, just as the emerald circle that had surrounded them began to shrink, closing in on him. Asim could hear a low mutter coming from the man he had just defeated, and smiled.
"It was a good attempt, Nikolas. In fact, you had me worried at a few points. But now you've lost and I'm one step closer to fulfilling my duty of keeping men like you away from the tombs of the Pharaohs." he gloated, even as the shrinking seal stopped prematurely, Nick's energy keeping it at bay. "Struggle all you want Nick, but the Seal is absolute, and you lost." he laughed, but cut off when he heard a faint sound.
Twisting his head around to look at Nick, he saw hundreds of hairline cracks forming along the green walls that had surrounded Nick! Stepping back in fear, Asim tried to understand what was happening. The Seal was supposed to be impossible to destroy! That was why it was still around, even after Sandstorm had been played! And yet, it was happening! The Seal was beginning to shatter!
With one final cry of anger, Nick's power exploded and the Seal with it, returning to its previous position around both players. However, if Nick noticed this was unsure because he continued to release energy, kicking up more sand as he did so.
"What's going on? How did you do that?" Asim cried in confusion.
"I didn't lose!" Nick shouted. "I can't lose, and definitely not while a Dark Scorpion is in the graveyard!" Lifting his left arm, Nick displayed his Duel Disk and Life Point reader. (NLP:950)
"I don't understand!" Asim shot back. "I had you beat. Your field was cleared, and I destroyed four monsters, plus three magic cards, meaning the damage was forty-five hundred!"
"No it wasn't." Nick reaffirmed, adding a burst of power for emphasis, blowing away more of the sand. When Asim looked back, he was startled to find the four Dark Scorpions still standing strong. Opening his jaw, he wanted to ask how, but he couldn't even compress his lungs to force the needed air out to form the sound.
Taking this as his cue, Nick began to explain. "When you used Sandstorm, I played my trap card, Miraculous Escape, allowing me to pay half of my Life Points to save my Dark Scorpions, as well as removing Miraculous Escape itself from the field. As such, you only destroyed Coffin Seller and Thieves Endurance, dealing me a simple one thousand damage after I had reduced myself to nineteen-fifty."
"Fine, then die a slower way! I don't care anymore!" Asim said through clenched teeth, playing another of his cards. "Sealed Sarcophagus instantly sends Gorg the Strong to the graveyard!" he shouted as a massive stone box appeared and its lid lifted on its own. Gold chains whipped out of the box and grabbed onto the giant and pulled him in before vanishing. "How's that, Nikolas? That's two of your five Dark Scorpions lost and with no way of restoring them."
"I set one card face down and end my turn!" Nick responded, ignoring Asim's question and taking his turn.
"If that's all you have, the you will fail!" Asim shouted. "I summon Gravekeeper's Conjurer (1800+800/1200) in attack mode! This monster allows me to discard cards to revive Gravekeeper's from my graveyard!" he explained as a man in burgundy robes appeared, and then began to put two cards into his graveyard.
"Go face down card!" Nick shouted. "My second Dark Scorpion Skill Test to once again use Chick's effect and send your Conjurer back to your hand!"
"Damn you!" Asim hollered as he returned the card to his hand. Not only had his monster been sent back to his hand, but he had lost two cards for nothing. Choosing his one remaining card, Asim played it. "I play Monster Reborn on my Gravekeeper's Spy (1200+800/2000) in attack mode. Now I'll have all three of my monsters destroy your remaining Dark Scorpions before ending my turn."
Seconds later, Nick's field was empty, his last three monsters -his treasured friends- were struck down by the three Egyptian priests. Drawing a card, he cast his eye up to the sky and offered a silent prayer of thanks.
"This ends here, Asim." he declared, playing the magic card. "Unbridled Desire is an exceptionally rare card which allows me to draw three cards at no cost." Glancing the three cards over, Nick felt warm pride fill his soul. He would be able to fulfill his promise of loyalty to the Dark Scorpions afterall.
"I play Heavy Storm!" A large tempest came to life across the field, tugging and pulling at the only magic and trap card it could destroy: Valley of the Dead. Moments later the card shattered and the valley around them was absorbed into the maelstrom.
"Next I play Dark Scorpion Bond, allowing me to revive one Dark Scorpion and raising its attack points by four hundred. Now, return my friend, Don Zaloog (1400+400/1500)!" Nick's monster was a man a little taller than him with dark hair reaching down to his shoulders and dressed in the same clothes as his comrades and with a large leather patch over his left eye. His weapons of choice, however, were very different from the other members of his group. While they had all favored some type of melee weapon, he held in each hand an antique pistol, plus a set of short swords on his back.
"Now I will remove from my graveyard the magic card I discarded because of my Life Slashing Treasure, but with an effect that I couldn't activate because of Valley of the Dead: Dark Scorpion Resources to draw three cards!"
Drawing three more cards, Nick played the last card he had drawn from Unbridled Desire. "I activate Don Zaloog's Leadership, which can only be activated if he is in play, and allows me to choose one of three effects, and I choose the first: to revive all level four and lower Dark Scorpions, or Gorg the Strong, from my graveyard!" His field flashing brightly, and once the light was gone, Asim recoiled in shock, all five Dark Scorpions staring him down.
"Now, my final card," Nick called, choosing his card. "Dark Scorpion Battle Plans raises the attack points of every Dark Scorpion by one thousand!" A red aura, much like the on around Nick, formed amongst the Dark Scorpions, making them almost appear like a single body. (Don-2400)(Gorg-2800)(Cliff-2200)(Chick and Meanae-2000)
"No, I cannot lose!" Asim shouted, stepping back until he was cornered against the Seal.
"GO TO HELL!" Nikolas shouted. "DARK SCORPIONS, ATTACK!" Springing into action, the five thieves readied their weapons. First, Don Zaloog unloaded every shot he had from his two handguns, killing the Gravekeeper's Chief. Next was Gorg, who crushed the Spear Soldier under the weight of his weapon. Cliff would be third, getting up close to the Gravekeeper's Spy and stealthily jamming his knife into her stomach, spilling her blood. Finally, Meanae and Chick would attack together, their combined direct attacks more than enough to do Asim in. (ALP:0)
Sighing with relief, Nick felt a small tear forming in his eye as he watched his five friends finish their job. It warmed his heart to have them all together, and to see them act as one always lifted his spirits. Just before the Duel Disks could shut down, all five Dark Scorpions turned around and waved at him, flashing him smiles and thumbs-ups.
However, soon they were gone, and Nick noticed that Asim was on his knees, the Seal of Orichalcos having closed around him. Moments later the green light had faded away and Asim fell to the ground, lifeless.
Hands in his pockets, Nick approached the seemingly dead man, looking down with disgust. Normally he would have just walked away without a care in the world, but this man...This piece of filth had toyed with his emotions too much over the last hour, and had killed Nick's family.
"And in Egypt," he muttered under his breath, reaching into his cloak. "You make restitution for killing." Drawing from his robes a small knife, he flicked his wrist and imbedded the blade in the center of Asim's chest, but the man did not react. Either he was already dead, or had been catatonic. Frankly, Nikolas Selket did not care which.
Turning around, he was startled to be facing a young woman in her early twenties, much like himself, dressed in Hindu clothes, seeming to clash with her pale, European skin. Her face was one of hardened misery, yet at the same time, possibly guilt. Stepping back, Nick began to wonder how she had seen and what she was doing here.
"You have no reason to fear me right now, Selket." she stated flatly, raising her hand. Although her words were ones of comfort, her tone of voice spoke of harsh bitterness and arrogance. "I have no interest in dealing with you right now. No, not here. I wouldn't want to endanger the innocent people in this city. But know this: on the day we do face each other, you will suffer all the pains of Hell itself for your crimes, and it will be your soul that will feed these people whom you have victimized for years."
"Who ar-" Nick began to ask, but stopped as she faded away into nothing. Shocked by this, Nick narrowed his eye and tried to see if he could still sense her, but found nothing.
Frustrating, annoyed, and drained, he began to walk home, but as an afterthought returned to Asim's fallen body and took what silver and gold he found remaining on the carcass. Shiny things always made him feel better. Of course, his true trophy was still the pair of silk shoelaces he had taken while the man had been walking.
To Be Continued...
WOW! That chapter just took off! I had hoped that having it fully scripted would make it easier to write, but that was just too much (Messages swelling fingers). Well, next on my list of things to do (After some school assignments) is chapter seven of Between Black and White. Check it out while you wait for my next update here.
There you have it, the first major appearance of Nikolas Selket, Thief of the Desert. But who was that woman who confronted him? And what's the justice she and Asim spoke of?
Nick has displayed his powers, but he's in Egypt and has no idea of the goings-on in Japan. Furthermore, Japan isn't at peace either. While meeting with Vaun, Kai is attacked, and a mistake on his part may cost him more than he is willing to pay.
Next Time-Grief of Innocense
Original Cards-
I'm just not gonna bother this time. Basically, if it wasn't one of the five Dark Scorpions, a commonly known card (Like Pot of Greed), or a known Gravekeeper card, then it was made by Seeker of the Soul, G.O.T.Nick (The creator of Nikilas Selket), and myself.
Review Responses-
The Helldragon- Furry animals?
Seeker of the Soul- Well, we've already firmly established Gearfried's vs Gilford's, that we have. And yes, Vaun did have a fun duel. I'm actually having more fun writing these duels than I do writing Kai's duels. Happens, I guess.
WolfGeneral- Yes, Knight decks to show up a lot, but for some reason I have an easier time making up Warrior, Spellcaster, Dragon, Angel, and sometimes Demon decks. I don't get it, but that's how it is, and I don't have the time to try and get overly creative, although I do understand where you're coming from. If you have any ideas, I'd like to hear them, although I doubt I'll be able to fit them in. Then again, I may have a few openings, so you never know.
G.O.T.Nick- Here you go. Written specially for you enjoyment (And everyone else's), I have brought you Nick, as well as great deal of his wrath, ne? Anyway, I hope this brings a smile to your face.
Noble Paladin- Don't you think a diamond ring is going a bit far? And he's really both Kai and Enzeru. That will clear up as the story progresses. Basically, for now, think along the lines (This is not exactly how it'll work) of Kurama/Yoko. As for the other questions, you'll just have to wait.
Black Death X- Indeed, that's exactly what I was implying. And don't worry about the late review. It happens. I only mentioned it to you online because I didn't want you to fall too far behind.
Darksoulkai- Welcome to my world. I don't know if I can say it's perfect, but I do appreciate the compliment.
Demon Fan- Yes, I myself am rather proud of the Gearfried deck idea, that I am. As for Legacy Hunter, I am not familiar with that card, but as far as I know the only Dark Scorpions are Don Zaloog, Cliff the Trap Remover, Chick the Yellow, Meanae the Thorn, and Gorg the Strong, plus Dark Scorpion gang.
Gearfried the Iron Angel- I didn't mean it like that, man. I had thought you maybe had finished Battle City, and if not I was hoping to provide you with adequate motivation to hurry up and do so. I mean, I don't want you to fall too far behind, that I do not.