Disclaimer: I own nothing. 'Nuff said.
Hey, everyone! I'm back and (hopefully) better than ever!
To those who missed last chapter, Yami finally defeated Yami Bakura in his second duel in the tournament. Yusuke, meanwhile, has regained control over his duel, but since Keith has begun using his old bag of tricks, this probably won't last for too long. YYH fans will also recognize the Goliath-like return of Bui, who will be dueling later.
Before I begin this chappie, I would like to, once again, apologize for the innuendo that pervaded the final components of last time, so don't take offense at me for that.
Well, enough talking! Let's sink our teeth into the plot!
Note: The movie I used will be from Big O.
Chapter 21: Fusion of Time
^Dream Sequence, a movie theater somewhere in Tokyo, 8 years earlier^
Silence. And for an instant, a degree of fear or shock.
In the confines of the spacious yet dank movie theater, a petite young woman, hardly older than 7, stared at the depressing scene with rapt attention. Her eyes, a rare brown speckled with a shade of gray, focused little on anything else save that unsightly red balloon in the audience which seemed to, for some odd reason, fit with the closing picture perfectly. Regardless, her swift, intellectual eyes scanned the final subtitles, from the dying woman torn from the earth by her lover.
You're so sweet.
This final text dropped with the light, and the credits rolled. The balloon lifted to the ceiling.
As the youthful, yet still ravishing, Kagome Hiragashi exited the theater, clasping her aging father's hand, it occurred to her that perhaps such a depressing yet romantic scene had some kind of semantic foreshadowing hidden therein. For all she knew, some dark presence could be bearing over her as the father and daughter strode out into the overly lit theater lobby. Hidden in her subconscious, waiting to be unlocked, could very well exist a being from a bygone era, whose coming to the universe could plunge her into adventure after adventure, culminating in a torn love, much like the one she had witnessed.
The black forebodings of this short-lived prophecy gave way to the kind naiveté of a young girl.
Of course, this hidden premonition was not to soon be wiped away by the city's soft hum, it's glaring street lamps shedding insubstantial light into the few dark corners of the earth. However, it was enough to lure her into a fitful slumber, as the colors and sounds of downtown Tokyo swirled and writhed themselves into a massive eddy that even the greatest minds could never comprehend, and from this rift in reality the youth slipped into nothingness, unknowing and yet constantly plunging into the depths of her own mind and soul.
So came forth the bizarre reappearance in her cramped quarters, hardly able to stay awake, barely capable of any fastidious contemplation. That is, before two voices came from the living room.
One of which was her father's.
Standing upon her relatively small feet, Kagome thought little about the dangers of such a situation. For ironically enough, she had only a small bearing of what her father did, and even so, she could not recognize the danger of approaching such a meeting. In fact, no one knew precisely what Mr. Hiragashi's line of work involved, but knew just enough to avoid him while conducting it.
As she moved forward along the confined corridor leading to the family room, Kagome could just barely discern the bulk of the conversation.
"I don't understand! I thought I paid the don just last week! How could he still want a thousand dollars in gold bullion? He knows I don't have that much!"
Aeyasu Hiragashi's worn down voice was followed by another, a deep tenor with a heavy Italian accent. His was a rich, boisterous mannerism, indicated by his speech, but hidden beneath this was a cold, sadistic feeling, like a dark presence in a temple.
"You don't seem to understand, Aeyasu. Don Pavarati needs the money in a way that can't be traced by the bank. Since the gold standard was dropped some time ago, it will be nearly impossible to track it to anyone, even you."
"As true as that might be, I'm afraid that the kind of payment you're suggesting will be nearly impossible to complete! I hardly have anything left of my last payment, and where am I supposed to find a grand's worth of gold?!"
As these words left his mouth, young Kagome stepped into view.
"Look, you stupid pig, you should consider yourself lucky that I'm a reasonable man; if the don was here, you'd be lying in the trunk of my car with a knife in your back. But even I have limits, so listen and listen good! You are going to get me the cash, and it is gonna be before next week, or I swear to God I'll...who's the kid?"
Aeyasu looked in the direction the man was pointing...and saw his daughter.
"Go back to bed, Kagome! Now!"
Shocked by the sight before her, Kagome could not move.
"Answer the question, Aeyasu! Who's the kid?!"
"Leave her out of this, Danny!"
"God damn it, Hiragashi, you said no one would be here when we held this! How do you know she isn't working for the cops?! Get the kid out, now!"
"Come on, Dan, even you aren't that big of a moron! You know that the cops wouldn't bug her!"
"Oh, so you're gonna be cocky, huh? Well, I guess nobody told you, but no one insults the Pavarati family! Now get her out of this room before things get ugly!"
Aeyasu smiled grimly. "Believe me, things got ugly the second you stepped through that door."
Danny Pavarati, incensed by this underhanded comment, pulled a revolver out of his pocket.
"Alright, motherfucker! It's time you learn some respect for the Mafia! I'm gonna blow your head off, and everyone else's too!"
Time seemed to gain viscosity as each bullet tore through the flesh of Kagome's father, the individual spatters of blood seeming to develop minds of their own as they soared through the air, before splashing against the windows and pooling about the scene. Each shard of steel and lead gored a gigantic exit wound, out of which sprayed countless more globules of life fluid, seeming almost like teardrops as they each struck home.
Some splatters found their way onto Kagome's face, mixing with the saline tears falling as she watched her father die before her very eyes...
^End Dream Sequence^
The Des Volstgulph
"You want to what?!"
As the chief head of the largest underground criminal organization since the notorious Pavarati mob family from several years ago, Hiei was accustomed to ideas that, as a whole, seemed completely deranged or lacking in common sense. These outrageous schemes, mostly from the less intelligent human operatives that worked for him, were usually passed off by both creator and leader as the moronic tactics that they truly were. Of course, a minute handful of the harebrained stratagems worked perfectly, but that was almost always the exception rather than the rule.
This plan was different in two extreme ways: it was so imbecilic that it could not be ignored, and it also came from a usually reliable source.
"Genkai, do you seriously expect me to follow through with this extraordinary plan of yours, or do you have something better in mind? After all, if this doesn't work out, it will be your head on the plate! Perhaps you could explain to me what you had in mind?"
His lieutenant would not, no, could not have devised such an idea of her own will.
Of course, if someone else is pulling the strings, I'll soon find out.
Genkai, an ancient psychic with what could be construed as a deranged streak, was not amused by Hiei's doubts.
"Relax, Hiei. I've already field tested this one, so even with your uncertainties, I can assure you it will be foolproof. In particular, Kaiba's sensitivity will be his own downfall, all due to my own creative thinking."
Or lack thereof.
" For your sake, I hope that your prediction is correct, but just in case of it's failure..."
From a hidden slot in his back pocket, Hiei extracted what appeared to be a Duel Monsters card. The card had the features of a Normal Monster card, but lacked any indication of attack, defense, level or even a name. All it had was an image: an overly muscular humanoid creature, with a mop of jet black hair and the thin sunglasses to match. The only other features were his hideous green overcoat and a stoic expression.
"I don't think I need remind you of the stakes." Upon testifying his threat, he also unveiled something that, if but for an instant, sent a shard of fear into the shorter, older ally.
In his hands was a pure gold-plated lighter, embossed with a false Sennen eye.
"Over the many years that I have worked with morons like you, I have also learned that, given the proper inducement, anyone can be forced to join me. For Sesshomaru, it was greed. For Yami Bakura, it was power. For you, it is fear. And let me assure you, I did not back away from trapping him with the Eye, and I will not get proverbial cold feet in destroying him with it. You see, this fool in my hand has barely any intellect that I can exploit, so his purposes in this tournament are few and far between. As an assassin, he was not to be trusted, for I need my enemies alive. But as a bargaining chip, he has served more purposes than I can ever imagine. So let me lay my ultimatum: if you fail to defeat Kaiba or Yugi with the next two plans in which you are involved, then the soul in my hand..." Just before finishing, Hiei activated the lighter, moving its blue flame inches from the card.
"...will have an accident."
A multitude of emotions passed behind Genkai's eyes: hatred, fear, pity, perhaps love, but each was barely discernible from the next.
"However, I must congratulate you on one detail." Putting away both articles, he continued to talk. "I could not have done better in selecting the duelist for this job. So go ahead and put your plan into action, if you like, but remember our little agreement. I wouldn't want all the trouble I had to go through to get this be put to waste. Now, get out. Now!"
As the psychic walked away, Hiei himself turned towards another operative, one of Sesshomaru's soldiers.
"As for you, I'm afraid that you have some explaining to do. For as you know, I cannot have a weak duelist on my pay."
This second lieutenant, almost as short as the last, put a cruel grin upon his face as he extracted his own deck from the barely white gauntlet he wore. With a high-pitched, almost squeaky voice that had an effect not unlike the screeching of nails upon a chalkboard, he began his side of the coin. "Do not worry, Master Hiei. Thanks in part to your generous payment, I have procured the ultimate cards that are nearly impossible to overcome, and combined with my latest Insect Princess card combo, I will place Mouto and Wheeler upon the chopping block. And at long last my revenge will come upon their damnable heads! Beyond which, the other opponents will be but lambs fresh for the slaughter!"
With one hand, Hiei removed a manila folder from one of the filing cabinets. "While such plans are ambitious, I do not think that you are quite ready to face the two that humiliated you. However, this match will be most profitable, and beneficial to all involved."
The grubby hands reached and clamped upon said folder, while at the same time prying it open. "Yusuke Urameshi? You're kidding me, correct? He has got to be the most slow-witted of the dunderheads that you are against! However, his Yata-Garasu will be easy pickings and will greatly enhance my deck!"
"Don't underestimate this one, for his Duel Monsters training comes from one of the great legends of the game, the psychic Genkai. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he was about to defeat the intercontinental Champion himself."
"What makes you say that, my liege?"
"I arranged it to be so."
Yusuke vs. Bandit Keith
"Alright, Urameshi! I've been sitting here listening to your crap long enough, so I'm going to put you in your place once and for all!"
Upon drawing his card, Keith's face seemed to take on, if but for a moment, a crazed expression. "I hope you weren't bent on winning this match, kid, because I'm about to end this with one final combo, for I activate the Magic card, Deepest Impact!" Instantaneously, a torrent of smoldering meteors screamed from the heavens, tearing apart the clouds and creating a vacuum that crushed Yusuke's defense monster to the dirt, a second Giant Soldier of Stone. The creature could only watch as the hellish messengers of doom crashed into the earth and liquefied it even before the full blast of the impact could be made. However, the destruction was not to stop there. As soon as the spectacular stones of the cosmos laid waste to the field, a hail of frozen rock and ice, now superheated by the atmospheric journey, slammed into both duelists at supersonic speed, effectively demolishing their life points in the process. (1625/2000)
Well, this is certainly a bad area. Let's hope this is the end of his plan.
As Yusuke dragged himself out of the fetal position in which he had found his person, the full extent of the damage caused by Deepest Impact became all too clear.
Engulfing the entire field was what appeared to be a gigantic crater, the center of which was still searing hot from the blast, and littered with the charred remains of the Giant Soldier and several other, unknown creatures. There was little or no life in the impact zone, save for the occasional sprout of exposed fungi emerging from the ashes.
"You seem a little surprised, Urameshi, so I guess that my latest removal card set you for a reeling shock." Grimacing, Bandit Keith also emerged from his position on the playing field. "Deepest Impact allows me to blow away every monster on both sides of the field with Armageddon-like force. However, there's something of a hitch involved, for by activating this card, both duelists participating lose half of their total life points in the process. But since I still have a monster in my hand, it wouldn't matter anyway. So say hello to my rarest card, the completely invincible Kinetic Soldier!" After Keith placed said card on the duel gauntlet, a bizarre-looking machine appeared: it was partly humanoid in appearance, but completely plated in bluish armor with a hefty face mask. Mounted upon it's shoulder was a double-barreled laser cannon, while its left hand grasped a futuristic assault rifle. (1350/1800) "My best card may have lackluster stats, but whenever it attacks a Warrior subtype beast, it's attack strength is boosted by 2000! But sadly you won't be around to witness that effect, because I will also trigger not one, but two Limiter Removals!" About a thousand strips of blue-green wiring attached themselves to the towering commando, from which coursed several million joules of pure energy. The machine, while it could not feel pain, began to writhe and twitch as it slowly lost any self control, but gained impossible strength from it. (5400/1800)
"Under normal conditions, the Limiter Removal card shuts down any power inhibiters in machines, allowing them to grow to double their original strength. However, since I played two of these Magic cards, my Soldier's attack strength has been quadrupled, meaning that with one attack, I will be able to send you to oblivion! Kinetic Soldier, mount your final attack with Triple Fire Assault!"
Keith's monster began to charge the weapons it possessed with the energy from the Limiter Removal, which in turn began to glow a bright red. As the loading process drew to a close, triple orbs of energy roared in volleys of five towards Keith's opponent, each volley swirling in a tornado of plasma-based firepower.
Yusuke, however, had planned earlier for the attack.
"Too bad, Keith, but I'm afraid that this duel is far from won! Activate the Trap Card, Nutrient Z! Since the Kinetic Soldier's attack would normally cause over 2000 damage, the effect of the Nutrient Z grants me 4000 extra life points just before the attack goes through!"
Keith, while perturbed that his plan had failed, was still in a good situation. "Actually, the duel is still mine; even with the Nutrient Z protecting you from the brunt of the attack, you'll still be reduced to a mere 600 life points! So no matter what you do, this duel is as good as done!" Upon the Nutrient Z resolving, the multiple bombardment crashed into what remained of Yusuke's life point count, the searing fires not unlike those that Dante experienced in his path through Hell, and unable to withstand the scorching powers any longer, Yusuke crashed face first into the earth. (1625/600)
I suppose that this is the end. Even if I can draw something capable of taking down his machines, I'll still only have a paltry 600 point count. So if he can get something that I can't defeat, it's over.
Deep within the confines of Yusuke's mind roared an all too familiar voice that he had not heard in over a year. The gravelly, aging croak of one who had been embittered by countless years of hardship.
*Get on your feet, you worthless moron!*
It...it can't be...
*Do you mean to tell me that I wasted the best years of my life on training you, simply so that you could just sit back on your fat ass and watch life trample you? Is this the dimwitted buffoon that is supposed to carry on my legacy? If you're going to give up in a simple game of Duel Monsters, what's to say you won't give up on everything else?*
Genkai! What are you doing here?
Within the innermost chambers of his mind appeared the minute figure of his mentor and unstable ally.
*I leave you alone for a year or two, and this is my reward! Look at you! If I was in charge, this duel would have been over in five turns less than the botched up job you're doing!*
C'mon, Genkai, this is the Intercontinental Champion we're talking here! I've seen this guy take down people on Kaiba's level!
* That is such bull and you know it! I'm sick to death of your god damn excuses, so I'm gonna come right out and say it: you have got to be the biggest moron I have ever known! You've let Keith regain control of this duel in less time than it took you to do the same!*
Yusuke had been insulted and jeered by his teacher for so long that these comments had little effect on him. Of course, given the circumstances, it might have been wise to listen.
Look, you old hag, I don't care what it takes. I'm gonna break this guy to pieces on my next turn, so don't try and stop me. You know as well as I do that Keith is about to lose his final defense unless he can negate the Limiter Removal aftermath effect. So either way, I can't lose.
*But what if you do?*
Genkai, I'm dueling in this tournament using your old deck and the training you gave me, so at the very least you should give me some kind of credit. If it hadn't been for your training, I wouldn't have gotten this far! I don't really give a damn about why you decided to show up in my brain, but let me make this clear: I CAN'T LOSE!
*Alright, then. If you really want to run headfirst into annihilation, far be it for me to stop you. But remember this: the tournament in which you are participating is for the highest possible stakes, so you cannot be defeated. Also keep in mind that Hiei has Keiko in his control. Just consider every consequence before attacking.* Genkai turned her back on the apprentice she had gruelingly trained for over a year, and vanished into the void. Yusuke, meanwhile, stepped back into the reality of the universe.
What he saw was unlike anything that had ever occurred around him before.
The once glorious Kinetic Soldier, which had only an instant ago been at the zenith of it's might, was struggling with the power with which it had been endowed. Every synapse of it's artificial being was twisting and cracking under the immense pressure the energy that was being exacted upon them, as the metal that was the bulk of the creature began to melt into rivulets of molten iron and zinc. The weapons that had once given the soldier incomprehensible force were leaking an acidic, pungent fluid that only fused with the metallic pool at the foot of the playing field, while at the same time leaking into the faceplate of the bionic warrior. The very monster began to claw away at the shield which was now causing him a pain unmatched by any other, before or after it's demise, yet at long last the mask gave way to a face.
The features were not in any way unique, a Caucasian male with a slightly prominent forehead. His mouth was slack and partially reddened from the blood foaming out of it's mouth. The skin was the only unusual thing, with a pallor to match the clouds above.
But it was his eyes that affected Yusuke the most: wide and ever-seeking, as though looking for an answer to the life it never lead, the people it never meet, the purpose it never had. Deep, innocent, yet somewhere within a history of betrayal and mistrust.
The same eyes that Yukina had...on the day of her execution. They captivated him, up until they too melted into nothing, until the pool of liquefied steel faded into nothing.
"What's wrong, kid? The little show just now too intense for ya?"
Keith, who had played his entire hand, with one card facedown, began to drum his fingers on a nearby wall. His gruesome eyes had already began to show signs of boredom, as he anxiously waited for Yusuke to strike.
"Well, get used to it, for that kind of thing can be customary in the game of Duel Monsters, as well as regular life itself. And if anyone tells you another story, I'd get out of their path soon, 'cause they're either a blatant liar, or some head-case looking for kicks. You know as well as I do that life doesn't hand you happiness on a fricken' gold plate, and judging from your sad state, I'm guessing that you were force fed crap your whole pathetic life, so don't expect anything but a pile of shit waiting to get you trapped. Besides, do you really expect that the rest of the world will give you respect because you beat some nut to a pulp or won a few lousy duels? I don't know what world you live in, but here on Earth, you have to work for the world's respect!"
"Are you done?"
With one additional card in his hand, Yusuke began staring at Bandit Keith with unbridled hatred.
"You know, Keith, I'm getting really sick of listening to how every second of your life was a tragedy. Every second of this duel I've had to listen to you whine to nobody about how bad your life sucks. Well, I'm about to shut you up once and for all!
"I'll start this by getting rid of that face down card of yours with one of the most powerful cards in my deck, the Mystical Space Typhoon!" From behind the face down card emerged a controlled black hole, lined with electrical charges that lanced onto the imposing item. The card was dragged into the swirling vortex and was shredded to bits. "Finally , I'll settle this duel for good with the Asura Priest!"
From the same multitude of lights that spawned the Yamata Dragon came a second Spirit Monster, a six-armed, Vishnu-like creature with a cape of blood-red, hosts of gaudy decorations cast of gold, and what looked like a second head jutting out of the back of the original. (1700/1200)
"What?!"
"You may as well surrender now, you filthy bastard. As you can see, you have absolutely nothing on the field or in your hand that can defend you from the power of my divine Spirit, and since you have less than 1700 life points, I can end this in one move. Do you give up? Too late! Asura Priest, use your Multiple Dagger attack to mount a direct assault on the sleaze's life points!"
Just like the command decreed, six individual, foot-long knives appeared in the peculiar specter's outstretched hands, all of which were used to focus the spiritual power of the field around them. This resulted in each blade glowing an incandescent blue, while constantly becoming increasingly jagged and laced with a bizarre green energy. With this ritual completed, the Priest leapt forth and plunged the daggers into Keith's heart...every single one of them. (0/600)
Yami's Hotel Room
It was with a forced smile that Yami looked at the five cards and the tournament key that his duel with Yami Bakura had yielded him, as each one stared up at it's new master, and far from the hands of Hiei. The Puppetmaster, Temple of the Kings, Dark Necrofear, Dark Sanctuary, and the most powerful, the slightly unnerving Fickle Magician. Each had, in its own way, a sentimental connection to the Pharaoh, as though they were merely the figureheads of a prize much greater. The key, on the other hand, had some significance, as it brought him one step closer to the ultimate duel, and perhaps, a final answer to the questions that had burned within him for so long, and so he slipped each into a fitting spot in his deck, while the key was pocketed snugly.
More crying in the background, but this time it was softer, more dignified, but still quite capable of tearing apart any heartstring. In fact, it was such a discreet sound that her very tears could be heard pattering against the pillow.
Yami, however, was more fixated with her person than the moans that seemed to become her. Unable to control it any longer, he began to stroke her fevered head , peppered with small, insignificant scars, yet whilst he did this his hands struck something upon the pillow.
It was a small, minimally gilded platinum locket.
Materializing next to him was the vessel he shared a body with, Yugi Mouto. He, too, was silenced by the piece of jewelry which his darker half had found. "What do you think it means? In the description that Inuyasha gave me, he never mentioned this thing before. Maybe it's something personal that he wanted to keep secret."
Yami sat back down, his fingers following the lines etched and embossed in the precious metallic surface. "I don't think that this is something that he's ever seen before, because from what I've seen of him, something this valuable isn't something he wouldn't mention. He's too much of a blowhard and a braggart to keep this hidden. Perhaps he didn't talk about this because he never saw it before, but what I can't understand is why something as small as a locket would be kept a secret for this lengthy a time..."
"Well, if you'd care to put it down, I'd be happy to explain it."
The ancient resident started with a degree of befuddlement, but placed the article neatly upon the side table. Looking towards the bed, he saw that Kagome had finally lifted herself from bed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know that this was important to you."
"It's alright; nobody really figured that I'd kept this thing for as long as I did." Also looking in the direction of the speaker, she laid eyes for the first time on her speaker. "I guess that you're the Pharaoh that everyone's been talking about. You really do look a lot like Yugi Mouto. But of course, that's to be expected, considering you two share the same body."
"As strange as it is to find somebody that figured my identity out, I must say I'm a little pleased. Maybe now I can finally get to know someone a little better. At any rate, I'm glad to see that you've woken up; I was really worried for a little while."
"Well, that's a first. I've been hanging around Inuyasha for so long that I've hardly known anyone capable of human feeling."
Had there been an outside party taking careful observation, it is assured that they would have seen Yami blush.
"I can't take all the credit; Yugi's been helping me get used to the normal role in life since I've been locked away in a puzzle for over a thousand years. But then again, I have been able to get him out of some tough spots, too. And you don't really give Inuyasha enough gratitude either. I've heard he's entering this tournament to avenge your fall."
And for obvious reasons.
"So, what's the story behind this locket? It's pretty well crafted, but it must mean a lot to you if it was kept hidden for as long as it was."
Kagome sighed slightly, as she fiddled with the old cord that held it to her. "It's something of a long story. Maybe you don't want to hear it; it's got a lot to do with my father, Aeyasu, and what destroyed him."
"It's all right." Yami stepped forward and held her hand in his. "I've had problems with my father before; even when I was a child he would always beat me into submission, trying to prepare me for the Monarchy. It's a terrible thing to endure that kind of thing, especially when no one is willing to support you." The blush became more concentrated, while his free hand started to tremble.
The reincarnation of the Priestess Kikyo, however, could not bring herself about to talk about the man's shortcomings. "You see, I didn't even know my father for as long as you must have. In fact, if it wasn't for me, he'd probably still be alive. But of course, this isn't the case.
"For as long as anyone in my family can remember, my dads side of the family had been devoted to any kind of job that they could find, even if it was something that was generally frowned upon. My father's job, however, was something of an exception. He despised every second of the work he did, yet constantly pushed himself to bolster his zeal in the field he operated. Despite this, it was an unusual day when he actually returned home smiling."
"What was your father's profession?"
"Simply put, he was a lackey for the Mafia, and an especially prominent one at that. Even when he was starting out the intelligence bureaus were suspicious of him. And the things he did made him a hated character, but mostly with one man, Danny Pavarati."
WHAT THE HELL?! DANNY PAVARATI?!
Yami was, for a second more, distracted by Yugi's unexpected outburst.
"I'm afraid that I don't know who this man is, but judging from my incarnates reaction, he wasn't a person to offend."
"You don't know the half of it. Danny Pavarati could possibly have been the most powerful don in all of Japan, but when I knew him he was one of the bodyguards of the infamous Don Pavarati. But during this time and for a while afterwards he rarely appeared in public except when meeting with a contact like Aeyasu; in this way he could avoid any major authorities for as long as was needed. However, Danny had one major weakness, which would eventually prove to be his undoing, he was suspect of everyone around him, and would fly into violent fits if anyone crossed his organization. So when my father insulted him..."
Unable to proceed with the tale anymore, the younger woman collapsed onto the bed and started crying again.
Yami, who had been studying the locket for some time now, realized what should have been obvious from the very beginning: the locket was a gift from her dad, most likely just before the murder. With this in mind he reached forward and held Kagome close to him.
"I'm sorry about the locket again, but I didn't know the history behind it, or how much it reminded you of your parents. You see, I have only the fleeting recollection of my mother, for she died when I was born, and my father I would much rather forget. I know that it's hard for you to realize this, but you're one of the lucky ones; at least you actually knew what it was like to be loved and cared for. As for me, I never had the slightest idea of what a family really was, and as I whiled away the years I realized something else; my only true love died before me, and I had to live like that for the rest of my life..."
Before Yami could complete his sentence, Kagome leaned forward and kissed him softly.
"Not anymore."
NP Trade District
This couldn't have worked out better if I'd planned it myself.
The infamous Seto Kaiba could not help but grin as he removed himself from the bowels of the New Paradigm Sundry Emporium, with new cards in his deck and a song in his heart. This was an exceptional day for him, considering the fact that for trading a Chain Destruction, one of his least powerful traps, he had gained 10 of the most powerful Magic, Trap, and Monster cards in the game, most impressive of which was the legendary Beldes the Fire Dragon, as well as the Seat Perilous, both from the promotional Pendragon series. This 20 card set had been designed by a joint effort from both Maximillion Pegasus and the British Royal family to capture the wonder of the tales of Camelot of yore, and 5 cards of the set were awarded to each finalist in the European Grand Prix.
Of course, these additions were not the only cards that he had gained from this set.
Yet as Kaiba strolled along the plebeian masses with the gait of nobility incarnate, his focus had drifted from the walk and the cards to something that would seem completely useless compared to everything he had gained on that day, yet seemed to mean the world to him: a delicately carven, gold laced silver ring set with a brilliant ruby. Although said jewelry was easily worth thousands of dollars without the priceless stone inset therein, the gross worth of his dueling deck was easily in the 5 million dollar range without his God Card. And yet this intricate piece of work was clasped by the CEO of the corporation he had dragged out of the dirt as though it was a piece of the Cross itself.
No one could figure it out, but the answer is obvious if the events of the day are studied closely enough.
I don't know if this is the right time or place to use this thing, but I do know that Hiei has been keeping an eye on all of us, especially Yugi and Botan. His is a psychosis so great that it's completely impossible to determine how he'll strike or even if he will, and I can't take the chance of waiting any longer, so if I'm going to do this, it will have to be soon.
Sentimentality aside, I have learned at least one thing today: postpone love at your own peril.
Kaiba had never been one to lose focus of a situation in which he was involved, but his head was clouded with innumerable thoughts, philosophies, and ponderings that he had never activated since his childhood. It was because of this that he didn't see the half-dead man in front of him...up until he trod on him.
"Can I help you, sir?!"
The youthful businessman stepped back with a degree of shock as the injured human stood on weak knees, spewing out what could be easily described as a black blood all over the pavement. Kaiba could barely discern his physical appearance, but he seemed to be a lean-built man in his late teen years, perhaps a little over twenty, with brown eyes and the hair to match, although the latter was slightly disheveled. But what was truly bizarre was his form of dress, a midnight blue kimono with a black obi, as well as a tattered bandage encompassing the right hand, and snapped in half next to him was a thin staff.
Kaiba knelt down next to him, which was normally out of his character; however, the entire day had been a unique one for him. "May I ask what happened to you just now? Whoever did this to you seems to have several inner difficulties to perform an act this brutal."
"Believe me, this was no ordinary assault; right about now I'm feeling aches in places that should never feel that kind of thing."
The more refined man returned to his original position on the street, and began to search his deck for spots to place his latest cards in. "It seems to me that the wounds upon you aren't as serious as they could have been, but just in case, I can get you some form of transportation to get you out of here. From the hell I've had to experience, I've developed something of an eye for bad situations like this. But in the meantime, I have somebody to meet, so you can come with me until that's finished."
"Don't worry about that, Mr. Kaiba; I've learned enough in my journeys to figure out solutions to this. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, the pain was worth it."
The lecherous grin that crossed the man's face would have brought about an inert wrath from the super-powerful tycoon...if a gigantic pipe hadn't crashed upon his head first.
"If I ever hear that damn voice again I'll personally make that Windtunnel of yours look like a damn paper cut...oh, hello, Seto."
The caked blood and semi-demented smile that Botan was bearing was more than enough to confirm what Kaiba had suspected the entire time. From what he knew about her, he had deduced that she was never one to take a problem sitting down.
"Hey, Botan. I'm glad to see you're okay. This guy, on the other hand..."
The perpetually facetious expression that had become a part of her personality was dropped for one of pure hatred.
"Oh, you mean that pervert, Miroku. Yeah, I did that to him."
Miroku? Right, the overly sexual monk that the dog demon kept complaining about.
"Wait a minute, he didn't touch you, did he?"
"The little bastard was walking right next to me when he started grabbing me and asking if I could bear his child."
Kaiba turned his attention to the cowering monk, who had just started to run.
"Where're you going, punk? I'm not done attending to you yet! In fact, I was just warming up for the real fail-safe!" Grasping him by the right arm, Kaiba hurled the man into a brick wall with such force that the mortar splintered, rendering Miroku stunned.
"Let me tell you something, and I'd listen if you don't want this to happen again. If there is one thing that I can't stand, it's a lecherous person, and the fact that you work for any kind of priesthood makes me want to beat the living shit out of you all the more. And if some son of a bitch touches any one in my family, I hunt them down and throw them into complete ruin, or out a window. So understand this: you touch her ass, and I'll break yours. Got it, punk?"
Silence again, and as Miroku began to fear for what little life he had left, some shard of memory slipped in.
"Okay, but I have a proposition for you."
"Let's hear it."
"Seto Kaiba, I challenge you to a match of Duel Monsters, for I myself," and as he said this he revealed a Duel Gauntlet just slightly whiter than Kuwabara's, "have been deemed worthy to compete."
"Very well, then. But if I win, you will not only have to surrender the rarest card and key you possess, as well as apologize to Botan for the violation you committed, but you will surrender all information you have on a man called Sesshomaru."
"You have my word, Kaiba. But let me assure you, I will not lose!" (4000/4000)
To Be Continued
Is it just me, or are my chapters getting longer each time? Well, I have more stuff to cover now, so that could explain it.
Next chapter will commence the duel between Kaiba and Miroku, but is the Peeping Tom merely a pawn in Hiei's plans? Yusuke and Joey will meet up, and Weevil shows his face to challenge the detective. Yami, meanwhile, is about to go up against the dreaded Kagura, so can Naraku be far behind? Roger Smith also stirs up trouble when he has to face Red Destiny, who has entered this tourney for reasons of her own. And Espa Roba returns with a whole new deck, and a replacement Machine to take Jinzo's place.
Remember, read, review, but please don't flame.