Disclaimer: See others.
Okay, it's time to start this chapter up, and with luck, it will only improve. But for those of you getting in now, this is a recap of last time.
Last chapter began Kaiba's duel with the lecherous monk Miroku, whose current alliances are clouded in mystery. Genkai is also introduced, as are her reasons for siding with Hiei. Yami and Kagome also share the story of their childhood, while at the same time their relationship takes flight.
This chapter will heat up the duel between Kaiba and Miroku, as well as throw in a few all-too-familiar faces. This chapter will also introduce Roger Smith's first duel, and next chapter Inuyasha starts to ponder Yami's role with Kikyo. Weevil will show his ugly face too, as will a dark new enemy for both sides of the proverbial coin...
One more thing, in response to SoulofSaturn's review. It will be a Yami/Kagome pairing. But I doubt Inuyasha will find out 'till next chapter, which is also when he'll start his match. And Botan's deck is comprised mostly of shoujo and Zombie cards.
Here are some new Original Cards from Time Mage. Feel free to send more!
Chain to Rivaling Souls: (Trap)- When a monster is destroyed in battle, revive one monster from each players Graveyard onto your field, and lower their attack points by 500. You must discard one card from your hand if you wish to sacrifice these monsters, one card for each.
Grave Spell: (Trap)- During your opponent's turn, activate a magic or trap card in your own Graveyard. After the card effect is resolved, remove that card and this one from play.
Soul Crosswire: (Trap)- When one of your monsters is destroyed, pay 1000 Life Points to special summon one monster from your deck and Graveyard, both must be level four or lower.
Immortality: (Continuous Magic)- Whenever a monster is destroyed by your opponent, it is revived next turn with half its attack points.
Chapter 22: Conflicting Darkness
Speakeasy Tavern, Downtown New Paradigm
The door was rotting to pieces. In nearly every window, the thick stained glass was splintered or broken, the latter of which was poorly covered with cheap plywood. In the threshold leading into the bar, a filthy old hobo was leafing through a dirty magazine while pouring cheap liquor down his throat. From some large holes in the walls, anyone with decent eyesight could see overturned tables, rusted fans, shorted-out lights, and a foul looking bartender unloading his entire wallet into the hands of some prostitute. In the higher levels of the place was pulsing some God-forsaken music while the screams of aggravated couples said their last goodbyes. While all of this was happening, a sleazy-looking junkie was crashing onto the hood of a car from a window ten stories up.
But, if one looked close enough, he or she could faintly discern a man in his late forties calmly reading a newspaper, while occasionally nursing the scotch on the rocks next to him. Every so often he would press onto his rather protuberant left ear, as if listening to some hidden broadcast, which was a fairly accurate statement. The eccentric-looking man constantly observed the slightest actions of everything and everyone within his fairly poor eyesight, while his free hand thumbed the pages shakily, while a deep paper-cut had begun to form from the years which he had held the text.
It was this peculiar barfly that the Negotiator had come to call upon.
It had been over almost six years since the legendary Roger Smith had passed the threshold of the Speakeasy Tavern last, and it was a troubled time for everyone therein. As the lodge...and the city that bore it...burned about them, that man had not moved once to escape, even as the ceiling crumbled away, leaving the density of the reinforced concrete to come tumbling down upon anyone unfortunate enough to get caught within. He did not scream, shout, or cry as all collapsed into Hell, as the two giants of the non-secular realms clashed for a final time. No one did see what had happened to him that day, nor did anyone care. All they saw were the two titans, Cronus and Jupiter, clashing against each other for one last time. Like a clash of two storms the two fought, and while the events of New Paradigm had not been released unto the world, this battle of titans could be called a foreboding omen, a sign of things to come. Yet no one knew the truth of Big Ear, not even the man himself, and it was this lack of knowledge that had made the world forget him, as it had forgotten everything else.
Smith moved into the tavern, stepping over the filthy vagabond and picking up a cracked glass from the bar. The supervisor was gone, upstairs most likely, and from above unholy sounds floated down, all while the mediator of an era past filled the dirty glass with an old beer that no one wanted, and emptied the mug into a roach infested sink nearby.
This city had once been grand, even after the Event that wiped the world away, but now it has been reduced to nothing, a shell of power under the control of a madman. Beck is dead, Dorothy is lying in some heap of metal at the bottom of the sea, and Norman is still looking for my remains. And in all of these events, at least one thing has stayed the same. There is Big Ear, with a blank expression on his face as always, listening to the talk of officials and terrorists, but can he possibly help me destroy the satanic power that has this place in a chokehold? And more importantly, does he know of the so-called truth that Schwarzvald has been ranting about this whole time?
Within his mind thousands of ponderings and philosophical queries took control, spinning like a heretic top, screaming in him to bow before the knees of the devil like a frightened lapdog. A plethora of images had begun to float through his addled mind, sending wave upon wave of irrational emotion, be it the joy of winning his first duel, or the terror of facing the Big Duo for the first time. The scenes that were fusing with him the most were those of his father, crying tears of blood as he lay dead in the heart of an enigmatic Megadeus, innumerable cards flowing from his hands onto the steel floor.
The very same cards that Roger had in his deck.
"It's been a long time, Roger Smith. But I figured that in this chaotic tournament you would come to see me."
Breaking through the psychotic slide show in Roger's mind was a grizzled old voice from the man sitting beside him.
"Too long, in my opinion. Even six years of sitting here haven't worn you down. This place, on the other hand, hasn't turned out too well for it." Smith extracted a cast iron hip flask and took a long, messy swig, much unlike the old, refined Negotiator. "Has the city council itself changed much? I know for a fact that Rosewater managed to escape with his life."
Big Ear continued looking forward, a grim smile making itself visible as he did so.
"Didn't you figure it out yet, you poor fool? The council was disbanded about four years ago, when Rosewater tried to set himself up as an absolute monarch." As he said this, he continued to nurse the warm liquor in his hand, while watching the opulent and the middle class toss petty alms to the slobs out front, who in turn pulled knives out and fell upon them. Ignoring the subsequent gunshots, he continued his informative rant. "Around a year and a half after the Renaissance of Paradigm, as these people refer to the reparation of the city, Rosewater finally returned to his seat in the council, and proposed a grandiose plan, which you have already seen accomplished. His radical idea was ill received, and before long the other members signed a petition forcing him to resign the post to which he had become accustomed."
Roger, for a pregnant moment, began to reflect on the despotic Alex Rosewater, the very same man who had constantly teetered on the brink of complete mental breakdown, so desperate for power that he attempted to supplant himself as God so long ago. It had been five years later to the day that Smith returned to the shattered remnants of Paradigm City, the skeletal Domes still hanging overhead, shattered glass and shattered dreams lingering about the place, burnt corpses now nothing but leathery skin and bone. The only thing still standing was the Megadeus, a taciturn sentinel for the ages, joints rusted and beyond repair. The barrel from Big O's final attempt at salvation, jutting from an outcrop of sediment, was still there as well. And footprints everywhere in the ashen snow, soaked with long-dried blood and heavy with the stench of death.
Big Ear placed the newspaper down, and rubbed his bloodshot eyes as more screams came from the floors. His eyes wandered to the corner, where a little pale-haired girl in a similar colored gown lay sleeping, the ornamental mirror and gruesome spider tattoo upon her back hidden completely. Returning to the conversation, the older man stared directly at the floor.
"Rosewater was reported to have gone completely insane at this point; it's said around some of the older parts of town that he sold all of his stock in Paradigm Corporation and fled the city, but before he did, Alex locked away his plans in a safety deposit box in his suite. No one could figure out the lock; it was a twenty-five-digit combination, and some say that the poor moron took it to the grave.
"A few weeks went by, and for a while people forgot that Rosewater even existed, but somehow he crossed the borders...with an entire militia at his disposal. He easily overthrew what remained of the police force, and in its place he established a totalitarian rule, in which he was Emperor. Soon afterwards, the entire population was carted off to a hidden plain in the mountains, and all entered the sky fortress that was New Paradigm City. Anything else, save Rosewater's murder, is merely speculation. What is known is that New Paradigm was a complete remake of the first Paradigm...including Soldano's first, and rather terrible project. It's rumored that she is in this tournament as we speak, so if I were you, I'd find the others."
"Which project was it?"
"Soldano thought he had created the ultimate killing machine; cold, ruthless, exact, and brutal. It's somewhat ironic that the monstrosity was based on his own daughter. The project name was a rather bizarre one, too."
Yet Roger knew exactly what project Big Ear was talking about, a God-forsaken murderer that even to that very day it gave him nightmares just thinking of it.
R.D. Red Destiny.
Smith jumped out of his seat, reaching into his pocket to extract the proper funds, but the informant shook his head.
"Don't worry, it's on the house this time. After all, you were the first to prove me wrong."
"How so?"
"I was incorrect in thinking the sun would never rise in Paradigm again."
Top Floor, Twin Star Apartment Complex
Anyone that had ever been in the highest reaches of Tanzanite Avenue's most opulent housing complexes knew full well that it was easily the most colorful area in the floating city.
A diffusion of local and distant cultures had always been ensconced in the city during it's youth, from poor and downtrodden refugees to the world's prestigious businessmen, each contributing a small but meaningful piece of the customs and practices, which would eventually become part of the regular goings-on of the city. And although the Rosewater regime had been responsible for mass persecution in past years, the restructuring and reformation of the infrastructure of the city laid to ruin the ghettos and projects of the years of antiquity, and every day the masses would celebrate this embrace of difference...in the form of wild, almost uncontrollable orgies for which the area became known. In fact, every week there would be a party for Lucrezia Tanzanite, the politician and reformer for whom the avenue was named. But every chance that was given, the true ruler of New Paradigm, Hiei, ended these revelries in a vast, sacrificial riot that paid tribute to him in blood. The occurrence today, however, was not a sacrifice.
No. It was only a massacre.
As innumerable human carcasses decomposed under the broiling sun of high altitudes and ribbons and other paraphernalia burned to the heavens, a lone figure stood in the midst of the grim genocide, wielding a massive pike soaked in every one of the four humors. In his other hand was a freshly hewn skull, stringy with what remained of the muscles, long since stripped away by age and a sadistic hand. On occasion he extracted several cards from the eviscerated forearms of his enemies; an opportunity to improve his deck was never wasted, even after a slaughter like this.
There was absolutely no emotion upon the face of this mysterious psychotic, and even if there was one, no one would have seen it this high up, nor would he allow anyone. It was without remorse that he committed Caligula-like deeds such as these and it was with no shame that he looted the cadavers of his lambs.
The half-witted morons had no idea what was coming. All they did was party, long into the eve, unaware as always that even to this day, unpitying things still lurk in the shadows, waiting to drag them all into the abyss.
The traces of a manic grin crossed the man's face, slightly disfiguring his otherwise noble bearing. Dark, maddened eyes scanned the landscape to which he had become accustomed for the years he had spent here, wandering the darkness, hunting, much like his rival, for the power of God.
The problem was that this power lay in the hands of his ultimate enemy.
"It's almost time. After nearly 600 years of imprisonment I will finally have the power to cast away the yoke of oppression, burn away my competition, and at long last break away the shackles of my mirror image. While the Void watches the events of the city and the Wind propels my opponents into the darkness, I, the true Shadow King, will at long last reclaim the Throne that should have been mine by blood.
"HIEI! I know that you can sense my presence here! I know every aspect of your plan! I have determined how to overwhelm you, and soon, I shall supplant you and wield the power of the Four Souls that was destined to be my own! Soon every one of you, the Spirit Ruler, the Ancient King, the Priestess Kikyo, you shall all fear my name!"
Bending down, the entity summoned the dark energy of the miasma, and using its corrosive power burned his forename into the asphalt. A simple name, but one that had struck terror into the hearts of men around the world, varied in cultures but feared by all.
Naraku.
Kaiba vs. Miroku
Seto Kaiba drew first, and with a degree of empowerment as he did so. He already had a powerful low-level monsters in his hand, along with one of his best Magic cards. Apparently fortune had been good to him, considering the fourth card in his hand: what looked like a Ritual Monster, but required neither spell or ceremony to be called upon. Even from his hand it looked intimidating, in a position much like the much weaker Summoned Skull, as well as a heavily built frame, cruel crimson eyes, wings that could reach over 100 feet if stretched out.
The most powerful monster in my entire deck. Obelisk the Tormentor. With this one card I have defeated more opposition than the Ultimate Dragon itself, and soon that damnable monk will know it's great power. But I must be cautious in using it, for who can tell what kind of power Miroku has at his disposal?
"I shall begin by placing one card face down, followed immediately by the summon of Sapphire Dragon in Attack mode!" The mighty creature soared down from the sky and planted itself onto the field, gleaming with a sapphire sheen befitting it's name. (1900/1600) For an instant, Kaiba had considered discarding his present hand and resurrecting the Dark Colossus later but decided against it. "That will conclude my turn."
With a grin upon his features similar to Kaiba's, Miroku drew his first card as well. Before he could make a move, however, a slightly chilling voice echoed in his head.
*Listen to me. His card on the field is nothing compared to what is in his hand. If anything, do not, I repeat, DO NOT let him get three monsters on the field, and if possible, get rid of his present hand. If you don't...*
Understood. Miroku began to examine his hand, looking for a way to get rid of his enemy's hand, even though he wasn't completely sure what was in there. The youthful duelist had not seen any component of Kaiba's deck before, so he decided to go on the attack, and in more ways then one. "I will also play two cards facedown, followed by the summon of Jowgen the Spiritualist in Attack mode!" The grandly dressed priest stood ready in golden robes, with a simple staff nearby. "Next, I shall activate the Magic Card, Creature Swap, allowing both players to select a monster on the opponent's side of the field, and control is switched! But since there are only two monsters on the field, I'll get what I want anyway!" Jowgen and the Dragon walked over to each other's side of the field, and stood at position, each still glaring at each other. "Now, Dragon, use Crystalline Force to send Jowgen to an early grave!"
Kaiba, however, had seen this coming.
"I thought that you would try something like this, so I shall activate Windstorm of Etaqua!" From the Trap card screamed a massive cyclonic funnel of wind that began to create huge amount of air pressure, forcing the Dragon to bow into defense mode seconds before it could attack. As the winds died away, Kaiba stared down his enemy with cold malice. "This unique trap allows me to force your face-up monsters into the reverse position of the one they are in, meaning that your Dragon, placed into defense mode, could not launch an attack on me, while Jowgen remains unharmed, at least until my next turn."
"Fine. I shall place two more cards face down and my turn will cease. I do hope that you understand the situation in which you are in does not guarantee victory for you, and very soon your arrogance will be checked, while I continue onto the finals. As for you, Botan, I would begin to prepare as well. My genetics will continue to move forward, and I frankly don't care through whom..." If the man had anything else to say, it was quickly cut short, as will most rants when a chunk of concrete is tossed at one's head. Obviously Kaiba had been offended by the snide remark.
"I'd rather you keep your perversions to yourself, if you don't mind. And if you actually think that you can defeat me, you are sorely mistaken. So watch out! I'll begin my turn by activating this Magic Card, Cost Down! This allows me to discard a card from my hand, thereby lowering the levels of all monsters in my hand by two for the duration of the turn; I will then sacrifice your Jowgen to summon from my hand Beldes, Champion of the Dragons in attack mode!" Emerging onto the field was a massive, serpent-like wyrm, scores of yards in length, with iron-gray scales about as thick as a vault's walls and wickedly curved talons upon each of its 6 feet, tipped in a marbled gold unlike any seen before. The dragon's wingspan totaled about 20 feet, with each tip of the hollowed frame sporting a razor-edged spike, covered with bronze. The head seemed to be a combination of Oriental and European styles, with spiral horns that were as black as night. Mounted on the neck of this great reptile sat a humanoid creature, wearing armor crafted of the finest platinum formed in the Templar style, while in one hand he wielded a massive trumpet, as the other gripped the reins leading to the dragon's mouth. (2650/2350)
"What is that monstrosity!?"
"This dragon will lead to your ultimate demise, for by summoning this beast in the normal fashion, I am allowed to access one of two effects, and I choose the ability to special summon another dragon in my hand with six stars or less! And thanks in part to the Cost Down I played earlier, I can summon this without impunity! Soon, Miroku, you shall experience the wrath of many people in your life, but until then, the wrath of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon will have to suffice! Beldes, bring forth the creature I have named!"
Lifting the horn to his chapped lips, the dragon rider played a bizarre tune, almost like a crudely played Requiem, and as he did so, his mount roared a deep, throaty version of the exact same melody. Both suzerain and vassal played with all of their might, as they began to glow white, to represent the archetype of the monster summoned. And for an instant nothing happened.
But only for an instant.
From thousands of feet above the Earth, a mighty creature roared in response to the summons, and a vast shadow fell over the field, spreading fear into the lesser of the two dragons, and respect in the greater. This shadow grew in size, and a faintly draconic shape appeared, and from this appeared a messenger, a fusion of light and darkness. Clad in silver armor, and with a wingspan double that of Beldes, the creature lifted it's massive head to its full height, opening and closing it's great maw. With it's cold cerulean eyes it scanned the field, and once it fell upon Miroku, it gave another frightening roar.
The Blue-Eyes White Dragon. A true example of power, and one of only three. (3000/2500)
"Do you fear now, lecherous one? Before you stand two mighty creatures, both powerful enough to fell the dragon you so stupidly wrested from my grasp, and even if you can destroy the Blue-Eyes, it will be avenged by it's brethren! Even as we speak my army prepares, to trample Hiei or whoever else stands against me! So go ahead and try to stop my assault, if you dare to try!"
"Very well. I activate my face down card, Gravity Bind! Using the powers of physics I will crush your dragons! That is because the might of Gravity Bind stops all monsters with over 3 stars from attacking, my own included. Their positions of attack, however, may still be altered. Once again, Kaiba, your arrogance has blinded you from the duel, and even as we speak I have already prepared a plan for your inevitable demise. All I need do is draw one card, and victory will be mine!" But before Miroku could continue, Kaiba activated a card.
"Reveal Mystical Space Typhoon! This Magic card allows me to wipe away any magic or trap card on the field, and guess what I've selected? Typhoon, destroy the chains that bind my dragons, so that they may cast final judgment upon the bastard before them!" The glowing chains of Gravity Bind gave way to lightning and wind, and soon Kaiba's beasts were free to strike.
"Go Seto! Crush him into the ground!" This is amazing! I've never once seen anyone duel like this before. It's like his entire mind is locked onto victory, and when he's got something to fight for, he almost seems to put his soul into the fray. This isn't the heartless creep that the others made him out to be; this is someone entirely different...
Back on the field of battle, Kaiba stared at both great monsters, each fully prepared to launch the attacks that would seal his victory. Soon, Hiei. It won't be long before I shed the light upon you and everyone in your organization, and like the Blue Eyes prepares to destroy Miroku, so do I ready myself for the final battle against you. And it won't be long before I bury this chapter and return home with Botan, and I finally know happiness...
"DAMN IT, MIROKU! ONLY TWO PEOPLE HAVE EVER DEFEATED ME BEFORE, AND YOU WILL NOT JOIN THEIR RANKS! BELDES, CHAMPION OF THE DRAGONS, DESTROY HIS SAPPHIRE DRAGON WITH FLAMES OF THE DARK AGES!" As the mighty dragon launched a stream of molten steel from it's belly, the Sapphire Dragon struggled to flee from it. However, the rider launched two bolts from his seat using a hidden longbow, effectively pinning the dragon as rivers of fire swallowed and melted the creature, and as its skeletal remains burn away, so did the attack. "NOW BLUE EYES, MOUNT A DIRECT ATTACK ON HIS LIFE POINTS WITH WHITE LIGHTNING ATTACK!" Between the massive jaws of the wyrm formed a ball of blue-white energy, crackling as each individual volt completed a circuit with the teeth of the beast, until it was launched like a cannonball, crashing into Miroku with devastating power. (4000/1000)
"Tell me, monk, do you still believe that you can defeat me? What you are standing up against is a twin onslaught from two of the most powerful dragons in Duel Monsters, and yet you do not surrender. Impressive, but foolish. Unless that face down card is a trap for later, there is nothing protecting you from the double attack my monsters provide me with. So go ahead, draw your final card, and end this charade."
"Don't worry, Kaiba. I've just figured out what you are hiding in your hand, and I will defeat it with just one card."
Taking his turn with the draw of his deck, Miroku realized that he had just gained the very card with which he would destroy Seto Kaiba.
Exchange.
Yami's Hotel Room
It had been almost two hours since his duel with Yami Bakura, and for the most part, Yami felt at ease. This was unique because peace of mind had been the exception rather than the norm in the chaotic time that he and Yugi had spent together, as the two fended off psychotic after psychotic in a battle royale; but in the case of this tournament, they both knew that they might not win. Hiei was easily the most powerful enemy that any of them had ever faced; even while holding back the bulk of his power it was nearly impossible to defeat him. Yami had sensed from the very beginning that what the Demon King had used was merely a watered-down version of his original deck, and the more duels he won, the more powerful he would become.
This, however, could work in both ways.
Scattered about the table next to him were a few Duel Monsters cards, each of varying power and rarity, that Yugi had brought in case of empowerment for his own deck. In this case, however, Yami had taken it upon himself to train Kagome, who had asked personally, how to use the cards in duels. It did not take the spirit long to notice that the young woman who had spent the better half of her life in a temple had an instinct for the game; it only took her 30 minutes to master the finer game points, infinitely better than Joey's three days. In a head-to-head match, using a deck she had prepared from the cards available, it was only by a slim margin that Yami had gained victory.
Even as he scanned the cards in his deck, the ancient inhabitant of the Sennen Puzzle came upon one of his best cards, and also one that Kagome had taken an instant affinity to, the Maha Vailo. Although it had proved little use in any recent duel, he always kept it nearby, just in case it could be useful, but he found a much better place for it in mere seconds. So he quietly slipped it into Kagome's new deck. Hopefully, the card would prove a better ally to her, along with his own training.
As he continued to flip through the cards, he caught another card of interest, and while it did not have any particular use for his strategy, the creature gave him a degree of comfort. It was strangely weak for it's sacrifice level, but the intimidating black armor, malicious, blade-like claws, and scarlet-tinged eyes that flared with a passion unlike any known since the days of Rome's greatest soldiers gave it a sense of untapped wrath that could be released if used correctly. Joey's favorite card, the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Easily one of his most powerful dragons, and also one that had been his saving grace a number of times in matches past. Specifically, it had allowed him to break the maniacal control that Marik had poured into Joey's soul in that satanic duel in Battle City, where everything was on the line. Who knows? Maybe both of my dragons will come through for me this time...
Calm appeared to descend upon the scene, as Yami placed his deck onto the table in front of him. Near this collection of cards was the set of keys that his duels had granted him, each one shining up to him with an almost angelic glow, despite the horrors associated with each; from the top of his deck could be seen the six cards those selfsame duels had empowered his deck with, each ready and waiting to strike upon their master's command. But the greatest prize, the ultimate gift from the hellish nightmare he had endured, was seated next to him: his true love. Finally, after all of the years in perpetual imprisonment, someone had approached him, someone kind and determined, capable of holding her own in the madness of the world, and at the risk of sounding clichéd, he realized that he had found someone that he could spend the rest of his life with. But until Hiei was vanquished, he could not settle down without fear.
But unbeknownst to him, Kagome's presence would bring about another dark enemy...who was observing them even as they lay.
For the several hours that the Pharaoh had known Kikyo's incarnate, she had not mentioned a much greater evil that she had encountered in a time past, probably because she didn't seriously think that it would return. But as Yami ran his fingers through the dark tresses, it slowly dawned on him that something was swiftly approaching, coming forth from the shadows at great speed, and yet seeming to not move at all, as though it went in a pattern like to the planets. With each second that passed the darkness edged closer, heralding the approach of an ancient celestial creature carven of the blood of demons. Sweat began to pour from Yami's forehead, and his hand began to involuntarily twitch, as the very hairs upon the back of his neck stood upright with a mind of their own. Near the bottom of his feet, an inexplicable wind started to pick up, laced with a black magic similar to Hiei's own.
The Dance of Death.
It was in the monarch's thoughts that these bizarre word manifested themselves, but it was his soul that truly spoke them, screaming a hidden warning as the clock ticked down to inevitable doom...
Until a jarring rap on the door rid him of his frightened stupor, and when the specter failed to answer, another one came in quick succession. And for the first time in many a century, the great Pharaoh at last knew fear.
Placing his deck back into the gauntlet, as well as restructuring his resolve, the ancient king stood upon the cold linoleum of the hotel floor. Even in its creaking Yami heard a cruel note of Armageddon, but laying this aside he stepped toward the door, and as he strode forward the black premonitions stirring within him grew more powerful with each pace, and a slight hum emerged from the threshold. As he moved forth he put his Duel Gauntlet in Standby mode, just in case his caller wanted a match, but this was extremely unlikely. Finally, he reached forward, grasped the handle and sent the door open...
And before him lay a horrific scene.
Human blood was splattered all over the walls and near the end of the corridor the dying moans of the survivors as they retched and stumbled about the place, screaming to whatever deity they worshipped before collapsing to the floor. On occasion, a few wandering souls began running to the monarch, driven mad by the intense pain, but an unholy thing befell them long before they could clear the next foot: these men, quite literally, split in half and rained even more black blood over the walls in a single gruesome torrent. Jutting out of the bodies were grotesque monuments made from the very bones of the dead, and cast from the dead, shielded by a wall of energy, was a pile of discarded gauntlets and a small pile of cards that seemed unwanted by whoever was responsible. And deep in the shadows that had manifested themselves was standing, ornate fan in hand, an occult-looking woman, with eyes of a vibrant crimson and sable hair pulled up into a close topknot. The lady's ears were oddly protuberant, and on the back of her hand was a much smaller version of the demonic spider tattoo on her back.
"So, you are the legendary Yami, banisher of the darkness and the prisoner of the Millennium Puzzle; at long last we finally meet. I've been waiting for this moment for much longer than you can possibly comprehend, and as you can clearly discern, I have been making short work of every person that I have been able to find, and their cards have also proven useful in empowering my deck. But don't worry, I have yet to forget about you, and let me give you my undying word that your Slifer the Sky Dragon will find a safe home in my capable hands. Of course, I would also be more than happy to strip you of the Puzzle, and Hiragashi will be very well taken care of...in the bowels of Hell!"
"That's enough! Even if you could defeat me, I highly doubt that you would be able to control the might of Osiris or the Sennen Item I wield. I'm not entirely sure who you are, but let me assure you that I will not be beaten by any petty servant, for once I'm finished I will send you into the void, and will effectively banish your darkness from this plane for all eternity! And you can tell your masters that a pathetic mercenary shall not frighten me away from the ultimate victory; so go ahead and try to defeat me with everything you have, so if you value your soul, you can return to Hiei with your tail between your legs like the coward you are!"
Slipping the fan into her obi, the sadistic duelist that had challenged him started to chuckle, before breaking loose into an all-out cackle of good humor.
"AHAHAHAHA! You're joking, right? Me, play servant girl to that...pathetic...bastard...Hiei...AHAHAHAHA! Don't make me laugh! I'd rather impale myself than serve that arrogant pig! What gave you that obviously mundane implication, your little whore in there?"
Upon hearing these offensive words, Yami let fly like the loose cannon of the 100 Years War. "SILENCE! NEVER TALK ABOUT KAGOME LIKE THAT! EVER!!! I WILL NOT STAND BY IDLY AND WATCH YOU DEFILE THE WOMAN I LOVE! SO IF YOU WANT A DUEL, COME FOR IT NOW!" Luckily, the corridor in this hotel was large enough in proportion for the Duel Gauntlet to work, and so his latest enemy activated her own system as well. (4000/4000)
Soon, brother. The time of your coronation as king is upon us all...
Street outside of the alley
Yusuke Urameshi had always had a reputation, rather appropriate, of a streetwise thug, never one to smile save at the cruel fate of his opposition as they squirm beneath some cruel torture of the worst degree. On this day, however, he was grinning like a madman, simply for a golden key and a card in his hand. These two items, on the other hand, could easily prove to be worth more than every cent he picked up in his old neighborhood. This is turning out to be one of my best duels yet. Not only did I defeat the Intercontinental Champ in his own game, but I also single-handedly stripped him of his best card and key. And of course, I took a little something extra. Cracking his knuckles in a rather crude fashion, seeing as they were well used in the pummeling of Keith soon after the match, the infamous Spirit Detective continued on his path through the overly crowded streets of New Paradigm. As he walked, he took a surreptitious glance at nearly everyone that passed by, and from this noted a bizarre event in this system: nearly each was dressed in some form of white clothing. In fact, most of the city was plastered in the non-color, even the flag. The only exceptions were tourists and competitors in the Hellfire Tournament, and even with over three thousand duelists involved this was a minute number.
As Yusuke walked along the congested path, he also noticed unnerving posters, most plastered with some image of Alex Rosewater pointing forward into a city gleaming with light and prosperity; each was dated from a few years ago. But was even more concerning was an image near the outskirts of the picture, for in that corner was what appeared to be a Sennen Eye, glowing with dark force.
Perhaps Hiei has more control over this city than I thought.
Time slowed down, a usual thing when he entered big cities; for some reason, Yusuke always felt cramped and alone when in areas like this, and more often then not, he found himself seeking out a familiar face of pretty much anyone, even Kuwabara. The moronic friend he had fought with and against so many years ago had dropped off the face of the Earth after Yukina's public death sentence. It would be long after the raid on his home town before he realized that Kuwabara had sided with his ultimate enemy, and as such, if the situation called for it, he would show no mercy to him.
"Hey, Yusuke."
Sitting outside the hospital was one Joey Wheeler, who looked close to suicidal.
"Hey, Joey. You feeling alright?"
"I've been better. I mean, ever since I found out about Serenity and Hiei I can't think straight; who knows how many people that bastard hurt?"
"Well, he wasn't always like this. Even when Hiei acted as arrogant as he did, I couldn't help but sense something a little deeper. Maybe it was just something else altogether; I don't know how long he had that item or even where he found it. All I know is that we have to stop him before he hurts anybody else."
"Too true, but what I wanna know is how many enemies that guy has made? I've been hearing a lotta rumors lately, something about a rebellion leader that came to fight the facist pig. Nobody completely knows who she is, except she's been spending a lot of time with Kaiba. Doesn't really sound like anyone you or I know; I can't even think of anybody that can stand Mr. Moneybags for over five seconds. But if their against Hiei, they can't be all bad."
"Got that right. The question is, after all is said and done, will he or she be trustworthy?" At this point, both duelists felt a weird twinge in their sides, similar to that of utter annoyance.
"Well, I've got a duel to compete in. Maybe I'll catch you around, Yusuke."
Before Joey could set off, however, a grating, all-too-familiar voice resounded from the lamppost nearby.
"Wait just one second, Wheeler! I wouldn't want you to miss your friend's demise, and maybe if you stick around, something will actually get through that concrete skull of yours. HEEHEEHEEHEE!"
"Oh dear God, not again..."
Stepping out from under the shade of the lamp was an extremely short character, hardly four feet tall, clothed in a lavender dress shirt, upon which was stamped a small wolf spider silhouette, and bright orange shorts, along with sky blue flip flops. Mounted upon his face was a pair of coke bottle, Insect-theme prescription glasses, while his haircut was in the shape of a blue beetle's thorax. Mounted onto his arm was a faintly white Duel Gauntlet.
"Weevil Underwood! I should've known you'd show up here! How'd ya do it, steal another sucker's duel invite?"
"Don't be so narrow minded, you simpleton. I came here under my own banner, but I have made it this far under the grace of a new employer! And soon, I shall ascend to the pinnacle of my career by finishing first in New Paradigm. However, I did not come to challenge you, Wheeler; with my new deck I could easily send you home crying. I have arrived here to challenge the dueling protege of the legendary psychic, Genkai! Yusuke Urameshi, I challenge you to a duel of epic proportions; the winner will take the two rarest cards of his opponent, while the loser relinquishes two of his tournament keys, meaning that whoever loses will be out of the tournament! Do you accept my challenge?"
"With pleasure. But let me assure you, I will not be defeated."
Joey stepped forward, shouting, "Be careful, Yusuke! I don't know what tricks he's hiding this time, but I wouldn't trust him!"
"No sweat, Joey. I went into this duel not trusting him at all; his sleight of hand won't trick me!"
With an evil grin, Weevil traced the contours of his deck. That's where you're mistaken, Urameshi. My tricks cannot be so easily detected...
To Be Continued
Sorry this was a little quick. But next chapter will be much better.
Next time, Inuyasha will prepare for his duel while thinking about Yami and Kikyo, while Kaiba must stand against his ultimate creature. Yami and Yusuke, meanwhile are about to do battle with Kagura and Weevil, as will Roger. Hiei, in the meantime, will have a brush with Naraku's powers.
Until next time, READ AND REVIEW