Disclaimer: I own nothing!
Okay, for those who did not read last chapter, Kagura and Yami had started their duel, as Yusuke did with Weevil. Naraku has also returned, with a deep grudge against Hiei, while Kaiba continued his battle against Miroku.
Chapter 23 will truly be a first, as Kaiba is about to stare down his own Egyptian God Card, Obelisk the Tormentor. In the meantime, Yusuke sets himself up against regional champion Weevil Underwood, who is under the employment of Hiei, as Naraku prepares to strike his greatest rival.
Here is another set of cards from Time Mage:
Steadfast Magician: (Light/Spellcaster/4/500/2200)- When this monster is sent to the Graveyard, special summon any level four or lower Spellcaster from your hand to the field.
Diamond Shield: (Trap)- Negate an enemy monsters attack and then special summon a [Luster Dragon], [Sapphire Dragon], [Hyozanryu], or [Ruby Dragon] from your hand to the field.
Aurora Veil: (Normal Trap)- Negate an enemy attack and add one Valkyrie in your deck to your hand.
Flash Pheonix: (Fire/Winged Beast/5/2100/2300)- If this monster is destroyed by an enemy monsters effect, revive this monster during your next Standby Phase with 200 extra attack points added to the base strength.
Chapter 23: The Wrath of God and Nature, Part One
Kaiba vs. Miroku
"Well, Kaiba, I must admit that you have given me a greater challenge than any other duelist in this entire tournament. In a matter of turns you managed to stop me from using my best cards to their utmost advantage, as well as reducing my life points to a measly 1000. And with two super-powerful draconic soldiers at your disposal, there is little that a simple monk can do."
Staring at the once confident enemy with trepidation, Kaiba's frozen eyes trailed down to the single face down card on the field, while at the same time carefully observing Miroku's face, which was now plastered with an almost imperceptible grin that did not match his words in any way, shape, or form. Once again, the wielder of the three most powerful dragons on Earth began to weigh his options rather carefully. The halfwit before me seems to have some kind of hidden agenda in store for me. So far, he hasn't activated the face down card since I saw him play it, so if it was a Trap, chances are he would have launched it when my Blue Eyes attacked or even hit the field, and there is no way in Hell that he can have any decent Quick-Play cards in play, or he should have used these when my traps or other magic cards where vulnerable. And from what I've been able to gather, his monster count isn't too good, since he has only been able to successfully summon one monster throughout all of this. It's like he's not playing at his full strength, almost like he's waiting for some kind of all-powerful card to use against my dragons. The only way to be absolutely certain is to test the waters...
Grasping the cards he held with a degree of unease, Kaiba took on a haughty look. "It's about time that you realized that you cannot defeat me. Even when you attempted to use my own creature for yourself it failed miserably. I can only assume that you wish to surrender?"
"Hm. You misunderstand me, Seto Kaiba. While a monk may not be able to defeat your archaic beasts, I am absolutely certain that a god is under no such restriction. For you see, the card that I have just drawn will strip you of your power, for I choose to activate the Magic card, Exchange!" The powerful card only appeared for an instant before vanishing into oblivion. "As you probably know, the Exchange magic card allows me to add one card from your hand into my own; however, you may also take one of my own in the process of equilibrium. So say goodbye to Obelisk the Tormentor!"
WHAT?! How could he have possibly known that the God Card was in my hand since the beginning? However he did it, there is no way I'll be able to defeat my own Egyptian God Card, and more importantly, there is no way I'll be able to reach the finals without it!
The master of dragons decided to keep his composure as he watched his salvation become his death sentence, while Miroku greedily reached for his hand. The quivering appendage of fate drew ever closer, as Kaiba prepared to weaken his enemy as best he could, but as he felt the God Card slipping away, he felt his confidence slip with it. He began to realize that it would only be a matter of time before the God of Obelisk would shatter the barrier of reality and ascend onto the mortal plane against it's former master. And even with his two dragons out on the field, there was next to nothing that could be done in time; his other two Blue Eyes White Dragons were buried in the deck somewhere, and even if he could somehow keep his first on the field long enough to get them into his hand, he would still need a Polymerization card to create his final salvation.
"Now that I have stolen your greatest asset, it's time for you to select a card from my current hand."
Miroku's cards were lackluster at best, and consisted of a Premature Burial card and a Shining Angel, both of which would only destroy him if either were played. Fully realizing that he could do nothing but take a defensive monster, Kaiba took a card as well, and in an instant the Angel was in his hand, waiting to be sent into oblivion.
His bravado now completely shattered, Kaiba attempted, once more, to put on a show of bravery. "Miroku, do you seriously believe that the Egyptian God you just wrested from me will be able to save you from absolute humiliation? More importantly, how do you intend to summon this beast to the field? As you probably have determined, calling upon the power of a titanic being like this is not easily done, for in order to summon it you must offer three weaker monsters in your possession. And from my viewpoint, you don't even have a single creature to sacrifice."
"You insult me, Kaiba; my intent was to use your God Card against you from the very beginning, and the two cards that are still on the field by my doing will play a vital role in doing it. I will begin this move by placing one more card face down, followed by the activation of this Magic card, Life Shortening Magic! This all-powerful card will allow me to draw five cards from my deck, but in exchange for this I must discard my entire hand after five turns have elapsed upon the effect resolving." From the top of his deck, Miroku drew his necessary cards. "My plan will continue with the activation of my second Magic card, The Blue Knight Legion, which grants me the ability to discard as many cards from my hand to summon that many Blue Knight Tokens onto my field. For this case, I will send three of my cards into the afterlife! But I am afraid that my move is not quite complete, for I shall also activate my equip card, Premature Burial! I believe that you know this card's ability; all I need to do is offer 800 life points, and I can resurrect a beast from the Graveyard, so reemerge, my Airknight Parshath!" As both Magic cards resolved, a trio of weak-looking knights tramped onto the field in a poor imitation of the tortoise formation. Aside from the fact that their armor was a brilliant tinge of blue, they were fairly normal in appearance, wielding Greco-Roman swords and shields. (1000/500 x3) At the same time, an angelic centaur sailed forth from some heavenly dimension, with downy wings draped over the midnight blue armor it's human component wore. In one hand was a glowing spear, while the other held a thick, cumbersome shield. (1900/1400) "Finally, I will activate my last two magic cards, Mage Power and The Upper Class!" As a swirl of magical energies flowed from the other such cards on the field into the Airknight, a heavy unit of Beefeater legions surrounded Miroku's side of the field. "While the Mage Power Magic card empowers my Airknight with 500 points for each Magic and Trap on my side of the field, the Upper Class prevents any creatures whose level is under that of my own from striking the higher of the two, which means that my Parshath cannot be struck by any low-level monster you set forth. And now, Kaiba, prepare to experience an ultimate power unlike any you have ever witnessed before, as I sacrifice all three of my Blue Knight Tokens to summon the Dark Colossus, Obelisk the Tormentor!"
Once this final command was issued, the entire field began to glow an eerie white, as a surge of fire from the depths of Hell flared up on Kaiba's side of the field. At the same time, thousands of streams of ethereal light shattered the barrier between Heaven and Earth. As the two energies started to swirl about the arena, slowly fusing into a unearthly fist, the creatures slated for tribute dropped their weapons and tried to flee, but within an instant they were lanced with triple bolts of lightning, and brought forth to the great hand. The second the trapped warriors came into the palm that drew them forth, their very souls were stripped from the frail shells of mortality, and sailed forth into the sky, where it was crafted by the chaotic hand into a massive deity. Towering over the other creatures with an impalpable air of dignity, the Goliath was over a hundred feet tall, its divine power sealed in an armor of dark blue flesh and sinew, while it's clawed appendages stood ready to wreak havoc upon any mortal enemies with the inescapable blow of damnation. Sending a cry of rage into the heavens, the reincarnation of light and darkness spread its great wings and scanned the landscape with eyes of burgundy eyes brimming with hatred.
The God of Obelisk had returned. (4000/4000)
As this pagan god graced the hovering city of New Paradigm with a grim resolve, Seto Kaiba found his will to continue crack like a heated ceramic, and even as Obelisk turned its nearly satanic gaze towards the master which had used it extensively, his knees gave way, and he collapsed onto the cold ground, as Miroku laughed maniacally in the background.
Here I kneel, unable to face my opponent, unable to even move, as I stare into the eyes of the Devil itself. What once had been my guiding angel of salvation has now become the ultimate archfiend at the disposal of an enemy duelist. Soon my dragons will be little more than a swirling torrent of molecules and scattered cells, doomed to traverse the cosmos, hunting for an ever-fleeting purpose in the world. Even as my twin wyrms prepare to do battle, the Dark Titan prepares to lay waste to all of them, and once he gains a second monster to activate the Tormentor's ability, I will be finished.
Miroku lifted his damaged hand to the sky, gesturing towards his double assault force, seeming to have a degree of impunity as his eyes glistened with a dementia that none had ever seen in him before. "You mocked my abilities before, Kaiba. You dared to question my tactics, and at every turn I almost believed your taunts. Now look at the score; I have not only called upon the abilities of my rarest card, the legendary Airknight Parshath, but in a single turn I have snatched away your own rarest card and used it against you! And to add insult to injury, I am about to humiliate you in front of your girlfriend. Who, once I'm through with you, will become my lover."
Of course, the perverse priest-in-training had said this disgusting words in Botan's earshot, and of course hers was an adverse reaction.
"SHUT UP, YOU FUCKING PIG! I'VE TAKEN ABOUT AS MUCH BULLSHIT FROM YOU AS I CAN HANDLE, AND IF YOU START HITTING ON ME AGAIN, I'LL PERSONALLY CUT OFF A FEW THINGS I'M SURE YOU'LL BE MISSING!"
Botan's sudden outburst, if anything, only aroused the pervert more than ever. "Well, we certainly have a dirty tongue today, now don't we? It looks to me like the only way to clean that up is with a little contact with a decent one, and before long you'll see that this whole little conflict was rather tongue-in-cheek, in more ways than one..."
As the hot-headed reaper began another sharp insult, Kaiba had been carefully observing his enemy with a critical edge, and also began to take note of what he had learned about him from the little information available. Something doesn't make any sense here. Throughout this entire duel, Miroku has been acting like an arrogant jackass, rather unlike the more reserved pervert that I've been hearing about. More importantly, how did he know that I had Obelisk the Tormentor in my possession? Only a select few duelists have ever seen me use this card, and almost nobody else knows that it even exists. There's another variable involved here, some erratic deviation from the standard equation that eludes me, but what could it be?
"Kaiba, this is the beginning of your final defeat, for once I'm finished with you, I shall personally send you into oblivion using a few ancient powers of my own! Each second that you struggle to destroy your own deity brings you a second closer to death! But I shall put you out of your misery by summoning one final monster with Monster Reborn, Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer!" Emerging from the brown-backed card was a frail-looking Japanese friar, bound in leather armor and bearing one half of an ornamental face mask on his face. His robes were plain in the best terms, but his left hand held a string of glowing beads that was imprinted with various kanji that spelled out various epitaphs. In his right hand was a small pile of cursed scrolls capable of sending souls to a final resting place. (1800/700)
That he even knew about the God of Obelisk is an unnerving premonition in itself. But what is even more frightening is that he knew the fact that it was in my hand from the very beginning.
"This is the commencement of a new era, vile scum, for on this day I can at last dethrone Seto Kaiba from his seat of power! This is an event that shall go down in history, for in this duel, a new champion shall be crowned, and I shall be acclaimed as the ultimate King of Games. Let all who dare challenge me bear witness to this battle of the gods and tremble, for they too shall quake in fear before Miroku the All-Encompassing! Now, my Airknight Parshath, use your Lance of St. George to send that pitiful dragon back to the Pit!" Charging forth with unsurpassed speed, the sanctified beast launched itself into the sky, while at the same moment spread it's sacred wings to keep itself aloft, while lifting it's mighty spear into the sun's rays. At this point, the saintly tip of this tool of the gods began to sing a ghostly tune as though deep within, a glorious choir had let sail its wondrous notes for the world to enjoy. But this melodious spear contained within it a sour note, the bitter refrain of a dark victory, amplified to unprecedented amounts as it's apex punctured the mighty skull of the Blue Eyes, which in response began to bellow in a combination of passion and despondency. Slowly, with a practiced hand, the spiritual mercenary drove the pike deeper into the dragon, and with great cruelty drew it out, effectively tearing the grandiose reptile's head in half, whereupon it shattered into dust. (3600/200) "And thanks to my monster's ability, I can draw one card from my deck each time this monster causes damage to you!"
And even as I am about to be sent into another battle with the humiliation of a crushing defeat, I cannot help but wonder why Miroku, who must have learned about my reputation through many people, challenged me to a duel. If he knew that the most powerful creature in my possession was in my hand from the start, why did he continue to move forward in a duel, which he must have figured was beyond his capacity to emerge victorious. So something must have given him the rather deluded idea that he could emerge victorious.
"Now, Obelisk the Tormentor, call upon your deific power, and send Beldes to the graveyard with Fist of Fate! Shatter the traitorous human and bring Kaiba ever closer to defeat!" As the almighty divinity elevated it's palm heavenwards, five individual points of light set themselves up onto the respective talons that made up the hand. Each of these points seemed to have a soul of their own, as they began to undulate and surge with ancient powers unseen by man for over five thousand years. But this strength of the gods was soon to leave the mortal plane once more, for every individual molecule was absorbed into the clenched fist of Obelisk the Tormentor. The hand, in turn, glowed a brilliant white, and within an instant, was brought crashing down into Beldes. Despite the overwhelming wrath that was screaming down towards them in a way similar to the eagle coming upon it's prey, the dragon launched a jet of smoldering metal, but this was pushed back by the unstoppable attack of the God of Obelisk. The rider, on the other hand, leapt off his mount and tried to flee, even as his dragon was torn apart and it's innards flew unchecked about the place. But the coward was not to escape, for just as the assault rammed into the bedrock of the arena, a hail of broken slate rained down from the sky, each individual piece goring a massive exit wound into the once grand armor. (2250/200)
And to place the final component into this twisted jigsaw; the so-called monk has gone out of his way to insult both Botan and me, even though his is supposedly a man of reservation and honor. As difficult as it is to believe, the only logical explanation is that somebody else is pulling the figurative strings. Someone that has a grudge against the woman I love. The one man capable of this kind of control.
"Now, Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer, send his two dragons into oblivion, and remove them from play by mounting a direct attack on his life points!"
Removing the cursed strips of paper from his left pocket, the warrior monk began to mutter an ancient chant, which had supposedly been used by Shinto priests at funeral services. As each individual verse passed the friars lips, thousands of individual souls began to flow from cracks into the earth, and as this occurred, the string of beads that he was wielding gained a saw-like aura. Now satisfied, the monk continued his chant as he swung the cord over his head, and for an instant, the images of the Blue Eyes White Dragon and Beldes appeared in the aura. But this was only temporary, for Kycoo immediately tossed the beads with immense velocity, upon which they shattered Kaiba's life points to a minimal quantity. (450/200)
"Seto! Are you alright?! Say something!"
If Kaiba heard anything that his beloved said, it was lost on him in his shock that an amateur was about to defeat him. But deep within the tormented orphan a revelation was stirring. With this singular though pulsing through his mind, the former world champion lifted himself from the ground, with unmatched hatred burning in his eyes of blue. "It's okay, Botan. I've never felt better."
"I see you have yet to surrender, despite the fact that I am about to end this duel with one final attack. So if you really believe that you will emerge from this triumphant, far be it for me to stop you from continuing with this farce. So I will end my turn with the activation of this card I played face down, Raimei! This will allow me to inflict 300 points of direct damage to your life points!" As this effect resolved, a small storm cloud cast a minute shade onto the field, and from this came an equally small bolt of thunder broke through Kaiba's last few life points. (150/200) "That will end my turn."
Alright, as long as Miroku has those three monsters on the field, I can't mount the attack I need to end this, and once Miroku figures out Obelisk's special ability, I'm finished. What I need to do is summon something capable of either destroying the God Card, or able to cause some form of direct damage to his life points.
I know for a fact that I have the cards capable of defeating the divine beast before me, but the question is, can I draw them in time?
"Seto! Listen to me! I know that you have at least one card in your deck that has the power to defeat Obelisk, and I know that you can defeat this pig in one move! All you have to do is trust your deck!"
Of course! If the Heart of the Cards can come in for Yugi, then there is no doubt that it will come in for a duelist of my caliber. Come on, all I need do is draw one card...
As Seto Kaiba picked up his card, it was instantly clear to him that perhaps Yugi wasn't as large a moron as he thought.
"I play the Magic card, Hand Rebirth!"
Hiei's Fortress, Information Server
It has been a simple fact of nature for thousands of years that knowledge is power. Even the most archaic of politicians, from early China onward, have known that the only way to truly defeat the opposition is to gather every iota of information that can be collected, and study from this archive extensively. By gaining the facts and figures of an enemy, the truly powerful ruler can determine who to fight in their organization, how to defeat them, and most importantly, how to keep them in line.
Hiei had been able to see this truth from the very beginning, and time would often find him whiling it away in these depositories of data.
Placing his outstretched hand onto the scan plate, Hiei began to browse through the endless folders of information that were quite literally at his fingertips: birthplaces, genetics, personalities, dueling styles, supernatural abilities, and the like. Having already collected this information using the power of his Millennium Eye, the true incarnation of darkness had stockpiled the data for easy reference in times of need. Now was one of these rare times.
So, in a short matter of 35 years, Naraku has become familiar with the vast intricacies of both New and Old Paradigm City, during which time he has also become one of the highest ranked duelists in the New World. Already he has formulated dueling strategies that could easily outshine any but the most powerful of my own servants, and has been responsible for at least thirty mass genocides. But very soon he himself shall become a victim...of my own dark powers.
With a nonchalant grin Hiei removed himself from the cylinder databank, which in turn put itself on standby until it was next called upon. As he strode with a cruel gait out of the archives, however, a twang of self-doubt began to form within him. Already he could feel an imposing presence forming within him, seeming to fester and colonize as it moved farther away from the pits of his soul and into his mind, and with both Naraku and Yami occupying his attention, the dark parasite had been growing stronger with each passing second.
Until that point arrives, I must deal with the present situation at hand. Once Yami and Naraku are out of my path, I shall then place all of my energies in quelling this satanic leech from my mind forever.
I can only wonder at why Naraku has not tried to stand against me before, and in retrospect, perhaps I should have taken some preliminary steps in nipping his plans before they came to fruition. But at this point, all I can do is prevent him from completing this tournament. He has already tried to usurp my throne once before, and that nearly cost me the power of the Shikon no Tama, and it is because of him that I cannot tap it completely. But it matters not; once the baboon tries to defeat my malevolent energies, he shall indeed know the power of God.
Once again, Hiei began to peruse his deck of cards, with which he had already gained five of the required seven keys needed to enter the Hellfire Tournament Finals. Each card had played a vital, if on occasion miniscule, role in his victories. This very deck had even come close to defeating that of the damnable Pharaoh, but in the end, his saving grace, the Royal Decree, had proven to be his own undoing. Bearing this in mind he had learned not to play the Trap as often, and with this change had also come an increase in more powerful Magic cards.
And yet, the deck which he had been using was becoming faintly inadequate.
Perhaps it is time to abandon the cards I have been using, in favor of my true deck; this deck may have been able to defeat enemies of a much lesser caliber, but for opponents like Yami and Botan, I will need the power of a deck never seen before. With the power of the Chaos Theory deck, I will be completely invincible, for this powerhouse combines the best of the omnipotent combinations, and all is linked together around one card.
If Hiei intended to alter the strategy he was using, the plan was quickly cut short, for deep in the bowels of the mighty stronghold, a massive explosion tore through the walls, causing blackouts in scattered areas throughout the compound. At the exact same moment the degree of Shadow magic spiked upwards sharply.
This is certainly an interesting development; not only has there been an assault on the compound which has not been detected by any sentient being before, but a very unique darkness has manifested itself. From the wavelength frequency of this necromancy, I can safely determine that the being who exuded it is not completely present, as though he is acting through another medium.
Much in the way of a...puppet.
Another detonation, this time shaking the complex to the very foundation, and the black magic spiked again. This time, however, the darkness radiating from the beast had become almost tangible. And yet, the magic seemed arcane in nature, animalistic, yet still dark to the ultimate degree.
So, the wolf has made the first strike against me. As the tiger stalks, struggling to defeat me, and the leopard crouches over the snake to protect it, my enemies have each assimilated themselves in my domain. But in the end, it shall be I, the Black Lion, that will prevail.
Another spike, and this time Hiei could distinctly trace it's source: the food storage areas that kept the place fully operational, and from this vantage point it was the deepest. From this area of the fortress it would take a normal man weeks to trace his way through the labyrinthine paths, by which time he would likely have been killed.
But Hiei was no ordinary creature by any stretch, and with this in mind he sealed his eyes. And upon opening them he was only a few yards away from the source of this strange power surge. What he saw was unlike anything seen by mortal man, in ancient or modern times.
Every inch of this monstrosity was gleaming with a black aura, each individual anatomic structure sealed in annelid-like plating, completely seamless save for the ventricle-like structure that allowed the abomination of nature to survive. At the acumination of each tentacular growth were thin, syringe-like growths, five of which were secreting sweet-smelling venom, as the other stingers were lined with razor-thin spindles that, if they connected, could disembowel a rhinoceros instantaneously. In the center of this conglomeration of tentacles was what appeared to be a all-encompassing mouth, lined with abrasive, almost saw-toothed fangs. And sitting atop this accumulation of unholy appendages was a human torso. The upper body of this hellish chimaera was hardly well-built at all, with arms that would have crumbled away had they not been laced with demonic sortilege, but any other details were lost to the ages, since this component was draped in a silverish fur cloak, complete with a mask hewn from a wolf skull.
So, this is the dark sorcerer that I detected, and even as a watch the ogre gorges itself on ningen flesh. With each drop of blood this thing draws into itself, another grain of power is siphoned off to it's master. And even as it shatters the human skeleton it metabolizes strength. Well, if this is the very best that he can muster, I shall be able to lay waste his entire army by sheer will power. But in the meantime, I suppose I could enjoy the show...
The ruler who seemed to embody the true meaning of The Prince gave the impression of enjoying the grisly scene before him, his demented smirk growing ever wider as the pathetic human bodyguards he had been forced to employ fired innumerable rounds into the beast. But the demon took no notice as it grew fat and complacent consuming pounds of human meat, and seemed almost to enjoy itself as the men were dragged from their safe positions and hurled into the giant's digestive tract...
Yet it was only once this leviathan turned on the foodstuffs, the very lifeblood of the base, that the King of Spirits decided to strike.
It is time to end this little tragedy, for I cannot afford this base to fail.
In this mindset, Hiei reached down to his waistline, wrapping his well-trained hand about the steel hilt of one of his favorite weapons of war, a long, thin katana stained with both human and demon blood. Lining this blade was a long, almost incomprehensible verse, sending praise to the ruler of darkness, as well as occult decorations from nearly every culture on Earth. The better part of the insignias were crossed out, for each represented a different enemy that Hiei had yet to defeat.
With yet another grim smile the demon completely drew out the blade of demons, and a second later planted it firmly into the ground. The few survivors that were watching him were dumbfounded; why had the master not slain the demon before him?
"Wait, you imbeciles. What you are looking for is just about to arrive."
Just as the puppet readied to launch a final attack, small, hairline incisions began to form along each disgusting digit, from which foamy pus began to ooze. This acrid emission trickled ever so slowly from the lacerations, and thus seared away what little whole flesh was present, whilst every nerve in the puppet's body screeched an awful melody of pain and suffering that skyrocketed into the creature's mind.
But there was no response. After all, the electric pulses of any cerebrum no longer have effect if the brain loses oxygen. And generally, the body ceases operating if several thousand lesions from a Japanese katana send it into oblivion.
Hiei, inwardly, had been disappointed by the lackluster performance of his enemy, or rather, an inadequate avatar of such; he needed only to use a one unit of his power to send this gruesome monstrosity back to the depths of Hell. Even so, the demon could not help but feel an echelon of satisfaction as the Shadow Puppet slid apart, letting spurt a inundation of life fluids and paper thin organs, sliced this way thanks to Hiei's well-trained hand. If this is the best that Naraku can send against me, than he may just as well surrender himself to me, or even send that brainless half-breed Inuyasha to do battle. Well, as I have said before, it matters not, for soon Naraku will rest comfortably in some tomb in the innards of the earth...
Yusuke vs. Weevil
"All right, bug bitch, it's my move!" With one fluid action, the loud-mouthed Spirit Detective of Earth drew his starting card. Yes! First draw and I've already got a killer hand! Let's hope it stays that way. "I'll hit the dirt on a run by placing two cards face down, and a monster in defense mode. Next, I will activate this piece of work, the Magic Card, Immortality! For absolutely no cost at all, I can give my monsters the power of rebirth from defeat at the beginning of my turn, so long as their attack is halved each time I use the card. Last but not least, I will play this last Magic card, Spring of Rebirth! By using this Permanent spell, I will gain 500 extra life points each time a monster goes from the field to my hand! I'll stop there, so you can catch up."
With a tenacious grimace that seemed fixated on his enemy's cards, Weevil drew his starting card, and as he stared at it, the complex, devious mechanisms of his mind began to turn, producing the force to back his master strategy. "Urameshi, do you honestly expect me to believe that this little masquerade of yours will be able to stop me from demolishing any hope you have of reaching the Finals? If so, then you are even more of an uncultured gibbon than any of us could ever have understood! More to the point, it would be prudent of you to watch your tongue when addressing me; after all, it was I that came oh so close to defeating the King of Games, Yugi Mouto! Had he not drawn the cards he did, I would have most certainly emerged the victor!"
"Cut the shit, Weevil; you know as well as I do that there isn't a duelist on Earth that could possibly defeat Yugi. I've seen him take down some of the best contenders in the Western world, and he could wipe the floor with anybody on this side of the planet. In fact, I'll stake my life that nobody, not even Death, could beat him at his best." Although she could give him a run for his money...
"Your false bravado will not save you from defeat this time, you dimwitted buffoon. However, I must commend you on your so-called vote of confidence for the inferior duelist. Even if Yugi could defeat me on a level playing field, I highly doubt that you, a small-time thug with the intellectual power of a colony of ants, could have any hope of emerging from this victorious, so prepare to fall!" Weevil began to scan his cards, and although his master strategy was not in attendance, the tactic at hand was more than enough to demolish his enemy. "I shall begin this duel by placing two cards face down, after which I shall then summon one of my most powerful monsters, the dreaded Larva Moth!" Slithering onto the field was what could easily be described as the most hideous arthropodic predecessor on Earth. The worm-like creature extended to about three feet in length, venom-green in hue, with thousands of tiny legs that skittered madly akimbo. From the head of this monstrous creature was jutting a set of pincers and horns that looked slightly poisonous. (500/400) "For my next move, I will activate the Magic card, DNA Split! Using the power of genetics, I will be able to create a token with the exact same chemical structure as any Insect monster on the field, so I will select Larva Moth!" Within mere seconds of the command delivery, infinite chemical reactions began to form in the depths of the card, scanning the entire DNA genome of the Insect-Archetype, on occasion locking onto a particular chromosome that would produce the desired effect. As each individual strand of mRNA was synthesized and activated at the speed of sound, a new creature began to emerge, an exact replica of the Larva Moth. This process also gained a sadistic edge, taking into account the fact that Yusuke had to watch each individual structure fall into place, until the Token was complete. (500/400)
"Tell me, Weevil, did that strategy have any point to it whatsoever? All you've accomplished in your turn so far is play two pathetic monsters on the field, and last I checked a weak monster advantage is no help at all. So unless you're trying to mess with my head and psych me out, I suggest you start playing with a little more power!"
Despite the jeering critique of his skills, Weevil continued to grin in that aggressive way of his. " Oh, I beg to differ, infant! What you see standing before you is the ultimate combination of destruction, for once I play these two cards from my hand, there shall be nothing on Earth that can defeat me! Activate double Cocoons of Evolution!" As Weevil played his final two cards from his hand, the twin larvae began to spin a vast multitude of gossamer silk from spider-like spinnerets on their posteriors, slowly enveloping them into a pupa state. (0/2000) "You claim that my deck has no power, but what you are about to see is the very epitome of strength!"
Since Yusuke had not heard of the cards that that the insect duelist was about to play, he was understandably confused. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Joey, on the other hand, knew all too well what was about to occur...and there was nothing he could do about it.
"I'll try to keep this simple so that your prokaryotic mind can grasp what I'm trying to explain. Over the course of five of my turns, the Larva Moth within both of these cocoons will alter it's shape and form once again, and will slowly but surely evolve into a creature of nearly unstoppable force! Once these creatures hatch, you will have to contend with not one, but two Perfectly Ultimate Great Moths, and when that time comes, you will experience the true wrath of the natural world, where the strong live to continue their race, and the weak are torn to shreds by the great predators!"
Well, this is just perfect. Unless I can take those tanks of cocoons out of the picture, he'll have a massive advantage, but how can I destroy something with this high a defense? I don't have a single no-tribute monster with the attack strength needed to pierce that shell, but I do have a few more cards in my deck that could do the job perfectly. And ironically enough, the card he drew was exactly the one he needed.
"Okay, Weevil, I may not be able to destroy your cocoons with strength, but what I can do is remove them with magic! I will summon Kotodama in attack mode!" Emerging from the card was an emaciated divinity, with lengthy arms and legs that ceased in club-like hands and feet. It's eyes glowed with an eerie pink that seemed to counteract the leathery flesh that kept it whole, and the light from these eyes activated throngs of strange Hindi symbols that flared across the field. Even as it's glow purged the field, this strange faerie let loose an ancient chant that caused massive pain to all that heard it. (0/1600) You see, the second this monster hits the field, it will automatically destroy one monster with the same name as another on the field, so your team of moths has just been cut in half!" But even as these yelps worked their way across the playing field, the face-down cards that Weevil had played were triggered.
"You simple-minded buffoon! Did you really expect a parlor trick like Kotodama to work on a warrior of my superior eminence? Well, you'll have to rework that hypothesis as I activate both of my cards, Book of Moon and Aqua Chorus! Thanks to the ancient Egyptian text of the Book of Moon, I can switch your Kotodama back into face-down defense position, disabling its effect due to it's Spell Speed Level 2! As for Aqua Chorus, the otherwise useless Trap will empower any monsters whose names match those of the others by 500 points for both statistics!" Thanks to the Magic card, Kotodama was sealed beneath a fog of dark magic, while the mage of Aqua Chorus empowered the moths. (500/2500)
"Again with the moths, Weevil? Kotodama wasn't the only plan I had in mind, so I'll activate this face down card of mine, the Magic Card known as Tribute to the Doomed, which will allow me to destroy one of your monsters, so say goodbye to Cocoon of Evolution number one!" The all-consuming gauze burst out from the Magic zone, and within a moment the Cocoon was dragged away into the depths of Hell. "And since your second Cocoon is all by itself, it loses the power boost that the Aqua Chorus provided for it!" The magician emerging from the card returned to it's original position, taking the power with it. (0/2000) "Thanks to my Tribute to the Doomed card, I now have to discard one card from my hand, but that won't matter much." As far as Yusuke was concerned, the card would be better suited to the grave anyway.
Unnoticed by the Spirit Detective, small bullets of sweat had assimilated on Weevil's forehead, as he realized that with only one Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, he would have no chance at victory. If that moron before me learned anything from the psychic Genkai, then my Moth will be finished before the end of my next turn. What I need to do is summon a monster and play a spell that will allow me to completely demolish his Spirit Monsters...and I have just the plan to accomplish this. All I need to do is draw the right cards, which I can do with relative ease.
"Very well, Urameshi. If you wholeheartedly think that you can defeat me in this duel...THINK AGAIN! I play the Magic card, Card of Sanctity! This card will allow each of us to draw until we both have six cards in our hand, and since my hand is empty, I can draw six cards! Next, I shall activate this card, Shield and Sword, which will switch the attack strengths and defense strengths of all monsters on the field for the rest of my turn, followed by one card face down. Finally, I will summon the Parasite Caterpillar in Attack mode." A second caterpillar appeared, a long, stringy creature with razorblade pincers and flaring bright eyes, upon which was a set of squiggling antennae. (800/1200) "Parasite Caterpillar, attack his Kotodama with Infecting Saw-tooth!" With unmatched speed the grub launched forward, as spikes rose in quick succession to latch onto the fairy.
What is this moron thinking? Anything with even a decomposing brain can see that the Parasite will bite the dust if it tries to strike. Unless he want me to strike back; we will see. "Kotodama, Counter Attack!" Once this command was issued, Kotodama balled both of it's fists and went into a jujitsu stance, and just as the insect came within striking distance, the pixie-like creature gripped the monstrosity and attempted to snap it in half. But not before the beast did something completely unexpected.
As soon as the Parasite was broken, a thousand other worm-like creatures swarmed into the open wound that was the result of the attack. Once the other parasitic bugs had crammed their way into the living flesh of Yusuke's duel monster, which in turn began to writh and moan in pain, Weevil's life points finally dropped. (4000/3200)
"Alright, Underwood, you've had your twisted fun, so explain to me what is wrong with my damn monster?!"
"Oh, it's quite simple, even for someone as underdeveloped as yourself. The special ability of my Parasite Caterpillar allows it to immobilize one creature on your side of the field, preventing it from attacking, defending, or even being sacrificed. So your Kotodama is now all but useless to you, for in three more turns my parasites will completely envelop and destroy the monster they infected. And remember, I still have the Cocoon of Evolution that has been pupating for a turn, so you only have four more turns to stop it!"
And once my Parasite Caterpillar kicks in fully, you will have much worse to contend with...
To Be Continued
Sorry I didn't include everything, but next chapter will make up for it.
Next time, Inuyasha will finally begin his first duel, as he ponders what Yami and Kikyo have to do with one another. Yami, meanwhile, starts up his duel, but is there more to his enemy than first appears? Roger, in the meantime, must deal with an old enemy...
Remember, the more you review, the more I update!