Disclaimer: I own nothing here!
Well, if you were watching last time, you'll know that Kaiba and Sango have now made an uneasy alliance. At the same time, Yusuke continued his match, while Yami finally won. .
This chapter will begin the duels of Inuyasha and Roger, while Kaiba and Sango deal with an unknown enemy. Yami, meanwhile, figures out Naraku's plans, and Kachikachi is introduced.
Well, let's tear it up!
Chap. 26: Warriors in the Shadows
Apartment Complex, Slums of New Paradigm
745, Rousseau Street. The exact wording on the business card given to him.
Sesshomaru could not believe the sight before his eyes. Compared to the relative luxury he had lived in for the better part of ten years, the so-called "home of the future" was little more than a sleazy dump. All about him rats were crawling around, hunting for some scrap of nonexistent food. Far off in the distance he could hear the screams of children as they were dragged off by the various civil servants that would later draft the same youths into the military or navy. The odor of cheap perfume and poorly made alcohol permeated the air and seeped into the mind, while the quivering vagrants begged for alms of any kind. In fact, one such hobo actually came up to the demon himself and clenched onto his expensive robes like a vice, practically shrieking at him for money, upon which Sesshomaru tossed him into the nearest brick wall.
That any normal human could even think of dwelling in such a place was abhorrent to him, but in order to get his latest assignment done he would need the assistance of one particular man that lived in this hovel. This man had been hired by Hiei as one of his generals, but it had not been the first time that the two had crossed paths.
Knowing full well the dangers involved in this transaction, the demon rapped on the rusted iron door, thrice hard, and once lightly, as their code had dictated. For a few moments there was no response, and Sesshomaru took this opportunity to clasp onto the wooden hilt of his second blade, a sword that very few in this realm knew existed, and even went so far as to loosen it from the sheath. But before the chance to draw it out completely presented itself, the threshold creaked slightly ajar, and from this gap appeared two beady eyes.
"What? What is it? Who is there?"
The senility of this one is almost tangible. It is as though he cannot recognize that there is another before him.
"I am here to see the swordsman Kachikachi, whom I have determined makes his residence here."
"There is no swordsman here, sir. Nobody's come here for over thirty years, and some have even moved out after coming to New Paradigm. So I'd check somewhere else...anywhere else."
Undaunted, the demon burst through the door with a single punch. The inside of the complex was no better than the outside, with poorly made wood paneling, warped floorboards, and exposed mortar and brick in a number of places. The lighting itself was nearly useless, with only a few bulbs actually creating illumination.
"Gah! What do ya think yer doing?! You can't just break down a door and waltz in!"
Sesshomaru had now completely drawn out his most powerful weapon, the Tokijin, which in turn began to emit a powerful red aura. "Actually, I believe I can. You see, it's my belief that if a person, or demon in my case, should possess any significant power, it is his right to use it howsoever they want. I also think that those who try to stop them are in effect damning themselves. Now, where is the swordsman?"
"I...I don't know who you're talking about!"
This answer simply did not cut it, and the landlord learned this the hard way as he crashed headfirst into the wall. The impact did not kill him, but it would be hard to tell by the torrent of human fluids now oozing out of this gap. Having done this, Sesshomaru now extracted the sleaze.
"If there is any part of human nature I despise, it is their tendency to lie, and when one of them lies directly to my face it is especially distasteful. So I will only ask you one last time. Where is Kachikachi?" As the sentence came to a close, his vice-like fingers began to constrict around the man's larynx, resulting in a hardship of breathing. Even at this point he could hear the vertebrae crack. But as his hand was about to crush the man's throat completely a new presence assimilated.
"Is that really necessary, Sesshomaru? Or have you simply reverted to your savage state as have the better bulk of your kind?"
The demon, now hearing the voice of his target, released the landlord, who in turn lay paralyzed on the floor. "Well, it certainly has been a long while, but not long enough in my view. At any rate, I have a new assignment for you."
The speaker stepped forward into the brightest light possible, a "skylight" that was actually a hole in the roof covered in glass. Even from this poor lighting his was a powerful presence indeed. Robed in a kimono of the purest black and standing a full 6 feet tall, his sickly pale flesh proved to be a contrast image of the inky locks of hair that hung loosely behind his head. Eyes also of black scanned the hallway, and in order fell upon Sesshomaru's drawn sword, the demon's Duel Gauntlet that was the exact color of his own, and his own sword, nestled within the confines of his gold-decorated sheath.
"Really. Well, I am sorry to say that it does not matter what assignment I am given, for in any case I will have to refuse. Call it undermining your authority, rebelling against my own cause, or whatever you like, but I have neither the time nor desire to accomplish what menial tasks you are too inept to do yourself. And as you can imagine, whatever jobs Hiei has planned will simply be discarded. Now, if you will excuse me..." As the warrior turned, however, his path was blocked by a sharpened pipe that now served as a crude javelin. So he turned to Sesshomaru, whose outstretched arm was proof enough of who had committed the attempt on his life.
"It's not that simple, Kachikachi. From what you have said so far, it appears you think as though you have a choice in the matter. But the last time I checked, our old deal is still valid. And you have also forgotten that I could kill you at any moment." So saying, the demon brought his glowing sword into the floor, and if but for a moment the point was lost. Yet as thousands of glass-like shards burst out of the wood and tore deep into every vital organ of the defeated landlord, the end result was no longer merely a gruesome new paint upon the walls, but a degree of respect from the older warrior. Yet fear did not present itself.
Damn him and his steadfastness. His are a people that have never bent easily to threats, but this is absolutely insane. It's like I could lose control over him at any moment. However, there is at least one way to make him work for me...
"Perhaps I should have mentioned that the target of this assignment is the Pharaoh himself. If that doesn't make you interested, then I have been wasting my time here."
Barely visible though it was, a small spark of interest had been set in Kachikachi's eyes.
"Well, this alters the situation quite a bit, doesn't it? If that is the case I will be more than happy to deal with whatever task your commander has devised. However, in order for me to accomplish this I must have your word that no one will interfere; if I am to do this effectively I will need to be completely alone. Otherwise I will simply walk away, regardless of whatever pact you so tenaciously enforce, and neither you nor Hiei will ever hear from me again."
"As appealing as this sounds, I will agree to your terms nonetheless. Now, your assignment is relatively simple; all you will have to do is defeat the Pharaoh in a duel so that Naraku does not get to him first. You will then bring the Puzzle to me, and it will fall directly into Hiei's hands. He will get the Sennen Item he desires, I will receive the Tetsuaiga, and you will be able to settle whatever grudge you have against Yami, so everyone will benefit from this operation."
"I accept. But I must ask one more favor in return; if I should defeat the Pharaoh in this duel, I will be entitled to the Sennen Tauk afterwards, as well as your Tensuaiga in payment for my services. And I also have another request; the opportunity to battle you again, so that I may reclaim my lost honor from our last fight."
"Agreed. Now, you have until the end of tomorrow to face the spirit, so I would prepare your deck, and remember, win by any means necessary. If that means using the Orichalcos, so be it." And with that, the demon watched as his human operative walked back into the shadows...
Inuyasha vs. Yoko Kurama
"Alright, Yoko, I'll make the first move!" In one swoop the card on top of Inuyasha's deck became one more in his card pool. However, from the cards he'd gained, only two of them were of any immediate use. "I'll start by placing two cards face down, and summoning the Des Kangaroo in attack mode!" From his first card played emerged a medium-size marsupial with green fur and what looked like a purple boxing jacket. Fitted on both forelegs was a set of bright red gloves. (1400/1700) "Finally, I'll equip my creature with the Magic card, Raregold Armor! As long as this card remains equipped, my beast that wears it can be the only target of attack!" The jacket was soon replaced by a hefty suit of gilt platinum armor. "That will end my turn."
"If that is so, then it's my turn. I hope that you weren't too fixated on winning this match, for your Des Kangaroo will soon be nothing but a smear on the wall. I summon the monster known as Lekunga in attack mode!" Yoko's new creature was a circular algae with a yellowish eye in the center, surrounded by five tentacles that drew constant nourishment from the earth below it. (1700/700) "Lekunga, demolish his Des Kangaroo with Metabolic Absorption!" The hideous flora sent a stream of the same tentacles to strangle the beast, but within seconds the deadly assault was intercepted by a wall of blazing sapphire energy.
"Perhaps I should have mentioned earlier the face down card I played, but since you fell for it anyway, I might as well tell you of it. The card I activated is a Permanent Trap called Binding Sapphire Sigil, and when active it prevents all Water attribute monsters from attacking. However, that's not the only move you triggered, for I activate my second face down card, Life Break! This will force both players to discard all monster cards in our current hand, meaning that until your next turn you have nothing to defend yourself. But by that time your Lekunga will be at my mercy!"
Damn it all! It's only the first move and he's already got the advantage; that last move alone cost me everything but two cards in my hand. I have to turn this around, and I might have a way to do it. "Alright, I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
"In which case, it's my turn again! I activate the magic card known as Monster Recovery, allowing me to shuffle one monster on my side of the field along with my hand into the deck, after which I can draw the same number of cards from the deck, giving me a new total of four cards to work with. Next, I'll summon the Vorse Raider in attack mode!" A new beast emerged, a deadly looking monstrosity with demonic armor and a wickedly curved blade. Even at that point his fangs were oozing in blood, and his eyes now flared with the purest malice. (1900/1200) "Last but not least, I'll activate the Magic card, Frenzied Rage! At the cost of 500 life points per turn, all monsters on my side of the field are allowed to attack twice with each move. Now, my raider, attack his Lekunga!"
"Not so fast, Inuyasha! Reveal the Trap card, Call of the Haunted! This card allows me to Special Summon any monster from my graveyard onto the field, and I select the dreaded Tribe-Infecting Virus! When this monster is on the field, I am allowed to discard one card from my hand, and in exchange...well, you'll see soon enough." Upon the once empty field zone emerged a cloud of microscopic viruses that had become so concentrated they were actually visible. (1600/1000) "Tribe-Infecting Virus, use your abilities on all Beast-Warrior monsters on the field!" Upon gaining the tribute the Virus launched onto the charging Vorse Raider, which in turn slowed to a halt. Within mere seconds the Raider began to claw away at it's very flesh as the burning sensation sent it insane, until it plunged it's own blade into the skin, purple organs now being extracted with the blood in a gruesome suicide. "This will happen to every monster you summon, for as long as there is a card in my hand to offer, I can select a new sub-type to devastate each time I choose."
"Fine. I will place one card face down and end my turn."
Another draw phase, but this time proved a success.
"I will start my turn by activating this Magic card, Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three new cards, at the price of two from my hand." Within seconds, the two discarded cards were on their path to the graveyard. "Next, I will activate the Magic card I chose to keep, Pot of Greed, in order to draw two new cards. Finally, I will place one of these cards face down, and summon the monster known as White Magical Hat!" A new soldier appeared, a svelte gentleman draped in a hat and cloak of the purest white, which seemed to coincide with the midnight blue of it's suit. (1000/700) "Now, White Magical Hat, mount a direct attack on the dog's life points! And I probably should mention that whenever my professional thief inflicts damage to your life points, you will lose one card from your hand, bringing you to no form of options." The nobleman now drew out a golden rapier, and so armed leapt forward, left hand outstretched to snatch away Inuyasha's final card. Yet the half-demon also had a trap waiting in the wings.
"I activate the Trap card, Drain Shield! This card allows me to negate the damage done by any opposing monster, and the attack force is added to my life points." The pillager was soon knocked away, while the golden shield that resulted from the trap's play condensed into his Duel Gauntlet (5000/4000) "And remember, my Sigil's still in play, so none of your Water-monsters can attack me. If you're planning on using that Virus, good luck with that, for it'll be buried by the time you get anything in that hand. Seems stupidity runs in the family, you stupid bastard."
"Hm. I'm afraid the solution is not that simple, for I still have a card face down on the field, and it's one of my favorites, the trap known as Roll of Destiny! It will allow me to roll a die once, and although I am forced to discard that number of cards from the deck afterwards, I will be able to draw a number before the discard equal to the same roll! Let's begin!" With a single twitch the die clattered about the arena floor, finally coming to a halt at the edge of the grass wall. "Hah! Now I can draw 4 new cards, and the rest that go, well, let's just say you won't miss them too much. Next, I'll activate the Magic card, Monster Reborn, which will allow me to special summon any monster destroyed in this duel, so come forth, my Lord Poison!" From the standard golden ankh of Monster Reborn emerged something completely out of the ordinary, a humanoid looking plant to which the term "hideous" could not be placed without downsizing it. The entire creature was mud gray in appearance, with two long arms jutting out and producing claw-like roots. (1500/1000) "My creature may not seem overly powerful right now, but with the activation of this Magic card, the Foolish Burial, he has the potential to be unstoppable. All I have to do is have the Lord destroyed, and the move I just played will become quite clear. However, my Lord Poison is still a Water monster, and is bound by the Sigil you kept on the field, so the most I can do is play one final card face down, to end my turn."
As Inuyasha drew his next card with a degree of surprise, it became clear to him that this duel was not as hopeless as it seemed. (4500/4000)
"I activate the Magic card known as Confiscation! By activating this card I can force you to drop a card from your hand, while all I lose is a thousand life points! As if that wasn't enough, I've also shut down your Virus's effect, meaning that my monsters are free to destroy it! And speaking of which, I summon the monster known as Berserk Gorilla in attack mode!" (3500/4000) A new, even deadlier savage emerged from whence the Vorse Raider came, a gigantic silverback gorilla who would have been fairly intimidating without the ever-increasing dementia that was in the beast's eyes. Even as it was summoned it began to shake violently, as the three enemy monsters stood at the ready, while a trickle of foam slipped out of the monster's jaws. (2000/1000) "In order for my monster to stay in use, I need to keep it in face-up attack mode, and I must also attack with it whenever possible, but that is perfectly fine with me. Berserk Gorilla, get rid of that damn plague he set on the field!" However, the Gorilla had other plans in mind, as it instead lumbered towards the Lord Poison, which in turn now wore a suit of thin, devilish armor.
"You forgot that the last turn I took ended with one card face down, and the card I selected was known as Target Redirecting Armor. It allows me to negate one attack launched at my monster, and change the target to any other monster on the field, so I decided to target the monster whose destruction would benefit me the most: my Lord Poison!" Within an instant the fiendish weed was in the powerful fists of the deranged ape, and just as quickly snapped in half. (3500/3500) "You see, when the Lord Poison monster is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, it places a tiny pod onto the field. And it is through that pod that I am allowed to Special Summon any Plant-type monster from the grave so long as it is not the Lord Poison. So return to me, King of Faeries Oberon!" In the same field zone where the Lord Poison had been played a small seed appeared, which grew to be about seven feet tall, and from this emerged a towering being. The new monster was easily of royal heritage, resplendent in robes of pearl, and bound by thick chest armor which wrapped around the neck and bore slight resemblance to plant life. From his back jutted two overwhelming insect wings, and his right hand clutched a relatively simple scepter inset with a round sapphire, and his elvish face looked as though age had not graced it in over a century. (2200/1700) At the same time this noble began to mumble a chant of antiquity, resulting in the Lekunga growing about twenty extra tendrils and gaining a set of two eyes upon it's head, giving it greater vision in the process. (2700/2000) (2200/1000)
"What the hell just happened?!"
Even from this distance, the fox demon's level of arrogance was unbearable. "It is the special ability of Oberon that caused this power boost. For as long as my creature remains face up on the field, all Plant-type monsters in my control will gain an extra 500 attack and defense points, meaning that both my Lekunga and Oberon are unassailable. But at the same time, keep in mind that my Virus is still open for attack."
"Alright then, Berserk Gorilla, use the effect of your Frenzied Rage to demolish his Tribe-Infecting Virus!" Now completely incensed, the primate warlord leapt into the sky, and from this perch crashed into the cloud of plague, unable to defend itself from the immense weight of the barrage. (3500/3100) "That shuts down one plan for you, so I'll end my turn."
"Very well, it's my move." And the card he drew was just the one to win this duel.
"Inuyasha, I am sorry to say that this match is about to take a whole new twist, so I'll place one monster in defense mode, and that will end my turn."
"Alright, it's my move!" Okay, in order for me to take down this moron, I'll need to draw out his defenses. He may be able to hide behind his offensive monsters, but if he should play defense, I'll have a surprise for him.
"I'm afraid it'll take a lot more than your face down monster to throw me off of this match, and believe me, I have just the creature to deal with it. I summon the Enraged Battle Ox in attack mode!" Another monster stepped out onto the field, a massive bull-like creature that seemed to stand upon it's hind feet. This would have been a disconcerting enough sight without the fact that this oxen was guarded by crimson and gold armor and hefted a gigantic battle ax. (1700/1000) "And thanks to the special ability of this infuriated version of an otherwise useless monster, all Beast, Beast-Warrior, and Winged Beast monsters can inflict damage even if the target is in defense mode! Berserk Gorilla, attack his face-down monster with Primal Crash!" Leaping forth for the third time, the ape proceeded to bring both mighty forearms onto the face-down creature, but instead of shattering as it normally would, the monster rose forth as a frail ceramic pod. (500/500)
Once both fists had dragged the thing apart, this new plant began to launch roots out of the resulting chasm, spreading rapidly across the field until the entire arena was engulfed in a massive forest. At the center of this woodsy development was a gigantic oak tree, pulsing with the energies that now resided in the graveyard, and for a while, nothing happened...until an infinite number of tendrils snaked out and placed the cards on the field and graveyard into both player's hands. (3500/1600)
"Thanks, you baka inu. You just activated my Fiber Jar."
Kaiba's Office
To say that Seto Kaiba had not been the target of an assassination attempt before this point would not only be an absolute fallacy, but would also be complete stupidity. For as far back as he had snatched control of Kaiba Corp from the depraved hands of Gozaburo Kaiba, he had been the focal point of every professional hit man, bounty hunter, and gang member project in at least ten different countries. The circumstances had the inevitable tendency to vary, as did the methods by which their plans failed to come into success, but each had one overly terminal imperfection: all of them underestimated Kaiba's brilliance in such areas.
Sango, on the other hand, was not so fortunate.
"Mr. Kaiba? Is something wrong?"
"Alright, Minamoto, I want you to listen closely. I'm not sure whether this enemy has armor-piercing bullets or not, so if I don't make it out of here alive, take my dueling deck to Yugi Mouto, and don't let that bastard Hiei leave the city unless it's in a mortician's bag. But in the meantime, I need you to press that silver button next to my hand." So saying, Kaiba now raised both hands into the air, much to the girl's befuddlement. "Don't ask any questions, Sango, just press it. NOW!!!"
Confused as she was, the demon slayer decided that Kaiba's idea was easily the only one that could be useful in a position such as this, and so went with it...just as a resounding blast from the roof nearest them tore through the air. Kaiba, now certain in his safekeeping, placed his hands down and took no notice as a dent became part of the hefty fiberglass security window.
"What was that?!"
"Pay it no heed, for now at least. But I'm afraid we'll need to conduct our business elsewhere; at this rate, it won't be too long before our assassin will pull out the heavy artillery." At which point the security window was plastered with dozens of heavy-duty bullets, resulting in a small spider web formation on each impact sight. As each one created this pattern, Kaiba could very well determine that the integrity of the window was becoming compromised in far too swift a moment for comfort, and so decided to begin clearing up his office. At this point of the game, it became clear that this new enemy would likely try to get into his office and gather the proper information to destroy him. And it was for that reason that he activated the intercom.
"Attention all employees and guests. I am afraid I must cut your businesses short, as we must begin evacuation procedures. Please exit the building in an orderly fashion and stay at least 500 yards from the building upon exiting. You will be allowed the designated time to leave."
Of course, the calculating CEO was not one to abandon his work completely; after all, the data he had just gained on New Paradigm was worthy of many thousands of dollars, and there was no way he would abandon it now. So planning, he began to process this information on one of his floppy discs as he gathered what irreplaceable documents he had in that area. But even as his final important papers were collected, the security window shattered...and Sango was right in the firing range.
"Damn it, Minamoto, get away from the window!"
The roar of a sniper rifle un-silenced shattered the air as it's ammunition screamed directly into the office transom, letting all who had the resolve to hear it's awful tenor tear deep into the workaday peace of New Paradigm. Those who did see it could only watch in horror as the bullet punctured their lives and lacerated their very souls, and deep with the populace knew that the Time of Peace was over, and yet refused to look this fact in the eye. Denial had, over the countless years, become infused with the persona of the city itself, and as such the poor simpletons could not bear this overwhelming fact. But it would have brought them a degree of comfort had they known the bullet had not reached it's target.
"Thank God for Kevlar", Kaiba intoned to anyone who would listen as he was knocked backwards from the force of the blast, his own firearm drawn and fired.
"Mr. Kaiba!"
Now horrified at what her stupidity had done, Sango rushed over to the weakened duelist, now lifting himself from the position in the outside office which the gunshot had placed him in.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. However, I'm afraid we're going to have to get out of this office; I have a hunch that whoever the assailant was, he wasn't working alone. I've dealt with bastards like him before now, and from what I know of the profession, an assassin of that dexterity would likely go for the highest bidder. From this perspective, the only possible client is Hiei." Having now stood to his full height, Kaiba reached for the lightweight attaché case where he keep his important documents and his deck, while at the same time placing the heavy magnum with which he had stopped the assault into it's proper holster. "Alright, at this point, I can easily calculate we'll have about twenty minutes to get out of here before the other goons show up. Meaning we have about fifteen to get out of this building." And so the two bolted out of the cramped office in the swiftest of manners, as it was now sharply obvious that Kaiba had no intention of letting this building stay up for longer than that. Yet before the two left, Kaiba typed a small command into his desktop computer, at which a miniature modem appeared out of the main one.
Within about five minutes the two were outside of the building, and the situation in which they found themselves was complete bedlam. Neither of them had any grasp onto how this pitiful attempt at murder would send the populace into absolute insanity, but it had anyway; as far as the human eye could see, the people of New Paradigm were screaming relentlessly, charging right into traffic like so many decapitated chickens. Part of this maddened crowd was Kaiba's office staff, and even they had been sent into complete disorder, a few swarming around the dead body of the hit man, and at least one of them scrambling through the pockets of such. But every single unit of that set that was not reduced to psychosis was fixated on the hefty sniper rifle that now lay in the streets, and from this single machine of death it was presumed that the end had truly come.
For these humans, peace meant all of the world to them. Their views were rather simplistic in that they believed that a global negation of combat could truly be accomplished, but when they realized that this was not to occur, the populace decided to follow their impromptu dictator into the skies. Denial became the watchword for these morons, and as surely could be perceived they came to the conclusion that by simply removing themselves from the game they could be at peace. This day had proven them wrong, in a rather large step.
Kaiba, however, had not been born in such delusion, and because of this he was one of the very few on which the attempt at his life had no after-effect. But because of this panic he was forced to rethink his current plan as he and Sango ran into the nearby parking garage. If he should detonate his office building the entire city would go into cardiac arrest, but if he did not, the lives of thousands would be devastated in one blow. The information he had on that single computer was more than enough for Hiei and others to locate their own enemies and completely obliterate them and their families. As if that wasn't enough, Kaiba also stored the newfound data on Paradigm Corp, and if that was discovered the local government would have his head.
The time has come to make my decision. Either direction will make or break me if not approached cautiously, and if my hands are found on either situation I will be slain. Yugi and the others will also be affected, for the data on my computer stores their personal records. So now I must make a choice: peace or life?
Yet as he placed his ignition key into the black sports car his immense wealth had gained him, the solution was now painfully obvious. Peace may have been in the future, but it was not worth the life of so many people.
The powerful engine ensconced within the vehicle now sent it's sweet soprano high into the air, completely drowning out the yelps and howls of the plebeians that grew ever farther behind them as Kaiba sped deep into the city. Where exactly he was headed is anyone's guess, but his destination changed upon the next few minute's conversation.
"Alright, Sango, I gave you the sanctuary you needed, as well as nearly getting myself killed for your sake. Now what I need is some idea of where I'm going, and who specifically to look for."
"Supposedly Naraku has set up a kind of espionage network through which he can track Hiei and the others, so all we need to do is find out who has been tracking the Black Shadow Unit, Hiei's private army. But to be honest, I'm not entirely clear on where to start searching."
Smirking in an amused manner, Kaiba began to scan through his mini modem while his free hand continued steering; he was clearly an expert driver in cars such as this. "You're joking, right? All we'll have to do is make a scan of communications systems in New Paradigm. Once those points are located, we specify the screening process and condense it down into inter-city transmitters, since it's unlikely that this demon has contacts outside of Paradigm. After these are specified we reduce the results down to systems unassociated with Paradigm Corp; in other words, "family" communications."
Even Sango knew what this meant. They were about to deal directly with the mob. Kaiba, however, did not seem overly worried as his GPS tracker made all necessary adjustments so that they could locate these comm systems.
"So what exactly will happen once these are isolated?"
"We continue to search, this time using Kaiba Corp's political databank. You see, a president in my position is probably going to have difficulties with police officials and mobsters alike, so I took it upon myself to design a storage facility from which we could investigate all of these weak links. In the process, I compiled all connections to these gangs...including those that operated in Paradigm. So all I have to do is have our network screen all non-government communications using this data, and any contact that isn't from any of these families or the Black Shadow Unit will lead us directly to Naraku's contact. Once we find them, it'll be fairly easy to find out where that bastard Hiei is hiding, using a few interrogation methods of my own." Within seconds all of Kaiba Corp's political satellites were focused entirely on finding the exact specifications that Seto had mapped out. "Before we begin our actual search, why exactly have you been tracking that demon for such a long time in the first place?"
"Call it something of a vengeance streak. Simply put, he got to Naraku and the other targets of my people before I could. You could label it as a professional conflict, if you'd like. However, he also has something else I need, the Shikon no Tama."
So, the sacred jewel rears it's ugly head once again. I may not know all of it's secrets, but if it's important enough to burn down Tokyo for it, then Hiei wielding it is by no means a good sign. And the very fact that the demon went completely out of the way to take down Higurashi for the same crystal is concerning in itself. The true question, however, is how she is involved in all of this, when all she did was capture the jewel within her body.
"What of you, Seto Kaiba? It seems pretty obvious at this point in the game that petty vengeance isn't much a part of your repertoire, and considering the fact that he never made a strike against you before this tournament, it also appears that someone of your stature wouldn't have problems with Spirit World before now..."
"Believe me, I'm after the bastard for much more than petty revenge. My grievances with him are drawn from much more recent experiences, and what he did to me is unforgivable. So from my standpoint, as you put it, I have only two options: crush him in a duel, or tear the very muscles from his bones in the process. In the meantime, however, we'll just have to operate through that pansy Naraku."
As if by strings, Sango stood fully straight upon hearing these harsh words from Kaiba, as though the very thought of insulting the demon was enough to incur his wrath.
"Relax. By the time the bitch finds out anything we'll be halfway through the finals. And at this stage of the game, there's not a lot he can do to me anyway that hasn't been done before now." Yet as Kaiba continued the converse his dashboard computer made a noise that was rather hard to ignore.
Target located. Speakeasy Tavern, Quadrant 3. 45, Cromwell Street. And as it happened, Kaiba was directly on this street.
"Alright, once we get in there I'll go straight for the informant. You'll handle any messy details, and if either of us get out alive that person will go directly to the other duelists. Got that?"
"Right. But there's one thing I forgot. I owe you something of a life debt, and I'd like to repay that now." Sango was now sweating profusely, barely able to keep still as she finally removed the mask she had worn since her introduction to Kaiba, and even from this point Kaiba could see something was wrong. What exactly it was could not be easily determined until the car stopped in front of the rundown tavern where she made it very clear what the problem was.
Within an instant, Sango Minamoto sent Seto Kaiba into absolute shock by crushing her own lips against his in a rather unexpected kiss.
Roger vs. R.D.
"Simply for the sake of argument, I will begin this duel." Even with the most fleeting of glances Roger began to discover that this starting hand was not the best he could come up with. With only one magic and trap apiece and three useless monsters, he would have to make do with the worthless resources he had. "I'll start by placing one card face down, and summoning Roboyarou in defense mode!" The first monster he played was a humanoid creature with heavy blue armor, upon which were welded thin spikes of iron. (900/700) "Your move. But before I let you begin this duel, let me ask you something. Why exactly have you entered this tournament in the first place? When you and I first met the exact same was true, since at the time I saw no readily obvious reason for you to murder all of those people in cold blood." In response to the query, Red Destiny gave him another demented smirk that sent streams of ice into his blood stream.
"After nearly seven years you have yet to figure out the purpose for my actions, Negotiator? Do you mean to regale me with the fact that you are such a moron that you cannot even figure out the inner meanings of my, shall we say, crimes of passion? Well, if that is the case, I will not dignify that question with a response. Now that this is cleared away, it's my move!" One more card in hand, R.D. began to study her current situation with unbridled joy. So far, none of my more powerful strategies are within immediate reach, but until that happens I will simply have to use another. "I will start this duel by summoning the Cannon Soldier in Attack mode!" The second monster played was nothing if not horrendous, a clattering steel machine whose pneumatic legs and clawed arm units were rusted and disjointed. Upon the artificial intelligence computer was mounted a cumbersome artillery piece. (1400/1300) "Next, I will play two of the most powerful Magic cards in my entire deck, the Black Pendant and Big Bang Shot!" As the manic cybernetic played the two, a decorative piece of jewelry shimmering with a dark necromancy assimilated on the shoulders of the Machine, while a shoe-like device equipped with rockets attached to the beast's foot. (2300/1300) "Finally, I will activate my last Magic card, Dark Room of Nightmare!" As the final card was played on the field, the entire arena became engulfed in a dark fog-like substance, after which a large, tomb styled plot appeared. Even as the very torches flickered along said walls, an array of strange and distorted shadows walked confidently on the sides, searching for prey to devour. "The power of this Magic will make itself very clear on my next turn, but for now, the power of my Cannon Soldier will have to suffice! Cannon Soldier, attack and destroy his Roboyarou!" Unfortunately, this command was not about to go through, thanks to Roger's own swift thinking.
"Activate the Trap Card, Zero Gravity! Upon activation, this Trap will switch the battle positions of all monsters face-up on the field, meaning that your Cannon Soldier is forced into defense, where he can't attack!" Within an instant, the Cannon Soldier was crouched in something of a fetal position, unable to strike as it's enemy stood confidently for the assault.
"Not too bad, Negotiator. In light of this development I will place one card face down, and pass the count to you."
Another card drawn, and although not game breaking by any stretch, it would be more than enough to take down the Cannon Soldier.
"Alright, R.D., I may not know how you returned to this city, but let me assure you it will not happen again, for I activate the Magic Card, Machine Replication!" From the shadows of the Nightmare Room tramped forward two more copies of Roboyarou. "You see, if I have any machine monster on my side of the field, I am allowed to summon the two remaining ones from my deck, so long as the original has under 1500 attack points. Next, I will sacrifice one of these monsters to summon the Machine King in attack mode!" The first Roboyarou was slowly disassembled from an invisible source, and from it's parts was devised the framework of an even greater mechanical soldier. The device in question stood about 30 feet tall with red and silver armor, with two massive mechanical fists at it's side. Upon summoning the creatures ruby vision port grew bright as it recognized the presence of other machines and drew power from this. (2600/2000) "Thanks to the Machine King's special ability, it will gain 100 extra attack points for every single machine-type monster on the field, itself included. Machine King, destroy the Cannon Soldier with Twin Rocket Assault!" As this order was lain in the mecha's hard drive, it lifted up both of it's heavy arms, and from them let sail both fists on jets of flame, yet as the double assault screamed towards it's fellow machine, an otherwise unheralded Trap activated. As though from some perverse twist in the fabric of reality, the rocket-propelled forearms were absorbed in a set of wormholes.
"HA! I knew you were too stupid to regard my face down card, the trap known as Negate Attack! It allows me to halt the attack of any enemy monster, while at the same time ending your Battle Phase completely so that no other damage can be dealt to me in this turn from an attack!"
Damn it! Not only does she have a nearly unstoppable monster on the field, but she must also have a plan to use that Cannon Soldier's special effect and demolish my life points! Luckily, her Negate Attack will only last one turn, meaning that when I move again I'll be able to take that monstrosity down! "If that's the way you want it, I'll place a card face down and end my turn."
Another card drawn, and it was the perfect one for her strategy.
"I activate the Magic Card, Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards from my deck, followed by the activation of the two Magic cards I drew by the effect, Mass Driver and Stray Lambs." Upon two of the open monster zones leapt a pair of horribly discolored lambs, barely able to stand still as the shadows of the Nightmare Room skittered about them. (0/0) x2 The second card resulted in a much different effect, for behind the Cannon Soldier emerged a gigantic silver chain cannon, mounted onto the ground via a set of bracers linked to the sides. "Allow me to explain this next move to you, Roger. As long as my Mass Driver remains face up on the field, I am allowed to sacrifice any monster to inflict the opponent 400 life points damage. At the same time, I also have a Cannon Soldier face up on the field, which states that I can sacrifice any monster that I happen to control to deal 500 points of damage to you as well, and while the effects of other cards do not count for Cannon Soldier, Mass Driver's effect states nothing of the sort! So by sacrificing one of my Lamb Tokens, I can cause you 900 points of direct damage due to their combined effects. And that is where my Dark Room of Nightmare comes into play, for as long as we are within the borders of said room, any damage that was not caused by battle is increased by 300 points! So now I sacrifice both of my tokens to deal you 2400 points of direct damage! Cannon Soldier, Mass Driver, and Dark Room of Nightmare, activate!" The Cannon Soldier, having been told his tribute, lifted up the two sheep and placed both into his main fuel tank, where the precious life fluids were extracted and converted into fuel as the dehydrated corpses were discarded soon after. Having found the proper energy source from which to fire, the Cannon Soldier powered up the artillery unit that had thus far remained dormant. At the exact same moment, the Mass Driver picked up similar fuel, this time from the ectoplasm byproduct of the Cannon Soldier, and it's steel barrel began to glow red with this power. As for the shadows of the Room, they began to slither forward, ready to strike the enemy down with their own brand of deluded justice.
But the infamous negotiator would not have it.
"Activate the Trap card, Holy Life Barrier! In exchange for one card from my hand, I am allowed to negate any and all damage done to my life points during this turn, including damage from the effects of other cards!" Just as each individual effect was about to attack, a trio of priestesses appeared around Roger and began to chant, resulting in a barrier of golden iridescence that stood against the blasts of the machines and the merciless claws of the shade creatures.
"Damn you to hell, Roger Smith. I will end my turn by equipping my Cannon Soldier with the Magic card, Horn of the Unicorn, which will raise my creature's total attack and defense points by 700. Your move." As R.D.'s turn came to a close, a horn that seemed hewn from the mythical creature that was it's namesake attached to the mech gunner, and gave the beast a 700 point total increase. (3000/2000) And with that, Roger drew another card...and in this situation, it was just the card he needed.
"I activate the card known as Monster Reborn, to resurrect any monster that has been destroyed in this duel, so I select the monster I was forced to discard last turn, the machine known as Robotic Knight!" Once again the golden ankh emerged, and in it's wake was the closest thing to a machine dandy that either had ever seen. The mech warrior was decked with a European-style rapier, while it's orange armor seemed to match the French styling of the Napoleonic era. The only device that seemed removed from this decor was the massive Gatling gun attached to its right arm. (1600/1800) "But I'm afraid my turn isn't over yet, for I also activate my Polymerization Magic card, to fuse my Machine King and Robotic Knight to create the Perfect Machine King!" Almost instantly the suzerain and vassal of the Machine world stepped into the raging vortex of Polymerization, and the grotesque sounds of machine dissection could be heard from within, until such time as a new monstrosity emerged. The new machine stood about 40 feet in height, decked out on both shoulders with ballistic missile batteries, as well as a set of mechanical wings and a general armor that gave it some semblance of the Gundams of animation lore. (2700/2500) "Next, I will switch both of my Roboyarous into attack position, seeing as you still have that Big Bang Shot equipped to the Cannon Soldier. And of course we mustn't forego the fact that my latest Machine gets a 500 point bonus for every machine monster on the field." (4700/2500) "Unfortunately, my Perfect Machine King can't attack this turn, so go ahead and attack, if you think you can. "
Another card, but sadly, it was not a monster, or any usable card for that matter.
Damn it all! If I use my combo on the Soldier itself, I'll be wide open to a direct attack from his accursed Machine King. And I can't afford an attack either, for even if I do destroy one of his Roboyarous, my Cannon Soldier would be finished by next turn. However, I think I have a plan to take down his current advantage.
"I'll place one card face down, and have my Cannon Soldier attack your Roboyarou on the left side of the Machine King!" Now fully prepared to strike, the Cannon Soldier activated the second component of his artillery unit, and aimed directly for the robotic warlord. As soon as the target was slated, the cannon switched to bullet ammunition and launched an all-out assault on the machine, tearing its inner workings to ribbons until the entire unit fell apart. (1900/4000) "I will then end my turn." Come on, Smith, attack my Cannon Soldier. If this is going to work, I'll need you to strike it down.
"Alright, Destiny, it's my move again. While my Perfect Machine King may have lost some attack strength because of that last attack, (4200/2500) it still has more than enough attack strength to get rid of that monstrosity, especially when I play this Magic card, Mystical Space Typhoon, to destroy that Horn of the Unicorn, causing your Cannon Soldier to lose 700 attack and defense points, as well as placing it atop your deck!" But once the horn vanished from the Cannon Soldier's head, R.D. decided to spring her trap.
"You fool, you've played right into my hand! I activate the Trap card known as Card of Last Will, which will allow me to draw a total of five cards whenever the attack of any monster on the field is decreased!" (2300/1300)
"It doesn't matter, for with my next attack I will bring this duel to it's final stages! Perfect Machine King, destroy her Cannon Soldier once and for all with Ballistic Volley Assault!" Having set it's targets on the Soldier from the beginning, the Perfect Machine King sent a hellish rain of explosives crashing into the menace that wiped all traces of it from existence, but reduced it's attack power in the process. (3700/2500) (1900/1900) However, the effect of Black Pendant kicked in regardless, sending a jolt of shadow magic crashing into his chest. (1400/1900) "But since I don't know what cards you drew by Card of Last Will, I will switch my Roboyarou into defense mode." His remaining borg crouched with twin arms guarding itself. "That will end my turn, but once my next move comes there will be nothing you can do to stop my barrage."
But much to his chagrin, the android assassin stared down at her cards, and a wide, psychotic grin became another part of her face.
I'm afraid that this duel is far from over, Roger Smith. You may have destroyed my Cannon Soldier, but I will win this duel regardless...
Customs House, near the Des Volstgulph
To say that the meeting was going as planned would be completely moronic.
It had become increasingly obvious that the two opposing viewpoints in this conference were about to come to blows over their varying perspectives on the problem at hand, and judging from the shouting on one side and the unyielding fortitude of the other something was about to go horribly wrong. Of course, exactly what would go askew was anyone's guess at this point.
"Allow me to try and grasp what you are forcing down my throat. You want my operatives in New Paradigm to go out of their way and take down a bunch of imbeciles whom I could care less about. You then want these same operatives to take the sundry items and deliver them directly to your superiors in Paradigm Corp, from which point I will be under the hire of some psychotic from Spirit World, and thus serve as some kind of powerless lackey."
The rather harsh words of this client were not entirely inaccurate, but it was not in their best interests to let on about this. There was also another problem in this equation, but this was not to be discussed at any time.
The client, if you could call him that, did not appear to be someone to take lightly. Bedecked in clothes of sea blue and a cloak that shone of pearl, his cold persona seemed amplified by the clothing he took upon himself to wear. The only thing truly unususal about him was that he had rather strange sky blue hair that seemed mussed about and yet completely organized, as well as a tiny jewel upon his forehead. And while these morons couild not discern it, his right arm played host to a pure white Duel Gauntlet.
"Believe me, sir, our master had no intentions of forcing you to work for us without proper retribution for your services. In fact, what we have here is a mere fraction of what you will be paid for your time and troubles." And so a huge black briefcase was slapped upon the table, and upon opening the carry-on was revealed to contain fresh, crisp 100 dollar bills. In this case alone there had to be thousands, if not millions, of dollars. "I'm beginning to think that your opinions of us are about to change dramatically, am I correct?"
No change at all in his collected face, although a degree of indignation made itself very clear in his ever narrowing eyes.
"You have no idea of what this is about, do you? I am in this tournament for one purpose and one purpose only, and it is not to fulfill my temptations of the flesh, as you idiots seem to think. No, my reasons here are for a much grander scale than any of you boobs could possibly comprehend within your feeble minds, but I am willing to make an offering of sorts."
For these brainless lackies, it seemed as if Christmas had come early.
"Yes? What is your idea?"
"I am gladly willing to work for this "Demon King", so long as I receive the Jewel of Four Souls beforehand. If I do not receive this payment, then I will walk out of this meeting and none of you will see me again."
Silence. During which time the operatives began to ponder the pros and cons of this new development. The Shikon was easily one of the most powerful totems of power that the master had lain claim to. If they agreed to these terms, Hiei would certainly kill them all. But if not, one of the most powerful duelists on Earth would leave them with nothing. So as in any difficult situation like this the thugs decided to go with their failsafe.
Within a second, all of them had handguns of various strength pointed at their enemy.
"Surely you jest, gentleman. If you honestly believe that I will bend to threats, then I am afraid that you are sorely mistaken. However, when I should threaten someone, I can actually back up my claim." And upon saying this, the new enemy extracted a card from his left pocket. "ORICHALCOS, SEAL THEIR SOULS!"
Upon his command, all five of the goons developed an impossibly complex pentagram upon their foreheads. Glowing in a vibrant green, this unholy symbol was composed of a six-pointed star in the center, surrounded by various Greek texts that emitted a strange tune, haunting and maddening at once. And for a moment, nothing happened, until the Seal of Orichalcos drew out the souls of it's targets, and drained them off into the card from whence it was spawned.
And with new souls in tow, the Atlantean king known only as Dartz strode out of the building, caring not that it burned in his own hatred, or worrying about the fact that millions of dollars were burning with it...
Yami's hotel room
And so all was about to come out into the open.
Kagome could barely keep her composure as she laid bare all of Naraku's mechanations, his deluded quest for the Shikon Jewel, how he had corrupted Kikyo so many years ago, his various incarnations, and the miscellaneous cruelties he had inflicted upon her until he had mysteriously vanished nearly a year after the entire conflict had begun. Strangely enough the madman had left his massive chunk of the Jewel behind; despite the fact that nearly half of it was gone did not worry anybody in the very least. After a while, however, when the remaining shards did not show up it was unanimously decided that they had been deposited in some other time, and the quest was abandoned. But the question remained: what had happened to the lunatic the five had held off so many times?
For a while, though, silence stood as head of affairs for some time, during which Yami attempted to grasp the truckload of information that had been dumped upon him in one very uncomfortable sitting. This was easily the strangest conflict he had ever heard of, with the exception of his more recent difficulties with Spirit World, but even so it was difficult to comprehend.
It was this intricacy of the tale that led to the next conflict, for despite his attempts at understanding the problem, Kagome started to realize that he was barely able to understand the troubles of his new enemy...and took it entirely in the wrong direction.
He thinks I'm a freak, doesn't he? It figures; I finally meet a guy that cares about me from the start, and I completely screw it up by talking about my past with Naraku and Inuyasha. GOD, I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!
Of course, it is safe to assume that Yami had some idea of what was going on at this point, and it is also safe to say that his feelings towards Kagome had by no means been marred. But as he noted her ever increasing depression, the ancient Pharaoh also began to realize that she had misconceived his initial bewilderment, and her next words confirmed this hypothesis. The theory was given even more evidence when she got up and motioned towards her baggage.
"Alright, Yami, if you want me to leave, I'll understand. It'll take me a little while to get all of my suff together, but I should be out of here in a few minutes."
But within a split second, the Pharaoh realized his enormous blunder, and was willing to do anything to repair it. And in this mindframe he leapt forward and clamped onto her arm like a vise, tears already forming along his eyes.
"Kagome, I know I've made some mistakes over the years. I'm absolutely sure now that my actions in Egypt to complete the Sennen Items were unforgivable. My methods against Yugi's enemies were despicable, I realize that. And what I almost did to Seto Kaiba was in itself the worst act I nearly committed. But if I did anything to you, in this moment, please don't take it personally. If I made you feel like an idiot, I'm sorry for that too, but the information you just gave me is somewhat bewildering for me to grasp in seconds. And if you think what happened in the past made me love you any less, then you are mistaken; if anything it has caused me to fall for you even more. But don't cause me any more pain then I've gone through already, for if you should walk out that door because of what I did I could never forgive myself for it. Please, just stay with me in my hour of need; at this point, I need someone like you now more than ever. I just don't want to lose you..."
It had happened. In one rather strange conversation the tormented feelings of two young lovers had now fallen perfectly into place. And once more history had come full circle, as the two held onto each other much in the same way Atem and Kikyo had over five thousand years ago...
To Be Continued
Ok, sorry for the short and cheesy at the end, but it was otherwise awesome.
Ok, next time we will continue the duels of Yusuke and Inuyasha. Kaiba will react to Sango's kiss, but the question is how? Yami and Naraku will finally meet, and Yami no Marik shows his face on the scene.
Remember, READ, REVIEW, AND DON'T FLAME!
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