Disclaimer: If I owned any of this, it'd be televised.
Ok, the last chapter began the duels of Inuyasha and Roger Smith. At the same time, Yami and Kagome continue to get closer together when Naraku's role is explained. The dark swordsman Kachikachi came into play, and the Atlantean king Dartz is revealed. Also, Kaiba and Sango ran into fresh difficulties outside the Speakeasy.
In this chapter, Sango's loyalties are revealed, while Naraku presents himself to the Pharaoh. At the same time, Yusuke and Inuyasha continue their duels, and Yami no Marik appears once more with murder in his heart.
Let's tear this apart!
Chapter 27: Hell's Doppelganger
Yusuke vs. Weevil
It had finally happened. The true nightmare was mere seconds away from beginning. Not only was the most powerful insect in Duel Monsters two turns away from emerging from its silken sarcophagus, a second, unknown moth was splitting the bindings of reality even as Yusuke was forced to watch. In the background could be heard Weevil's grotesque screech he called a laugh as part two of his plan came into play, as Kotodama was finally destroyed after the agonizing turns that had preceded the summon of the arthropod duelist's latest monster. But what horrific avatar of the bug warrior's madness was about to come forth was anyone's guess, until such time as the monstrosity itself emerged, as it split apart the epidermis of its host body and cast away the fleshy cocoon in which it had enveloped itself.
The hideous moth was not dissimilar to the Great Moth in general structure, except for the fact that its antennae bore more semblance to those of an actual moth. The entire beast was pigmented in varying shades of purple, while it's wings were a similar type of blue. (2700/2500) But the strangest part of this summon was that the Poison Moth had been called forth on Yusuke's side of the field. And if this was the case, then the effect of the creature was bound to be trouble.
"As can be expected, I am beginning to see the earliest signs of shock upon your features, Urameshi. I can almost imagine what must be going through your dimly lit mind of yours: what is he thinking? After all, even with my ultimate attack block that I have set up on the field, there is never an immediate reason to simply give an opponent a monster that falls 300 points short of the infamous Blue Eyes White Dragon without some kind of retribution, is there? Even one as stupid as you must have figured that one out. Well, it seems to me that your latest monster will come in very handy for me soon enough. So go ahead and make your move, if you dare, for this duel is just about over!"
How the match was sealed, despite Weevil's chiding words, was not completely clear to Yusuke, simply because this was a situation that he had never had the poor fortune to find himself in.
If what the little shit said is true, than there must be some reason he went to the great length of calling it to my side of the field. But even if the effect is devastating, it's pretty clear that it isn't the only plan he has set up, and his Cocoon isn't helping me much at all. But until I figure out how to deactivate his so called plan, I'll have to go right for the jugular, and I have just the card in hand to do it. But while the card he had just drawn was not readily useful, it would certainly help in the long run.
"Alright, Underwood, it's my move, so get ready for some fireworks! All I have to do is take down that pathetic cocoon that you set up on the field, an you'll have nothing capable of defeating Raiden!" However, even as this bold claim was set forth the hideous insect that hovered over Yusuke's head began to shake its massive wings slightly, resulting in a hail of miniature scales upon it's master. From the rain of skin emerged a large, dust-colored cloud that seeped into Yusuke's lungs with a taste similar to bitter almonds. (2800/3200) "Damn it, Weevil, what's going on?!"
"Again, your immense ignorance makes a rather unwelcome appearance on this duel. Perhaps you should have made more of an effort in your education while your town was still in one piece! You see, there are several species of moth whose wings are covered in a special type of scale used to ward off predators, for not only are these decorations colorful, they are loaded down with a bitter tasting neurotoxin, which in large doses can result in death! This theory has been placed in the Poison Moth, whose spastic fluttering will result in a 500 point dip in your life points each turn! Tell me, Urameshi, how much did you learn in your time at school that you did not leech from that whore Yukimora?"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! YOU DIDN'T KNOW HER LIKE I DID, SO WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO INSULT HER LIKE THAT?!" But even with Yusuke's outburst, Weevil remained nonchalant.
"I see my words have struck a discordant nerve within you, and judging from this I can also discern that she meant a lot to you before her rather untimely disappearance. And regardless of what you have said so far, I cannot be bested in a match of Duel Monsters by one so obviously unskilled as you, so why not make this match interesting? As it happens, I have gained exclusive knowledge of Keiko's whereabouts from my superiors, so if you should accept my wager I will gladly surrender this information to you, provided you defeat me in this match. But if I should win, you must surrender your entire dueling deck and offer your life service to me! Do you accept my terms, or do you simply wish to continue?"
For only an instant, there was a tiny spark of doubt in the detective's eyes, as both sides of the coin were objectively weighed. Until such time as he reached a decision.
"Weevil, I accept your wager. However, I am going to take you on your word for this, meaning that if you refuse to fulfill your side of the deal, I will not allow you to walk away from this duel alive. So if you'll excuse me, it's my main phase, so prepare to fall! I'll start this move by summoning my Kamikaze again in attack mode (2100/1050), followed by the activation of my trump card, Harpies Feather Duster, to demolish every magic and trap card on your side of the field!" Within an instant, a massive tornado shrieked forth from Yusuke's most powerful magic card and bore down upon the deadly combo that Weevil had set up. However, once the first strike upon the Magic and Trap zones had been accomplished, an even stronger wind leapt up in response to this attack, and in it's wake emerged a large stone clock, upon which was a blazing minute hand.
"Chain with Pyro Clock of Destiny! When activated, this trap moves the turn count forward by one unit, but any effects launched before the trigger still carry through. But since it is now my move, I am certainly not opposed to it." As Weevil drew his next card, his beady yes lit up once more. "I now activate the Magic card, Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new cards, followed by the activation of one of my most powerful cards, Heart of Clear Water, which I will equip onto my Cocoon of Evolution!" Within a second the goliath chrysalis diffused into a glowing teardrop of fused fire and water. "This equip card allows any monster with under 1300 attack points the safety of sacred water, preventing it from being destroyed in battle or by targeted effects, but damage is still dealt from an assault. For my next move, I will switch my Cocoon into attack mode, and my Princess into defense mode!" While the Cocoon did nothing, the Insect Princess crouched into a fetal position, placing it's wings around itself. "Surprised? Well, it will make much more sense when I activate this Magic card, Curse of Fiend, which alters the battle position of all monsters that are face up on the field!" The positions of Weevil's monsters returned to normal, while Raiden, Kamikaze, and the Poison Moth went into defense mode. "And just to make sure that your Raiden is no longer a problem, I'll activate my final magic card, Ring of Magnetism, which decreases the attack and defense of the equipped monster by 500 points, but forces the enemy to attack it instead of the other monsters! In this case, I will equip it onto my Cocoon of Evolution, meaning that you have no way of defeating my ultimate creature! And now, Insect Princess, destroy his Kamikaze with your devouring jaws!" With a fresh target in it's composite eyes, the powerful arthropod jumped into the sky and punctured the swordsman with twin claws, and in the process drew him into it's mouth. Once there, the warrior was slowly digested by the two fangs piercing the flesh until it seeped into the metabolic core of the monster. "Alright, Urameshi, I'll end my turn. But when I next move my Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth will emerge! This duel is over!"
New Paradigm Commerce District
It has been said that to simply look upon Hell is a punishment in its own right, to be dragged from Paradise a greater one still, and to actually live mere inches away from either one is the closest thing to psychological damnation there is. For many that looked upon the hovering juggernaut that was New Paradigm and pined to become infused within it, that statement rang true. For those who actually lived on the outskirts, it had become a mantra of sorts.
Take Dr. Dean Kulyan, for instance. This was a prime example of a professional that suffered from the ailment that he worked with every day. He was a small time therapist who had fallen on hard times since moving away from his position as a Peruvian land owner at gunpoint. Upon his deportation by the military government of that time, Kulyan had decided to try his hand at psychological help, and so came to problem ridden Paradigm City, where his small practice gave him a degree of hope for his bleak future.. After a while he decided to take a sabbatical from his work and Paradigm City, and when he returned about 3 weeks later the entirety of his life was condensed down into the drafty mesh that they called his tent, whereupon he lived out his life until his disastrous practice in New Paradigm. With nothing else to occupy his time, Kulyan became an information tracker, and some say that nothing became known in New Paradigm without his involvement.
Which is an important factor in his demise.
"Now, give me the file, and you can be on your way."
Regardless of the lack of fiscal progress within the past few weeks, Kulyan had been initially unwilling to take this job, particularly from somebody outside of Paradigm jurisdiction. And although the client had agreed to offer him several thousand dollars in gold bullion, something didn't sit quite right about him. There was something odd about him, borderline on...supernatural. However, he had been given a quarter of the payment stated, which was reason enough to continue with the assignment.
But Kulyan had been around enough hucksters to know what to do in the situation at hand.
"Not yet. First cough up the rest of the gold."
Perhaps it hadn't been wise to demand the money right then, given the character's psychosis and his track record. But he was tired of playing the path of least resistance; it had been a living hell getting these documents from the military police, and the doctor had nearly been killed a dozen times. He wanted that money, wanted it more than anything, and his desire was clouding his judgment.
"I believe we had something of an agreement. You were to deliver the files on these people directly to me, and once they were in my hands, you were to get your payment. Nothing beforehand. Now give me the data before the situation gets ugly."
"Damn it, how do I know you won't walk out with the money and leave me dry?"
The client was not taking this conversation well, and it was obvious that he shouldn't piss him off.
"I gave you part of the money, as I recall."
Kulyan was also beginning to get aggravated, but he had no idea what he was getting himself in to. "I told you, I had to spend that gold on finding the files and paying off security! You're lucky I'm even giving you this shit after the hell you sent me into!"
"Alright, if you want the gold I will give it to you." And with that he flung a tiny item at the doctor, a gold cartouche.
"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO USE THIS?!"
"It's not for you, exactly. It's your funeral decoration."
With a devil's speed, the client jumped forward and delivered a bone-shattering punch onto Kulyan, who was knocked backwards into his chair. He tried to get up, but was soon bound there by a golden aura.
"DAMN IT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Sending you to your final end." And with that the client extracted something from his pocket, a long, cordlike material. Upon doing this, he wrapped it around his hands and pulled it taut. It was then obvious that this man was deranged, but the full extent of his dementia was yet to be realized until he began to strangle him with the cord, and a thousand individual needles of pain dug into his throat.
Kulyan now knew he was being garroted with barbed wire.
The client himself was not in any pain he had yet to experience; in fact, he rather enjoyed the gurgling sounds of his victim as blood oozed out of his mouth, as each thorn burrowed into his flesh and sent rivulets of red ichor flowing between his fingers. It was a rather pleasurable sensation.
He held the position for several minutes, listening to the gruesome symphony as his target struggled with the coil around his neck, occasionally lashing out with his legs, until he finally stopped struggling and his final breath left him.
Now satisfied, the psychotic murderer picked up the manila folder which had caused so much trouble, and walked out, his sun-bleached hair standing on end as it flashed in the light, the tanned face showing no emotion in it's violet eyes. They won't find the body for some time, and even if they do, the police don't have any evidence, for I have the murder weapon. At this thought, the lunatic began to lick at the barbed wire, tasting his coppery blood mixing with the zinc in the cord. And soon, Pharaoh, you too will know the full meaning of horror.
And so Yami no Marik stepped forth into New Paradigm.
Speakeasy Tavern
To say that Kaiba was shocked by Sango's impromptu display of affection is easily one of the largest understatements to grace this Earth.
For the better part of this time he was completely unable to move due to his outright astonishment, for nearly all of his allies over the years had never acted in such an unprofessional manner. Of course, there was only a handful of women that fell into this category, but it was rather unsettling nonetheless. Regardless, there was still a combination of emotions that hurtled through his mind at this point in some unholy array of anger, amazement, and the smallest level of pleasure. But as the vertigo wore off at an alarmingly swift pace, he came to a rather profound realization of that moment.
For a while after Sango finally removed her lips, neither spoke or even made the slightest gesture of emotion while the inherent awkwardness settled in. The two simply sat there and stared with no registration of what either felt, their earliest meeting now completely forgotten in this most heinous breach of relations. Yet after an excruciating moment, the demon slayer began to look anxious and worried, not unlike the expression of every spouse wondering whether or not their partner was about to die.
"Kaiba, as you can imagine I've got several unsettled issues with myself and my family. It's been over two years since my father was murdered, an attack which I myself barely walked away from, and of late I've become so discontented that I tried to walk away from my checkered past and make a new life in New Paradigm City. But after a while it occurred to me: why? Why am I trying to flee what I am, or used to be, and why did I so desire to get away from my family and friends? And then it struck me, after a long time, that maybe my old way of living was so fraught with despair that I would have abandoned everything else just to finally be at peace. But even here, in this city of the clouds, that peace continued to elude me."
"What's your point?"
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that when I look at you, and study all that you've accomplished over the years, I kind of figured that perhaps this could be a fresh start for me. Maybe if we were with each other we could delete our pasts and walk away from this whole nightmare. I promise I'll help you destroy the bastard demon and his minions, after which we can put all of this behind us..." But even as she droned onward, Kaiba found an opportunity to interrupt.
"Minamoto, let's get a few things straight. I've actually tried to delete and gloss over my past, ancient and otherwise, but try as I might, the truth soon became lucid: none of us can deny our pasts completely, and we certainly can't flee from them. Also, from what I've seen and heard of you, it is rather obvious we cannot be together, due in part to your sudden increase in self pity. And even if I wanted to waste my valuable time in your presence, I have already fallen in love, and there is no way I will breach that trust."
"Are you talking about that blue-haired lunatic I've seen you with these past few days? Because if you are, you're wasting your time; she's even worse for you than I am!"
Kaiba's eyes now flashed with rage, but one that he was able to control in his voice.
"Don't refer to Botan as cruelly as you have just now. In fact, I would prefer it if you would just shut up completely from this point onward. I'll let you get the information you need on Hiei and Naraku, but after that we can go our separate ways."
"I don't want it to end like this, not at all. Just hear me out!" Another kiss came forth, but this time it was artfully dodged once Kaiba stepped out.
"For the love of God, Minamoto, have some dignity! I've never seen anyone act like such an idiot around me before!"
The slayer herself now stepped out into the street, but where once was deranged obsession now stood wild rage, as her own eyes flashed in response.
"MY NAME IS SANGO, YOU BASTARD! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST ACCEPT MY FEELINGS WHEN I'LL BE HERE AND YOUR OTHER GIRLFRIEND WON'T?!
With Sango's latest outburst now out on the field, a new feeling was reborn in the duelist, one that he was not unfamiliar with. The demon exterminators were supposedly a powerful yet reserved race of people, and the Minamoto clan especially, but from what he had seen of their last surviving member this was not the case. Something must have triggered the sharp rise in lust and unrest that now made itself very clear before him, and Kaiba had a strong hunch that whatever was causing this was also linked to Sango's knowledge of the kidnapping, which had almost no witnesses to begin with.
One other present in the vicinity knew exactly what was going on...and it was exactly as she had planned.
"Alright, Sango, I've had enough of that mindless drivel that you've been vomiting at me these past few seconds, and I'm also starting to suspect you know a lot more about the situation then you've lead me to believe. So far, you've given me rather bizarre information relating to Botan's abduction, as well as a feud that, in my opinion, seems to be something that Hiei would only reveal to his innermost circle, judging from the lengths that he has gone to destroy Naraku over the years. Something else occurs to me as well: I know for a fact that Hiei has the Sennen Eye at his disposal, so it doesn't come as a surprise that he could track me down and attempt to kill me. And isn't it convenient that just as I am about to track him back to his base, who should appear but the only person with the knowledge capable of finding out exactly how to locate his headquarters in New Paradigm! Admit it, you've been working for that bastard this whole time!"
But if there was one thing Seto Kaiba had any talent in discerning, it was how to exactly strike a nerve in anyone he met, and his strange form of skill had struck gold.
"HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT?! I'D NEVER EVEN CONSIDER TALKING TO HIEI, LET ALONE STOOPING TO HIS LEVEL OF ESPIONAGE! I SHOULDN'T EVEN BE HERE RIGHT NOW AFTER EVERYTHING YOU DID TO ME!" And in a horrifying display of emotional breakdown, the once dignified warrior now collapsed onto the sidewalk in shambles.
"Very well, break down and humiliate yourself if you'd like, but I have a score to settle, and frankly I do not need your kind of lunacy weighing me down." Eyes of the coldest ice now turned away from the sobbing demon killer to the derelict old bar for which Paradigm City had become known. An interesting place for a demon's spy to work. Even as I step closer to the decaying threshold my nostrils are overwhelmed with the odiferous reek of poorly made alcohol blending perfectly with the stench of sweat and blood. I can almost hear the vagrants spewing their garbage talk while they pour the little money they have into booze and prostitution, but if this is what it will take to get Botan back, then so be it. And it was with this resolve that Kaiba crossed into the decrepit parlor.
He was expecting the contact to be higher up in the tavern, likely in one of the hotel rooms. But the guest book he passed had not been filled out in the past seven years, and there were only a few people around here anyway. Nothing of any particular interest caught his eyes, just a few pathetic hobos that were on the brink of alcohol poisoning as they guzzled down cheap bourbon. However, there was one gentleman in the bunch, a medium-sized Caucasian in a dusty tan overcoat, reading a yellowed newspaper while his right index finger was gangrenous from an infected paper-cut. His eyes were blank, however, his fingers no longer interested in shifting the pages to the next article to be read for the hundred-thousandth time, and a dribble of saliva hung unnoticed in his thin mustache. The stranger showed absolutely no signs of life at all, and showed the same interest in the multitude of flies now buzzing about his balding head.
This could not be Naraku's contact. This man was dead, and the puddle of coagulating blood that now rested at his feet only confirmed the fact.
It seems that another of Hiei's agents got here before I could, either that or the informant could be elsewhere in the tavern. But before he could even consider this option, another strange twist occurred. Well, it was actually not so much strange as disconcerting, for even as he stood near the corpse every bum in the place reached down into their various sacks for no apparent reason at all as the back door opened. Now absolutely certain that this had been a wasted effort on his part, Kaiba now decided to exit the flea-trap in which he had found himself, and would have had the next happenstance blocked his only exit.
There were three things in the city that the duelist could not stand: mobs, psychotics, and vagrants that fell into either of the two first categories. And right now, there was an entire bar of the third group that stood up and pointed various firearms at him, mostly military surplus, as well as black market technology.
"I am afraid I cannot let you walk out of here alive, Kaiba."
From the shadows in the back of the bar emerged a new threat, a strange old woman to whom the years had not been kind, barely taller than his brother Mokuba. "You can try to remove the threat of my soldiers, if you could call them that, but I'm fairly certain that your Sennen Rod could not control all of the men in this bar. And I am also sure that your Item could not control me. So even if you can defeat a few bums, you'll still lose this fight."
Kaiba, however, was not so much focusing on the hag's words as on the woman herself. She seemed oddly familiar, but he could not tell exactly who she was or even if she was human. Yet the gleaming Duel Gauntlet upon her left arm belied the truth her skill in dueling was champion material, regardless of her pompous bearing. Dueling skills notwithstanding, Kaiba still had no way of determining her identity, but he had a sinking feeling deep within his heart, and it occurred to him that perhaps he could use a bit of assistance.
This fear must have showed upon Kaiba's visage, as the older warrior chuckled under her breath.
"Relax, Kaiba. So long as you keep your hands where we can see them nothing will happen to you. Of course, I can't really say the same for your girlfriend that Hiei captured, but presuming you try an attack I'll bet you two will meet again in the Pit very soon indeed..."
"Alright you old bag, why don't you cut the shit and tell me what's going on here?"
"You certainly do have some issues, don't you? Regardless, I have been sent here for one reason and one reason only, to make sure that Seto Kaiba is destroyed once and for all, but in order to do that, I needed something else to draw you into the open. My original plan was to defeat you in a duel myself, but then after considering it, I decided to alter my plan so that Botan was captured; in this way, Hiei's public opponent could be removed from the picture permanently. And that is where you came in, Kaiba. Knowing that in your immense stupidity you would do anything to defend the first person who actually returned your feelings of love I sent Miroku to defeat you, and he did."
Although it took a second or so for the horrific meaning of these words to fully sink in, Kaiba soon realized what should have been obvious from the very beginning: his duel had been a set-up, a ploy to distract him long enough for Schwarzvald to fulfill his role in the affair. But something else didn't add up.
"Wait. If this is the case, how exactly was Minamoto able to see what happened? I'm assuming you and whoever funded this harebrained scheme wouldn't desire any witnesses for this kind of attack." Yet even as he spoke, the old hag now buckled in laughter, a gravelly yet irritating snicker that even made her own grunts hold their ears.
"You simply don't get it, do you? For a genius you certainly aren't too quick on the uptake: Sango was working for us the whole time! I needed someone to infiltrate your office and locate exactly what was so important on that computer of yours, someone who could gain your trust easily, as well as a person with a degree of emotional distress. And she fit the bill perfectly. But now that this little event is finished, I have something of a proposition for you. I am more than willing to release you into the city, since I myself am not exactly thrilled with Hiei's conduct over the years, if you can defeat my latest protege in a match of Duel Monsters. The winner will walk out of here relatively unscathed, while the loser...well, you'll find out soon enough."
"Fine. Then who will I be facing?" Kaiba, now curious to see who he was up against, turned towards the door...and his eyes landed right on Sango.
"I believe you have answered your own question, Seto Kaiba." (4000/4000)
Yami's Hotel Room
Nothing. It's an interesting word, isn't it? It can be a saint and a sinner, and sometimes both at once. Some may appreciate it as a relaxant, a way to simply unwind from the daily trials of human life; others bastardize it, calling the item a breeding ground for incompetence and sloth. Still others fear the term, for to these people, nothingness is a fearful place where the most horrifying avatars of the abyss wait to consume the souls of those unfortunate enough to be caught in it's iron-cast maw.
But for Yami no Yuugi, spirit of the Sennen Puzzle, nothingness was a godsend at that very moment, for even as he was with his only true love in over 5000 years, his mind no longer was preoccupied with the Sennen Items, the Shikon no Tama, or the ever-increasing threat of Hiei and quite possibly Naraku. The very fact that he was in a city floating miles above the rest of the world, or the fact that it was controlled by one of his most powerful enemies, hardly seemed relevant as he and Kagome continued to fall for one another, this time in the form of a tender yet passionate kiss that seemed to provide both light and eternal happiness for both parties involved. And if but for that one moment, there was nothing else; Hiei, Naraku, and even Spirit World seemed to burn away into insignificance in the flames of youthful passion. He didn't care anymore, and although he knew that such bliss could not last a lifetime, Yami was confident in the fact that this one moment could drag him for the rest of the tournament.
But there was still something, nagging in the back of his mind, almost screaming to be heard as the destined pair grew more intense by the second. The voice seemed to have it's own tone, high-pitched and whining, not quite unlike that of a toddler who could miraculously utter coherent words. More often than not this was the one inner self that he restrained above all others, which is ironic considering the Heart of the Cards was born of this creature. It was the voice of his innermost Id, the one part of him bound not by logic or faith, but by sheer primal instinct. The Ego could not suppress it, and the Superego did not desire to.
The Id was telling him something, and he was sure it was not something he wanted to hear.
It's rather strange, really. For the past two years, the dog Inuyasha had been in love with Kagome, but it was, for all purposes, a shaky and infidel love. After all, he had constantly flitted between her and the Priestess Kikyo during those years, and in either situation he expected, no, DEMANDED, the other woman to catch him when he fell to his knees. So with Kikyo still in the Feudal Era, is it at all possible that he will try to get Kagome back? Does he even deserve somebody as brilliant as her?
"Yami?"
Kagome had been around enough people and seen enough strange happenstances during her baptism by fire in the Feudal Era to know when something was amiss in the world. She could sense something in his eyes, a sad kind of adoration, as though word had come to his ears that they were inches from death. But at the same time a spark of fear had become set up as well, and this was not too pleasing to her.
"Don't worry. It was nothing." And so the two continued from when they left off. It really is nothing. Besides, I'm pretty certain that even if Inuyasha finds out about us, he can be civil about it. Let's just hope he's reasonable about this kind of thing; the last time I met the demon he seemed rather temperamental. But if it does come down to fighting the demon, I'll be ready for him; let's just hope that doesn't happen.
But within the Pharaoh's mind, another, much darker voice was stirring, a cruel resonance that made every hair on his arms and neck stand straight up.
You'll find that those words are easier said than done.
Again, his eyes widened in shock, as another presence assimilated itself in the general vicinity. Its powers seemed to have a weak quality to them, but it was similar in effect to an overflowing dam in that the full power of what was contained could not be grasped until it's full release. Yet it was the general sensation of this new power that set off the most fear in him.
This was the same feeling I had when I sensed Kagura earlier, but this time it seems to have a...purer...quality to it; it's as though her darkness was merely an aftereffect, a byproduct of this new enemy. And it's almost tangible, like it was in...this...very...room...
Now completely disturbed, Yami broke the embrace in which he had found himself for some time now. There was nothing that he could visibly see that could have triggered such a reaction, but there was something here, something capable of this kind of power. "Kagome, can you sense anything...amiss?"
"Not really; in fact I feel perfectly fine."
But despite her reassuring words, the Pharaoh could still detect another dark presence within the room, and now he could clearly discern it's aura, in the form of a dark purple gas that blanketed the floor. In response, Yami invoked the powers of his Sennen Puzzle to see beyond mortal eyes, and peered deep into the shade that strangled the air.
And there he stood, a hellish new opponent, and although the two had never encountered one another before the ancient ruler knew his powers and name all too well.
"Naraku."
The demon himself was barely visible, and what could be seen was covered in a thick wolf hair shroud, with the dried skull serving as a mask, through which he could only see the eyes, and what a nightmare they were. The twin orbs of vision were clouded in hatred and malice, bloodthirsty and craving human flesh.
They were totally focused on Kagome's neck. And the Pharaoh saw their pathes.
"Leave her out of this, demon! You battle is with me!"
The monster spoke, in a deeper version of the murderous voice he had heard just seconds earlier. "I find that rather difficult to believe, spirit of the Puzzle. In fact, my conflict is mostly with the Priestess Kikyo, but I guess this one will have to do." And with this he extracted an archaic syringe and in one swift motion planted right below her skull, the liquid now pulsing into her until such time as she collapsed onto the floor again.
"What have you done to her?!"
"Relax, I still need her alive in order for this to work. You are actually fortunate, since had the dose been larger it would have forced her into a comatose state, but in this case it is merely a powerful sedative which can be reversed on my command. At any rate, I do need to have some form of discussion about our...alliance."
"You must think I'm insane! I've known people like you for years, Naraku, and I've seen what they are capable of doing to gain their ends! My guess is that you are merely going to lure me into some deranged scheme which will end with you wearing the Puzzle!"
"What we do beyond this small alliance is not exactly pertinent to our current situation. I am discussing the overthrow of our mutual enemy, Hiei Jagenshi."
What?!
"What are you talking about? How do I know that you and your sister aren't working for the lunatic and will surrender me to him? And why should I even agree to help you after the grief you put Kagome through?"
"Again you bring Higurashi into the discussion, even though I spared her puny life. But I do speak the truth when I say that I despise the Demon King as much as yourself, if not more so. And as for my sister, she was merely a test, a ploy to see exactly how powerful your Puzzle truly was. For if the full strength of the Tetsuaiga could not defeat her, I am not expected to believe that anything else could."
"All right, what is your offer?"
"I propose we combine our dueling skills to devastate Hiei and all of his minions, for as you may soon discover, I myself am a master duelist that has defeated countless others stupid enough to stand in my way. If you should succeed, Hiei would be destroyed and we could go our separate ways until we turn upon each other."
"And why should I accept?" But instead of answering Yami, the demon turned with a wicked grin towards Kagome's sleeping form.
"Higurashi certainly is quite pretty; I suppose you would be offended ever so slightly if something was to happen to her, wouldn't you?" With a flash of hatred in his maddened eyes, Naraku lifted up a sacrificial blade, and was just about to bring it crashing into Kagome's heart when a golden barricade of light knocked it aside.
"Touch her, and I swear on my family's souls that I will kill you here and now. I don't care if you are after Hiei with as much vigor as I; you're just as sadistic and twisted as he is, perhaps even more, if you would even consider stooping to his degree of low combat. Let me make one thing very clear, however; when you and I next duel I will rain the fury of hell upon you and all who dare to take your path."
"So be it. But before I exit, allow me to leave you with a parting gift of sorts, a small sample of my powers."
And in one swift motion the Pharaoh felt a searing pain flash in his gut, the type of pain that makes you desire the swiftest end to your life possible. And although it was not his desire to die yet, the powerful miasma was kicking in swifter then he could have imagined, and so he collapsed into a pool of blood, his own blood, yet before he blacked out he saw a strange woman walking towards him, and although he had never seen her before her name rang in his ears.
Kikyo...
Inuyasha vs. Yoko Kurama
"Again, I must give you my undying gratitude, half-blood. Very few, if any, have ever defeated me once my Fiber Jar was activated. Once this my rarest monster has it's effect triggered, all players are forced to shuffle their hand, graveyard, and every card on the field into their deck, and from this deck draw a fresh hand of five cards. What this basically means is that the duel has reset itself, with the exception of life points and anything removed from play. But since it is still your turn and you have already summoned, you have nothing left to defend your life points from a direct attack!"
It was with outright terror that Inuyasha looked again upon his fresh hand, and nearly choked when he saw that they were almost all monsters. "Alright, I'll place one card face down and end my turn."
Another card drawn by Yoko, and his eyes lit up when he saw the card.
"I'll start this move by placing three cards face down on the field, and then summoning my Vampire Orchis to the field in attack mode!" From the center summoning zone rose Yoko's latest monster, a giant elm wood tree that sported brilliant green eyes and a fanged mouth, while several of it's branches gave home to other such orifices. (1700/1000) "The special effect of the Orchis states that I am allowed to special summon 1 Des Dendle from my hand to the field. I will activate the Union effect of these two creatures, allowing the Dendle to become an equipment magic on the Orchis!" A second plant monster assimilated onto the field, this time a conglomeration of spores that collected onto the roots of the Vampire Orchis, while several of these spores sprouted into hefty barbed vines. (300/2000) "Now, I will activate the first face down card I played, Horn of the Unicorn, to pump up the attack and defense of my vampiric flora by 700 points." The final card he activated was a long, electrical horn that planted itself into the head of the possessed tree. (2400/1700) "Vampire Orchis, direct attack!"
"Not so fast! I activate the Trap card, Skull Dice!" As Inuyasha activated his only face down card, an impish looking demon burst out of the trap, holding a blood-red skull in it's hands. "During the turn that the Skull Dice trap is activated, the attack strength of all monsters on your side of the field are divided by the result of one roll of the die. Activate!" As the fiend released the die, Yoko began to scan his available card pool, searching for a way to take down the mutt before him.
Although the Skull Dice had the capability to cut the attack strength of my monsters severely, it will only be a one turn effect, and unless he can somehow prevent my Orchis from attacking me, all of his monsters will be at my mercy. In the meantime, I'll just have to hope the attack will go through relatively intact.
The red die began to slow down, as various numbers passed by, until it landed flush on 4. "DAMN IT!!!"
"Sorry, Yoko, but that reduces the attack of that overgrown weed down to a measly 600." The demonic tree seemed almost to age into a stump of it's formal self , and the attack ended in a mere splash on the dog's chest. (2900/1600)
"Fine. I too will end my turn. But rest assured I will not be bested by a pathetic half-demon like yourself!" As his turn came to a close, the Orchis returned to it's original height and malevolence, as well as attack strength.
"Fine, it's my move again! First off, I'll summon Ninja Master Sasuke in attack mode!" Another one of Inuyasha's powerhouses emerged, a tall ninja warlord bound in silver armor and wielding five miniature blades in his right hand. (1800/1000) "Then, I will activate the Magic card, Ax of Despair, to boost his attack strength by 1000 points!" In what was once the Ninja's empty left hand was now a hellish looking axe, the skull of which was facing Sasuke. (2800/1000) "Sasuke, attack the Vampire Orchis!" The warrior took this command to heart and ran full speed at his latest target, while at the same time tossing the set of knives it held to impale the creature. Neither monster nor duelist, however, expected the Des Dendle to take the brunt of the attack, leaving the Orchis with only a tiny scar. "What?!"
"Please tell me you know the effect of Union monsters, Inuyasha. Each time any monster that is equipped in a Union would be destroyed, the equip monster takes the hit instead. But I am afraid that it will only get worse when I activate my face down cards, Curse of Pain and Rush Recklessly! The effect of Rush Recklessly increases the attack of any monster by 700 points, and I choose your Ninja Master to boost it's strength to 3500! Why would I perform such a tactic, you ask? Well, when Curse of Pain is activated, it allows me to transfer any life point damage I take this turn onto the enemy player, meaning that you lose 1100 life points!" (1800/1600)
Okay, I'm knee deep in shit this time. Let's just hope he doesn't pull off anything like that again. "I end my turn by placing one card face down. Your move, psycho bitch."
"Very well, it's my move, and I think you'll like what I'm about to do. I summon an old acquaintance of yours, the Tribe-Infecting Virus!" Once more the cloud of viral death emerged, ready to strike upon command. (1600/1000) "This duel is over, Inuyasha. Once I activate the effect of my Tribe-Infecting Virus you'll have nothing to defend you from my attack by the Vampire Orchis, which has more than enough attack points to end this pathetic charade of yours once and for all. Now my plague, I offer up one card from my hand to trigger your special effect and destroy every Warrior-type monster on the field!" The dreadful beast which had redefined germ warfare rained down upon the Ninja, instantly clawing into the flesh and driving him to the point of insanity, up to the point where the agony was so great that it tore open it's chest cavity with the ax it wielded and extracted it's very heart. It then threw the muscle onto the ground, while it slowly pumped out the last of the blood until it finally stopped beating. "Now, Vampire Orchis, direct attack!" But even as it prepared to launch it's assault and end the match, a black moon appeared on the field and shrouded the Orchis, until it was revealed that it had gone into face down, and thus destroying the Horn of the Unicorn that empowered it.
"I activated my face down card, Book of Moon! It allows me to flip one monster on the field into face down defense position, preventing it from attacking this turn!" Strange, isn't it? The one object on Earth that could make me weak is the single device that saves my ass from defeat.
"Damn you, Inuyasha! However, you still have my virus to contend with! Tribe-Infecting Virus, direct attack!" Now prepared to take over where the Orchis had failed, the buzzing pestilence hurled itself forward, burning into Inuyasha like no other sickness could, and in the process cast away with everything but a few measly life points. (200/1600) "I will end my turn there, but on my next move I shall be able to crush any hopes you have of winning, so say goodbye to the tournament forever!"
"We'll see about that, Yoko! It's my move, and I activate the card I just drew, Pot of Greed, to draw two cards, followed by the activation of one of those cards, Graceful Charity! This is another drawing card, which will allow me to draw 3 cards, but I must then discard any two from my hand!" And as he stared at the cards he kept, he realized his victory was within reach. "Yoko, it's over. I'll start by activating the first Magic card I gained, Hammer Shoot, to destroy the face up monster with the highest attack power on the field, which would be your Virus." The Virus was instantly paralyzed as the Magic card activated and a giant hammer crashed down on it. "Next, I will play this magic card, Cost Down, to decrease the levels of all monsters in my hand by two at the price of any card from my hand. Finally, I will summon one of the monsters that the Cost Down decreased, the monster known as Maximum Six!"
The final monster that the demon would play stood about ten feet tall, with gray skin and a topknot that pulled back at the sable hair that the humanoid possessed. The entire creature was bound in muscle, even the six arms that seemed taut like a crossbow, ready to fire. (1900/1700) "The special effect of this creature allows me to roll one die whenever it is normal summoned, and the result is multiplied by 200 and added to this creature's base attack points." Alright, if this plan is going to work, I need to roll at least a 4 on this. And it doesn't seem likely that I'll get a second chance at this; knowing Yoko he probably has a counterstrategy all planned out for his next turn. And so it was with anxious eyes that the dog demon and fox demon watched the die scatter about, bouncing around the grass walls, until it finally came to stop at5.
"YES! Now my Maximum Six gets a 1000 point boost!" Five of the monster's six arms, in response to the roll, grew black with a previously untapped power and a muscle-enhancing effect not dissimilar to steroid injections. (2900/1700) "And now to end this duel using the Magic card, Fairy Meteor Crush! It allows the monster that wields it to inflict damage to the opponent whether or not the monster is in defense mode."
"NO!!!"
"NOW, MAXIMUM SIX, DESTROY HIS FACE DOWN VAMPIRE ORCHIS WITH MULTIPLE HAYMAKER!!!" Upon the second command, the primitive warrior leapt forward and brought all six arms onto the face down card, and once it was dragged out pummeled it in a whirlwind of punches until it exploded, knocking down Yoko as it happened. (200/0)
Now that the duel was over, Inuyasha now saw fit to confront Yoko Kurama and take what was his. Luckily the Fiber Jar and tournament key he had just won were near his feet, and all he had to do was pick them up. However, there was something else he needed, something that he really doubted the other demon could provide.
"It's not possible. How could a mere half-demon have bested me?"
"Frankly, Yoko, I don't really care how I did it, and I also don't give a flying fuck whether or not you walk away from this museum on your feet or in a body bag. So I'm simply going to ask you a few questions, and maybe we can settle this like civilized demons." But as his ultimatum was laid, the fox demon began to chuckle, as though he had finally gone into dementia.
"Go ahead, Inuyasha. Kill me, if you truly think that will help. After this there is nothing I'll desire more than death."
"What are you blathering about?"
"You simply don't get it, do you? This wasn't an isolated incident here; in fact, at least three others of your party have run into members of my master's army. All of the duelists that failed were either gruesomely violated or murdered, and even I, one of the master's chief lieutenants, will not be spared his unholy wrath.
"Do you really expect that merely threatening me will convince my mind that I will surrender? If that is the case then you are even more dimwitted then I could ever have grasped..."
"SHUT UP!!!" And with one almighty punch Inuyasha sent the Demon King of Thieves crashing through the wall of grass he had set up and into the concrete wall. "Maybe threatening you wasn't enough, Yoko. Perhaps I should give you a real sample of my power!" Now reaching to the long katana that stood constantly at the ready, the dog warlord prepared to send his enemy into oblivion.
The sword itself, on first inspection, was not at all impressive. The blade was banged up and rusted, while the edge itself was dulled from years of abuse. But much like the swordsman who wielded it, the deadly sword from his father's tooth contained a secret force whose power was not to be beheld by the weak at heart, for upon the sword's full removal it transformed itself into a massive fang-like halchion, shining as though it was fresh cast. As if that wasn't imposing enough, a handful of demons could see a tiny swirl of wind surrounding the blade.
That swirl was the Windscar, servant of the sword Tetsuaiga.
"Perhaps my father's remains could teach you some respect for the half-demon race, Yoko."
"Hm, I highly doubt you would even consider killing me now, Lord Inuyasha."
"And why is that?"
"Because I know where Kagome Higurashi is, and I also know where the Pharaoh Atemu that stole Kikyo from you years ago."
To Be Continued
Whew. Finally finished. Sorry for the late update; I was in Florida for over a week.
Ok, next time Kaiba and Yusuke continue their duels, with Yusuke finishing his. Kagome gains a Duel Gauntlet, Kachikachi delivers a warning to the Pharaoh, and Inuyasha deals with Yoko. Also, Hiei finally confronts Botan on her crimes. At the same time, Kikyo and Yami have their first encounter in over 5000 years, but how will her incarnation take it?
Remember, READ AND REVIEW!!!