Disclaimer: Does it LOOK like I own this stuff?
Ok, last time we finally witnessed the end of Roger's duel with Red Destiny, as well as a sudden turn for the worse in Kaiba's duel. Dartz also reappeared, having almost been robbed before Raphael killed the thief, and so began the first full-out DOOM strike on New Paradigm. Joey also began his first duel, and Yami is about to face Kachikachi in the ultimate test of skill. Finally, Tea and Inuyasha almost come to blows as the demon's vengeful side appears.
Chapter 31 will take the Kaiba vs. Sango duel to another level, as both players reveal their deadliest strategies, while Joey turns up the heat in his battle with Chu. Kikyo and Yami have fresh difficulties, and Roger comes to a horrifying truth. At the same time, Inuyasha gets drawn to Tea, and vice versa, while Hiei's dark side grows ever stronger.
And here is an original card that will show up in this chapter:
Amazoness Shield Maiden
Earth/Warrior/4/Effect
Attack: 0 Def: 2400
Effect: This monster is normal summoned in face-up defense mode. When this monster is sent from the field to the graveyard, remove it from play.
Chapter 30: Legacy of the Shadow Games
Hiei's Fortress
"Let me ask you a question, Kuwabara. Exactly how dumb are you? Really, just give me an estimate on your level of stupidity."
In the highest pinnacle of the hidden castle, Hiei had placed his hand onto the thick, marble dining table in his master board room, and despite the density of the stone it was crumbling like cardboard beneath his grasp. It looked like he was about to kill somebody, and from the looks of it his most idiotic lieutenant would be the victim.
"You practically lived in that cesspool while Koenma was in power, you inbred moron. You and your so-called Spirit Sense could pick up demonic power thirty miles away, so please tell me how you could not detect that one of Spirit World's worst civil servants had a syringe hidden in her left sleeve? Are you really that dense?"
Kuwabara, on his part, looked frightened down to his feet, and was very careful not to let the wrong thoughts slip in. He focused entirely on Yukina's face, and for a little while this was all he could think about. Despite his stupidity, he knew that Hiei's Sennen Eye granted him the power of mind reading, so he also kept his thoughts relatively decent, but he could see that Hiei was getting aggravated even more.
"Well, Hiei, it isn't entirely my fault. I mean, you could have scanned her mind and figured that much out. It's as much your fault as it is mine, so don't pin this on me...oh crap."
Kuwabara soon realized his gross error, just as quickly as he was pinned to the wall by Hiei's hand wrapped around his throat.
"I'll pretend I did not hear that, but the next time something I don't like comes out of that sewer of a mouth, I will personally spill your guts all over New Paradigm." Still, Hiei could not let this go, and so began to drive his old mercenary's dagger deep into Kuwabara's bowels, watching as warm human blood coated his hand. "You are really rather lucky that I would reserve your punishment to a knife in the belly. Had it not been for Yukina I would have sliced off your skin and made you eat it, and that is if I was in an extremely good mood."
The blade sank deeper, seeming to dig into the ex-detective's spleen.
"You've already forgotten that after that disastrous duel with Seto Kaiba you were to be quarantined and tortured, but out of the kindness of my heart I let you walk with merely a broken arm. But this, this is something I cannot let you get away with. Once Botan gets back to Spirit World I will have to move hell and high water to track her down, and if she returns to New Paradigm, which I am sure she will, there is a very high chance that she'll lead Yami and the others right here. Our fall will be on your head, and when Yukina finds that you were responsible for my death she shall despise you for all of eternity."
Satisfied, he slowly drew out the blade and let Kuwabara sink to the floor, his blood pooling on the ground.
"Now get out of here. I don't want your illegitimate blood staining my floor."
And so, the hopelessly devoted fool staggered out towards the medical bay, grasping his gut as he went.
"Now, as for the others. Computer, show me the progress of the Hellfire Tournament." Before him on a holographic monitor thousands of statistics reeled forth, showing names, decks, duels, and even vital stats. "So none of my opponents have been wiped out yet; even Wheeler and Smith are still in the fray. Kaiba and Yami are contending with my servants, Naraku and Dartz have made unusually impressive statistics." But a new name had shown up on the dueling databank; somehow Kagome had been entered into the ranks, and the Duel Gauntlet she was slated for would activate soon.
"It means nothing. She doesn't have the dueling skills to survive this war, and if need be I'll take her down myself."
But then, perhaps he wouldn't need to. Marik Ishtar, one of the finalists from Battle City, was entered here, and his field spies had told him that he was after the miko girlfriend of the Puzzle spirit. And Schwarzvald was only two duels away from entering the final round, but that was expected of a former World Champion.
There were others that intrigued him as well, including a surprising appearance by the eldest of the Toguro brothers, whom Hiei had heard was highly skilled in the strategic card game. But they were insignificant, small fries compared to his nine greatest enemies, and soon all of them would fall to the strength of the Sennen Items and the Jewel of Four Souls.
Hn. You are still fixated on winning this tournament?
It was Hiei's dark side, stronger this time, more robust.What are you still doing here? That exorcism should have removed you from my body and mind.
An exorcism? I don't know if you realize it, but an exorcism cannot remove one devil from another, and besides, you cannot remove me.
A pounding migraine was coming in on the front of Hiei's head, focused around the Eye.Admit it, Hiei, there is nothing that you could possibly do to purge my essence from your spirit. We are kindred spirits, two brothers of the soul, and we balance each other out. Why do you think Naraku made all of those incarnations? Why do you think Dartz hired those DOOM Soldiers when he knew that he alone could win all he needed? Why do you think Inuyasha has a full demon side? It is equilibrium, balance, yin and yang. Without a dark or light side, the other half would cease to be. It is the law of the universe; to maintain your power and yourself, you need me to balance the equation. Without me, you are nothing.
I find that hard to believe. If that was the case, how did I manage to keep going through this plan? How could I have gained the strength that I have today?
You simpleton. Despite what your asinine scientists told you, the Jagen is no Shadow Item, and the only way that you could possibly have engaged Bakura in that Shadow Game is through my influence. I was destined to wield the Items, and you were merely the puppet that I controlled to get them. And do not even attempt to say that you earned the Shikon no Tama, for without my ancient link to the jewel you could not have even touched it without burning away.
Well, it won't matter. I have that power and you do not, and as long as my strength is at full you cannot seek to control me.
Well, we shall certainly see about that. Suddenly the migraine around Hiei's Sennen Eye grew stronger, and once again the black tentacles started to form at his legs, but this time they focused on Hiei's head and the jewel clasped in his hand.
Damn it, just surrender to me, already! You know as well as I that my mind is no mere plaything for the wandering doomed, and before all is said and done you will have destroyed yourself in the process.
Is that so? Then why, might I ask, is your will starting to crack?
The dark spirit was right. Soon enough Hiei's skin began to crack at the edges, slowly revealing skin of venomous green cluttered with little slits. Around his shoulders an array of hypodermic-like spines had started to cluster, and his eyes darkened until they were completely black. As for the Items, they had started to shimmer with an eerie red sheen, and the hands that grasped the tools of power themselves gained this horrific demon aura.You forget constantly, Hiei Jagenshi, that I rule over this stumbling heap of meat and bones. You always disrespect my abilities, and there has not once been a day where you did not squander your own. But now is the time to take back the powers that were to be mine by birthright! Just surrender, you worthless buffoon, and let shadow and chaos overtake your mind and spirit!
NEVER!!! IN THIS REALM, I AM RULER...
The tentacles began to dissipate again, but not of their master's will. The lesions in the skin began to regress, and the spikes followed suit....I AM MASTER...
Hiei felt his strength return to him, and soon the spikes fully retracted. Now holding the Scales and Shikon jewel like they were sweet life, he let loose one more flare of will power....AND I AM GOD!!!
And soon after, the spirit himself receded into the shadows, as his host body crumpled into his armchair, eyes bloodshot and full of anger. The time had now come; he was sick of waiting, and he was tired from doing battle with all the insignificant drones.So he saw fit to make a drastic move, and spoke into his radio, addressing all of his minions.
"Servants and generals, this is a direct order from your master, Lord Hiei. If you should see any of our targets save Atem, you are to kill them on sight. I want to make sure that my enemies are dead once and for all."
Hospital Ward
The time had come, for the last duel between Pharaoh and samurai.
It was all going to come down to this last battle between the two, for Yami had seen the full strength of the Dark Seal before, and had even gotten a fleeting hold of it at one time. Of course, in this duel he had no intention of gaining the Orichalcos, but he had a strong premonition that Timaeus would make his all-encompassing presence known before this duel was over. And hopefully Slifer the Sky Dragon would not need to be used again, considering its immense strain on his mind in his last duel.
But now was not the time to be contemplating his use of the gods, but instead a time to use the cards his past three duels had granted him. Byakko and Vampire Lord would be useful, as would Fickle Magician if it came to that.
"Alright, Kachikachi. If you honestly think that I'm going to roll over and play dead, you've got another thing coming. I've beaten you before, and I swear I'll do it again." So saying, the quasi ghost slipped his dueling deck into the proper position, and set forward into the decrepit bowels of the place.
There was something nagging at him, though, an unorthodox perception of doubt that was beginning to fester in his heart. He felt as if the conflict with Kagome had shorn a piece of his soul away, and the gaping chasm in it's place was starting to grow wider. He couldn't let it get to him, of course; it had taken all of his mental dexterity and all of his faith to defeat the swordsman before, and even then it had been a hairline victory. If he lost any concentration in this match it would spell his final defeat, and Yugi would likely be trampled if Hiei came after him. Too many innocent lives had been lost in the name of Hiei's horrific quest to become a god, and Yami would be damned before he let anything happen to his hikari.
Yet despite this conviction in his own skills and his devotion to his fellow man, the anguish following Kagome's outburst still lay heavy in his heart. And as if that wasn't enough, he still had the literal bastard demon Naraku to deal with. He knew that the monster had made two incarnations, one of which he had personally vanquished, but the second had receded into oblivion before anybody knew the score, and he was almost certain that the second demon offspring was floating about in this city. That wasn't exactly relevant to his situation now, but it was good to keep an eye on all facets of a situation.
Something doesn't sit right about Kikyo being here. Granted, I never knew her all that well in this plane of existence, but it's rather strange that just as we kiss, Kagome should walk within eyeshot of the event. At the very least she should have been out for a little while after Naraku's attack, so is it possible that the two arranged this entire thing? It's unlikely, but seeing the capabilities of Kachikachi and his Mugen-Dai I'm not too sure what to believe anymore.
All I know is that Kachikachi's had enough time back in the light, and now the day has come when I shall finally put him to rest.
The floor, molded and rotten from years of rain and shoddy workmanship, creaked nervously beneath his steady pace, while the horrendous stench of mildew and bad decisions monopolized his olfactory organ. The lighting was poor and the acoustics even worse, so it was not to be surprised that a rather unwelcome guest began to match his tempo undetected.And soon enough, Kikyo and Yami were treading side by side, yet again.
"Atem, I really need to talk to you."
"There is nothing to talk about. Because of you and Kachikachi the only woman I ever loved now hates my guts, and it is by your actions that Hiei and Naraku are strong enough to obliterate the planet. The very fact that you did these things are grounds enough for me to cut you down as we walk, but I rarely hold grudges to begin with. So maybe you should just go away and that will be that."
"Do you really think I wanted it to happen like this? It wasn't my fault that Kagome hates you now, for weren't you in that little scene? And do not even think about pinning Naraku on me; I was not to blame for his rise to strength or his incarnations..."
"That has got to be the most enormous heap of garbage I have ever heard! You helped the bandit Onigumo to turn to the darkness, and if you hadn't willingly given him Kagome's jewel shards, Hiei wouldn't have gotten his hands on them! This is all of your fault, so why can't you just admit that?! I know I am responsible for what happened, so why can't you accept it?"
"Because I do not want to. You of all people should understand that this life is by no stretch of the imagination cakewalk; it isn't easy to walk through this life seeing the humans grow old and content while I am perpetually bitter at the whole goddamn world! So it's a rather important goal for me to be able to find happiness, and when I saw you and Inuyasha finding love in Kagome I got angry. I wanted revenge on Naraku at first, and Hiei I will have to destroy, but deep down I was angry at my own incarnation. She actually has had happiness in her life, and what have I done? I am nothing more than a walking clay doll that has seen far too much to rest in peace..."
"Kikyo, while I'm not quite at peace with you yet, I really have to say that what you just said is an absolute lie. I'll admit what you've done over the years hasn't exactly been the high road, I'll also admit that I have a deeper admiration of you than anyone I have ever met. You've sacrificed so much for the sake of your priestess responsibilities, and in the face of all you endured most others would have broken down and wept, and yet you continued on the path to which you had been set. But what I'd like to know is why you insist on ruining the lives of those you claim to love? You have an amazing set of qualities that would make just about anyone crazy about you, and even I was mesmerized when you and I first met. So instead of assailing your past, you could start a new future in this new world, and I'll take it upon myself to do that."
As soon as he was finished, though, Kikyo wrapped her own arms around the Pharaoh as her tears began to flow.
"Thanks, Yami. I really needed to hear that. And rest assured that Kagome will be back with you before all is said and done. But I'll hang around with you for a bit more; Kachikachi will be nearly impossible to defeat, and my guess is that you'll need my help outside the ring. But for the duel itself you can have this."
So saying, the priestess slipped a Magic card atop Yami's deck.
"I'm not much of a duelist, I'm afraid, and I only learned the basics by watching Inuyasha, but I did find this lying on the street, so maybe it will help you."
"Thank you, Kikyo."
So the two continued on in silence, until they reached the twin doors of the ballroom where Kachikachi had told them to begin the match.
"Let me ask you one thing, Yami. When you said that you would give everything up for Kagome, were you speaking the truth?"
Yami gave her a small grin. "For Kagome, I would sell my soul to Zork Necrophidious."
The two walked into the massive chamber, but what they found was no ballroom.
The entire room was shrouded in a thick purple and black fog. Ghostly images passed through the mist for mere seconds, and zipped away as though they were not real. The darkness would play with a normal human's mind, and where would once be a table was instead infinite void. Time and space seemed violated, and if you were not careful you could find yourself hanging from beneath your own feet. A voice only carried for a few feet, yet in the distance the horrible wails of the damned resounded with terrible clarity.
"Welcome to the Shadow Realm, Pharaoh."
And there he was, the dark samurai, standing in the center of this abyss.
"All I can say is that I'm glad you and the priestess showed up, but soon only she will remain in this world. Now, let's set the stakes. The winner shall receive one card from the enemy's deck, and I mean any card, along with one more tournament key. As for the loser, you both know the fate that befalls the victims of the darkness."
"Just as I had hoped! Let's end this now, Kachikachi!!!" (4000/4000)
Kaiba vs. Sango
"Admit it, Minamoto, you and your perverse mentor can no longer stand against me! My inferior monsters have already taken out more than half of your life points, and on my next turn both the Blue Eyes White Dragon and Airknight Parshath will be free to demolish the rest! And rest assured that it will not matter what you do at this point, so I shall end my turn. Go ahead, do whatever you see fit to do, and pray to God that I don't wipe you our right here and now!"
To herself, Genkai was starting to get nervous. Kaiba's damnable dragon was now controlling the field, and with it's own strength and hand advantage potential, the Airknight Parshath was not exactly a pushover. However, Genkai also knew that her demon slayer apprentice was by no means a pushover herself, and somewhere in that deck resided a one-tribute that could destroy the dragon.
"All right, Seto, then it's my move!" Perfect. This card may yet come in handy, but in order to use it properly, I'll need a little more time. So until then, I'll just have to hold Kaiba off. "I'll start by placing one monster in defense mode, followed by a card face down, and that will end my turn."
"Then it is back to me. But there is something that has been nagging at me from the beginning. You mentioned earlier that you fled from your old life because you needed a fresh start, but even so, that does not explain why you are on the command of a psychotic demon with a god complex. It seems to me as if there is some ulterior motive for going out of your way to deceive me into this duel, as well as one for your servitude of one as vile as Hiei. So are you in this for greed, or vengeance?"
"Kaiba, you have no idea what is going on in my life, yet you seem intent on discovering why I have sided with one that I would likely have called my enemy only a short time beforehand. It is a rather complicated story, one that begins after the demon Naraku vanished from this world and the group in which I had been in was liquefied. It took us quite some time to figure it out, but slowly it dawned on us all that the Jewel would not be returning to this plane. I don't know about the others save Miroku, but I do know that after the conflict ended in disappointment I started wandering again. My family was either dead or insane, and I didn't want to stick around to find out, so I keep walking, soon getting a grasp of the geography enough to try and find my brother Kohaku, who had been under the demon's control. It took me about five months but I finally found a lead in one of the more illustrious villages, which soon after lead me to a concealed compound in the mountains nearby. That journey alone set me back a month, but by the time I got there, it was too little, too late..."
For a couple of minutes afterwards Sango seemed to drift off into her own little world, unheeding of the duel before her, reflecting on the horrible sights of what happened next. The psychic mentor, however, was slowly losing her patience.
"Long story short, I killed her brother, Kaiba. And in all due respect, Sango, I am getting sick of all that sentimental bullshit that you vomit on me every time you think of Kohaku. Do you really think that breaking down into shock will bring him back? I know that Master Hiei would not waste his time and energy on resurrecting so pathetic a slayer as he, so take a lesson from Kaiba here. Just suck it up already and duel; do you see him curling into a ball every time he thinks about Botan?"
"Well, true as that is, psychic, you still have forgotten one thing about me. I do not just "suck it up", but I gather what little resolve I have and I keep pressing forward. And speaking of that, it is my move! I'll start by placing one card face down, and summoning Blade Knight in attack mode!" Kaiba's latest monster was an imposing silver-armored warrior, wielding a green-crested shield and sporting a long, wickedly curved blade. (1600/1000) "Now, I think it's about time I end this duel once and for all! Airknight Parshath, demolish her face down monster and end this match!" In an attempt to swiftly finalize this battle of monsters, the archangel picked up both spears and hurled them into the brown-backed monster card.
And what happened next made everyone present sick to their stomachs. Even the monsters looked away in horror.
The spears had stuck the target, all right, but the target they had landed upon was almost too much for even Genkai to bear. The victim was little more then a ragged young beggar girl, clothed in only a shoddy shawl and torn up pants. Scattered about her feet were some alms and a basket of some rotten fruit. Her face, and her entire person, in fact, looked like it had not been washed in years, and her frame was barely enough to keep the muscles from falling off. (0/100) At the same time, a trio of female saints formed a circle around Sango's life points.
"The monster you just attacked was my Unhappy Maiden, and when it is destroyed the battle phase of the opponent automatically ends, and just to keep my life points intact I activated the face down Waboku I played last turn, which will negate all damage done to my life points this turn."
"Very well. It's your move."
"Exactly. And now is the perfect time to end this duel." Luckily, Kaiba has two cards left in his hand, meaning that his Blade Knight's effect will not kick in until his next turn at the least. At any rate, I can't let his Blue Eyes White Dragon mount an attack, and I just might have the monster to deal with that problem. All I have to do is draw it. "I'll start this turn by playing the Magic card, Pot of Greed, to draw two new cards, followed by the summon of my Amazoness Shield Maiden in defense mode!" The fifth amazon played in this duel was a brawny red head that was covered from head to toe in five-inch sheet metal armor, and in front of her was what appeared to be a carved rock that was coated in bronze. (0/2400) "Next, I will activate the Magic card, Different Dimension Capsule; when played it allows me to remove one card in my deck from play for two turns, after which I can add it to my hand." In an open magic and trap zone assimilated an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus that was painted in various blue shades, and in the center of it was what appeared to be a small breach in the space time continuum. " I'll then place one card face down to end my turn. Take it, Kaiba."
"You'll regret those words, demon butcher. Now I shall activate one of my favorite cards, Magical Sanctuary, which allows both of us to add one Magic card from our deck to our hand, and after which all Magic cards can be activated during the opponent's turn. Next, I'll use the Magic card I just gained, Energy Reflector, to sacrifice my Blade Knight!" The mighty warrior was soon absorbed in an orb of pure energy, which in turn was consumed by Kaiba's Blue Eyes. "When it is activated, Energy Reflector allows me to offer up one monster, and in exchange, one other monster on the field can mount a direct attack on your life points! Now my dragon, end this duel with your Burst Stream attack!"
The draconic hell raiser took his master's command to heart, and sent a solid beam of highly charged atoms that, upon impact, would have destroyed what little was left of Sango's life points. That is, if the attack had worked.
"Activate face down card, Mask of Impregnability! When activated, this instant magic card will negate all direct attacks sent against me during the turn in which I use it! And since my Shield Maiden has 2400 defense points, it would be futile for your Airknight to try another attack against me."
"Impressive. It seems that your Duel Monsters training with Genkai was not all a waste. I'll end my turn there."
"So you are finally starting to understand my talents, Kaiba. But that shall not be the only thing I leave you with today, for before this duel is over I will strip you of your Egyptian God Card, and Miroku will be avenged! You may have been able to survive the wrath of Obelisk, but mine is a fury unlike anything you've ever seen before, and when all is said and done I will make you beg for mercy at my feet!"
"Strange. So far you have done little against me save use a failed attack on my part to bring you the lead, and so far you have yet to summon anything that can stop the Blue Eyes White Dragon. However, you still insist on reiterating your belief that this duel will end in my defeat. Well, I do not know if you understand my title, but I was not crowned Dueling Champion of the World for nothing. I have hardly ever been defeated, and my prowess is outstripped only by Yugi Mouto, and even that is a record I doubt. Kuwabara and Miroku were also convinced they could demolish me, so what makes you any different?"
"It's simple. I learned from the best, and it shall be that edge that will bring me the Hellfire Tournament Championship. Now it is time for me to turn the tables on you with my rarest card, so I shall now sacrifice the Amazoness Shield Maiden to summon the Moon Warrior Lady in attack mode!" From the highest natural point that was still within Earth's orbit, the moon, was sent a beam of blue white light that absorbed the tank of a warrior, and from that remaining point of light emerged a tall, slender young woman with corn-yellow hair and thick green plate armor. On her shield, as well as her blade, was the insignia of the moon. (2100/1000) "Next, I shall place one card face down, and I'll use my lunar warmonger to strike down your Airknight! Oh, by the way, my Moon Warrior Lady gains 1000 extra attack points every time it engages in battle with a Light-attribute monster! Moon Warrior Lady, Phase Slash!"
What happened next was rather perplexing, for the crescent symbols on the weapons became black orbs, and just as quickly the cosmic soldier became invisible. Nothing could be heard or seen of her, until a vague presence showed up behind the seraph.
"Strike now!"
And in one fluid motion, the lady became fully visible, and the crests themselves grew bright, much in the same way that the moon does when light shines upon it. The angel, however, had now idea what was going on...until the warrior sliced off his upper torso, after which she carved that in half. (200/1650) "That will end my turn, Kaiba."
"Very well, then it is once again my chance to end this match."
"Not for long; I activate the face down card, DNA Transplant! As long as this card is face up on the field, every monster on the field automatically becomes whatever attribute I wish, and to make my Moon Warrior Lady virtually unstoppable, I will select Light!" From the card emerged what looked like a modified DNA Surgery implant wire, only it had a vial of some unknown liquid, and once this genetic chemical entered the bloodstream of the Moon Warrior Lady, and soon her armor turned into a sky blue shade.
"Very nice, Minamoto, but now is the time for me to end this duel, with the Magic card, Reclaim of Spell! Using this Magic I am allowed to discard two magic cards from my hand to place another one from the graveyard into said hand. And I will now activate the Magic card I just recovered, Pot of Greed, to draw two new cards."
Kaiba did not have to look at the cards he drew to know what they were.
"Well, Kaiba, did you get the cards you need?"
And for the first time in this duel, Seto Kaiba flashed the demon hunter his infamous smirk. Even Genkai knew what this meant: this duel was about to end.
"Why don't you see for yourself, Sango? I activate The Legendary Dragon, Fang of Critias!"
New Paradigm Museum
"It just doesn't make sense to me anymore, Tea."
Inuyasha, having recovered from his recent brush with dementia, was stroking his forehead in outright aggravation and exhaustion.
"In the very beginning, when I was just starting out on this jewel hunt, back then I knew my purpose. Having this sword was a complication, but other than that the entire thing was set up simply: have Kagome track down every piece of the jewel that she destroyed, recreate the damn thing, and use it to become a full-fledged demon. At first I thought that would bring me peace. Then Naraku and Kikyo came crashing into the picture, and I had started to develop feelings for her and Kagome, despite my instinct telling me not to get too close. The stakes changed yet again, but I still knew the score."
"So why is this any different? You still know your enemy; we all know that Hiei's the bad guy here. And you know what you have to do."
The half-demon gave a grim chuckle before he started to walk towards the alabaster tableau, hands tracing the thick glass that served as its only guardian.
"It isn't that simple. I may know one of my enemies, and hell, he probably is the biggest one I've ever faced. But there's something else bugging me about this tournament. Normally, I'd just use my gut and my nose to hunt down that bastard, and even use Kagome to locate his jewel shards. But I've seen Hiei fight before, Tea, and even from that distance I could perceive that he was holding back. He was holding back, and he killed every man, woman, and child in Tokyo. And I've even heard he has total control of the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, which is a feat that no one has ever accomplished before. The only field on which I have some even footing is in the dueling arena, and I know that he can read minds with that Eye of his. He's done everything right so far, he's played every single card like a pro, and before long he'll figure out a way to take us all down."
It was all coming into the clear now. Inuyasha had given up all hope, and from the looks of things he was only a couple inches from a suicide attempt.
I've never seen anybody so upset before in my life. It doesn't even add up to a sensible conclusion, for I've seen this guy lashing out at Hiei and I never once saw any fear at all in his eyes, those big, amber eyes...what am I saying?! He wanted to kill Yugi simply because he and Kagome weren't together anymore. There's something else at work here, nonetheless, some small device that's eating away at him from the inside out, and I think that tablet is doing the job.
Knowing this, the sprightly almost-girlfriend of the Duelist Kingdom tournament champion, walked up to the dog and looked at the tablet. It did not surprise her that Yami was in this picture, but she noticed that Inuyasha was much more focused on the young priestess that stood by his side."Is that Kikyo?"
"Yeah, in ancient Egyptian form. It may seem a little weird, but when I first met Kikyo I had no idea of the trouble that would start from our relationship. I mean, if it hadn't been for her I wouldn't have known of the jewel, Kagome would have never been, and odds are I wouldn't be in this mess. Naraku would not have been spawned, Hiei would only have half of his current strength, and all those people that had been hurt in the name of the Shikon no Tama might still be alive."
Inuyasha then turned away from the image for a second or so and walked towards the window through which Yoko Kurama had escaped, starting out of it onto the city. Tea, noticing how downtrodden he had become, decided it best to follow suit.
"None of it adds up, Tea. I guess I shouldn't complain, taking into account everything we've worked so hard to get, but it still feels kinda weird."
"Kind of like a big hole in your heart?"
"Yeah, only this is one hole I just can't seem to replace. It's been growing larger every second of every day, a cold feeling that I might not be there in the morning. This last duel with Yoko put it into high gear, the self-deterioration, and I'm already starting to question my own skills. I think, maybe, it's time for me to hang it up."
The younger of the two took on an expression of incredulity, soon replaced by one of sadness.
"Don't say that, Inuyasha. I know times are tough; you think being possessed by a maniacal devil that's becoming stronger with every breath he takes is easy? Neither of us can stop the hands of time, and I don't think we should try. The only real thing to be done is get up, brush ourselves off, and head back into the ring, and if either you or Yami decides not to get back on the field, then that's it. Hiei wants you to doubt yourselves so he can strike us all down even quicker, and you can't give him that satisfaction without trying long and hard to rip him apart."
"Thanks again...Anzu."
"What?"
"It's a little nickname I thought up when I saw you. Means apricot."
"How'd you come up with it?"
"You're exactly like an apricot. Tender and sweet."
A flush of pink was shared by the two, which held for the five seconds it took them to come close enough so that all that could be seen was the other's eyes.
And just as swiftly were the two upon each other's lips, breathing heavily as they held close, while the two sent their own tongues in to investigate the other's mouth. Beneath her jacket, Tea's heart started to flutter like crazy, and every so often a groan would escape her lips.
Until finally, the two separated.
"I guess we're even now, Inuyasha."
"Just about, Anzu."
Joey vs. Chu
"I'll make the first move, Wheeler." Chu drew first, looking upon his collection of cards rather carefully. "I'll start by activating this Magic card, The A. Forces, which'll give all my Warriors a 200 point boost for ev'ry Spellcaster and Warrior on my side of the field, followed by the summon of Dark Blade in attack mode!" Chu's first monster on the board was a tall and imposing warlord with jet black armor and twin jagged swords. His face was completely hidden, and behind him was a flowing crimson cape. (2000/1700) "That'll end my turn."
"Okay, Chu, you've had yer chance. Now it's my turn to get dis party rockin!" Joey drew now, and almost jumped for joy at the sight. "All right, I'm coming after those life points, and I'll start by placing two cards face down. Next, I'll summon one of my favorite monsters, the Rocket Warrior!" Joey's new monster was, quite literally, an opened up green and yellow missile with arms, legs, and a relatively blank face. In his hands he geld a tiny sword and an equally miniscule shield. (1500/1000) "In case ya didn't know it, when my sky-flyin,' buddy here goes into the battle phase, he can go invincible before a battle and drop 500 attack points from a monster on your side of da field. And don't think my monster's going in without a little assistance, 'cause now I'll equip him wit' Dragon Slaying Sword, to push his attack up to a whopping 2200! Rocket Warrior, Invincible Mode!" As he had said, the cartoonish warmonger converted itself into a standard missile, with the exception of his weapons on his sides, and the former sword was replaced with a spiked iron blade. Now protected, the missile hurled itself at the Dark Blade, who was in turn knocked backwards by the heavy concussion. His armor took the brunt of the assault, but it was obvious he had suffered some kind of internal injury, as he was barely able to stand without coughing black bile all over the arena floor. (1500/1700) "Now, Rocket Warrior, take down that Dark Blade!" Now back in his standard format, the rocket Warrior smashed his occult fellow in the face with his shield, followed immediately thereafter by five swift cuts, resulting in the Blade's guts and head being splattered all over the field. (4000/3300) "As you can see, my warriors don't fool around. Next time I might not be so forgiving, so you should watch yerself before goin' up against the 2nd best at Duelist Kingdom."
Chu, despite his moderate dip in life points, gave a slight chuckle.
"No offense, mate, but this ain't Duelist Kingdom. The rules are much diff'rent, as you no doubt guessed, and the 2nd best in one tourney could be dead last in another. Granted, you did a bang-up job in Battle City and the KC Grand Prix, but don't think that title o' yours is gonna get you much."
"Oh really? Well, it's your move then. Let's see if you can put your money where your mouth is."
"Fine by me. So I'll start this move by placing one card face down, and summoning this monster, Surprising Mataza!" Chu's latest monster was a medium-sized samurai with light armor and a short sword. His face was sallow with years of betrayal, and his hair was limp and oil-slicked. (1300/700) "My second monster has one major difference from my last, in that it not only can attack twice per turn, but it can never change sides of the field. And just to make this duel a bit quicker, I'll equip him with the Fusion Sword Murasame Blade, which will increase his attack strength to 2100, and of course The A. Forces gives him a little extra juice." Upon Mataza's free arm appeared a lengthy katana that wrapped around said appendage up to his elbow. (2300/900) "Now, Mataza, destroy 'is Rocket Warrior!"
"Not so fast! I activate my face down card, Graceful Dice!" Upon Joey's side of the field emerged a cherubic version of the Skull Dice's demon, while in it's hands was a large blue die. "When activated, it allows me to roll one die on my side of da field, and the result is multiplied by my monsta's attack power! Activate!" The little creature gave a slight giggle, rather unusual in a card held by a Battle City Finalist, and let fly the die it clasped onto. Both duelists watched it skitter about, on occasion bouncing off the walls of the impromptu arena, until it landed on...
Snake eye.
"SHIT!!!"
"Too bad, Wheela, but now my Mataza can finish the job it started! Continue the attack!"
Now furious, Mataza slashed straight through the Rocket Warrior's steel hide, sending the various mechanics of the monster all about the place, and in his rage he lifted the beast's head and placed it into his satchel. (3900/3300) "Now, attack his life points again, my monster!"
"Sorry, Chu, but it doesn't work like that! I still have a face down card, a nice little baby called Revenge Sacrifice! When one of my monsters is destroyed in battle, I'm allowed to sacrifice any monster on your side of the field, and when I say sacrifice, I mean I can use it for anything...including a tribute summon! So now I'll use your Mataza as blood offerings for my Blowback Dragon!" Just as Mataza was about to attack, he was absorbed in a ray of white light, that warped and twisted his body until it was little more than a nondescript ball of solid mass, which, of itself, morphed into a giant mechanical monstrosity. The thing could only be described as a giant pistol hooked onto a cybernetic raptor's legs and tail, the hammer ready to fall at any moment. (2300/1500)
"Fuck. I'll place one more card face down to end my turn."
"Great for you. Now it's time to win dis duel! So I'll summon one last monster, the Axe Raider, to make the damage to you a solid 4000!" Standing next to, and complete unaware of, the Blowback Dragon was a tall and heavily muscled barbarian warrior in golden armor and a spiked helm. In his left hand was a giant two-headed hatchet. (1700/1600) "Now, just to make sure you ain't pulling my leg wit' those face down cards, I'll activate Blowback Dragon's special effect, allowing me to flip three coins. If two out of three are right, I get to destroy one card on the field, including either one of your face down cards." With that, Joey tossed three coins into the air, and watched them land. The first was heads, the second was tails, and the third...
Was a profile.
"OH YEAH!!! WHO IS DA MAN? ACTIVATE YOUR EFFECT, DRAGON!"
Responding to the command, the massive handgun lifted itself on it's mechanical legs, loaded the main chamber, and pulled the internal trigger. At which point a giant bullet the size of a cannonball sped out and smashed through the first of Chu's cards.
"Now, Axe Raider and Blowback Dragon, direct attack!"
"Nice try, Joey, but you forgot my other face down card! Activate Thunder of Ruler, which will prevent you from att...att..." Without warning, the crazed fighter started gasping for breath, almost choking before he sat down legs crossed. After a few seconds he got up, looking slightly abashed. "Sorry. Happens a lot when I make a big move. Anyway, when it's activated, Thunder of Ruler prevents all of your monsters from attacking me this turn. Meaning I have one more turn to deal with your monsters."
"Fine by me. To tell ya the truth, I kinda wanted you to play that sort of card."
"So ya like a challenge, huh, Wheeler? Well, you are about to get your wish. I've been going easy on you so far, but now I think it's time I bring this game uppa notch."
"Ok, I'll end my turn."
"Right. Now I shall activate the Magic card, Pot of Greed, to draw two more cards from my deck. Then I'll activate this Magic card, Foolish Burial, to place a monster card from my deck into the graveyard, followed by the activation of Monster Reborn, to return to the field my Marauding Captain, the first of my rarest cards!"
Strange. I have a card exactly like that in my deck...
"I've seen you duel before, Joey, the Kaiba Corp Grand Prix in particular, so I know that you have a Marauding Captain in your deck too, but unlike you, I can tap the full power of it's special effect!" From the ankh of Monster Reborn emerged a new warlord, an exhausted looking officer that was clad in heavy 15th century armor. In general he looked devoted, but extremely cunning. (1200/1700) "As you know, when my Marauding Captain is summoned, I am allowed to special summon another Warrior from my hand." From said hand emerged a second captain, who gave a brief nod to his counterpart. "But my creature has another effect; as long as he is on the field, no other warriors can be the target of an attack.""Wait a minute! Does that mean..."
"Yes, Wheeler! When both of my Marauding Captains are on the field, they protect all warriors, and since both are soldiers, they protect each other, meaning that you cannot select either of them to destroy! And since the only way to get through my other warriors is through the captains...you can't attack at all!"
Warehouse, Aftermath of Roger vs. R.D.
At long last, Roger's first duel had come to a climactic end. It had taken a while, and it sure as hell had not been a simple match, but it was still gratifying for him to emerge victorious in the first match of the greatest Duel Monsters tournament ever devised. And the very sound of Red Destiny crashing into a wall on the other side of the warehouse only added to his controlled excitement. Still, whether in a duel or in a negotiation, business came before the celebratory glass of wine, so it was in this spirit that the negotiator started the long journey over towards the impact site, taking a personal note of every card that lay tossed about the floor.
So far he could not locate her rarest card, and he was willing to guess that it was one of the Zodiac monsters she had played at the very end of the duel. Luckily for him, they were all the same basic rarity, and by the tournament rules he could take every one of them. But his keen eyes were also on the watch for the golden tournament key that would begin his battle to the Finals Arena steps, where he would finally put his past to rest once and for all.
Coming to New Paradigm City had not been an easy thing for Roger to do, given his lengthy history with the city's ancestor, the original Paradigm City. His seven years of forced exile were the worst years he had ever endured, and every day of that time, that was not spent on menial tasks and the occasional tournament, was spent on reflection and pondering, generally about what he could have done to stop Rosewater from enacting his plan. Maybe if he hadn't been so aloof to what Schwarzvald had said every time the two crossed swords this wouldn't have happened. But happen it did, and there was nothing that could be done about that. Then there was this business with Hiei Jagenshi and his deranged grasp on the once proud metropolis. Roger knew very little about the past of the demonic overlord of Spirit World, or even about his current plans and abilities, but what he did know was that Hiei desired the powers of the gods, and he would likely do all that was within his current might to do so. Whatever else was going on in this city was concealed from him, and even if he still had the money to find those mysteries out, the odds were that they exceeded his one-dimensional perspective of the universe. Even his most obvious enemy, Michael Seebach, was beyond his understanding nowadays.
There was not a person in this tournament who knew more of Paradigm's secrets than Roger, but New Paradigm's ambiguitous ways could not possibly be comprehended by him or anybody else in his old circles that was still alive.
The click of military shoes resounded throughout the vast storage facility, ceasing for a bit each time the wearer bent to pick up a card. Apart from that there was nothing, and in the dark recesses of the place it seemed to the hidden character that this was what it must be like to experience hell.
But whether by his lack of peripheral focus or simply by ignorance, the domineuce failed to acknowledge this person's presence as he finally came to the resting place of the devil's machine, as he had been prone to refer to Red Destiny as such. She, or it, was completely silent; perhaps the vital mechanics of her systems were broken beyond repair in that crash, but it was impossible to tell. What could be easily determined was that her left hand was clamped like a vise around the firearm with which she had slain so many. Also in this hand was her tournament key, apparently the only one she had. Now ready to end this duel officially, he bent down and extracted the key, as well as the firearm she held.
"All I can say is good luck in hell, Red Destiny."
There's nothing left to do here save walk away, just keep moving and never look back. It's the same philosophy I've followed since I lost everything in Paradigm City, and now it's time for me to abandon what once was, and continue on with what shall be.
Nothing left for him to do. Just as it had always been with cases like this.What had happened to him all those years ago? What fate had befallen his soul? How had it come to this? Every day, Roger asked himself those questions, and every day it was getting harder to answer them. The others had a purpose; Yami had to do battle with Hiei, Yusuke and Joey were there to help, Inuyasha was here for vengeance, Kaiba was looking out for himself and his brother, and why was he here? He could do very little of what the others could, he was just a powerless human being with slight dueling promise. But now, now that he had come here, the negotiator had begun to realize all that had happened in the past was merely the opening stage for him, and now that the Big O was no longer at his disposal, he would have to prove himself as a duelist and a warrior. Perhaps his old Megadeuce could be salvaged, but the odds were unlikely.
Yet in the next few seconds, whether or not he could revive his god from the machine was the least of his worries.
"ROGER!!!"
Even from that distance he could hear the screeching call of his name, and upon turning the source was revealed. Red Destiny was charging him, fists balled and ready to smash the next thing that twitched. Her eyes were bulging with blind fury, and her feet seemed not to strike the hard concrete.
"YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE MY WRATH!!!"
He had nothing left to him to fight her; the only reason he had escaped from their last encounter in one piece was his megaduece, and now...
A rain of bullets stopped her dead in her tracks.
To Be Continued
Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?
Ok, next chapter will see the end of the Sango and Kaiba duel, while Yami will finally begin his battle with Kachikachi. At the same time, the mysterious savior of Roger Smith will return, Kagome thinks deeply about Yami and his words, Naraku begins to contemplate his next move, and Inuyasha, along with his new lover Tea, discover a secret god that will start a new line of thought.
Remember, READ, REVIEW, AND DON'T FLAME!