Force of Darkness, hear my cry

by Noble Paladin

Chap. 46: The end of the beginning is here! Yami, Yusuke, Joey, and Kagome face their deadliest opponents yet, but what is Hiei planning with a certain dark entity? The time's getting close for war!

40. The Reunion of Lost Lovers and the Demon...

Disclaimer: Not a lot to say, I guess.

Ok, in our last chapter Pegasus managed to summon one of his most blasphemous creatures, Toon Obelisk the Tormentor, as well as commencing the return of the dreaded Winged Dragon of Ra. The Union and its leader were also introduced, as Akuren handled his assignment and Inuyasha played the Seal of Orichalcos. Finally, Roger was challenged by Espa Roba.

In chapter 40, the duels of Joey vs. Jin, Kagome vs. Y. Marik, Kaiba and Botan vs. Tsubaki and Pegasus, and Inuyasha vs. Raphael continue. Hiei's latest, and most controversial, servant is introduced, as is a new enemy of Hiei. Schwarzvald continues his hunt for knowledge, and Dartz continues his puppetry.

FYI: Roll of Destiny, used by Yoko earlier, is a Trap version of Treasure of Destiny. (Error on my part, so bear in mind I just made a Trap form of an anime card. Also, Roll of Destiny is another name for Treasure of Destiny, so bear with me).

And if I refer to Rurouni Kenshin, well, that I can explain on request.

Chapter 39: The Reunion of Lost Lovers and the Demonic Upheaval, Part 2

Joey vs. Jin

"Ok, I'll start dis up!"

Joey drew the first card, and could easily see that he was in a good position. "I'll start by placin' one card face down, and then I'll summon Alligator Sword in attack mode!" Joey's first monster was exactly what the name implied, a brutish soldier that was, in all fairness, a walking alligator with lizard skin armor and a scimitar with a crocodilian foot for a hilt. (1500/1200) "Back to you."

"Thank ya very much, Wheeler. Now it's time that I show ya a little down home brutality!" Jin happily drew his next card, and looked over his own set. "Ok, I'll start us off by placing two cards face down, along with a monster in face down defense mode. Next, I'll play the Continuous Magic card, Lightspeed Summoning, which allows me to make another summon each turn, so long as I pay 500 life points for that opportunity. So in this case, I'll summon my Slate Warrior using that effect." (4000/3500) Jin's next monster, the powerful blue demon with brass armor, appeared on the field. (1900/400) "Ok, Slate Warrior, use Tornado Fist to slap the stuffin' outta his croc!" In an attack method not quite unlike that used by Jin himself, the Slate Warrior leapt into the air and began to spin his arm about rapidly. Having done this, the demon shifted his body weight so that he plummeted directly towards the Alligator Sword. Unable to defend himself with his blade, the soldier of the swamps was defeated, his neck twisting at an odd angle as he fell to the ground. (3600/3500) "That'll do for now."

"Not so fast! Reveal face down card, Michizure! When one of my monsters is sent to the graveyard, I'm automatically allowed to destroy any of your monsters! So say bye to Slate Warrior!" Just as the demon's feet alighted upon the ground, a pair of rotted claws, likely belonging to the alligator, burst from the ground and clamped onto the legs, dragging the demon into Hell.

"Ah, so yer not a commun bumpkin. Ok, take it."

"I'll take it gladly!" Another card drawn, and it was one that would serve Joey well. "I summon Marauding Captain to da field in attack mode, and because of his special effect I can summon another monster, in this case D.D. Assailant in attack mode!" The captain, once summoned, (1200/1400) drew out a thick ivory horn and blew a steady tune into it, thus calling Joey's next monster, a svelte warrior with dark blonde hair held back in a ponytail, with pseudo-futuristic armor and a massive blade. (1700/1600) "For my next move, I'll activate the Magic card, Lightning Sword, to increase the attack power of my Captain by 800 points!" The leader of war now received a most peculiar weapon, a lengthy and wide sword that crackled with electrical power. (2000/1400) "Now, Marauding Captain, wipe out his defense!"

"Nope! I activate the card I played face down, Windstorm of Etaqua, which switches the positions of all your monsters!" As he had claimed, the two warriors went into crouched positions, forced by the winds of his trap. "And that's not all; I activate the other card I had face down, Raigeki Break, to discard one card from my hand and roast one of your cards, and I think Marauding Captain fits the bill!" From out of nowhere, a solitary bolt of lightning slashed through the Captain, causing him to be reduced to a scorched corpse with a slight trickle of blood flowing downwards. "Anythin' else, Wheeler?"

"Yep. One more card face down, and that'll do it."

"Then back ta da duel, bucko!" Jin drew yet again, and saw another golden chance. "I'll start by flippin' up me face down monster, Serpent of the Gale, and by doin' so I can draw one card for ev'ry Wind monster sent to the graveyard so far, thus allowin' me to draw two cards, seein' as I sent a Wind monster to the grave because of Raigeki Break." Jin's monster was a transparent cobra with golden fangs and green crystal wings. (750/1200) "I'll then summon the monster known as Lightning Drillman in attack mode!" The next monster that appeared was actually a human with black hair that stood on end with static electricity. The only things that stood out about him were his thick blue armor and the drill-like coil of electricity that was his right hand. (1700/1400) "I'll then activate the card called Special Hurricane, to discard one card from my hand and destroy all Special Summoned monsters on the field!" Jin's Magic card, upon resolution, sent a wailing storm of thunder and lightning crashing to the floor, and although his Lightning Drillman and Serpent were steady throughout, Joey's dimensional warrior was not as fortunate. Soon enough the assailant was sucked into the eye of the storm by the F5 force gales, whereupon a single bolt of thunder spiked through his body and incinerated it. "But that's not all. The monster I sent to the graveyard is Serpent of the Lightning, which allows me to draw cards equal to the total number of Thunder monsters in my hand and on the field when it enters the discard pile, so I draw two cards more. And don't think the noose is full tight yet; now I sacrifice me Drillman and Serpent of the Gale to summon Sanga of the Thunder in attack mode!"

It was indeed a card Joey was familiar with, having seen it in his duel with the Brothers Paradox at Duelist Kingdom some time back, and as the immense thunder god was called forward from the glowing pool of blood created by the lightning bolt beheading of the two sacrifices, he almost expected the twins to leap forward and create a rather mediocre rhyme. Luckily, nothing of the sort happened, but now Joey had to stare down the kanji-faced golden deity, whose four golden orbs on its back were humming with anxious strips of electrical force, and whose claws hungered for the sweet rip of flesh. (2600/2200)

"Pretty good, uh…"

"Jin's the name, and Storm duelin's the game. Sure, hardly anyone uses the weather anymore to fight or duel, but I've been a fan of winds and storms since me pap bounced me on the knee."

"Uh, ok. Anyway, not bad, summoning such a strong monster this quickly. But remember, you still have my face down card to deal with! I activate the Trap card, Chasm of Spikes, which'll instantly skewer your thunder god, as well as knock out a quarter of that monster's attack from your life points!"

But even as the abyss of spines burst open to consume the divinity, something quite unexpected happened, for it seemed as though the vague image of a large golden rattlesnake that was floating on storm clouds was surrounding the elemental. And at that very instant, those thunderheads unleashed a hail of thunder that fused the gap together.

"Oops. Prob'bly should've mentioned that. Ya see, if a Thunder monster on my side of the field is the target of a Magic or Trap, my Serpent of the Lightning can negate that effect, so long as me monster can't attack that turn. Looks like it's back to you."

"Fine by me! I draw, and I'll activate the Treasure of Destiny Magic card, which allows me to roll a die and draw cards equal to the roll, so long as I remove the same number from the top of the deck." Joey casually flicked the die from his hand using the wrist, and watched it flip about until it landed on 5, upon which he drew the cards and removed the cost. "Next, I'll summon Sasuke Samurai #4 in attack mode, and activate the Continuous Magic card, Second Coin Toss!" Joey's next warrior monster looked an old time samurai warrior that had undergone a rapid proportional decrease, equipped with an armor-punching lance. (1200/1200) "The Magic I'll explain in a sec, but first I'll attack your Sanga!" With his marching orders, the fourth Sasuke brother charged forth, lance pointed directly at Sanga's head. The miniature soldier looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Sorry, Joe, but your grunt's a wee bit small to be attackin' me thunder god."

"Actually, I'm glad you brought that up. You see, whenever Sasuke enters battle, I can flip a coin and call it. If I'm right, your monster is destroyed, regardless of points, but if I'm wrong the attack goes through."

"Ah, so that's why you played Second Coin Toss."

"Yep. That way I have two shots. But enough of that; let's see if luck be a lady."

As per the monster's effect, the hardhead extracted a coin and flipped it with his thumb and index finger. "Heads."

The coin held for a moment or so, until it came down to the profile side.

"Oh yeah!"

As the effect resolved, Sanga attempted to block the attack using his Surge Defender technique, but Sasuke punched through the lightning chain fence created by the effect and thrust his spear deep into the god's neck. For a while, the monster strangled on its own blood, until such time as it dissipated into the realm from whence it came.

"Not bad, but you've forgotten the third and final special ability of my Serpent of the Lightning, which lets me add a Thunder monster from my deck to my hand and drop it's level by 1 whenever a Thunder monster is sent to the Graveyard by a monster effect, but on me third turn after I must remove the destroyed monster and Serpent from play, and my selected monster if sent to the grave."

"Ok, I end my turn with two cards face down." Jeez, this guy is tough…

"Back to me." Another card for the lively wind demon. "Ok, Wheeler, it's time I put an end to this. I summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch in attack mode, which I am able to do thanks to the effect of it losing a level by Serpent of the Lightning!" Jin's second being of the thunder was not as godly as his predecessor, but he was an imposing sight nonetheless. Towering over everything else on the field at a height of eight feet, the mage within could not be seen for the thick silver armor and domed helm he worse. The decorative piece attached to his back and his claws, like Sanga, roared with thunderous might. (2400/1000) "And because of his special effect, I can destroy your only monster on the field when he's summoned!" Bellowing out in some ancient tongue of which Joey knew nothing, the thunder emperor hurled his wrath upon the samurai which had murdered his deity, sending a sweeping wave of lightning to reduce the warlord to ashes. "Then, my Zaborg will attack your life points directly!" The tyrant of the clouds now charged his claws with over two billion volts of raw electricity, and thus charged forth to avenge his master.

"Sorry, I activate the card I had face down, A Hero Emerges! This Trap forces you to pick a card in my hand when you attack, and if the card picked is a monster, it's summoned to the field, and if you pick anything else I ditch it."

There were only two cards in Joey's hand, and the finalist of Battle City knew that this needed to go off perfectly. One was a Magic card that wouldn't be of any use, and the other…

"Fine."

Now, Jin may have been a small time duelist, but he knew, as all duelists knew, the rather unorthodox method which Joey used to duel. Normally focusing so much on luck was a dangerous play, but with Joey it was as though the heavens themselves dictated his games of chance. He would have to pick carefully, and pray to God he didn't pick incorrectly.

"I think I'll pick…the card on the left. No, the one on the right."

Already Jin was panicking. He couldn't read his enemy's face, as he usually did. Joey obviously wasn't going to tip his hand; providence would be the deciding factor.

Joey was also watching his opponent, once jovial eyes crinkled with focus. C'mon, pick the card…

Jin's expression hardened. "I pick the card on the left." It was all in fate's hands now.

Suddenly Joey broke into a victorious grin, and he turned his card face to the opposing duelist.

"You just let me summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon."

Hiei's Fortress, Clearance 2 Area

"Ok, lady, make yourself at home."

Kuwabara could not believe it. Here he was, having gone toe to toe with Seto Kaiba himself, and now Hiei had him on localized patrol. This basically meant that he was just doing odd jobs like killing off liabilities.

And of course, if a prospective member of the Shadow was housed at the Devil's Citadel, which rarely ever occurred, it would now be Kuwabara's job to help them out.

Hiei was warped, sadistic, brutal, and some say masochistic, but he was certainly a good host; in particular, to those who could prove useful. But how this woman be of any use to anyone?

But like everyone else, Kazuma Kuwabara had long since learned to hold his tongue.

With a resigned shrug, the hired hand of the Black Shadow dropped the two pieces of luggage that their guest had been able to bring with her. The medium attaché case was largely business-related, with documentation from her previous employer, or in actuality owner, several references and her standard weapon concealed in the base. It was in her moderately sized suitcase that she held all of her personal effects.

"Where is Jagenshi? He and I have an appointment today."

Kuwabara, in all actuality, did not have the vaguest idea what Hiei was up to; from the pissed off look on his superiors face at breakfast that morning, he had guessed something was up with the Union, so he decided to work with that.

"He's dealing with something else, I think."

The client now got a strange look on her face, like there was some kind of cosmic joke she wanted to hear, but upon hearing the joke didn't get it.

"So do you have any idea where he is?" Now the woman was getting frustrated; she was half-tempted to reach for her weapon of choice and slice the baboon to pieces.

"I don't know. He has his own things to do. However, we have an ok bar around here. If you'd like to head on down, I could buy you a drink."

The look in his eyes said it all.

"Let me make one thing very clear. I will never talk to you, except on business, and you had better steer clear of me, or I might just take your head."

The thug could see she was not kidding, but decided to press his luck.

"You wouldn't. Hiei would kill you."

"Not really. People like you are worth less than the compost heaps you were born in. If he wanted a repulsive goon, he could find over ten thousand to fit the bill in this city." With a smooth and practiced step, she eased her way into the cabin.

"So you don't want a drink?"

"Of course I do…away from you, that is."

And with one motion, the thick metal door slammed shut.

In retrospect, a screwdriver would've been nice. But the less alcohol I consume with that pervert the better.

It was not really surprising to the demoness that Kuwabara had started hitting on her; from what Hiei said there were very few women who worked in the organization to begin with, and they were mostly old hands at the game. Also, most were quite repulsive, which was not the case with her.

This was, in all fairness, the first time she had seen herself since the regeneration, and even though she found ningen clothing totally ridiculous it was an alright fit. Staring back at her from the mirror directly to her left upon entering was a tall, slender woman, with dark blue jeans, a red button-up shirt, and modest black pumps. On her arm was a second Duel Gauntlet and a new deck, since circumstances had forced her to relinquish both originals, and her face, almost flawless with raven black hair tied back and a china doll complexion, was horribly defiled by a pair of soulless burgundy eyes.

At least Hiei kept my face intact…

Still, it was good enough. And even if it was a frightfully ugly style of clothing for her, it was the first outfit she had worn while working for Hiei.

The first outfit…of her freedom from Naraku.

"Yes, this will work out exquisitely."

It was time to begin, and the first thought that came to Kagura's mind was to call her benefactor. And for that reason she leaned against the wall and opened the standard issue cell phone given to all Black Shadow members.

Now, what was that bastard's number again?

Slowly the digits began to dawn on her, and just as slowly she entered them.

The other line rang for a moment or so, until a click opened up the line.

"What?"

"Still ill-tempered as always, even to first time callers."

She could hear him sigh with relief.

"I'm glad you called, Kagura. There's something we need to discuss."

Her heart skipped a beat, or would have if she had been in possession of one.

"Ok. Talk to me."

"Well, the plan we discussed about two months ago has started to go into effect, so unless Vera fucks up everything should go on schedule."

"And what of Naraku?"

"You let me worry about that. Besides, I think you have a grudge against someone else."

Kagura's eyes narrowed in anger as she remembered the Pharaoh, that pompous, egotistical, and vain little bastard.

"Listen, Hiei, before I forget, tell your hired apes to back off. That asshole Kuwabara tried to pick me up a minute ago. When we made our agreement, I was under the impression that there would be a semblance of respect."

The demon of shadows on the other end chuckled.

"It's of no concern, to be fair. Our little demonstration will make them respect and fear you at once, as well as generate massive stock jumps."

Kagura gave a wan smile. She wasn't sure what to call the man who had taken her in, a mad scientist, a supervillain, or a magical gangster. Anyway, it didn't matter. She'd gotten what she'd wanted.

"Now, back to business. Did you receive the dossier, as we agreed?"

"Yes. And I've been observing the Pharaoh and his wench quite carefully from the position you gave me."

"So far, so good. That means we can continue mobilization as planned."

"One more thing. When you recovered my dueling deck, it was intact, correct?"

"Yes. It's essentially your original deck, not the one you lost to Yami with."

"Next time, warn me when something's going to hurt like hell. The banishment felt like I was being buried in hot coals."

"You were fortunate. Most of the time I couldn't even regenerate the skeletons of a total punishment game."

"Fair enough."

There was a pause, and a rustle of papers in the background.

"Ok, I think we're about done for today. Tomorrow you'll be formally introduced to the rest of the Black Shadow. In the meantime, get some sleep. You're going to need it."

And without a single goodbye, the phone call abrubtly ended.

Sort of funny. My savior is both a madman and a discourteous bastard.

Kagura stood up, and from her opened suitcase took out her black and red kimono and her toiletry kit. Her intent was to shower, then get to bed; it had been an exhausting day for the resurrected sorceress.

And the following days would be harder still.

Slums of New Paradigm

Whispers.

Akuren could hear them, the hushed voices of the numerous other merchants as he walked out of the office, lengthy knife drenched in human blood, and though he could not quite hear what they were saying, he could tell it was him they were talking about.

They knew very well what had happened in the memory store, and they knew exactly what kind of a man Akuren was; even among humans he had a horrific reputation as a murderer and a hard line psychotic. So the mortals just went about their business, and prayed that he would not care.

As he passed through the market, the ninja, on a whim, decided to thumb through the photos he had collected. Most were of minor importance, just some blurred snapshots of Wheeler, the negotiator, and at least one of Kaiba. So it confused him why he had gone to all that trouble. If Jagenshi had wanted information, he could have just sent the ninja around town, or better yet search by himself, instead of sending him to this dump. But then, Akuren knew what was going on.

Out of all of the servants within the Black Shadow crime syndicate, Akuren was one of Hiei's least favorites. The tortured lunatic had made it very clear that the shadow demon only had standing as a bodyguard, and that for all purposes he would not be on the receiving end of much of the profits.

And yet he served, for the simple reason that it would all pay off in the end in a way no one would ever have predicted.

The thick concrete floor hardly had anyone on it; in a wise move they had decided to close shop for the sake of avoiding the ninja and the dark power he represented. They could sense the presence of the Black Shadow on his breath, in his step, even in the way he carried his weapons. There was no need to ask his identification, no need to accost him on the street. One look, and you knew that he worked under Hiei.

The people of New Paradigm could see the storm, without even having to look outside the window. And Akuren saw it as well.

I see the writing, stark against the whitewashed palace, scrawled in dripping red paint that reminds me of ningen blood. I have seen it for years, away from the eyes of the crow demon that tutored me, and the vigilance of the depraved egomaniac I serve. Even as a youth, raised in a commune of lawless mercenaries, I could always see the stains of the Possession upon this world.

The demon stopped for a moment, leering down the stairwell at the seemingly inaccessible passage to the outside. Hiei, you resurrector of whores and conspiracy theorists, what can you hope to do when the truth of your inner soul is unleashed, and the rightful Demon God ascends? What will their traitorous winds and oil-soaked bandages do when he arrives, and what shall you do…when you must face him alone? Akuren, the begrudging soldier of the greatest crime syndicate ever created, was the only one that appreciated what was to come. The thugs were unaware, only interested in their daily paycheck. The lower tiers of internal command had not been alerted. Even the Inner Circle could not grasp what was to come.

Yes, Akuren was the only one that knew…or so he thought.

The door gave way to him, quite literally; the hinges were so rusted that a slight breeze could shatter them. And in a move unbecoming of his species, the ninja stood in the direct sunlight, his most vulnerable position as a shadowshifter.

Shadowshifter. The name brought a cold feeling of hatred to the Quest demon, for with that title his enemies and allies alike had blacklisted him, calling him an abomination and a sacrilege that did not deserve to live. He had wandered for most of the time afterwards, picking up odd paychecks and fleeting residences wherever he could. And it was during one of these struggles, during the single lowest point in his life, sitting in a leaky tavern and staring into a glass of whiskey that had long since lost its appeal, that he met Hiei, the only person in the world who shared his life story.

The only person he had ever truly loathed.

What little warmth he could acquire from the solar rays was quickly vanishing, and if history was any witness, it could only mean one thing.

So, the sixth and final point has assembled itself. Now it can truly begin.

Akuren had been waiting for this moment, when all that he had worked for over the years would begin to fall into place. The Six Points of Anubis were in this very city: Light, Darkness, Vengeance, Fanaticism, Rebellion, and now, Chaos. The events that spanned over a course of ten thousand years would finally come to fruition, and soon the Possession would begin.

And it would all begin with his latest enemy.

The voice that spoke to Akuren from nowhere was a deep, powerful voice, and yet rich at the same time, a voice of good intent. It was a voice Akuren was somewhat familiar with.

"So, the darkness has already begun its mechanics of destruction, long before I had even arrived."

The ninja wrapped his hand around his second weapon, the thick mace that had come to be known in Spirit World as the Thunder of the Fifth Hell, and now held it in such a manner as to swing it upwards if necessary.

"You are correct, Guardian of the Citadel. However, I'm afraid you and your wretched attacks on Jagenshi's brutes have come too little, too late. Already the Black Shadow has put into place their next tactic."

"Fine. If that is the case, I shall just have to stop them, and I'll start with you, Akuren, or should I say, Hogosha."

The assassin flared up in demonic anger as he heard this, but managed to calm his temper.

"Hm. No one has called me by that name in over seven years, and if luck is with me, no one shall ever call me by that name again. So you might as well show yourself."

Akuren, or Hogosha as he had once been known, looked forward, hoping for at least a spot of shade through which he could pass. But fate and solar rays did not afford him this luxury. So all he could do was wait, wait for his enemy to arise.

And from what seemed nothingness emerged Akuren's second opponent, his rival, the man who guarded the world from behind the scenes.

The gradual dispersion of the Chaos Barrier now unveiled a towering man of about 19, with hair as black as Akuren's clothing, tied into a lengthy ponytail that ran down his back. He was wearing grey hakama pants with a dark obi on his upper torso, and thick, steel-tipped boots covered his feet. Upon his arm was a gleaming Duel Gauntlet, indicative that he was in the highest stratas of dueling capability.

This ends now, Hogosha.

"Well, it certainly has been a long time, Enzeru. How long has it been, two, maybe three years since our last encounter? You've certainly grown in strength since then, but rest assured I am still your superior, in skill and intellect."

The warrior called Enzeru did not move, or indicate any kind of resentment at this. It was as though he was waiting for something, as all of his people had been.

"Don't flatter yourself. The powers of my family, the Guardians of the Citadel, have outranked the powers you represent when they first existed 7000 years ago, and they still have that strength today."

Akuren, in turn, lowered his mace as he broke out in splintered laughter, his entire body racked with spasms of pain and humor. "Surely you jest! The powers of which you speak are archaic and outdated; no one gives a damn about the Citadel of Chaos anymore! Most consider it nothing more than a boogeyman story meant to frighten children at night, and I happen to accept that as truth."

Hogosha's ravings did not come as a surprise to Enzeru. He knew all about the incident that had taken his mother, the lunatic who had forsaken God for his own purposes.

"You deserted your obligation to my family, Akuren; it shouldn't matter if you believed in our cause or not. You swore an oath when my grandfather graciously took you under his wing, and this is how you repay him. Had it been me you would surely be dead by now."

"Unenlightened as always, Guardian. I betrayed the Citadel for one reason and one reason only: I found a new god to worship, a far better one than the phantoms you stand behind! What could any of you have accomplished with what you had to work with? You were all feeble and insipid, and I could not in good conscience continue on with the charade. One of us had to set the example, and it's pretty obvious that was person was not to be your father or mother!"

"Talk all you want. Your blasphemy will not stop me from destroying you and your false god. You may have the powers of the shadows, but I have a power that transcends that of the darkness, an ancient magic that you will never hold."

Enzeru knew what had to be done. Whatever compassion he had for the ninja had died long ago, so he would have no guilt in banishing his evil from creation. There was a higher power at work, and life or death could not even begin to describe it.

"You wish to do battle with me?"

Enzeru had no need to say anything. He knew Akuren could see into the storms of his eyes, and he realized that the might of the Guardians of the Citadel, the defenders of the Four Realms, had been placed in him for a reason.

"Well, if that be the case, I shall take no pity upon you!"

Luckily for Enzeru, Akuren's capabilities were only fully functional in shadows, meaning that he was only able to use his demonic and spiritual energies so long as the sun stayed strong. In hindsight, it should have occurred to him that it was late and there had to be shadows of some kind.

However, even without his ultimate might, the ninja was by no means powerless.

Akuren's speed, although not quite on par with Hiei's, was still formidable, and it was because of this that he was able to blitz out of Enzeru's line of sight and behind his back. The Guardian was completely defenseless, and one swift attack would easily dispatch him.

Your father was wrong; the power of the Citadel I was endowed with may have been corrupted, but it is no less potent than it was when I left.

The bodyguard now leapt silently into the air, and from a hidden compartment in his sleeve sent forth not one, but ten Makai steel shuriken, each with a set of seven spike blades that were serrated from the vertex to the tip. And as confident as he was in his aim, Akuren decided to tip the odds in his favor by guiding the stars with demon energy. With any luck each one would slice through Enzeru's jugular.

Goodbye.

But the Guardian of Earth had been watching Akuren for some time, and he knew exactly the kind of tricks he would use to win. He came prepared for every challenge.

Just as the set of stars came within about ten feet of the target, Enzeru reached into his pocket and removed his family's true legacy, the more sophisticated of his two mediums through which he could channel his power. The device he extracted was unusual in that it was a piece of jewelry, more specifically a sapphire carven into the shape of a ten point star, which was attached to a simplistic chain of silver that trailed up his sleeve.

Akuren instantaneously recalled what the totem was, and there was nothing he could do about what was to happen next.

"AVATARS OF THE DEVIL'S POWER, RETURN TO THE SOURCE FROM WHENCE YOU CAME!"

What happened was considered to be the single greatest spiritual phenomenon known to man or demon, for at that exact moment the demon energy guiding the throwing stars was now converted into the same energy wavelength as Enzeru had. And with a single gesticulation, the shuriken now served his will, and turned upon Akuren.

But, as was usual for him, the ninja had also come prepared with a countermeasure, and so he extracted from his quiver an outrageously long, delicate knife that looked as if it had been made of a poorly reconstructed glass pipe with a cracked dagger built into the tip.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid that turning my own power against me will not save your life. On the other hand, that same theory shall work perfectly in my favor!"

Enzeru saw the weapon, and was horrified to discover it was one of the Citadel's own. Also of terrifying nuance was the mastery of the weapon, for as Akuren bloated it with his demonic aura, he could see that it was slowly expanding without any heat energy at all.

"SHRAPNEL BLADE!"

The ninja, with one flick of the wrist, sent this dagger into the midst of the stars, and once all of them were an equite distance from it the knife detonated into exactly six hundred and sixty six shards of iron and ceramic alloy. And as the bits of weaponry struck the shurikens, they themselves turned into miniature grenades, further covering the battlefield with smoke and flame.

"TEMPUS ASTRUM, EMBODIMENT OF TIME, DISPERSE THIS HELLFIRE SO THAT I MAY CONDEMN THIS DEMON OF SHADE!"

Once again Enzeru called forth the powers of the Time Star, only this time a visible barrier surrounded him and deflected most of the blast. To make matters worse, the barrier also rebuilt the shuriken, and one by one they were hurtled at Akuren once more.

So the little whelp has learned basic timewelding. I'm not impressed. But then, perhaps I should step up my game as well.

The ninja touched down, and immediately called upon his Quest powers to create what looked like a human skull. After accomplishing this, Akuren made a mad dash to his right, watching carefully for any sign of a shadow. There were none, of course, which indicated that Enzeru had also mastered the Astrum Lucis power, exclusive to his grandfather.

"So, you intend to stop me from using my shadowshifting. Well, it's not like it really matters." Behind his back, Akuren picked off a tooth from the skull, and pocketed both.

He needed some more time, long enough to activate his weapon.

Enzeru, having studied Akuren and his fighting style for three years, knew of it, and was ready to counteract it. In the meantime, he would just have to survive; it would not be an easy task.

In response to losing his preliminary advantage, Akuren now charged forward, forming a pair of ninja claws in his hand which throbbed with spirit energy. Enzeru, in his turn, focused the power of his Citadel training into his fists. In spite of his training he still felt light headed, seeing as his power was also channeled through blood.

He simply held his ground, waiting for Akuren to make the first blow, or attempt to at least. Enzeru knew there could be no middle ground today.

He knew Hogosha would have to die.

"This is where it ends, traitor!"

And with one great summoning of power, two short kodachi blades were formed from the might of the Star of Time.

Akuren could do nothing; his momentum was too great to change direction, and he had always been most vulnerable when using the claws, especially against kodachi. Still, that didn't mean he could counter with something else.

And it was now Enzeru's turn to charge, and much like Aoshi Shinomori of the Oniwaban group, he did just that, darting in front of the ninja, and swiftly blocking both messily executed slashes with one blade and destroying the claws, whilst deftly lashing at Akuren with his second…

…or he attempted to. For Akuren had blocked with his astonishingly light mace.

Impossible! How could this monstrosity have mastered such a technique?

And as if that was not enough, the ninja pulled out a second blunt weapon, a chain with a smaller mace attached to it. With almost pinpoint accuracy, it was swung at Enzeru, who pushed away at the ninja and severed the chain.

Unable to do anything else, the two rivals stepped away from each other, both having drawn out their ultimate hand-to-hand weapons.

"So, you have plagiarized the supreme technique of the Oniwaban. Pathetic. You don't even deserve to carry a sword for your abysmal performance today!"

"And what of you? Something tells me that you are not entirely what you seem to be, Akuren."

"Correct. But then again…"

And as he said this, the ninja drew out the weapon he had created earlier.

"…does it really matter?"

"You're going to try that trick again, ninja?"

Akuren, though he did not show it, flashed a cold and brutal smile.

"It worked well enough against your father, didn't it?" With a flick of the wrist, the skull bomb dropped to the floor. "I'll see you in Hell, Enzeru."

The explosive seemed to glow with a life of its own, almost instantly triggering the switch that would consume them both…

Inuyasha vs. Raphael

Brilliantly executed, as always. Raphael had known the dog demon was weak and stupid, but up until this moment he had had no idea of the scale of his idiocy.

Throughout the entirety of the Seal's existence, there had been two kinds of people: those who used its power to bring justice to the warped and convoluted world in which they lived, and those whose hidden wickedness convinced them to use it for their own dark intentions. And it was that second category that was destined to be swallowed up by the ancient weapon which they used.

It's time for you to see the corruption in your heart, dog demon.

Time seemed to become a moot point as Inuyasha lifted the Magic card above his head. Already he could sense the power his hand was about to unleash, the primordial hand of God that would allow him the strength that he would once have had only with the Shikon no Tama, and it now became obvious that he had never really needed Kikyo or Kagome to reach this pinnacle. In fact, they both had been a monumental waste of time.

Weird. Where'd that thought come from? Eh, it's probably right anyways.

The pain in his chest spiked, but he was able to ignore it as his hand drew closer to his Duel Gauntlet, and the Field Magic slot opened. It was within his grasp, his dream, his hope, all he had prayed for was impending. And all he had to do…

…was slip the card into the slot, as he did.

"You've threatened me, attacked me, and dared to think you could beat me, Raphael. But what can you hope to do to me when I am in control of your deadliest card?"

"Interesting word choice, Inuyasha. Tell me, do you think that you control the Seal?"

The Field Magic slot slowly began to recede, the Seal disappearing into the Gauntlet's card reader.

"Or perhaps there is another possibility."

The slot was now completely assimilated, the scanner determining exactly what had been placed.

"What are you blathering about!"

"It's a simple question. Do you control the Seal, or does the Seal control you?"

After about a moment or so, the scan was complete. And the fate of the duel was sealed.

The instant the Seal of Orichalcos was played Inuyasha felt the full effect of its force; throughout the duel, he had never been able to fully comprehend what he was dealing with. But now that he could experience it, he was fully able to realize that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong. His vision was becoming blurry, sensations and perceptions were becoming distorted. All around him Inuyasha could hear gruesome shrieks, contrived from his own bloody past and resurrected from his own demonic soul. His skin felt as though it was melting, he could barely feel the cards in his hand.

And the power of the Tetsuaiga was now little more than a distant afterthought.

This doesn't make…any…sense! Th…thi…this Seal should be enhancing my power, not taking away from it, so then why do I feel as though I'm losing control? Why do I feel like…my full demon power is taking precedence?

And it was then that he saw Raphael's smug look. With barely enough strength to stand and fend off his darkness, Inuyasha stared into the sky, and saw the vibrant green circle descending upon them, and asdrew ever closer, he felt an emotion he had hoped would be controlled by Kagome and his own sword: pure, unerring hatred.

He…planned this…all along…

Raphael, not intimidated by the Seal of Orichalcos, was more focused on the wrathful look in Inuyasha's eyes. The demon should now have succumbed to his inner darkness; that was a given. But he was interested in finding out exactly how the Seal would affect a half-demon. He, Sensui, and Dartz had always made assumptions about the matter, but now it was time to confirm these theories.

For the Seal of Orichalcos had arrived.

"Well, half-breed, it appears that you have gotten your wish. You now hold the power to make or break the world in your grubby little paws, and now you must decide exactly what you intend to do with it. And that decision shall be shaped by what the Seal uncovers about you. Are you a warrior of righteousness, or have you always been a denizen of Satan's will?"

The Seal of Orichalcos, to manifest its dominion over the dog, appeared in a smaller form upon his forehead that was no less potent. And with newfound resolve the beast stood on his feet.

Instantly Raphael saw that what he had suspected from the beginning was true. For even from that distance he could sense the vast change in Inuyasha's demonic aura. It had become dark, bitter, and violent, and it became clear to him that he had not only unlocked his dark mind…but also his full demon lineage.

Inuyasha, whose horror at the affect had long since expired, now seemed to have become consumed by an evil far greater than anything Raphael had ever seen. His entire aura had changed, and his claws had lengthened significantly, as had his canines. Another noteworthy characteristic of the full demon Inuyasha was the set of two markings on his cheeks that were colored like bruises, and that his eyes now glowed a violent crimson.

And standing over it all was the Seal of Orichalcos.

"You are such a fool, Raphael." His voice had become a harsh tenor of a growl, seemingly feral in nature. "You handed me the Seal of Orichalcos, and now my ultimate power is about to be released. I hope you understand that much, because it's my move!"

The reborn Inuyasha looked over his new cards, and instantly saw a plan materialize. "First off, because I have the Seal in play, all of my monsters gain 500 extra attack points, meaning your Seal of Ice loses its effect." As he said this, the demon's monsters gained, as their master did, the Seal upon their foreheads, thus enabling the gorilla to burst free of his incarceration. (2500/1500) (2400/1000) "Next, I'll get rid of these eyesores to summon a monster you can't beat, the Carnal Gatekeeper of Hell!" The two monsters that Inuyasha had summoned before were now torn apart in a tumultuous whirlwind of shadows, leaving behind only a massive puddle of blood. And from this puddle emerged what was easily one of the most revolting monsters the demon could play, a hulking bear-like monster with blood-red fur, three patches of spiked scales, and claws that were the size and shape of the Tetsuaiga. (4900/2600) "You see, when I ditch two weaker Beast monsters, I'm allowed to give this monster all of their attack and defense points, and also give it the power to inflict damage even if the monster is in defense mode. Then of course, my monster gains the power of the Seal of Orichalcos, increasing his overall attack and defense by 500 more points." The ancient emblem now generated itself upon the behemoth, who gave out a violent roar of confidence and pleasure. (5400/3100) "Next, I'll activate the Magic card, Axe of Despair, to increase my monster's attack strength even farther!" The behemoth was instantly granted with a heavy skull axe which boosted its attack power to a level that was rarely attained. (6400/3100) "Now, Carnal Gatekeeper, demolish his Ryoko Guardian!"

"Sorry, Inuyasha, but I can't let you destroy my monster! Remember, my Armor of Hell, Iras, is still on the field, meaning that your monstrosity loses 400 attack points!" The plate armor wielded by the Gardna class monster now seeped an archaic form of miasma that had been occasionally used in the Duel Monsters world for defensive maneuvers. This toxic gas was blown towards the behemoth by an unknown wind, causing it to lose attack power. (5900/3000) But that did not stop the power of the beast from bounding towards the guardian.

"Heh. It just looks like you made my monster angry."

"Not exactly. First off, because your monster just lost attack power, I can activate the Card of Last Will I had face down to draw five new cards. Next, I'll activate my Ultimate Offering trap, to pay 500 life points and summon Guardian Iras to the field in attack mode!" (2100/2500)

As Raphael drew his cards, he also summoned another one of his Guardians, this time a large wolf demon that bore some resemblance to a werewolf. (1500/2000) "And thanks to the power of my Ryoko Guardian, Iras now gains his armor!" The armor of Mephistopheles now shifted, so as to be taken on by the beast which had stood over it in the days of Faust. (1500/2700)

"That won't be enough! My monster has more attack strength then any one of your sad little monsters!"

"Really? Well, my Iras has a special effect which allows me to negate an attack leveled against a Guardian monster." Iras, seeing the impending danger his fellow was in, leapt in front of the Behemoth's claws. The armor held, and both monsters escaped unscathed.

"You're slipping, Raphael. Now I activate my own Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Purity of the Cemetery!" A storm of thunder and wind settled upon his card, shattering it instantly. "That's all for now."

You'll need more than that to beat me, dog."The DOOM Soldier drew his next cards, and saw that the situation was not in his favor. As long as that vile beast is on the field, I won't be able to mount an attack on his life points. But thanks to my Kay'est, neither can he. Still, I need to get the upper hand before he draws something that can wipe me out.

"I'll start by placing a monster face down in defense mode, followed by the activation of my Monster Recovery Magic card to shuffle the Ryoko Guardian and my entire hand into my deck, and draw cards equivalent to this number." The Gardna monster, and Raphael's hand, vanished into the deck before he drew. I'll then play Book of Taiyou, allowing me to flip the Arsenal Summoner face up." The monster Raphael revealed was a scrawny, mysterious sorcerer that held a number of faux guardian weapons and charms on his belt. (1600/1600) "Because he was flipped face up, I can add any card with Guardian in its name to my hand, in this case Guardian Neros. Next, I'll activate the Magic card, Veil of Guardians, which lets me pay 1500 life points to special summon a Guardian monster from my hand, regardless of requirements. Of course, because I activated the Spell Economics Magic card I had face down, this payment is moot." Behind Raphael now appeared a sort of aurora, shimmering with fleeting images of the ancient world, particularly Greece, Rome, and Eastern Europe where they had been most precedent. "I'll then use the Veil to Special summon Neros to the field in defense mode!" From the aurora now sailed a vicious gryphon, golden in visage and with pale green eyes and silver wings. (2100/1700) "Because of this new monster, I can set a Trap card from my deck onto the field, but because I have no room, I'll have to settle with discarding the Trap and boosting Neros's strength." The trap was sent away, and the gryphon gained even more attack strength. (2600/1700) "That'll do for now." I need to hold him off for a few turns more, at least until I can draw out my ultimate weapons…

"This duel is finished! I draw, and activate the card known as Harvest of Bloodletting! This Magic card lets me sacrifice a monster on my side of the field and draw cards equal to half its current level!" As the card was played, a brutal reaper stepped down and eviscerated Inuyasha's monster. It then spread its bones out as seeds, and watered them with life fluids.

"Thanks, dog demon. You've allowed me to activate the Trap known as Limit Tribute, which allows us both to only sacrifice one monster per turn!"

"I don't need to sacrifice some flimsy monsters to beat you! I can do it using the powers of the Orichalcos! Now, rounded up, the number of cards I draw is four, from which I shall summon the monster known as Chupacabra in attack mode!" Inuyasha's next monster was a crouching demon of sorts, a yellow-armored humanoid lizard with a set of broken green teeth, soulless blue eyes, and a single, wickedly curved talon on each hand. Befitting its gruesome appearance, a shimmering Orichalcos Seal appeared upon its head. (1500 500 2000/1000 500 1500) "And whenever it destroys one of your pathetic monsters my beast gains an extra 500 attack points. Next, I'll activate the Magic card, Roar of the Inner Beast, which allows me to discard ten monsters from my deck, and in exchange I increase the attack of my Chupacabra by 1000 points, as well as grant him the capability to attack directly, so long as it is the only monster that can attack until it is destroyed!" (3000/1500) "Finally, I shall play Monster Reborn to resurrect Pitch Black Warwolf to the field!" The deadly lupine soldier returned to the field next to the Chupacabra, only this time gaining the power of the Seal. (2100/1100) "And because my monster has returned, you can no longer activate your Trap cards, meaning I shall be able to demolish you with one final attack! And when I do, your soul shall be trapped for all of eternity! NOW CHUPACABRA, ATTACK RAPHAEL'S LIFE POINTS DIRECTLY!"

With speed matched only by Hiei, the monstrosity bolted forward, past the Guardians and directly for Raphael.

You should never have given me that card, Raphael. It has given me power you could never hope to understand, and it is through that power that I shall annihilate you once and for all…

But the master of the Guardians was not finished just yet. "I activate the Quick Play Magic card, Book of Moon, to switch your Warwolf into face down defense mode, which I'll chain with the Zero Gravity Trap card to switch Chupacabra into defense mode, and I shall chain that to the Tragedy Trap card, which will destroy all of your defense mode monsters on the field!"

A brilliantly executed maneuver, one that Inuyasha had not seen coming, and in subsequent order his Warwolf and Chupacabra went into various defense positions, whereupon they burst into pieces as a twin set of blades crashed through them.

"Impressive, Raphael. But unfortunately for you I'm not done yet. I'll now activate the Magic card, Graceful Charity, to draw three cards at the price of two. For my next move, I'll activate Treasure of Slashing Life, to draw five cards and discard my entire hand five turns from now." Yes! Now it's time to put this bastard in his place. "From these new cards, I play Ice Age Panic! When I have no other monsters on my side of the field, I am allowed to special summon an Earth-type monster from my deck , and I think that the Big Tusked Mammoth fits the bill!" Without warning, a sudden flurry of snow and hail burst up from one of the monster card zone, and something seemed to be emerging from it, a gargantuan mammoth with curling, almost sheeted tusks. (2000 500 2500/1000 500 1500)

"And thanks to this new monster, none of yours may attack during the turn in which they are summoned. Next, I'll activate Premature Burial, to pay 800 life points to resurrect one of the monsters I sent to the Graveyard using Roar of the Inner Beast, Behemoth, the King of All Animals, and thanks to your Magic card I don't lose anything." Inuyasha's latest monster bore a slight resemblance to an oversized violet bear, with tusks and a shaggy mane, and bore upon its head the Seal of Darkness. (2700 500 3200/1500 500 2000) "I'll follow that up with a Monster Reborn, to revive the Strike Basilisk you sent to the grave just a few turns before!" The ankh appeared on the field, and from it emerged the serpent, ready to do battle one last time, but this time had the Seal behind it. (2900/2500) "Now I activate the Magic card, Upstart Goblin, to draw one card from my deck at the cost of giving you 1000 life points." (2100/3500) "Another Magic card, Graceful Charity, whose effect I believe you're familiar with! And now, I will end my turn by discarding one Beast monster frommy hand, and in exchange I may special summon the Manticore of Darkness that I discarded earlier!" The final monster of the turn was a vile profanity of an animal, a humanoid lion with black eagle wings and a scorpion's tail. (2300 500 2800/1000 500 1500) "So go ahead and make your last move, Raphael. You have no way of defeating me now that I have such a powerful army of monsters who will die to serve and protect their master!"

But Raphael was not at all frightened. The dog demon, in his opinion, had not even used the Seal of Orichalcos to its full potential, and now he expected to win?No, Inuyasha was merely a brainless mutt driven mad by the Seal. No strategy, no real idea of what he is doing. This was far too easy…

"It's my move, Inuyasha." "Oh, like it really makes a difference! You don't even have the Seal, your most powerful card, and you expect to defeat me? Well, I'll admire you, and kick the shit out of you, for that. Prepare to lose everything in one final siege!"

And the odds were that he would have continued on in this tangent…had he not locked eyes with a certain chocolate-haired, blue-eyed beauty, who just happened to wake up at that point.

Beneath Rosewater Tower, Subway System

The flicker of blue and orange fire against the blackened walls of New Paradigm looked exactly the same as it would in old Paradigm, and for some reason this was comforting to him.

Michael Seebach-or more accurately Schwarzvald-had always been fascinated with the hidden depths of the city of Paradigm, the dark places where nightmares were born and memories came to rest. It was beneath the streets that the Archetype megadeus had been uncovered and reactivated; it was where the Union held several important missile batteries.

It was also where the ghosts of recollection came to talk to those foolhardy enough to enter this place, and this was why Schwarzvald had come here.

The rumble of subway cars didn't bother him all that much, not after his battles with the domineus, and he had too many things to contemplate to notice anyway. There was still much to be done, Kagura would need to get used to the climate of the city, and there was the issue of Dartz and Naraku that was to be decided upon in a few days. And then, of course, there was the Pharaoh and his mob of groupies.

But Schwarzvald also had a few personal vendettas to settle in this tournament, as well as the crusade he took upon himself all those years ago.

Truth. The most noble of causes. To live without knowledge, without memory, without any true sense of self, is to live a life of emptiness and banality. How can a society fueled by superstition and ignorance possibly hope to survive? It cannot even be called a society, but merely a savage nomadic outpost waiting to die off. So what hope can the nonbelievers have without the truth?

Schwarzvald was considered to be one of the rare journalists that actually cared about the truth, taking little account in headlines and shock media. He had vehemently campaigned for the dissolution of the Paradigm Eagle Eye about ten years prior, considering it to be acelebrity controlled rag; when Rosewater was murdered, he had gotten his wish, thus affirming his belief in the Black Shadow and Hiei. In fact, Schwarzvald had stood behind his demonic supervisor in just about every situation, even before the Black Shadow was officially founded.

It was this devotion, as well as his unmatched skills in combat and Duel Monsters, that landed the reporter in the highly sought-after position of right hand man and second in command to the chieftain. And it was from this position that he would unveil to the world the Light that he had spent 15 years searching for.

But there would be time for gloating later.

The sounds of the trains became more pronounced as he stood up, as well as the chest pains that had never quite subsided from his battle with the Pharaoh. He had never dreamed that such power could exist, nor did he believe when first told that the source of that power transcended the Event and stretched back over 5 millennia. Seebach had certainly known about the existence of outside human civilizations, under circumstances that had never made a lot of sense at the time, but he could never have believed that it went so far back.

But there was nothing stopping him now as he forced his way through the dank tunnels directly beneath the Union's base of operations. He could smell the vile reek of human perspiration and other, much less tasteful odors, and somewhere to his right he could overhear a drug-induced conversation about abandoning the past and moving forward. He almost lost what little self-control he had; Seebach was tempted to walk over to them and bombard the addicts with literature, but decided against it. There was work to be done, through which enlightenment would descend from the heavens.

"Metropolis, the final written work of Gordon Rosewater that never came to a conclusion, spoke of the end of humanity. Yes, I know that much. But now the question is, what exactly is to bring this end about?"

His assignment had been simple enough: track down whatever information he could on the old days of Paradigm. The job was both a mission and a sort of reward. But it was not easy; there were no actual copies of Metropolis in circulation, and from that text, Hiei said, could be discerned what role Yami had in this tournament.

"This city, which Hiei believes draws roots from an ancient force, has long since lost its inner darkness. What little can be found has probably rusted into nothingness, and the lies woven by Rosewater have been severed." The roar of the Violet Line 6:00 faded away, and the reporter became more consumed in his thoughts. "So then why has no one been able to awaken? Why must mankind continue on in this downward spiral towards certain ruin?"

Seebach only talked to himself when his thoughts would not suffice, and there were many thoughts to pore over.

"All that surrounded us seven years ago, the wastes, the oceans, the very Domes, it was all a grandiose stage, but there is more to it than that; there is a reason for the equipment, the lights, the scenery. Yes, there is still much to be unveiled, and I can sense that the time of that revelation is close at hand."

His hand shook as he walked forward, and unstable beams of light fell upon discarded cards that were not worthy of the dogs. In every direction there was waste and slovenliness, and no intellectualism or seeking to be found. "You who stand above the underground, so consumed with your daily indulgences and sins, you that strive to gain and gain without truly understanding that which acquire, you must see the world through the eyes of God himself, and witness the events of 47 years ago. No longer must you wallow in your silken sheets and drown your inquiries in wine and promiscuity, for the Truth of Paradigm is still unknown! There is much that is hidden from our eyes, much that can be learned if we only try and seek it out! I am merely the messenger, but I shall make you accept this fact, and open your eyes to the Light of Truth!"

His soapbox stood before thousands of unseeing eyes, his speech was heard and yet not heard at all. But through his cards and his writings this would no longer be the case.

By now Schwarzvald had wandered far off the beaten track; he expected he had journeyed away from the main tunnels and into these subsidiaries by accident, and in any case the Black Shadow would pick him up. But he suspected that what few memories he had obtained had led him here, to discover something.

It was then that he saw it, a silvern green door directly ahead that he had not noticed before, completely out of place. "Is this where I have been led, Rosewater? Is this where the memories are stored?" Schwarzvald's bandaged hand reached out, quivering in consternation, unsure of what lay beyond. It could be a simple power generator, maybe even a basement access door. But he doubted it, and in the name of his quest for truth he forced it open.

There was a brilliant flash of light, one that blinded the reporter for a moment or so. But when his vision cleared…

As he saw what stood before him, Seebach almost leapt up in jubilation, and activated his comlink. After 15 years, the quest for the One Truth could truly begin.

"Master? I think we've found what we're looking for."

Kaiba and Botan vs. Tsubaki and Pegasus

There was a strained silence between three of the four duelists as they struggled to wrap their minds around what Pegasus had just said. The creator of Duel Monsters was certainly egocentric and narcissistic; that much was simply general knowledge. But had he really become so self-absorbed and arrogant as to create cartoon versions of the gods of Egypt?

"I think you're bluffing, Pegasus. There is no way that you could actually create a Toon Obelisk, by the simple definition of the God Cards."

"And here's me thinking you didn't believe in magic, Kaiba-boy. Well, as gratifying as your enlightenment is, it seems you still can't comprehend exactly who or what you're dealing with. I mean, doesn't it make sense that I would create these lovely creatures?"

"Not really, except perhaps to stroke your fragile little ego."

The Toons that Pegasus had set on the field were now scooped up by the paper shield of Toon Reversal, and were just as quickly returned to the animated Hell from whence they came. And once the Toons were tucked away, the book's thousands of pages began spinning rapidly, searching desperately for that which had been called to the field.

And after several hundred swift inspections the text was found.

A slow growl of thunder wafted across the field, seemingly from Toon World itself, and there was an ominous sensation upon the air as the massive tome turned towards Kaiba and Botan. They could already sense that a dark and sinister power was about to be awakened, but exactly what kind of darkness remained to be seen.

"Now, it is time to arise, my adorable deity of damnation!"

The book opened, its spine barely able to support the width of this stretch, and even the hardback covers cracked beneath the strain. A thousand beams of pitch black light surged forth from the pages, blinding all the other duelists and monsters; even Obelisk himself had to shield his eyes. Nothing could be seen, and the only noise was a tumultuous wind that resembled the wails of dying babies.

But it was over before it began…and as Kaiba looked onto Pegasus's latest monster, he almost wished that the storm of black would return.

It was indeed some kind of caricature of Obelisk, and a poorly done one at that. Its titanic arms were out of proportion, with grossly oversized biceps that took up the entirety of the upper arm, and fists that were triple the normal size. It also had a pair of extraordinarily short legs that were half the length of the arms. The beast's wings were scrunched up behind it, and if stretched would have the same length as a mere condor's. And the Toon Obelisk, instead of a brutal yet astute visage like the original, had a bloated distortion of that face, with a gleaming Chesire grin, eyes of a similar circumference to a satellite telescope lens, and a crest of horns that spread out in all random directions. With a high-pitched cackle it stood at full height, which was about half that of the true god card. (4000/4000)

The others looked up at this squat and repulsive divinity, unsure of exactly what to say about it. The Toon God was fascinatingly hideous, and no one was able to take their eyes off it.

It was Kaiba that decided to break the silence. "If you're just about done blaspheming the gods, I'll place one card face down and end my turn." It would be pointless to attack that monstrous sin against nature, at least while his Toon World is on the field. In the meantime, all we can hope to do is hold off that thing's attack for as long as possible.

Tsubaki kept silent as she drew her card. Perfect. So even without the Eye this egotistical fruit actually can serve a purpose. Well, it's time I step up the game in kind, and inflict a little well-deserved pain on Kaiba, and show him what true power is.

Unnoticed by anyone, Tsubaki's old curse mark was making itself known, as a pink gridiron began to take shape along her right eye.

"Alright, Kaiba, it's time I end this duel and send you back to the darkness of your eternal soul! And it will start when I summon my Granadora to the field in attack mode!"

Another reptile was summoned, but it was by no means one of normalcy. The lizard had something of a rotund figure, a lashing tail, two talons for arms, and a grotesque fanged head. (1900/700) "Now, because of the effect of Granadora, I gain 1000 life points when it is summoned, but if it is destroyed I lose 2000 life points." (2000/2000) (1050/3000) "However, I doubt that will make much difference in the end, so I'll place a card face down as well, and end my turn."

"Ok, my move." Botan drew yet another card. Ok, I only have one turn before Pegasus's Toon Obelisk can attack, and neither of us actually have any Toons to allow for defense. However, I can counter with something else.

"Alright, I summon Valkyrie Gondul to the field in attack mode!" Botan's latest Valkyrie had a slightly intellectual appearance, with a thin, drawn face, platinum hair, silver armor, and dull red eyes. (1900/500) And by the effect of the Valhalla card, it gained even more attack power. (2400/500) "And by Gondul's effect, I can draw cards equal to a number of monsters I remove from the graveyard, so I'll say goodbye to Valkyrie Mist. I'll then place that card face down and end my turn."

Seto, can you hear me?

There was a pause as Kaiba removed himself from the game for a moment.

Yeah. Is something wrong?

Listen, there's something wrong here, I can sense it. These two aren't ordinary thugs, especially Pegasus, so be careful.

Don't worry. Remember, I have the true Egyptian God Card, and I already have a plan in case Pegasus tries something.

Thanks. And if worse comes to worse I've got your back.

"My move! Now, because my oh-so-cute god was summoned in Kaiba's turn, that means he can attack during this turn. But before that I think I'll summon Toon Reflect Bounder in attack mode!" Yet another vile Toon was summoned, this time a deranged mechanic soldier with a red cloak that was too big for it and mirrors that almost prevented it from seeing due to their unwieldy girth. (1700/1000) "This of course means that my weakest monster is now one that, if attacked, will cost you the duel. I am aware of your Des Counterblow as well, so for now my latest Toon cannot attack. My Toon God Card, however, is under no such danger of demise! Toon Obelisk the Tormentor, attack Botan's life points directly, at the cost of 500 of my own life points! Zany Fist of Fate!" (2000/2000) (1050/2500) With another crazed laugh, the animated deity began bouncing madly on what looked like an ankh with a pogo stick built into it, and in the same motion swinging his hand wildly about, meaning anything in the way of the attack would be crushed…including the Grim Reaper.

"PEGASUS, YOU BASTARD!"

"Sorry, Kaiba, but your little lovebird was open to an attack, so I seized the opportunity. It'd be the same for you, wouldn't it?"

"Good point. However, you made one fatal mistake: you're not dealing with amateur hour here! I activate the Magic card, Command Silencer, to negate your attack and give me the opportunity to draw one card!"

Toon Obelisk, despite being of godlike status, was still bound by the weaknesses of hearing, and so was halted by a sudden incapability to discern his master's command any longer, and so he stepped back and covered his ears, sobbing like a baby.

"I won't let you hurt her, Pegasus."

The older man, reminiscing on his last encounter with the young entrepreneur, got a quite deranged look of amusement on his face.

"Funny. Isn't that what you said about Mokuba? At any rate I end my turn, and because Toon Obelisk attacked you this turn I must discard two cards from the top of my deck. Your move."

Kaiba drew, rather uncertain of how to approach the situation. On the one hand, he could go after Tsubaki's lone Granadora, but he had a suspicion that the face down card was meant to stop Obelisk's power. Then there was the Toon God Card; Kaiba could not be certain if there was a Toon Slifer or Toon Ra waiting in the wings. And of course, he could not try to block Pegasus's attack in the same manner as he had before.

For the moment, he would have to play defensive.

"Ok. I'll place a monster in defense mode, and one card face down. Your move, Tsubaki."

"Very well." Kaiba's starting to worry; I can see it in his eyes. His attention is also split between protecting Botan and protecting himself, and that will be what costs him today.

"I hope you do realize, Kaiba, that eventually you are going to run out of options. I doubt you will be able to stop Toon Obelisk forever, and eventually Botan is going to lose this duel. She's the weak link in your chain." Kaiba, in response, got a look of smug superiority. "I doubt that. You see, Tsubaki, while you and Pegasus have been working separately, Botan and I have been brilliantly coordinating each and every move. And what is to say that Pegasus won't turn on you?"

The curse mark upon her face increased slightly, as a trace of fear passed over her. But she quickly masked it.

"Your psychological manipulations may have worked on someone else, but that won't be the case for me. You see, while you have dealt with some pathetic duelists whose minds are simplistic and feeble, I have been in direct combat with a being of a much more complex sort. She has more raw brutality and strength within her than you could ever hope to muster between the two of you. Now, back to the duel!" Another draw. Yes! This is just what I needed. "I summon Aya the Cursed in attack mode!" Tsubaki's next monster was another spell caster, a blonde maiden with white irises and flowing azure and green robes, and armed with a golden trident. (1000/500) "I'll then activate my monster's special ability, to sacrifice it and summon Aya the Transformed in its place!" The mage now morphed itself, the legs fusing and the skin falling away in such a way as to reveal a stunning mermaid, with crystal eyes that seemed to be infinite, covered in red and blue scales and pure white hair, but still held the trident. (2200/2000) "I'll then discard five cards from the top of my deck, by the effect of Aya, and increase my life points by 100 times that amount." As Tsubaki paid the necessary cost, Aya's trident coursed with ancient life energy, with which she enhanced her mistress's life points. (2000/2000) (1550/2500) "I will then activate the Magic card, Silent Death, which allows me to resurrect Gagagigo to the field in defense mode, so long as it may no longer attack during this duel." As she activated the card, the priestess held her hand over the monster zone where Gagagigo was originally placed upon, whereupon a cord of fused demonic aura and Shadow magic emerged from her outstretched palm and into the zone. At the same time, a similar cable burst through the ground, from which dangled the gruesome lizard warrior. "Finally, I will activate the key to my ultimate strategy, for I play the Magic card, Soul of the Dark Serpent!"

Kaiba and Pegasus knew what this meant as soon as she said it. This duel was about to go into the final stages.

And Tsubaki? The curse mark now took its truest form, for it now covered the entirety of her face.

"KAIBA! BOTAN! YOU HAD NO IDEA THAT I HELD SUCH A CARD, DID YOU? WELL, IT IS INDEED MY RAREST CARD, AND COMBINED WITH THE FURY OF THE TOON EGYPTIAN GOD CARDS, YOU SHALL NOT EMERGE FROM THIS DUEL ALIVE!"

Kaiba, in turn, looked over at Botan, who was utterly confused over the situation.

If Tsubaki plays that card, then there will be only one way to stop it.

And against the power of the Toon Egyptian Gods and the dark power about to be reawakened, Kaiba knew he would need to summon another monster, a creature he prayed he would never have to use again…

"Let's end this, Tsubaki!"

"My sentiments exactly, Kaiba!"

Rosewater Tower

Paradigm. The city without memories, without a past, presumably without a future, and now the war zone for the greatest battle to ever take place.

Over 47 years ago, the denizens of this place lost all their memories, and at the same time all sense of the inner darkness that plagued their hearts. But soon the evil that lurks in mankind shall be used as the driving force for the true leviathan, and those most sinful of beasts shall feel the divine fury of the purification of this world.

But in all honesty, thought Dartz, there was not much that could be done in this city that he could not have done elsewhere. The only difference was that the two were there, the Souls of Darkness that would bring his god back into the world.

And before long, those powers would belong to him.

"Interesting that you would be here, Dartz, seeing as your rival is so very close."

The low, grating voice of Dartz's contact to the Union cracked over his ears like a shattered bell, and without even looking behind him he could tell who it was.

"So did you get what I wanted?"

"Whole transcript of the meeting, right here, sir." With a quivering hand the scrawny adolescent who served as the man's assistant, gave Dartz what he had requested.

"Excellent. Now, did you arrange everything?"

"Yes. 500 shares of New Paradigm Corp, sent directly to your accounts in Paradision. You'd better pray this plan of yours doesn't fail, Dartz, or we're both screwed."

"Come now, Luther. I have yet to steer you wrong in the time we have been involved in each other's affairs. And besides, you are in no position to make demands of me."

Luther Kerzenlicht, unlike those around him, knew exactly when to keep his mouth shut. "Fair enough."

"Now, onto a matter of greater importance. Did you intercept Jagenshi's latest plans?"

"Sorry. Only Vera is allowed to see those files. However, they will be put to vote within the coming days, and I'll get you the data then."

It hadn't gone exactly as planned, but as far as Dartz was concerned, Luther was playing into his hands. And it wouldn't really matter if Hiei's latest scheme was kept silent; already his other, much older plans were coming to fruition.

"That will be all, Luther."

Turning upon his heel, Dartz walked away from his European comrade. So far so good; Kikyo was dead, Inuyasha was about to fall to the Seal, the Pharaoh was weakened, and soon the DOOM Soldiers would be able to find him. The time draws near, New Paradigm City. You sinners may have survived the artificial Leviathan, but the ascension of the true Leviathan shall leave all of you bloodied and devastated.

Especially the Pharaoh, and especially Kagome, for they were the darkest of all. They were wicked, overbearing, and so ensconced were they in each other that neither could see the depth of sin in each other's hearts. Too long had the monarch and the miko been allowed to worship before their altar of blood, inequity, and sacrilege, and soon they would pay for their impiety…by offering up their souls to the great Leviathan.

And then there was Hiei, the Demon God of Paradigm. He too was a being of evil, but on a much different level of darkness. While he had not committed the the misdeeds that Yami and Kagome had, he was still a demon ruled by avarice and bloodlust, and all those that served under him were just as despicable.

They would all be demolished; it was only a matter of time.

Ye that worship the Idol of Darkness, your time draws near to hand. And the Orichalcos God shall reveal to you all your shortcomings…

Kagome vs. Yami no Marik

"It is time, my Winged Dragon! Rise up, and reveal your divine might to all the infidels that stand before ye now! Break free of the bindings of your ancient prison, and condemn those that stand against me, the true Pharaoh of Egypt!"

And now, the Orb of Ra cracked, each individual component shattering and tumbling to the ground, dissipating as it happened, to reveal the third, and final, Egyptian God Monster.

When the light the Orb emitted finally died down, the avatar of the gods was revealed to be another massive dragon, but one much different from that of Osiris. Instead, the spirit of this beast of destruction was sealed in bright golden armor, with massive eagle wings spreading out behind it, and a set of three-taloned claws that once tore through the flesh of Apep. A similar set of claws served as the feet of this creature, while a lashing golden tail brought up the rear. And the eyes, such wicked eyes that pierced the shadows of the mind and revealed the darkness of the sun. (11100/2000)

The Pharaoh could not believe it. After the struggles he had undergone at the hands of this monster, after all the time it had taken to crush it, would it emerge to take her away from him?

"Well now. It appears that the tables have turned in my favor, Lady Kagome. Your meaningless seraphs cannot hope to endure the wrath of the Sun God himself, and that wrath shall be demonstrated at this very moment! Now, my Dragon, show the Pharaoh and the Priestess the powers of destiny!"

Kagome, of course, was not particularly frightened, even by the massive attack strength of Yami no Marik's god dragon. She still had her Sanctuary on the field, meaning that even if her monsters were destroyed, she would not lose any life points.

The spirit, however, had something else in mind.

"Come now, young one, did you honestly expect me to summon this merely for its attack power? On the contrary, the Winged Dragon has many special capabilities that allow for the ultimate strategy! In one single monster is held the power to demolish entire armies, and I will make the demonstration of that power quite instructive! Winged Dragon of Ra, Egyptian God Phoenix!"

Almost instantly, the great dragon let pour from its mouth a river of ethereal flames, through which a divine magic unseen in the mortal world since the days of the Shadow Games flowed. And being of a godlike status, Ra was able to manipulate the course of this fire, in such a way as to consume the entirety of its body in the blaze.

"You see, Kagome, by paying 1000 of my life points, I am allowed to slaughter one of your monsters using the godfire of Egyptian God Phoenix, but you have only seen the beginning of my monster's grandeur." (1300/1100) "Rise, my Phoenix, and send the fires of the gods upon Yudrae-Judge of Mind!"

Having now wreathed itself in the fires, the Winged Dragon of Ra spread out its conflagrated pinions and rose into the heavens as would the blazing entity from which it was spawned, enveloping the entire field in a glorious radience that rang with an internal malevolence. All who witnessed this ascension knew, in some unconscious manner, that whatever the dragon was about to do would devastate anything that stood in its path.

"Judge of Mind, I damn you to Hell!"

And at that very moment, the divine beast hurled itself forth, shattering through the barrier of the Sanctuary and consuming Yudrae in its ancient flames. And unable to do anything as it was slowly burned alive, the Judge barely managed to read his own final rites before there was nothing left of him but a pile of blood-soaked ashes.

"And that is only the beginning, my dear. Remember, my Egyptian God also has an attack power that is currently unrivaled, and such an attack shall I rain down upon your defense position monster! Winged Dragon of Ra, use your God Breath Cannon upon Kagome's defense!"

The great dragon, having dispelled the fires it has used to annihilate Yudrae, now turned its wicked gaze upon the face down monster. And if she had to guess, Kagome could almost see it smile.

With a roar to shake the heavens themselves, Ra drew from the depths of its soul another surge of flames, only this time they focused themselves to form a ring about its neck, which held there for a moment. Until, in a single flare, the power of Ra was hurled forth in an orb of the divine flame that slammed unhindered into the surface of the card, creating a flash that blinded all for a moment. And when visibility was regained, all that was left of the monster was the seared profile of a small cherub.

It was at this point that Kagome cracked a clever little smirk.

"Thanks, Yami no Marik. By attacking my face down monster, Skelengel, you activated its special effect, which lets me draw a card from my deck." Kagome did as the card dictated. This will help, but I need something that will be able to take down his Winged Dragon, and fast.

"As if it matters. This duel is almost mine anyways, but just in case I'll place one card face down and end my turn. But what hope have you, Kagome, when you must stare into the wrath of God with only some petty avatars and the remnants of a dead priestess's waning strength?"

Kagome's eyes flashed in hate at this statement. He had compared her to Kikyo one too many times, and now the impudent spirit would have to pay.

"My move, and I know exactly what to do with it. I'll start by activating the Magic card, Oracle of Resurrection, which allows me to discard my entire hand and replace it with any five cards from my deck! It also lets me revive one of the monsters in my graveyard, so return in defense mode, Gemini Elf!" Once again, Kagome's set of twins emerged onto the field. "Of course, because I need to pay 200 life points for every turn my monster remains on the field, I won't keep her on the field for too long, so I'll sacrifice her to summon Yusui-Judge of Virtue to the field in attack mode!" Once again the elves were offered up, and in their place emerged an angel with flowing robes of silver which were trimmed with a shimmering evergreen at the hem and sleeves, while her face was one of near pure innocence. With lengthy black hair, deep, virtuous brown eyes, and a single geranium bloom nestled gently betwixt her right index and middle fingers, this particular judge did not seem to be a creature of violence, which explained why she was the only one played thus far with a mirage-like platinum halo hovering inches above her head. (2400/1800) "Now I activate…"

"Not so fast, young priestess! I activate the card I played face down, Penalty Game; because you only have four cards in your hand at the moment, I am allowed to activate one of two effects. The first is to prevent you from drawing during your next draw phase, but I'll refrain from using that one. The next effect is much more devastating, for it prevents you from activating any magic or trap cards during the turn in which it is activated, so I think the decision is obvious." But knowing this airhead, it wouldn't really matter what I picked…

"Fine. I'll just place two cards face down to end my turn."

"Now, back to the true duelist." Irregardless of her current lead, I know that little Kagome and her judges shall soon crumble beneath the incomparable wrath of the Winged Dragon of Ra and its ancient fires. And sadly for her, I already have a plan in mind to eradicate her last pathetic attempt at salvation.

"It all ends here, Kagome. I activate the Hand Rebirth Magic card, which forces us both to discard our currents hands and draw a fresh one of five cards, and judging from the look on your face, this wasn't exactly a welcome surprise." Kagome indeed looked sick as she was forced to discard her well-planned strategy at the hands of the lunatic, but it would at least give her five new cards. "Next, I'll activate the card known as Dian Keto the Cure Master, to increase my life points by 1000." As the second card was played. A flurry of powdered balms fell down around him and healed his Shadow wounds. (1300/2100) "I will then summon the beast known as Gil Gars in attack mode, followed by the activation of the Snatch Steal Magic card, to take control of Yusui as well!" The next monster of Yami no Marik's was a hideous demonic soldier, clad in unusually sophisticated mechanical armor for a demon, with a hefty scimitar-like blade in one hand and thick spikes all over the aforementioned outfitting. (1800/1200) Subsequently, a pair of heavily muscled thugs bolted forward and accosted Kagome's peaceful angel, and drew her to Yami no Marik's side of the field. "However, I have other reasons for this move that you could never have predicted, for my intent is to sacrifice these monsters and add their overall strength to my own Egyptian God!" And as he claimed, the beast sent forth a pair of jagged sunbeams into the skulls of both monsters, draining from them their life and soul energies almost instantaneously, and assimilating these powers into the soul of the dragon itself. (15200/5000) "Finally, I shall offer up 1000 more life points to initiate Egyptian God Phoenix and destroy Yuez, your final monster!" (1300/1100)

But even as Ra let fly its internal bonfires, Yami could not help but wonder as to why Yami no Marik was playing the God Card this way. Normally, he would not focus so much on the Egyptian God Phoenix technique, but rather attempt the much more devastating point-to-point transfer effect known simply as One Turn Kill. Apparently he was waiting for something, or at best attempting to crush Kagome as swiftly as possible.

Knowing Yami no Marik, it was likely the former.

The Winged Dragon, in all of its pseudo-diurnal glory, rose forth once again, and cast the might of the heavens upon Yuez, who was in turn incinerated without a trace. "And now, you no longer have any monsters on the field to protect you, and your Sky Sanctuary is essentially useless to you. Any traps or magic cards you activate shall mean nothing to Ra, and with nothing to save your life points, it would almost certainly kill you upon impact. In this case, however, I would be more concerned about saving your soul than your life, for the torments of the Shadow Realm continue even beyond the ends of time!" With a demented smirk, the spirit turned in Yami's direction. "Oh, and by the way, Pharaoh, if you have anything to say to your little girlfriend, I suggest you say it now."

"No need, spirit. You cannot hope to beat her, so I need not say goodbye just yet."

"Foolish idealism, nothing more. Even you cannot deny that this pretty little airhead is about to lose it all to me; it's hopeless in any event. So why don't you just hold your tongue about her and let me continue with her inevitable damnation?"

Kagome was, of course, silent, but a slight pink tinge appeared on her cheeks, followed immediately thereafter by a warm half-smile.

Yami no Marik, however, did not notice, and if he did, it was of no importance to him anyway. To him, Kagome was simply another chapter to close.

"THE TIME HAS COME! WINGED DRAGON OF RA, ATTACK THE PRIESTESS'S LIFE POINTS DIRECTLY AND END THIS DUEL NOW!"

Once more the great beast opened its gaping maw, each rancid breath still radiating heat, and for the second time the fires of Hell were collected around its neck, preparing to be cast forth in a blaze of destruction and bloodshed that would be recounted in history for millennia to come. But the Pharaoh cared not for that; the fused malevolence of Ra and the Shadow Games had taken far too many in Battle City, and he would not allow such a thing to happen to Kagome.

Yet there was nothing he could do. His Shadow powers had barely been enough to save Joey and Mai last time, so even if he managed to intercept the attack again, it would do her no good.

And it was with laden heart that he stood and watched the blast sail down, directly towards his truest love in the world, praying that the cards she had played would save her.

I have total trust in you.

Would that trust be enough was the question, a question soon to be answered.

"I activate the card I had face down, Heaven Mirror, which allows me to negate your attack and increase my life points by 1000!" An instant before the orb of destruction crashed into her, a massive silver mirror with a pearl frame and an archangel serving as the main decoration intercepted the attack, and transferred it into a ray of bluish-white light which was absorbed by her Duel Gauntlet. (2300/1100) Thanks, Yami.

The Pharaoh himself was impressed; never had he seen such adept handling of cards against an Egyptian God Monster before.

And Yami no Marik was of course quite livid.

"You must be very proud of yourself, little girl, to have stood so long against an Egyptian God Card. However, eventually you shall have to do battle with my monster. So for now I'll place one card face down and end my turn, and always remember that I shall crush you and your very soul before all is said and done."

Kagome, in the meantime, drew her next card.

"Ok, Yami no Marik, I think it's time I take a slightly different approach to this duel. I've been playing pretty much defensive so far, and now I'll go on the attack, by activating Monster Reborn to revive Yusui-Judge of Virtue!" Kagome's pacifistic angel was reborn to the field from the golden ankh. "Next, I'll summon Angel of Creation-Venus to the field in attack mode!" Another angel was called forth, but this particular seraph was not like the others, in that it had a sort of Grecian countenance, as well as olive robes, flaxen gold hair, bronze-hued wings, and a set of 3 mysterious crystal orbs surrounding it. (1600/0) "For my next move, I'll activate Venus's special effect, and pay 1500 life points to special summon all three of the Holy Shine Spheres in my deck to the field in defense mode!" (800/1100) After the cost had been paid, Venus allowed her three servants to step onto the field, yet they still hovered about her. (500/500) (500/500) (500/500)

"Interesting attack choice, little one, but I'm afraid that it will not work. Remember, my Winged Dragon of Ra is completely immune to destruction by Magic, Trap, or Monster effects. Your pathetic attack is nothing compared to the wrath of the gods."

"Oh really? Well, perhaps you'd like to let me finish up before you start shooting off at the mouth. As I was saying, I'll then activate the Magic card, United We Stand, which I'll equip to Yusui to increase her attack and defense by 4000 points!" Once again the set of gauntlets appeared and attached themselves, to Yusui's arms in this case. (6400/5800) "And finally, I'll play the card that will end this duel: Shooting Star Bow-Ceal!"

Yami knew what this meant almost immediately, and unless Yami no Marik had some kind of counterattack planned, then victory was hers.

"I see you are keeping in touch with your origins, young one. But in all honesty, what could a mere bolt do against Ra?"

"You have no idea what this card does, do you?" At that very moment another equipment came into Yusui's hands, a heavy bow made of sterling silver and etched with a sort of burgundy ceramic on both ends. (5400/5800) "While the card does make my monster lose 1000 of its attack points, it also comes with an ability that'll end this in one turn: the effect of allowing the equipped monster to attack your life points directly! And since Yusui still has 5400 attack points, this duel will end with that attack!"

For only a brief instant, Yami no Marik had a flaring sensation of terror at once again losing to his own Shadow Game, but this feeling was lost amidst his own recollection of what he had on the field.

Yami knew the instant he saw the deranged look on the devil's face that Kagome had walked right into a trap. And yet again, there was nothing he could do.

"Thank you, Kagome; you fell directly into my hands! I activate the Trap Card, Silent Doom, which shall reduce the attack power of your monsters directly to 0, and add the amount lost to my life points!" And as the Trap activated, all of Kagome's monsters, Yusui in particular, collapsed to the ground as their very essence was bled away and absorbed in the demon's Duel Gauntlet. (0/0) (0/0) (0/0) (0/0) (0/0) (2300/9600)

Kagome could not believe it. In one massively idiotic move, she had allowed Yami no Marik to increase his life points over eight fold, and now he was in a position to wipe out her life points with one great attack.

"Fine. That'll end my turn."

"Excellent; now, I can continue on with my plan. And I probably should tell you this before I cast you down: my plan was never to defeat you using the Egyptian God Phoenix, but with a capability that is much more devastating. You ought to remember, Pharaoh; after all, you were on the receiving end of this effect the last time I used it."

Kagome, having never faced the Egyptian God before, turned towards her newfound love with a sort of apprehension. "Yami, what's he talking about?"

The Pharaoh mirrored her look of nervousness as he recalled a similar situation in Battle City.

"The Winged Dragon of Ra…has one more attack boost technique, and if played correctly could make him unstoppable. And now Yami no Marik has created that ideal circumstance."

"How right you are, Pharaoh. And now, I activate the deadliest of Ra's ability's, known as…ONE TURN KILL!"

To Be Continued

Not too shabby.

Ok, next chapter we determine the results of Enzeru's fight with Akuren, Tsubaki's rarest card reveals its true power, Yusuke considers the situation, not for the first time, Roger begins his next duel, Raphael vs. Inuyasha comes to the homestretch, Kagome faces Ra's true force, and the Union shows more of itself.

Ok, the original cards:

Lightspeed Summoning, Lightning Drillman, any non-anime/TCG Angel monsters/cards, all Valkyrie monsters, Chupacabra, Iras, Ryoko, and any Guardian/Guardian-based cards not seen in the anime or TCG belong to Time Mage. Aya belongs to Helldragon, and I own Soul of the Dark Serpent, the Serpents of Gale and Thunder, Carnal Gatekeeper, and Toon Reflect Bounder.

Enzeru belongs to Time Mage as well. Let me know if I missed anything.

Ok, see ya next update.