Disclaimer: Same as it ever was.
Anyway, once again we delve into the web of Force of Darkness, hear my cry. In our last dive, the infamous Band of Seven hit the scene, making strikes all across the field as Yami, Kagome, Kaiba, Enzeru, and Joey were challenged. To make matters worse, Joey not only has to face a member of the Band, but also the power of Bui. Luckily he has Varon in his corner, but how long can that last? Also, Yusuke and Sensui butted heads again, but where once their lives were on the line now lay their souls.
Now, in interest of time, Roger and Inuyasha's scenes will be held off for later. However, the duels you're about to see may just make up for that.
Chapter 44: Madness and Blood! A Clash of Foreshadowing Blades
Enzeru vs. Bankotsu
"So, who starts us off, Guardian?"
"I will, if you don't mind." The cards were once again drawn out, worn material familiar in the hands of the duelists. Bankotsu and Enzeru were both experts at the game, but with strategies that were polar opposites of each other, which would prove for an interesting bout indeed.
Knowing Bankotsu, he's likely to go for an offensive strike at the start. Of course, this means I'll be able to draw him into my traps with greater ease.
"I'll start by placing a monster in defense mode, followed by one card face down. Next, I'll activate the Continuous Magic card, Tower of Time, to increase the attack of every one of my Spellcasters by 100 times their level." Already opening strong, Enzeru's first Magic was, as the name implied, a grandiose tower hewn of platinum and silver, inscribed with ancient runes from an era when time itself had no proper name, and yet was known by all as a presence that simply could not be defined or denied. "Your move."
"Thanks for the easy start. Now, watch out!" Bankotsu now drew, and upon seeing his latest monster he could not help but smirk.
"I summon Crusher Blader to the field in attack mode!" The mercenary's first creature was indeed a warrior as himself, a hulking mass of muscle barely contained beneath deep crimson plate armor. His helmet was stylized in a manner similar to that of his relative, Buster Blader, but his weapon of choice was apparently a club with a sword built into the top. (2300/1000)
"Not bad for an opening move, huh? Granted, Crusher can only attack if I discard a monster with the name Blader in my hand during my main phase, but that works out just fine. So I'll discard my Sniper Blader from my hand." With that, Bankotsu slipped said monster into the grave.
"But don't think I'm done yet. Next, I activate The Warrior Returning Alive, which will allow me to return one Warrior monster from my graveyard to my hand. And it gets better; when Sniper Blader is returned to my hand, I'm allowed to special summon him to the field!"
The instant he added the monster to his hand, Bankotsu slapped it onto the field, producing a second warrior of a similar type, only clad in forest green armor and armed with a sniper rifle attached with a short halberd on the butt end of the weapon. (2400/1200)
"Finally, I'll equip my Sniper Blader with Hunting Knife, increasing his attack by 500 points!" In the hunting warrior's left hand now emerged a terrible-looking hunting dagger, splattered with gobbets of blood from previous encounters. (2900/1200) "And now it's time to take a little more blood from your family! Crusher Blader, slice up his face down defense monster!"
With a roar that was indicative of ultimate defiance, the brutish soldier charged the defense with force greater than any other, and clove the face down monster in half…or so he thought.
At the moment of impact, the burly swordsman was forced back by a shield of bright golden energy which was generated by a second strongly built creature, a mage in bright white clothing. Upon his head was a shimmering halo, the source of his barrier. (500/2500) And once he was summoned, the effect of Tower of Time bestowed upon him its ancient grace. (900/2500)
"The monster you just attacked is known as Halo Magician, and when he is attacked by a monster with fewer attack points than his defense points, I can forgo the damage resulting from this attack to destroy your Crusher Blader!"
With this, the Halo Magician focused the energy of the barrier into a single point atop it's head, and fired it as a beam which incinerated the monster, leaving no trace at all of it ever existing.
"Doesn't matter to me one bit! Sniper Blader, it's your turn!"
A far more intelligent man than his brother, the Sniper Blader did not charge for a direct assault, but instead bolted off to the side and loaded his rifle. After a moment of judging the environment, the hunter lined up the Halo Magician's head in its crosshairs, waited for a minute, and then pulled the trigger.
However, before the bullet could find its target, what could only bedescribed as a circular glitch in the environment caused it to veer off course and into the ground.
"What!"
"You fell for it again, Bankotsu. Before your attack could fall, I played the Time Gyre Quick Play Magic card, negating your attack and giving me 200 times the level of your monster in life points." (Enzeru: 5200/ Bankotsu: 4000)
"Hey, you're not too bad, Guardian. But I don't think that's going to hold out much longer. So I'll place a card face down and end my turn."
"My move again." Bankotsu's good, better than I expected. I think now would be a good time to get serious.
"Alright, I'll start by activating the Pot of Greed Magic card, to draw two cards. Next, it's time for you to see the crux point of my strategy. I activate Mystic Fount and Fountain of Dreams!"
In front of the Tower of Time now emerged two new Magic cards, the first being a marble basin filled with holy water, upon which danced hundreds of tiny points of light, and the second being an astounding fountain of the same material, whose water flowed from the top and circled back.
"Nice faucet, Guardian."
"It's more than a faucet. You see, when a monster or trap effect is activated, my Fountain grants a Magic counter to each monster on the field that can hold one. And in case some of the counters do not get placed, my Mystic Fount shall hold the rest. Next, I'll sacrifice my Halo Magician to summon Guardian of Time in attack mode!"
At that, the divine mage was sent into nothingness, to be replaced by an even greater creature, an older mage draped in robes of cerulean with a similarly colored stave. (2400/2500) Once again, the Tower granted the controller of the ebb and flow of time even greater force. (2900/2500) "And now, I activate the Continuous Magic card, Time of Peace, whose effect I will explain later. However, for the moment it's not the effect that interests me, but rather the activation."
"What's the activation got to do with anything?"
"When a Magic card is activated, my Guardian of Time is allowed to gain a Magic counter by his effect. And since my Fountain of Dreams is in play, he will gain a second counter for the activation of said effect!"
To Bankotsu's horror, a glowing orb of soul energy manifested itself in the Guardian's hand, joined by a second one from the fountain. "Now, I shall activate my Guardian's effect, discarding these two counters to destroy and remove one of your monsters from the game, and I'm going after your only monster, Sniper Blader!"
And with one sweep of his hand, the Guardian sent both counters towards the soldier, causing him to age and decay until even the armor had become dust. At the same time, the Fountain of Dreams activated again, granted the mage a second counter.
"Behold the power of Time, leader of the Band of Seven, a power that none can transcend. Even the dead fear its unequivocal strength, and you should be no exception."
Enzeru's threat had no effect on Bankotsu; if anything, it made him more confident.
"You don't get it, do you? I'm not afraid of Time or Death; what's the point of fighting something beyond your abilities? The way I see it, I'd rather die without any regrets than live with that cross to bear!"
"Such confidence won't save you. Guardian of Time, attack his life points directly!"
In a much different form of attack than had been previously used, the Guardian of Time soared into the air and sent a column of deep blue sorcery along the ground, forming a circle of energy about Bankotsu which contracted upon him, crushing the air out of his lungs and causing him to collapse. (Enzeru: 5200/ Bankotsu: 1100)
Bur even on his knees, Bankotsu smirked knowingly, as though the massive amount of damage had been expected.
"I activate the Quick Play Magic card, Blader Family Crest! You see, when I take an amount of damage that's over half of my life points during the same turn one of my Bladers is destroyed, I can draw cards equal to his level, along with two others! Granted, that monster has to be in the graveyard, so I'll only be able to draw six cards, but who's complaining?"
"Not bad. You were able to avoid giving my Fountain more counters for monster removal. However, since you're using a Blader deck, I doubt that's going to last much longer. At any rate, I'll place my last card face down to end my turn."
"Good point. So I guess I'm gonna have to make this quick."
Another card was drawn, one of Bankotsu's favorites.
"Hm. This is gonna be fun. I summon Messenger Blader to the field in attack mode, and when he's summoned I can special summon an Escort Blader from my hand to the field in attack mode!" Two other soldiers appeared simultaneously, an adolescent Blader with white armor and a light club in his right hand, and a massive Blader in black armor equipped with a war hammer. (1500/0) (1950/1000) At the same time, two more counters were granted to the Guardian of Time.
"Next, I'll play the Magic card, Blader Knighting, which allows me to sacrifice a Blader on my side of the field and then summon another Blader from my deck, so long as that monster cannot attack this turn; that is, unless that monster is sent to the graveyard and special summoned. So I'll sacrifice my Escort Blader to summon the leader of his tribe, and my personal favorite monster, the one and only Buster Blader!"
As the effect of the Magic activated, the youthful blade wielder knelt before his bodyguard, who in turn performed the knighting ceremony of their people, which consisted of slicing a pentagram into the armor and then carving a crucifix into the helmet. Upon enacting this ritual, the messenger himself stood, and in an instant was replaced by a golden beam of light.
And from this beam emerged the leader of the Blader clan, the purple armored dragon slayer whose sword had cloven into a thousand human and a thousand dragons, a record matched only by Bankotsu's own weapon, Banryu. (2600/2100)
"Impressive. But there's one thing you've forgotten. Thanks to your activation of Blader Knighting, my Guardian of Time gains two more counters, meaning that in my next turn I can remove your warriors and end this duel."
"Not really; you see, my Escort Blader has a special ability of his own. When Messenger Blader is sent to the graveyard, my monster gains 1000 extra attack points, thus giving you two more counters." (2950/1000)
"However, you're not going to be able to use those counters, especially after I activate the most devastating power up card for Blader monsters. I play the Continuous Magic card, Blader Baptism!"
Yusuke vs. Sensui
"Things have changed a lot since we last met, Yusuke. My powers have been retrofitted, altered exactly for this final confrontation, and now you shall experience the instrumentality of that power!"
To Yusuke's surprise and horror, the gem attached to Sensui's hand began to pulse with a tremendous aura unlike anything he had faced before. It seemed to merge with the spiritual power he had possessed going into the duel.
And then he realized what was going on. The energy from the gem was not born of itself.
"It's that Magic card…"
"Good to see you're catching up. Now, rise, my Seal!"
With a sweep of his hand, Sensui placed the Field Magic into the slot, allowing the initial connection to run through his blood. It would all end right here and now, and soon the spirit detective who had replaced him would see that.
The instant the card was activated, both duelists felt a light chill upon their arms. In spite of all they had seen, the Seal represented a darkness far beyond that of petty demons, a darkness that was only augmented by what happened next.
For from the skies themselves emerged a most sacriligious halo of iridescent green, apparently rotating as it descended upon the field. It seemed to be born of a primal force that existed long before either of them, and also had a similar energy signature to Sensui's decoration.
"This is my ultimate Magic card, Yusuke. As you can clearly see, I'm not going to hold anything back today."
"As if I'd want you to."
"Oh, you will. Before the duel is done, you shall know the true meaning of fear! You see, the Seal of Orichalcos offers me the ability to power up my monster's by 500 points, and grants me extra field space. However, when one of us loses, that duelist shall forfeit his soul!"
"Boo fricken' hoo, Sensui. I've died before; I know the rap well enough."
"Your arrogance speaks otherwise. Death is fleeting; incarceration in here is eternal!"
Once those words of doom were uttered, the Seal had assimilated itself onto the field, as well as on Sensui's forehead, resulting in an even more disgusting grin than before.
"Now, my Templars, take upon yourselves the power of the Seal!"
At that instant, each warrior of God was set upon by the evil of the Orichalcos, possessing them with a fervor of bloodlust. (3050/2700) (2700/2500) (2200/1900)
"I'm far from done. Next, I'll activate the Magic card, Mystical Space Typhoon, to eradicate your pathetic Homage of Chi card!" From behind the duelist emerged a column of wind which demolished Yusuke's temple, leaving nothing but rubble and scattered incense. "And now that your lock has been disabled, I can go on the offensive, but before I do that I'll place one card face down. Now, Templar Cavalier, attack one of his Spirit Dolls!"
The horseman was the first to charge, as it often was in life, and with one summoning of power he was able to punch through the fragile paper spirit, causing it to dissolve into oblivion.
"Now, Templar Axewielder, demolish his final monster!"
This time it was the hatchet master's turn to charge the heathen creature, axe raised above his head so as to cleave into it. But as he was about to strike, the spirit doll vanished into thin air once again.
"No dice, Sensui. I activate the face down card, Phantasm Swarm! This trap card allows me to remove a Spirit monster in my graveyard from play to negate your attacks during the turn another monster of mine was destroyed! And that's not all that's gonna happen; because Homage of Chi was sent to the graveyard in the same turn as a Spirit monster was removed from play, I can increase my life points by 100 times the level of that monster!"
Having played his cards well, Yusuke could sit back and enjoy the show of the three fallen Templars rearing back in terror as a hail of demon ghosts raced towards them from beyond the grave. Phantom blood flowed from their fangs and claws, creating for quite a terrifying herd of apparitions, which was exactly the point. And just as quickly as they had come, the spirits vanished, while a light drizzle of gold and silver rain poured onto Yusuke's deck. (Yusuke: 3600/ Sensui: 4000)
"Not bad, Yusuke. But I'm far from done, so you can take your turn."
"About damn time. I draw!" Of course, with only two cards in his hand and his lock broken, the spirit detective was not in any great position to be crass.
"Ok, I'll just place this monster into defense mode and activate the Magic card, Spirit World Treasure! All I have to do is sacrifice a Spirit monster on my side of the field, and I can draw three cards from my deck, so I'll ditch my face down Shikikami." With a motion the doll was removed, soon replaced by a new hand. "I'll then set two cards to wrap it up."
"Thank you. Now it's my move again! I activate the Magic card, Rank Reversal; this allows me to exchange one monster on my side of the field with one in my hand of the same level and attribute, so I shall use it to swap my Templar Sword Master for Templar Warlord!"
The swordsman of the group was instantly replaced by a new monster, another mounted warrior dressed in a ceremonial golden form of the Templar armor and equipped with a crystal and silver scepter. (3200/1500)
"You're done! Templar Cavalier, attack his life points directly!"
Another charge from the horseman, and it was becoming obvious that his frustration was mounting in his eyes. He had grown tired of this constant negation and recircling of attacks, a sentiment that Sensui was beginning to sympathize with.
Yusuke didn't notice, of course, so he had no problem with pushing the envelope further.
"I activate my face down card, Shamanic Prophecy, which lets me look at the top card of my deck, and if it's a Spirit monster I can normal summon it to the field!"
"Bah, what does that matter? I can always use my Templar Axewielder's ability to destroy any defense you set!"
"I don't think you get my plan, Sensui, so if you could stop blowing smoke out of your ass I can tell you. Remember, I have another card face down as well, so I chain the Quick Play Magic card known as Divination from Beyond the Grave to the activation of Shamanic Prophecy! When activated, Divination lets me place a monster from my graveyard onto the top of my deck, so unless that decoration gave you a tumor, you know what's coming."
No!
After placing his monster on top of the deck, it did not take Yusuke long to see what it was.
"I summon Hino Kagu-Tsuchi to the field in attack mode! But don't think I'm done yet. Because a Spirit monster was summoned, I can discard the Spirit Forgemaster in my hand to negate any effects levied against that monster this turn! Not bad for a follow-up detective, if I do say so myself."
Sensui did not have to look on as the Cavalier charged headfirst into the reborn fire spirit; he had planned for this, in case something went wrong.
"I activate the ability of my Templar Warlord, which lets me skip his attack during this turn; in exchange, I can prevent the destruction of my Templars during this turn! He also has another ability, but thanks to Spirit Forgemaster I cannot use it."
Those words triggered the effect of the warlord, who in turn hurled his scepter between the Cavalier and the spirit, creating a barrier of sorts which broke the attack and saved the monster.
"An impressive move, Yusuke. Had I not had the foresight to summon my Templar Warlord my monster would surely have been bested. However, you have forgotten one detail: when my turn ends Hino Kagu-Tsuchi shall return to your hand, leaving you wide open for a direct attack from my empowered Templars. So unless you can draw a miracle card in your next turn, the duel is mine."
"That's exactly what I intend to do, so you can end your turn if you want."
"Your move, Yusuke, and you had better pray it's a good one."
And with that, the fire apparition returned to the detective's hand, waiting to be called again. However, that was not what Yusuke intended to do at all…for the moment.
"I draw!" Hey, this could work. "I summon Yata-Garasu again to the field in attack mode, and then I'll activate the Spell Mirror Magic card, paying 500 life points to activate Spirit World Treasure again!" (Yusuke: 3100/ Sensui: 4000)
The spirit crow was summoned again, but just as quickly vanished into midair as a result of his master's Magic card, and the result was just as he had hoped.
"Next, I'll activate Pot of Greed, to draw two cards." Another extra draw, and it too had proven worthwhile.
"You know, it just ocurred to me that your Templar's effects are a lot like your fighting style. It's powerful and generally weakening most of the time, but unless you're the one attacking it doesn't mean shit, and I'm about to prove it. I activate the Continuous Magic card, Spiritual Energy Settlement Machine!"
With one sweep of his hand, Yusuke slipped one of his cards into the graveyard so as to activate one of his superior Magic cards. Even Sensui knew what this meant: the delinquent was about to go on the offensive.
"I'm not through by a long shot. Next, I'll play Reign of the Medium, reviving the Hino Kagu-Tsuchi I just discarded and allowing other Spirit monsters to be special summoned as long as it stays in play. And while I'm at it, I'll equip him with Spirit Hatchet, increasing his attack points by 600."
In a flare of spiritual energy, the fire spirit was reborn, armed with an axe that seemed to be hewn of silver ectoplasm. (3400/2900)
The elder detective, however, was not impressed.
"You seem to have forgotten my other monsters, Yusuke. Impressive as the spirit is, it will crumble to their other effects on my next turn, leaving you defenseless against the Seal and all the powers it affords me."
"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you about that, but you're starting to piss me off. So I'll just go through with this plan instead. I activate Spirit Wave!"
The very sound of those words sent shivers down Sensui's neck. Being involved with Spirit World for years meant that he had heard of every spirit technique in existence, and this was one of the deadlier ones.
"Ok, here's how it works. Spirit Wave is basically a Diffusion Wave Motion for Spirit monsters; after paying 1000 I select a level 7 or higher Spirit monster on my side of the field, and it can attack all of your monsters at once. And like Diffusion Wave, it shorts out all of your monster effects, but luckily not my own." (Yusuke: 2100/ Sensui: 4000)
He knew what this meant. If Yusuke's attack landed, the spirit's effect would level his hand…
"You're not looking so good, so maybe I should remedy that for you! Hino Kagu-Tsuchi, attack all of his monsters!"
At this, the apparition went into a stance not dissimilar to that used by Genkai during her usage of the battle technique, and focused all of his energy into the axe head. And as he did so the axe changed shape, becoming a massive bladed hammer with three spikes built into the pommel.
The spirit did not even have to think twice before launching forward, fully ready to take revenge upon those that had murdered him before. Within an instant he stood in the middle of them, and just as quickly did he decapitate the trio, spilling scorched blood upon the ground as the rolling heads burst into flame.
But it was the force of the impact that proved most dramatic. The shockwave alone sent Sensui hurtling into the air until he was smashed against the barrier of the Seal of Orichalcos, sending his own life fluids streaming from his mouth.
Of course, he only felt this pain for a brief instant. (Yusuke: 2100/ Sensui: 1900)
On his own end, Yusuke was only concerned with the results, and was thusly ecstatic to see the massive damage he had inflicted.
"Well, would you look at that? I guess the gap is closing, eh, Sensui?"
The opponent did not respond for a second as he wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand, but this action set off a nervous feeling within the spirit detective. Something did not sit right throughout the situation, and he had a feeling that a change had been set into place.
A feeling which was only confirmed with the duelist's next words, spoken in a gruff and extremely crude fashion that seemed to imply an entirely different person was speaking.
"Sorry, piss-head. Sensui's not here at the moment, but I'll leave a message for him on your skull. He couldn't handle it, so I'm gonna pick up the slack."
Yusuke knew that voice, and he also knew the madness it represented.
"Long time no see, Kazuya."
Joey vs. Varon vs. Bui and Suikotsu
"Alright, it's time to rock and roll! Look out!"
Joey was the first to go, and having drawn his opening hand he knew that was a fortunate circumstance. For the most part he was pretty much on his own; any alliance with Varon was bound to be shaky, and he didn't even know what sort of decks Bui and Suikotsu used, so caution would take top priority.
"I'll start things off by summoning Gearfried the Iron Knight to da field in attack mode, and then two cards face down." Before the rough and tumble duelist emerged the stated cards, two unknown and the other a massive knight clad in semi-futuristic iron armor. (1800/1600) "That'll wrap things up for now."
Varon and Joey needed only to give a passing glance to each other to indicate what would need to be done. Both knew that if they were going to walk away from this alive, they would need each other's help.
Hopefully he doesn't have his own agenda again…
"A somewhat strong opening move, Wheeler. Now let me show you what real strength is." Bui was the next to go, fanning his own hand before drawing.
For whatever reason, looking at his new cards reminded him rather strongly of the Dark Tournament. It was an entirely different medium of combat, of course, but somewhere he could sense the thrill of the arena, as though he stood once again with weapon at the ready.
Unfortunately, he could not experience all the aspects of fighting in such a manner, which was the very reason he had built this deck in the first place.
"I summon Blade Driver to the field in attack mode!"
The summoning of Bui's first monster was quite a bit different from Joey's summoning. Normally, the creature would be called forward in the monster zone, but in this case the monster, namely a purple and silver mechanical full-arm gauntlet with two blades folded into it, attached itself to Bui's right arm. (1000/0)
This one summoning caused Joey and Varon to start in disbelief. It seemed that two duelists were using an Armor deck on that day.
"You seem unnerved by my choice of opening moves. Well, take comfort in that I am adding armor at this point; those that have faced me in the past will know that they should only take fear when my armor is removed. So for the moment, I shall place two cards face down to conclude my turn." With any luck, removing my armor will not be needed today.
"Another Armor user, huh? This should be fun to see in action. My move!"
Varon was the next to draw, and without even looking at them he could feel a swell of arrogance and excitement rise in him. The first attacks hadn't even been laid and he was already stoked.
"I summon Psychic Armor Head to the field in attack mode!" Unlike Bui's armor, Varon's opening machine was a cybernetic helmet of sorts, the pinnacle of human-machine interface technology. (0/500)
The other Armor warrior was not at all pleased. He was all too familiar with Psychic Armor Head, and unless he was mistaken it could only mean one thing.
"I'm not done yet. Next, I activate Armor Upgrade, which allows me to sacrifice an Armor monster on my side of the field to summon another from my hand. So I'll offer Psychic Armor Head to summon Artillery Shell Armor in attack mode!"
The helm component of Varon's Armor deck was soon replaced by another type, a fully automatic suit of armor of light green coloration that was armed with two missile launchers on both shoulders and what appeared to be pistons built into both arms. (100/100) "That'll do for now."
"Feh, looks like all three of you are hiding behind tin cans. Time to show you what a real duelist is like!"
Those words alone made Joey and Varon shiver. They had seen their fair share of lunatics before, and something told them that Suikotsu was the worst.
"I summon Makyura the Destructor to the field in attack mode, and I'll equip him with The Devil's Talons, boosting his attack by 1000 and giving him the opportunity to deal you 300 life points of damage each time he destroys one of your monsters."
The first of Suikotsu's monsters was indeed the purple-armored Makai butcher; however, this time his claws had been upgraded to massive, scimitar-like serrated blades attached to both hands. Somehow he lifted them up so that both were level with the Artillery Shell Armor and Gearfried.
"I'll then set a card, and activate Dian Keto the Cure Master, to increase my life points by 1000. That shall end my turn."
In a move which contrasted in a great way from his first, Suikotsu soon found himself surrounded in gold and crystal medicinal powders, healing his wounds and soul in the process. (Joey: 4000/ Varon: 4000 (Bui: 4000/ Suikotsu: 5000))
This came as a rather large surprise for the others. In one turn he had showcased two very different forms of dueling: high offense and life point gain. It seemed rather inconsistent, to say the very least, and in fact seemed to indicate a brief change in personality.
Only Suikotsu himself knew what was going on, and it made him sick, though he would not show this.
No! It's started already!
"You really aren't a big fan of keeping things together, huh? My move!"
Joey drew once more, and with that draw saw a perfect opportunity.
"Alright, it's time I step things up a notch! I play Graceful Charity, lettin' me draw three cards as long as I get rid of two."
After doing so, Joey saw an incredible plan form itself in his mind.
"I sacrifice Gearfried the Iron Knight to summon Rekka the Storm Empress to da field in attack mode!"
The knight hewn of iron was offered up, and in his stead emerged the wind summoner he had won in his duel with Jin. (2400/1000) "And because she was tribute summoned, I can destroy one of your face down cards, so I'll go after Suikotsu's!"
Unlike the activation in Joey's duel, Rekka now only needed to let fly one wing to demolish his set Trap card.
"And here's the clincher. I play Monster Reborn on one of the monsters I sent to the Graveyard with Graceful Charity: Gilford the Lightning!"
The activation of Joey's next card had rather different results from the first, for from the ankh of Monster Reborn was summoned his soldier of lightning. Unfortunately, his effect could not activate thanks to his being special summoned. (2800/1500)
"Alright Gilford, it's showtime! Destroy Suikotsu's Makyura!"
With another of his legendary roars, Gilford hurled himself towards Makyura, sword ready to slice deep into the hellish flesh that gave him the bringer of death life. The executioner, meanwhile, set his claws into a defensive position, while nodding to Bui for some reason.
The armored titan knew exactly what this meant: his psychotic partner had drawn the card he needed.
Joey was unaware of this, and so was Gilford as he swung his blade down against Makyura's comparitively feeble defense, crushing the weapons and cleaving the executioner's skull in half. (Joey: 4000/Varon: 4000 (Bui: 4000/ Suikotsu: 4800))
It was not until after the attack landed that Joey remembered something very important: Makyura had a special ability.
"Thanks, Wheeler. By sending my executioner to the graveyard, you've triggered his effect, which allows me to play a Trap card from my hand. And what better card to play than Counter Assault?"
"Counter wha?"
"Idiot. When Counter Assault is activated after a battle, one of my other monsters can attack one of yours, and gains 500 attack points in the process. And since I have no monsters, I'll let Blade Driver fill that requirement." (1500/0)
"Oh yeah, what good is that gonna do?"
"More than you could ever imagine."
Bui already knew what was going to happen; this was all as he had planned.
Without any fear or doubt, the mercenary bolted directly at Rekka, and in doing so triggered the folded tools that were his weapon's namesake. Extending out so as to form a pair of serrated daggers, the likes of which were only seen in high-security military establishments, the weapon began to operate partially of itself, and partially of Bui, and thusly did two mini jets pop out of the sides to give more force to the impact. (2500/0)
"Ah yes, I forgot to mention that Blade Driver has a special ability too. Whenever he attacks a monster, he can increase his attack strength by 1000 points, and added to the bonus from Counter Assault that works out to more than enough to best your Rekka."
And so it stood; Joey could do nothing save watch as the second Armor duelist slip past Rekka at such incredible speed that her skin and armor was literally sucked off in the vacuum, causing her to dissipate into the wind from whence she came. (Joey: 3900/Varon: 4000 (Bui: 4000/ Suikotsu: 4800))
Joey had already lost one of his monsters; he wouldn't lose a second.
"Shit. Alright, I'll wrap up with a face down card. Your turn."
Bui drew once again, except this time in silence. He did not use words, but rather spoke with actions.
"Now, this is quite fortunate, isn't it? I summon Solar Ray Helm to the field in attack mode!"
The second armor monster Bui summoned was based on the template used to design Psychic Armor Head, but this time was cast in gold and had a blood red read-out screen which hooked onto his own helm. (500/0)
"As you can imagine, my monster has a powerful effect, for it can increase the overall attack of all my Armor monsters on my side of the field by 500 points. It also has a few other abilities, but they're rather insignificant at present. And next I'll play the Equip Magic card, Razor Cutter, increasing Blade Driver's attack by 500 points!"
With the activation of these effects, two things happened: the aforementioned helmet sent out a beam of light onto the Blade Driver, revitalizing and upgrading the edged attack gauntlet, (2000/0) (1000/0) , and a second set of blades resembling straight-edge razors jutted out from behind the first. (2500/0)
"Hm. Your Gilford the Lightning has put up a noble battle, but that won't be enough! Blade Driver, eradicate his lightning swordsman!"
But in reality, it was Bui that would be doing the eradication, and once again he bolted forward to slaughter Gilford, eyes glistening in madness as he prepared to butcher his enemies again. It was a feeling he had relished in all of his battles before, and now he could actually enjoy it…for now, at least.
His feet pressed against the ground, and like an eagle he soared against his opposition, jets of the Driver initiating in the process. At the same time, the razors began to hum with a spiritual aura that did not seem to come from any ordinary technology, and all of the duelists knew what was going to happen. (3500/0)
At least, almost all of them.
"Sorry, princess, not gonna happen! I activate my face down card, Magic Arm Shield!"
Suikotsu almost threw up at this comment; his position as the third strongest duelist of the Band of Seven gave him access to information on many Trap cards, and given the situation it could not have been a worse one.
"Now, normally I would use Magic Arm Shield to switch your Blade Driver's attack against the Solar Ray Helm, but I've got an even better idea! I chain with the other Trap card I had in play, Traitor to the Cause, which lets me switch control of a monster to you. And in this case, I'm going after Varon's Artillery Shell Armor with both traps!"
And with those words, the self-operating suit of armor was shifted, moving towards Bui's side of the field just as the mechanized shield that had manifested itself upon Gilford's arm shot out a telescoping clamp of its own, dragging the heavy armor towards the storm soldier…and directly in the path of Bui's attack.
No!
There was nothing he could do to stop the assault, and so in horror he punched directly through the heavy armor, which in turn detonated in a flash of light that blinded the duelists.
"And because Artillery Shell Armor was destroyed by a monster attack, you'll lose 500 life points in addition to the hefty chunk you lost just now!"
Suikotsu knew that Bui would be vital to his victory, and so saw fit to step in.
"I have to disagree, Wheeler! I discard Damage Ointment from my hand to negate battle damage during this turn, along with any effect damage played during a battle phase! However, I cannot increase my own life points until the end phase of my next turn."
As the mercenary did this, Bui instantly felt the scrapes he had suffered because of the botched attack fade away. Unfortunately, the wounds on his pride were not so easily soothed.
Damnation. This is all falling to pieces at the seams. How could they possibly have synchronized that move so quickly?
Suikotsu, however, was impressed. He had never had a duel this exciting in a long time, not since he had faced Bankotsu. However, he also knew that he would need to wrap the match up quickly, and the only way to do that was to function more efficiently.
With any luck, we'll have cut through the little bitches before the good doctor comes back. That is, if the lummox picks up his game…
"You done yet?"
"For now. I'll end my turn with a face down card."
Bui was not easily shaken in the worst of situations, but even he knew when to prepare for a counterattack. The gun was to his head again, and with any luck they would empty the clip in one shot.
The duel, as near as he could tell, would prove to be interesting, to say the least.
Varon didn't really bother with these theories most of the time, and this time was not an exception. Thusly did he draw out his next card.
Well, it isn't the Seal, but pretty damn close.
"I just realized something about how you use Armor, Bui; instead of allowing each component to work together as one entity, you focus all of your power into one part of it, a piecemeal strategy at best."
"I assume this speech of yours has a point to it?"
"Actually, yeah, but first I'm going to resurrect Psychic Armor Head thanks to his ability." And as he claimed, the focal point of the cybernetic armor materialized directly in front of Varon.
"And now, time to make a move that won't leave a dry eye in the house, and I mean exactly that! I play Armor Gravitation!"
Yami vs. Renkotsu
"You really shouldn't be too surprised, Pharaoh; after all, you're dealing with a Burn deck, and half of the power behind one depends on how well a user can control the field, and what better way to do this than to lock the attacks of your strongest monsters?"
Even as he said these words, a shockwave of undiluted gravity slammed into both of Yami's monsters and forced them backwards He did not need to hear the effect; twice before had he seen this card in action, and both times it had been used with devastating power.
But the situation was worse this time around. The others that had used it had only marginal skill, whereas Renkotsu was clearly a master of the game.
"Impressive play, mercenary, but I'm not through yet."
"You will be soon enough, I assure you."
"We'll see about that. Anyway, I'll set a card to end my turn." This isn't good; I'm down to almost half my life points, and Renkotsu has almost total control of the field. With any luck I'll be able to draw out something to dispel his lock, but at this rate…
Renkotsu was not nearly as worried. His plans had all been executed perfectly, and within a few more turns it would be over. However, he had learned quite a long time ago that plans did not always follow through.
It was a lesson Bankotsu had made all too clear to him...
"You're done, Pharaoh. I flip summon my face down Solar Flare Dragon into attack mode!"
Renkotsu's hidden monster would not stay hidden for long, and in fact did not even wait for him to flip over the card to make its presence known by a flash of celestial luminescence that rivaled that of the sun itself. But what the flash left behind was infinitely more horrific than a display of light, for the latest being that had been called forward was a coiling wyrm of extraordinary composition. The only possible way to describe it would be calling the beast a living solar flare in the form of a dragon, hence its title. However, this vague portrayal could not begin to do it justice. (1500/1000)
This was not the first time Yami had seen this card either, and from what he knew of Renkotsu's deck and his overall mentality, there was only one reason he would do this.
"You seem to have been playing this game for a while, so I think you know what I'm going to follow this move up with: a second Solar Flare Dragon!"
As Yami expected, another celestial wyvern rose up to reunite with its bretheren, and in spite of their inability to attack both reared up in supreme arrogance. They knew what their purpose was, and were ready to enact it well.
"I won't bother going into the effect of my two dragons; you should know this quite well as the Game King."
Yami did know the essence of what he was dealing with, and was surprised that the move hadn't come into play earlier. It was an advanced form of the Marauding Captain lock for Pyro decks; each dragon would block for the other, creating an effect loop which prevented attacks, and to make matters worse the dragons would inflict a total of 1000 points of damage at the end of his turn.
Renkotsu had been in control from the start, he realized, and he knew now that it was time to take his own game to the next level. But to do that, he would need a miracle, and they were in short supply these days.
"It seems that there's not much else to do for the moment, so I'll end my turn there with a face down card."
And with that, a new barrage of devastation rained upon him; in combination with the minute spurts of embers from the unholy coals, the twin dragons now sent forward their own strike, namely a shot of solar power which resembled a binary star system. Both sets of strikes combined on the way towards their victim, ultimately converging into a pinpoint streak of demolition which crushed into Yami's chest and spread to consume his body entirely. The pain was overwhelming in ways he had never experienced before, and soon enough he was on one knee, panting for breath as it all dissolved
The onslaught proved rather gratuitous for a total of 1300 points of damage, but that was the nature of the beast. (Yami: 900/ Renkotsu: 3500)
"This is going to be even easier than I thought. As near as I can tell I have you trapped; even if you could destroy my Gravity Bind, my Solar Flare Dragons will prevent your attacks, so it's over in any event."
"Heh. You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?"
Renkotsu's attention was instantly snared by the sudden appearance of a deathly anger upon his opponent's voice, and with that new presence came a peculiar feeling of dread in his mind. Something told him that he had overstepped himself, and that he would soon be in a rather large amount of danger.
No, I will stay the course. The pathetic fool only has 900 life points; I can easily eradicate that much from him in one turn…
"You're bluffing. You know you can't win; all you're doing is trying to hide your fear."
"And if you're wrong? You may have studied my deck, Renkotsu, but you could not possibly study every facet of what it can produce. In fact, let me demonstrate. My move!"
The draw of perfection, if such a thing exists, is in theory a draw that not only produces a powerful card, but opens up into an even greater strategy, and with providence the card Yami had drawn would give him just such an opportunity.
"I activate Card of Sanctity!"
Renkotsu knew exactly what that card did; most powerful duelists were known to use it in a pinch, and he was among that number, so he was glad to draw a few extra cards. However, he imagined that feeling was more on Yami's side of the equation.
And indeed it was.
"I'll begin by setting three cards onto the field, and then I will activate the magic of Polymerization, fusing my Ivory Magician and Chaos Command Magician to summon Crystal Baron Sage in attack mode!"
The familiar fusion sorcery now consumed Yami's only two powerful monsters and combined their energies, forming an even deadlier monster. More specifically, it was a hulking mage clad in ruby and emerald armor styled in a similar fashion to the Dark Magician, and instead of a staff the sorceror wielded a holy water sprinkler in his right hand…the offensive sort. In the crook of his other arm was a silver-bound spell textbook. (3150/2300)
"Now, I'm perfectly aware of the effect of your Gravity Bind card, and because my monster has ten stars he cannot attack you. However, I'm not using him for his attack power, not yet at least."
"Then what do you intend to use him for?"
"Crystal Baron Sage has the ability to allow me to discard a Spellcaster from my hand, and in exchange I can draw a card when one Magic card is activated. So I'll activate such a card: An Alter of Resurrection, forcing me to remove two cards from the top of my deck to add a card from my graveyard into my hand. And the card I've chosen is Potion of Rebound!"
Renkotsu watched in morbid fascination as Yami set into action his massive draw. After paying the costs for Baron and Alter, the Pharaoh was able to draw another card thanks to the monster's effect, and three more cards due to Potion of Rebound.
"It still won't be enough to stop me!"
"Actually, it will. I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior in attack mode!"
Yami's next monster was indeed the crimson armored swordsman of the mages, sword primed at the ready as he stood by his elder. (1900/1000) "And now I shall eradicate your Gravity Bind, along with any hope of victory for you!"
Once again did Breaker enact his special ability, this time to slice down the gravitational barrier that Renkotsu had devised. With one sweep of the enhanced blade the deed was done, and the locking trap shattered in a blast of pixels. (1600/1000)
"Damn it…"
"I'm far from done, Renkotsu. Next, I'll activate the card I set last turn, Mystic Wok, sacrificing Breaker to increase my life points by his own attack points!"
The swordsman nodded towards his commander and to Yami, knowing his sacrifice would be for the greater good. Thusly he did not scream out in pain as he was absorbed into his master's card, which was basically a giant iron cooking pan. (Yami: 2500/ Renkotsu: 3500)
"And now there is but one thing left to do. I play the Magic card, Diffusion Wave Motion, paying 1000 life points to attack all of your monsters on the field and negate their effects! And because Crystal Baron Sage was targeted for an effect, he can bypass the Fusion attack restrictions!" (Yami: 1500/ Renkotsu: 3500)
With that one summoning of power, Yami knew he had sealed his victory, or part of it anyway.
Even as the duelists watched, the seemingly cumbersome spellcaster began to levitate using his armor, and at the same time start swinging about his mace in the air, resulting in a vortex of power above his head. And in the center of said vortex was a small orb of iridescent magic, one that would momentarily unleash a sorcery that had undone many of the Pharaoh's opponents in duels gone by.
Renkotsu knew what this meant, and had been ready for it from the start.
"Fool. I activate my face down card, Magma Draught! When this card is activated, any damage I take as a result of fire monsters being destroyed in battle is negated!"
At the exact moment that the crescents of death rained down upon his monsters, Renkotsu was able to pick up a silver goblet that was overflowing with a scorching hot liquid inside of it, which he drained in one excruciating gulp. But however agonizing the trial of the draft was, it was well worth the price, for around his body was now a ruby-colored barrier which reeked of gunpowder.
The barrier also had the effect of blurring Renkotsu's outline, but although seeing through it was difficult, Yami could sense he was grinning from ear to ear in spite of watching his only line of defense get ripped to shreds. Each monster fell before an arc of the Baron's sorcery, either shattering into fragments of charcoal or dissolving into a whiff of hyrdogen gas, and he merely smiled.
What kind of duelist is he? He almost seems glad that he lost all of those monsters…
"You're going to pay for dismantling my Burn Lock, Pharaoh. In fact, you're going to pay on my next turn."
"I doubt that. At any rate, I end my turn."
"This duel is mine, and nothing you say shall change that! My move!"
Renkotsu drew once again, and his eyes lit up like the flames he controlled. If he played this correctly, he would demolish the Pharaoh and take his pathetic life.
"I play Inferno Economy, which lets me remove every Pyro type monster in my graveyard, and for each one I can draw another card, coming out to three cards. Also, when Igneous Firestarter is removed from play after activating his effect, I can double effects involving Pyro monsters during this turn, so I can draw six instead!"
And in that instant, the pyrotechnics specialist of the Band of Seven saw his chance. He could end it right there if he did it right, and he always did.
"You're done! I summon Mine Golem to the field in attack mode!"
In what seemed to be a complete deviation from his original plan, Renkotsu's next monster was literally a walking tank metal land mine. (1000/1900)
"I know what you're thinking, Pharaoh. Why would I place such a pathetic monster on the field in attack mode? It's actually fairly simple; when he is destroyed in battle, you will lose 500 life points, and I intend to do just that!"
"You've forgotten one thing, Renkotsu. If you should do that, you will lose over 2000 life points, which does not seem to add up if you wish to beat me."
"You let me worry about that. If I were you I'd be more concerned with exactly how I set that effect into place…and I have just the card to do it."
And with one swing of his palm, the card he was referring to hit the field.
"Does it look familiar? It should, seeing as this is a card you attempted suicide with."
Yami, having seen first hand how much Renkotsu knew about his own duels, instantly realized what the card had to be. The very recollection of it sent the fear of death into his soul.
It's happening again…
"You're finished, Yami no Yuugi! I play Meteor of Destruction!"
Kagome vs. Jakotsu
"Better start saying your last goodbyes, bitch; I'm taking you down right here and now, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
The scythes glistened in the air, each performing a symmetrical acrobatic display in the musky hotel hallway as dancers upon the heavens. It was an artform, this technique, mastered by few in the 750 years in which it had been in existence, and yet was also brusquely efficient. As such, both Kagome and her angels felt simultaenous dread and astonisment at once, making it hard to concentrate.
And yet…
I need to focus…Yami's depending on me, and so is Shippo, and Inuyasha too…
Discipline was never really one of her points of expertise; her experiences in the Feudal Era and her overall character had seen to that. However, when backed into a corner as she was now, and with so much riding on victory, she could become a hardened pinpoint of calm and rationality.
This was rarely accomplished most of the time because ultimately, Kagome was viewed and acted as the damsel in distress. But not this time.
The gun was not against her head this time; it was in her hand, and to save her friends and her beloved…she would need to pull the trigger, her and no one else.
"I activate the Trap card, Seal of Ice, trapping your Arikotsu and preventing him from attacking or changing positions until his attack power changes!"
To Jakotsu's contempt, his elegant killer was soon contained in a block of crystallized ice, and without his magic maintaining them his scythes tumbled to the ground as well.
"Take that, Jakotsu!"
"You little whore. Fine, I will set my last card. Your move."
"Don't push it, Jakotsu. I'm pissed off enough as is"
With a one-handed draw Kagome extracted her two cards thanks to Pluto, and she could work with them just fine.
"First off, I'll activate the effect of Yuki, to shuffle one monster in my graveyard into my deck. Next I'll activate one of my face down cards, Jar of Greed, to draw an extra card. Finally I'll play that card, Golden Bow, and equip it to Pluto!" The timid angel, once unarmed, was now equipped with a golden long bow, not dissimilar in design to Kikyo's own. (500/700)
This confounded Jakotsu to no end; unlike Renkotsu and Bankotsu, he had not trained as extensively in the game, and so could not imagine that this decrease in attack was an ill omen.
"Now, thanks to the effect of Golden Bow, I can deduct my monster's attack strength in amounts of 500, and then destroy a magic or trap card for each amount! So I'll decrease his attack by 1000 to wipe out your United We Stand "
The bow, unlike those used by mikos and warriors, appeared to have its own form of intellect, and therefore was able to function of itself, launching two shots of divine energy at the designated cards and destroying them. However, there was a problem with this, as Arikotsu's untimely escape from the ice demonstrated. (1900/2100)
"Thanks for releasing Arikotsu, woman."
"No problem, especially when I can bring him down to a reasonable amount. Now, Yuki, finish up what you started!"
The seraph did not need to hear the command twice, and without a moment's hesitation decapitated his adversary. However, instead of blood flowing from the strike, a strange silver liquid hovered out and curled around Kagome, rejuvenating her body and spirit. (Kagome: 4800/Jakotsu: 2200)
"I'm not done yet. Yuken, destroy Jakotsu's Dai Grepher!"
It did not take any great amount of intellect to predict that Yuken's attack would not be one of any great dignity, and it wasn't. With a flick of his wrist, the grunge angel was armed with a pearl-handled switchblade, which he proceeded to throw at the Warrior Dai Grepher with deadly accuracy so as to strike him between the eyes. (Kagome: 4800/ Jakotsu: 2100)
"Dead center. Ok, that'll do it for now."
"Lucky shot, but it's not gonna happen again, not if I have anything to say about it!"
Jakotsu's upper lip was curling into a sneer as he drew again. Although he was not a great duelist when compared to the others, he still should have been able to hold out against one ditz and her army of pixies; it was humiliating on so many levels.
But if he played this next card right, then it wouldn't matter.
"I summon Masquerade Swordsman to the field in attack mode!" Jakotsu's next monster was apparently one of far better breeding than the others; draped in pink silken clothing of French origin and armed with a gold and platinum rapier, he played the part of a society man to the letter, including the décor upon his white china mask. (1800/1650)
"And as you can imagine, my little dandy here has a special effect, namely to increase his attack by 500 for each Warrior I discard from my hand during this turn. So I'll ditch the Warlord from the Divine Plain, which lets me add up to two other monsters of the same name when he's discarded."
With one sweep of his hand, the aforementioned monster was slid into the graveyard, allowing the enigmatic aristocrat absorb its soul into the rapier. (2300/1650)
"Hm…he's cute, but needs a little more beefing up. Ah, to hell with it. I discard the other two Warlords I just added into my hand to give him an extra 1000 points."
Once more did the effect take place, but this time, instead of simply taking the spirits into his weapon, the swordsman directly channeled them into his own body, causing a sharp spike of overall power which manifested itself in a slightly more defined muscle mass. (3300/1650)
"I'm not done yet. I activate the other ability of my Warlord of the Divine Plain, removing him and the other 2 from play after being discard for an effect to draw cards equal to another Warrior in play, which adds up to four new cards total!"
This move alone was causing the miko more panic than anything. He already had a monster in play with more than enough attack points to finish the job; what else could he possibly have in store?
"I'd watch your back, Higurashi; you ain't seen nothing yet. I play the Magic card, Royal Masque, which can only be activated when a Masquerade Swordsman is in play with at least three monsters that were discarded from his effect during this turn having been removed from the game. If I've done this, I can special summon a Warrior monster from my deck whose level is less than the combined levels of the three, regardless of requirements. And what better monster to summon than one who can grant me control of the field? I summon Dragon Lady to the field in attack mode!"
Next to the concealed gentry now stepped a second disguised warrior; however, this latest summon was by no means one of sophistication. Instead of gossamer strands of silk and paisley was a hefty cloak of thick brown textile, poorly woven and covering the entire body, while the mask seemed to be made of painted straw and mud.
"Hey, lose the costume already."
And with that relatively simple command, the masquerade was dropped in a sweep of the hand to reveal a towering and yet somehow lithe warrior, armed with two swords and clad in scanty leather armor, both of which appeared to be of ancient Chinese origin. (2500/2100)
"I thought you didn't like women as a rule, Jakotsu."
"Who said this was a woman? I mean, come on, let's be honest, Maximillion Pegasus wasn't exactly a mainstream businessman; odds are he made quite a few tranny cards, and I'm sure this is one. But you're missing the point, so never mind."
"Just go already."
"Meh, I'm not in the mood for using him right now; I have something much more delicious in mind. I play Polymerization, fusing the Buster Blader and Dark Magician in my hand to summon Dark Paladin to the field in attack mode!"
Jakotsu knew that this was a very bad idea to go with, especially given the duel and the crazy bitch he was up against. But in all seriousness it was one of his best cards, and sexy to boot.
As for Kagome, a whole slew of emotions coursed through her head, a sizeable portion of which was perforated with obscenities, but the one that came to the forefront of her mind was panic. Yami had shown her this card before, since it was one of his favorites, and she could tell right off the bat it was not going to be easy to best.
And it wouldn't be.
The images of the dragon slayer and the dark necromancer of Atem's deck only appeared whole for an instant against the flash of monster fusion, blending together into a being beyond recognition, and beyond power as well.
What stood before the duelists was one of the greatest of all the spellcasters, immense and hovering over the other monsters at a height of nine feet and outfitted in black, blue, and gold armor based on that of his predecessor. But in place of a stave was a horrific bladed weapon, a fusion of the tools of the Blader and the Magician which pulsed with their combined will, and his skin was a light blue so as to counter his darkness-bleached hair. (2900/2400)
"You know the old saying, women love a man in uniform? Well, this stud here blows that out of the water, like he's gonna blow you out of the duel next turn."
"He's not going to get the chance, Jakotsu. You're nothing but a chop shop reject, and you always will be, which is why that card won't do you any good. Maybe if you actually believed in the Heart of…"
"Don't feed me that bullshit! The Heart of the Cards is just a fancy way of saying lucky draw, and unless the Pharaoh's saying it I want nothing to do with it! Now, Dragon Lady, wipe out her Judge of Mortality-Yuken!"
The soldier of the mountains, having seen many more wars and battles than the angel of the streets, was instantly able to pick up on his positional flaws and exploit them in synchronicity with its attack. Of course, Yuken could not pick up on this in time, and it showed in his wild flashes at the almost vaporous sword movements of his opponent. Indeed, he never stood a chance, and just as quickly as the battle began it was over, the Dragon Lady shearing the angel into quarters and spilling his golden blood upon the field. (Kagome: 4100/ Jakotsu: 2100)
"Your turn, Masquerade Swordsman!"
Unlike the other monsters Jakotsu had played, the Masquerade Swordsman decided to give his enemy a fighting chance; instead of overwhelming the seraphiem being, he simply stepped forward and took the parry stance, inviting his opponent to a fair and honest duel.
Yuki accepted the challenge, and swept out her wings for the attack. The Swordsman knew what this meant, and thus charged her at the same time she did.
It was an incredible display throughout, the warriors of olden times clashing swords with skills not seen in any legend before. Golden arcs swiped against a silver column of deadly steel with divine accuracy, and sparks from the weapons lit the field as would fire crackers. Both were experts in their weapon choice, and had been trained by some of the greatest tacticians of the age.
But unfortunately, all battles must ultimately reach a conclusion, and with one thrust directly into Yuki's jugular, this battle met that criteria. (Kagome: 3500/ Jakotsu: 2100)
"That's all for now. Your move."
It is strange how often people consider irony at the worst possible times. Take Kagome, for example: in spite of her lead of 1400 over Jakotsu, she had suddenly been forced into a position where she could lose anything and everything unless she was able to play her cards right this turn. And what did she think of? Not the duel, not how to conquer, and not even how to successfully tap the soul of the true duelist.
She thought instead of how she had never been able to get that one stain out of her plaid skirt a few years back, and how it had been bugging her ever since.
Come on, focus! I need to concentrate again if I'm going to beat him!
"Draw!"
With that one word, Kagome extracted the two cards which would make or break her. It was time, and she knew it was now, or never.
The cards looked at her, and she at them, and she then knew what it was like to pull the trigger for the first time.
Bang.
Kaiba vs. Mukotsu
Duels were a science to many of the more intelligent who played them, a complexity of tactics and strategems that seemed chaotic until brought together in a single blade of instrumentality, whereupon nothing could best it save an equally cunning counterstrike.
Kaiba and Mukotsu knew this as truth in the dueling world, and applied these principles to every match they fought in. It was a quality that was fostered in them from birth, so it was quite clear to both men of what they were up against.
Hm, Kaiba's better than I had anticipated at this game. Admittedly I did not hope for an easy victory, but he took the game to a whole other level.
It wouldn't matter much, though, especially when Pegasus's card kicked in.
"My move, Kaiba!"
Mukotsu drew again, and it only took him a second to figure out what to do.
"Heh. I sacrifice my Poison Soldier to summon Chemical Grenadier to the field in attack mode!" In a continuing theme of biological combat, Mukotsu's next monster which replaced the Poison Soldier was a thickset warrior in camoflauge that did not distract from the two barrels of toxic waste rigged with dynamite that he held in each hand. (2450/1700)
"As you have likely predicted, this monster too has a special effect; namely, the ability to deal damage to your life points equal to the difference of levels between the Grenadier and any monster it destroys. Of course, there's still the matter of your Brigadier to contend with, and I expect this will do the trick quite nicely. I activate Toxin Cloud, which allows me to pay a number of life points and decrease the attacks of your monsters by that amount during this turn, so I'll pay 1000 life points and render your monsters useless!" (Kaiba: 2800/ Mukotsu: 3000)
With a snarl of utter arrogance, the Grenadier picked up a flask containing a simmering bluish liquid and hurled it into the midst of Kaiba's monsters, engulfing them in a thick vapor of toxic agents. (1400/1500) (1400/2200) (1750/2200)
"But it gets much better from there. I'll now equip Chemical Grenadier with Arsenic Pump, which increases his attack by 300 and doubles his effect damage!"
Now armed all the more with a noisy motor-driven pump on his back feeding arsenic into his weaponry, the soldier gave out a harsh and confident laugh that was indicative of greater egotism. (2750/1700)
"And now it's time! Chemical Grenadier, wipe out his Cybernetic Brigadier!"
One swing of his mighty arms was all the soldier needed to send his weapon of choice towards the target, and the instant said barrel struck it detonated in a flash of sickly green light. And when it cleared, all that was left of the Brigadier was his armor and corroding flesh, most of which was sliding off his bones. (Kaiba: 1800/ Mukotsu: 3000)
"Sadly, our monsters are equal in level, so my monster's effect won't activate. But it does not really matter, so I'll end my turn there." (2400/1500) (2400/2200)
Unnoticed by anyone, Mukotsu's beady eyes wandered over to where the one named Botan was sitting, expression anxious as she watched her lover's defeat. He had to admit she was very attractive; certainly no Kagome, but she would be a welcome substitute for a bride once the duel was his…
His eyes wandered back to face Kaiba, who had started to draw with an increasingly aggravated expression.
"I'm not done yet, Mukotsu, and if I were you, I would keep an eye on the duel and off my girlfriend."
At this, Pegasus let out an exasperated groan beneath his teeth. He was all too familiar with Mukotsu's various perversions, and given his unpleasant countenance it was rarely received well at all.
With Botan, it was no exception, as her storm towards her lover's opponent indicated.
"PERVERT!"
One slap, and the poison master knew humility for a hundred rebirths.
Botan returned to her seat after a moment of subsequent strikes, venting wrath through her nostrils as she watched Kaiba handle the rest of it. With any luck, he would teach the mercenary a lesson he would not soon forget.
The wielder of the White Dragons looked over his new card for a moment, and smirked.
"As always, you forget yourself. Impressive as your poisons have been, it seems you did not take into account my other monsters and how they can be used, and that will be your downfall. I activate the Magic card, Treasure of Slashing Life, allowing me to draw five cards so long as I discard my hand in five turns!"
Kaiba's trademark mass draw was generally a last resort, but now seemed as good a time as any for it.
"Heh. I activate the Magic card, Reconfiguring Platoon, allowing me to sacrifice a monster on my side of the field and then special summon a monster from my hand with an increase of attack equal to half of the sacrificed monster. Granted, that monster loses any effects it may have and cannot attack this turn, but that won't last long, I expect. In the meantime, I'll use the effect I just mentioned to sacrifice Kaiser Glider and summon Blade Knight to the field in attack mode!"
With that, the golden dragon was sent off into oblivion, to be replaced by Kaiba's silver armored swordsman. (2800/1000)
"But I'm not close to done here, especially since my Cybernetic Brigadier has a special effect which activates from the graveyard, allowing me to remove it and one other Light monster from play to increase the attack and defense of a special summoned monster by 500 points and allow said monster to attack this turn in spite of any effects in play."
And as he said this, the Blade Knight was equipped with a form-fitting version of said monster's armor, boosting his own impressive strength with that of a living machine. (3300/1500)
"You're done, Mukotsu! Blade Knight, destroy Chemical Grenadier with Cyborg Arc Sweep!"
Now, under normal circumstances, the Blade Knight would attack with a sweep of his sword. However, this time the sweep was entirely electrical, and with that arc of power the Grenadier was eviscerated, spilling his blood, poisoned from his choice of attack, over Mukotsu. (Kaiba: 1800/ Mukotsu: 2450)
"This duel's just about over. Luster Dragon, direct attack!"
"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid my face down card speaks otherwise! Go, Gunshot Vaccination! Whenever an effect monster on my side of the field is destroyed, I can negate any direct attacks during this turn at the cost of 500 life points!"
The dragon, having been commanded, continued on with the attack, but the column of emerald fire was intercepted by a wave of silver liquid which shot out of Mukotsu's Duel Gauntlet. (Kaiba: 1800/ Mukotsu: 1950)
"It doesn't matter. On my next turn this duel is mine and there's nothing you can do about it. Your move."
"You'll regret those words, Seto Kaiba. I draw!"
And in that moment, staring at the card he had just drawn, Mukotsu knew now what it was like to find providence, and his perverse snigger denoted this.
"You said that on your next turn the duel would be finished, Kaiba. Well, I will not wait that long! I play the Field Magic card…Biological Holocaust!"
To Be Continued
I admit this wasn't one of my better works.
Anyway, next chapter is VERY important for many reasons. First off, Yami, Kaiba, Kagome, and Enzeru bring their duels to the climax, as Joey and Yusuke fight off defeat from their greatest enemies yet. Also, Roger attempts to understand what he is dealing with, and Inuyasha prepares to hunt Raphael.
And Kagome's quote at the end of her duel is based on a similar line from Cowboy Bebop, though the circumstances are quite different.
Original Cards: Kagome's- Black Death and Time Mage
Enzeru's-Time Mage
Yami- Mine
Kaiba-Mine
Varon-Mine
Bui-Black Death
Yusuke-Me and Time Mage
Sensui -Time Mage
Bankotsu- Me
Jakotsu- Me
Mukotsu- Me
Renkotsu- Me
Suikotsu- Me
If I missed any, let me know.
Anyway, on to Remix! See ya next update!