This chapter belongs to Kuro, my editor and dear friend.
DDL Chapter 39: Ashes of the Tsubasa Duelist
The sky was completely invisible in the air above Sherbury, the thick fog was still blanketing the town and rendered all visibility virtually zero after 4 feet. But the light was fading in the sky, signifying that it was getting late and night would soon be upon them.
"This is fun; I feel I've been dragged into a Resident Evil game." Jacob glowered as he looked out a window in the damned fog. The 3 surviving members of the search party had escaped the port and had taken shelter in a motel room, the wandering dead so far had not found them, but the eerie silence was unnerving.
"Well at least we didn't have to pay admission." Dalin joked as he looked over to Eva.
Eva remained quiet as she checked her supplies; she had been wearing a bullet proof vest, a utility belt and a backpack when she had disembarked the Dominance. The contents of them had been thrown askew on one of the queen size beds in the room along side her shotgun.
He noticed a red scratch on her left leg, it wasn't a deep wound, but it was probably bothering her a lot.
"You're a tough cookie you know that." He complemented her.
"Oh please." She scoffed, as chuckling came from Jacob by the window.
Dalin turned his large head and asked, "Did I miss the joke?"
"We're in a town infested with zombies, we may not make it out of here alive, and you're hitting on someone? Sounds funny to me." He chimed.
Dalin turned his head and looked again at the scratch, "Shouldn't you get that checked? Who knows what the hell those freaks are carrying."
"If you think that scratch is going to turn me into one of them, you can rest your fears, it's not possible." She said, as she counted up her shells as well as magazines for a small hand gun that rested on the bed as well.
Jacob peered over his shoulder and looked at the ammo; they resembled regular bullets, but the shells glowed a dark blue and the bullets were transparent except for inside them was a fluid, it was sapphire and viscous.
"What is that stuff anyway? The stuff in your ammo, it stopped the zombies with a single shot."
"Classified." Eva responded briefly.
"Classified? Eva those bastards left us to die, who are you protecting?" Dalin asked calmly.
Eva was about to speak, but something held her tongue. Jacob stepped forth, "Is this stuff Aecanap?"
She looked up to him in shock, "How did you know about it?"
"When I reached for you, I felt like my hands were being sheered off. Josh never spoke about it, but I did some digging and heard rumors, a special substance that the EDL had created, its capabilities were secret, but the rumors said that it would provide them the ultimate protection from Duel Monsters."
Eva looked like she was torn in thought, but then reached into her shirt and pulled out a small vial, inside was more of the blue fluid.
"After Josh had run away, many among us wondered what we would do since he was one of the strongest of us, but Bryan presented each of us with these vials. He called the Aecanap after the word Panacea, which meant cure-all. The substance creates a potent radiation when exposed to Rema, causing to become unstable and disappear. With it around our necks, it provides us with protection against Rema based attacks, used in our weapons; it instantly kills Rema apparitions and severely injures all other life forms."
"Cure all indeed." Dalin snickered.
"There's no way this stuff could be found in nature, life exists because of Rema, and life and death balance each other out, so whatever this is, it throws the balance to hell." Jacob stated, looking at a bullet in his hand.
"Well it's not with out its side effects." She said, as she tucked the vial back under her shirt.
"What are the symptoms?"
"Some of us have developed mild headaches after the first use against an opponent, others of us have suffered immune system failure, and our quartermaster was admitted to a psy ward due to mental instability."
Jacob put the bullet down, "Looks like another item of the damned if you do damned if you don't category."
"Yeah, better we start getting some sleep. I'll take first watch, Jacob; you take over in 2 hours."
"Gotcha, you fine with it?" He asked Eva, who simply nodded to him.
"Alrightly, Nighty night, don't let the flesh eating zombies bite." Dalin chimed as he left the room to watch the first floor.
"He really knows how to tick people off, doesn't he?" Eva stated drearily.
"Oh you have no idea." Jacob agreed.
Back in the Soul Stone Chamber, the Night was still young, and the two occupants with similar sounding names were finally out of the hot spring.
Aaron still felt sore from his ass kicking from the Wall of Dueling, but the quiet time with Erin had all but vanquished all the welts and broken bones in his body. He had finally gotten dressed, and put on his damaged glasses, Erin had repaired them, but they were still scratched and a little bent.
Aaron patted his pocket, his deck was still there, and it didn't feel like a dead weight anymore, but a part of him.
"Do you need a moment with your cards or something?" Erin asked him, she was standing behind him.
"Are you dressed?"
"Hehe," She giggled and answered, "Yes, you can put your fears at rest, Aaron remember to lighten up."
Aaron turned around and was relieved as he breathed a sigh saying, "If I took that to heart every time someone said that I would be flying above the clouds. But for your question, I don't need a moment, but I feel a little different."
"How so?"
"Well, after all that 'relaxing', I suddenly felt more connected to them." He said, stepping back and reclining alongside a rock.
"Connected how?"
"I take a look back, back before I came here, back before I finally hooked up with Ashley, back before I was a member of the DDL. I was nobody, just a geek who liked playing a game and was constantly miserable. All the time I spent being alone, staying out of the way, just letting the current drag me along, I wasted completely. And now the only reason I am who I am, is because of these cards. They brought me to the DDL, they helped build my confidence, and they've shown me to true happiness."
Erin stepped alongside him, and leaned back herself, "And I can see it in the cards you choose, as you have changed so have the cards you use, you first started with cards you liked and didn't give it much thought, then you changed it to try and become a better duelist but you held onto the cards you felt strongest with, and now its become an instrument of yourself. They are apart of you, and as long you recognize it, you will be a true duelist."
"I just wish I could use them to show me how to defeat the wall." He sighed.
"You figured out half of the puzzle, now it is up to you to find the rest."
Aaron rubbed his cheek, a dark brown bruise was still there and ached like a bastard, "So I know the Wall can fight, and if I fight back it comes back just as hard. But how do you fight something like that?"
"Well maybe you should look at it a different way." Erin said, stretching her arms over her head.
"What do you mean by that?" Aaron asked.
"It's not called the Wall of Fighting; it's called the Wall of Dueling. If you can't beat it by fighting, why not try dueling it?" She suggested.
Aaron pondered what she said, Duel it? ...Of Course!
"Erin, you a genius!" He exclaimed, craning his neck over to her face, and planted a kiss on her cheek before bolting down a grassy slope.
Erin smiled lightly as she rubbed her cheek, "I think he's got it."
Aaron continued to run, a foolhardy smile brazened across his face as he franticly kept up his mad pace. His feet slipped and slide across the grass, but through frantic effort he kept his footing and down he went.
He was out of breathe when he finally stopped, panting like a beaten animal, he looked up and saw the familiar sight of the waterfall, pounding away at its perpetual cycle as the cave remained hidden from view.
Aaron for the first time heard the footsteps of Erin as she had given chase, and finally had caught up with him. "Aaron…" She gasped as she tried to catch her breath.
"Don't worry about me Erin, after all this time I've spent in here, I finally feel at peace, so don't worry about it. I'll be alright." Aaron answered, as he stared hard at the falling water, and saw the faint outline of the crevice.
"I'm breaking that wall, or I'll die trying." He vowed, clinching his hand, the cut singed with fury.
Erin caught her second wind, and stood up, "Aaron, follow your instincts." She said, as she put her hand on his shoulder, "And you'll do fine."
Aaron's gaze softened, as he nodded his head, and headed down the embankment toward the cave.
Erin stood atop the cliff, and watched the boy run for the cave, a small tear fell from her eye, she gave a slight shiver, Aaron, forgive me…
Far, far away, inside the Duel Monster Realm, The wayward trek of Kuro, Vic, Ashley, Joseph, and Kevin pressed on. The day had wasted away fast; the crew of the destroyed boat had made their way farther into the forest of humongous trees, the light of the sun was flittered so badly that very little made it to the ground. But still they pressed on, climbing straight to the top of a small mountain, until they could see over the tree tops.
What they saw they couldn't believe.
"What the hell happened?" Kevin wondered.
The vast tree line extended for as far as the eye could see, but directly to the north, was a huge gap in the forest. Hundreds of acres were simply leveled to the ground, no trees, no sounds of animals, no sounds of moving water. Just the coldness of death itself seemed to permeate the desolate region of the forest. Something else seemed to be standing amongst the devastation as well, but all that could be seen from that distance was a tall black spire that hung over the tree line.
"All that forest, it couldn't have been a natural disaster could it?" Ashley wondered.
"No, even if it was a tornado, the level of destruction wouldn't be confined to such a small area. And look, no sign of fallen trees, meaning something destroyed everything in that space, and nothing survived." Vic said, his gaze drifting to his right.
Ashley glanced over, and saw Kuro shivering slightly, but the look on her face wasn't of fear, but of rage. Ashley was now starting to worry, she wasn't feeling good after we landed but now she's gotten really angry. What's happening to her?
Kuro felt her skin crawling, What the hell is happening? First I feel somesort of void in the air, and now I can hear the cries of the animals that are gone. They died in moments, but in pure agony. Something is really freakin wrong and it couldn't have come at a worse time.
Vic, who had been with her the longest, knew how she was feeling, but sadly could do nothing about it, but he glanced over at Joseph, who had so far remained quiet. Something was off about him, he seemed too relaxed, like he had nothing to worry about in a forest that had things that could devour a human in two bites.
I know he's got more firepower on him than anybody the ATF are after, but the things that live here can tear an infantry officer into mincemeat, so why is he so carefree?
Suddenly there was a rustle in the trees, and the sound of swift footsteps!
"Ambush!" Kevin shouted as his duel brace unfolded.
But it was too late, a blade was pressed against his throat, and he froze in place.
Vic and the others remained still as they realized that they were out maneuvered. Surrounding them were 4 figures dressed in thick black cloaks that covered them entirely, the one closest to Kevin's hand was sticking out of the robes, handling a very sharp knife with incredible grace; it was a woman's hand.
"Are any of you Ashley Lovechild?" The voice asked.
Ashley gulped and answered, "I am."
The figure's hood turned towards her, "Show it."
Ashley was confused, What? Oh wait!
Flash back
Tobias reached into his pocket and took something out and held it out to her.
Ashley looked, and was shocked, a silver colored frame, they had been expertly polished and the lens were flawless, but despite their new condition, she instantly recognized what they were. "Aaron's Glasses."
"I found them after our scuffle on the bridge. After I heard what happened to the guy, I figure I'd keep it as a trophy, however I decided to return them. Use them as a symbol of who you are and any Daikai will allow you entry into their territory." He said, as he headed away.
Flashback ends
Ashley fished into pocket and held them out to the cloaked figure.
The woman removed her knife from Kevin's throat, and removed her hood. She had ebony skin, with pink war paint stripes on her temples, her eyes were a bright emerald, and her hair was as dark as night. "My name is Kanna, Vice Chief of the Eastern Daikai. We have been awaiting you."
"Funny way of showing it." Kevin snickered, rubbing his throat.
"We had to be sure, Reports have been received from both the Horsemen of War and Famine that Saparity contact has been made in both of there respective areas."
"What about Tobias? Shouldn't he have called in as well?" Ashley asked.
"Knowing the EDL, he and our guys might as well be dead." Kuro answered.
"That's some talk coming from a monster, anit that right?" Joseph sneered.
Kuro's gaze did instant transformation from a concern hazel, to animalistic turquoise as she turned to Joseph, whose smug attitude hadn't flickered in the least. She was about to turn into Megami and eviscerate him from his bowels to his clavicles, when she felt her strength draining from her body, like something was siphoning her dry.
What the hell? What is he doing?
She focused, and saw a glow emitting from his shirt, Wait a sec-, the void…
Vic was there to catch her as she was sent unconscious by the strange fatigue. He shot a cold stare at Joseph, "What the hell did you do to her?"
"Seem's the bitch isn't very human now is she, other wise why would this be hurting her?" He said, prying out a sapphire tube from a chain around his neck.
Kevin shifted a little, apparently getting ready to jump him. But he was met with the cold face of a gun barrel; Joseph had upholstered it from his hip and aimed it right at him. "Try me cowboy."
"Enough!" Kanna shouted.
Joseph snickered as he put the Aecanap and his gun away, Kevin backed away, and Vic carried Kuro out of range of the EDL stooge.
"The reason we are here is because of a strange occurrence, a few weeks after Richard had locked himself inside the Lions Den castle, all life within the perimeter of the castle was snuffed out like a candle. Since then, Tobias has ordered us to observe any other strange activity; so far, all I've seen is the grass refusing to grow again." Kanna summed up.
"Well were going give him a courtesy call. Thanks for the visit." Joseph sneered again, as he proceeded down the mountainside and towards the castle.
Ashley looked over to Kanna and spoke, "Thank you, I think we can handle it from here."
Kanna gave a small smile, "You are as Master Tobias said. Small, but with much potential. Take care, and beware of Joseph, he is neither a friend nor an ally to anyone besides himself."
She turned to leave, her companions seemly vanished into thin air, when she lifted her head over her shoulder, "One last thing, tonight's a full moon, and a clear forecast at that. Aurora, you know it's time she embraced her destiny."
Vic looked down and the still form of his friend, she was still cringed from the effects of the Aecanap. "I know, she's my friend, and I will help her as best I can."
And with that, Kanna vanished into the still air, and Kevin walked over to him. "What was that all about?"
"Nothing too important, at least to us. We have to catch up to Joseph, if he alerts Richard to our location we could easily under attack from the entire Northern Division of the Daikai."
"But didn't the Horsemen say that he wasn't in charge anymore?" Ashley pointed out.
"That doesn't mean that some of them didn't decide to stick with their insane commander in chief." Vic pointed out.
"Yeah, we got Bush to show us that it can be done." Kevin chimed, as the three of them headed off the mountain top and into the forest once again.
Ash and Kevin took up the lead, while Vic proceeded to take up the rear, with Kuro riding on his back.
She stirred awake, and asked, "Why are you carrying me?"
"You fell asleep on the job."
"That son of a bitch, he screwed around with me." She growled, as she rubbed her forehead.
Vic remained silent for a second before saying, "K, you're planning on doing it aren't you?"
"I've waited a year to do it Vic, and I'm going to. I'm sorry, but tonight is the last night I spend as myself." She said, as she clutched something she had hidden in her shirt.
"I know, but it was fun. Just don't pick a fight with Casey ok? I don't think I'll be around to save your ass next time."
"You know you love me. And I'll be alright ok?" She said.
"Damn tease," He muttered, but with a few tears in his eyes, "Sunset's in a few hours, think you can walk?"
"Maybe, how bout getting your hands off my ass?"
"Well it will be the last time I get to touch them won't it?"
"Damn straight."
Kevin glanced over his shoulder to see the two bickering and asked Ashley, "Are they always like that?"
"I'm afraid so. I just don't get it, they seem like a married couple to me, but they bicker so often."
"Ash, that's one of the many lessons you can never learn in school." Kevin said, as they continued their trek to catch up with Joseph.
Night soon set, Joseph and the others had set up in a clearing, the massive trees had been left behind, but the devastated land was more than visible in all its horror. The crew decided to call it a night early, and Vic nominated Kuro to be the night watch. Ashley felt something was up, but she didn't disagree, and so everyone packed it in for the night, and sleep beside the camp fire.
Dazzling stars filled the night sky of the Duel Monster World, accompanied only by scant clouds and a full moon. While the rest of her comrades were asleep, Kuro walked, as silently as possible, to a clear, small brook. She dipped a pale-lit finger in, and tasted some of the water.
i Mmm/i she thought, i Nothing's died in here for a while. /i She sipped a bit more, then moved a few spaces back onto the untrodden path. With Whip-chan, she made a circle, and returned to the stream. Scooping up a cup of the water with her hands, she trickled it over the circle in a pattern. As said design formed, moonlight illuminated the lines, which soon joined into a hexagram. Both the whip and the lines shown with a blue aura, tinted similarly as the stray clouds in the night sky.
"Now, then," she skimmed through a small bag she had brought alone, taking out a couple of cards. "I believe it's time this...Thing...Was gone for the umpteenth time." The cards she had taken out were placed dead center in the hexagram, and an odd mist swirled up. It soon formed into one of Kuro's signature bird-women, with azure body and wing feathers, a fiery red crest of hairlike feathers, and razor-sharp talons that could cut anything they desired. In her upper right talon was a fan, folded at the moment. Normally, she'd only whip it out at anyone who pissed her off, but this time was special.
"Yeesh, again?" Azu complained. "You get more of these things than a stray dog, I swear!" Indeed, it had been the second time in two weeks during which Azu had been called up to do this. Then again, her job wasn't nearly as clean as that of several other creatures, namely succubi.
"Yes. Again. Hopefully, this'll be the last time I'll need it done," Kuro consoled. She was always hoping that the chance would come up, but it just never came to pass. She needed a place where no one would be watching, a place where there would be room for such a summon, a place from which she could easily escape if things got ugly.
Even though she didn't know what the summon would be like. The last summon had occurred around two millennia ago, after all.
i On a night just like this, too/i she pondered, recalling the old legend. i Full moon, clear sky...No one watching...Perfect. /i
She took from her deck a card that had never actually seen play. Nor would it ever, so long as she was part of a Dragon League. This was the card that she had been sent to steal in the first place, what had gotten her mixed up in the Dragon Leagues to begin with.
Well, that and her gift, if you could even call it a gift. Her cards were not just cool-looking pieces of paper to her.
No. They were so much more. More like a family than anything she had ever known.
SLASH!
A sudden swipe, accompanied by a shriek, at her back snapped her back to the present. On her back, layered upon many more scars, was a fresh, three-fingered mark of carnation. As the winged spirit tried to escape, Azu's Gust Fan split it right down the center. It shredded into ethereal wisps, never to come back in that form again. Kuro took out two cards, keeping one in her hand, but placing the other on the ground.
The one she had placed on the ground was her "Amazonite" card. Glowing green angles appeared along the card, and it soon shattered into several pieces of white-lined, teal stone.
"It's finally over," she whispered. Gathering the pieces of stone, she held the other card out for Azu. The Harpy nodded, understanding what that one card meant, and flew off with said card into the moonlit night. In midair, the card vanished. Black-feathered, brachiated wings burst free from the Harpy's back, shedding a few umber-colored feathers to the ground.
"So, she's going to be awakened, soon," a soothing voice observed. Kuro looked up into the tree branches for the source, and spied a woman with white, fingered, feathered wings, dressed in indigo edged with snowy feathers. A sheathed sword was attached to her waist by means of a dark, lacy belt. Like her skin, her blonde hair was snow white. She seemed to be in her early 20's,if one were to guess. As Kuro knew well, however, Mink was around 500 years old.
"Yes, yes she is, Mink," Kuro agreed. Azu flew off, using her own wings as opposed to her new pair to fly. "What brings you to this neck of the woods, though?"
"Joseph," she answered rather simply. Then again, it was a rather simple question. "Most newer assassins have tried taking him on, only to perish. It's about time they sent an immortal to do it."
With a click and a swish through the air, Mink took out her sword in preparation. The hilt, decorated like a raven's head, yielded a blade made entirely of semitransparent black stone. The very sound made Kuro wince a little; it was the last sound she wanted to hear in battle.
"Ah. So I wasn't crazy in assuming there was something weird about him, eh?" Kuro wondered. Indeed, she had gotten an odd feeling from him. It was...Nothing. Nothing, yet the weird kind of nothing that didn't make you want to say "nothing." This nothing had a name: Void.
"Good of you to notice," Mink confirmed. "He's got Rema drainers, they call it Aecanap. But you..." She trailed off, and Kuro took a card out of her deck by the implied meaning.
The card was a Trap card bearing embossed, metallized Japanese text and foil. Its art was a black-winged, circular hand mirror, with a raven's head craned over the glass surface. Reflected in the glass was a fluffy, pink goat, with small horns that curled over like cinnamon buns. The Scapegoat was looking at his minute, cloven hooves with wide eyes and a sweatdrop. At its owner's direction, the card dispersed into streams of dark energy, and reformed into a mirror in Kuro's waiting hands. The black, feathered wings covered the mirror's face, with the raven head's eyes closed.
"Heh...It's the will of the Clan, eh?" Kuro wondered. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by a "what Clan?" from the direction she had left. Ashley, still in her uniform from the day, seemed to have overheard the conversation.
"It's none of her beeswax," Mink scoffed. She was about to unleash her sword's power on the human that had intruded, but had her hand stopped by Kuro. With the mirror in one hand, Kuro approached Ashley.
"Her friends ARE her beeswax," Kuro explained. "That's how these humans think. They think self-sacrifice for a friend is a noble deed, while it's really just foolishness. Ashley's not part of your mission. In this case, there can be no substitutes."
Now...Don't make me eat those words, Ashley, Kuro thought, grabbing Ashley by the hand and dragging her away to another area.
(Eyecatch: The Spirit Shapeshift Mirror and Obsidian Noble's Blade crossed over. Both raven-head "ornaments" have glowing crimson eyes.)
"Sorry, but they might hear if we stayed there," Kuro hurriedly explained, letting go of Ashley's hand. As much as a part of Ashley wished to run back and report this, the other part wanted to know exactly what was going on here.
"Hear what?" Ashley inquired.
"Ah, right," Kuro recalled. "You wouldn't know, would you, about the 'Ring of Ghosts?'" Ashley shook her head in the negative fashion, so Kuro proceeded.
"The Ring of Ghosts is known only in human files as a secret fellowship. Of course...That's all I can say," Kuro teased. "Look it up on your own if you so desire. The point is-"
"You're part of the Ring?" Ashley asked, somewhat stunned. Kuro had been so nice to her. How could she have been part of an organization the Dragon League didn't know about, let alone one that had an eerie connotation to it?
"Yes," Kuro responded. "You see..." She removed her deck from her Duel Brace, then set the gold-plated Brace itself down. Its glided plating melted off in a crimson blaze, leaving only the blank skeleton. Ashley touched it delicately, testing to see if it was hot. It was as cold as ice.
"My soul was never human," Kuro explained with a slight laugh. "I never knew what it was...But I was never satisfied with the simple Spirit Merging of the human scape. Tonight, that will change. " She looked to the darkened trees to which every birdlike creature had flocked. Wildcats strode through the forest, as though all hunting one quarry. They were all looking in the direction whence Kuro had come with expectation.
"What're they all doing, exactly?" Ashley inquired. Her wrist was dragged to the previous area by Kuro, who'd said nothing except a small spell. Kuro then approached the center of the area, clutching her mirror.
The land had changed, however. Instead of the relatively-flat forest ground, stalagmites had pierced the terrain. From the rock formations hung iron chains, crisscrossed around a feminine form in the center. The chained maiden's body was scantily-clad in pitch-black leather, edged with onyx feathers. Said leather had been cut in several places, revealing flesh as pale as the very moonlight that shone upon it. She had a pair of large, black-feathered, batlike wings sprouting from her back, along with a smaller set on her head. The former set were crossed over her chest, allowing her long, ivory hair to dangle freely from the bondage.
"It's time," Kuro stated. The beasts which had come to the forest looked at the glowing moon in the sky, disturbed only by Azu's floating silhouette. The extra wings the Harpy had donned faded into the moonlight, becoming a green twine of energy. The twisting string wrapped itself around the chains, but seemed to struggle as it tried to tug them open. Azu's body drifted back into a Japanese Harpy Lady card, which floated back to Kuro's waiting palm. The energy streams still remained, gnawing vigorously at the iron chains.
"What's going on?" Ashley inquired. She had taken a position beside Mink, who had her snowy wings folded. Despite the odd nature of the succubus, at least Ashley wasn't liable to be eaten by her.
"The magic of the key wasn't strong enough," Mink explained. "So...The bearer of it must give up something else." Sure enough, Kuro put her left hand at her heart. When she removed it a second later, a fireball rested in her left palm, vibrating with energy.
"What kind of 'something else?'" Ashley wondered. The wings shielding the panel of Kuro's mirror opened, and it flapped up into the air. The raven's head, normally crested over the mirror, was looking straight at its mistress almost impatiently. It positioned itself near one of the monoliths, and-
FLASH! With almost an explosion, Kuro threw the fireball at the mirror. A warbling, haunting song rang through the clearing as scarlet and gold fire raced through the crossed chains. A snap, and then another, sounded as the chains broke, link by link. Just as the formerly-bound woman was about to fall, Kuro dove underneath the spot to make a small cushion. The mirror landed on soft ground while the monoliths retracted back into the earth, leaving Kuro with a feathered succubus on her back.
"I'd say," Mink started, gazing at the cooling chains. A firebird rose from them, and flew into the night before extinguishing like a candle that'd been burning too long. "She's given up her Ascension."
So, I'm supposed to give Joseph this box, but not open it myself? Ashley tried to remember. She fingered the box. It was just an ice-cold, steel cube with a latch. There were no labels or numbers of any kind on its surface. Heck, not even a scratch blemished its facets.
Had it all been a dream? All she remembered was that Ritual, and Mink telling her that the box was something only Joseph should open. She should also take everyone else and run, fast, after opening the box. Assuming it was true...
Then again, the box and her new Duel Brace were proof, right?
On her arm was a brand-new duel brace, it wasn't a dragon, but a large metallic bird, made of gold and shined in the moonlight. Aaron's duel brace she was carrying under her arm, but her deck now rode in her own personal duel brace.
As she approached the campsite, she wondered what she was going to say, Vic obliviously knew what had happened tonight, but what about Kevin? And how exactly was she supposed to give the box to Joe without him asking about it, he wasn't the type to take no for an answer.
When she finally reached the campsite, she suddenly realized that something was wrong, the sleeping bags were empty. Nobody was there!
"What the hell?"
Suddenly she felt someone reach from behind her, and covered her mouth! She dropped both the box and Aaron's duel brace as she struggled to pry the hand of her mouth. She glanced over her shoulder, and saw the familiar shape of a Dragon Dwelling in the cave Duel Brace. Joseph!
"Hehe, what took you so long? I was starting to wonder whether or not I went through all this trouble for nothing." He snickered.
Ashley struggled hard as she tried to pry him off, but the bastard was too strong. She saw beyond the fire, and saw what had happened to Vic and Kevin. Both were frozen in place, with the look of utter despair on their faces, and behind them was monstrosity. It was at least 7 feet tall, it looked like it was a machine in design but had a vile purple flesh. It had two large arms that dangled on its sides, and while not having any feet or legs it had a strange top that kept it hovering off the ground. It's body was lacking in structure, save for a large orifice that was lined with teeth. Dangling over it was some strange appendage that resembled the trunk of an elephant, but on the end was a golden orb with the eye emblem. Extending out its flank was a long cylindrical tail and hanging over its shoulders were flaps of flesh that resembled wings. Covering this whole creature, were thousands of eyes, protruding out of its pulsating flesh. They twitched and focused every few seconds, their glaze was all consuming.
"My Thousand Eyes Restrict will take care of your little friends, while we get better acquainted." He spoke, as his left hand was drifting towards her chest.
"I've wanted you since I saw you at the castle, and now…" He started, when all of a sudden, he saw Vic glowing brightly.
"…G.et..a...way…fr..om…he..r!" He struggled to speak as he tried to break away from the gaze of the monster behind him.
"Give it up, I'm not the Binder Duelist for nothing, Nobody can break free from my monster, no even a freak like you who spent all his time with an even bigger freak." Joe spat.
Kevin too was straining, his arms were twitching as he tried to move, but Vic was starting to move his legs, and begin to lurch forward.
"She's less of a monster, than you bastard!" Vic growled as he continued.
Joseph couldn't believe his eyes, "Stay down!" He unholstered the gun on his waist and fired!
"AHHHH!" Vic cried out in agony as a large hole burned where his shoulder once was.
Ashley began to cry, Please God, no!
Suddenly, there was a large, "ROOOOAAAARRR!"
Joseph turned around to see a very menacing figure standing behind him. It's huge wings flapped a powerful maelstrom, and its emerald pearl on its forehead shined in the moonlight.
It was Aaron's Tyrant Dragon, and it was pissed!
Joseph nearly pissed his pants as he aimed and fired! The Dragon opened its jaws, and a stream of incredible flames came flying out, the bullets were incinerated.
Joseph was stunned, but didn't take into account Ashley opening her mouth and clamped it down on his hand, blood spewing from the bite!
Joseph cried out in pain as he clutched his hand, and Ashley fell to the ground. "You bitch!"
Ashley spat out the blood, "Who you calling a bitch!" She shouted, as the Tyrant Dragon roared and charged forth.
Joe jumped back, dodging the huge animal as it protected its owner. Ashley looked up, and saw the poor dragon's eyes were straining, and the blue light of the Aecanap was pouring out from Joseph's shirt.
Aaron's dragon is strong, but that stuff is draining its strength, what can I do? She wondered, she looked down at her deck, and paused as she looked at the new Duel Brace. Mink.
She spun around and saw the box she had given her, still lying on its side from her dropping it. She lunged forward and snatched it, "JOE!" She screamed, as she picked herself up, "CATCH!" She screamed as she flung the box at him, with the latch undone.
Joseph fired the gun at the box, the rounds bounced off the sides until the box flung open.
Inside was a bulbous crystal, no less than 3 inches long in length. It was glassy, and, had it not seemed perfectly dry and rigid on the surface, would have resembled the offspring of a black slug and a pile of snot.
The object flew from the container and landed on the end of the gun barrel. Joseph froze for a moment, giving pause to the strange substance.
"What...The crap is this?" Joseph wondered. He turned to Ashley, who was just as confused as he was. Gently, carefully, he reached to remove it from the gun. The stone stood upright on its end, and wound itself around his finger like an undead piece of calamari. It slithered up his arm, cutting him slightly every few inches. The thing (what was it exactly?) swelled when it touched blood, developing scarlet bubbles periodically on its surface. Blackened tendrils, similar to its first length, pushed the mass along while draining more blood. These too pulsated, siphoning blood to the main worm. When the thing got close to Aecanap vial, however, it pounced on the fluid, and forgot entirely about bloodsucking as it gorged itself.
"How...?" was all Joseph could ask as he clutched his wounds. It didn't make sense; why would a living thing want its energy drained? "OK, OK...This is what you want?" He tossed off all of his vials, placing them on the ground. Instantly, the grimy form slipped off of him, and leapt at the chemicals. It remained there, a roiling mass on the ground, with a duet of sticky strings latching onto its previous victim.
"Nice, isn't it?" a voice chimed. Joseph looked up to see Mink, in all her indigo and white glory. Beside her was Kuro, dressed in teal leather edged with shadow feathers. Like her sister, she had phalanged, feathered wings. Instead of white, as per the pattern, her wings were as dark as a starless, moonless night sky.
"Kuro? What're you doing?" Joseph inquired.
"Moi? I'm doing nothing, and the leech crux is doing everything," she replied with a laugh.
"Leech crux?" the boy asked. With a sinister smile, Kuro summoned a white fireball in her right palm. The mass of black and scarlet swished towards the new flame, which was extinguished soon after. The thing did not stop, however. It instead twined itself around Joseph, first rooting his legs like a tree to the ground with black, sludgy yarn. It then encased his arms in similar matter, coursing up his back and over his shoulders. The tendrils bound his hands in their sinuous grasps, almost as if to crush the boy's delicate bones.
Mink looked over to Ashley and the dragon, giving them quick stares, but her gaze fell to the Thousand Eyes Restrict whose gaze fell on her.
"You really want to try me?" She asked. She had her blade in hand, and yet the monster didn't back away.
"Foolish."
She swung her blade through the air, never even getting close to the monster. But suddenly, the Thousand Eyes Restrict's top half began sliding off the other half and fell to the ground, dead.
Kevin and Vic suddenly freed, fell to the ground, Vic gripping the wound. Mink turned to Ashley, "Go. We shall handle it from here."
Ashley nodded, as she turned to the Dragon, it nodded in kind as it marched over to Vic, clutching him in one of its front claws, and bent down. Ashley and Kevin quickly scaled the dragon's thick hide and climbed on top. With that, the Dragon flapped it's massive wings five times, until it was off the ground and beginning its ascent into the sky. Ashley took one more look behind, and watched as Mink turned back to Kuro and the traitorous Joseph in his horrifying condition.
Accompanying this bondage was a cold sensation. It made Joseph want to go to sleep, yet part of his brain told him that going to sleep was the worst thing in the world.
i Is this what it feels like/i he wondered. i Is this what Rema draining feels like/i
"Now, then," Mink chimed. "Have you learned your lesson?" Joseph would have nodded, had his neck been unrestrained by black crystal. Kuro grinned as her sister stepped over to the cross, and gave it a small flick with a gloved finger. The whole thing crystallized under a layer of ice, which then shattered into a million pieces.
Joseph, although he had half a mind to run, suddenly felt something sear through his soul. Kuro winced as Mink pulled out the dark blade, which was now covered with a thin layer of white semiliquid.
"You thought I'd let you off that easily?" the white succubus asked. The fluid left her blade, swishing into an orchid-bordered card. The writing for "tamashii" filled the card's surface. The boy looked up at her with a "damn you" grimace. Even though the sword hadn't actually pierced his flesh, it felt like blood -or perhaps something else- was trickling from the spot.
"As for the body...Kuro, would you like to handle this one?" Mink inquired. She was gathering the subzero ice fragments like ripe berries, stuffing them into a handbasket made of snowy feathers.
"But of course," Kuro grinned. "After all...She's hungry." With a whistle, a sudden gust of wind ripped branches from the trees. A giant shadow drenched the forest below in darkness as it descended.
The shadow belonged to a bird, over 20 feet from skull-masked beak to serpentine tails. Her gigantic, tawny wings folded as she stepped over to the succubi and their victim, talons ripping the ground. The Roc's horned face looked at the young man curiously; he was giving a dazed, blank stare in return.
The calmness of the bird didn't last. Joseph's body was pushed towards the bird, which pulverized him with one snap of her hooked beak.
Kuro gave a grim smile, but then turned back towards the fleeing Dragon. "Farewell, but not goodbye, I still have one last thing to take care of."
"Like what? Another charity case?" Mink asked.
"No, just one last loose end to tie up, wouldn't you agree?" She asked the Roc.
The giant creature nodded its large bill, and the three looked onwards to the destroyed forest.
Next Time on the DDL:
An image of Vic with bandages around his bare chest is shown; Ashley's tending to his wounds.
"So she's not coming back?"
"She's where she belongs, and that's all we can say."
An image of Aaron standing in front of the Wall of Dueling appears.
"Here goes!" He calls out.
He makes a made dash towards the wall.
And an image of the Castle of Dragons appears, Vaurnut looks petrified, as he stares at the form of a stranger on the Promenade.
"Hi V, why it looks like you've seen a ghost?"
DDL Chapter 40: The Ghost of The Dark Dragon League.