Author's Note: First major duel of the story coming up...now!
Chapter Five: Kirani's Plea to the Darkness
The massive group of Rare Hunters charged in, bringing their various and sundry weapons to bare on the dark duelist. Black flames leapt from his hands, incinerating them one by one, yet they didn't break their charge, and they died as they came after him. "I'll burn you all and send you to hell!"
"NOOO!" Drake's eyes went wide as an explosion of power rocked the building, and suddenly his black flames were hitting glowing barriers of red energy. The Rare Hunters looked as shocked as he was.
"Impossible! Normal magic shouldn't be able to stand up to the Heart of Darkness...so the only thing that could, is another Heart of Man." He pivoted on his heel, and found exactly who he was looking for. Wreathed in the red glow of the Heart of Love was none other than Kirani, and she was floating down from the top of the building.
"I've had enough of seeing this, so I'm here. Even if standing before you like this means my death, it's something I have to do. Even if you were Shinegami, the god of death I would still stand to face you. I love Drake Ihachi, so I won't stand down, and I won't let you hurt anyone else." Her power blazed, and Drake found his own power forced backwards by it. It was at least as powerful as he was, almost exactly even.
"You won't let me? Wench, you just don't get it do you? Nobody can stop me, not you, not Hikari, not even your precious savior Dalin. As I am now, there isn't a single person on the planet who can defeat me. Stare into the Heart of Darkness, stare into the eyes of your former lover, stare into the eyes of the darkness incarnate!" His dark power flared, forcing her power backwards.
"Any last words bitch?" He sneered, his eyes boring into hers, awaiting her final words in this life.
"Yes. I love you." His eyes widened, and then narrowed to mere pinpoints, fire growing in them.
"Wrong answer bitch! Now DIE!"
Kirani didn't even manage to blink in the space of time it took for Drake to cross the distance between them, becoming a blur as he moved. Unfortunately for him the fist he swung at her slammed into a glowing barrier of red energy. "Not used for offense...how could I forget?"
Drake jumped backwards, eyeing Kirani and assessing the situation. Kirani stood still, waiting and watching him. 'The Heart of Love just based on its own nature can't be used for an attack, but it makes the perfect defense. Or at least against something that isn't stronger...so let's test it.'
"Here I come again, but this time, I'm not holding back!" He blurred again, making it impossible for Kirani to track him. In less than a second he reappeared behind her and released a blast of pure dark energy from his right hand.
Kirani's barrier quivered under the assault, but after a few moments of struggle Drake's dark energy fizzled out. "You can't kill me like this...and I won't let you kill anyone else."
"You won't let me? No wench, I won't let you live. Let's go for round two!" The ground around his feet started to shake as dark power gathered in the palm of his hand, forming a jet black ball that seemed to consume the light. It quickly reached the size of a baseball, then a basketball, and soon it was half Drake's size.
"No...don't! Everyone else will be caught in the blast!" Drake just smirked smugly and wound back his arm. Kirani began to think fast, and in response her instincts reacted with the Heart of Love.
"That's kinda the point. Die already!" He hurled the sphere of darkness at her, but was astonished when the barrier he had been expected inverted inwards, and began to climb upwards. The sphere of darkness was diverted along that path and sent hurtling into the air, where it exploded harmlessly several hundred feet above their heads.
Despite his surprise, Drake saw this as the perfect opportunity when all of her energy was leeched into diverted the attack's direction to protect her precious companions. "Last mistake for you, this is the end!"
His right arm burst through the minimal barrier she had still around her body, and his fingers clamped down around her throat. "This is a feeling I can certainly say I enjoy. The feel of your frail neck in my hand. Did you know it only takes a pound of pressure to break skin?"
Kirani whimpered as his fingers began pressing into the sides of her throat. "A little bit more and we'll get some real blood. And you have no idea how much I love that thought. It'll feel fantastic, your blood running down my hand. But the biggest question I have for you, is will you scream before the end?"
When all she did was struggle against his implacable grip, he snarled in frustration. "Answer me bitch or I'll kill you right this second! What do you have to say? Will you scream?"
He loosened his grip somewhat, giving her a chance to bring in the precious air needed to give an answer. "No. I'll die peacefully, because deep inside I know that the man I love will come back when he sees what has happened. My death will be the catalyst to bring back the real Drake."
Furious, he started to respond, his eyes blazing with hatred. "Listen here you little bitch, there is no mor...what the fuck?"
His change in phrase was caused by a strange tingling sensation that was growing in his right hand. A tingling that was starting to become a burning sensation. One look at his arm gave him an answer to what was happening. "Impossible! You fucking bitch, you don't even know what you're doing!"
The arm that held Kirani a foot above the ground was now shaking violently, all of the veins on it bulging out obscenely and glowing red. Every single muscle in his arm was knotted up, and he could no longer apply pressure to her neck. "Damn!"
Realizing he couldn't hold on any longer, Drake hurled her backwards, sending her skidding into the nearby Rare Hunters, who stopped her. Turning his attention to his damaged arm, he focused his energies into it, and darkness spread through the veins, purging her magic and repairing the arm. "So the power of the Heart of Love is something I can't defeat because some part of my soul is connected to yours. I can't break the Heart of Love with a direct attack, and I can't kill you physically because of that bond. Dilemma..."
As he deliberated the situation, the Rare Hunters who still remained helped Kirani back onto her feet. She felt a little unsteady, and a wave of nausea came up from the pit of her gut. Leaning forward she emptied the minimal contents of her stomach on the ground. The sting in her throat was great, most of what she had just thrown up was stomach acid. 'Not now...I have to keep fighting until he's back.'
The energy within her pulsed, and she felt her strength return, the nausea passing as the Heart of Love answered her plea. With renewed vigor she stood on her own two legs and watched the dark version of her lover cautiously. 'What's he up to now?'
Drake snapped his fingers as if suddenly coming to a conclusion, and then looked up at her. "Hey wench, what would you say if I gave you the perfect opportunity to win back your precious lover boy? One Darkness Game, winner take all."
Kirani hid her frown, but inside she was wary of accepting the challenge. 'This newfound power from the Heart of Love could keep me going in a Darkness Game better than I could against Yumi, but would it be enough?'
Another pulse from within her gave her the courage to give a response. "I accept your challenge! If I win the duel the man I love will no longer have to deal with sharing his body with any sick personality like you!" Her duel disk flipped into position, her deck ready. (KLP: 4000)
Her foe, the dark personality of the man she loved, seemed to be considering something as he activated his own duel disk, getting it and his deck ready. "I haven't decided on your punishment for losing yet, but it will involve some sort of gruesome death. Or maybe, just maybe, I'll make you into my perfect woman and let you live. How would you like to be the darkest version of yourself?" (DLP: 4000)
"I'd like that just about as much as colon cancer. Let's get this over with, I want the man I love back. Let's duel!" In just a few seconds they each drew their opening hands and decided on the plays that they could make, depending on who went first.
Drake sneered, obviously satisfied with whatever he had drawn. "I'm in something of a generous mood today since I've killed a few people. So why don't you go ahead and take the first turn?"
Immediately she drew a sixth card, and then her gaze turned up to him as she held her cards in preparation for making her move. "You're going to regret that decision in about ten seconds. First, Gilford of Thunder(1800/400), say hello!"
The slimmer and younger version of her key monster coalesced from holographic particles, taking the stage as the first card played. "And then you draw one card from the top of your deck, and one from the bottom. I know your entire deck Kirani, I'm the same person as Drake, just much darker. And in case you'd forgotten, in all the years we've known each other, you've never beaten me in a duel."
Kirani frowned, knowing that to be the truth. Despite the fact that she always gave Drake a challenge, she had never once been able to defeat him. Even though this Drake's deck was a different type and playing style than her Drake's, she knew they were just as good as each other. "Even so, I intend to show you my strength and bring him back. Activate magic card, Quick Attack!"
The dark duelist bit back a gasp of surprise. "Damn you bitch...you'll pay for this, I can guarantee it."
"We'll see. Quick Attack now lets Gilford of Thunder attack instantly, so here he comes! Thunder Slash!" The warrior's sword slashed across Drake's middle, but he resisted the force of the strike and didn't budge at all. But the damage was done. (DLP: 2200)
"Coming at me that harsh from turn one? You're dead serious about this aren't you? But really, it can't help you at all." He smirked smugly, still confident despite the early lead Kirani had taken.
Not bothering to look over the rest of her cards again since she already knew what was there, Kirani decided on the remains of her move. "My turn is over."
Drake licked his lips and snapped another card off his deck, sliding it into his hand with his other cards. Then he grasped the card on the far left and slipped it into his disk. "I know what you were thinking. You thought that it was useless to set traps, since I don't attack because I have no monsters. Well, you guessed wrong. Death Banshee!"
An unearthly wail met the ears of everyone in the area, and they all covered their ears, feeling pain slam into their skulls. All of them except for Drake. "Ah, such a lovely song. This magic card brings out my Death Banshee(2200/1500), a token with deadly attack power. Time for its test drive, cut down Gilford of Thunder!"
The ghostly form of Death Banshee tilted her head back and let out the exact same wail as before. Everyone was covering their ears, but it seemed to be much worse for Gilford of Thunder. The warrior's hands clawed at his ears, his body shaking as blood began to flow out from the corners of his eyes and from inside his ears. "Guess he's not a fan." (KLP: 3800)
As the song of the banshee faded, Kirani managed to recover herself enough to notice the oddity that was her life points. "What?"
Drake smirked, well aware that the banshee's shriek had shaken her enough that she could barely form the base of the question she wanted to ask. Perfect already. "Death Banshee has no cost for summoning, and has great attack, so it's only fair that all damage inflicted by her is cut in half. On that piercing note, I'll end my turn."
But the end of his turn was not quite as simple as he might have led others to believe. Instead he added two cards two his field, placing them behind his deadly token. "Go ahead lover girl, show me if you can still duel after that. It was only a little music after all."
Gripping the top card of her deck, she snatched it up, holding it before her eyes. "And some people think death metal is painful. Well, I'm going to cut your banshee's song short by summoning Berserker Gilford(3000/0)!"
The hulking form of her strongest base attacker formed, gripping his bloodied and rusted sword in one massive hand. Scratching at flies that buzzed around his blood caked form, the behemoth of a warrior seemed unconcerned by anything around him. "More of Kaiba's upgrades...or your work?"
"Does it really matter? Now make your fucking move already, my non-existent patience is just about up." He tapped his foot impatiently, eager for her to take her move. Or perhaps he was just eager to inflict his punishment on her, whatever it might be.
"You're dark and evil...but that doesn't make you powerful! Drake was strong because of his passion and heart, because of the good in him, and that's something I'm going to teach you before the duel is over. Berserker, attack Death Banshee!" Hearing his queue the beastly warrior bit his cheek, drawing blood and sending him into a berserker frenzy.
With his blood rage in full swing, Berserker Gilford raised his mighty claymore and hurled himself at the banshee. She watched him come, unconcerned because she was an omen of death, and therefor already dead. "You've seen my strategy and still you attack anyways? Well fine, you'll have to die for such arrogance!"
Drake pointed to his set card on the right, and it lifted up, revealing a trap, just as she had expected. "This trap is appropriate I think. Love's Death destroys a monster on your field, and if I have any I lose one as well. We each take five hundred damage."
Death Banshee sailed over to Berserker Gilford and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in to give him the kiss of death. "Oh, and on that casual note when Death Banshee dies I don't lose life points, so only you will take damage."
Kirani didn't seem worried though, and she immediately slammed a card from her hand onto her duel disk. "Don't you dare underestimate me! Activate To Part The Sky! This sacrifices Berserker Gilford and brings back Gilford of Thunder(1800/400) from the grave!" She drew by its effect as it reappeared.
Drake scowled, realizing that she had successfully avoided his trap's damaging effect by sacrificing her monster. Since Berserker Gilford hadn't actually been destroyed, that meant she took no damage. "Bitch...you're just lucky."
"It's not luck, it's skill. Gilford of Thunder, attack him directly!" The reborn warrior raised his sword and charged at Drake, point of his blade extended out.
"Bah, I don't take damage so easily as that. Reverse card open, Crashing Down! This removes your monster from play and deals half its attack in damage to your life points!" Darkness rolled over the Gilford, and soon he was gone, leaving no trace except the ticking of Kirani's life points falling. (KLP: 2900)
"I set two cards face down, and then I end my turn." Now she was the only one of them with set cards, and she knew they would protect her. After all, despite having one card like Death Banshee, it was unlikely this dark Drake would have any other similar cards. So he wouldn't be attacking.
The dark personality added his newest card to his hand, and seemed on the verge of laughter as he surveyed the situation. "I admit, you caught me off guard there. I didn't think you'd adapt so quickly and be able to counteract my strategy. But in the end, it's pointless. You can't beat me, just as you can't bring back your precious lover."
"We'll see won't we? I have to try, no matter what I have to. I love the real Drake too much to give up, so I'll fight to the last. If you're there Drake, if you're in there, please hear me and know that I'm going to bring you back!" Tears built in her eyes, and she fought them back, knowing that showing weakness now wouldn't help.
"He can't hear you, he's been sealed away by the power of the darkness. Thanks to Yumi's semi-success in your Darkness Game against her, I was released, which means no mere words can release him. So make your pleas to the darkness all you wish, but it won't do you any good." This time he did laugh, a dark and sinister thing that sent chills down Kirani's spine.
"Now, in order to always have the advantage I'll have to dip into the powers of hell. Activate continuous magic card, Hell Greed. At a mandatory cost of one hundred life points each turn, this truly unfair card will let me draw two cards in my standby phase." Kirani frowned, knowing that this draw power would quickly give him a major advantage on her.
"Finally I set two of these cards from my hand onto my field, and end my turn." An additional pair of cards emerged in front of him, potentially protecting him from Kirani's assaults. But the thing she really had to worry about was effect damage.
Kirani drew, restoring her hand to six cards. Thanks to the draw power of Gilford of Thunder she still had plenty of options, and right now she could see a move that just might get past his defenses. "I set one monster."
Drake eyed the monster, knowing that couldn't be all she was planning. "Now using its effect I special summon Gilford the Swift(1400/500) in attack mode!"
The lithe rapier wielding warrior darted out to the field, dancing from foot to foot. "He's eager to go into battle, so I'll give him his gift and attack you directly!"
Charging in at great speeds, the thin warrior moved to stab Drake in the chest. But he stumbled backwards as a giant black cylinder appeared directly in front of him. "Idiot, you activated my trap, Death Cylinder! This will destroy your attacking monster and deal one thousand damage to your life points!"
"Not so fast dark boy! Activate monster special ability, Polar Opposite(0/0), do your stuff!" Her face down monster flipped up, showing itself as a mechanical device that opened up and using a vortex pulled the cylinder into it. Then it exploded, raining fragments down on the field. (KLP: 1900)
"I see, you set Polar Opposite in order to absorb the effect of my trap, saving your Gilford the Swift and letting its attack continue. Very impressive." The rapier stabbed into his side, effortlessly slipping into his flesh. The warrior jumped backwards, pulling the blade out and letting blood trickle from the stab wound. (DLP: 800)
"Looks like you're not as strong as I had guessed, you aren't even anywhere near Drake's level! All you are is a dark imitation!" Drake chuckled and motioned with his duel disk clad left arm. In response his final face down card lifted up, and dark energy flowed around his body.
"Actually, I'm every bit as good, if not better. I figured you'd find a way to make your attack go through, so I had this prepared. Darkness Infusion activates only when I receive a direct attack. I gain double that monster's attack power as life points." The dark power died away, having healed his life points and the stab wound. (DLP: 3600)
"You're not the only one you can gain life points! When your trap destroyed Polar Opposite I was able to trigger my continuous trap, Lightning Energy Charge! This trap activates its effect when I lose a monster to an effect, and it restores five hundred of my life points." Blue lightning arced from her now face-up trap to her body, but instead of damaging her it seemed to strengthen her. (KLP: 2400)
"Well now, looks like you'll be the best challenge I've had in quite some time. The last challenge this deck ever had was Drake himself, when the one you know as the Dark Spirit adopted my persona, using my soul in Drake as a vessel to battle you precious lover. Sadly he failed because he was too confident, but I? I won't make that same mistake, and I will win." He smirked, confident in his coming success.
Kirani filed this information away for later use, knowing that she would have to ask Drake about this experience when she had brought him back. For now she'd have to just play on. "One card face down, then end."
Drake snatched another card off his deck, and then felt a bit of energy from his body seep away as Hell Greed activated its effect. "Remember, one hundred life points for two cards." He drew twice, giving him four cards. (DLP: 3500)
"Keh...looks like in truth you just can't keep up with my power. No matter how hard you try, you will always fall short of my strength. Two cards face down, and then end." He seemed calm again, not confident or angry, or anything else. Just cold and ready for anything.
'Every time that Drake gets that sort of focus it means he's ready to really get down to business, or that he's bluffing his ass off. But the problem is, this guy knows I can read Drake, so in reality there's no way to tell what he's doing.' Although she was bothered by the problem, she was still able to draw for her turn.
When she saw the card she had drawn, she realized she had no need to be worried at all, not anymore at least. "Reverse card open, Cost Down!"
Drake didn't even blink as she slid a card from her hand into the graveyard to power the effect of Cost Down. Thanks to that card she had just dropped the level of all monsters in her hand by two for the turn, which could only mean one thing. "So, he's making his debut is he?"
"That's right, but first I have a special card to play. I'm sure you'll recognize it, because it's the perfect card for here and now! Crash of Thunder prevents all chaining to the summoning and attack of Gilford in this turn!" An echoing boom shook the area, and crackling electricity slipped around Drake's set cards like a noose, binding them for the moment.
Seeing what was coming, he seemed suitably impressed. "Looks like you've got real strength, but like I said before, no matter how hard you try you will always fall short."
"I'll show you that your darkness isn't true power, it's the man within you that has the real strength! To do so I sacrifice Gilford the Swift to summon Gilford the Lightning(2800/1400) into play!" The mighty cornerstone of her deck descended from the sky, raising his massive sword to the heavens, roaring his battle cry.
"Now Gilford, show him your power and mine, cut your way past the darkness to release the man within! Thunderbolt Cut!" Lightning streaked from the warrior's blade and into Drake's body, causing his muscles to spasm wildly. He fell to his knees, his body shaking as many thousands of volts of electricity coursed through his body. (DLP: 700)
He came back to his feet, and saw her waiting there, her body still sheathed by that infernal power of the Heart of Love, keeping her going. 'She's truly powerful, beyond any normal opponent I could face. This is the first step, once she's gone there is just one more who could return me to normal. Then I'll be able to wreak havoc on this world without any hindrance!'
Seeing that her turn was done, he drew, and then drew twice more. Despite his lowered life points, he had no choice but to pay for Hell Greed. Situations where he had so few life points were the only times that he ever worried about it. "Hmmm...I wonder..." (DLP: 600)
A thought came to mind, of a card hidden within his deck. A card that hid a deadly side effect. 'No, using that card is pointless still, at least until I figure out exactly how to get past that side effect. Winning this Darkness Game is hardly worth that.'
"Before I make any other move, I'll activate my continuous magic card, Expanding Shadows. This doubles the number of magic and trap cards I can have in my zones. Now that makes it ten total, since Expanding Shadows itself doesn't count towards my magic and trap zones." Since they were already in a Darkness Game, there was no change caused by his card.
"Since there's little else I can do, I'll set one card face down. End turn." With that one new card in place, his turn was ended. The Rare Hunters grew edgy, seeing that the duel would probably be coming to an end right here and now.
"You're right, there's absolutely nothing you can do! Trap card, reveal yourself and equip to Gilford the Lightning!" The trap card flipped up, showing the symbol for a continuous trap and an image of Gilford the Lightning, standing tall and proud despite numerous wounds.
"Gilford's Warrior Heart is a trap that equips to Gilford the Lightning when activated. While equipped, Gilford the Lightning is completely immune to trap cards. And that pretty much means I've just won. Gilford, bring me back Drake with the power of your Thunderbolt Cut!" A wave of electric energy slammed into Drake, but instead of keeling over he smirked and shivered as if in pleasure.
"Can you hear them? Can you hear the dead wailing in agony as they feel the pain of your blow? Those poor dead are taking the pain from me, isn't that nice of them?" Kirani frowned, realizing that she did indeed hear a mournful wail coming from somewhere.
"What's going on? What is this?" She glanced around, trying to find the source of the moans. Yet no matter where she looked, she could see nobody making the noises.
"Oh, it's just my trap card. Wail of the Dead converts all life point damage I would take this turn into life gain. So, thanks for the recharge." The lightning faded away, leaving him completely unharmed and back to nearly full health. (DLP: 3400)
Kirani grimaced, but then she realized that while he had restored his life points, he hadn't been able to use any of his other traps. 'And that means his other cards have no way of stopping my immune Gilford. He just got lucky this turn, and next turn I'll be able to recover the damage.'
Sliding a card from her hand onto her duel disk, Kirani concluded her turn. Although Gilford was all alone on the battlefield, that wasn't a problem at the moment. "I'd say this duel is nearing the end, and when it's over, I'll get him back."
"End? This is hardly the end wench, it's not even the beginning of the end. I'd go all Churchill and say it was the end of the beginning, but I'm not lame like that. So instead I'll just start my turn." He drew once, and then twice more for his cards for the turn. (DLP: 3300)
He didn't even blink as he looked over the six cards he held in his hand. "I set three cards face down. End turn."
Kirani drew, knowing exactly what this meant. 'Just like I thought, he really can't stop the assault of Gilford with his traps, not while Gilford is immune! Cards that regularly destroy magic and trap cards, I'm sure he can handle, but cards that cancel out his traps or are immune...those cards are the key to defeating him!'
With that knowledge in hand, she knew that she could win this duel in just a few blows. All she had to do was keep fighting. "That confidence that you're portraying, it's nothing but a lie! And I'll prove it by attacking you directly!"
Drake bit down on his tongue hard, causing blood to trickle down his throat in order to prevent himself from making a pained response as the lightning streamed into his body, disrupting his bodily functions for several seconds, and potentially frying synapses. 'The darkness makes it so powerful...but lucky for me the darkness also powers me. And I can sense even her strength being slowly sapped. She doesn't know it yet, but all that's keeping her going is the Heart of Love. And if she loses contact with it, she'll be finished.' (DLP: 500)
Although that was the case, he had no interest in winning the duel on a default like Yumi had. That was a weakling's way out, and he was in no way a weakling. "Take your turn. Just one more attack, that's all I need before I can shatter the darkness and restore the light. I'm coming for you Drake, just wait for me."
"It's pathetic to hear you say things to someone who can't hear you. Now, let's see what lady luck has in store for me today..." He drew his three cards for the turn, and his eyes danced with amusement at what he saw. Kirani saw this, and knew that right now, he wasn't bluffing. (DLP: 400)
"It's time to bring you down, and I'll start by triggering a trap that's perfect for you. No Love Lost, activate!" Kirani cringed at the name, just as she had when he used his first trap card. Why did some of his cards seem to directly jab at what this dark personality was doing to her?
"No Love Lost lets me select one monster on the field and remove it from play. I gain half that monster's attack points as life. And I select Gilford the Lightning." Energy slipped from the trap and towards Gilford, wrapping around him. But the warrior simply flexed his muscles, and the energy binds shattered.
"What was the point of that? You know quite well that Gilford the Lightning is currently immune to trap cards, and since he isn't removed you trap doesn't even give you life points. It's nothing but a complete waste of effort and a trap." Drake just smiled and held up one of his newly drawn cards.
"Useless? Not at all. Since a trap card's effect failed, I can now play Hatred and Damnation! This quick-play magic card destroys all monsters on your field and deals five hundred damage to your life points for each one!" Gilford bellowed briefly before shattering into a million pieces.
"Lightning Energy Charge effectively negates the damage dealt to me by your magic card. So there's no change for me." Despite the fact that her life points was safe, she didn't feel as confident as before, considering that her best chance at winning had just been blown away.
"Keh, whatever. Now, to continue my move I'll set one card face down. Finally I activate the continuous magic card known as Death Awaits. Meet the reaper bitch!" Kirani was about to ask what he meant, but the feel of cold steel against her throat silenced the question. Now she knew how some of the Rare Hunters had felt in the same situation.
Slowly she drew, grimacing as the reaper's scythe pressed up against her throat, drawing a thin line of blood. It wasn't much, but it stung, and it also meant she was losing life points. "It's not that much though..." (KLP: 1900)
Drake tapped a finger against his chin, smiling darkly as he did so. "Hmmm...I wonder who will die first at this rate. Will Death Awaits finish you first, or will I lose first because of Hell Greed? Looks like it's a race to the finish right now."
'I can hardly attack him recklessly, that'll just end this duel quickly and in his favor. But I do have one method of stopping him, provided it actually works.' Carefully she took the card she had drawn and slid it into her duel disk, noticing that her hand was shaking slightly. The darkness was getting to her.
"Time to rip away your defenses with my magic card, Heavy Storm!" Dangerous winds began to pick up, swirling the dark fog around their feet. All of the set cards and the face-up cards on Drake's field shook, just about to be blown away.
"Did you really think you could just destroy my cards and get away with it? Reveal counter trap, Dark Spirit of Memory! By discarding a card from my hand I can negate one effect that would destroy magic or trap cards on my field. Then you have to discard the top five cards of your deck!" The winds died down, and a frustrated Kirani dumped five cards into the grave.
Looking over the five cards she had to discard, she frowned in disappointment. 'Lord of the Storm...he would have been my perfect method to win this duel. He's my trump monster, but now he's in the grave, and I can't summon him unless I remove three Gilfords from the grave.'
Looking at her remaining cards, she began to wonder exactly what she could do. Currently, there seemed to be only one choice, and that was because of the life point difference. 'Right now, attacking is pointless. So, I'm just going to have to sit it out and hope that he runs out of life points first.'
"I set a monster on the field. Turn end." The horizontal card appeared, signaling the end of her turn. Now it was simply a matter of time.
Drake snapped up a card, and then instantly drew twice more, just as he did every turn. Of course it also diminished his already minuscule life points, but he didn't seem bothered. "I activate Shadow Control, which removes the limitation for zones for the rest of the duel. This means that we can play monsters or magic and trap cards in any zone, not limited by type." (DLP: 300)
That meant he could now have a total of twenty magic and trap cards on the field at one time, which didn't bode well for Kirani. "I set three cards face down. Now, it's time to get back to building that rampart I spoke of. Activate magic card, Rampart of the Dead!"
Kirani gasped in horror as ten bloated corpses, their flesh hanging from their putrid yellow bones, clambered out of the ground and advanced on Drake. "These zombies will now take the top ten cards of my deck to the grave at a cost of half of my life points." (DLP: 150)
Each of the zombies took one card from his deck, groaning as they held them up to face Drake. "Every one of the ten cards discarded that is a trap card is then set on my field, but cannot be activated for two whole turns, counting from the opponent's turns. And from what the zombies show me, all ten of the discarded cards were traps."
He snatched the cards back from the corpses and then placed them all onto his duel disk. In moments their physical representations were created, giving him a grand total of seventeen cards face down on the field. "A matter of time isn't it? Looks like time is on my side. Now...it's the end of my turn, but it's the end of you. Time's up!"
And the reaper's scythe pressed against her throat.
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Author's Notes: Enjoying it so far? I hope so.
Next Time: Kirani's pleas have fallen on deaf ears. The dark version of her one love now stands neigh untouchable behind a wall of traps. If Kirani is to ever bring back the man she loves, then she will have to do something that in the past several years she has never managed to do. Defeat Drake.
See it all in, Desperate Gambit of Love!
Review Response
Time Mage: I know just how sickening it is. Cool huh?
G.O.T. Nick: Actually, this is a mini-arc. All of my stories are generally panned out as mini-arcs, some more mini than the others. The first story had four, the second had several. This will have quite a few.
Blue Eyes White Knight: Thanks.
WolfGeneral: The Gilfords appreciate your support, but they won't have an easy time of it. Plus, the whole attitude thing is because Dark Drake is all the negative aspects of Drake enhanced. Which happens to include his ego, which is pretty big while normal, and therefor tremendous in this form.
The White Mage: She is indeed.
Original Cards: WG is for WolfGeneral
Kirani: Gilford of Thunder, Berserker Gilford, To Part The Sky, Gilford the Swift, Polar Opposite, Lightning Energy Charge, Crash of Thunder, Gilford's Warrior Heart
Drake: Death Banshee, Love's Death, Crashing Down, Hell Greed, Death Cylinder, Darkness Infusion, Expanding Shadows, Wail of the Dead, No Love Lost, Hatred and Damnation, Death Awaits, Dark Spirit of Memory(WG), Shadow Control, Rampart of the Dead
Anime/Manga Cards
Kirani: Quick Attack