Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.

Vanguard Generations

Chapter 9: Battle against the Shadows

Shinsei shuffled his deck and was about to slam it home, but he something pulse from within his shirt pocket. Pulling it open, he blinked at the sight of a blank black-faced card. ("A Soul Template Card? How did…") His eyes widened as he realized there was only one possible time that could have happened. ("Andrew slipped it into my pocket when we helped him up? But…why?")

("Now is not the time for questions, that it isn't.") Kenshin's phantom form appeared next to Shinsei. ("We must be careful against this opponent, he is also a Vanguard.")

"Right?" Shinsei activated his duel disk again, and nearly collapsed. ("Did I burn myself out against that computer?")

"Fine then, I'll just wipe your Guardian out of existence and leave it at that!" The man stepped a little more out of the darkness, but he still couldn't be identified at all. "Ready?"

Shinsei slid the Soul Template Card into his Guardian Deck and nodded. "I'm ready!"

"Duel!"

Shinsei- 4000

Shadow- 4000

Shinsei removed the top card from his deck and placed a card from his hand onto his disk. "I summon Elemental Hero Soul Man (1100/200) to the field in defense mode." A white-robed man appeared on the field in a crouching position. "End turn."

"Prepare to be plunged into the horror of night!" Shadow drew. "I place one monster face-down on the field and then sacrifice it to this!" He held up the drawn card and sneered when Shinsei gasped. "Familiar Summon! Emerge now my servant!" The face-down monster exploded and all around them the shadows formed into a dark shadow-like humanoid.

"I am Kagero; Assassin of Night!" (1500/1500) The form pulled a knife out of its robes and leapt across the field, slashing through Soul Man and blowing it apart.

Shinsei grimaced. "You're so quick to throw out your Guardian? That's fine, I'll tear it apart right now!"

"Is that so?" Shadow opened his field magic card slot. "Good luck finding him! Field magic card, Curtain of Nightmares!" His entire field became plunged into darkness. "This card prevents you from seeing my field. As such, I don't have to announce my moves to you either. End turn."

Shinsei grunted and drew, his eyes widening at the sight of the drawn card. ("Familiar Summon, which means that I can summon Kenshin. However, I don't know what cards are on this guy's field now, and if he has a trap that would destroy Kenshin…")

("Summon me please, Shinsei.") Kenshin's phantom form appeared next to the boy. ("Kagero is someone I have an agenda against.")

("Agenda? How could you know someone I've never…")

("That isn't important at the moment, that it is not.") Kenshin placed his hand on his sword's hilt.

Shinsei smiled weakly. "Alright, let's do it. Elemental Hero Bubbleman in attack mode!" (800/1200) His favorite blue superhero appeared on the field. "When I have no cards in play other than it, I can draw two cards." Adding two more cards to his hand, he held up a new one. "Right Justice will destroy Curtain of Nightmares!" Right as the magic card appeared on his field though, it exploded along with Bubbleman.

Shinsei- 3200

Shadow- 4000

("He must have had Judgment of Anubis face-down…") Shinsei did a rough calculation in his head and then snapped up a new card. "Go Flash Recall! I can add one Heat Heart, Emergency Call, Right Justice, or Over Soul from my graveyard to my hand!" Right Justice slid out of his graveyard and he added it to his hand. "Activate Hero Return! When I have no cards in play I can special summon one Elemental Hero! Return Bubbleman!" In a blast of bubbles the superhero reappeared in play. "I draw two and play Right Justice once more!" Then the card exploded along with Bubbleman again. ("Two…")

Shinsei- 2400

Shadow- 4000

Shinsei smiled at the dark cloud. "You activated Pot of Greed, and placed down two Judgment of Anubis trap cards. That means right now you have zero cards in your hand and only your field and Guardian cards in play." He snapped up a new card and a purple O appeared in the air above him. "Over Soul special summons Elemental Hero Soul Man! Return!" The white-robed man appeared on the field again. "Activate Familiar Summon!" Soul Man exploded and a pair of Japanese paper-frame doors appeared in the air.

The doors opened and Kenshin slowly stepped out onto the field, his eyes closed. "Kenshin; Wanderer of Twilight (1800/1600) has come. Kageru, I know you are here. Come out and fight."

"Fight?" A voice like smoke echoed out from the curtain. "I do not fight, fool. I kill."

"Regardless…" Kenshin glanced back at Shinsei. "Please…"

Shinsei nodded. "I'm not sure what your relationship to this guy is, but if you want to kick his ass who am I to stop you. Go!"

Kenshin drew his katana and leapt into the darkness. "Take this Kagero!" There was a loud howling noise and Kenshin disappeared.

Shadow laughed as Kenshin's cry of pain echoed out of the cloud, followed by an explosion of pixels that barely made it out of the cloud. "Fool, you walked right into my trap."

Shinsei- 1500

Shadow- 4000

"Your trap?" Shinsei gasped. "How do you have cards left?"

"You were so quick to try and guess what my strategy was. Yes, I did set two Judgment of Anubis trap cards face-down on the field, but your other guess was wrong. I didn't activate Pot of Greed. Actually, first I put three cards face-down on the field and flipped up one. It was a magic card called Treasure of Slashing Life. With it, I could draw until I was holding five cards in my hand. Then I placed another card face-down. After that I discarded two cards from my hand to activate both Judgment trap cards, and when you attacked with your weakling samurai I activated my last card."

"Your last card? What was it, and why did I take damage?" Shinsei was trying to ignore the fact that he was confused now. ("I might be screwed…")

"Nightmare Evisceration." Shadow laughed just a little louder. "While Curtain of Nightmares is in play I can activate it and destroy one monster that is attacking. Half of that monster's attack will be deducted from your life points."

Shinsei growled and held up another card. "Warrior Returning Alive places Kenshin back in my hand." He caught the samurai's card as it slid out of his graveyard, and then he placed three cards face-down on the field. "I set three cards face-down and end my turn."

"Draw!" Shadow indicated he was beginning his turn, but otherwise didn't say what he was playing. "Go Kagero!" A dark form exploded out of the curtain and flew towards Shinsei.

"Reveal A Hero Emerges!" Shinsei snapped up Kenshin's card. "When I am attacked, I can force you to select one card at random from my hand. If it is a monster card, then it is special summoned to the field!" A cut appeared in the sky and formed into a hole that Kenshin came through, landing between Shinsei and the approaching shadow. "Kenshin has more attack points than your monster, so just withdraw your attack."

"More attack points? Really?" Shadow laughed even louder as the murky form hardened to reveal a purple demon. (1900/1500) "I knew you would fall for it. I summoned Archfiend Soldier and ordered it to attack instead of Kagero. That means it is the end for your samurai once more!"

Kenshin didn't flinch as the claws of the Archfiend Soldier got within a few inches of his face, and then he disappeared right before it struck.

"Huh?" Shadow was clearly surprised, though he couldn't be seen. "Where'd he go?"

Shinsei smiled slightly. "I activated my face-down card…Ryu Tsui Sen! This card increases the attack power of Kenshin by 700 points until the end of the turn, and it also allows him to negate the effect of any monster that he destroys as a result of battle during this turn." Then he pointed up in the air. "He's up there, in case you were wondering."

Kenshin dropped down towards the purple demon with his sword up above his head. "Hiten Mitsurugi Style, Ryu Tsui Sen!" (2500/1600) Then he dropped through the monster and sheathed his sword. Letting out a howl of pain, the Archfiend Soldier exploded into dust.

Shinsei- 1500

Shadow- 3400

Shadow hissed in anger. "I'll still take you down right now! During my second main phase I activate Revival Sacrifice from my hand. This magic card activates during the turn that a monster on my field is destroyed as a result of battle. One monster in play will be destroyed, and a monster from my graveyard will be special summoned to the field!"

"Not this time!" Shinsei's last face-down card flipped up. "I activate Hero Undying! During the turn that a card with Hero in its title goes to the graveyard, I can activate this trap to prevent one warrior type monster in play from being destroyed!" A purple aura lit up around Kenshin. "As such, since you didn't destroy a monster as a result of battle, you can't revive a monster either, am I right?"

Shadow didn't reply to that question. "End turn."

Shinsei drew. ("We already used up Kenshin's technique card, but that doesn't mean we are out of tricks yet.") "I activate my Heart's Sword magic card. This card allows me to add one attack increasing equipment magic card from my deck to my hand." He removed a card from his deck and then pointed into the murky night. "Go Kenshin, attack Kagero!"

"With pleasure!" The samurai drew his sword and charged into the black abyss, only to come running out the other end so fast that his sword slashed right through Shinsei. It didn't actually injure the boy, but to his senses it felt like he had just been cleaved in two. "Shinsei!"

Shinsei- 600

Shadow- 3400

"Another useful trap card of the darkness…" Shadow chuckled calmly. "And a great one that I love to use in Vanguard duels when the opponent has their Guardian in play. It's called Misdirection Nightmare, and it's the perfect method to destroy you. When my opponent attacks me and I have Curtain of Nightmares in play, I can negate the attack and deal half of the attacking monster's attack to you in battle damage. Because of that, you just got slashed by your own partner. It hurts more than a normal attack, doesn't it?" Then he laughed crazily…until he heard Shinsei start to chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Are you trying to turn me against Kenshin or something?" Shinsei stood up slowly and brushed himself off. "It won't work!"

Shinsei- 2800

Shadow- 3400

"What?" Shadow gasped as he noticed the life point counter. "How did you gain back so much life?"

Shinsei brushed himself off and smiled. "The card I searched for was called Medic's Blade. It is an equipment magic card that can only be equipped to a warrior type monster in play. That warrior's attack points are increased by 400. Also, when that warrior's attack would be used against me, I'd gain life instead of lose it. It can be activated from my hand right before such a situation occurs, as well." (2200/1600) "For now, I end my turn."

Shadow snarled. "I begin my turn!" His snarl died down. "Tell me, what rank of Vanguard are you?"

Shinsei narrowed his eyes slowly. "I guess I would be a rank one, why?"

"Just a rank one? That's a shame…" Shadow laughed sharply. "This is a level three technique that I am about to show you…the power of technique transmigration." Suddenly the darkness shroud pulsed with energy. "By fusing the power of Kagero with my own…I can activate a technique card from my deck once per turn! Shadow Slaying Knives!" The shadow assassin exploded out of the darkness cloud, its body surrounded by a wall of pitch-black daggers. "This card increases the power of Kagero by 1000 points, and he can attack once more during a battle phase if he destroys a monster as a result of battle with his first attack! Go!"

Kenshin threw up the Medic's Blade and braced himself as it jammed into the approaching daggers, shattering instantly.

Shinsei smirked. "When Kenshin would be destroyed as a result of battle, I can send one equipment magic card on him to the graveyard to negate such a thing and prevent the damage as well. Nice try."

"You think you're something special, but honestly you're just a scared little boy. Do you honestly think you can beat what you cannot see? End turn." Kagero bowed slightly to Kenshin and leapt back into the shroud before the samurai could attack.

Kenshin clenched his fist even tighter, the blood forced out of it and the knuckles turning white. "Damn him! I won't let the opportunity to get rid of this monster slip by me!"

"What's the deal Kenshin, how could you possibly know who that guy is?" Shinsei blinked as Kenshin glared back at him. "What's with that look?"

Kenshin closed his eyes. "I am not Kenshin Himura, at least I wasn't originally. Guardians are spirits that have existed for many years in many forms…but this one before us is different. It is a shapeless mass known as a Chaos Guardian, and when it chooses its user it doesn't adapt to the user, as I did with you, but it instead forces the user to change to its liking. As such…" His eyes closed and he seemed to be trembling in anger. "This beast had committed acts so wrong…so evil…"

"So very fun." Kagero spoke through the shadow. "I've killed people just to watch them die, I've tortured every possible kind of living thing…and none of those foolish other Vanguards could ever catch me because of my abilities at hiding. While I have my mighty Curtain of Nightmares, no one will ever be able to defeat me!"

Kenshin scoffed. "We'll…"

"You…killed…" Those words echoed in Shinsei's mind, and he started to shake all over. "You coward…I'll…" The air around him grew hazy. "I'll…"

Kenshin looked behind him at Shinsei, eyes wide. "Shinsei, what's the…"

"It's the end for you, Kagero! Draw!" Shinsei snapped the top card off of his deck and held it up without bothering to look at it. "First I activate Hero's Lucky Five! This magic card activates when I have no cards in hand and no cards in my magic or trap zone! I draw five cards, and all monsters in those five are discarded to the graveyard!" He slid five cards off of his deck. "Not a single monster, and now it's over for you, completely and utterly!"

"Is that so? I'd like to see you try and get to me now, little brat!" Shadow had gone silent, showing that apparently Kagero was running the show now.

Shinsei frowned. ("I need a way to blow away…") He closed his eyes and concentrated as he tried to think of a method to clear the magic and traps on the field with his current cards. But all he had in his hand were Bubble Shooter, Burst Return, Spell Reproduction, Hero Team-up, and Fusion Recovery. ("These cards have no combos…what can I do to…") "No, I have to win!" ("The things this creature has done…the pain it has caused…") "I cannot let your crimes go unpunished! No, my grandfather would never allow it! Kenshin, together now!" There was an explosion of light and a second symbol appeared on his wristband. "I sacrifice Fusion Recovery to add one Technique card from my deck to my hand! And my choice is…" A card slid out of his graveyard and he pulled it free with one hand. "…the card to destroy your darkness with one foul swoop!"

Kenshin drew his sword. "As you said…together now!"

"Right! I place one card face-down and activate the technique card Dou Ryu Sen!" Shinsei closed his eyes. "Let the darkness begone!"

Kenshin snapped his sword up, creating a powerful shockwave that washed across the room and nearly tore the walls down. "Hiten Mitsurugi Style, Dou Ryu Sen!" The darkness shuddered and was blown to pieces, along with Shadow's and Shinsei's set cards.

As the shockwave cleared, Kagero stood in silent amazement. "What did you do?"

"Dou Ryu Sen destroys all magic and trap cards in play…that isn't all though…" Shinsei wiped his nose with a thumb. "For every card destroyed, you take 800 points of damage!"

Shinsei- 2800

Shadow- 1000

Kagero stood there, his eyes wide. "You may strike me down, but we'll…"

Kenshin stomped his foot to get the shadow's attention. "Actually…"

Shinsei held up Spell Reproduction. "Let's end this! I discard two magic cards from my hand to take back one magic card in my graveyard!" As a card slid out of his graveyard, he snapped up it. "Go Kenshin, attack and end this!"

The samurai charged right at Kagero, sword sheathed and at his side once more. "I have waited forever for the chance to do this to you, monster!"

"I said you wouldn't…" Kagero gasped as Kenshin seemed to just disappear. "How…"

Shinsei held up Ryu Tsui Sen. "Guess what…this is my killing blow!"

Kenshin spiraled down through the air towards the shadow, his hand wrapped around his sword's sheath. "Final Strike!" An explosion of light came from his body.

"A Final Strike? No…no you can't…." Kagero couldn't run, his legs were locked in place.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Style…Final Ryu Tsui Sen!" (Instant Win against opponent's Guardian) Kenshin unsheathed his sword, and there was a moment of blinding light. When the light cleared, Kenshin stood with his back to Kagero. "Die." Sheathing his sword, he listened to the shadow's howls of pain as it dissolved into oblivion.

Shinsei- 2800

Shadow- 0/Guardian Destroyed; Vanguard Status Nullified

Shinsei's eyes slowly closed, and he collapsed face-first to the ground, unmoving.

Kenshin took a deep breath, and refused to let his body return to spirit form yet, despite its almost unarguable urge to do so. ("You burned all of your energy…without even realizing it. You changed the striking blow into a Final Strike, and thanks to you the likes of Kagero will not live as they are any longer. Now he is just energy within the world's life cycle…nothing more and nothing less.") Helping his Vanguard up, he started to move towards the exit where Airos and Andrew were. ("I'm proud of you, and proud to be your Guardian, Shinsei.")

To be continued…

To Seeker of the Soul: Yes, another Vanguard Duel it was…but this one shows what the consequences of losing can be.

To Darksoulkai: Errr…. (What can I respond by saying?)

To John: No, they would have lost without him.