Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.
Legends of the Demon Duelist-Tournament of Tears
Chapter 23: Hatred of Shadow (Part 2)
"Draw!" Haku's angry yell brought Ichigo back to the situation at hand. He had to win this duel, and because of his opponent's resolve, he was fairly certain this would be a duel to the end. "During my standby phase, I must discard a card from my hand. I discard Hell Polymer to add a Forest Curse magic card from my deck to my hand." As he did this, a card in his hand started to glow. "At this time, my quickplay Forest Curse of Demise activates! When a Forest Curse magic card is added to my hand, I may discard this card to draw two more cards." Inserting the card into his graveyard, the undead boy drew two more cards and added them to now enormous hand. "Are you ready, Ichigo Pilkington? This is where I become serious, and show you the power of my hateful soul!"
"I'm ready." Ichigo knew his course of action. It was either duel or die, and there was too much riding on his victory for him to toss this game. "Bring on your best, and I'll defeat it!"
"Come out now, Hatred Avenger Burning Hellion!" (0/1400) There was a blast of flame that filled his field, and when it cleared, there was a fire-line humanoid in place. It brought its orange eyes down onto Ichigo's field, and let out an angry growl. "This is my first creature, the Hatred Avenger of fire! For every card in my hand, its attack increases by 300!" (2700/1400)
Ichigo frowned slightly as the fire exploded outwards, nearly consuming his field in its heat. ("It has zero attack points initially…therefore its effect isn't that good. No, it must have another effect.")
"It's time to beat you, Ichigo! Feel my hellish anger! Burning Hellion, Pyro Rage!" The humanoid released a ball of fire that slammed into Night Slasher. "Your monster is forever eliminated! With my card's power, any monster destroyed on your field is removed from the game!" Haku held up a single card from his hand. "Now I activate my quickplay Forest Curse of Destruction! When you take battle damage, I may play this card to deal you half of that damage once again! 1600 plus 800 is 2400! You are destroyed!"
Haku- 2650
Ichigo- 0
There was a scream of complete and utter hellish pain as Ichigo was consumed within that fire…and then that scream died as Ichigo's body burned to ash.
Judai stood in absolute silence, his mind not wanting to believe his eyes. ("No…that can't be…") He couldn't believe that his student would be defeated so easily.
Haku smiled coldly and laughed up to the sky. "I have done it! He is defeated!"
"Just what are you talking about?"
All of a sudden everything around Haku shattered like a pane of glass hit by a rock. Everything was the same though…except Ichigo was still standing on the field and his Night Slasher was still in play. "This…this cannot be! I saw you die…I just saw you die!"
"Is that so?" Ichigo glanced at his life point score. "From what I can tell, I'm still very much alive."
Haku- 2650
Ichigo- 1200
Haku looked like he was about to go insane. "What…what did you do?"
"What did I do?" Ichigo pointed at one of his now face-up trap cards. "Take a look for yourself."
"Evil…" Haku spoke the title of the revealed trap card very slowly. "…Eye?"
"Right." Ichigo removed the card from his duel disk and its holographic representation disappeared from the field. "Evil Eye is a trap card that activates when the opponent declares an attack against me. By paying 1000 life points, I can let you see whatever I want to show you, all the while your battle phase being skipped and your turn automatically ending. Of course, all cards you played during this 'dream' are still considered used up."
Haku's hands began to tremble in anger. This bastard, for just a moment, had given him a taste of what he wished, of victory. And then just as quickly he took that reward away. "I'm going to carve out your heart with a rusty spoon, just so that I can prolong your screaming!"
"Pleasantries later." Ichigo held up his trap card. "Evil Eye, after use, removes itself from the game. Also, it cannot be used again for the rest of the duel, so even if I did get it back it would do me no good. And for the final downside, during this turn I cannot enter my battle phase." Sliding the card into his pocket, he drew. ("Okay, I succeeded in making him threaten me with deadly utensils, but other than that I only succeeded in saving myself for one turn. Despite how useful Evil Eye's effect is, it has only been a saving grace.")
His eyes played over each card in his hand, one after another. His mind began debating what things he could do, right up until he realized that one of the cards in his hand actually could help him get rid of that Hatred Avenger. "I set a card face-down on my field, and then I end my turn." As the set card appeared on the field next to his other card, he knew that at the moment his chances of winning weren't too high. Haku had more life points than he did.
Haku drew. "I won't lose to you and your pitiful tricks! Forest Curse of Apathy forces me to discard during my draw phase. I discard the trap card Call of the Haunted, adding a Forest Curse magic card from my graveyard to my hand!" Looking his hand over, he knew his plan was set. "Now I can get rid of that annoying little weakling! I activate Forest Curse of Doom!" A giant skull made of wood appeared in the air over Ichigo's field. "When this card is activated, I must discard a Forest Curse magic card from my hand. In return, one monster in play will be destroyed! My choice is obviously Night Slasher!"
Ichigo looked worried, right up until he realized what the target of Haku's magic card was. "Oh…wow, and here I thought I was in trouble."
"What?" Haku narrowed his eyes slowly. "Are you mocking me again?"
Ichigo shook his head. "Nope, just stating a fact! I reveal my face-down card! It's my Grand Escape quickplay magic card! This card returns a Final Shadow monster I have in play to my hand!" Night Slasher disappeared in an explosion of grey smoke. "That means your magic card burns itself out."
"That still leaves you wide open to attack! Go Burning Hellion, turn him to dust!" (2100/1400) "Give your regards to the devil…he is waiting!" The Burning Hellion unleashed another burning fireball that hurtled towards Ichigo with all of the anger of its owner.
Ichigo sighed. "I dislike setting bluffs…hence this is a real trap!" His remaining face-down trap card flipped up. "This is my Night Murder trap card. It can only activate when my opponent attacks and I have Night Slasher in my hand! Night Slasher is special summoned from my hand!" His trap released a cloud of smoke that formed into the black-cloaked form of the Final Shadow. "When summoned, Night Slasher's effect activates! I choose to destroy a monster in play with original attack less than its own!"
Burning Hellion's fireball shuddered and dissipated, and at the same time, the Hatred Avenger stumbled slightly…revealing that there was knife in its throat. Shuddering, it exploded into dust.
Haku stared at his empty field, and then took a deep breath. "Is that it?"
"Not quite!" Ichigo removed his monster card from his duel disk and Night Slasher disappeared. "After its effect activates, Night Slasher is returned to my hand."
Haku inserted a pair of cards into his duel disk. "I place two cards face-down on the field, and then I end my turn."
Ichigo drew. ("Now's my chance…he's wide open!") "Here I go Haku! I summon Final Shadow Night Slasher!" (1150/900) The dark-cloaked warrior reappeared on the field. "Go Night Slasher, attack his life points directly!"
"Not this time! I reveal Doom Creeper!" Haku sneered as black vines exploded out of the ground around Ichigo's monster, pinning it in place. "This continuous trap card can only be activated when my Forest of 1000 Curses is in play. It allows me to select one monster on your field and lock it in place. If can no longer change modes, attack, or be destroyed."
Ichigo grimaced. "I'm not done yet! I activate the magic card Newspaper Coverage!" A magic card with a picture of a newspaper with the headline "Rare Artifact Stolen" appeared in play. "I call one card name, and if the next two turns I draw that card I may draw two extra cards and gain 1000 life points! I declare Pot of Greed!" He inserted two more cards into his duel disk. "Then I place two cards face-down on the field. Alright, it's your turn."
Haku drew. "During my standby phase, I must discard a card. Therefore, I offer Magic Jammer from my hand to add a Forest Curse magic card from my deck to my hand!" As he did this, his lips quirked into a dark little smile. "In two turns, you must draw Pot of Greed or else there is no way for you to benefit from the effect of your magic card. Therefore, I will make it impossible! I activate Forest Curse of Restriction! I now declare the name of one card. If that card is in your deck, it is now sent to the bottom of your deck! Pot of Greed is my target!"
Ichigo frowned as his deck was surrounded by a black aura for a few moments. ("Well, that's a little frustrating.")
Haku smirked and threw a card onto his disk. "Face my next Hatred Avenger...Lodestone Skull!" A humanoid made of pure-white bone appeared on the field. (0/2000) "For every card in my graveyard, this monster's original attack is increased by 100! I have seventeen cards in my graveyard, so its attack is now 1700!" (1700/2000)
Ichigo lifted an eyebrow. "That isn't too scary…"
"From my hand, I activate Forest Curse of Defeat! This card can only activate when I have a Hatred Avenger and Forest of 1000 Curses in play at the same time. Also, my opponent must have at least one monster in play with Shadow in its title text!" A black cloud exploded from the magic card, swallowing up Ichigo's two set cards. "Your face-down cards are now destroyed." (1800/2000) "Now, attack his monster Lodestone Skull!" The humanoid leapt into the black cloud and a loud punching noise echoed out across the forest. "Feel my rage, you insolent fool."
As the black cloud cleared, it revealed Ichigo smiling in amazement. "That was an awesome play, Haku."
Haku- 2650
Ichigo- 1200
Haku's eyes widened. "No! Why didn't you take damage?"
"Why?" Ichigo scratched his forehead. "Well…have a look." He pointed at the face-up trap card on his field. "I activated my face-down Spirit Barrier continuous trap card. While it's face-up on the field and I have a monster in play, all battle damage to me is zero. And since your continuous trap makes my Night Slasher unable to be destroyed, I'm essentially protected from all damage."
("And since his Spirit Barrier flipped itself up, it was no longer face-down. Therefore, Forest Curse of Defeat was unable to affect his trap.") Haku fanned out the remaining three Forest Curse magic cards in his hand. "Very well. I'm far from beaten! I activate Forest Curse of Dark Cravings! For every dark attribute warrior monster on your field, I gain 1500 life points!"
Haku- 4150
Ichigo- 1200
Haku's eyes met with Ichigo's. "You are only human now, and therefore your power is nothing compared to mine! Take your turn!"
Ichigo drew. "I have drawn Pot of Greed! Therefore…"
Haku snarled and pointed at Ichigo accusingly. "You cheater! That's impossible…I sent it to the bottom of your deck!"
"That you did. However…" Ichigo's graveyard spat out a card. "Along with Spirit Barrier, I activated my other set card…which was a quickplay magic card called Tomb Raid. It allows me to select one card in your graveyard and send it to the top of my deck. Therefore…I chose your Pot of Greed." He proceeded to draw two more cards, and a golden glow surrounded him as his life points increased.
Haku- 4150
Ichigo- 2200
("It's still useless…with his current field, there's nothing he can do!") Haku was still confident that he could win.
Ichigo held up Pot of Greed. "First I'll draw two cards!" Throwing the card across the field to Haku, he removed two cards from his deck. "Finally, somebody else! I activate the magic card Thief's Foreboding Aura!" A dark energy came from Night Slasher's entrapped body. "For every Final Shadow on my field, you must discard one card from your hand."
Haku snarled and discarded one of his Forest Curse magic cards. (2000/2000)
"Now this will work! I place three cards face-down and activate the magic card Chaos Factor! I now may shuffle my deck and next turn I may roll a single die. If the number is one or two, then I simply draw an extra card. If it is three or four, I may draw two cards. If it is five or six, then I must discard the card I drew during my draw phase." Ichigo threw the last card from his hand onto his disk. "I special summon Final Shadow Ebony Ninja, because it is the last card in my hand!" A shiny black-robed ninja appeared on his field in a crouching position. (850/0) "The effect of Ebony Ninja allows me to special summon it if it is the only card in my hand. Also, if I have special summon it in this way, I may activate a special magic card from my deck!"
A card slid out of his deck, which he held up. "Ebony Calling Card is activated from my deck! If Ebony Ninja is in play, both players draw two cards!" He proceeded to do so along with Haku. "Now I set one card face-down on my field and end my turn."
Haku drew. "First I discard a card from my hand. And now I'll destroy you! You made a mistake, letting me draw cards. I summon Hatred Avenger Ice Outcast!" (0/1000) A humanoid made of ice appeared on the field. "For every card you have in play, this monster's attack points are increased by 500!" (3500/1000) "Feel my rage! Attack Night Slasher with Freezing Blaster!"
"And you made a mistake thinking I'd be so easily defeated!" One of Ichigo's face-down cards flipped up. "I activate Ebony Illusion!" The air around his field became blurry. "Your attack is now redirected to the target of my choice…and that target is Lodestone Skull!"
The humanoid turned on one heel and punched its brother right in the face, blowing it apart. (3000/1000)
Haku- 2650
Ichigo- 2200
Haku clenched his teeth in anger. "I reveal Hatred Essence! When a Hatred Avenger on my field is destroyed, you take its original attack in damage!" A black cloud of energy exploded from the revealed card, which hurtled towards Ichigo will all the intent to knock his life points down to almost nothing.
Ichigo threw up his arms as the black cloud slammed into him, sending him stumbling back a little.
Haku- 2650
Ichigo- 200
"Also, because my trap went to my graveyard, I may add a Forest Curse magic card from my deck to my hand." Removing a card from his deck, Haku licked his lips at how close his victory was. "If you haven't realized by now, your life points are nearly gone. I wouldn't be so careless with what cards you play now, fool. I place two cards face-down…"
Ichigo's arm lowered slightly from his face, revealing that his eyes were burning with a determination that was completely different from the friendly demeanor he had shown earlier. ("I can't lose!")
"…and end my turn." Haku gave Ichigo a smug look. "Come, human. Show me your determination…."
To be continued…