Disclaimer: No I do not own Yugioh.
Tournament of Tears
Chapter 28: The Dark King's Requiem
As they entered the room, all three of the demons felt the cold grasp of the night against their bodies. Even they couldn't see their own noses in front of them, they knew they were being watched.
Ryu was the first to speak up. "Come out Sestros, I wish to have a talk with the Torture King." He felt his entire body shuddering over and over again. ("I can barely feel my legs.") His mistake was obvious now, and then upon deeper thought he realized that Midnight had planned this. ("He knew who Uremorus was, and knew to use that advantage against me by forcing me to use Bahamut for the criminal's judgment.") Now he barely had the power to stand up, much less battle against an opponent whose power was most likely equal to his maximum. ("That leaves either Ichigo or Eri. If Ichigo duels, then he might win but it will most likely cost him too much strength. And if Eri fights…") He felt his entire grow cold, almost as if Rikuo was somehow glaring at him, despite their distance apart. ("That wolf would attempt to murder me if she lost.")
"The Torture King?" A deep voice echoed out of the darkness. "My apologies Jourgen, but the Torture King is no longer here." The darkness started to withdraw, and a haunting melody played by an orchestra filled the room. "No…he has ceased to exist." And standing at the far end of the rather spacious and regal room stood the dark being that possessed the immortality of the night. Brushing back his black and purple robes, Sestros followed up by rubbing his thick beard with one hand, while his other hand clenched into a fist and then relaxed over and over again, creating a constant sound of flesh being pulled to its limit. "However, The Dark King will be more than glad to give you a challenge."
Ryu felt his legs tremble, and he instantly knew this was futile. ("I won't survive one single hit from any of his attacks. If I do this, it would only be to give Ichigo a chance to run for the other end of this room.") "That's fine…"
Suddenly Eri stepped forward and popped his neck casually. "Well, it looks like I'm up!" Without waiting for a response from Ryu, she lifted up her duel disk and stepped past him until she was about twenty feet from Sestros. "Alright then, are you ready? I'm in a hurry to see what this Game of the Gods thing is all about, and to be honest compared to that this duel will be pretty boring."
Sestros lifted up one hand slightly, and all around them the music changed as a trio of horribly pained female voices joined in chorus with the orchestra, though the sources of all this could not be seen. "Erika Amero, daughter of the traitor." He suddenly chuckled pleasantly. "You're just like your father, in that when the going gets tough you put on nonchalance about the situation." All around them the music started to reach its crescendo, and the Dark King's face slowly twisted into an angry scowl. "That is the trait that made me hate him." Somehow his voice remained above the increasing sound of the music. "I will accept this duel with pleasure. This will bring Rikuo to his best when he duels me, and that will make my duel against him all the more fun. I wish to experience his godhood in its full force!" Then the music cut off sharply. "Have you anything to say before we begin?"
"I never knew you liked to be suicidal." Eri brushed back a lock of her raven-black hair coldly. "You want my father's full power? The Destroyer of the Gods would suck you up easily, and then it would spit you out after it got a taste of your foul blood." Her hand stroked the top of her deck. "To be honest, Sestros, I knew that I would be facing you. I know your strategy, and my deck is ready for it! Duel!"
Erika- 4000
Sestros- 4000
Eri removed the top card from her deck and added to it her hand. ("I trust your skill.") Then she removed a separate card from her hand and placed it onto her field. "I set one monster face-down, along with two set cards." As these cards appeared on the field in front of her, she calmly pointed at Sestros. "It is your turn, Dark King."
Sestros brushed his hand across his deck and snickered. "Your deck is ready for mine? You've never my deck before, Inuhime."
Eri's right ear twitched slightly as that title reached her, but otherwise she didn't respond.
Slowly, Sestros lifted up his hand of cards and fanned them out, revealing that each one of them were stained by steaks of brown and red. "Do you know what these cards are covered with?"
Eri knew, if just by smell. "Blood."
"Indeed. Do you know why these cards are covered in blood?" Licking his lips, The Dark King's eyes flashed blood red. "Because these aren't cards. These are the occupants of my new kingdom. I forced them into these cards…and it wasn't pretty at all. What I summon will not be a shadow-fueled illusion. No, they will be real monsters capable of real damage!" All around them the air seemed to twist and warp. "I play the field magic card The Dark World!" As the twisting of the atmosphere stopped, it was obvious that nothing had changed. "Within this place, you will be destroyed. Outside of our draw phases, any cards drawn are sent to our graveyard without being able to be chained."
Eri didn't seem surprised, despite the slight grimace she could feel developing on Ryu's face. ("It's just as he said.")
Sestros lifted up another card. "Now I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two cards." Removing two cards from his deck, the Dark King sneered as a pair of shadow claws suddenly appeared in front of him and snatched the cards from his hand. "Of course, this means nothing to me! One of the discarded was Zure, Knight of Dark World, and the other was Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World. Zure simply goes to my graveyard, but Beiige's special ability is that when it is discarded to the graveyard by a card effect that it is special summoned to my field!" A snarling blind-folded demon holding a spear appeared on the field. (1600/1400)
Eri looked disturbingly calm. "Is that all? I would have thought more from you, Sestros."
The Dark King continued to snicker. "Your bait won't work. I play Upstart Goblin, which allows me to draw one card and gives you 1000 life points." Removing the top card of his deck, Sestros casually discarded it into his graveyard. "The card was the trap card Funeral Procession, which when sent from my hand to the graveyard allows me to draw a card during my next turn."
Erika- 5000
Sestros- 4000
Without skipping a beat, a new card slammed onto his disk. "Now I summon Scarr, Scout of the Dark World (500/500) to my field in attack mode!" A large red bull-demon appeared on the field and growled in displeasure. "Now then, my next move is to play the magic card Dark Charger. During my next draw phase I may draw an extra card." His hand lifted to point at the set monster on Eri's field. "Beiige, attack!" His demon leapt across the field and stabbed the set monster, blowing it apart.
Eri casually removed a card from her deck and placed it down onto her disk. "Pyramid Turtle (1200/1400) activates its effect when it is destroyed as a result of battle and goes to a graveyard. I may special summon a zombie type monster with defense points of 2000 or less from my deck to my field!" A black-robed pale-faced man appeared on her field. "I special summon Vampire Lord (2000/1500) in attack mode."
Sestros inserted a card into his disk. "I will place a card face-down on my field and end my turn."
Eri drew and lifted up the drawn card. "I activate the magic card Sarcophagus of Sorrow. By discarding one undead type monster from my hand to my graveyard, I can search for a level four or lower undead type monster in my deck and add it to my hand. I discard Ryu Kokki and add Immortal Werewolf to my hand!" As she did this, she watched Sestros' reactions carefully. However, he barely moved at all. "Now I summon my Werewolf!" A loud howl came from her field as a large grey-furred werewolf appeared in play. (1200/1000) "Go Immortal Werewolf, attack Scarr now!" She smiled slightly as she watched her creature bite into the bull-demon and easily snap its neck. "One down, one to go."
Erika- 5000
Sestros- 3300
Sestros removed a card from his deck. "When Scarr is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to a graveyard, I may add one level four or lower Dark World monster from my deck to my hand. My choice is Brron, Mad King of Dark World."
Eri pointed at Beiige. "Tear that weakling down as well, go Vampire Lord!" Her monster snapped his cape out and a blast of wind hit the creature, blowing it apart.
Erika- 5000
Sestros- 2900
Sestros placed a hand on his deck. "As per the effect of Vampire Lord, when you destroy a monster as a result of battle you may call one card type. I must then discard a card of that type from my deck. Please, call your card type."
Eri snickered at him. "I'll pass. No matter what I call you'll gain an advantage, as you have monster, magic, and trap cards that all activate when sent to the graveyard from any location. End turn for now."
Sestros actually cracked a smile that was of amusement, not mockery. ("Clever girl, she learned from her father well about different deck methods if she can understand that concept.") It was true, he had cards in his deck that would give him a definite advantage if sent from his deck to his graveyard. "Very well, I draw two cards as per the effect of Dark Charger." Another card left his deck. "Also, the effect of Funeral Procession lets me draw one card." That card was yanked out of his hand by a shadow claw. "And of course my field magic card discards it. Now then, I activate my face-down trap card Double Draw!" His face-down card flipped up to reveal a picture of a pair of duelists smiling at each other as they both drew two cards. "This trap allows both duelists to draw two cards if they wish."
Eri scoffed. "Do I look stupid to you?"
"No, I suppose not." Removing the top two cards of his deck, the Dark King smiled as they disappeared and then reappeared on his field. "Those cards are sent to the graveyard, and then one of them activates! That is my Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, which special summons itself when discarded by an effect!" (2300/1400) A large four-legged golden demon appeared on his field. "Now then, let us continue with this duel! I summon Brron, Mad King of Dark World!" (1800/400) A crazy-looking demon with braided hair appeared on his field. "Go Goldd, slash down that Vampire Lord!"
Eri barely flinched as her monster was slashed to bloody bits. "Are you sure you wish to attack my Immortal Werewolf?"
Erika- 4700
Sestros- 2900
"But of course!" Sestros laughed loudly as his demon slashed the werewolf apart with its claws.
Erika- 4100
Sestros- 2900
Eri snickered as her Immortal Werewolf reappeared on her field. "When Immortal Werewolf is sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, I may special summon another one from my deck with an extra 500 attack points!" (1700/1000) "Sorry, you failed."
"Did I now?" Sestros suddenly inserted one of his hand cards into his graveyard slot. "When Brron deals you life point damage, I may discard a card from my hand. My choice is Platinuum, Emperor of Dark World!" A giant shining demon appeared on his field. "When this card is discarded because of an effect, it is special summoned. Afterwards, if I cannot sacrifice two demon type monsters from my field it is destroyed!" He calmly watched as the giant demon turned and devoured his other two monsters. (3000/2300) "When Platinuum is summoned, I may draw three cards." Sliding three cards off of his deck, he arrogantly waved his hand in front of her. "And the Dark World cannot discard cards drawn by the effect of a card with Dark World in its title."
Eri watched as the shiny demon suddenly leapt across the field to tear her Immortal Werewolf apart. As her monster howled in pain and exploded, her eyes reflected something that Sestros hated. Confidence.
Erika- 2800
Sestros- 2900
As another Immortal Werewolf appeared on her field, Eri looked at her hand and smiled slightly again. ("All according to plan.") (2200/1000)
Sestros inserted two cards into his duel disk. "I place these two cards face-down and end my turn. I suggest you re-evaluate your situation though, because if you haven't figured it out yet you're on the verge of death already. With these two face-down cards, I will set up the true power of the Dark World."
Eri drew. "I'm sorry, but I refuse to take anyone seriously if don't have the common sense to keep their cards clean." Then she inserted her Immortal Werewolf into the graveyard. "I offer my monster as a sacrifice to the magic card Sarcophagus of Hope. During my next turn I may special summon a monster from my deck with level stars equal to the level stars of the sacrificed monster plus two."
"That means you have no monsters to protect yourself during my next turn." Sestros stated this openly, because he knew that she wasn't so stupid to throw out her monster without having another in her hand. "Bring out your weakling so I can crush it!"
"Weakling?" Eri asked in complete confusion, it evident in her voice. "Do you mean this guy?" One of her two hand cards was inserted into her disk. "I activate the continuous magic card Call of the Mummy. If I have no monsters in play, once per turn, I may special summon a zombie type monster from my hand without sacrifice!" A loud cackling shook the ground beneath them. "Now I'll show you just how weak my choice is!" A giant shadowed form exploded out of the ground behind her, the only visible things were its two giant claws, its slotted eyes, and its teeth. "Despair from the Dark!" (2800/3000)
Sestros didn't look impressed. "So, you intend to defend? That sounds like Rikuo's strategy…"
"Well you're not dueling my father, you're dueling me!" Her monster cackled again and suddenly extended one of its claws towards Sestros' Platinuum.
This surprised the Dark King. "You intend to sacrifice your monster by attacking mine?"
"Who's that stupid?" Eri pointed at one of her now face-up cards. "Blood Moon is a continuous trap card that raises the attack of all undead type monsters in play by 200 per undead monster in play." Her Despair from the Dark grew a little larger. (3000/3000)
"Then you intent to sacrifice your monster to kill mine, how foolish…" Sestros started to laugh, but was quickly silenced as Eri's other face-down card flipped up. "That cannot be...Call of the Haunted?"
"Right." Eri watched as he graveyard slot started to glow. "I may special summon one monster from my graveyard in attack mode. My choice is Ryu Kokki!" A giant snake made of bone appeared on her field. (2400/2000) "Blood Moon powers both of my monsters up even more!" (3200/3000) (2800/1500)
Sestros growled as his Platinuum was slashed to nothingness.
Erika- 2800
Sestros- 2700
"It's the end Sestros, direct attack!" Her Ryu Kokki charged in, and immediately was stopped by a giant pulsing barrier of ectoplasm. "Why am I not surprised. Shield of Dead Spirits, correct?"
"There's nothing wrong with the classics." Sestros removed his Scarr from his graveyard. "This continuous trap lets me remove a demon or undead type monster from my graveyard to negate one attack."
"If that was your face-down, why let me destroy your Emperor?" Eri suddenly felt very uneasy. ("Something about this smells like a trap…")
Sestros drew. "Because during my standby phase I can use the effect of my Emperor to discard two cards from my hand to special summon it. When this happens, I may also destroy two cards in play!" As his shiny demon appeared on the field, he sneered as Eri's Blood Moon and Call of the Haunted shattered, the latter causing her Ryu Kokki to explode as well. "Platinuum, attack Despair from the Dark now!" His monster howled and belched out a blast of black energy that slammed into the titanic zombie and destroyed it.
Erika- 2600
Sestros- 2700
Sestros bowed to Eri. "It's your move, Inuhime-sama."
Eri felt her right eye tick in anger…and then she remembered what she had done last turn. "Joke it up Sestros, because as soon as my turn starts you aren't going to be laughing. In fact, I promise this next move will show you just how little things have changed!" Drawing the top card of her deck, she looked at it and actually had to stifle a giggle. "It's too beautiful…"
"Excuse me?" Sestros frowned slightly, not understanding why she was smiling so much. "What are you babbling about?"
"I'm 'babbling' about this card!" Eri opened her field magic card slot. "I activate the field magic card Divine Gear Fortress!" All around them the darkness was shattered by a purifying light that fell over the field, nearly blinding everyone watching. As that light faded away, it revealed the fact that they stood inside what looked to be the internals of a giant clock-tower. But the thing that made this place special was the fact that everything was either as white as pure snow, mostly the stone, or pure gold, mostly the gears and moving parts.
"Divine…Gear Fortress?" Sestros felt momentarily confused. "What kind of zombie card is this?"
"Zombie card?" Eri tapped the side of her head gently. "Who ever said my deck was a zombie deck?"
"Well if it's not a zombie deck, what is it? Where did you get these cards from?" Sestros suddenly rather uncomfortable in this place. It was like its mere existence was causing him to crave the darkness like an addict going into withdrawals.
Eri glanced back at Ichigo, who just stared at the surroundings in a kind of child-like wonder. "Just looking at him should tell you where these cards came from."
Sestros looked at Ichigo's strangely relaxed and innocent face for a few moments, and then he took a couple of steps back in surprise. "No, it can't be…he's dead! Midnight told me himself, he's dead!"
"Dead or not, it doesn't change the fact that this deck is the last deck of Daniel Pilkington." Eri felt her confidence skyrocket. In this place she wouldn't lose to the likes of this slime. "For all you have done to the Pilkington family...for all the pain Ichigo has suffered because of what you did to his mother…and finally just because it's apparently become family tradition to beat you around…I will win!" Suddenly the clear and crystalline sounds of the tower's bells reached down to them. "Sarcophagus of Hope's special ability activates now!" Removing her deck from its slot, Eri fanned the cards out and made her choice. "I choose this creature! Equitas Aetas-Epoch Vir!"
Sestros, Ichigo and Ryu all watched in amazement as a ball of light lowered onto Eri's field. The light slowly faded to reveal a humanoid warrior in golden armor. It slowly smiled through its clear face-plate, and lifted one golden arm up slowly, the sound of turning gears accompanying it. (2200/1000)
Eri just smiled and flexed her fingers. "Epoch Vir, attack Platinuum now!"
"What?" Both Ryu and Sestros said this at once, mostly because the surprise from this development still had them both rather shocked.
Ichigo just crossed his arms across his chest and smiled as well. "That sounds about right."
Eri nodded. "Divine Gear Fortress' effect increases the attack power of any Equitas Aetas monster by 1000 when it attacks a stronger monster!" (3200/1000)
The humanoid's armor suddenly exploded out the back, a pair of massive golden wings stretching towards the holographic sunlight that streamed in through the face of the clock-tower. And then it was a raging rocket of golden light, quickly covering the distance between itself and the demon in a matter of moments.
Sestros, however, wasn't caught off-guard. "Shield of Dead Spirits activates now!" A wall of white ectoplasm sprang up, and then dissipated like mist caught in a strong wind. Before the Dark King could protest his monster was slashed into pieces.
Erika- 2600
Sestros- 2500
Eri pointed at her Call of the Mummy card, which dissolved into nothing. "When Epoch Vir attacks, I may send a magic or trap on my field to the graveyard to negate and destroy any trap activated in response to its attack."
Sestros licked his lips once more. "Silly girl, don't you understand what you just did? During my next turn I will have two cards in my hand, which will let me revive Platinuum and destroy your field! You just lost!"
"Is that so?" Eri grinned and rubbed her index finger under her nose. "Any monster destroyed by Epoch Vir as a result of battle is removed from the game. Too bad."
Listening to Sestros snarl of anger, she felt her chest puff up a little. "This is the power of the man whose family you messed with!"
Sestros had nothing to say to that, so all he did was continue to snarl.
Eri smirked. "End turn."
To be continued…