Tournament of Tears
Chapter 33: Let the Sun burn upon the earth; Game of the Gods part three
Ichigo smiled, shaking off the dizziness that had hit him. "From the looks of it, Midnight…you're running out of time."
"Perhaps…" The dark god was more concerned now with that mysterious source of energy than with his current duel. "…perhaps…"
Ichigo snapped up his hand and pointed at the dark god. "My battle phase isn't done yet. Penultimate Cyber, attack Midnight's life points directly!" His metallic warrior released a powerful blast of black and grey energy that slammed into Midnight's stomach and forced him back on his heels. "Looks like it was over anyway."
Ichigo- 3800
Midnight- 1500
"Not yet, boy!" Midnight brushed his robes free of dirt and pointed to his field. "I activated my face-down Emergency Provisions magic card, sending my face-down card and Eternal Charge to the graveyard to gain 2000 life points. Also, I triggered my face-down Jar of Greed trap card in response, letting me draw one card." A single card appeared in the air above him, and he frowned at what it was. ("Astral Drain? That card is useless to me at the current moment.")
Ichigo inserted two cards into his disk. "I place two cards face-down on my field and end my turn." As the cards appeared in play behind his Penultimate Cyber, he started to realize just how close he was getting to ending this duel. ("Midnight is left with very little resources at this rate.")
Waving his hand, the dark god watched as another card appeared in the air next to his magic card. "Ah, that is much better. I summon Mystic Tomato (1400/1100) in defense mode." A huge tomato with a snickering face appeared in play. "Then I activate the magic card Astral Drain. This card can only be activated when I have a dark attribute monster in play. You lose 900 life points and I gain 900 life points. End turn."
Ichigo- 2900
Midnight- 2400
Ichigo snapped the top card off of his deck. "This is the end for you, Midnight. You're out of options." Flipping the drawn card over, he revealed a picture of a very large robot, armed to the metaphorical teeth with weapons. "This is the last turn of the magic card Climax Hour, meaning that Assault Robot is special summoned from my hand to the field." (2700/2000) The machine shown in the picture appeared next to Ichigo's Penultimate Cyber. "Also, I summon the last Robot Minion!" (1500/1000) A smaller and much more plain machine appeared in play next to the much more impressive Assault Robot.
Midnight closed his eyes in resignation.
"Robot Minion, attack Mystic Tomato now!" Ichigo watched as his machine lifted its arm and fired a red beam of light that slashed the tomato in half.
"Mystic Tomato's special ability activates now." Midnight pointed at his field, where another Mystic Tomato shimmered into existence, this one in attack mode. "When Mystic Tomato is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to a graveyard, it special summons a dark attribute monster with 1500 or less attack points to my field from my deck. My choice is another Mystic Tomato."
Ichigo pointed at the new creature. "Penultimate Cyber, attack now! Cyber Slash!" His machine warrior released another blast of energy which struck the Tomato and shattered it.
Ichigo- 2900
Midnight- 1400
Midnight waved his hand and another Mystic Tomato appeared. "Once more I summon a Mystic Tomato through the effect of its brother."
"And I strike it down with Assault Robot!" Ichigo's machine fired a volley of gatling rounds that easily decimated the plant creature.
Ichigo- 2900
Midnight- 100
Suddenly Midnight smiled. "Ichigo…your mistake was your confidence that I was defeated! Duel Prescense number two triggers now!" A black/purple aura sprang to life around his body. "When three monsters on my field are destroyed as a result of battle in rapid succession, I can special summon Hakabasenritsu from the graveyard back to play!"
Ichigo dropped to his knees and pressed his ears against his skull as that hellish melody started again, signaling the fact that the rotted undead queen of the graveyards was back. (5000/5000)
Midnight waved his hand and a furry three-eyed demon appeared on his field. "By the effect of my last Mystic Tomato, I special summon Sangan to my field in attack mode!" (1000/600)
"End turn." Ichigo knew that this might be it. "Midnight, does Hakabasenritsuryu keep its tier four abilities when special summoned in this way?"
"Yes." Midnight lifted up one hand reassuringly. "However, it cannot attack." Waving his hand, he watched as a card appeared in the air above him. "I offer one card from my hand to special summon a monster from your graveyard!"
Ichigo's hand was moving faster than he thought possible as it pressed the button on the slots for one of his set cards. "Reverse card open, Nightwatch! During this turn, you cannot target cards in my graveyard with effects. Also, if this card is activated in response to such a card effect I may draw two cards." Adding two cards from his deck to his hand, he watched as a rotted version of one of Midnight's Mystic Tomato's was special summoned. (2800/1100)
The dark god wasn't very worried. "Mystic Tomato, attack Assault Robot now!" His monster opened its jaws and sprayed out a foul cloud of brown-green smoke that enveloped and rusted Ichigo's machine instantly.
Ichigo- 2700
Midnight- 100
Glancing at his Sangan, Midnight nodded approvingly when it crouched down defensively as it switched to defense mode. "End turn."
Ichigo removed the top card of his deck, but after looking at it realized that nothing in his hand could stop the overwhelming power that Hakabasenritsu brought to Midnight's field. "I place two cards face-down, switch Penultimate Cyber to defense mode, and then attack Sangan with Robot Minion!"
Midnight chuckled as a beam of red light tore his little demon apart. "When Sangan is sent from the field to the graveyard I may add a monster card with 1500 or less attack points from my deck to my hand." A card appeared in the air above him. Waving his hand again another card appeared before him. "Hakabasenritsuryu's effect triggers now. I send one card from my hand to my graveyard to special summon…"
Ichigo pointed at one of his face-down cards and it flipped up. "Double Shift activates now! This continuous trap card triggers only if there is a Nightwatch in my graveyard. While this card is face-up on the field you cannot target my graveyard with your card effects."
Midnight frowned as another rotted Mystic Tomato appeared on his field. (2800/1100) "I summon Dark Dealer in defense mode." A blue-skinned demon dressed as a card dealer for a casino appeared in play. "I activate its effect. When it is summoned, I gain 1000 life points."
Ichigo- 2700
Midnight- 1100
"After my life gain a coin is flipped. If it lands on heads, my life points are doubled. If it lands on tails, my life points are halved." Midnight nodded to the dealer. "Do it." The creature drew the top card of its deck of playing cards to reveal a black faced card. "That counts as heads." His monster faded away. "After the effect resolves my Dealer is sent to the graveyard."
Ichigo- 2700
Midnight- 2200
Midnight pointed at Ichigo's two monsters. "Now I attack with my full strength! Double Rotten Doom!" His two undead tomatoes sprayed Ichigo's monsters with smoke and rusted them into nothing.
Ichigo pointed at one of his set cards. "I reveal Security Clearance Level 1! This trap card activates when a monster on my field leaves play. During this turn all damage to me is zero!" He drew a card from his deck. "Also, when a Robot Minion is destroyed as a result of battle they allow me to draw a card, which I think I will."
"I end my turn." Midnight looked at his graveyard. ("During my next turn, I will be able to revive a third Mystic Tomato. That will give me the final blow against this boy.")
Ichigo stared down at his deck worriedly. ("What am I supposed to do?") He realized he was doubting himself and quickly shook his head wildly to bring himself back to senses, leaving his hair in a rather strange poofed-out state. "Draw." The drawn card shimmered aquamarine in color to his eyes. "Midnight, I'm far from beaten yet. I place one card face-down and end my turn." As a card appeared on other side of his Double Shift trap card, he felt alarm spread through the members of humanity who had recovered from the dragon's first symphony.
Midnight snapped his fingers and a card appeared before him. "Your traps will not affect Hakabasenritsuryu, and therefore I have your number in this duel! Mystic Tomato, direct attack for the game! Rotten Doom!" His tomato bellowed out another cloud of brown-green gas, this one headed straight for Ichigo.
Ichigo smiled gently at the absolute despair he could sense coming from the whole of humanity as they watched their apparent protector about to be struck down. "Reverse…card…open."
"I told you it's useless…" Midnight's breath caught in his throat as he realized what the face-up card on Ichigo's field was. "Crossed Brethren?"
"That's right." Ichigo stood his ground against the approaching cloud of death. "The effect of Crossed Brethren allows me to special summon the polar opposite of Hakabasenritsuryu from my deck to my field!" A loud chittering came from the air above him as a large crystal cocoon lowered into play. "Emerge now, Time Weaver Dragon; Jikanshokkouryu!" (4300/3000) A large insectoid dragon exploded out of the cocoon, hissing at the Graveyard Melody Dragon.
Midnight felt sweat starting to develop on his forehead. ("Once more he summons one of those accursed Divine Angel God Cards to counter my Dark Demon God Cards?")
Ichigo felt it, the strange wonderment he had felt when he first saw this curious God Card for the first time. It was coming from the world as a whole, even Midnight was captivated. And Hakabasenritsuryu didn't like that one bit…apparently she was used to being the center of attention and of fear. ("So that's why you and her are opposites, eh?")
The Graveyard Melody Dragon snapped its head up, throat rippling as it prepared to start its soul-sucking song once more.
"Oh no you don't!" Ichigo nodded to the Time Weaver Dragon. "Jikanshokkouryu's special ability activates now! Temporal Banishment!" His monster let out a beautiful roar and suddenly disappeared within a pulsing vortex that appeared in the sky above. "All monsters will be sent to the graveyard and banished there, unable to return while Jikanshokkouryu remains there!"
"Hakabasenritsuryu is immune to the effects of your monsters!" Midnight watched as the vortex suddenly widened, pulling his massive Graveyard Melody Dragon into its endless depths, and taking his two tomatoes with it. "It worked because it was the effect of another tier four God Card?"
Ichigo nodded. "That's right. If I'm correct, you're all out of God Cards Midnight." He felt it now, the cheering in his head wasn't from his own ego this time. It was the cheering of the rest of the world. "Two down, and now there's just one left to deal with."
"Deal…with?" Midnight suddenly threw back his head in wild laughter, breaking his ferocious appearance and replacing it with one much scarier…the appearance of a madman.
Ichigo felt very worried all of a sudden. "What's so funny?"
"What's funny is that you know nothing of what you face, do you boy?" Midnight snapped his hand out and slowly closed it into a fist. "Hear me, creature of the blazing sun and of war! I, your master, command you!"
Ichigo snarled as all the hairs on his entire body stood on end. ("This feels bad. Midnight shouldn't be this calm, considering…") Then he realized what was wrong. ("I've been able to match him god for god during this duel, but this time…I don't have the counter to defeat the third Dark Demon God Card.")
Midnight's robes started to change slowly, changing from pure black to a bright gold. "The Duel Prescense of my monster calls it from my deck to my hand at the cost of all other cards on my field!" The single card above his head lit aflame, instantly being destroyed. All around him, Midnight felt the heat and light grow brighter and brighter. "You can hear me now, my ultimate god. This interloper dares to challenge you…"
Ichigo felt the heat coming from Midnight's now pure gold robes…it was nearly killing him. ("This isn't good…Halo has the protective shields up full blast and they're still nearly tearing it all down.")
"Feel my blazing fury, Ichigo Pilkington! You will be the representative that humanity has sent to experience the mighty fire of the final dragon. Let us see how long you can last, because I grow weary of playing the game of back and forth." Revealing his fangs, the dark god felt the heat of his power burning to nearly supernova levels, and yet somehow the stone was unaffected by such immense radiation. "You think you have had me on the ropes this entire duel, haven't you?" He barked out a sharp laugh. "The one being played with is you, boy!"
The dark clouds that held over the planet were being pushed away, in fact the very atmosphere was burning up as a giant ball of golden flame slowly approached the city from the depths of space. "There is no monster that can possibly stand against this creature. It has never been defeated in battle, and I promise that even your miracles won't be enough against such a creature!"
Ichigo watched the falling ball with fear in his eyes, for the first time in this duel he wasn't sure what to do. His thoughts weren't in the game…he wasn't mentally thinking up possible plays to protect himself. His only thoughts were terror and the need to run. ("Its sheer prescense…humanity's fears are so overwhelming I can't think straight!")
Midnight suddenly grew silent as the ball lowered to just a few inches from the ground before him. "It comes. The Undefeated Sun Dragon; Mutekitaiyouryu!" The fireball was blown away as a huge golden draconic form erupted from within its depths. That flaming form condensed on his field rapidly, growing smaller and smaller…and finally extinguishing, leaving a screeching gold bird-like dragon no bigger than a human child on Midnight's field. (500/500)
Ichigo just stood there, eyes wide in utter shock. "W…W…What…is…that?"
Midnight just smirked. "This is the instrument of your destruction, Ichigo. This is the Undefeated Sun Dragon; Mutekitaiyouryu. I have summoned it in defense mode. End turn."
Silence held over the whole world…and then Ichigo voiced the thoughts of the whole world through one word. "Huh?"
To be continued…