Tournament of Tears
Chapter 44: Final reflection upon the darkness
Starlight Savior narrowed his eyes angrily. "….Draw." Sliding the top card off of his deck, he glanced at it and nodded. "I won't let you get away with this. Venus' special effect…when it is destroyed and sent to my graveyard, during my next draw phase if that card is a monster card I may special summon it!" Flipping the drawn card over, he smiled calmly. "Emerge, Planetary Aspect Saturn!" The ground split in half and everything was thrown into chaos as a massive form rose out of the ground. It was a humanoid wearing dark orange powered armor, and its very prescense seemed to cause destruction all around it. Cracks appeared in the structure's body, and a small earthquake shook the field. (2700/1300)
"What a big monster…too bad it will do you no good." Sestros started to smile as his hand reached for a button on his duel disk. ("My other Pitfall of Despair will clear away your last hope…") Suddenly the earthquake increased in magnitude, and his face-down card shattered. "Impossible…"
"Far from it." Starlight Savior pointed at his monster, which was no longer giving off that destructive energy. "When Saturn is summoned all face-down cards in play are destroyed and cannot be chained."
"So what? It still cannot match my monster in battle." The Torture King sneered. "Come and face my beast, hero."
Starlight Savior flipped the last card in his hand over. "I was waiting for the right time to use this card, and that time is now! I activate the magic card Star Filled Sky! All counters in play are removed, and for each one removed I gain 300 life points!" The Desolation Arch grew calm, its red glow vanishing. With a loud crack it shattered. "I see…once it has had counters on it, if it ever has no counters on it then it is destroyed. And now that your card is gone, the attack power of your beast returns to normal!" (2600/2000) "Saturn, attack with Obliteration of Eternity!"
Sestros threw up his hands to protect himself as the massive fist of Saturn punched his beast in the face and blew it apart.
Sestros- 1900
Starlight Savior- 3800
As the smoke caused the powerful punch cleared, Starlight Savior pointed at Sestros calmly. "No gimmicks, no jokes…I will beat you here and now, Torture King."
Lowering his arms, Sestros revealed that he was still sneering. "Come and prove that then. Actually, let me bring it to you! When I am done, the very world you wish to protect is going to be destroyed by your hands. And if you think what you have seen so far is the best that my deck can do then you are gravely mistaken!"
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The sky was now dark, as lightning crashed down in huge amounts. The world was in complete ruins, except for the single shining structure that indicated where the Infinity Trial was. And within that single light blue dome of light, the final duel of the Game of the Gods continued…
"Who is he?" Eri grimaced and crossed her arms across her chest. She had been watching this duel a few turns after it had started, but she could already tell that at least this guy was capable of dueling properly. "This Starlight Savior guy shows up to save us all from Sestros. I don't believe it."
Adriel nodded slowly, using a cloth to clean some dirt from his face. "Regardless though, all of our fates rest on his abilities. If he cannot win, then we are all doomed."
Nearby, Erian started to stir, but quickly collapsed once again.
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Starlight Savior and Sestros faced off, lightning still coming crashing down against the barrier that had formed around the structure outside. The only card on the field was Planetary Aspect Saturn, which continued to pulse with a dull aura of destructive energy. Neither player had any cards in their hand either.
Sestros- 1900
Starlight Savior- 3800
Sestros smirked and looked up at the lightning that seemed to pound against the barrier wildly. "I love the feeling…this feeling of power that courses through me because of my bared soul's deck. It makes me want to drag this duel out more, but I will acknowledge that you are competent enough to capitalize on such a mistake if I were to make it. Let us continue!" He drew. "I activate Card of Sanctity, which means both players draw until they are holding six cards in their hand!"
Both of them pulled a fresh hand of six cards from their decks, with Sestros still smirking and Starlight Savior looking dead serious.
Sestros placed a card onto his disk, and the air above him tore open to reveal a screaming dimension of fire. "I summon Desolation Soul; Apocalypse Bringer!" (400/200) A demonic humanoid wearing fire-red and black armor slowly lowered onto the field. "Now I play another Desolation Arch!" A new stone arch rose into the sky. "Apocalypse Bringer's effect activates now! By sacrificing my battle phase I can destroy a monster in play!"
Starlight Savior gasped as his mighty monster suddenly turned bright red and exploded.
"And as before, Desolation Arch deals you 100 points of damage!" A red beam of light launched from the Arch and slammed into the young man's chest, forcing him back. "Also, a counter is added to my card."
Sestros- 1900
Starlight Savior- 3700
Starlight Savior was forced to his knees, smoke rising from the point where he had sustained numerous Desolation Arch hits. "I'm…not done yet, Sestros!" Leaping to his feet, he reached for the top card of his deck.
"I'd hope not, because otherwise setting these two cards face-down on my field would have been a waste." The Torture King smiled deeply. "Well, now you may draw."
Snapping the top card off of his deck, Starlight Savior pointed at Sestros' left face-down card. "Saturn, when destroyed, allows me to destroy a face-down card in play during my next standby phase!" The card shuddered and shattered. "And now I play the magic card Solar Systematic."
Above his field nine orbs appeared in the air. The second, fifth, and sixth orbs lit up, their colors yellow, green and orange respectively. "This magic card can only activate when I have at least two or more Planetary Aspects in my graveyard. A math equation is applied to my field depending on which Aspects are in the graveyard. In my graveyard, going from the top to the bottom, is Saturn, Venus and then Jupiter." A large orange six appeared in the air above his head. "This is my base number."
Next to the six a yellow number two appeared. "Because of their order in the graveyard and their order in the range of planets, I now may use one of mathematic function on these two. I'll choose to subtract two from six and therefore my final number is four." A red four appeared in the air, while the other two numbers disappeared. "So tell me Sestros, do you know what the fourth planet from the sun is?"
The Torture King laughed. "When did this become astrology class?"
Removing a card from his deck, Starlight Savior slapped it down onto his disk and his field became engulfed in flames. "That would be Mars." The fire dissipated to reveal a humanoid male in red power armor. "Planetary Aspect Mars is here!" (1600/1500) "Attack Apocalypse Bringer now!" His monster started to chant, and forming strange symbols in the air with its hands. "Flames of War!" Sestros' monster howled in anguish as it suddenly burst into flames.
Sestros- 900
Starlight Savior- 3700
Sestros brushed some sparks from his clothing. "Very amusing…" His Desolation Arch blasted him from behind.
Sestros- 800
Starlight Savior- 3700
"I'm not done yet." The young man pointed at the Torture King. "When Mars destroys a monster as a result of battle the controller of the destroyed monster takes 300 life points of damage."
Sestros- 500
Starlight Savior- 3700
"You definitely hurt me with that…but I can easily recover! I reveal my face-down Ghoulish Delights trap card!" A card was spat out of his graveyard slot. "I select one monster in my graveyard and remove it from play, gaining its attack in life points!" He flipped the card over to reveal his Beast of Wrath. (2600/2000)
Sestros- 3100
Starlight Savior- 3700
("It looks like I won't be able to finish his life points off that easily after all.") Flipping one of his hand cards over, Starlight Savior pointed at his Mars. "I activate Fire Soul, which can only be used when Planetary Aspect Mars in is play. Two Fire Soul Tokens (500/500) are special summoned in defense mode!" Two balls of fire appeared on his field. "When these counters are destroyed you take 500 points of damage. Also, I place one card face-down and end my turn."
Sestros drew. "I place two cards on my field and end my turn." Even though he didn't summon, the look on his face said he had something planned.
Starlight Savior drew as well, his eyes glancing at all of the cards in his hand warily. "Mars, attack directly!" His monster started to chant again, once more forming those symbols in the air.
Sestros crossed his arms across his chest and snickered. "It's not that easy, you know. I activate the power of my set card." His body was surrounded by a black aura. "Dark Drain negates one attack against my life points and lets me gain half the attack of the negated monster in life points. Also, the negated monster loses half of its attack." (800/1500)
Sestros- 3900
Starlight Savior- 3700
Frowning, Starlight Savior inserted three more cards into his duel disk. "I place three more cards face-down on my field. End turn."
Sestros drew. "I activate Graceful Charity, drawing three cards and discarding two." After doing so he pointed at his set card. "Now I reveal my Call of the Haunted, reviving the monster I discarded!" A huge bone demon shaped like a bull appeared on his field. "My revival choice is Desolation Soul; Endless Bull." (1800/1900) "This monster may attack continuously as long as you have a monster in play. Also, I equip it with the equipment magic card Drill Horn!" The horns of the bone bull changed, becoming like a pair of drills. "The equipped monster gains 900 attack points and when it battles with a defense monster, if its attack is higher than the defense of the attacked monster, then you take damage equal to the difference." (2700/1900) "And don't forget that because there are two counters on my arch, my monster gains 400 attack points!" (3100/1900)
Starlight Savior grimaced as the bull demon charged in and ran down his Mars, trampling it and then tackling him, throwing him backwards until he hit the barrier erected by the structure.
Sestros- 3900
Starlight Savior- 1300 (-100 from Desolation Arch)
Sestros continued to smile while his bull monster returned to his field, pawing at the ground with its hooves. "In just one more attack you'll be defeated, so enjoy your last moments. Attack now!" His monster charged once more…
"No, I'm far from beaten!" Snapping up his hand, Starlight Savior pointed at one of his set cards. "I activate the trap card Big Bang Summon! When a monster on my field is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the graveyard I may special summon a level four or lower Planetary Aspect from my deck or hand to my field! Also, in response I activate the trap card Incorrect Fate, which activates when a trap card on my field is activated. After its effect resolves that trap card returns to my hand!" Big Bang Summon shimmered off the field and he removed it from his duel disk, adding it to his hand. "Now emerge, Planetary Aspect Mercury!" A fountain of light blue exploded from his field, revealing a male humanoid wearing light blue power armor. (1200/2000)
Sestros waited patiently for something to happen, however he found himself disappointed. "So you summoned that monster for no other purpose than to summon it? How pitiful…so now I'll attack and defeat your monsters! Go Endless Bull!" Roaring, the monster charged at Starlight Savior's newly summoned Aspect. "This is the end!"
"Not yet it isn't! Reverse card open!" Pointing at his set card, the young man watched as his Mercury stood up and punched the ground, sending a spray of bubbles into the bull's face. "Bubble Spray is a trap that activates when Mercury is in play. It allows me to negate all damage to me this turn and prevent you from attacking as well!"
Sestros chuckled. "Since you lost Mars, there are three counters on my Desolation Arch." (3300/1900) "End turn."
Starlight Savior drew. "Here we go, Sestros! During my standby phase Mars activates its effect. During the next of my standby phases after it is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, you take 1000 points of damage!" A torrent of fire exploded out of the ground and swallowed up the Torture King.
Sestros- 2900
Starlight Savior- 1300
Without even waiting for that effect to end, the young man inserted the rest of his hand into his disk. "I place four cards face-down and end my turn." Now every magic and trap space on his field was filled.
Sestros drew, smoke coming off of his body. "That was annoying…so let me return the favor by destroying you! Endless Bull, attack Mercury and end this duel!" Roaring once more, the bone bull monster charged at the Aspect with its horns lowered.
Starlight Savior gritted his teeth. "Here it goes, the all or nothing bet! Reverse card open!" His face-down card flipped up. "Shine Aqua Illusion triggers only when Mercury is in play!" A wall of water exploded around the Endless Bull and froze it solid. "This card equips to one monster on your field and prevents it from attacking, defending, or using its effect. In other words its not useful to you."
"What part of that was a gamble?" Sestros lifted his eyebrows questioningly.
"Not a thing. That's because the gamble is right here!" Another of Starlight Savior's set cards flipped up. "I reveal Death Coin Flip! At this time a coin is flipped, and you call what it lands on. If it lands on the side you called, then you select one monster on my field and destroy it. However, if you call it wrong then I may destroy a monster you have in play instead!" A giant golden coin appeared in the air between their fields. It launched into the air and then dropped rapidly.
"I call tails!" The Torture King watched the golden object crash down…with the heads side up. "Blast…" His Endless Bull shattered. "Regardless, as long as my Desolation Arch is in play I will have the power to attack you with my mighty monsters!"
"Who said you will?" Starlight Savior held up his Shine Aqua Illusion trap card. "When this card is equipped to a monster and sent to the graveyard, I may destroy one magic or trap card in play!" The Desolation Arch froze over. Cracks appeared along its surface and it shattered. "Now you have only two cards in your hand, and beyond that you're beaten. Give up, Sestros."
"Fool." The Torture King flipped one of the cards in his hand over. "I activate the magic card Approach of the End." A large grandfather clock made of bone appeared over his field. "In five turns, you will face my most powerful monster. For now though I set one card face-down on my field and end my turn."
Starlight Savior drew. "I switch Mercury into attack mode and attack directly! Go Mercury, Ice Shooter!" His monster lifted up one gauntlet and fired a storm of ice blades that hurtled towards Sestros field and pounded the Torture King's body. "End turn."
Sestros- 1700
Starlight Savior- 1300
Brushing the blade of ice from his body, the Torture King seemed unaffected by their sharpness. "Most others would be in pain, but of course I'm sure you know that pain simply fuels me." He drew and the single hand of the clock turned a fourth of the way around the face of the grandfather clock. "One counter is now on my card. Now I'll play the continuous magic card Desolation Time. This card allows me to add one card to any card in play for every 1000 points of damage I take. End turn."
Starlight Savior drew. "I switch one of my tokens into attack mode and attack directly with it!" One of his two Fire Soul Tokens launched across the field and slammed into Sestros' chest, leaving scorch marks across his clothing.
Sestros- 1200
Starlight Savior- 1300
The Torture King chuckled. "Ah, you intend to push me to just enough life points that Mercury will defeat me, correct?"
"That's right! Go Mercury, Ice Shooter!" His monster unleashed a spray of ice blades that slammed into the Torture King's chest. "That's the end!"
"Sorry to tell you otherwise…" The Torture King smiled coldly as the clock suddenly started to chime. "But you just brought about the end for me."
"What?" Starlight Savior looked at his life point counter. "Impossible…"
Sestros- 500
Starlight Savior- 1300
"Far from it." Sestros held up his set card. "This trap is called Torture King's Special Treatment. This card activates when a player takes battle damage. Before the damage is calculated the receiving player multiplies their life points by five times. Also, the damage they would be receiving is multiplied by five as well. Finally, they gain 500 life points. In other words, your 1200 points turned into 6000. My life points became 6000 as well, except I also gained 500 life points afterwards. In the end…that means six counters." Above him the clock started to crack. "Well, anything else you would like to do?"
Starlight Savior frowned deeply at this predicament. ("This guy has something planned, and there's nothing I can do about it.") "I place one card face-down. End turn."
Sestros looked down at his deck and then tilted his head back to start laughing crazily. "I love it! Let me show the ultimate power of my deck! This is the ultimate power because it will allow me to bring forth the ultimate god of darkness!" His hand rested on the top card of his deck. "Draw, and during my standby phase the effect of my Approach of the End sends all my cards to the graveyard!" His two face-up magic cards and the card in his hand were sucked into a vortex that appeared over his field. "However, in return for this cost…from my deck…" The structure around them faded away, surrounding them both in darkness. "Can you hear it? The cry of my soul's ultimate form?"
Huge pillars rose up into the sky, and slowly a room took shape around them. Immediately a source-less light came from somewhere, revealing that the room they stood in was made almost entirely of smooth black marble, sending a strange reflection of light across everything. The only thing that stood out was a gigantic black-glassed mirror behind the Torture King, standing nearly ten times his height and ten times his width.
Starlight Savior's eyes were wide in amazement at this place. "What is this?"
"This is my ultimate field magic card." Sestros smirked. "Mirazetsumei; Jigoku no Seisatsu."
("Mirror-Death; Hell of Reflection?") Starlight Savior glanced at the giant mirror behind the Torture King and continued to grimace. ("Something about this place is wrong…")
Sestros crossed his arms across his chest. "End turn."
To be continued…