45. Ghost Duel, Power of The Shadows
"It's too dark to see!" Sophia whined as the group entered, Doxx and Hide still helping Kyu.
"Kyu are you ok?" Violet asked, waving her hand in front of his face.
"Yeah, just a little tired..." Kyu sort of laughed.
"Welcome to my lair!" A sudden voice said. Lights turned on, revealing a stage. The curtains opened and a Rare Hunter appeared. He threw off his robe, revealing his white and blue jump suit, accompanied with a long shredded scarf around his neck that dragged on the floor.
"Who are you?" Doxx asked.
"My fellow Rare Hunters call me Ghost Ryder!" Ryder said with a evil grin. "And one of you will dueling me today!"
"Where's Yukie!" Hide shouted.
"Behind a series of rooms after this one, you won't make it out unless a duel has been won, once you get to the card vault, your prize awaits, but this doesn't mean our goal won't be fulfilled." Ryder said, holding up a duel disk.
"Now now... Kyu, you'll be my opponent today! I've heard such sweet things about you, it's about time someone shut you down!" Ryder said, pointing his finger down at the tired Kyu.
"Kyu's in no shape to duel, after facing all those Rare Hunters a room earlier, he's exhausted!" Hide said.
"Aww, sad." Ryder said. "Well then, who shall I duel, decisions, decisions."
"Screw this..." Sophia thought, turning toward the door.
"Nah uh uh little lady." Ryder said. "Once those doors close, they automatically lock, it's a one way trip."
"What!" Sophia growled. "I shouldn't even be here in the first place!"
"You seem quite spunky." Ryder chuckled. "You, little lady, will be my opponent!"
"Me! Now way, I'm not going to duel a rare hunter!" Sophia said, pointing at Ryder.
"Why not? I'm not asking you, I'm forcing you to..." Ryder said in a violent voice. His smirk grew into an evil grin, suddenly there was a powerful dark fog appearing through his shredded scarf and around the field.
"W-w-what is this!" Genesis said, looking around, shuddering.
"This, my friends, is the Shadow Realm..." Ryder chuckled.
"Oh! I've heard of this kind of thing before!" Doxx gasped. "People many centuries ago used this type of black magic to decipher people's fate with these..."
"Get out!" Genesis yelled at Doxx.
"So unless I get a duelist here, all of your souls will become locked away, never to see another speck of daylight..." Ryder said.
"Sophia just go!" Genesis said, pushing her in front of the group.
"Fine, but if I lose, it'll be your head!" Sophia said, holding up her duel disk.
Ryder and Sophia set the duel field up on the stage. "Ok, little lady, let's get this going!" Ryder said as his life points rose to 4000 and Sophia's to 4000.
"Duel!" They both announced.
"Draw!" Ryder announced, drawing his card. "And I'll summon this, Headless Knight! (1450/1700)"
"What! A ghost!" Sophia squeaked.
"Yes little lady, it appears my deck is full of any kind of creature that'll give you chills..." Ryder laughed as there was a low sound of something dragging.
A full suit of armor came walking up, appearing out of no where, dragging it's sword on the ground. Sophia took a step back. "No way! This is way too creepy!" She said as the fog grew stronger around them.
"But dear, the Shadow Realm calls for you to duel, not to waste time." Ryder chuckled. "Next, I'll set a card face down and end my turn."
"D-d-draw..." Sophia stuttered, taking her next card. The fog made her feel weak and her eyes went blur when she tried to pay attention. "Valkyrie Dritt! In defense mode (1600/1000)"
"A sweet woman of a monster." Ryder said as an orange haired, horse riding warrior appeared on the field.
"I'll end my turn now." Sophia announced. "I should keep my defense, I have no clue what this guy could be hiding, so I'll need to be prepared..."
"Draw..." Ryder announced. "Now! I'll sacrifice Headless Knight so I can summon this, Ghost Count! (2000/700)"
"No! That's way stronger than my monster's defense!" Sophia squeaked as a ugly zombie dressed formally, appeared on the field wielding a long rapier.
"That's not all! I'll activate this, Raise Dead! In order to bring back my Headless Knight! (1450/1700)" Ryder announced as the suit of armor appeared on the field. "Now, Ghost Count destroy her Valkyrie!"
The zombie lunged forward, slashing it's sword across the valkyrie, destroying her. "Next, Headless Knight! Attack her life points directly!" Ryder shouted wildly. The knight dove forward, slashing his sword across Sophia's chest.
Sophia cried out, grabbing her chest as her life points reduced to 2550. "Hurts doesn't it... Yes the power of the Shadow Realm makes holograms look like nothing, because within this realm, all monsters are real..."
"Shut up! That isn't true, it's impossible!" Sophia shouted, freaking out.
"Sophia! Don't lose your cool, keep calm and play out this duel!" Doxx shouted.
"Shut up! I can do this without your stinking help!" Sophia said, pointing at Doxx.
"This ends my turn." Ryder announced.
"Draw..." Sophia announced. Suddenly Sophia smiled. "Now! I'll activate this, Cost Down! Reducing all levels of monsters in my hand by two!"
"Don't think so." Ryder smiled. "I reveal my trap card! Magic Boundary!"
"What!" Sophia said.
"By discarding three cards from my hand, your magic card is negated, also, you lose five hundred life points." Ryder said, smiling evilly as Sophia's magic card exploded, reducing her life points to 2050.
"No..." Sophia gasped.
"Sophia! Please tell me you have other cards that'll take this guy down!" Genesis said.
"Shut up! I can't focus if you're all talking to me!" Sophia said, irritated. Suddenly she smiled. "I'll set three cards face down and end my turn."
"Oh come on, a toddler can lie better than you can." Ryder laughed. "All your face down cards aren't worth crap."
"This guy is really twisted..." Violet said.
"Now, I'll start my turn." Ryder announced, taking his next card. "Now! Ghost Count, attack her life points directly!"
The zombie dove forward, slashing his sword down across Sophia's chest, sending her to the ground. Sophia clutched the cards in her hand as her life points reduced to 50.
"Already down to your last fifty life points..." Ryder laughed. "But still, I'd like to see you actually try something. I'll set one card face down. My turn ends from here."
"This is a sick person!" Hide said.
"Yeah, even thought he could've taken the win, he wants Sophia to keep dueling, this should be a good thing, but all he's doing is toying with her..." Violet thought.
"Draw..." Sophia announced, then smiled. "I actually have a card that might be good to me."
"Then let's see it." Ryder said with an evil grin.
"Now! I'll reveal one of my face down cards, Walkuren Ritt!" Sophia announced.
"Alright! Sophia's personal card!" Doxx said with an arm thrust.
"This allows me to summon all valkyrie monsters from my hand! So now! I bring forth Valkyrie Dritt (1000/1600), Valkyrie Sovite (1600/1600), and Valkyrie Brunhilde! (1800/2000)"
"The effect of my Valkyrie Brunhilde is activated! It gains three hundred attack points for each warrior on the field!" Sophia said as her blue haired Valkyrie's attack points rose to 2400. "Now, my Valkyrie Sovite's effect is activated! It allows me to remove a monster on your field from play, so say bye to your Ghost Count!"
Suddenly the rapier wielding zombie vanished. "And with that, my Valkyrie Dritt gains one hundred attack points!" Sophia said as the orange haired valkyrie grew to 1100.
"Oh my, I'm so scared..." Ryder said.
"You should be!" Sophia said. "Valkyrie Brunhilde! Destroy his Ghost Count!"
The blue haired valkyrie commanded her horse to charge, and as it charged she unsheathed her sword, slashing it across the zombie, destroying it.
Ryder just stood there, smiling as his life points reduced to 3600. "Now! Valkyrie Sovite, destroy his Headless Knight!" Sophia screamed, pointing.
"Activate trap card!" Ryder announced. "Ghost Shield!"
"What!" Sophia gasped.
"This permanent trap allows me to negate your attacks, only by removing demon or undead type monsters from my graveyard, out of play!" Ryder said as his Ghost Count monster card slid out of his graveyard holster. Ryder took the card, and put it in his pocket. Suddenly a bunch of spirits emerged from the trap card, forming a barrier between the valkyrie and the headless knight. "Your attack fails little lady."
"No..." Sophia growled. "My turn ends..."
"And with that, your Walkuren Ritt deactivates." Ryder smiled as the three valkyries vanished. "I think I've had enough fun with a weak duelist like yourself."
"Weak! Call me anything you want but don't call me weak!" Sophia hissed.
"Why? The truth hurts, little lady." Ryder smirked, drawing his next card. "Ahh, and I think this will do the trick! Go! Death Calibur Knight! 1900/1800)"
"No..." Sophia said sadly as the skeleton riding horse appeared on the field.
"Your soul is mine! Death Calibur Knight, attack her life points directly!" Ryder shouted wildly, pointing at Sophia. The armored skeleton commanded it's horse to charge, as it did it revealed its rusted sword and slashed at Sophia.
Sophia screamed loudly as her life points reduced to 0. "Sophia!" Everyone called out in shock as the girl fell into the fog.
Ryder laughed sinisterly as the fog began to form around Sophia, there was a ghastly moan and the fog vanished, leaving the unconscious body on the stage. Sophia's pupils were gone and she lay helpless.
"Sophia!" Genesis called out, jumping up on the stage. Violet came and helped her down.
"Hmm, her soul pleases the shadow realm." Ryder chuckled.
"Your a sick person!" Genesis hissed.
"You..." Kyu growled, trying to stand but failing. Hide quickly caught him as he began to fall forward.
"What can you do, Kyu-Haru, you're obviously too weak to battle me, so by the time you're ready, all your friends will be defeated and their souls will be locked away."
"Err..." Hide growled.
"So which one of you are brave enough to duel me." Ryder said, sitting down on the stage, letting his legs rest off of the edge.
"I don't know if I should..." Doxx said.
"I know I don't want to..." Hide thought, looking off to the side.
"No way! Me and Sophia are like twins, I'll suffer the same fate as her!" Genesis said, waving her hands.
"Then I will..." Violet said, stepping forward.
"Excellent, the legendary Violet Brahn. This will be a particular duel." Ryder chuckled. "But obviously we know who will win."
"Yeah? People like you make me sick..." Violet said, taking the small steps to the stage.
"Oo, we have an attitude in the house of shadows." Ryder said.
"Violet? Against a Rare Hunter?" Doxx thought.
"Violet is a brave girl..." Kyu said. "But we haven't seen this guys strategy so we don't know what he can pull."
Violet glared at Ryder as he prepared his deck. "So Violet, you tough enough?" Ryder chuckled.
"Tougher than you'll ever be." Violet said with a calm glare.
CARDS PLAYED
Headless Knight: Level 4 / 1450/1700/ Earth / Demon.
Valkyrie Dritt: Level 4 / 1000/1600/ Light / Warrior / Desc: This cards gains 100 ATK for each monster removed from play.
Ghost Count: Level 5 / 2000/700/ Dark / Undead.
Raise Dead: MAGIC / Desc: Special summon 1 Monster Card from either you or your opponent's Graveyard onto the field in face up Defense or Attack Position.
Magic Boundary: TRAP / Desc: When your opponent activates a Trap or Magic card, discard 3 cards from your hand to negate the effect and destroy the card. Decrease your opponent's Life Points by 500.
Walkuren Ritt: MAGIC / Desc: Special summon any monster's in your hand with "Valkyrie" in it's name onto the field. During your end phase, return all monsters you had summoned by this card's effect, to your deck. Your deck is then shuffled.
Valkyrie Dritt: Level 4 / 1000/1600/ Light / Warrior / Desc: This cards gains 100 ATK for each monster removed from play.
Valkyrie Sovite: Level 5 / 1600/1600/ Light / Warrior / Desc: When this monster is Normal, Reversed, or Special Summoned, remove 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field out of play.
Valkyrie Brunhilde: Level 7 / 1800/2000/ Light / Warrior / Desc: Increase the ATK of this card by 300 for each Warrior and Dragon monster on the field. If this monster is attacked by a monster with a higher ATK, you may sacrifice 1000 DEF from this monster to keep this monster on the field.
Ghost Shield: PERMANENT TRAP / Desc: You can remove any Undead-type or Demon-type monsters from your graveyard, out of play to negate the attack of your opponent's monsters.
Death Calibur Knight: Level 4 / 1900/1800/ Dark / Undead.