Chapter 16: Dead of Night
"Thanks for the lesson, Sora! I'd better get going before my dad starts to worry."
"No worries, Zuzu! We'll pick back up from here tomorrow, okay?"
"Sounds great!"
Waving goodbye, Zuzu began making her way home. However, she had been gone longer than she had realized, the moon hanging low over the city.
"Oh man, dad is going to kill me!"
Hoping to minimalize any punishment, she decided to cut through the local cemetery. A low mist hung over the graves, sending chills down Zuzu's spine.
"Note to self, always keep an eye on the clock. Come on, the exit's got to be around here somewhere..."
"Going somewhere?"
Already creeped out, Zuzu turned around to see a shambling zombie making its way towards her.
"You should never have come here. Now you'll never make it out alive!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Scared out of her mind, Zuzu grabbed her fan and swung it about, smacking the zombie so hard his mask flew off, revealing a thin, pale little kid.
"Hey, what gives? Uh, I mean- BRAAAAINS!"
"Quit the act, I know you're not a real zombie. You're just some dweeby little kid."
"Little kid? I'll have you know I'm 13! Not only that, but I'm a member of the Rare Hunters, and you're coming with me!"
"You? Yeah, I don't think so. Later!"
"Get over here!"
Zuzu felt a sharp tug, drawing her back around to face her opponent. Looking down, she found a Duel Anchor around her arm.
"Now neither of us can leave until this duel is over. You win, and you're free to go. But if I win, I get your best cards!"
Realizing she didn't have a choice, Zuzu turned her duel disk on.
"Fine, lets get this over with."
DUEL!
Zuzu: 4000
Bonz: 4000
"Alright creep, lets do this. I'll set one monster face down, and set one card face down. Your move."
"Running scared already? Can't say I blame you, especially when I summon Vendread Revenants (1800/200) in attack mode!"
A small swarm of humanoid zombies appeared, shambling about aimlessly as they glared at Zuzu with intent to kill.
"Now my Revenants, tear her face down monster apart!"
The zombie horde leapt, ripping and slashing apart the revealed Shining Angel before lumbering back to Bonz's side of the field.
"Well, thanks for that, because now I can summon my Serenade the Melodious Diva (400/1900) in defense mode!"
"It won't matter. My monsters hunger for flesh, and they won't be satisfied until they have it. I end my turn."
Zuzu grinned wickedly when she saw what her next draw was. Bonz was in for it.
"Alright creep, since Serenade counts as two tributes when I summon a Fairy, so say goodbye to her and hello to Mozarta! Next, I summon Sonata the Melodious Diva via Mozarta's effect (2600-3100/2000-2500) (1200-1700/1000-1500). Say goodbye to your Revenants!"
With a belt of music, the zombies fell to pieces. Zuzu didn't have time to celebrate, however, because just as soon as that happened, the zombies brought themselves together once more.
Bonz: 2700
Before Bonz could explain, a massive surge went through his body, causing him to yell in pain. Zuzu looked concern for a minute. Sure, this creep attacked her and was trying to kidnap her or something, but that definitely was not normal.
"Are you okay?"
"Worry about yourself! Dammit, they didn't tell me the current worked both ways..."
"What current? Are you running electricity through this thing?!"
"Um, nothing, nothing! Anyway, when my Revenants are destroyed by battle or card effect, I can immediately bring them back, the catch being that they'll be banished when they leave the field."
Not having much else she could do, Zuzu ended her turn.
"Get ready, because my zombies are hungry. I'll start by summoning Vendread Anima (0/0) in attack mode! Next, I activate the ritual spell card Revendread Origin! I tribute my Vendread Revenants, Anima, and the Striges in my hand to Ritual Summon Revendread Slayer (2400/0)!"
Bursting out of the ground was some sort of humanoid demon. It looked like some sort of undead monstrosity, like the rest of his monsters, but also had a sort of...heroic look to it.
"He's not so tough. My Mozarta can finish him off easily."
"Oh, I'll get to her, don't you worry. But first, my Slayer gains effects from the two monsters I tributed from the field. First, my Anima lets me banish one of your Special summoned monsters, so say goodbye to Serenade!"
The humanoid monster stretched an arm out, piercing the diva right through the chest. The fairy could only gasp before exploding it a flurry of pixels, which were then sucked into a small black hole (3100-2600/2500-2000).
"Now then, my Slayer attacks your Mozarta!"
"Are you crazy? Even without my Serenade's power up, she's still too strong for you zombie."
"You think I don't know that? Revendread Slayer's own effect activates! By banishing Striges, he gains an extra 300 attack (2400-2700). Rip her to shreds, Slayer!"
Scythe in hand, Slayer charged, cleaving the composer clean in halve before the body disappeared.
"Oh, and did I mention that since Anima was on the field when I used her for a ritual summon, any monster Slayer destroys in battle gets banished?"
Zuzu: 3900
Zuzu groaned as the current ran through her body. Damned rare hunters.
"I think you've had enough, so I'll end my turn with one card face down. Your move."
This girl is screwed. Even if she summons a monster stronger than Slayer, my Vendread Reorigin will get rid of it and give me a free token. Then I'll use Revendread Evolution to summon an even bigger monster and finish her off!
Zuzu rolled her eyes. Bonz wasn't fooling her, it was obvious that his face down was a trap, likely one that would turn the duel around for him. Unfortunately for him, she was prepared.
"First, I activate Cards of Sanctity to refill our hands. Next, I activate my Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your face down!"
"What? Oh, come on!"
"Oh, it gets worse. I activate the spell card Polymerization, fusing Shopina the Melodious Maestra with Aria the Melodious Diva to summon Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (2400/2000)!"
"Yeah, so what? My Slayer's much stronger."
"Then its a good thing she has a special ability, isn't it? Once and one time only, I can banish up to three cards in either graveyard and banish them, and for every one she gains 200 attack points, so say goodbye to your Vendread Striges, Anima, and Origins!"
"Uh oh."
Schuberta flicked her wand, sending the three cards flying out of Bonz's graveyard and into the sky, giving her power (2400-3000).
"This duel is over. Schuberta, attack his Slayer!"
"What are you talking about? I'll still have plenty of life points after this."
"Not when I activate the effect of Score the Melodious Diva from my hand. By discarding her, your monster's attack goes straight to zero (2700-0)!"
"No!"
Bonz's cry fell on deaf ears, as the fusion monster's swan song tore his zombie apart, sending him flying as electricity coursed through his body.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Bonz: 0000
Zuzu wins!
Zuzu turned to walk away, wanting to get as far away from the cemetery as possible...
but stopped, turning back to look at the unconscious form of her foe. Sure, he was a criminal, but he was just a kid, one even younger than her. Maybe he wasn't so bad, just misunderstood. Regardless, no one deserved that.
"God damnit."
Reaching down, she brought Bonz to his feet and slung his arm over her shoulder, dragging him off to get help.
"Don't make me regret this, kid..."
Unbeknownst to her, there was someone in the shadows who had seen everything. And he did not like it...
"No way, Lulu would never...could she be someone else?"
Uncertain, the figure slunk away, needing to think things through. Things weren't adding up, and he needed answers.