Chapter Six: Allure of Darkness
In all his years, Prince Jimu had never witnessed a night so dark. From his perch on the edge of the lead helicopter, he could see only a vast expanse of starless blackness where the midnight sky should have been. But he had no time for sightseeing. It was only a matter of minutes until they arrived at the New Asukan capital, and the Prince intended to be ready.
The helicopter jittered with the inhales and exhales of the darkness, forcing Jimu to grip onto a metal support to keep himself steady. With his other hand, he flipped through the pages of one of the rare history books his men had confiscated from Professor Hiroka's office. It was all here, scrawled between the lines and in every available margin: everything the Professor had ever learned about the legend of the Crystal Dragons, including the spells he had devised to control their power. Jimu took special care to memorize as many of these as possible. He could feel Obsidiusk's dark ambitions growing with each passing moment, and once he had all the Crystal Dragons under his control, he would need every trick in his arsenal to keep them under his command. They said no mortal could contain such vast power, but Jimu was willing to meet the challenge head-on.
You have nothing to fear, my Lord. I remain loyal to you alone, and with my help, we shall keep my brothers and sisters in line. Then, together, the rest of the world will tremble before our limitless might.
The Prince did not trust his new comrade, but he would need the dragon's help if he wanted to save the world. Had it not been for Obsidiusk, Jimu doubted he would've even been able to keep Ambriliant under control. The dragon of light had put up some resistance at first, but seemed now content to accept the combined rule of Jimu and Obsidiusk.
"Is your deck ready, your Highness?" Captain Minami yelled from the co-pilots seat.
"Of course." Jimu had finished his new deck before they had even left the palace. It was an entirely new strategy he was about to attempt, but with all his vast experience, he was confident he could pull it off.
"You don't have to do this, Jimu. Turn back before it's too late."
The Prince glanced to the rear of the chopper, where two guards were holding Akira captive. "But I do have to do this. Defeating my uncle will end the war between our countries, without so much as another bullet being fired."
"There's always a cost, Jimu. And this crusade has cost you your soul. You've made a deal with the devil."
Foolish child. She does not understand that we are about to unite the world in peace, under your banner, my Prince.
"I've done what is necessary, no more and no less. Trust me, Akira, I know what I'm doing."
"You think you do. But-"
"Enough! Guards, gag her. I need to concentrate."
"Too late, your Highness," called Minami. "We've arrived."
Jimu looked up from his books in time to see his uncle's palace come into view. Carved into the mountainside, the building was a veritable fortress, an intricate ensemble of spires and buttresses. Atop the thick central tower, higher than all but the mountain itself, was a full-sided dueling arena. The risers were empty, but as the helicopter began its decent, Jimu spotted a handful of figures gathered to one side.
"Bring us down over there. Tell the other two choppers to remain airborne." Jimu was not worried about Daichi's military shooting them down. The power of Obsidiusk and Ambriliant would keep Jimu's men safe. All the armies and navies and air forces in the world were meaningless in comparison to the power of the Crystal Dragons, and the only way Jimu would end the war was by winning his uncle's in a duel.
The helicopter hadn't even touched down when Jimu leaped out onto the side of the battlefield, marching straight at the small crowd awaiting him. He recognized only two faces: his uncle, King Daichi of New Asuka, and a small boy who was the spitting image of Professor Hiroka.
"Welcome, Jimu. It has been too long." Daichi stepped forward, leaning on a wooden staff for support.
"Save your pleasantries, Uncle. We both know why I am here. I challenge you to the greatest duel in the history of the world, winner take all."
No. The old man does have that which we seek.
Jimu was beyond shocked, but even that feeling was quickly overwhelming by his fury. Had he just flown across two countries for nothing?
No, my siblings are here, all of them. But they are in the possession of… Jimu could feel Obsiusk's attention focused on the Hiroka boy. …him.
It was an interesting development, to be sure, but not an unwelcome one. His destiny was closer than he had believed; with all his enemies gathered in one place, he would only need to win a single duel to gain all the power he would ever need. "So, you are now the owner of the four dragons. Tell me, how did this come to be?"
The boy stared back with an intensity beyond his age. His eyes betrayed a great inner struggle, but it was more than fear that consumed him. Four Gods now resided within his body, a power that would've torn most people apart.
Daichi answered for him. "You will not believe this, Jimu, but Yoshi defeated me in an honorable duel. That makes the cards rightfully his."
The King was right; Jimu didn't believe it. His uncle was one of the best duelists in the world, more than a match for any child. The Prince suspected a trap.
There can be no trap. As long as the boy has all four remaining dragons in his deck –and he does, for I can sense them- all you need to do is defeat him to make them yours. Challenge him to a duel.
"Very well, Uncle Daichi. If you wish to place to fate of your country in the hands of a child, I will not stop you. But I want this duel broadcast live throughout the entire kingdom. Both New and Old Asuka shall watch as their fates are decided."
"I accept your conditions," said Yoshi, at last stepping forward. His voice was faint, but unwavering. "But I do not fight on behalf of King Daichi. I fight for the sake of all people everywhere, in the hopes that by defeating you, I can free you from the clutches of evil, and restore balance to this world."
"You speak of matters beyond your understanding. Even if you were to defeat me, the power of the six Crystal Dragons would overwhelm you. That is why I must win. I alone have the willpower to keep the dragons in line, using their power as I see fit."
"Talk is cheap. Are you ready to Duel?"
Jimu smiled in spite of himself. "You've got spirit, kid. I like that. Very well, let our duel begin."
Jimu turned around just as Captain Minami and a half-dozen soldiers caught up, dragging Akira with them.
"Akira! Prince Jimu, wait!"
The Prince turned back toward Yoshi and raised an eyebrow.
"If I win this duel, I want your word that you'll let my sister go."
"The girl means nothing to me now. I only brought her along so that she could see how wrong she was." He looked at her captors. "Release her."
As Jimu headed toward the far dueling podium, he heard the siblings talking behind him.
"Kira, are you alright?"
"Yeah, don't worry about me. You have a duel to win, and you're going to need to focus. You can do this, Yoshi. I have faith in you. Just remember everything I've taught you, and trust that your cards will not fail you."
Jimu almost felt sorry for the kid. It was cruel what his sister was doing, giving him hope when there was none. Perhaps Yoshi had managed to defeat Jimu's uncle, but Daichi was old and long past his prime; the Prince was young and ready for the duel of his life. It was his destiny to win.
He mounted the platform as it raised him up into the sky, higher than even the tallest of the spectator stands. From here, he could see the entire city sprawled out beneath them, and much of New Asuka beyond. Before long, this entire nation would be his, reunited with Old Asuka to form a renewed, unconquerable empire more powerful than any on the face of the earth. He would begin this duel as a Prince and end it as an Emperor.
Across the arena, the kid's podium lifted up to match his and both duelists readied their decks. Jimu steadied his heart. The fun was about to begin.
"If you don't mind, Yoshi, I'll get things started."
"Actually," Yoshi said, before Jimu could draw, "I do mind. We'll flip for it."
The Prince saw the two Hiroka siblings exchange a glance, but didn't know what to make of it. "So be it. Uncle Daichi, would you do the honors?"
Jimu knew that Obsidiusk would be able to prevent them from cheating… unless his power was no match for that of four of his siblings.
Not to worry, my Lord. For I also have Ambriliant's power now, and I highly doubt my other siblings will ever be able to coordinator their powers toward a common goal. Even if they did, I would at least be able to sense their intervention.
The Prince was satisfied. On the site of the battlefield, Daichi took out some sort of coin and flipped it. "It's your call, Jimu."
"Tails."
"It's heads. Yoshi, the first turn is yours."
Let the boy have his moment in the sun. It will only deepen his agony once the darkness claims him.
"Okay… I start by activating the spell card Heart of the Underdog. I'll also lay one card face-down. That's all for now."
Jimu drew and studied his hand. He decided to start simple and save his best moves in case something went wrong. "I summon Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner, and use her to attack your life points directly."
I can sense the boy's confusion, as well as that of his sister and your uncle. They did not expect you to be using monsters of light.
That was exactly what Jimu had intended. He was known for his mastery of dark decks and knew that to defeat his uncle, he would have to alter his strategy. Assuming Daichi had helped Yoshi tweak his deck, the strategy might still be useful.
Yoshi shrugged off the attack. "At this point in the duel, life points are irrevelent."
"You mean irrelevant, and yes, your lost life points are the least of your worries. I set a card of my own and end my turn. Now Lumina's effect forces me to send three cards from my deck to my graveyard." He discarded Charge of the Light Brigade, Allure of Darkness, and Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior.
Yoshi drew and immediately showed Jimu his card. "I drew Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress. Since he's a normal monster, I can activate Heart of the Underdog's effect, allowing me to draw again." He did so. "Luster Dragon. I draw again."
Normal monsters… an interesting strategy. He may have card advantage for now, but our more powerful monsters will shatter them to pieces.
"I'll summon Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress, and use it to destroy your Lumina."
He had done exactly what Jimu wanted him to do. Their lifepoints now stood 7000 to 7600.
"Now I'll use the spell card Two-Man Cell Battle so that I can summon another level four monster at the end of each of my turns. I'll use it on Luster Dragon."
Yoshi was now up by two monsters, but that didn't matter. The Prince was about to unleash a combo that would, in all likelihood, bring the duel to a quick finish.
"Your Heart of the Underdog is a very powerful card, Yoshi. I have a similar one in my deck. I activate Card of Safe Return, which allows me to draw whenever I summon a monster from my graveyard. Allow me to demonstrate by activating my trap card, Glorius Illusion, which summons Lumina back to the field." He took another card. "But that's only the beginning. By discarding one useless card, I activate Lumina's special ability, summoning Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, from the grave. This allows me to draw yet another card."
Excellent. We still have five cards in our hand.
"Now I begin my battle phase. Garoth, destroy his Winged Dragon." The hologram of his Lightsworn Warrior acted out his command, while Jimu kept a wary eye on Yoshi's face-down card. Whatever it was, it apparently couldn't save his monster.
The Prince also had Lumina on the field, but she wasn't strong enough to overcome Yoshi's Luster Dragon. "I set one card and end my turn. Now, listen carefully. Lumina's effect sends three cards from my deck to my graveyard." Nothing useful. "This triggers Garoth's effect, allowing me to send two more cards." The first was one of his two Dark Armed Dragons. Not a good card to have in the graveyard. The second was Wulf, Lightsworn Beast.
"Perfect. Sending Wulf from the deck to the grave automatically summons him to the field. Thanks to Card of Safe Return, I get to draw another card. But that's not all. When a Lightsworn monster is discarded via Garoth's effect. I get to draw yet again."
And with each card we draw, the power of our hand increases!
Yoshi didn't seem to be paying attention. "Dark Armed Dragon? Why would you use that in a deck filled with light monsters?"
"It's not a lightsworn deck," Kira shouted from the sidelines. "He must be using some weird combination of light and dark monsters. Be careful."
She had hit his strategy dead-on. Jimu had combined the powers of his most powerful dark deck with Kira's lightsworns. With two of the most powerful deck-types in existence on his side, he was virtually unstoppable.
Yoshi began his turn. "I drew Nin-Ken Dog, allowing me to draw again." He revealed this card as well. "Mad Lobster. I draw yet again. Hm… Okay, I'll destroy your Garoth with my Luster Dragon. I'll then set another monster and use Two-Man Cell Battle to summon the level four Insect Knight, ending my turn."
Let Yoshi summon all the monsters he wants. We have the perfect trap to counter his pitiful army.
Prince Jimu was already two steps ahead of his ally. He currently had Wulf on the field and one Dark Armed Dragon in his graveyard. In order to summon the second from his hand, he needed to get rid of two more dark monsters.
"I summon Armageddon Knight to the field, using its special ability to send one monster from my deck directly to my graveyard. I choose Plaguespreader Zombie. Then I'll activate my own trap card, Torrential Tribute, which destroys all monsters on the field."
"Awesome. You've just done me a favor, Prince, by getting rid of the only defenses you had."
"I think this next card may change your mind. Because now I can summon one of the most powerful monsters in my deck: Dark Armed Dragon!"
Now he could use Dark Armed Dragon's effect to destroy all three of Yoshi's spell and trap cards, leaving him wide open for a direct attack.
"Not so fast, your Highness. Because I have a Torrential Tribute of my own."
A weak "No…" escaped from Jimu's lips. Dark Armed Dragon, the only monster of the field, was now sent to the graveyard, leaving Jimu with nothing but his Card of Safe Return.
"Not bad, Yoshi. But it'll take more than that to defeat me. Go."
"My pleasure." He proceeded to draw Cyber-Tech Alligator, Thunder Kid, and Great Angus, allowing him to activate Heart of the Underdog every time. Jimu had never faced a duelist so lucky. But he wasn't worried yet.
"I activate that Ancient Rules spell card, which lets me special summon Cyber-Tech Alligator from my hand. I'll also summon Thunder Kid, and use them both to attack, leaving you with barely half your life points left. I'll set a card and end my turn by activating Two-Man Cell Battle yet again, bringing Great Angus to the field. You see, Prince, no matter how quickly you destroy my monsters, I'll just bring them back stronger than ever."
"Let's see you recover from this. By returning one card in my hand, I can special summon Plaguespreader Zombie from my graveyard. And, you guessed it, Card of Safe Return allows me to draw back that very same card. Now I tribute my zombie to summon Caius the Shadow Monarch."
The level six monster appeared on the battlefield, his indigo armor and torn cape almost as dark as the Prince's own. "My monster brings with him a sphere of dark energy, which completely obliterates your Cyber-Tech Dragon, bypassing your graveyard and removing him from the game completely. This makes my shadow monarch the most powerful monster in play. Now Caius, destroy his Great Angus."
Jimu knew he was playing recklessly, daring to attack while Yoshi still had a face-down card, but he couldn't allow his opponent to build up his forces any more than he already had. He had to force Yoshi to play the best cards in his hand, so that when Jimu activated his own trump card, there would be nothing standing between him and his victory.
Yoshi drew his next card. "I drew Sabersaurus… and Charcoal Inpachi… and Giga Gagagino, one of the most powerful monsters in my deck. Now let's see what I can do with them."
Jimu crossed his arms and waited eagerly. No matter what Yoshi did, Jimu would be able to undo it all during his next turn.
"I reveal my face-down League of Uniform Nomenclature trap card. This allows me to choose one of my monsters and summon any other copies of it from my deck." There was only one monster on his side of the field: the embarrassingly weak Thunder Kid. Brining a second to the field made little difference. "Now I'll sacrifice both of my Thunder Kids to summon Gogiga Gagagino. Your Caius is no match for his 2950 attack points."
"True enough. My turn now?"
"No, I use Two-Man Cell Battle to summon Sabersaurus. Now it's your turn."
"Good. You've put up a good fight, Yoshi, so don't feel too bad about what I'm about to do. I use my Foolish Burial spell to send Jain, Lightsworn Paladin to my graveyard. Now that I have four different Lightsworn monsters in my graveyard, I can special summon yet another ultimate dragon. Welcome to the battle, Judgment Dragon."
It was a cruel twist of fate that Yoshi was about to lose to one of his sister's favorite monsters. But hurting his feelings meant nothing to Jimu if it would save the lives of his people. "Now, by giving up 1000 life points, Judgment Dragon can destroy every other card on the field. That leaves you open for a direct attack."
Yoshi took the destruction of all of his cards a lot better than Jimu had anticipated. He had to give the kid credit; most duelists would've turned tail and ran long ago. "Good move. But I'm still winning."
"The score's 2950 to 2800, and like you said, life points really aren't that important. Judgment Dragon sends four more cards to my graveyard." Among them were another Lumina and Phantom of Chaos, a dark monster. Those might come in useful later. "It's your turn now, Yoshi. But now that your Heart of the Underdog is gone, you can only draw one card."
He did, and smiled. "You really should be careful not to jinx yourself, Prince. Because look what I just drew." It was another Heart of the Underdog. "I'd be stupid to have only one of them in my deck. Just be glad I didn't get two on the field at once."
It still doesn't matter. It will take a miracle for him to defeat our Judgment Dragon.
Jimu wasn't so sure. The kid was confident, and he was smart enough to know when he didn't stand a chance. That meant he had another trick up his sleeve.
"I summon Charcoal Inpachi, in attack mode."
Has he lost his mind? That monster only has 100 attack points.
Jimu remained silent, watching and waiting.
"Now I'll equip it with the Amulet of Ambition spell card." There it was. When a normal monster equipped with Amulet of Ambition battled a higher-level monster, it gained 500 attack points times the difference in levels. "That makes my monster more than strong enough to defeat your Judgment Dragon."
Jimu watched in awe as one of the most powerful monsters in his deck was destroyed by a burning stump.
No! For that, we shall make him pay.
For once, Jimu agreed with Obsidiusk. The kid had gotten exceptionally lucky in this duel, but that didn't change the fact that he was winning. It was almost as if fate was on Yoshi's side… but no, that was not possible. It was Jimu's destiny to control the six Crystal Dragons, no one's else's.
He picked up a card and saw that fate had not let him down, for he had drawn exactly the card he needed. But before he could use it, he would have to find some way to get rid of Charcoal Inpachi and its Amulet of Ambition. There were four other cards in his hand, but none of them were powerful enough to defeat the combo either. "I pass my turn."
With only 2200 life points left, Jimu was taking a big risk. But as long Charcoal Inpachi wasn't battling another monster, its attack remained at 100 points. It was not impossible that Yoshi would summon a monster with 2100 attack points, but given what Jimu had seen so far, it was a risk he was willing to take.
Whatever card Yoshi drew apparently wasn't a normal monster, because he didn't activate Heart of the Underdog. "Then I'll just set one card and attack with Charcoal Inpachi. Go."
Jimu drew the very card he needed. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, which allows me to destroy one spell or trap card on the field. I could destroy your Heart of the Underdog, but at this point, I'll settle for Amulet of Ambition."
Now he can do nothing to stop us. Finish him!
Despite the pressure of Obsidiusk's will, the Prince refused to play his best move just yet. Now while Yoshi still had a face-down card on the field. Either choice presented great risk, but doing nothing had paid off once; perhaps it would pay off again. "I end my turn."
"Wow, five cards in your hand and they're all useless? Suit yourself." He picked up a card, and Jimu prayed that it wasn't another Cyber-Tech Alligator, or something equally devastating. "I drew Gene-Warped Warwolf, the most powerful level four monster there is."
But the Prince did not mind. In fact, the card fit into his strategy quite nicely.
"I also drew Opressed People, so I'll use Heart of the Underdog to draw yet again. Now I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf to the field. Together, he and my Charcoal Inpachi will reduce your life points to zero. And because you have no cards on the field, there's nothing you can do to stop me. This duel's over."
Prince Jimu stared his opponent in the eyes and grinned. "Go ahead. Attack me."
"Your wish is my command. Gene-Warped Warwolf, you're up first."
This made Jimu even happier. He still would've been safe if Charcoal Inpachi had attacked first, but Yoshi's mistake would give him an even bigger advantage. And having only 100 life points left would make winning all that more exciting.
"Now, Charcoal Inpachi, finish him!"
"Not yet. Your Warwolf's attack took away 2000 of my lifepoints, and that allows me to summon from my hand a card that has saved me in many, many duels. May I introduce you to Gorz the Emissary of Darkness!"
The warrior materialized on the battlefield, clad in armor of silver and black and wielding a mighty blade of darkness. His 2700 attack points were more than enough to stop Charcoal Inpachi in its tracks.
"And that's not all. The 2000 damage I took allows me to activates Gorz's second ability, summoning one Emissary of Darkness Token to my side of the field, with attack equal to your Warwolf. Are you ready to accept defeat?"
"Not when I'm so close to victory. I'll change Charcoal Inpachi to defense mode and set another card face-down."
"I'm afraid that won't save you." The Prince drew his card: Ambriliant, the Gold Crystal Dragon. He could not think of a more fitting monster to end this duel. "Watch and learn how a true champion duels. I summon Phantom of Chaos. By removing a monster from my graveyard, Phantom of Chaos gains that monster's effect. I choose Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner. I now discard one card to activate her effect, summoning a real Lumina. And now I'll discard one more card to activate use this Lumina's ability, summoning one of my Wulfs. Now, by sacrificing my three monsters of Light, I can summon Ambriliant, the Gold Crystal Dragon!"
"Look again, Prince. Your Phantom of Chaos may have Lumina's effect, but it's still a Dark-attribute monster."
"Oh, I wasn't counting my Phantom. Or didn't I mention? My Emissary of Darkness Token is, strangely enough, a creature of ligh- AHHH!" Before he could even finish his sentence, Jimu's mind flooded with anguish. He dropped the card to the ground and fell to his knees, cradling his head in his hands.
NO! I am Ambriliant, God of all that is righteous in this world, and you shall not use me to accomplish your wicked deeds! You've forced my honorable servants to fight alongside your corrupt abominations, you've summoned the Emissary of Darkness himself to the battlefield, and you've placed all your trust in the hands of my dark brother, the foulest creature ever spat out upon this earth, but I, Ambriliant, the Gold Crystal Dragon, refuse to obey you. You may own me, Prince, but you cannot force me to fight for you!
"Yes…. I…. can."
Jimu called on the power of Obsidiusk to bring his brother in line, and though Jimu's mind felt like it had literally been seared in two, the pain was a more-than-acceptable cost. He needed Ambriliant to end this battle; a rebellious spirit would not stop him now.
He could almost visualize the two dragon's fighting within his mind, the forces of light and darkness themselves, but the only physical manifestation of their conflict was a renewed strength in Jimu's legs.
I can… barely… hold him off.Obsidiusk sounded as if it was taking all his might to withhold Ambriliant's power. Quickly… do what must be done.
Though every muscle in his body seemed to resist the effort, Jimu managed to pick up Amrbiliant's card and, straining against the torment, he rose to his feet. He approached an open monster card slot in the podium's controls, lifted the arm holding the card, and-
-with a sudden unleash of energy, Ambriliant overpowered Obsidiusk for the briefest of moments. And in that split second, Jimu lost control of all motor functions, forced to surrender to the dragon of light.
Ambriliant was exhausted by the effort and now his brother easily managed to subdue him. But by the time Jimu had regained mastery of his body, it was just in time to see his Ambriliant card land on the ground a hundred feet below.
"No! Daichi, I command you to lower this podium so that I may retrieve my card." It felt almost as if Obsidiusk was now speaking through him, but Jimu's rage was so great that he did not care.
His uncle shrugged. "If that is what you wish, Jimu, but I must warn you: if you lower your podium, you forfeit the duel."
"Then I demand that you bring me my card! NOW!"
The King's features hardened and he laced his hands around his walking stick. "No."
Forget him. Ambriliant's power is still ours and once this duel his over, so will be the power of the other four Crystal Dragons. You claim to be the best duelist in the world, Jimu, so prove it! Finish this once and for all!
"Do not think this saves you, Yoshi." For once, the boy looked appropriately terrified. "This is the Beginning of the End for you, and that just so happens to be the name of the spell card I'm now activating. By removing five dark monsters from my graveyard, I can draw three new cards." He drew Shrink, Ring of Magnetism, and… Obsidiusk.
"Before I play any of these new cards, I think I'll conduct my battle phase. I have a full field of monsters, and they're about to win me this duel. Wulf, start by destroying his warwolf!"
Yoshi shook his head. "I activate the trap Waboku. Now I take no battle damage and my monsters can't be destroyed this turn."
"Fine," Jimu spat. "You're only delaying the inevitable. I equip the spell Ring of Magnetism to Gorz the Emissary of Darkness. This reduces his attack to 2200, but means that you can't attack any of my other monsters. Now I set one card and end my turn. Make yours quick."
"Oh, I will. I summon Oppressed People in defense mode. Then I activate my spell DNA-"
Now it was Yoshi's turn to cease mid-sentence, but unlike Jimu, he didn't appear to be in any pain. His face was overcome with a dazed look, and he said, "But I can summon you and… Then that's a risk we'll have… Of course I trust you, but… Alright. Alright… I'll try. Listen to me, all of you. The only way we can win this is by working together. Diamair, you want change, you can have it: I change all my monsters to defense mode. Hematera, you want stability, so I'll refrain from activating my Fissure spell card." Now Yoshi looked to be in pain: he raised one hand to his forehead and sweat began covering his face. He gritted his teeth and kept talking, "I know, Rubustion. You want destruction… fine, I'll let him destroy my monsters. And you, Saphrine, want peace, so I end my turn without attacking."
The Prince tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened, starting at the beginning Yoshi's last trap card was obviously DNA Transplant. That would allow him to change all his monsters into any attribute he desired, meaning that if he had any one of his four dragons in his hand, he could easily summon them and win the duel.
Or perhaps not.
Jimu typed a command into his consol, allowing him to analyze the cards in Yoshi's graveyard. There were four Wind monsters there, the most of any attribute, which would've given Diamair 4200 attack points, assuming Yoshi had her in his hand. If he'd summoned her, she would've attacked Gorz, Jimu would've activated his face-down Shrink card… and that would've cut her attack to 2100, destroying her and leaving Yoshi wide open for a direct attack.
If the boy had summoned any of the crystal dragons, he would've lost the duel. But by holding back, he had survived to fight one more turn. That must've been why he was talking to himself. Diamair must've convinced him to not summon any of the dragons, but first he had to appease all four of the gods fighting to influence his decisions. And he'd succeeded, forcing four dragons to work together when Jimu couldn't even control two.
He was jealous; there was no denying it. And there was only one way to vent his anger.
"It's my turn. And I've drawn the spell card Allure of Darkness, which I now activate." This move could be the end of everything, one way or the other. All five of his monster card zones were currently filled, meaning that he needed a card that could replace one of his light monsters with a dark one. The best card for such a purpose would be a one-tribute Dark-type monster, but all of his Caius the Shadow Monarchs were already in his graveyard.
Allure of Darkness allowed him to draw two cards, but then he had to remove one Dark-attribute monster in his hand from play. If none of the cards he drew qualified, that meant Obsidiusk would be gone for the duration of the game.
He drew his first card. It was Plaguespreader Zombie, which would suit the requirement of Allure of Darkness. But unless he could draw a more useful card, it didn't mean anything.
He picked up a second card and smiled.
"I remove from play Plaguespreader Zombie. And I've drawn Monster Gate, which allows me to tribute one monster I control and then draw cards until I get another that I can special summon. I tribute Lumina, Lightsworn summoner."
It all came down to this. He needed to draw a dark-type monster to summon Obsidiusk, and there were precious few left in his deck.
He drew Necro Gardna. Perfect.
"I special summon Necro Gardna in defense mode. Now I tribute him, along with Phantom of Chaos and Gorz the Emissary of Darkness, to unleash my ultimate monster. Behold Obsidiusk! The Black Crystal Dragon!"
He raised the card to the sky and the darkness above descended upon the stadium. And, claiming the souls of his servants, Obsidiusk emerged, his full fury unleashed at last. Jimu felt a shiver run down his spine and an insidious change come over him.
You have dueled well, my Lord. Allow me to finish this pathetic fool.
And Jimu did. At this point, he no longer cared about the boy's fate. Yoshi should not have stood between the Prince and his destiny, and for his interference, he would dearly pay. Jimu felt his mouth move, though he was not the one controlling it.
"Now, child, I am in control. Prepare to face power beyond your comprehension. But first, go forth my minions: Emissary of Darkness Token, destroy his Oppressed People. Wulf, Lightsworn beast, obliterate his Warwolf. Now I, Obsidiusk, the Black Crystal Dragon, will annihilate Charcoal Inpachi."
At once, the dragon and the two holograms made their assault, and Yoshi's small army was shattered to pieces. It was his turn now, but he was wide open for a direct attack with little hope of recovery.
He drew and revealed the card: Nin-Ken Dog. "I activate Heart of the Underdog to draw another card." He did, and set it on the field. "I then summon Nin-Ken Dog and end my turn." As he said this, Yoshi's voice was devoid of any semblance of hope, resigned to the fate that awaited him.
Jimu watched his own hand draw, though he had not even told it to move. He drew Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior, but that didn't matter now; there were already enough monsters on the field to destroy Yoshi's remaining lifepoints. The only variable left was his face-down card, and Jimu doubted it would be enough to save Nin-Ken Dog.
But wait… something wasn't right. Why had Yoshi summoned Nin-Ken Dog in attack mode, risking his life points? He still had nearly 3000 life points yet; summoning a monster in defense mode might've spared him for another turn. Was it just a rookie mistake? The move of a boy who had given up in the face of impending doom?
Yoshi may have given up all hope, but his sister surely hadn't. Jimu could see her on the sidelines, and though she was too far away for him to hear her cries, he could see her mouth moving, cheering her brother on, as King Daichi looked on with a face devoid of all expression. It was a look Jimu had seen often before, whenever his uncle was risking the turnout of a duel on a single card.
Jimu had a sudden flashback to his childhood, and at once knew exactly what was about to happen.
He tried to warn Obsidiusk, but found himself unable to speak. His mouth was no longer under his control. Still, if he could hear Obsidiusk's thoughts, then the inverse was also true. He concentrated on what he knew, begging his dragon to-
Begging? Why should he have to beg anyone? He was Prince Jimu of Asuka, and Obsidiusk was his dragon; he was the one in command. He ordered his greatest monster to cease its attack before it was too late, but all he received in return was a menacing laugh.
Jimu, you fool. I am in control now. Watch in silence as I destroy this child and earn the cards of my brothers and sisters. No mortal can control our combined power, but I am no mortal. I am Obsidiusk, the Black Crystal Dragon, the god of dominance, and under my limitless power, the world will know an age of endless darkness!
Jimu could not allow that to happen. How had he been so blind? Obsidiusk had tricked him, lured him with false promises of peace and unity. It had all been a lie; Jimu knew that from the beginning, but he had always assumed that when their wills inevitably clashed, his would emerge victorious. But that turned out to be the ultimate lie. He was unable to even control one dragon; there was no chance he would ever be able to control all six. Not only had he failed in his quest to end the war and save his people, his mistake had doomed the entire world.
He had to fight back. Overpowering the spirit of a god seemed hopeless, but if he had learned one thing in all his years of playing Duel Monsters, it was that even in the most desperate of situations, there was always some small hope left. So Jimu prepared his own willpower to do mental battle with Obsidiusk, to claim back his mind as his own, to…
To what? What would any of it matter? He could prevent Obsidiusk from attacking, win the duel, but then he would have to deal with all six Crystal Dragons. Such limitless power would surely destroy him, leaving Obsidiusk free to complete his plan anyway. The only way Jimu could win was by doing nothing. The only way he could save the world was by refusing to fight.
So he relaxed, calmed his spirit, and watched the end of the duel unfold.
"Now," Obsidiusk declared, in the voice of the Prince, "I use my Emissary of Darkness Token to destroy your Nin-Ken Dog, leaving you open for my direct attack. Not only will I finish your life points, but this will be the end of you, child, and too merciful it will be, for death will spare you the pain of existing in the world of infinite darkness I shall create. Prepare, puny mortal, to suffer the wrath of the most powerful being in existence! You cannot stop me. You cannot defeat me. I, Obsidiusk, the Black Crystal Dragon, shall be your doom!"
The immense dragon charged forward, ready to annihilate everything in its path, its mouth overflowing with dark energies…
…and Yoshi revealed his trap card. "Perhaps I can't destroy you, Obsidiusk. But you are nothing without a body to control, and I can destroy Jimu. I activate Magical Cylinders!"
The beam of darkness that Obsidiusk had just unleashed now rebounded, bypassing the dragon entirely and connecting with Jimu's body. But the Prince felt no pain, for he was safe within the confines of his own mind. It was Obsidiusk who suffered, Obsidiusk who bore the attack, Obsidiusk who was, if not destroyed, at least defeated for a time.
"You lose, Obsidiusk," Jimu said, once again in control. "And I win."
But his eyes told him otherwise. For, as the podiums lowered to the level of the battlefield, a look of unlimited strain passed into Yoshi's face, and when he spoke, his voice was not his own.
"You lose, Jimu. For me, this battle was a win-win situation. Because now this child is the rightful owner of all six Crystal Dragons, of power beyond all reckoning, and now I claim his body as my own. The powers of my siblings are under my control, and with them, I shall enslave the entire world!"