This duel was pretty easy to write, so this chapter didn't take very long. Since I was looking forward to this chapter and the next one, I hope that another one will be up by tomorrow, although that's not a promise.
Chapter Seven: Pain
Brandi did not know how much more she could take of this.
Her previous experience with torture could not have prepared her for the pain she was going through now, which was just as bad, if not worse. Hopes of falling unconscious were wasted, for Obsidian knew exactly what he was doing. But Brandi was not only being hurt physically; the mental agony she was going through tore at her terribly. Something that had not been a concern before was filling every breathing moment she got in-between shocks. Something she worried about even more than her own life.
"I think a change in methods would be nice, don't you agree?" Obsidian brought out his Soul Card. A monster made of brick-like rocks emerged instantly. He stood a bit taller than Obsidian with red, muscled arms, blue shoulder guards, and gold knuckles. His head was merely a cylinder of more rocks, but he also had small, red eyes that gazed at Brandi menacingly.
"This is Onyx, a Golem of Destruction. He is as well versed in torture as I." Obsidian nodded to him. "Do not break her immediately. Work gradually. I want to draw this out as long as possible."
Onyx stepped forward in response and placed his hands around her throat, choking her. Several agonizing seconds passed before he loosened his grip, allowing her to gasp a few times before restarting the process.
How… much… longer… will… this… last…? I… I can't… take this… anymore… Brandi thought as her mind darkened, and then returned to consciousness from revitalizing oxygen, and then blackened again…
Mana could not hear Brandi screaming anymore, but that only increased her worry. If Brandi was silent, that could very well mean that she was not capable of saying anything.
…
Compared to when she was thirteen, Hope was far more fit. She did not get tired as easily and could run a good distance when the need arose. Gym classes that she had been forced to take turned out to be beneficial in the long run.
Despite this, she was forced to say to Max, "Could we please… slow down a bit? I'm not… quite used to this speed…"
Ever since leaving the treacherous mountain, Max had been going at an incredibly fast walk. They were about half-way to the lake before Hope finally caved in and said that. When he heard her, he said, "Oh… sorry," and dropped his speed a bit.
"Thanks." Hope took a few moments to catch her breath at the slower pace before saying, "I know you're worried, and you have the right to be. But I'm sure Brandi will be all right. We'll make it in time, so try not to fret too much."
"I can't help it," Max said tensely. "You heard what Miles said about Larka. What if that's happening to Brandi, or worse?"
"Then there's nothing we can do," Hope answered. "Not right now. What you can do is prepare yourself for what you might have to go against. We have no idea of what Obsidian will try when we get there."
Gaston was quick to support her claims. "Hope's right. Try to calm yourself before we arrive. It will benefit us."
Max slowly nodded. "All right."
They soon arrived at the lake shore. As Hope looked at it, Gaston said, "There is little point in taking the usual large ship we do. It would only slow us down."
"Yeah. That's why we're using this." Max brought out a Ship to the Sunset and recalled Tenma to his Soul Card. "Let's go."
"All right. You lead the way," Hope said, sitting in the back and taking up an oar. Gaston copied her and Max went to the front to steer.
"I also have something to speed it up." Max showed them a magic card. "This is Big Waves, Little Waves. Hold onto the sides of the boat for now." He slid it into his Duel Disk. The waves came abruptly, throwing the ship forward at an impressive speed.
"That works!" Hope exclaimed, keeping a tight grip on the ship sides.
"We will have to row around the rocks to reach the island itself, but until then, focus on staying in the boat," Max said.
The trip there did not take long at all thanks to the waves. When they got closer to the shore, Max removed the magic card and brought up his oar to steer the ship in safely. With Hope and Gaston helping, they managed to land quickly.
Max dismissed the Ship to the Sunset and summoned Tenma. "I'll go first."
"Of course." Hope and Gaston went after him into the volcano.
The volcano had not changed much over the years. Hope remembered the path from when they had last gone in. They navigated it easily and were soon near the end. The heat was uncomfortable, but their larger concerns caused the temperature to be insignificant.
As they approached the second to last cavern, Tenma halted, sniffing the air.
"What is it?" Max asked.
"The scent of Mana is coming from this next area," he growled softly. "Brandi seems to be nearby as well."
"Good." Max went on at once with everyone right behind him.
The cavern was empty, except for one Soul Monster lying on the ground that they all recognized at once. "Mana!" Hope exclaimed, kneeling by her hastily. "Mana, can you hear me?"
"…H-Hope?" Mana was barely able to look up at her. "H-how…?"
"What happened to you?" Max asked, his eyes flashing with anger at her state.
"M-Max… I… it doesn't matter… help Brandi…" Mana whispered. "She… she's in the next room…"
"…Right." Max went forward at once.
Gaston lifted Mana. "If you can hang on, we'll heal you after all of this is over."
"W-wait… there's a… barrier…" Mana murmured.
"Huh?" Gaston looked at the two exits for the cavern. "I don't see any barriers."
"Sealing Ward of Light…" Mana explained. "I heard… him… say what it was… I won't… be able… to pass through…"
"Sealing Ward of Light? So they made it only stop Magic Users from passing through… I can get rid of that with Magic Removal." Hope slid the magic card in her Duel Disk. A soft green glow appeared around the barriers blocking both doors, and then they faded away. "Now we can go on."
Max led the way into the next room with Tenma after him, and then Hope and Gaston with Mana bringing up the rear. Truthfully though, it did not matter which pattern they had taken in entering. The last cavern was the biggest one in the volcano, and neither of them could have been quick enough to reach Brandi when they first saw where she was.
The scene that greeted their eyes certainly did nothing to reduce Max's boiling temper. Obsidian was standing near the back wall, watching his Soul Monster. Onyx still had his hands around Brandi's neck, but not tightened. Brandi's eyes were closed and her breathing was harsh, for she had just been released from another strangling.
Obsidian turned to see them with a stunned expression. "What? How did you know we were here?"
At his words, Brandi managed to open her eyes slightly, but she found herself unable to speak. Her throat still felt as though it were on fire.
"That doesn't matter!" Max snarled, stepping forward.
"Stay where you are!" Obsidian ordered, holding up his hand. "If you come closer, I will have my Soul Monster, Onyx, kill her. As you can see, that would not take much effort at all on his part."
Max still looked completely furious, to the point that Hope doubted he had even heard Obsidian's demand. So when Max was about to continue towards them, she hurriedly grabbed him and struggled to hold him back. "Max, stop! He'll really do it!"
After a few seconds of trying to escape her grasp, Max gave up, glaring at Obsidian with hatred.
"It seems your girlfriend is more reasonable than you are." Obsidian walked forward, leaving Onyx near Brandi. "To be honest, I did not expect anyone to find us. This throws a wrench in my plans. Still, I believe we can settle this decently." He activated his Duel Disk. "If you want to save your sister, I propose you accept my offer to a duel. The loser dies along with their Soul Monster. What do you say?"
"Anything to kill you!" Max snapped. He activated his own after Hope released him.
"Good. Then I hope you won't object to this?" He brought out six black rings.
"What are those?" Max said suspiciously.
Obsidian tossed Max three of them and then attached the other three to himself. Two went to his upper arms and one was put on his neck. "Do the same with yours. They will ensure that the death penalty is carried out."
Since Obsidian had already put his own on, Max figured it would be safe enough to put on his. Besides, he wanted to get this over with. He put on the rings swiftly. "Now can we get to it?"
"Of course. Let's finish this promptly, so that I may return to what I was doing," Obsidian said. Onyx went next to him, as Tenma did to Max.
"Brandi…" Mana whispered.
"Don't worry. Max is going to save her," Gaston assured. "Just wait and see."
"Yeah… definitely…" Hope agreed. But her eyes betrayed her worry.
Max: 8000
Obsidian: 8000
"Would you object to me going first?" Obsidian inquired.
"Not at all. That means I get to attack quicker," Max growled.
"If that is what you want," Obsidian said. "I lay a monster down, along with a card. Then I play a field magic card, Fault Zone."
The volcanic area around them transformed into a canyon-like area. They stood in a ravine with the rock walls stretching up around them.
"That is all," Obsidian ended.
Max slammed his card onto his Duel Disk with much more force than was necessary. "I summon Element Devil! (1500/1200) He attacks your defense monster!"
"Max! That's reckless!" Gaston protested. "You didn't even ask what Fault Zone does!"
"Oh, don't worry. He will learn first-hand what a stupid play that was," Obsidian said. "You attacked my Aztec Statue. (300/2000) When you take battle damage from him being in defense mode, it is doubled. So you take 1000 damage, rather than 500. Also, Fault Zone factors in. When a Rock Sub-Type monster is attacked while in defense mode, the battle damage done to the controller is doubled. That's 2000 damage. Then I activate my trap card, Cross Counter! If the defense stat of a monster is greater than the attacker's strength, the battle damage is doubled and the monster is destroyed. You have taken 4000 Life Point damage and lost a monster from your foolish play. Feel proud?"
Max: 4000
Obsidian: 8000
After Max's Life Point counter stopped decreasing, the rings he wore sparked. That was the only warning they got before a huge electric shock suddenly burst out of them, consuming Max. He dropped to his knees with a yell of immense pain.
He was not the only one affected. The clasps pinning Brandi to the wall also lit up, and she was shocked with as much intensity as Max. A scream escaped her hoarse throat before she fell silent again, hanging limply.
"W-what was that?" Max managed to say as he rose.
"It is making sure the loser goes through with their word," Obsidian said. "Each time we lose Life Points, we suffer from an electric shock. The more Life Points we lose, the higher the intensity. To add onto that, your sister will also take the same damage you do. If you aren't more careful, you might be the one that breaks her. Wouldn't that be ironic?"
Hope could tell that Obsidian's words and actions were really affecting Max. He seemed beyond the point of hearing reason. So she did the only thing she could think of to calm him down; she ran forward and embraced him. "Max, please listen to me! You can't win like this! You have to think things through, or you're going to die, and Brandi will too!"
Max looked over at her in surprise. As he saw the state she was in, he realized something else. His actions were also affecting Hope, making her be worried sick. Not only was his life on the line, but his fate was linked with Brandi's… and Hope's.
"…I understand. Don't worry, I'll be more careful now," he said.
Hope let go of him. "Do that and you will win." She returned to where she had been standing before.
"Good one," Gaston said. "That seems to have worked."
Max turned to Obsidian. "Sorry for the interruption… oh wait, I'm not. I lay one card down and end my turn."
Obsidian was rather annoyed that Hope had helped Max get a grip on his anger, but there was little he could do about it. "I lay one monster."
"I'll summon Newt. (1900/400) He attacks your new monster," Max stated.
"You just don't learn," Obsidian said with a shake of his head. "You got lucky this time though. It is my Mine Golem. (1000/1900) Done?"
Max frowned slightly. "A Rock Sub-Type deck, one that focuses mostly on defense. That's annoying. I end my turn."
"What will be more annoying for you is this. I play Sealing Swords of Light, so that you may not attack for three turns." Obsidian smirked at Max's aggravated expression. "Since you're helpless to stop me, I suppose there's no harm in playing another Mine Golem in attack mode. (1000/1900) I lay one card down and end my turn."
"Just because I can't attack doesn't mean I'm helpless," Max said. "I play Angel's Gift to draw three cards. Then I discard Mimic of Darkness Lv 1 and Division of Ranks. I play Rebirth of the Dead. By discarding Night Assassin, I return Element Devil to my hand from my Cemetery. Night Assassin's effect activates. When he is discarded from my hand, I return a reverse effect monster from my Cemetery to my hand. I'm going to get Mimic of Darkness Lv 1. I summon Element Devil and end my turn."
"Yep, Max is back in business," Gaston said.
Obsidian did not seem intimidated by the large play Max had made. "I lay a monster down and end my turn."
"I summon Goblin Elite Force (2200/1500) and end my turn," Max stated.
Obsidian smirked again as he saw what he had drawn. "This ought to be fun. I summon my third Mine Golem and switch my first to attack. Then I activate my trap card, Mine Detonation! For each Mine Golem I have on my field, you lose 1000 Life Points!"
"I don't think I want to take 3000 Life Points worth of damage, thank you," Max said calmly. "I activate Holy Life Barrier. By discarding End of Anubis, all Life Point damage is reduced to zero this turn."
The three Mine Golems exploded, each hitting the barrier harmlessly. Obsidian looked furious. "Damn it! Mine Detonation destroys all of my Mine Golems… fine. I end my turn."
Hope sighed in relief. "That was close…"
"Obsidian seems to focus on doing damage in large amounts," Gaston observed. "It is a good thing Max had that trap ready."
"Your Swords irritate me," Max said. "I play Cyclone, destroying them. Then I attack your Aztec Statue with Goblin Elite Force, and your defense monster with Element Devil."
"That was my Guardian Statue," Obsidian said. (800/1400)
"Now I can use my Element Devil's effect! When a Wind Main-Type monster is on my field and Element Devil destroys a monster, he can attack again! He attacks you directly!" Max declared. "Then Newt does so as well!"
Max: 4000
Obsidian: 4600
Obsidian was able to remain standing as he endured the two electric zaps that occurred. "Heheh… that actually helps me." He drew and sneered. "This is what I needed. I play Angel's Gift to draw three cards… perfect! I discard Great Spirit and Moya Frontline Artillery. Then I remove my seven Rock Sub-Types from my Cemetery to special summon Megarock Dragon!" (?)
The behemoth that appeared before them instantly explained why Obsidian had such a cocky attitude now. It was a huge beast made of sharp rocks that stood at least five times taller than them. It glared down at Max with red, pupil-less eyes.
"Megarock Dragon cannot be normal summoned," Obsidian said. "He is special summoned by removing Rock Sub-Type Monsters from my Cemetery. His attack and defense is equal to the number of Rock Sub-Type monsters I have removed when he is special summoned times 700. (4900/4900) He attacks Element Devil!"
The Megarock Dragon roared as it pointed its spikes at Element Devil. They shot out, tearing the monster apart.
Max: 600
Obsidian: 4600
The resulting shock was not as severe as the previous one, but it was still very painful. Max was barely able to remain standing while Brandi seemed practically unconscious. Max was not about to give up though. "My Goblin Elite Force is already in defense mode due to their effect. I switch Newt to defense mode and lay two cards down."
"Max…" Hope said softly.
"He's not out yet," Gaston assured. "Just wait and see."
"I play Shield Crush!" Obsidian declared. "That destroys one monster on the field that is in defense mode. I will eliminate your Newt so that its effect will not hinder me. Then Megarock Dragon destroys your Goblins!"
Once the devastating attack had ended, Max drew. The card made him smirk. "This works well. I activate my trap card, Cry of the Living Dead, for End of Anubis!" (2500/0)
"What do you hope to do with that?" Obsidian asked.
"I sacrifice End of Anubis for Great Demon Gaazetto! (0/0) His attack is twice the amount of the monster sacrificed for him! (5000/0) That makes him strong enough to destroy your Megarock Dragon!" Max declared. "Gaazetto attacks him!"
The Gaazetto proceeded to tear apart the Megarock Dragon, leaving only five scales behind.
Max: 600
Obsidian: 4500
The minor shock was easy to recover from, so Obsidian was swift to straighten. "Since you destroyed Megarock Dragon in battle, I activate Onyx's Deck Master ability." The scales cracked open, revealing five monsters. "When you destroy a monster of mine in battle, I can special summon monsters from my deck. Their combined attack must be less than the destroyed monster's defense strength. I get two Lost Guardians, Aztec Statue, Moya Frontline Artillery, and Great Spirit."
"I cannot let you get away with that," Max said, flipping over his other trap card. "I activate Tidal Wave. This destroys all of the monsters on the field."
"That is a risky move," Obsidian pointed out. "If I get a monster next turn, you're finished!" Nevertheless, Obsidian's forehead was covered with nervous sweat.
"Normally, yes. But I have a Deck Master. Tenma, come forth!" Max commanded. Tenma sprang out. (2500/0) "It's your turn."
Obsidian cursed as he saw what he had drawn. "I pass…"
"I summon Deathcalibur Knight! (1900/1800) He attacks you directly, as does Tenma!" Max said.
The Deathcalibur sliced into Obsidian with his sword, and then Tenma tore into him with his claws.
Max: 600
Obsidian: 100
The two electric shocks left
Obsidian leaning against Onyx for support. "D-damn it…"
"Take your turn," Max said with a smirk.
"…I lay a monster down… and end…" Obsidian said, knowing it was useless.
"I have the perfect way to kill you," Max said as he looked at his hand. "Remember that Mimic of Darkness Lv 1 I got a while ago? I'm summoning him now." (100/1000)
"No… you have to be kidding…" Obsidian groaned as the Mimic appeared.
"It's what you deserve. Tenma attacks your defense monster!" Tenma ripped apart the Sentry Golem. (800/1800) "Then Mimic of Darkness Lv 1 kills you!" The Mimic bounded forward and sank its teeth into Obsidian.
Max: 600
Obsidian: 0
A final shock consumed Obsidian. He screamed out before falling, dead before he hit the ground. Onyx vanished at once.
"Hah… I got him…" Max said before falling to his knees, exhausted.
"Are you all right?" Hope asked worriedly.
"Yeah… go help Brandi… I'm fine…" Max said as he began to remove the rings.
"Okay." Hope went to Brandi and started to pry apart the clasps.
"Hope…" Brandi whispered.
"It's over now," Hope assured. "You're not going to be hurt anymore." She managed to open the last clasp and helped Brandi down, laying her on the ground.
"Let me down…" Mana said to Gaston.
"Can you support yourself now?" Gaston asked.
"I think so… and I believe I have enough strength to help Brandi," Mana replied.
"Then go for it." Gaston placed her upright. Mana staggered a moment, and then was able to float over to Brandi.
"I'll handle this," Mana said. "Max needs you, Hope."
"Right." Hope left them to go to Max, inserting a few Red Potions cards as she went.
Mana placed her hands over Brandi's heart, concentrating. A white light went from her hands into Brandi, instantly healing all of the wounds she had acquired.
"Mana!" Brandi exclaimed, sitting up. "Your healing powers…"
"They've improved," Mana explained. "Since I'm a Magician's Valkyria now, I can heal you completely. But I think my uses of it are restricted now. I probably won't be able to do that again for a few days."
"That's fine," Brandi said. "Thank you for doing that."
"Happy to help," Mana answered with a smile. Her mind was elsewhere though. That's odd. I felt like I healed her twice… why did that happen?
"Is that enough?" Hope asked as she handed Max her final Red Potion.
He drank it. "Yeah. I think that covers everything. Thanks."
Brandi and Mana joined them. Hope looked up and smiled. "You look like you've been healed completely."
"I was," Brandi answered, sitting next to them. "I'm really grateful to both of you. Thank you very much for saving us."
"I'm glad we made it in time," Hope said as Max nodded.
"How did you know I was here?" Brandi asked.
"Miles overheard your captors talking," Gaston explained.
"When we were in the forest?" Mana inquired. "I was conscious then, but barely."
"That's right," Gaston confirmed.
Brandi looked anxious as she said, "What about Larka? Did you find her?"
"Zack and Angela went to save her," Hope assured. "I'm sure they will succeed."
"Yeah. Zack looked fit to kill," Gaston commented. "And Angela is… well… you saw what she can do."
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Brandi asked.
"We're going to return to the mountain," Max said. "That is where the group is waiting. They stayed behind to duel a messenger that was coming to inform us of your capture."
"Heinskitz, or something," Gaston shrugged. "Either way, I propose we take a few minutes to rest, and then head back."
"I agree. We deserve some down time after all that," Hope said.
"All right. Five minutes and we'll head back on a ship," Max said, sitting back. The others did as well, finally letting themselves relax.
To be continued…