Happy Halloween! To celebrate this holiday that I did basically nothing on, I have finally finished this chapter that was actually planned out a while ago.
My updates have been rather slow, but I hope to finish this arc before next year. The main reason I have been so slow is that I am working on another writing project. It is for Teknisk Wereld, and it will be posted later, but not now. I will explain why at a later date.
Anyway, onwards!
Chapter Seventeen: Charges
The ship had made good progress. Miles noted that they were about half-way there, which was not quite enough for the two Soul Monsters that despised sea-travel. Everyone else accepted the news and continued what they were doing.
"As much as I like traveling by sea, I wish we'd get there already," Rue complained, having given up his chase on Draken a while ago.
"I don't," Hope said, shivering at the mere thought of their destination. "I hate the cold."
"It's only until we deal with the Judge anyway," Gaston said.
"That doesn't reassure me much," Hope muttered.
"So I guess I'll be facing the one in the snow lands," Draken assumed.
"You said the next one, so most likely," Brandi agreed.
"Unless we come across another Judge beforehand," Zack said.
"Oh come on, what are the chances of that happening?" Mana said.
"Knowing our luck, very high," Gen commented.
"We've run into two people, all we need is one more for my prediction to be right," Miles said.
While they were talking, another conversation was occurring nearby. Floating beside their ship was a small raft, with a certain troublesome duo on it.
"You got the bomb, Kasmaru?" Alamaru asked.
"Right here," Kasmaru replied, producing it. "It's got a long enough fuse so that we should be able to get away before it goes off."
"Good," Alamaru stated. "Put it over there, in the middle."
"…Alamaru, if someone sees it, they can just dispose of it," Kasmaru pointed out. "I suggest we put it in a well-hidden spot like over-"
"Shaddup Kasmaru, I'm in charge here!" Alamaru declared, snatching the bomb and lighting it in one swift moment. Before Kasmaru could protest, he tossed it onto the deck. "Let's go!"
Max had been leaning against a nearby railing, nobody else nearby, when the bomb suddenly landed next to him. He blinked at it, saying, "What the…" and then nonchalantly kicked it, sending it off the ship.
Coincidentally, the bomb happened to land right in the middle of the raft. As they stared at the short fuse in horror, Kasmaru said, "Uh, Alamaru?"
"W-what?" Alamaru stammered.
"You are such a-"
The bomb exploded, sending pieces of the raft flying everywhere. Alamaru and Kasmaru went sailing away and crashing into the water with yelps.
"…Did I just hear an explosion?" Gaston asked, sounding startled.
Max came up to them and shrugged. "Probably just a large wave. What's the situation like?"
Angela, who was in the crow's nest and thus had not heard what happened below, said, "Enemy detected. Approaching from the sky."
"What'd I tell you?" Miles said triumphantly, leaving the steering wheel to join everyone else.
"It is not good that your prediction came true," Kazel pointed out.
"Will commence attack in ten seconds." Angela's eyes focused on a black figure that was steadily approaching.
"Going to let her do it?" Max asked Larka.
Larka hesitated, and then nodded. "The Judge would want a death duel with us. That means he or she would have to be killed in the end. If we can avoid another conflict, it would be for the better."
"Indeed," Will said.
They turned their attention back to Angela, who shot forth several strands of hair. They made contact with the figure, which was now a short distance away from the ship. A screech was heard, and then it fell, spiraling from the sky. The bird-like creature nearly came all the way down before vanishing, leaving a person to leap off its back and land on the deck. Angela reacted swiftly, vaulting off the crow's nest to attack from above. The person rolled aside hurriedly and inserted a card halfway into his Duel Disk. "Halt your attack! If you continue, your entire ship will be ripped apart by my Tempest!"
Realizing that even if Angela killed him, he would probably instinctively slide in the card as his last act, Larka said, "Angela, stop! We can't risk it!"
"Affirmative." Despite this being the fourth time Angela was being ordered to stand down against the enemies she was programmed to kill, she did as asked. Larka was secretly relieved; if Angela had possessed any kind of emotions, she would surely have given in to frustration by this point.
Since he was not under the threat of an immediate attack, the man stood upright. He wore a black jacket over a white shirt and black pants. His sandy hair was short and tangled, and his beard unshaven. His dark brown eyes glared at them, settling on Draken as he said, "You! I knew you would be with them!"
"What are you talking about?" Draken asked, genuinely confused.
The man began to slowly pace, moving his arms rapidly and snapping out his words. "The silver-haired bringer of death… the one who caused the town to be lost amongst blue flames… the one who laughed at the screams and charred bodies of innocents… who else could it be but you?"
Draken stared at him in disbelief. "You were there?"
"Was I there? If only I were so fortunate!" the man said with a bitter laugh. "I would have tossed you into the very flames you gave birth to! But no, I was not. All I got were official accounts of what had happened… and a news story that killed the bit of light my heart had."
"What is he talking about?" Miles said.
"Did you not hear it?" the man raved. "The one name they actually gave out, the one whose body you defiled… Mary-Elizabeth, the one I loved, was your victim!"
"That… girl…" Draken trailed off, memories that he had tried to push aside for so long reforming in his mind.
"Draken?" Kisara asked softly. "Did you really…?"
"He's a murderer! And who would be with one like him except for other killers?" he spat. "General of Hell, you called yourself? Then let me send you to your master, the devil himself! Be sure to tell him Set was the one who ended your slaughtering spree!"
Set held out a Soul Card, causing a monster to appear next to him. Almost like a large, humanoid dog, it had a short green top, armor at its waist, gauntlets, and a headdress. The cloth at his waist and cape he wore was purple, and the katars he carried gold. His green eyes narrowed as he growled.
"If you want to avoid having Haren, my Jackal Paladin, tear you apart… I suggest you take up my offer to duel, murderer," Set said, pointing at Draken.
"…I guess I don't have much choice," Draken said quietly, stepping forward.
"You don't have to agree to what he's saying!" Rue protested, worried in spite of himself. "We know you aren't like that anymore!"
"The fact remains that I did kill people though," Draken answered. "Besides, I said I would duel the next Judge."
"...Fine. Don't go dying," Rue grumbled.
"Draken?" Kisara said.
Draken looked away. "I guess I didn't really tell you much about the incident, did I? I don't blame you for hating me for that. It was weak of me to hide it."
Kisara shook her head. "No, I do not mind. It is as Rue said; you are not like that anymore."
Despite the situation, Draken managed to smile. "Thanks. Ready, Darche?"
"Always," Darche said, stepping next to him.
Draken: 8000
Set: 8000
"I'm going first," Set declared. "I lay a monster and a card, and then activate Time Capsule!" A coffin appeared on the field. Set took a card from his deck as he said, "I take a card and remove it from the game. On the second standby phase I have after activating it, I receive the card I chose. Take your turn!"
"All right, I'll start by summoning Sapphire Dragon (1900/1600) and attacking," Draken said.
"I'm halting him with Book of the Moon!" Set countered. "Your Sapphire Dragon is flipped into face-down defense mode."
Draken shrugged. "Oh well. I lay a card down and end."
"I flip over my monster, Locust Soldiers! (1000/500) They destroy one magic or trap card when reverse summoned," Set explained.
"Great, you killed my Magic Cylinder," Draken said, tensing slightly.
"My Locust Soldiers can return to face-down defense once per turn, so I will have them do so," Set concluded.
"At least they aren't strong," Draken stated. "I summon Lord of Dragons –Dragon Ruler- (1200/1100) and flip Sapphire Dragon up. Lord of Dragons destroys Locust Soldiers, and Sapphire Dragon attacks directly!"
The Sapphire Dragon tore at Set, but it did not seem too severe.
Draken: 8000
Set: 6100
"Wait! He didn't set a death duel condition, did he?" Miles realized.
"Strange," Zack said. "Judging by his earlier behavior, one would think he wants Draken to die."
"That gives us even more reason to be cautious," Will stated.
Set began his next turn. "This is my second standby phase, so I get my card from the Time Capsule." The coffin disappeared from the field. "I lay two cards down and end my turn."
"This is probably a trap, but I can't resist," Draken said. "I play Dragon Calling Horn!" A horn appeared in the Lord of Dragon's hand, and he blew into it. Two Blue Eyes White Dragons appeared at the noise. (3000/2500) "I can special summon up to two Dragon Sub-Types in my hand with that if Lord of Dragons is on the field."
"I have you!" Set said triumphantly. "I activate my trap card, Descending Ceiling! This is the card I got from Time Capsule, and how useful it is. When there are four or more monsters on the field, all face-up monsters are destroyed!"
"That wasn't very smart of me," Draken muttered as his four monsters were crushed to death. "Not the end of the world though. I activate a magic card, Early Burial! By paying 800 Life Points, my Blue Eyes White Dragon returns!"
Draken: 7200
Set: 6100
"He attacks you directly!" Draken said.
"Time to activate my second trap, a permanent one called Traveler's Riddle!" Set announced. "I have four cards in my hand. Pick one and call monster, magic, or trap. If you're right, the attack goes through normally. If not, your monster returns to your hand!"
"That would suck." Draken concentrated on the cards he was being offered. "Hm… second card to your left, monster."
Set showed him reluctantly. "You were right. It was my Poison Mummy."
The Blue Eyes White Dragon's white lightning hit Set dead-on, causing him to stagger.
Draken: 7200
Set: 3100
"Curse you… and your flames of Hell…" Set growled. "I lay a monster down."
"This might hurt, but I have to try," Draken said. "I attack with Blue Eyes. Card to your very left, magic."
"Wrong!" Set said, revealing it. "It's a trap card, Curse of Anubis!"
Draken frowned slightly as his Blue Eyes White Dragon vanished. "Not much I can do about that. I lay a monster, and I'm done."
"First I flip summon Poison Mummy, (1000/1800) activating his reverse effect! You lose 500 Life Points," Set said.
Draken: 6700
Set: 3100
"Then I sacrifice him for a defense monster, lay a card down, and end my turn," Set said.
"I'm not liking that monster… I'll lay one of my own," Draken decided.
"Not like it matters!" Set laughed bitterly. "I flip over Guardian Sphinx! (1700/2400) When reverse summoned, all of the monsters on your field are sent to your hand! I also summon Swarm of Scarab Beetles! (500/1000) They both attack you directly!"
This was the first direct attack that had actually caused Draken to feel pain. The Guardian Sphinx swung a heavy stone paw at him, catching him across the chest. The Beetles were more irritating than agonizing, but they did not help matters.
Draken: 4500
Set: 3100
"They both have the ability to be flipped back down, so I do that before ending," Set said.
"I'd better get rid of that monster if nothing else is possible," Draken said. "I summon Spear Dragon (1900/0) and attack, calling monster on the card to your very right!"
"You guessed correctly," Set said in disgust, showing his Royal Bodyguards before shuffling his hand around. "But I won't let you get away with an attack! I activate my trap card, Curse of Anubis, to stop you! It switches all face-up effect monsters on the field to defense mode and makes their defense zero for the turn!"
"What a change," Draken said sarcastically. "I lay a card down and end."
"Once more, I flip over my Sphinx," Set began.
"And as you do, I activate Destruction Ring!" Draken declared. "Your Sphinx is destroyed, and we each lose 1700 Life Points!"
"Afraid not," Set retorted. "Haren's Deck Master ability takes care of that. When I reverse summon a monster, it cannot be affected by trap cards for the turn."
"Drat," Draken muttered, flipping the Destruction Ring back down. "Okay, Spear Dragon returns to my hand. Anything else?"
"I flip my Scarabs and have both monsters attack!" Set said.
With his wounds accumulating, Draken nearly fell over at the heavy blow the Sphinx delivered. He managed to straighten as his Life Point counter decreased.
Draken: 2300
Set: 3100
"They return to their face-down positions, and I'm done," Set said.
"So just what kind of deck is he using, an Egyptian one?" Rue asked.
"…You just noticed?" Hope said.
"No! I… um… didn't think to ask, that's all," Rue said, eyes shifting.
"Sure you didn't," Miles said with a grin. "But yeah, Egyptian all the way. No idea why though."
Set heard his comment and responded. "Mary loved history, especially when centered around Egypt. I made this deck to duel her to see her reaction." His eyes flashed as he turned to face Draken. "You can't begin to understand what she meant to me! Hurry up and take your turn so that I can make you pay for what you did!"
"Maybe that's what I do deserve, but I'm not going to lie down and let you walk all over me," Draken said. "I have a lot to live for now, and if wasn't for your group, I might have never had to kill again! As it is… I summon Spear Dragon and attack your Sphinx, calling monster on your second card to the right!"
"Royal Bodyguards again…" Set said, his Sphinx appearing. "You were hurt by that attack though!"
Draken: 1800
Set: 3100
"Yeah, and this'll hurt me even more, but I don't have much choice at this point," Draken stated. "I activate Destruction Ring on your Sphinx!"
"Damn it!" Set exclaimed as the ring of grenades appeared around the Sphinx's neck. The grenades exploded, sending rocks zooming through the air. Both duelists were hit a good amount of times.
Draken: 100
Set: 1400
Draken swayed and would have fallen if Darche had not grabbed his arm to offer support. Shaking his head to clear it, Draken said, "Thanks… I lay a card down and end."
"You're cutting it close!" Rue called to him. "Keep this up and you'll have Kisara die of worry!"
"Thanks for the encouragement!" Draken responded. Rue's words did hold a bit of truth though, for Kisara did look deeply concerned, as did most of the group.
"You may have gotten rid of my Sphinx, but I have other monsters to use!" Set said. "I sacrifice my Scarabs for Jackal Spirit Knight! (1700/1600) He attacks your Spear Dragon!"
"Congratulations, you killed my zero defense monster," Draken said once the Jackal Knight pierced his Spear Dragon.
"It has a bigger use than that," Set stated. "Look at my field!"
To Draken's surprise, the Spear Dragon appeared on his side in defense mode. "How did that happen?"
"When my Jackal Knight kills a monster in battle, it comes to my side of the field in defense mode!" Set said. "What'll you do about that?"
"Get rid of Spear Dragon before you destroy me with it," Draken said. "I summon a Sapphire Dragon and attack Spear Dragon! I'll call monster on the card to your right."
"Incorrect! It's another trap, Light of the Sands," Set said with a smirk. "Anything else?"
"Afraid not," Draken answered.
"Then prepare to meet my strongest monster! I sacrifice both of the monsters on my field for Jackal Paladin!" (2700/1200) Set announced. The copy of Haren appeared, snarling viciously. "He attacks you to end the duel!"
"You shouldn't make assumptions so easily," Draken said, flipping his card over. "I activate Attack Nullification to halt your attack. My turn?"
"Yes," Set said reluctantly.
Draken sighed in relief at the card he drew. "That's a big help. I summon Knight of White Dragon! (1900/1200) Then I sacrifice him to special summon a Blue Eyes White Dragon from my deck!"
"Are you going to risk attacking?" Set said, looking slightly nervous.
"Normally I wouldn't, but with this card, yes," Draken replied. "I play Stomping Crash to destroy your Traveler's Riddle and make you lose 500 Life Points. Now that I don't have to worry about that anymore, my Blue Eyes attacks!"
The blast cut through the Jackal Paladin easily. He gave a mournful wail before vanishing.
Draken: 100
Set: 600
There was a harsh irony to seeing his strongest monster fall victim to the same attack that had caused his loved one to die, which explained why Set was shaking with fury. "I lay a monster and a card. Go!"
"I summon Sapphire Dragon," Draken said. "Time to end this duel. Sapphire Dragon attacks!"
"I can't use Curse of Anubis on your non-effect monsters," Set snarled. "You destroyed my Royal Bodyguards…" (1600/1700)
"My Blue Eyes finishes the duel!" Draken declared. His dragon gave a final roar and shot out its deadly strike, knocking Set to his knees.
Draken: 100
Set: 0
"No… I swore… I swore I would avenge her!" Set cried, shakily standing.
"You've lost," Draken said, his expression clouding. "Leave it at that. I'm not who I used to be; I don't like to kill now."
"Hah! Like I'll believe that!" Set pointed at Draken wildly. "Haren! If we're doomed, we'll at least take as many of the murderers as we can! GET THEM!"
Howling, Haren rushed forward. Draken's hand went to his deck, but he was too tired from the duel to react swiftly enough. He would have been skewered, had not Rue leapt in the way with a Demon Axe. He slashed at the Soul Monster, forcing it to leap away.
"It won't end like this!" Set yelled, rushing towards them.
"Stay back!" Rue demanded, knowing his words would be of no use. That was why his feet were already carrying him towards Set, ready to deal the final blow to keep him from attacking Draken. Closer, closer, until they were only a few feet away.
What was heard next was not the singing of metal though. It was a deadly whistle that pierced the air. A purple spear of hair drove straight through Rue in an instant, barely slowing as it went on to stab Set through the heart.
To be continued…