Chapter 18: Unfinished Business

In the meantime Shinobi wandered through the myriad of corridors lit only by the torches on the walls. He cautiously evaded several tripwire traps that The Eternal Hunters had set in the passageway. Eventually he reached a bend in the path. Right before the hallway curved, he made out a handle sticking out of the wall. Suspecting another trap but curious to see what would happen, Shinobi stood flat against the wall, reached out with his hand and pulled the handle down. A panel on the wall opposite Shinobi opened and revealed a second path. "I'll check this out first." Shinobi said to himself. He entered the doorway opened by the panel and entered a pitch-black room.

After he entered the room the wall panel slid down rapidly behind him. Shinobi ran as fast as he could for the door but it was too late. He was now trapped in total darkness. Then a voice rang out from the room.

"Well, it looks like I'll actually get to finish what I started so long ago." The voice echoed throughout the room. Shinobi looked all around until he saw it: a pair of deep green eyes staring directly at him.

"YOU!!" Shinobi growled, "I'd know those eyes anywhere. We meet again after all this time. You're the one who killed Solara you heartless beast!"

"Yes I did." the voice cut him off, "I was also going to kill you and claim your precious Philosopher's Stone, and give to my Master the power of Eternal Life. But alas I never got to complete my mission, until now that is."

Shinobi's eyes glared a flash of blue and he used his pendant to send his voice directly to the man's mind. "You'll complete no such thing. Your master shall burn for all eternity, and so will all those who follow him like pathetic sheep. You my green-eyed monstrosity are possibly the worst of them all. What kind of being are you, who would go around killing innocent people and claim that it is right?"

Just then the lights turned on and Shinobi was now face to face with the green-eyed man speaking to him in the darkness. He too wore the standard issue Eternal Hunter robes. "If you're going to insult me, the least you could do is call me by my proper name."

"You are not worthy of a name." Shinobi cut him off, "You are not a human to my eyes and deserve treatment deserving of a common beast."

"Well since I know your name…Sean Phoenix! I might as well tell you mine. I am known as Venom."

"A fitting name for a man as evil as yourself." Shinobi retorted.

Venom then pulled back his cloak and revealed a duel disc. His disc was green colored and resembled a snake. He swung his left arm out and the body of the snake swung out to form the card readers. The deck reader was shaped like the snake's mouth. Venom placed his deck in the mouth of the snake and the fangs closed over top of it to hold it in place.

"You talk the talk. Let's see if you can walk the walk." Venom said as he slammed his deck into the deck reader.

Shinobi then removed his head covering and pulled out of his belt a large black throwing star. He tossed it into the air and caught it with his left hand. He then placed the star on his left arm and the blades folded out into dueling position

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." Shinobi shouted

"And when it is over, I shall repossess your Philosopher's Stone and hand deliver it to Lord Set." Venom replied. With this, both Shinobi and Venom began to draw 5 cards to begin a duel.

"I'll start this off if you don't mind." Venom said, "I'll set these two cards down on the field and summon Gravekeeper's Curse to the field."

A rush of air blew by Shinobi's body and there stood before him a strange priest-like figure that looked like he could be a Hunter himself. He was dressed in black robes with Egyptian Hieroglyphs decorating them. In one hand he held a small sickle. This creature had only 800 Attack points and 500 Defense points. As soon as it stood up straight, the man launched a beam from his sickle that struck Shinobi and dropped his Life Points down to 7500.

"My Gravekeeper's Curse has the ability to automatically deal 500 points of damage to my opponent as soon as it is summoned." Venom arrogantly proclaimed as Shinobi writhed from the hit. "Now I'll make things interesting by activating the Magic Card, Dark Snake Syndrome."

"What kind of devilish Magic is this?" Shinobi asked

Venom was rather calm and confident "Oh you'll see old boy. Just wait." He said.

"Fine then it's my move." Shinobi drew his sixth card. "Isn't that lovely?" he said. "I'll start by playing my Pot of Greed. Next I'll set 4 cards face down. Finally I'll summon one of my old friends, Cyber Falcon!"

From the ceiling of the room a large metallic looking bird, with jet engines on its wings and feet hovered down into the area of the duel. This bird had 1400 Attack Points, enough to eliminate Venom's Gravekeeper.

"Attack my falcon." Shinobi shouted.

His falcon's engines pointed to the rear, fired up and propelled it forward towards Venom's Gravekeeper's Curse. The beak of the falcon dug deep into the Gravekeeper's chest and destroyed it. Venom lost 600 Life Points from the hit.

"That's right! You feel the pain; the pain of Solara and all the others who you and your kind have harmed over the years." Shinobi proclaimed, "Go forth scum. I end my turn."

Venom recovered and drew. "Now let the fun begin." He said. As he said this, his Dark Snake Syndrome sent out two snakes, one towards Shinobi and one towards Venom. The snakes each reached up and delivered a painful bite to each of their arms. Both of them lost 200 Life Points.

"At each of my Standby Phases my Dark Snake Syndrome will infect both of us." Venom explained. "The first bite is for 200 Life Points and will only get worse as time goes on. Now I'll activate the trap Rite of Spirit and revive my Gravekeeper's Curse."

Venom activated his trap and a large caldron appeared in the middle of the playing field. White smoke began to emerge from the top of the cauldron and out of this smoke; Venom's Gravekeeper's Curse reappeared and jumped back down into position. It once again fired a beam at Shinobi taking another 500 of his Life Points. The score now read Venom: 7200, Shinobi: 6800.

"Now I activate the magic card, Necrovalley. This card seals off the effects of all cards that involve the Graveyard, prevents both of us from removing cards from our graveyards from Play, and gives my Gravekeepers and additional 500 Attack and Defense points."

When Venom played this card, the very environment changed. He and Shinobi appeared to be transported out into a remote desert valley with the pyramids in the distance and the sun hovering overhead burning the cards in their graveyards with intense heat. Venom continued his turn.

"Now I activate Forced Ceasefire. By discarding one card from my hand I can prevent both of us from playing any Traps for the rest of this turn. Now I shall tribute my Curse to summon Gravekeeper's Chief."

Venom's Curse vanished and in its place stood a larger Priest with the same Egyptian markings. This priest held a long wooden staff and wore white robes with a headband. The Chief had 1900 Attack Points but the Magic of Necrovalley raised this number to 2400.

"The magic of my Gravekeeper's Chief frees my Graveyard from the restraints of Necrovalley." Venom said. He also lets me revive one Gravekeeper from my Graveyard, so once again here comes Gravekeeper's Curse." Once again,

Venom's Gravekeeper's Curse appeared and shot a blast at Shinobi dealing 500 points of damage.

"And now Gravekeeper's Chief will attack your pathetic Falcon." Venom shouted.

His Gravekeeper's Chief raised his staff up over his head and swung downward releasing from the tip a blast of red energy that cut Shinobi's Falcon in two shattering it to pieces and dealing 1000 points of damage to Shinobi's Life Points.

"Now I'll end my turn. Go on Sean let's see what you can do now." Venom taunted

"As you end your turn. I activate the Magic of Scapegoat." Shinobi played his card and four small harmless sheep appeared in front of him.

"Ohhhhhh I'm scared." Venom taunted again

"You laugh now but we'll see what you're doing at the end of this turn." Shinobi retorted. "I draw. Now I summon Hand of Nehpthys to the field." Shinobi's bird-headed magician appeared on the field. "I shall now use her special ability, sacrificing her plus one of my scapegoats, allowing me to reach into my deck and call forth the almighty Phoenix God of Nephthys!!!!"

Shinobi's Hand and one of his Sheep vanished. A ring of fire appeared in the air above his head. The fire spread and closed in the ring. Eventually the fire took form and the mighty Phoenix roared to life from within the firestorm. At 2400 points, an attack against Venom's Gravekeeper's chief would result in a kamikaze attack.

"I can't risk losing my Phoenix in battle now." Shinobi began, "So I activate the Magic Card, Kishido Spirit. With this little toy active, my monsters cannot be destroyed in battles with opposing monsters with the same Attack Strength. Now My Phoenix, burn his Gravekeeper's Chief with Searing Soul of Flame!"

The Phoenix spread its arms and wings back, concentrated for a moment and finally extended them forward releasing streams of fire from each arm and wing. Venom's Chief attempted to fire off a shot from his staff but by the time he could raise his staff, the flames and scorched him. Grave Keeper's Chief fell to the floor covered in flames and shattered.

Shinobi smiled, "Solara, I shall avenge you." He said to himself, he then addressed Venom: "Soon, very soon. You shall have your sinful heart incinerated. The time has come for you to pay for your crimes."

Venom was still defiant. "Don't be so sure about that. This duel is far from over, and I assure you I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve."

As Venom drew his card, the Dark Snake Syndrome kicked on once again. This time the twin snakes that emerged were slightly bigger. When they bit, both Shinobi and Venom lost 400 Life points from the bites. They both writhed and felt a surge of sickness run through their bodies.

"It's getting worse isn't it?" Venom asked. "Can you handle the sickness?"

"I can handle anything you have you monster." Shinobi defiantly responded. Venom was pleased to see such a fighting spirit in his opponent.

"That's the spirit. Keep fighting. It will only make it more satisfying when I defeat you." Venom continued to taunt Shinobi even though the duel was still seesawing back and forth. "I'll set these two cards face down and that will end my turn."

Shinobi drew, "Oh, how things are playing themselves out. I now summon another close friend of mine. White Magician Pikeru!"

A small circle of magical runes appeared on the ground and out of these runes emerged a small, female magician, dressed in white. She had blonde hair and appeared to have a Scapegoat hollowed out and was wearing it on her head. He had 1200 Attack Points.

"Phoenix! Burn away his curse with Searing Soul of Flame!" Shinobi shouted, at this command, his Phoenix once again extended its arms and wings, releasing a flame burst that incinerated Venom's Gravekeeper's Curse. It was destroyed and Venom lost 1100 Life Points. He now had 5700 left. "And now Pikeru shall attack directly." Shinobi said, his magician waved her arms and shot a small, but potent ball of energy at Venom. The ball hit Venom in the knees causing them to buckle underneath him. He lost another 1200 Life Points.

"Go ahead you no good pathetic excuse for a human being." Shinobi barked at Venom

Venom drew his card. As he did so, the Dark Snake Syndrome sprung into action once again. This time the snakes would deal 800 points of damage to each of them. Venom was prepared however.

"Rather than take my share of the Syndrome, I'll activate the Trap, Barrel Behind the Door to send my 800 points of damage over to you Sean my boy."

The snake that moved toward Venom entered a long tube that circled around and exited out behind Shinobi, hitting him from behind just as the other snake bit him in the arm. Shinobi lost 1600 Life Points instead of 800. He was now down to 3300 and he began to feel sick.

"You don't look so good Sean." Venom said in his usual taunting tone. "To be honest I'm not feeling well either so I'll play Emergency Provisions for a quick pick-me-up."

Venom activated his card and both his Dark Snake Syndrome and Necrovalley were compacted and transformed into travel rations that entered Venom's deck stimulating him and adding 2000 Life Points to his total. He was back up to 6500 Life Points. With Necrovalley gone also, they were both transported out of the desert and back into the chamber within the Temple.

"I tell you what, I'll end my turn." Venom said

"Fair enough." Shinobi said. "As I draw my magician's ability kicks on, restoring some of MY Life Points as well. 400 for every monster I control. I gain back 2000 Life Points as well."

Pikeru raised her arms up into the air and released a shower of light down on Shinobi, sending a warm sensation through his body and increasing his Life Points by 2000. The score now read Venom: 6500, Shinobi: 5300.

"Now for a bit of protection." Shinobi began "I realize my Phoenix is the strongest monster in play but one can never be too sure. That's why I play Swords of Revealing Light!"

An array of swords that glowed with light encircled Venom's monster Zone and set up a barrier preventing any attacks from penetrating through.

"That ends my turn." Shinobi said.

Venom cautiously drew his card. He was in a tough situation at the moment, but as he looked at his card and he smirked.

"I think this might be just what I needed." He said to himself, "It's a gamble, but if it pays off I'll have him right where I want him." Venom then looked up at Shinobi.
"I'm truly sorry about Solara. But if it makes you feel any better, I'm about to reunite the two of you."