Chapter 13: Darkness (Pt. 2)

To Yuchi Kendai:

I leave this Deck with you. It is a gift from both your father and mother, specially designed for you. Do use it wisely. Happy Birthday.

Seven years had passed since Yuchi received that unique birthday present from his parents. He didn't know who wrote the letter, but he believed that whoever sent it must be very close to his father.

He wouldn't let anyone touch his precious deck over these years. Not the bullies in his orphanage. Not his classmates. Not even Kaworu Ikari. 'It contains the wishes from my parents. They must be hoping to see me help other people one day with the deck, so I have to take care of it,' that's what he always believed.

Now, these wishes would finally be fulfilled.

'I just need to defeat Al-Magnum.' Yuchi glared at his two opponents whose minds had been controlled by their mistress. 'Don't worry. I'll definitely save you from your pain!'

'It's still my turn!' declared Yuchi. 'During the End Phase, the effect of Supernova Angel Knight activates.' He took out a card from his Graveyard slot. 'I remove from play Hand of the Light in my Graveyard. Rise again, Supernova Angel Knight!' He smiled heartily. His beloved ace monster had finally returned.

'My turn!' screamed Toyota. He grinned menacingly, full of satisfaction, as if he knew that he would finally win the duel this turn. His shiny red eyes glowed with doom.

'Now, I shall let you witness our Card of Darkness,' laughed Honda.

'Correct,' agreed his twin brother. 'I remove from play all the four monsters in my Graveyard!' He proceeded to announce. 'With this, I Special Summon the Nightmare Naga from my hand.'

A bolt of lightning suddenly pierced through the dark, gloomy sky and struck his Darkness Unit. He cringed in pain as the bolt of lightning shocked him mercilessly. His mouth hanged wide open and his hair started to turn white. The helpless look on his face revealed that he did not enjoy this at all. The possessed Honda watched behind, doing nothing to rescue his brother from his ordeal.

Again black mist shot out of his mouth. It shrouded the whole field, surrounding it in total darkness. Yuchi could no longer see the silhouettes of his two opponents. He could only recognize them from their sinister glowing eyes.

The black mist began to shrink in size and form a black object, long and thin resembling a snake's body. Two large eyes emerged out of its large forehead, shining with red just like its master. As the black mist slowly dispersed away from the whole field, the lightning also decreased in intensity, relieving Toyota's body of some pain.

'Look at it! It's our Card of Darkness!' laughed Honda. 'It's Level 10 and has 3600 Attack Points! Can you defeat it, Yuchi Kendai?'

'Nightmare Naga's effect activates! By halving its Attack until the end of turn, it can attack you directly,' said Toyota.

The monster's body became even thinner and longer. It slithered swiftly past Supernova Angel Knight, and emerged in front of Yuchi. And then, it started to twist its body around Yuchi like a python, trying to suffocate him.

Yuchi struggled but the monster only continued to twist its body around him. He could not move at all. His limbs were already out of his control, bound tightly by the monster's body. He tried to breathe, however the monster had already took over his throat. It wrapped around him, covering most of his body and even his face. Yuchi could not see anything since his eyes were already covered by the black mist.

His heart beat faster. He could hear Doctor Parvita's voice from his computer. It seemed to be reminding him that he was in serious danger, and that he would die of suffocation anytime. Yuchi attempted opening his mouth to respond, but he found out that he could not even do so, more so letting out a cry of help.

'I can't lose here, I can't lose here…' Yuchi repeatedly thought of these words. 'Jun said I still have a lot of time left, my hourglass of Life hasn't ended yet… I must rescue Honda and Toyota, can't let my parents down…'

Images of his memories appeared in his mind.

The grave with the words '…R.I.P. Sakura Kendai'

Jun's warm but sad smile…

Kaworu…

'Can't… let… them… down…' Yuchi gasped. 'Please, God, please end this. I can't die here,' he prayed.

Yuchi felt a sudden pain in his chest. It was unbearable. It felt as if there were a thousand needles piercing through him. Yuchi closed his eyes, trying not to think of what would happen to him. He knew that something was dripping out inside his suit, but he did not want to imagine what it was. He wanted his wish to win the duel to overwhelm his thoughts, to anesthetize him from his torture.

'That's enough, Nightmare Naga.'

The monster let go of Yuchi's body, relieving him from his pain. He slowly opened his eyes. Blurrily, he could see that he only had 200 Life Points left. He knew that he could only win in the next turn. His body could no longer take another attack. Honda must have another of these beasts. If he couldn't win on his next turn, Honda would definitely remove his four monsters in his Graveyard and summon one more Nightmare Naga, and declare a direct attack on him. Everything would be gone then.

'I end my turn with that,' said Toyota. 'Nightmare Naga has another effect. As long as it stays on the field, you cannot attack any other monsters other than this card.'

'That means you cannot attack me directly before you defeat Nightmare Naga,' added Honda.

Yuchi looked at his hand. He had used up everything he could use on his last turn. 'I'll need to count on my last draw. Please, my cards…'

He took a glance at far away. Red and blue lights were flickering there. Yuchi wondered if that was Tenshi's Duel Lane. 'Now I don't wish to defeat him. I just want to save people… I just don't want to repeat the same history as Jun… Please, father, mother, please.' He bowed his head before his deck.

'Draw!' Yuchi closed his eyes and swiftly pulled out his last card. Something was tingling inside him. Would I be able to win with this card? His heart was jumping up and down. All of Neo Domino City would depend on this draw.

He opened his eyes to meet his destiny. Time seemed to be going very slowly. Holding the card he had just drawn in his right hand, Yuchi prayed that it would help him win the duel no matter what.

He turned his head to look at the card and let out a satisfying smile. 'You're here.'

'I activate the Spell Card De-Synchro!' shouted Yuchi as he immediately inserted the card into his Duel Disk. 'I send Supernova Angel Knight back to my Extra Deck and Special Summon Sapphire Angel and Magical Fairy Apprentice from the Graveyard.' His monster knelt down faithfully and vanished into the light. Replacing it was two of its material monsters.

'And then,' Yuchi smiled, 'I tune my Sapphire Angel and Magical Fairy Apprentice once more!'

'What?' exclaimed Honda and Toyota.

'Be reborn, my ace monster, Supernova Angel Knight!' Yuchi put up his right hand as the white warrior stood up proudly behind his Unit once more. 'Thank you, father, mother,' he said to his deck.

'Magical Fairy Apprentice's effect activates!' declared Yuchi. 'I can add one Equip Spell Card from my deck to hand.' He picked out a card from the thick stack. 'I equip Supernova Angel Knight with Blessing Stone.' A green aura surrounded Yuchi's monster.

'Blessing Stone copies the effect of another Equip Spell Card in the Graveyard,' explained Yuchi confidently. 'And of course, that card will be Wings of Hope.'

Supernova Angel Knight's wings turned golden once more. It let out a gleeful cry.

'I send the Blessing Stone to the Graveyard,' said Yuchi, the green aura disappearing from Supernova Angel Knight. 'I hope you haven't forgotten the effect of Wings of Hope, have you?'

'This is… impossible. How could you win over my Card of Darkness again?' The girl controlling Honda and Toyota behind was shocked at the outcome. 'My operation has failed… again?'

'I activate the effect of Wings of Hope!' cried Yuchi. 'Supernova Angel Knight's Attack is increased to 3500, and it can attack twice this turn!'

'Go, Supernova Angel Knight!' declared Yuchi, his monster holding up his great sword, ready for another attack. 'Destroy Nightmare Naga!' The warrior pierced his sword through the long cloud of black mist. It escaped back to Toyota's mouth. The poor teenager's body struggled in pain once more.

Both Honda and Toyota only had 800 Life Points left. Victory was sealed for Yuchi now.

'Final attack, Supernova Angel Knight!' Yuchi's monster let out its loudest battle cry ever and rushed forward, penetrating through both the Darkness Units with its shining white sword. There was a sudden explosion, and the opponents' Life Points went down to 0.

'Win, Yuchi Kendai,' declared the computer.

Yuchi let out a sign of relief. This had been the toughest duel for him so far. At least he finally made it. He saved Neo Domino City from potential destruction by Al-Magnum.

'Yuchi Kendai…' said Honda, his mistress still manipulating his mind. '…This is just the beginning of Al-Magnum's plot to take over your city. As long as we are in control of the Darkness Units, we'll never cease to exist!'

'Who gave you the information of the Darkness Units? Is it Soteria?' demanded Yuchi.

'Who knows,' laughed Toyota, blood dripping out of the side of his mouth. 'But let me warn you, Yuchi Kendai. You shall be the center of all the events that shall befall U.N.D.E.A.D. in the future. You shall fall to the darkness that shall devour your heart, and despair shall reign over your mind. All because you chose to pilot a Unit!' he threatened. Both Honda and him laughed hysterically.

'What do you mean?' Yuchi asked.

But before he could obtain a reply, the two Darkness Units had escaped. He tried to chase after them, however they were already out of sight when he changed his Unit into Normal Mode.

'What does she mean?' Yuchi asked himself. 'What about the other pilots? Does she also threaten Tenshi, Wiles or Amaya like this just now? Why does she say that I would be the "center of all the events"…?'

'Pilot Kendai', Commander Lupine showed up in the computer screen. 'Good work. Now return to the U.N.D.E.A.D. Headquarters asap. You are injured.'

Yuchi looked at his suit. Blots of blood were stained on the chest part. He had been too engrossed with defeating the enemy that he had forgotten he was wounded by the opponent's Card of Darkness.

'Roger,' replied Yuchi.

'I shall now guide you back to the Headquarters. Technical Officer Maya has already opened the gate to the underground for you. Please follow my instructions...'

'I understand, Sir.'

'Unit Type Four landing, Unit Type Four landing…' announced a man's voice as Yuchi's Unit returned to the port.

Yuchi limped down the steps. He was greeted by a team of doctors and nurses who were waiting for him to arrive. He clutched onto his chest firmly. It was still painful. Red blood continued to drip out of his suit.

He fell asleep as soon as he lied down on the stretcher. He didn't want to care the outcomes of his colleagues' duels, nor how Al-Magnum would react after their loss. All that he needed was just a good rest. The two weeks had been too demanding for him. From the Riding Duel with Tenshi to the most recent Unit Duel, Yuchi had never been able to enjoy one night of sleep…

'…'

'…Yuchi…'

He was walking on the rocky path again. It seemed to be an endless journey. Where would he reach this time? Yuchi tried not to look back. He knew that behind him was the abyss of darkness that he had always been fearful of, something that he wouldn't desire to meet for the whole of his life. He continued walking forward, taking one slow step at the time, heading towards the unknown light far beyond.

Yuchi arrived at the same place as he was after his duel with Jun. Everything was white around him. The road, the pebbles on the ground, the birds soaring in the sky, everything. Whiter than snow, purer than the heart of any kind man in the world. Yuchi trudged along the white pathway leading towards the gigantic castle far away. He wanted to find Jun, he wanted to ask him more questions, he wanted to know everything from him.

'Konnichiwa,' a familiar voice came from behind.

Yuchi turned his head to meet his friend. He was in a white tunic, completely different from what he was wearing on their last meeting. He smiled at him, welcoming him back to his world.

'Konnichiwa,' greeted the boy again. 'My name is Jun Higurashi. Have you forgotten me?'

'Definitely no,' Yuchi smiled back. 'Hello, Jun.' The two exchanged handshakes.

The two sauntered along the path. It was snowing. Flakes of white were falling from the sky like a meteor shower. Yet both Jun and Yuchi could not feel any coldness at all.

'Where is this place again?' asked Yuchi.

'Paradise, Yuchi,' answered Jun, the warm smile retaining on his face. 'It's where dead people like me go to.'

'Dead? But…'

'No buts, Yuchi,' Jun put his finger on Yuchi's lips, signaling him not to say anymore. 'Like I said last time, my hourglass of Life has already ended. Besides, I'm much happier here.'

'Sorry…'

'Never mind, Yuchi. So what brings you here again, my friend?'

'What?' Yuchi didn't fully understand his question. He only knew that he was wandering on the rocky path just now, and then he was suddenly transported by some light here.

'I understand, Yuchi,' replied Jun, staring deeply into his confused eyes. 'I know what you are worried about.'

Jun closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to look at his front. 'You are undecided, Yuchi.'

'Undecided?'

'Yeah, your eyes tell me that,' said Jun. 'It seems that you have not fully realized your true purpose of dueling yet.'

'Isn't it to help other people?'

'No,' Jun shook his head in disagreement. 'You've many other things you're worried about in your heart, Yuchi.' He put his hand on Yuchi's shoulder. 'Finding your father, fulfilling your parents' wishes, protecting your friends, saving the Al-Magnum members… It seems that helping people is no longer the only reason why you duel.'

'Yuchi…' he patted his shoulder. 'I can see that it's burdening you. You want to help the people in your city, yet you also want to rescue your enemies.'

'But what should I do?' questioned Yuchi. 'I can't stop feeling pity for those pilots whose minds have been possessed by their mistress.'

'Yuchi,' said Jun. 'There are some sacrifices that have to be made in this world. Think about it. The vegetables, the meat you eat, they're plants and animals that have sacrificed themselves to serve us human beings.'

Both of them stopped before the hourglass of Life. Currently, Yuchi's time was being shown. They could see that there was still much sand left on its upper bulb.

'There's always things that can't be helped, Yuchi. The people who have devoted themselves for Al-Magnum, for example. They have to be sacrificed for the peace of the world you live in, Yuchi. They have no choice but to offer themselves for the greater good of mankind.'

Yuchi wiped off the drop of tear in his eye. He couldn't help but think of Honda and Toyota. 'So… We have to let them being tortured by the Cards of Darkness and die, huh?' he asked weakly.

'That, is called Destiny, Yuchi,' smiled Jun. 'It may sound bad, but unfortunately they could only choose their destinies to be so. We can't stop it, Yuchi.'

'Why can't I? Why can't I choose to defy destiny?'

'Yuchi, I know you have the prowess as a duelist. Your confidence in the game is also very strong. But, destiny is destiny, Yuchi. You can't change the fact that you still have so much time left, can you?' He pointed to Yuchi's hourglass.

There was the sudden chiming of a bell, coming from the castle far beyond. Loud and clear.

'It looks like my time is up,' said Jun. 'I think I must go now, Yuchi. I'll send you back to your own world for now. Remember our promise, Yuchi!' He walked away and his silhouette disappeared amongst the snow.

'W… Wait!' Yuchi stammered. His eyes were blurred. Slowly, he started to feel drowsy.

And then, he lost consciousness.

'Mr. Kendai?'

When Yuchi woke up once more, he found himself in the hospital ward.

Doctor Parvita was attending to the wound on his chest. She applied some gel to it and sealed it with plasters and some cotton wool. Yuchi did not feel any pain at all. 'Maybe I'm already numb to it,' he thought.

'Thankfully it's only a minor cut,' she said. Yuchi let out a sigh of relief.

Knock. Knock.

'Come in,' the doctor called out.

'I said I don't want to see that bugger, Onii-chan!' The voice of a girl shouted outside the door. 'Look, he can even get injured in a simple Unit Duel…'

Creak. The door opened. Tenshi stepped into the room with the usual arrogant look on his face. With one last pull, he forced Amaya to tag along with him into the ward.

'Hey, Onii-chan, it hurts!' complained the brown-haired girl, massaging her right wrist. 'Why should I see the bugger?'

'Yuchi…' Tenshi opened his mouth to speak, ignoring the shouts and cries of Amaya behind him.

'What is it?' Yuchi asked coldly.

'…Congratulations. You have successfully beat me,' Tenshi said with a faint smile on his face. 'You finished your Unit Duel one minute earlier than I did.'

Yuchi simpered, looking quite pleased. But he chose to remain silent.

'Huh?' Amaya froze and stared at Tenshi. 'Onii-chan… lost? But how could the bugger…?'

'Stop calling him bugger,' Tenshi said softly to his sister. 'It's rude.'

'I can't believe this…' Amaya looked surprised. 'Onii-chan… defeated by Yuchi Kendai, of all people?'

'Anyway, it looks like we have settled the scores between us. So it's now a tie. Good job, Yuchi,' lauded Tenshi. Yuchi blushed. Nothing would be better for him now than getting praised by somebody you've always regarded as your rival.

'But don't forget, Yuchi!' Tenshi suddenly declared, his voice so loud that even the nurses at the corridor outside could hear him. 'It's only a tie, so I hope you won't be complacent about it. Remember, we still have to battle another time.' He turned his head and walked away in a cocky fashion. Amaya made a face to him and tagged along with her Onii-chan.

'Yeah,' Yuchi replied. He smiled at Tenshi as he watched him leave the ward. 'You're truly my rival, Tenshi.'

Don't miss the last chapter of Part One… Chapter 14: The Beginning!

Card of the Chapter

Blessing Stone

(Equip Spell Card)

Select one Equip Spell Card in your Graveyard. This card's effect becomes the same as that of the selected card.

...

A Note from the Author

Ah, Part One is finally ending soon.

Since this is just my first fanfiction work, of course I'm personally not too satisfied with it.

I think there's still a lot of room for improvement.

For example, I need to make the dialogue between characters more engaging.

That's why I would really need a break after this. To sharpen up my writing skills before returning to Part Two.

I believe it's necessary to do so.

However, I don't think the break would take too long. I may return on 12th of March as I wrote on my profile.

Or, if I got busy with my other works, I may return a bit later. Sorry about that!

By the way, talking about other works.

I've recently started a novel adaptation of an original galgame I'm going to create. It's on fictionpress, the sister site of fanfiction net that hosts original work.

The reason I began the novel first is because I would need some illustrations before I could start with the galgame.

Also, I need some reviews for the overall plot and make some changes to the script.

The URL's here: .com/s/2990649/1/Kaka. Please support it! Arigatou!

- Project M.G.