Level Rising: Dark Times
By Copper Thrice
Hi, readers! It's been a while since I first wrote (took a little down time), but now I'm back with a vengeance! By the way, just the Yu-Gi-Oh series, I'm going to be inventing some cards for the sake of the story. Only a few though, you'll be seeing one in this chapter. Enjoy!
--Copper Thrice
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Ellie Watcher sighed as she entered her Obelisk Blue room. It had been a long day at school. Less Dueling and more Dueling-in-Concept than usual.
Her apartment was a large and could've been confused for some five-star hotel room. It was a bit extravagant, but she earned it through her almost two years at Duel Academy.
Ellie slipped off her duel disk and sat down on her bed, gazing outside the window at the lake which bordered the Girls Dorm. She breathed a heavy sigh as she saw the moonlight glaze the lake.
It was a full moon tonight.
In fact, it was bright enough to see anything outside…
Or anyone.
Ellie stood and walked towards the wide window in her dorm room. She squinted in order to use the moon's light to see someone on the docks beside the dorm. Her eyes widened as she recognized the figure on the docks.
Tall, lanky body… Long, bluish hair… White robes…
It was Saartorius!
"What's he doing here?" Ellie wondered in shock, "I thought he left the Academy after Jaeden Yuki beat him in the GX tournament."
Saartorius turned and seemed to look up at Ellie. She could imagine his cruel smile and maddened eyes. It was something she had not forgotten since he had taken control of her during the Tournament.
Ellie clenched her teeth and balled her fists as the form of Saartorius walked off the docks and into the nearby forest.
"He's mine!" Ellie thought out loud, "I know he's up to something and I'll find out what it is!"
Ellie grabbed her disk and slipped it on, placing her deck in the deck slot which closed around it.
She rushed to the door and snuck downstairs, hoping she could catch up to the blue-haired menace.
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Five hours earlier…
It was mid-afternoon at the Duel Academy Arena and Jaeden Yuki was on the verge of his tenth victory in a row.
Completely dressed in an Obelisk Blue uniform, Jaeden stood with his arms crossed. His old, friendly smile had been replaced by an angry glare that seemed foreign on his face.
His opponent, Brandon Trent, was an Obelisk Blue and was constantly looking at the cards in his hand. He was trying to come up with a strategy to save his skin.
So far, he had nothing.
His side of the field was empty and Jaeden's Elemental Hero: Bladedge (2600/1800) was guarding Jaeden's Life Points. There was also a face down card at Jaeden's feet.
JY: 4000
BT: 200
Brandon finally decide on a move.
"I place a monster face down in defense," said Brandon worriedly, "Your turn."
"Finally," Jaeden snapped.
As Jaeden drew a card form his deck, the crowd that sat watching the duel sighed. They knew this match was already over.
Alexis sat in the front row reserved for Obelisk Blue students and looked at Jaeden with a mixture of dissatisfaction and worry. She had just watched her boyfriend completely decimate the nine other duelists. Jaeden didn't just crush their Life Points…
He crushed their spirits, too.
"Now, Bladegde," yell Jaeden, "Destroy his monster!" The golden armored warrior obeyed and charged, blades extended, at the face down monster.
The form of a blue-suited Battle Warrior (700/1000) appeared for a moment and then was cut to shreds.
"By the way," Jaeden said in a matter-of-fact tone, "My monster's special ability allows it to do damage equal to your monsters defense minus my monster's attack."
Sure enough, a shockwave exploded from where the Battle Warrior was destroyed. It hit Brandon and his Life Points sank.
The crowd grew disappointed. They had been hoping that during at least one of Jaeden's duels he would lose. Instead of the school hero he once was, he was now someone everyone wanted to see suffer the defeat he deserved.
Alexis stood up and watched Jaeden as he left the arena, not even looking at his fallen opponent. She sighed deeply and then turned to the exit.
It was time she had a little talk with Jaeden.
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Present time…
Ellie ran through the forests of the Academy grounds. She only saw glances of Saartorius, but it was enough for her to keep on his trail.
It was like he was daring her to follow him.
Good, Ellie thought, I like dares.
For almost half-an-hour, Ellie raced after Saartorius, until she came upon the mountain ion the center of the island.
Ellie looked around.
"Where did he go," She thought aloud. Then she saw a glimpse of white fade into a small cave at the roots of the mountain. She grinned and thought, heh, he's trapped in there.
Ellie ran into the cave and wandered through its darkness.
"Oh, GREAT idea, Ellie," she said sarcastically, "Follow the bad guy into the spooky cave. That's a stroke of genius…"
Then she saw a light a few hundred paces away. She ran towards it and came out in a large hollow inside the cave. It was humongous, about the size of the Duel Academy Arena!
Ellie then saw something-- Someone, actually – that she did not expect. A little girl in a white dress stood at the far end of the cave. In her hands she cupped a small, blace crystal on a necklace and on her arm was a KaibaCorp duel disk.
She looked up at Ellie and giggled. "Hello, Eleanor," she said with her innocent voice, "Good to see you made it."
Ellie was instantly on edge, when people usually called her by her real name it ticked her off. However, something seemed a little off about thin girl. It made Ellie uneasy.
Ellie finally just shook her head and took a few steps towards the girl.
"Hey, there," said Ellie in a calm voice, "Have you seen a man with long blue hair, and a white outfit, run through here?"
The girl giggled again. Ellie seemed taken aback. "What's so funny," she finally asked.
"You, Eleanor," the little girl chirped, "The fact that you could be fooled by such a low-class illusion is proof that you must not be too smart. Oh,well…"
"Huh," said Ellie not sure on how to take the insult or the information.
The girl held up the black pendant and it began to glow.
Suddenly, a black ring formed around Ellie and the girl. Dark energy seemed to pour out of the circle itself. Ellie tried to touch the tall wall of black energy that spread up from the circle and her hand was shocked.
"What the…" Ellie said in surprise.
"Now, here's the plan, Eleanor," said the girl, "My name is Salma Bebedora. My job is to do the bidding of my Dark Lord and he bids me to defeat you and take your soul hostage." Salma gave an evil grin, "Then you will be used as bait for your Jake Parion friend."
Ellie blinked and stared at Salma for a few seconds. She knew Jake was out somewhere in the world doing something, but he must have managed to tick somebody off in doing so.
Finally, Ellie just started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Salma asked furiously.
"Yeesh, don't throw a temper tantrum, kid," Ellie said finally calming down. "But…"
Ellie raised her left arm and activated her duel disk. "Do you seriously think you can just waltz up to me and take me hostage? Seriously, you must have issues. By the way… If I'm serving as bait… Why did you tell me your whole 'Evil Plan'?" Ellie chuckled a bit more.
"Shut up!" Salma yelled as she activated her duel disk.
EW: 4000
SB: 4000
"I'll go first!" Salma said, still a little mad. Then she smiled as she saw her hand. "It seems I drew the perrrrr-fect hand. Now watch as I use my Doriado's Blessing!"
Salma played a ritual spell and a white portal appeared in front of her.
"I'll now sacrifice two monsters form my hand to summon my Elemental Mistress Doriado (1200/1400)!
A figure of a girl in a white dress and a red headdress appeared. She seemed young and in the middle of some prayer.
"O-o-o-o-kay…" said Ellie, "What's up with the white-nun-thing."
"Just watch," Salma chirped innocently, "Now I play Soul of the Duelist on Doriado!"
"What?" Ellie asked. She hadn't heard of that card before.
Suddenly, the Elemental Mistress disappeared and turned into white shimmers in the air. The shimmers flowed around Salma and blinding light surrounded her. Ellie had to shield her eyes.
When the light faded, Salma was clothed exactly like Doraida, except for her duel disk which now had a white aura around it.
What on Earth? Ellie thought, then her duel disk shot out a hologram to show… Salma's attack and defense points?
Elementa Mistress Salma SD (2200/2400) said the hologram.
"Now, Eleanor," said Salma in her "innocent" voice. "Prepare to lose."
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Well, there ya go! Sorry it took so long to get back to writing. Oh, and if you want to know what "Soul of the Duelist" can do, tune in for my next chapter.
Later,
Copper Thrice