Opening Notes; It's been a while, but I never forgot this story. The big reason I haven't gotten to this is because I have a hell of a time coming up with decks for the OC opponents. If someone wants to help come up with ideas, I'm more than willing to try and take an idea or two from the most helpful of the bunch and work it into a future chapter. At any rate, it's time to duel!
Grandpa Solomon's home
"Man, that was intense!" Tristan couldn't believe what he had just seen. "She totally creamed that kid and his giant robot."
"Yeah, that Nanako kid's awesome! Who are these guys Yugi?" Joey asked, his brown eyes wide at the battle that they had just seen between the two young duelists. He didn't wait for a reply as he flopped back on the couch. "They certainly gave it their all, I'll give 'em that. Man, they make strong duelists out in that town, wouldn't you say Yuge?"
"Yeah!" Yugi agreed, beyond ecstatic at how the duel had ended. Besides, there's something about those two…. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something special about them, something unique. They were strong duelists sure, but strength alone didn't make a good duelist. It took more than a strong deck to be a good duelist, but with the way they carried themselves, Yugi was sure they'd go far.
As if reading his mind, his grandpa smiled down at him and nodded his head in silent agreement. They might not know it, but Nanako Dojima had unconsciously tapped into the Heart of the Cards, it was the only thing that made sense for her near miraculous win against Yuuta and his Neo Feathermen. Regardless of their belief in their decks, Yugi was all the more eager to get a chance to meet them at the very least.
He had no idea his wish would be granted when his grandpa snapped his fingers and ran out of the room. "That reminds me, there was a package in the mail Yugi. I'll be right back." When he came back, he was carrying a box bearing the logo of Industrial Illusions, and according to the note that had come with it, it had come from Maximillian Pegasus himself.
Inaba Duel Stadium
The Food Court
Yu and his friends were gathered in the arena's food court. After Nanako's victory against Yuuta, the next few duels planned for the day were between other opponents, which meant they had time to relax and prepare for whatever came next. But from the excitement in the food court, relaxing was the last thing on their mind as Ryo and Nanako went back and forth over her amazing win. Yu merely watched the two, quietly smiling at the animated conversation between them. Besides, the few passersby that came by their table, offering their congratulations towards Nanako, and watching her give them her humble thanks in reply, was all the more rewarding. This was what he had come back to Inaba for. Turning to Rise, who was on his left, the singer merely smirked at his thoughtful expression. "You'd think she had won the tournament already, the way those two are going on." She said, chuckling when Nanako beamed at her from across the food laden table.
"She's more than earned the right." Yu stated, and wasn't surprised by Rise's nod of agreement. She had beaten Yuuta despite the odds stacked against her, and had done so admirably. Yuuta had been a strong opponent, he had thrown everything he had at her, and yet Nanako had still come out ahead. "She's come a long way."
"We all have." Naoto softly stated, a small smile on her face as she looked away from her plate towards her close friends. "There was once a time that even I wouldn't have imagined being surrounded by good friends, who accepted me for who I am rather than what I wanted to be." It was no secret to the formerly known Investigation Team that Naoto Shirogane was a young woman underneath her otherwise boyish outer appearance. When they had first met her, she had been called in to help the Inaba police try and track down the serial murderer that had been stalking the country town, only for her to get herself caught, captured, and put into the Midnight Channel. It was there, confronting her Shadow, that they had learned that she was really a girl underneath the image she had carefully crafted in an effort to fit into an otherwise male dominated setting. Now however, she had been able to come to terms with who and what she was, and she was, like all of them, was far happier for being able to live with herself.
"You got that right." Kanji replied, giving them a solemn nod before he looked away. "Before all that shit happened with Adachi and Izanami, I was a mess too. But I got you Senpai to thank for getting my damn head on straight." They remembered the bleach blonde before he had gotten himself straightened out, with their help along the way. He had been far more aggressive, and he had looked every inch a leather clad bully to boot. Nothing could have been farther from the truth, since Kanji had only made himself appear tougher than he was at heart. Underneath his formerly rough exterior, lay a surprisingly gentle young man. Even though he still slipped up and let the occasional curse escape him, he had come a long way. Gone were the black leather jackets and the perpetual scowl he used to wear on his face. While he still had the bleach blonde hair, he had taken to wearing glasses as well as actual clothes that weren't made of leather and jean pants. To look at him now, the Kanji he knew these days was vastly different from the one he had met a few months into his original stay in Inaba.
A gentle nudge had Yu looking away from the teen and towards where Yukiko was pointing. "The next duel's on." She explained, but something in her voice made him wonder what he was about to see. When he did, he saw why the assistant manager was slightly nervous. One of the cards on the field was something that shouldn't have existed outside of the Midnight Channel.
"What the?! What is that doing here?!" Yosuke shouted as he pointed his finger at the TV screen.
"This is beary bad guys!" Teddie yelped while he waved his arms around frantically.
"Gee you think?!" Kanji growled back as Teddie flinched away at the angry scowl on the man's face.
The black horse covered in sable black plates of metal, the knight wielding twin lances, and the purple mask over the being's face were all too familiar to the team that had been inside Yukiko's section of the Midnight Channel. The Avenger Knight had been their first tough battle inside the Castle, not counting Chie's Shadow anyway. The knight had been a mere Shadow, one that hadn't come out of them, yet it had tested them during the early days of the investigation. But how was it here, outside of the Midnight Channel?! Card or not, it shouldn't have been able to manifest itself outside of the other world, and from the looks on his friends' faces, most of them were thinking the same thing. And the man using it, Yu recognized him the moment the camera panned to the other side of the field.
"Sam Tywell?! How is he using Shadows?!" Yosuke shouted, his eyes wide as the Avenger Knight's horse stomped its hooves on the ground in open irritation. The knight was out for blood, that much was obvious as Sam pointed at his opponent's side of the field, towards his weakest monster. A moment later, the knight had speared the creature through the middle, shattering the beast into a pixelated dust storm.
"I don't know, but I think we need to find out." Yukiko stated, her face locked in a determined veneer as she looked at the beast that had almost destroyed Chie, Yosuke, and Yu during their early foray into her castle.
"Um yeah!" Chie shouted, making it clear that is exactly what they needed to do. "We can't let some freak bring those things out like that!" Then she remembered what Yu had said a few nights ago, and looked at him intently. "Didn't you say that you were warned about this?"
"Yeah." Yu said in agreement before turning his gray eyes on the screen again. "And from the look of it, that attack did more than destroy his opponent's monster." His observation wasn't far off the mark as Sam's opponent looked unsteady on his feet from that one attack. The effect of being attacked by a duel monster wasn't real, it was merely shocking to be in the center of the storm when magic or powerful attacks were leveled your way against your monsters. But there seemed to be a physical effect for the kid Sam was dueling against. He was wobbling, and his eyes were starting to glaze over, as if that attack had drained him, left him unable to stay upright.
"He's starting to come down with a case of Apathy Syndrome." Labrys whispered on her way past Yu. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, meeting Yu's gaze with equal intensity. "Trust me, I seen enough of it back home. That kid's gonna be a drooling zombie if he takes another hit like that."
"We gotta get him outta there!" Just as Rise started to get up from her chair though, Sam's opponent managed to make his move, only to walk into a devastating trap that wiped out his last monster and his remaining life points. The moment the dust cleared, Sam was walking away from his side of the field, while his opponent was left in a lump on the floor, his gaze vacant and empty. "Why...why would anyone do that?!"
"I don't know, but it's the last time he gets a chance to hurt anyone else." Yu growled through his teeth as he stood to his feet. Few were the times that he wanted to beat someone into the dirt, but seeing Sam purposely hurt anyone for his own amusement? That was taking things way too far, and with his next duel coming up, he needed to win so he could take that bastard down.
"Um guys, look who Sam's up against next!" Teddie shouted and pointed at the screen. The next duelist that was up against Tywell was Nanako.
"What?!" Most of them shouted together, while Ryo Dojima looked ready to blow a blood vessel in his forehead. According to the board, Yu would have to duel twice, regardless if Nanako lost against Sam. But if she lost against Sam….there was a real chance she wouldn't get back up from the loss if he used his Shadows against her as well.
Ryo wasn't about to take that chance. "I don't know what that guy did, but there's no way he's-" But he stopped when Nanako stood to her feet and started away, a determined spring in her step. "Wait, Nanako!"
"No." Nanako replied before she looked over her small shoulder. "I am not running from this. Big Bro's done so much, now it's my turn to return the favor."
"Na-Nanako-chan. Are you sure?" Chie asked, and wasn't all that surprised by the grim nod she got in return.
"You can't." Nanako stopped and stared at her father, who had since managed to get to his feet. He knelt in front of her and locked gazes with her before speaking further. "I can't let you go into this. Not if there's a chance you could get hurt….or worse."
"Daddy…" Nanako muttered, obviously torn between going ahead to face Sam Tywell after Yu's duel despite the very real damage he was apparently capable of, and her desire to keep her father happy. She didn't have the words to express what she was feeling at that moment, only that she knew that someone needed to stop him.
Thankfully, she wasn't alone when her Big Brother's voice pulled her gaze towards him. "I don't like this either." Yu started before walking over to the two. "But I heard some good advice from someone recently. She told me that Nanako needs to start standing on her own, that she won't be a little girl forever. And besides, this is what we're here for Ryo. We can't let people like Sam use power like that and get away with it. We can't stand by and let him hurt innocent people. And..." He looked to Labrys then. "there's a cure for Apathy Syndrome right?"
"Yep. Back in the day, SEES had to hunt down super powerful Shadows that lessers Shadows were feeding the stolen psyches of humans they had attacked. When defeated, the powerful Shadows would return what had been stolen. If the same rule follows here, then all you gotta do is stomp Sam into the ground. Shouldn't be too hard for you folks." The anti-Shadow weapon replied, a cheery grin on her face at their determination before it fell slightly when she regarded the father and daughter. "Mr. Dojima. I promise, no harm will come to her."
"But-"
"I need to do this." Nanako whispered before she slowly raised her head. "I can't just stand by, it's not what mommy would want. Besides, we're not alone anymore. I might not be a hero like Big Brother, but I still want to try! I want to protect you and Big Sis, Big Bro, and all of our friends!"
"Nanako….alright." Dojima replied at last, and managed a hesitant smile towards the small girl. "You're just as stubborn as...as Chisato. You're right..." This he directed at both Yu and Nanako, who he couldn't have been prouder of despite his strong desire to keep her out of harm's way. "you aren't so little anymore. But that won't stop me from worrying about you." Nanako managed a small giggle even as she was pulled into a tight hug.
It was then that a nearby speaker activated, before a voice echoed over the food court. "Yu Narukami, Yu Narukami. Please report to the stadium."
"Good luck Sensei!" Teddie shouted, but it lacked his usual enthusiasm as he leveled his blue eyes on Nanako. "And don't worry, no grizzly will get near her, we promise Sensei!"
"Yeah man, so go out there and kick some butt!" Kanji roared in agreement while the rest of their friends shouted similar words of encouragement.
Yu nodded his head before starting towards the arena, but he paused and looked towards Nanako. For the briefest moment, he swore he saw something hovering over her shoulder, but when he blinked, it was gone. He shook his head and pushed the doors open, and was greeted by the roar of the crowd. Once again, the platform was raised the moment he stepped on, and he got his first look at his new opponent. "Kou?"
"Hey! Long time no see Yu!" Kou grinned and rubbed the back of his neck after having set his deck on the field. "Looks like I got back just in time eh bro?"
"How was your time overseas Kou?" Yu asked, temporarily forgetting the impending standoff between Sam and Nanako at his joy of seeing another of his old friends in town. Kou Ichijo, the former basketball enthusiast, had gone overseas to study abroad. He honestly hadn't expected to see him again so soon, and to top it off, Kou's former fire had returned if the light in his gray eyes was anything to go by.
"Pretty cool! I'll tell ya all about it after I kick your ass!" Kou declared, an ear to ear grin on his face which Yu was all too grateful to see there again.
"Just like the old days then. Fine, let's do this Kou!" Yu replied, grinning just as widely as he slapped his deck down. The game was on.
(For added effect, play any or all Bleach opening songs.)
"Well alright! I'll start ya off easy since we're good friends and all Yu. I'll throw a face down on the field. Now, feast your eyes on this heavy hitter! Let's go boys and girls, it's show time!" Kou shouted cheerfully before slapping down a second card. "Before you ask, when I was polishing those balls I loved so much after practice, I always had an episode of one of my favorite shows going from my smartphone. Until I met you anyway, or Daisuke wasn't buggin' me to death." He chuckled sheepishly, slightly embarrassed to have admitted to his small obsession.
"I can see why." Yu replied, his eyes riveted to the formidable warrior that stood before Kou's side of the field. The curved blade the strawberry blonde man had propped up on his right shoulder was bigger than any sword he had ever seen. He doubted even Kanji could have easily lifted the weapon. The young man himself wore black, long flowing robes with a string of red beads draped over the same shoulder before it disappeared on the left side. The robe was tied shut at the front with white cloth, while he wore wooden sandals and white socks on his feet.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, say hey to an old friend of mine." Kou said while the orange haired warrior stuck his blade into the ground at his feet, keeping it upright with a hand on the narrow black hilt. "In case you're confused Yu, he's a Soul Reaper. Meaning he's a guardian of the afterlife and this one. Bleach was an awesome show back in the day, but enough of that, it's your move!" Ichigo Kurosaki, Shikai Form. 1300 ATK / 1200 DEF
"Right." With that, Yu drew and looked through the cards in his hand. He nodded his head before looking at the card behind Kou's warrior. Trap or Spell, he couldn't be stupid about this. He needed to win this match, or Nanako would be facing Sam without any him at her back if the worst happened. Regardless of how capable a duelist Kou was, there were some fights that only they were able to handle. "First I'm setting two cards face down, then I'm calling forth a member of the Star Arcana. Let's go, Kintoki-Douji!" Star, Kintoki-Douji. 1000 ATK/ 1000 DEF
Yu called out as the blue circle appeared on his side of the field before revealing the toy like Persona, belonging to Teddie. The toy like airplane danced in place, waving its wings up and down before coming to a stop, the small cape it wore around its neck fluttering behind its back. "Then I activate a special effect. By flipping a coin, I can special summon another level four or lower monster to the field if it comes up heads after looking at the top five cards of my deck. If it comes up tails, I lose a hundred life points for each level of a card I banish from my hand or the field to the Graveyard."
"You're taking a chance with a coin flip, but you always were insanely brave Yu. Let's see if Lady Luck's on your side then!" Kou replied before flashing his old friend a thumb's up. A part of him almost hoped that Yu would get lucky and win the coin toss. All eyes were on the coin Yu pulled from his pocket before flipping it off of his closed fist. Several times it spun in the air before landing on the field in front of the gray eyed Persona duelist. The computer revealed the results, just as a wide grin appeared on both of their faces. "Nice one Yu!"
"Thanks!" Yu called back as he held up the card he had chosen for the occasion. "I am thou, go! Yomotsu Ikusa!" A pale skinned demon from the Underworld materialized next to the toy airplane, wielding a staff weapon with a bladed point on one end. Like Ichigo, Ikusa kept the weapon at his side by sticking the flat end into the ground at his feet while his free hand opened and closed slowly, revealing the sharp claws that were there. Hanged Man, Yomotsu Ikusa. 1500 ATK / 1300 DEF
"Neat looking demon you got there Yu, but I think you need to do your homework buddy!" Kou grinned as the two monsters prepared to go into battle at Yu's beckoning. "You see, Soul Reapers hunt down evil spirits and monsters for a living! So going into battle against an undead, not such a good idea, for you! Because he gets a three hundred point bonus against Undead types!" To add credence to that statement, Yu saw too late that Ichigo had started to glow a bright blue from head to foot as he and Ikusa met in the center of the field. Ikusa's staff was cleaved in two as the Soul Reaper darted past with a roar of defiance, before coming to a stop on the other side. Ikusa soon followed as a jagged cut appeared across his slender waist before dissolving into a storm of pixels, leaving Yu one hundred life points short.
Yomotsu Ikusa 1500 ATK / 1300 DEF vs Ichigo Kurosaki 1600 ATK / 1200
Yu Narukami. LP 1900 1 monster face up, two face downs
Kou Ichijo LP 2000 1 monster face up, 1 face down
"Fine, but you activated Ikusa's effect. Poison Mist!" Before Kou's warrior could get away from Yu's side of the field, a purple, cloying cloud of noxious fumes enveloped the field, forcing the Reaper to his knees. "Every monster on your side of the field lose 500 attack and defense points the turn he was destroyed." Ichigo, 800 ATK / 700 DEF
"Damn." Kou cursed, knowing what came next as Yu's second monster moved in to finish what Ikusa had started. The ice cold blast that followed was expected, even though it left him without a monster to defend himself. Ichigo was no more a moment later when the ice shattered, taking the Reaper with it.
Kintoki Douji 1000 ATK / 1000 DEF vs Ichigo Kurosaki 800 ATK 700 DEF
Yu Narukami LP 1900 4 in hand. 1 monster face up, 2 magic card face down
Kou Ichijo LP 1800 4 in hand. 0 monsters, 1 magic card face down
"No big whoop. I draw, but I also activate the trap I set down earlier." Kou tossed a card in his hand to the Graveyard before revealing the trap he had kept in reserve. "It's a handy little incantation from Orihime Inoue. She can Reject, reverse the flow of time essentially, making any injury, no matter how fatal, be as if it never happened. But to do that, I have to send her to the Graveyard upon activation of her trap. So, if you've been paying attention, you know what that means!" Kou finished just as an orange, oval like dome of light appeared on his side of the field. A few seconds later, and Ichigo Kurosaki was back on his feet, looking like nothing had happened to him. "Welcome back to the land of the living buddy. Cut down that toy airplane with Getsuga Tenshou!"
Kintoki 1000 ATK / 1000 DEF vs Ichigo 1300 ATK / 1200 DEF
Kou's warrior nodded his head before pulling his sword from the ground. Once again, the blue light enveloped the Soul Reaper from head to toe, except this time, the gathered energy flowed into the oversized sword he was currently holding in his hands. With a roar, Ichigo charged forward and brought his sword down hard, a wave of highly concentrated energy having erupted from the massive blade, which was on a crash course with Kintoki-Douji.
Yu Narukami LP 1900, 4 in hand, 1 monster face up, magic card 1 face down
Kou Ichijo LP 1800, 4 in hand, 1 monster face up, magic card 1 face down.
"Not this time! Negate Attack!" Yu shouted as he held up his right hand towards the card on his side of the field. An invisible wall appeared in front of Kintoki-Douji, absorbing the blue energy wave that had appeared from the tip of Ichigo's sword. The sheer amount of force from the attack still ruffled Yu's jacket as a breeze kicked up from the force of the youth's swing, but otherwise he was fine, as was Teddie's Persona.
"Man, this is intense!" Yosuke shouted, amazed by the sheer power the two duelists were throwing at each other.
"It's all so beary exciting!' Teddie agreed excitedly, waving his arms enthusiastically at the same time.
"They're giving it their all." Labrys noted, an unreadable expression on her face as she looked over Nanako's head.
"Big Brother's gonna win. He always wins." Nanako declared quietly, a small smile and a look of silent determination on her face.
Meanwhile Kou nodded his head, not at all that surprised by his failed attack. "I thought as much. That's why I use my Second Standby Phase to put a card face down and end my turn. Your move Yu." Kou grinned as a second monster card appeared on the field, face down, obscuring any information that could have otherwise been gleaned from it.
Yu LP 1900 4 in hand. 1 monster face up, 1 magic card face down
Kou LP 1800. 3 in hand. (I think lol.) 1 monster face up, 1 face down
Yu nodded, drew, and looked at his cards once more for a moment before coming up with a plan. He needed to finish this, before Kou had a chance to put whatever plan he had into action. He had a feeling Ichigo was the key, but with a face down monster, he didn't know if an attack was safe. He had to be careful, or things could go downhill fast. He had no good cards in his hand, at least, nothing he could use right then, so he did the only thing he could do. "I summon a monster face down, and that's it." Yu said at last before doing just that.
Yu LP 1900 4 in hand. 1 monster face up, 1 face down, 1 magic card face down
Kou LP 1800 3 in hand. 1 monster face up, 1 face down
"Guess I couldn't tempt you into an attack, that's fine. I'll get ya next time." He grinned before pulling another card. "Oh yeah, here's something I was waiting for, or rather, someone! Uryu Ishida, the Last Quincy!" With a flourish, Kou slapped down another monster which quickly formed a blue haired youth with glasses, and a stern look on his face. Uryu Ishida, 1400 ATK / 700 DEF
He was dressed in a mostly white outfit from head to toe, with a celtic cross sewn into the back and a belt at his waist. His power became quickly apparent when a blue energy bow appeared in his white gloved hands, which he held at his side. "Uryu gets a nice little effect upon being summoned to the field. He can take a shot at your deck directly if I pay five hundred life points. Say goodbye to your top five cards!" Kou's grin seemed to widen as the Quincy drew back the string on his energy bow and let fly a similarly energy crafted arrow. The next instant, the arrow pierced the top of Yu's deck, blowing away the targeted cards, pinning them to the wall of the field.
Yu LP 1900
Kou LP 1300
"As always, nice shot Uryu! Follow that up with an attack against Kintoki!" Once again, Uryu pulled back on his bow, materialized an arrow, and let it fly. Teddie's Persona was annihilated a moment later.
Uryu Ishida 1400 ATK / 700 DEF vs Kintoki Douji 1000 ATK / 1000 DEF
Yu LP 1500
Kou LP 1300
"Hey, that's just mean! Destroying a defenseless bearsona! POACHER!" Teddie yelled, his blue eyes wide in indignant rage at having his Persona blasted into pixelated particles.
"Watch it bear! You about knocked me from my damn seat!' Yosuke yelped back at the overly exuberant former Shadow as he settled himself on his chair again before a thoughtful expression formed on his face. "Still, this is a tight match. Both Yu and Kou are almost evenly matched."
"Indeed, but I have a feeling this duel's about to go in Yu's favor." Naoto replied calmly, her eyes riveted to the scene unfolding before them.
Ryo remained silent, but he agreed with the 'Detective Prince'. Despite his limited knowledge of the game, his gut told him that this duel could go either way, but his heart told him that Yu would come out ahead. He didn't know the meaning of defeat. Everything he did, he put everything he had into it, and this was no different.
The five cards disappeared, only to reappear in the Graveyard pile, much to Yu's astonishment. And despite the loss to his own life points, Kou had managed to wipe out Kintoki Douji without a fight. Yu recovered quickly though, and nodded his head at the unexpected turn. He wasn't done yet. Besides, thanks to Kou blasting the top five cards of his deck, he had made a fatal mistake. "Kou, you should have held back that last shot, and now, you're going to find out why. Let's go! I use a special effect. Be reborn! Beelzebub!" The Moon, Beelzebub 2500 ATK / 1600 DEF After sending a card from his hand to the Graveyard, Yu was able to summon the Devil Persona flying bug from Hell itself. The monstrous insect reared its head from its blue summoning circle before coming to a stop on his side of the field. "This duel is over! Take down his archer! Agidyne!"
Beelzebub's giant eyes flashed menacingly before he raised his bone scepter, aiming the grissly weapon at the archer. A moment later, a firestorm erupted beneath the blue haired youth, erasing him from existence. "The Last Quincy is gone!" Yu roared over the explosion that had followed from the Hell fly's withering assault.
Beelzebub 2500 ATK / 1600 DEF vs Uryu Ishida 1400 ATK / 700 DEF
Yu LP 1500
Kou LP 200
"Sorry Yu, but we're just gettin' started buddy!" Kou shot back, grinning from ear to ear despite the overwhelming power Beelzebub possessed, and the heavy loss to his life points. "And with this card, I have the means to end this duel! Let's give my boy a power up! Bankai!" Slapping down a spell card, Kou's eyes lit up with unbridled determination and courage about the same time Ichigo's powerful presence multiplied, erupting from the black robed youth in overpowering waves. Holding his sword before him, Ichigo let out a primal like roar as his clothes started to give way under the increase in his power before a dust storm was kicked up around him, shrouding him from sight.
"What is that?! Its power is enormous!" Rise shouted into the microphone, having forgotten that she was supposed to be in the middle of her announcing job. "Guys, whatever's happening, it's gonna be big!"
"This is just like the Neo Featherman bot all over again!" Teddie shouted in fearful agreement. "This is beary bad guys!"
"It gets worse! With Ichigo in his Bankai form, this duel just took on a whole new twist! Reveal yourself big guy!" Kou waved his hand, and as he did, the dust cloud that had covered his side of the field disappeared as a blast of air emanated from the center of the storm, clearing the space at the same time. While Ichigo himself hadn't changed, everything else had. His clothes remained black, but the inside of his robes had become crimson red, a long, ragged cape fluttering behind him. The sword had also changed, becoming a slender, black katana, with a handguard and a chain hanging from the hilt. His robes had also changed, becoming skin tight and it was tied together by a series of black straps across his otherwise bare chest. Ichigo Kurosaki, Bankai Form. 2900 ATK / 2500 DEF
"Ichigo gains a new power while in his Bankai form. If he takes down a defense monster, you suffer the difference between his attack and your defense values buddy. Say goodbye to that face down of yours! Go! Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo flashed, literally flashed out of existence, before reappearing a dozen times over all over the field. Each time Yu blinked, the Soul Reaper had already moved somewhere else, leaving half a dozen after images in his wake before finally appearing above his face down card. With a single downward swing, an immense wave of black energy slammed down onto Himiko, severing the Persona in two before she detonated like a bomb under the sheer power that had hit her.
Ichigo 2900 AK / 2500 vs Himiko 0 ATK / 2500 DEF
Yu 1100 LP
Kou 200 LP
Yu had to shield his face from the overpowering assault, amazed by what had just hit his monster. He knew what Nanako felt, having to stare down such a powerful enemy in the form of Yuuta's robotic warrior. It was fear, fear of losing, fear of letting everyone down, and he was uncertain if he could get around this. But one look at his friends and family, and Yu's determination returned as he remembered the first casualty of this duel, and the power Ikusa still possessed despite the demon being trapped in the Graveyard. Drawing a card, Yu nodded his head before looking deep into Kou's face. "Kou, this duel has been a challenge from the start, and I've seen how far you've come. I still want that story after this is over, but I can't lose here, there's too much at stake for me to allow that to happen. So, I need to end this here, and now."
"Then hit me with your best shot Yu!" Kou shouted back and pumped his fist into the air.
Yu smiled, nodded his head, and proceeded to do just that. "First, I activate an effect by banishing a card from the Graveyard. Yomotsu Ikusa!" A spectral image of the demon he had played at the beginning of the game appeared before shattering once again, never to be seen again, but that was only the start of Kou's trouble. "By doing that, your warrior will fall, and fall hard." Yu's declaration was confirmed as dozens of clawed, pale skinned arms shot out of the ground around the incredibly fast Soul Reaper, pulling him to his hands and knees before one wrapped around his throat, slowly squeezing the life out of him. "You lose a thousand attack and defense points, leaving the way clear for Beelzebub to finish what Ikusa started! Go, Agidyne!"
Beelzebub 2500 ATK / 1600 DEF vs Ichigo 1900 ATK / 1500 DEF
"Damn! This is gonna hurt isn't it?" Kou asked right before Beelzebub unleashed a wave of fire that consumed everything in front of the Hell bug. His question was answered as that same fire flash fried his side of the field, forcing the former basketball star to shield his face. When the smoke cleared, his life points had hit rock bottom, ending the duel in Yu's favor. "Man, guess I'm back to polishin' those balls huh?" Despite the loss, Kou was still grinning as they met in the center of the arena after the platforms had lowered them down. "Nice duel man. You went hardcore at the end there."
Yu grasped Kou's hand and nodded his head in agreement. "You did pretty well yourself Kou. You've come a long way since our school days."
"Yeah!" It was then that Kou noticed they had company, and the exuberant look on his face told Yu who it was long before he turned to see Daisuke had joined their sides. "Daisuke? You're here!"
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world." The soccer star replied as he and Kou slapped their hands together before pulling each other into a tight hug. Yu knew they were old friends, so he left their side to allow them time to catch up.
Besides, he had other things on his mind. Nanako's duel against Sam Tywell was coming up, and he wasn't going to let her face him alone, especially since he had found a way to use the power of the Midnight Channel in their world. They needed to stop him, one way, or the other. And from the look on Nanako's face, she knew it almost as well as he did.
End Notes; That was intense. I know, I ripped off Bleach, but it was the only thing I could think of at the moment lol. Still, I think it worked out pretty well, wouldn't you guys say? At any rate, I hope this chapter was well worth the wait. Hopefully my next update won't be so long in the making. Fave, follow, review, or PM me as ya guys like. Until next time folks!