Chapter 17
IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!
Photon Finex: Hey guys! Listen up really carefully! This is story marks my debut of like, my first time writing a duel, and I decided to like, only do parts of it or whatever. To be honest, I ABSOLUTELY stink at writing duels! So, if I make any mistakes, please DO NOT make any rude, critical, or insulting comments! Just simply tell me if I made a mistake.
Last time, on "The Shadow of Yuma:"
Kurai: That shrimp head, Yuma, intruded into my throne! Why is he here? He thinks he is so brave, trying to rescue Kotori. What that geek doesn't know is that Kotori is under my control! His tiny peanut-sized brain thinks that Kotori actually chose ME over him! What an idiot! Yuma challenged me to a duel, with the condition that I release Kotori to him. However, if Yuma loses, he will forever be apart of mine and Kotori's animal collection, just like his puny friends! Heh heh heh…..
Photon Finex: This is it, folks! The moment you've all been waiting for! Yes, it is the fight between Astral and Demon Tyrant Kaos [Aspiring Emperor Hope's corrupted form, all because of Dark Mist's magic]! Yay! Just to let you know, there will be major drama ahead! I can't say when, but you will find out in this chapter! Enough with me, let's bring it to 'em!
*Drives on a D-Wheel flashing a banner saying, "You're Now Reading Chapter 17!"*
Astral breathed heavily as he stared at the gigantic Number on the other side of him. Demon Tyrant Kaos loomed above the spirit like a giant, as he kept his eyes glued on his target. Behind Kaos stood Dark Mist. He smiled smugly as he stared at Astral.
"Can't you see, Astral? Kaos is practically indestructible! I can't believe that you were even brave enough to face me, a Number, and Kaos, ANOTHER Number!" jeered Dark Mist. He then threatened, "By the way, don't even think of trying to escape the fight, because if you do, Kaos and I will both personally kill you….. Heh heh heh….."
To 96's surprise, his pure counterpart showed no signs of fear or intimidation. "I am DONE running away from you! You don't frighten me anymore, because I have Yuma, and we both need each other! Unlike you, I actually acknowledge him and don't ASSAULT him!*"
"Yeah yeah, whatever! Let's fight already!" growled Dark Mist. "Now then, Kaos, attack that insufficient pleasent!"
Kaos grunted as he pulled out two gigantic swords. They shone luminously as he positioned them in his hands. He stood valiantly like a brave soldier. "Grrrr…" growled the dark Number, taking a swing of his sword toward Astral.
CLANG!
Astral swiftly dodged Kaos' sword attack. He kept his eye on the Number while Kaos attempted to slash him over and over again.
Dark Misy scowled as he watched his enemy dodge almost every attack by his Number. He stood up shouting, "Kaos! Don't let Astral get away at all costs! Do you hear me?"
Astral stopped running as he looked straight into Kaos' face. Deep down, he knew that Hope was inside Demon Tyrant Kaos! He just had ti find a way to wake him up! Astral held both arms out as he maintained eye-contact with 39. "Hope, stop this! Can't you see that Dark Mist is using you? Yuma is dueling and he can't duel on his own! He needs us! Come on, snap out of it, and fight Dark Mist's control!" shouted Astral.
Dark Mist lashed out his tentacles. They lashed around the blue ghost, pinning down his arms. Astral could feel the tentacles binding tightly around his body.
"Oh no, you don't! Kaos is mine, you pathetic excuse for an Astral Being!" snarled Dark Mist. He then gazed towards the corrupted Number. "Kaos, who is your real master? Me, or this wuss here?" he said, pointing at Astral.
Kaos held his head with both hands in confusion. The Number Monster groaned and groaned as it took in Astral's and Black Mist's words. Deep down, Kaos knew Astral was it's true master, but the darkness was stronger. Dark Mist's magic increased Kaos' pressure evn more. Slowly, Kao's body started glowing white.
Astral and Dark Mist stopped fighting for a moment to find that Kaos was glowing.
"What is going on?" said Astral, grasping Dark Mist's arm harshly. "Answer me!" he screeched.
Dark Mist slapped away Astral's hand. "How the hell should I know? He was YOUR monster!"
"That is such a ******* excuse! You really think that I'm going to listen to a Number who can't even tell a lie without a straight face?" screeched Astral.
"SHUT THE **** UP!" snapped Dark Mist. He then turned towards Kaos. "Well? Finish off Astral!"
Kaos groaned as his body glew even more. He places both hands to the sides of his head. "I… I can't handle the pressure anymore… It's too much…" he moaned. "G-g-goodbye…. Astral…."
"KAOS, NO!" screamed Astral.
It was too late.
Kaos' body glew so intensely, the whole subspace inside the Key became white. Then, cracks and pressure of heat coould he seen seeping from Kaos' body.
"I'm sorry…." moaned Kaos. "The pressure is too much…."
BOOOOOMMM!
Kaos' body exploded like the atomic bomb. The explosion was so intense, Astral and Dark Mist had to cover their eyes do they wouldn't be blinded. Soon, the smoke cleared away. Astral opened his eyes to find no monster in front of him. Instead, golden particles floated around the subspace in Kaos' place. A green orb floated from the atmosphere and carelessly landed in Astral's hands.
"This….. This was Hope's chest orb…. His Overlay Units would go in there…" stuttered Astral, tears threatening to fall from his eyes.
Dark Mist opened his eyes as he watched the gold particles float around the subspace. He scowled angrily at the blue ghost below him.
"I almost had Kaos to reign supreme
with Kurai, but no! You had to come and ruin it all, and Kaos was mine! Damn you, Astral!" screeched 96.
Astral angrily turned towards Dark Mist, tears falling from his eyes intensely. He held onto Hope's green orb as of it was an important treasure. Slowly, he felt his anger rise intensely. All he could think of was Yuma and Hope. Dark Mist had done enough!
"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH! I AM TIRED OF YOU RUINING THINGS! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MADE HOPE KILL HIMSELF! YOU WILL PAY FOR HOPE'S DEATH!" Astral screeched loudly.
Dark Mist retaliated, "ME? IT'S YOUR FAULT YOU HID AFTER KURAI HAD DEALT WITH THAT WIMP, YUMA-"
SLAP!
96 backed away as he held a hand to his stinging cheek. He had never seen Astral this enraged before, and you could tell that he was really pissed-off.
"Don't. Ever. Talk. About. Yuma. Like. That. Again. You. Jerk," growled Astral, gritting his teeth.
Dark Mist didn't know why, but he began to feel….. Afraid.
"I'm afraid of YOU? How can this be? All of the glory was for ME! Not that pathetic freak, Kurai! I was going to dump him after I kill you!" he snapped.
"You-You…. Were only using Kurai….. As a tool? I don't give a crap, 96! I am going to send you to hell!" scoffed Astral.
"Oh please, that little freak wasn't important to me, and he never will be, because he such is a loser! The only reason I even recruited him was just so I could have Number 39! Everything was going according to plan…. BUT NOOOO! YOU HAD TO CAME ALONG AND MESS UP EVERYTHING!" he shrilled.
"THAT'S IT! I AM TIRED OF SEEING YOUR FACE! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE, ONLY YOUR SELF! YOU SEE HUMAN BEINGS AS TOOLS, AND YOU USED KURAI AS YOUR SERVANT!" snarled Astral. "I am done playing with you."
With that, the spirit whiffed out a weapon. It was not an Earth weapon, because of its strange appearance. The weapon itself was a gun, but this gun had an usual shape to it. It was curved at the bottom, but it had some qualities from an Earth revolver at the nozzle area.
((A/N: Forgive me, I don't know any gun anatomy))
Dark Mist was taken back by the weapon Astral had in his possession. Slowly, his body started to shake in nervousness.
"No! Don't tell me that is-!" stammered Number 96.
"Yes, this is the Star Fazer, rightful weapon of the rulers of the Astral World.** Only those worthy of the king and queen of Astral World are chosen to possess something like this," growled Astral, between tears. He hovered his finger above the trigger, aiming the nose carefully at Dark Mist.
"W-wait! Can't we talk this out? I will even give you whatever you want!" stuttered Dark Mist.
"I already have what I want, YOU!" Astral lowered his finger onto the gun trigger and pulled on it with absolutely no shame.
WHOOSH!
Faster than a lightning bolt, an extraterrestrial bullet quickly whizzed through the Key's Subspace. 96 couldn't see where it was going, but suddenly, the Number felt a stinging sensation in his forehead.
"NYAA!" he howled, placing a hand over his left eye. Gooey white started oozing out of the black ghost's eye. The liquid spread all over his hand and eventually dropped all over his arm. Dark Mist removed his hand to only find white blood all over his hand.
"W-what is this?" he screamed.
"This is your true fate. Don't. Ever. Come. Back," growled Astral in a low voice.
All of a sudden, Dark Mist felt his body bubble as more and more white blood filled his body. The vile Number yelled loudly, "YOU LOW WATT FREAK! YOU ARE SO DEAD!" he shrieked.
The only reaction Astral had was peculiar. He had a frown on his face as he watched Dark Mist's body bubble with more white blood. Forsooth, 96 looked like someone with hives, due to the fact that his body began to swell up because of the blood. "Damn you, Astral…. YOU ARE SUCH A FREAK!" screeched Dark Mist.
"Shut up," replied Astral cooly, raising his gun at Dark Mist once more. "This is your fate. Accept it, you imbecile."
WHOOSH!
A bullet whizzed itself out of the gun's nose after Astral pulled the trigger once more. It left behind a jet stream as it flew through the subspace, creating a path towards Dark Mist's inflated body. 96 watched in horror as the bullet came a few inches close to him. He screeched loud enough for the entire subspace to hear. "RRRGHHH! I. HATE. YOU. ASTRAL!"
KABOOOM!
Dark Mist's body began to melt like crazy as the bullet penetrated into him. Black sticky substances came apart like jelly.
"AAAAAHHHHH! I HATE YOU, ASTRAL!" shrieked 96.
Astral stared at 96 as he continued to melt. He crossed his arms and frowned at the Number as he continued to melt into nothing.
"It was you who wanted this fate," the spirit replied hotly.
Eventually, only Dark Mist's arm stuck out of a pool of a black jelly-like liquid. His hand was clenched in anger and revenge. A muffled sxream could be heard, but Astral ignored it. Soon, all that really remained of the vile Number were splattered black, gooey substances that made up his body.
Astral breathed in, and breathed out a big sigh, a sigh of relief. He looked at the Star Fazer, then Dark Mist's remains. I killed Dark Mist… he thought. He caused too much pain and suffering for everyone, including me. He even killed…. Hope….
Even thinking of Hope made Astral feel uneasy. Memories of the heavenly Number flooded into his mind. They were so overwhelming, he started to feel emotional as tears welt in his eyes. "Hope…. What has Dark Mist done to you? T-this shouldn't h-ha-have happened!" cried Astral, slamming his fist on a fender of the Key's shop. "DAMN IT! YOU DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HAVE THIS FATE? NOTHING! You were my friend, and Yuma's ally…."
Once again, Astral carefully lifted Hope's green orb into his arms and caressed it as if it were a very valuable possession. To Astral, this was all that remained of Hope. "Hope….." he whispered hoarsely. While Astral lamented over his fallen friend, more tears streamed from his eyes. His face was so full of tears, he was practically wrecked.
A tear trailed off of Astral's cheek. The teardrop itself trailed from the face all the way to the green orb. The tear carelessly plopped over the sphere, not leaving a single scratch, only a drizzle of Astral's sorrows.
All of a sudden, the green sphere emitted a golden light. It began to glow like a firefly as it flee itself out of Astral's hands. Light shone over the orb, making it float. The spirit opened his eyes to witness such a peculiar event. "What is going on? I have never seen anything like this before!" he said in awe.
As the light path shone even more, so did the green orb. Golden dust carelessly hovered around the orb. The dust scattered to different points surrounding the ball. It slowly generated itself as they formed together to make a shape. One by one, joints began to regenerate from the magic dust. Soon, a big, bulky, armored body appeared in place of the green orb, as it had rested in the armor. Then came the arms, legs, and wings. Lastly, the head formed itself as the creature's pure red eyes glimmered.
To sum it all up, Astral became overwhelmed with shock and emotions. "Hope…..? Is that…. You?" he sputtered.
"Grrohhh….." he grumbled lowly.
"Hope….. HOPE!" cried Astral.
He flew like crazy over to Number 39's gigantic body. He gripped his side protrusions tightly. "Hope… You're alive…. I can't believe this! Y-Y-Yuma and I…" Tears flew again from Astral's eyes. This time, they were tears of happiness, no grief.
"Astral, look at me," rumbled Hope's deep voice. "Only we can achieve victory together, you, me, and Yuma. Dark Mist and Kurai Tsukumo may have broken us apart, but our bonds are still strong," he continued.
"You're right….. But what can I do?" muttered Astral.
A bright red flash emitted into the Key. The wave's sounds bounced into Astral's ears. "Yuma's in a duel!" he shouted in realization, "I must go help him!"
Hope held out a hand. "I am coming along with you. I am done hiding from the enemy!"
"Hope…." Astral clenched his fist in determination. "Let's rise and conquer the darkness!"
Photon Finex: That concludes Chapter 17! I am not going to lie to you, I nearly almost cried writing this chapter! In the end, the tears were worth it. Time to face the music now. Hope is ALIVE! Hallelujah! Hurry up, you two! Don't keep Yuma waiting!
*Episode 20 of Zexal
** I have this headcanon that the Astral World have a king and a queen, and their most prized weapon is only given to an Astral Being worthy of possessing it.
