Chapter 9: The Prophecy of Hellfire
Imagine Bryan's surprise when Matt wanted to go directly from the citadel to wherever Zeke was staying. Twin brothers separated at birth by a fake death certificate certainly called for a meeting between them. As much as Bryan wanted to tag along, Matt requested he have some time alone with his new-found twin brother first. Bryan understood completely, plus he wanted to find out why Ren Bacon left the citadel with the Chinese guy who commanded the medical staff transfer Bryan's dueling opponent Zeng Yeoh out of the cold citadel. Not only did the odd couple leave together, they headed deeper into the ruined castle. The two seemed to have nothing in common, so watching them leave together was strange enough. But considering the murderous look on the Chinese guy's face after Bryan struck down Zeng Yeoh, it was even stranger to see him leave her side.
Bryan needed some fancy footwork to get out of the sights of all the guards, but that was where sneaking around a ruined castle came in easy: Many of the walls were broken, offering space for slipping from one side to the other as soon as a head began to turn. Eighty yards back in what once may have been a kitchen fit for a king, Bryan stopped and took refuge just outside the door, beneath a decorative column that fell into the wall some time ago and behind the stone that fell over from that collision. Bryan could see well enough into the room to see the facial expressions of the people meeting in secret as they found seats around an archaic device: a landline telephone.
It was a meeting of only four people: Ren Bacon, the angry Chinese guy, a heavily-clothed woman with a rather attractive face, and a big man with Russian features. Even without knowing the connection between them, Bryan could tell that these people were examples of why the god cards were dangerous. Every one of them would just as soon put their opponent in the morgue to avoid a rematch. Fortunately for the first round losers like Leo Gambini, the Shadows couldn't feed on a dead body. He would remain comatose until the Shadow Realm was done with him.
Bryan was quick to identify Ren Bacon, though he'd never seen him before this tournament. An eccentric computer nerd with murder in his eyes and ants in his pants was easy to pick out of this crowd. And Ren had named the Chinese guy Lien Yu during their brief walk to the kitchen. Bryan didn't recognize the other faces, but Ren Bacon sure knew who they were.
Speaking to the big Russian guy, he said proudly, "Eldar Vanko. I had always thought your identity as the Jack of Diamonds was a myth until recently."
"Some men can keep secrets," the big guy replied with a Russian accent. He sounded old, and his silver hair with the white streaks supported it. But he was big and appeared strong, plus he was wearing the least of everyone there: one thick coat, gloves, and a scarf. Maybe he was old, but he was ready to live a long time yet.
Ren chuckled at the remark. Clearly he was being mocked for not doing enough to keep his personal identity separate from his identity as the King of Spades. He seemed to take it with good enough humor, though. He pointed his finger at Eldar Vanko like he was holding and firing a gun. Then he turned his gaze and offered a wink to the attractive woman sitting on her own toward the back of the room. She offered no visible response at all.
In her early life, Ingrid Lund was the daughter of a wealthy Italian family, the second of three girls. She originally auditioned as a dancer for an American night club. After only two weeks, Leo Gambini purchased her and took her back to Italy. She became as a personal assistant to him, but with her manipulative ways, calculating mind, and cruel behavior, she proved to be a valuable asset and joined the ranks of the Hellfire Club.
"He is late!" said Lien Yu angrily. "Why do we wait in the cold?"
The big Russian shrugged and said, "Is not so cold."
"Says the Siberian," Ren mocked. His teeth chattered unfortunately each time he spoke. That explained why he was so quiet for the time being. With a group like this, showing even the slightest resemblance to being human was like begging to be destroyed. Probably in an effort to rile him up, Ren asked of Lien Yu, "Where's the Queen of Hearts?"
Lien Yu stood up so quickly he knocked his chair over loudly. His glare was hard enough to stop a bullet. He was daring Ren to make another comment, but no one else in the room moved. He stayed that way for a full minute. Bryan wondered how they ever got anything done if they spent all their time fighting over masculinity.
"He was only wondering about her health," spoke the woman, finally breaking the tension. "You are so quick to assume the worst, King of Hearts." She had a heavy Italian accent, and from the look of her clothes, Bryan pegged her as having some relationship with Leo Gambini—the man who lost that first duel against Ren. "You should feel lucky she faced a child with no killing intent. We all know that Uria's power is capable of far more damage than she actually suffered."
"You will lose, too," Lien Yu shouted back. "You are weak!"
"When you live life as a heartless bastard, you assume all people are that way," she explained with her delicate voice. "There are people out there for whom power and destruction are not the goal." She chuckled. "You must have been aware of the risks associated with dueling in this tournament. That's why you handed a card as rare and powerful as Hamon to your Ace instead of dueling yourself. I'm actually awed by your foresight. I think I'll put my own Ace in charge of my god, as well."
"Good move. Some people believe Aces tend to be the better duelists," Ren pointed out. "The King is the brains. The Queen is the face. The Ace is the muscle. Which makes it all the more interesting to find a Jack here. Or have you been promoted, Vanko?"
"No promotion," the Russian responded. "But I hope to create a few openings while I'm here."
Ingrid commented, "I was unaware the Diamonds had discovered one of the god cards."
"Some men can keep secrets," Eldar repeated. He glanced at Ingrid. "What of King of Spades? He maybe killed King of Clubs. Will you get revenge?"
Ren laughed at the thought. "Are you going to make me suffer, too?" Even off the dueling field, the aura of Obelisk the Tormentor began burning the air around him as he accepted the unspoken challenge. Bryan thoroughly hated the idea of a god card that once belonged to his fiancée in the hands of such a man. He was childish and allowed it to masquerade as confidence. Obelisk deserved to be in the hands of someone legitimately level-headed.
Ingrid offered a wink and a seductive smile. "Of course not. You did me a favor. The Clubs were going in the wrong direction thanks to him. The Valentino job should not have been public knowledge if not for his sloppy handling."
The Valentino job? Was she talking about the murder of Alessandro Valentino? He owned a production company that put out a lot of online videos Bryan enjoyed, plus he had his own weekly podcast in which he interviewed a lot of athletes, TV stars, and professional duelists. He had been killed through poisoning less than a week earlier. Initially police thought it was natural causes, but some detail led them to investigate further. It was either something he was allergic to or something untraceable. The details escaped Bryan at the time, but finally he knew these people were involved. Authorities didn't have a suspect but they knew Valentino was poisoned and that counted as a botched job? Suddenly, spying on these people seemed phenomenally stupid.
"I'll collect one day, Queen," Ren assured her. He hugged himself and then blew on his gloved hands. "Maybe tonight, even, if you catch my drift."
"I do not think you could keep up with me," she suggested.
"All I want is your body heat," he retorted. "Whose brilliant idea was it to play this game at the freakin' North Pole?" The question was rhetorical. All the invitations bore Ren Bacon's moniker. Bryan wondered why he would even ask such a question. Either he just wanted everyone thinking about him all the time, or someone else actually set the location.
Come to think of it, who were they waiting for? Bryan assumed these guys were the leaders of the Hellfire Club, and it was clear they didn't like one another. What could bring them together around a landline in the middle of the frozen arctic?
Just as Ren and Ingrid began to look as agitated as Lien Yu always did, Eldar asked, "Do you know story of this citadel?"
"There's a story to this rubble?" Ingrid replied, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Ancient peoples believed god made Earth and made home at North Pole. Aurora Borealis was smoke from fires of god. Ancient Tsar Sanjan sought audience with god here, but found lights were not of god's fire. He learned there is world beyond this and changed legend to say lights were doorway to upper world. His goal became opening door. Telescopes cannot see it. Is not physical place for living things. When people die, their essence… What you call? Wills. Spirits. They go to place beyond, where spirits collect."
Suddenly the phone began ringing.
"Thank god!" Ren shouted as he lunged for it. It rang once more before he got the speaker phone button. That was the first time in a long time Bryan heard the ring of a touch tone phone. The last time had been when he was playing around with ringtones on his cell and chanced upon the classic ringer. Back then the Egyptian God Cards were new creations.
"Roll call," spoke the altered voice on the other end of the phone. It was thicker and deeper than a normal voice, clearly computer-like, but the base resonance was male.
Grudgingly, Ren announced, "Spades." The other three rattled off their titles in succession. Ren fidgeted continuously in his seat while Lien Yu paced the room. Only Eldar and Ingrid seemed unfazed by the call.
"The Ace of Hearts did not recover." It was more of a statement than a question. That meant the man on the phone knew the outcome of Zeng Yeoh's duel with Bryan. But did he really hurt her that badly? He felt guilty. "Ten of Hearts will be promoted upon completion of this tournament."
"She will recover!" Lien Yu shouted.
"Ten will be promoted!" the phone commanded a second time. This time, Lien Yu bit his tongue and kicked a loose stone from the wall, but he did not argue aloud. Through his feelings for Zeng Yeoh, he held powerful respect—maybe fear—for the man on the phone. "Queen of Clubs, I'm sorry about your King."
With a voice much sultrier than she had used so far, Ingrid said, "Thanks for your concern, Overlord, but Jack of Clubs will make a fine King."
"No. Ten will be better. I have no doubt with your help he will recover any lost ground within a week."
"As you wish, Overlord." She sounded as if she truly didn't care who her partner was. Either her relationship with Leo wasn't as intimate as Lien Yu's was with Zeng Yeoh, or Ingrid Lund was truly cold-hearted.
She called the man on the phone Overlord. Bryan realized that was how an organization with major chapters in four different countries could operate with any level of cohesion. In hindsight, it was obvious there would be someone in charge of overseeing the whole organization. If these people were already among the most powerful and influential people in the world: What kind of man or woman must be the one controlling all of them?
"Miroslav Gregor has accepted membership into the Czech branch. Queen, keep your eye on him. He is a candidate for Number status, especially given your new opening, and his trade business will make or break trade in the region. Geneva Remillard has also accepted by way of inheritance into the New York branch. Take advantage of her influence while it lasts, King of Spades."
"Always happy to take a swimsuit model under my wing," Ren said with a snicker. The look on everyone else's face suggested talking like that to the Overlord was practically a death wish. If those two new members were representative of the entire organization, Bryan surmised the purpose of the organization was world domination through politics and economics rather than through war and force, though considering they would organize an assassination, they probably weren't above getting involved in a war as long as it furthered their agendas.
Lien Yu stopped pacing for a moment to say, "Sir, about Tain Han…"
"He will grow," the Overlord spoke. "Those who have lost power can regain it. His knowledge will make him an asset to us, even if he has given up the ability to duel."
"He is not even Chinese!"
"His origin is of little consequence. Hide him if you wish. His knowledge must remain within the organization. That is my only command for you." The name Tain Han meant nothing to Bryan, but obviously Lien Yu didn't like the guy. Either he was new, or he'd been useless to Lien Yu for a while. The Overlord saw something in him worth keeping, though.
Ren's anxiety finally bubbled over. "Sir, wouldn't you like to hear our reports on the other god cards?"
"I've already heard from Joker."
"Due respect, sir," Ren replied in a way that meant he had no respect for the Overlord, "Joker didn't battle them. Our opinions may carry more weight."
"He suggested the only duelist worth pursuit is Joseph Titus. Do you think he would do well in the organization? He would join your branch."
Ren had a bit of a smile on his face now. He obviously liked having the spotlight. "If he does not duel against me next, he may live to be a candidate. He obviously has the influence to evade drug trafficking charges, and coffee is a wealthy man's industry. If he survives another round and is willing to relinquish his god cards to me, then perhaps he may be worth recruiting."
"He will relinquish the cards to Joker," the Overlord announced.
"Of course, sir."
It was Ingrid's turn to chime in with her concerns. "My lord, why are there children in this tournament?"
Lien Yu agreed angrily, "Children are weak!"
Adjusting for the outburst from the King of Hearts, she continued, "I understand they may hold god cards, but the looker who won against the Aesir earlier did not use a god card to do so."
"It was a god card," the Overlord commanded. "Its power is comparable to the Egyptian Gods. The other child holds one, as well. Those cards are also part of the Ars Arcanum. Collect them with the others."
"If I may," Eldar spoke. He waited quietly until the Overlord gave him permission to speak. "We have no guarantee children here will be easy defeats. Each has minimum one international tournament. Maybe they are worth recruitment."
"Perhaps. Approach whomever you wish and provide me with a report tomorrow. Offer any relinquished god cards to Joker. Remember to assess your compatibility with the god cards you win before using them blindly. If their power doesn't resonate with yours, you will suffer for it. Does everyone know the story of the citadel in which you currently duel?" Scowls instantly formed over everyone's faces except Eldar's, who grinned instead.
"We know the gist," Ren groaned.
"Tsar Sanjan spent hundreds of lives trying to open a gate into the Collective Conscious using the Northern Lights as a catalyst. His efforts caused a rift that allowed powerful wills to reject the Collective in order to maintain their identities. As more wills rejected the Collective and retreated to the underworld, they merged in their mutual enmity and took on animalistic forms. But as more wills reject the Collective, the balance of power grows unstable. The tournament in which you now participate is a ritual described in the Ars Arcanum to close the rift."
Ren asked the phone, "Wouldn't leaving the rift open mean we can directly access the Collective Conscious?"
"Humans cannot enter the Collective."
"Has anyone ever tried?"
"Yes. The body instantly vaporizes and the spirit is absorbed. The ritual will close the rift. Any final business before we conclude?"
Ingrid asked, "When should we expect to see the Joker?" Bryan was curious about that, too.
"He is already there."
Suddenly a tall, thin man stepped forward. He wore a tight, white bodysuit-type getup plus black snow boots and a J printed over his facemask. It was like his whole outfit was fashioned from one big, skintight sock. His face was completely covered. But he had been standing directly beside Bryan's hiding spot! Fortunately Bryan's instinct was to freeze and hold his breath, but how could the man not see him right there? Was the guy blind? Bryan felt inattentive at the moment for not noticing him, either. The white clothes obviously helped him blend in with the cold stone and the frozen landscape, and Bryan's focus on the Hellfire Club meeting kept his mind busy, but shouldn't Bryan have noticed his body heat or something?
The others seemed a little fidgety when Joker walked in, except for Ren Bacon. He almost seemed excited up to the point where he tensed intentionally. "If Joker was already here, then he can share some insight on the rest of our opponents?"
"You may ask the Joker to offer his opinion, but chance will determine your opponent in the moment, and you will not have time to adjust your decks in those moments. If you saw a strategy in your opponents, create a side deck for quick exchange. Meeting adjourned. Expect my call again in twenty-four hours."
Lien Yu made no secret of his desire to leave as he stormed straight out of the room. Bryan ducked down and hoped with the snow that accumulated on his coat he looked like a pile of rubble. Ingrid accepted a helping hand from Eldar as they also made their way past Bryan without noticing him. Ren stayed behind, rubbing his arms as he stared at the Joker's motionless form. When he was sure the Hearts, Clubs, and Diamonds families were gone, he asked the Joker, "Does he suspect you?"
"No." The Joker had a surprisingly normal voice considering the fear he inspired, and that he was walking around blind-folded by a faceless mask.
Ren let out an excited hoot. "Soon enough, I'll be powerful enough to topple the Overlord and claim the position for myself! Then I'll be responsible for overseeing the entire Hellfire Club, with all the riches and glory at my fingertips." The Joker remained silent as Ren toyed with his own thoughts.
"Do you suppose it might be wise to leave the rift open up there?"
"I don't understand."
"He suggested the gods grow stronger as more people die. What if we left the rift alone and allowed them to continue absorbing dead people? We could even use the influence of Hellfire to start a few wars and speed up the process."
"The rift is unstable. The Collective Consciousness actively attempts to absorb all matter it can touch."
"You're telling me the Shadow Realm doesn't approve of an Earthen Realm fighting back?" Ren joked.
"The so-called Shadow Realm is only the human perspective of a portion of the Collective's power. Spiritual energy does not belong in the Earthen Realm, as you call it. The pressure forces spiritual energy out of this realm and into the Collective. Think of this situation as a dispersal of compressed particles into the air. It is unnatural for the particles to collect in a compressed space when there is space with low pressure above it. By failing to close the rift, you allow the pressure to build until it crushes all life in this realm simply because a few dead souls still possess such independence as to fear the Collective Consciousness."
Ren's expression changed to a frown. "Hmm. That does sound like a downpour on my aspirations. First things first. What did you get from researching those other duelists?"
"Joseph Titus wields Nordic cards with the ease of a poker player, but he is only the second biggest threat. His superior comes from Duel Academy."
Ren clenched a fist. "Those kids are always a pain. But the only thing more important to me than holding god cards with more power is having all the god cards so no one can stand against me. I'll complete the Overlord's ritual and close that rift to the higher planes. And then I'll take all the god cards and destroy the Overlord with their power. You'll immediately hand over any god cards that someone else gives you?"
"No one will turn over their god cards to me," the Joker replied. Something in the way he said "god cards" sounded familiar to Bryan, but he couldn't identify the tone of voice. "These duelists have strong wills—too strong to quit just for the opportunity to join the organization. All god cards must be obtained through the most traditional of rituals: a duel."
"Fine by me. What do you know about that new god card? The one that child played?"
"It holds great power, but the power of his card comes not from the Shadow Realm, nor from the earthbound realm. It comes from the overworld. It is the proposed third plane that exists beyond three-dimensional physics. The Overlord believes Angra Mainyu to be a three-dimensional representation of an abstract entity. The other child holds a god of equal power. They will make formidable adversaries."
"I don't care how powerful they are, no other god can stand against Obelisk the Tormentor. This tournament is mine." He laughed wildly into the sky. When he finally got up and made his way toward the exit, he commented, "Maybe when I have all the god cards, I'll be able to control real Hellfire. I hate being so cold."
Bryan held perfectly still as the King of Spades hurried off to find warmth and shelter. He had hoped to wait quietly until the Joker left as well, but the man in white just stood there until the sounds of Ren's footsteps disappeared under the howl of the wind outside. Without moving, Joker said loudly enough for Bryan to hear, "You should return to your housing. Hypothermia sets in quickly here."
"I knew you must have noticed me," Bryan claimed as he stood up. He felt colder by exposing more of his body to the air, but at least now he was moving around and could shake the snow off his coat. "Why let me go?"
"You've heard nothing to jeopardize the organization. Your testimony alone can't even prove its existence. However, I think you also want to close the rift below us to prevent the cataclysm."
"How bad are we talking?" Bryan asked.
"The impending cataclysm goes beyond the earthbound realm. If the planar divisions are not restored, then the human realm, the Shadow Realm, and the overworld will converge and cause a total collapse of life."
"That's pretty bad. How do you know about it?"
"This prophecy has existed for centuries. Only recently did we discover a way to prevent its reality. The only remaining problem regarding the ritual's completion is the absence of three more god cards: The Wicked Dreadroot, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and The Winged Dragon of Ra. They must be found in order for the ritual to end successfully."
"Those three are missing?" Bryan nodded, accepting it as fact. Given what he now knew about the Hellfire suits not all carrying god cards, he compared the headcount to the god cards and realized they were a few short. But he was not sure how he could help. "I don't know where they are. I can try to get word to Duel Academy about that. Maybe they'll be able to help."
"The organization's members are also looking. There is suspicion that some among the lower ranks are hiding the gods until an opportune moment arises for a power grab. Perhaps together we can locate the cards before it's too late."
"How much time do we have?"
"Unknown. Return to your quarters and get some sleep. When you awaken, focus on the ritual before you. Your role is necessary."
"You expect me to sleep after being told the universe is about to implode?"
Joker still hadn't moved an inch. "If only our end would be so smooth."
The Joker knows that three god cards are missing from the participants in attendance. Who is he and how does he know that? Not all of the gods have been revealed yet! Next time, the tournament continues with the next two duelists seeking to add to their god card collection.
It occurred to me when reviewing my previous material that I was incorrect when I said the next chapter would be brand new. The participants dueled in the last chapter I put out before the rewrite, but the duel is brand new. Stay tuned next week!
Trivia: I've only just today seen the first episode of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal. That's probably part of why I haven't used a whole lot of Xyz monsters. As I get more exposure to them, it might be more likely for them to show up. At least the story provides a plausible reason in that they've only just been created; not a lot of people would have decks full of them yet.