Yu-Gi-Oh! D. T.
Chapter 3: Glimmering Light, The Path of the Duelist
November 12, 3:24 PM
The man in the dark cloak sat in the drive-thru of a cheap burger joint sipping on Coke. Why he drank such an unhealthy beverage, he had no idea. Somehow, the cold sweetness of the soft drink calmed his spirit. Within him, there were many dark secrets and memories that tore at his very core, the nasty abode of a thousand demons from Hell. There wasn't a second where he didn't want to cry out in burning anguish, to relieve himself of the sins he had brought upon himself. Yet, even within this darkness, he continued to find a guilty sweetness, the same sweetness he found in his pitch black soda. The knowledge that such pleasure could come from sin was the very reason he continued do what he did, and the same reason he found solace in his Coke. On the topic of sin, the man suddenly received a message from his boss, the unnamed leader of the Dark Chasers.
"Heyo! You want to fight strong duelists, right? You remember those cards we talked about getting? The first one's in Neo Domino City. Be a dear and fetch it for me, will ya?"
The man would've normally shrugged at the informality of the message that was so characteristic of their mysterious leader, but this time, it didn't bother him as much. To any normal Dark Chaser, this request would've been viewed as just another tiresome job, but to him, it was the break he had been looking for. He was tired of the weak duelists in the area he was forced to govern as part of his job as a general. In his eyes, this request was basically permission to travel the world and duel whoever he wanted. As long as he got the formal job done, everything else along the way was free game.
If he had one complaint, it was the first stop on his journey. Neo Domino was the symbol of a fallen generation. It was the place that almost caused the world's destruction 50 years ago, when the Momentum reactor malfunctioned for the last time and was finally disestablished. Since then, the city's resources and prestige have continually declined to a point of economic stagnation and social unrest. Despite its name, Neo Domino City was now associated with the failure of the past and the inability to cope with the present, truly a shadow of its former self, which the man had once admired. Eager to start on his journey and finish this particular job quickly, he jumped onto his black duel runner and tossed his Coke aside. Watching as the murky liquid spilled out from its vessel and spread wastefully on the barren earth, the man in black sped into the darkness of the night.
November 12, 3:27 PM
Eric studied the stranger carefully. Through his only unbruised eye, Eric could see the man's smirk of arrogant satisfaction from recently winning a duel. But something else was even more apparent, something about his sharp eyes. Within them, he could see an expression of absolute disdain that looked down on everyone around him. They were the eyes of a ruler.
"Who are you?" Eric inquired.
"My name is Gareth Basilius," he replied. "The CEO of Duel Trinity Corporation."
"DT," Eric said. "The company that makes Duel Monsters tech?"
"That's right," Gareth nodded.
"I'm Eric," said Eric out of courtesy. "A duelist."
"A true description indeed," Gareth grinned. "Do you know why the Dark Chasers were after you?"
"I assumed they were after revenge for their boss."
"Boss?" Gareth chuckled. "That wasn't their boss. Not even the man I dueled was their boss. The Dark Chasers' boss would put up much more of a fight."
"Dark Chasers, huh?" Eric frowned. "I keep hearing that name, but I still don't have any idea about what I'm dealing with, or rather, what's trying to deal with me."
"The Dark Chasers are an evil organization that steals people's rare cards and goes to any extreme to do it," Gareth explained. "In our modern world that's dominated by Duel Monsters, the easiest way to get what you want is to excel in the game. Thus, it's more likely that they were after the deck you used to beat the gang leader than revenge."
"I see," Eric nodded. "So why haven't I heard of them until yesterday?"
"Over the past decade," Gareth explained, "they've greatly increased their influence and plagued the world with their evil ambitions. Today, they've infiltrated almost every level of society's, and even the government's, infrastructure. You probably didn't realize that those you trusted most were actually your greatest enemies."
"No way!" Eric exclaimed. "You must be crazy! Where's your evidence?"
"Is the fact that you were tricked by a little boy not proof enough?"
Eric knew for a fact that he didn't like this man, but he couldn't deny that he was right.
"Then," Eric said anxiously, "how do you stop such a powerful organization?"
"That's what my company is for," Gareth smiled with a proud gleam in his eyes. "We scout the best duelists who have a sense of justice to achieve our goal."
"And that is?" Eric asked.
"To destroy the Dark Chasers," Gareth said, sticking out his chest. "I'd like to invite you to join our cause."
After this description, Eric knew exactly what this whole incident was about. How did Gareth know where he would be? How did he know that it was a little kid who lured him into the Dark Chasers' base? The answer was obvious. Gareth was stalking him and taking advantage of his run-in with the Dark Chasers recruit him to his company. Now, Eric understood what he was dealing with: an intelligent man without morals.
"Well," Eric frowned, "good luck with that. I want to be involved in this as little as possible."
"Too late," Gareth said as he stepped in front of Eric. "You're already involved. You see, their duel disks are built with a recording system that tracks each move you make and every card you use. If they see that you have rare cards, they won't stop chasing you until they take them."
"And why should I believe you?" Eric said, furrowing his brow. "You said that the Dark Chasers use any means necessary to get what they want. Well, I find it difficult to trust someone who uses the same methods as the enemy they claim be to fighting."
"I beg your pardon?" Gareth said with a dark expression.
"I may not be as clever as you," Eric said bitterly, "but don't think of me as an idiot."
Turning away from Gareth, Eric walked back towards his apartment. Gareth sighed and then smiled. This was what everyone he scouted said in the beginning. However, they would soon think about the opportunity to save the world and become heroes. He knew that all men sought purpose and self-fulfillment in life, especially those from impoverished backgrounds. And more importantly, they sought to be rewarded for it. No sane man would refuse such a great opportunity to attain fame and fortune by fighting for justice. No one would value their pride over their base desires. This was especially true for Eric, who was now wanted by the Dark Chasers and who would benefit greatly from the protection D.T. Corporation could provide. Grinning to himself, Gareth decided that all he had to do was keep pressuring Eric and wait for him to reconsider.
November 13, 5:28 PM
For the whole day, Eric did nothing but lay in pain on his bed and think about Gareth's request, asking himself the same question over and over again.
Should I have accepted it?
It would seem like the logical thing to do. If Gareth was right and the Dark Chasers were really after him, his life was in danger. Joining the D.T. Corporation would definitely ensure his safety. Not to mention, it was the perfect opportunity to make a living through dueling, which didn't sound too bad. From the way Gareth dressed and behaved, Eric had no doubt that his salary would be very favorable.
Sighing to himself, he admitted that he would never do it. A person like Eric, who believed in his strength and his alone, would never rely on another person to bail him out no matter how difficult the situation. More importantly, he didn't want to subordinate himself to a man who didn't respect his opponents and who only used his cards as tools. He would much rather deal with the Dark Chasers on his own. Clenching his fist, Eric decided that if this was the hand that fate dealt to him, he would figure out a way to win by himself. With his resolve hardened, Eric suddenly heard a knock on his door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see an agitated Gaige panting heavily from running.
"Eric!" Gaige shouted in exasperation. "I got a letter asking for you to go to the docks! They said they kidnapped a little girl and threatened to kill her if you don't comply!"
"Then what Gareth said was true," Eric scowled. "The Dark Chasers are coming after me."
Eric didn't think for a second to run away or hide. His only thought was that someone had suffered as a result of his actions, and that he had a responsibility to rectify the problem. Running past the convenience store owner, Eric dashed out of his apartment and came face to face with large crowd of restless-looking people. In the front stood an elderly woman in teary shambles.
"Oh please!" she cried. "I know it's a selfish request but please turn yourself in and save my granddaughter! She's all I have left!"
"Don't worry," said Eric as he pushed his way through the crowd. "I don't plan on running away."
After hearing that, people began to surround him by the dozens, shaking his hand and praising him for his bravery. Though Eric was uncomfortable with the situation, he began feeling a sense of satisfaction for doing the right thing and being rewarded for it. As he made his way to the docks, he laughed at himself for trying to be the type of hero he hated most.
November 13, 3050 6:12 PM
When he arrived at the pier, he found a large, muscular man in his early thirties surrounded by smaller goons. A little girl was tied to the side, held at knifepoint by a pair of gang members. The girl's sobbing and shivering were indicators that this was a serious situation.
"If you want to save her," the man laughed obnoxiously, "you better be ready to hand your cards to me: Whirlpool Jackson!"
"It's me you want," Eric said through gritted teeth. "Leave her out of this."
"Give me your cards and I'll consider it."
"Instead of shamelessly threatening me," Eric snarled, "why don't you man up and duel me for them?"
"Now why would I waste my time with that?" Whirlpool chuckled. "It's your cards I want, not you."
"I'll never give my cards to you conniving scumbags," Eric said angrily. "Duel me!"
"I swear to god I'll kill her," Whirlpool threatened once more.
"Is Whirlpool your Dark Chaser codename or did your mother name you that?" said a familiar, condescending voice.
Gareth walked from behind a tree to reveal himself.
"I don't know who the hell you think you are," Whirlpool frowned after that insult, "but it seems you don't care very much about this girl."
"So your mother, huh?" Gareth grinned. "Let me tell you why she named you that: because all of your intelligence was probably sucked into a whirlpool when you were born. If you kill that girl, what reason would Eric have to give you his cards?"
"You idiot!" Eric exclaimed at Gareth. "Stop provoking him! He'll kill her for real!"
"Just shut up and watch," Gareth said.
Without any fear of the Dark Chasers or any regard for the little girl's life, he walked straight towards them.
"Don't come any closer!" Whirlpool shouted, digging the knife into the girl's neck and prompting a sharp squeal.
Yet, Gareth ignored him and continued walking. Eric stood in complete awe and silence at the sheer irresponsibility and arrogance of his actions.
"One more step and I'll slash her throat wide open!" Whirlpool yelled when Gareth was only a meter away from them.
"Okay," Gareth smiled.
In a motion so fast that the human eye almost couldn't follow, Gareth lunged at Whirlpool and twirled to perform a lightning-quick spinning hook kick, aimed at an angle such that Whirlpool's enormous body, as well as his knife hand, were knocked so far away that one almost couldn't believe the girl was at knifepoint just a second ago. Grunting in pain, Whirlpool flew straight into his subordinates with the combined force of his huge mass and
Gareth's monstrous kick, easily knocking them unconscious.
In the hypocritically heroic way that Eric detested, Gareth bent down, put his hands on the girls shoulders, smiled, and said to her "Are you okay?"
"Mhmm," she replied cheerfully through tears.
Eric muttered some curse words as he watched her run back to her family.
"You son of a-," Whirlpool began before being kicked again by Gareth.
"Stop it!" Eric shouted. "Violence is never the solution. Only dueling is."
"This man is a disgraceful Dark Chaser," Gareth said in a grave tone. "He deserves nothing less than Hell."
"You said it yourself," Eric replied. "Today, this world is controlled by how good you are at dueling. It's the only fair way to settle things. If he wanted my cards, he should've dueled me for them instead of using cheap tricks."
"Should've," Gareth said, "but didn't. Why show him mercy now?"
"I'm not showing anybody mercy," Eric said, staring Gareth straight in the eye. "Dueling is my way of life. No tricks. No lies."
At that moment, the look in Gareth's eyes changed. What used to be filled with unwavering confidence and elitist condescension was now filled with curiosity and interest.
Turning away from Gareth to face Whirlpool, Eric strapped on and activated his ultramarine-colored duel disk, stroking the yellow crescent that ran along its surface.
"The terms are this," he announced. "If you win, you're free to go where you please and I'll forget this ever happened. If I win, you're turning yourself into the police. Got it?"
"You're gonna regret this," Whirlpool growled, spitting a tooth out from his bloody mouth as he equipped and activated his own standard-issue duel disk.
"Duel!" they shouted in unison.
"I'm going first!" Whirlpool said assertively. "I summon Fish Commander in defense mode!"
A watery portal emerged beside Whirlpool, revealing a humanoid monster in a white military uniform with the head of a salmon.
(Fish Commander: Level 4/WATER/Warrior/ATK-0 DEF-0/Effect: This card cannot be destroyed in battle. This card can be treated as 2 Synchro material monsters)
"I set 2 cards," he continued. "Turn end."
"True to your name," Eric grinned, "you're playing a Water deck."
"That's right," Whirlpool snarled. "You find that funny?"
"No," Eric said. "Did you get it from your parents?"
After hearing those words, Whirlpool's eyes widened and, after a few seconds, closed. A smile formed across his face as the tension that had pervaded the duel vanished instantaneously. This was the first time he had ever faced someone with such a tranquil nature in a duel. Despite being threatened, despite everything he'd done to him, his opponent Eric Lambert regarded him as nothing but a fellow duelist. With these last few words, Whirlpool had realized that the man who stood before him was not his enemy.
"Yeah," Whirlpool smirked. "I inherited this deck from my pop, who named me Whirlpool after it. He hoped that I could suck in good fortune in my life and I always wanted to make him proud for putting so much faith in me. But it looks like I've sucked in nothing but bad luck. My pop died from cancer when I was in middle school. I couldn't get into Duel Academy because I sucked at taking tests, and even though I did pretty well at tournaments, no one wanted to sponsor me because I didn't have a duelist diploma. I joined the Dark Chasers because they promised me that I could change the world with this deck, and I figured that was what my pop would've wanted."
"But it wasn't what you expected," Eric said as he closed his eyes, "was it?"
"No," Whirlpool said with a grim expression. "There was nothing great about using my deck to beat people and steal their cards. I even wanted to quit one time, but I soon learned that there was no way out of the Dark Chasers. Some rotten luck, right?"
"I see," Eric said with a frown. "I too inherited my deck from my dad, and I'm sure he had high hopes for me. Unlike you, I've spent the last four years doing nothing with my deck. In a way, I sort of envy you."
"You shouldn't," Whirlpool sighed, "I would give anything to have that right now. I would much rather do nothing with my pop's cards than what I've been doing all these years. I can't imagine what he'd say if he saw me like this right now."
"It's not too late," Eric smiled. "You still have a chance to change."
"I told you already," Whirlpool chuckled weakly, "there's no quitting the Dark Chasers."
"That's not what I mean," Eric said. "We're both representing our dads in this duel. Your dad's feelings exist inside your deck. In this duel, you have to show me what your true feelings are. What does dueling mean to you? What kind of duelist do you want to be? Those are what define you as a duelist."
"What define me as a duelist," Whirlpool repeated softly as the image of his father burned brightly in his mind.
"My father taught me to respect my opponents and to have faith in my cards," Eric said firmly. "That's why no matter what, I will always play fairly and give it my all. That's the kind of duelist I want to be."
"I want to be like my pop," Whirlpool replied. "I want to become the kind of person my pop can be proud to call his son: strong and humble. To always win but with honor and humility. That's the kind of duelist I want to be!"
"Well then I hope you're ready," Eric grinned, "cuz my dad's deck is pretty strong."
"Right back atcha," Whirlpool smiled.
"My turn!" Eric declared. "I discard Bright Star to Special Summon Moonlight Viking!"
A shining yellow orb materialized on the field, only to be absorbed by an axe-wielding viking which fell from the sky.
(Bright Star: Level 1/LIGHT/Psychic/ATK-500 DEF-0/Effect: If this card is sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon it to your side of the field on your next Standby Phase)
(Moonlight Viking: Level 5/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-2200 DEF-300/Effect: You can discard 1 card from your hand to Special Summon this card from your hand. If you do, you cannot summon another monster this turn)
"Moonlight Viking," Eric commanded, "attack Fish Commander! But first, I discard Radiant Moon from my hand to let my monster deal piercing damage!"
(Radiant Moon: Level 2/LIGHT/Psychic/ATK-0 DEF-1800/Effect: During your Battle Phase, you can discard this card from your hand to have your attacking monster deal piercing damage this turn)
"I activate the Trap card Extreme Washout!" Whirlpool countered. "When you activate a monster effect, I can negate that effect and equip Extreme Washout to your monster. When equipped, that monster can't attack."
(Activate only when a monster's effect activates. Negate the effect and equip this card to a monster on the field. That monster cannot attack as long as this card remains on the field)
The viking charged at the gilled commander, but before it made any distance, it was swept away by a giant tidal wave, cancelling its attack. As the waves subsided, Moonlight Viking was revealed to be completely soaked and immobile.
"Not bad," Eric smiled. "I set 2 cards. Turn end."
"My turn," Whirlpool said with an eager grin. "I summon the Tuner monster Rainbow Minnow!"
From the residue water on the field, a small fish with rainbow colored scales emerged, flying gracefully in the air.
(Rainbow Minnow: Level 3/WATER/Fish/ATK-1500 DEF-0/Effect: Once per turn, you can increase the attack of one of your monsters by 300)
"I'm tuning level 4 Fish Commander with level 3 Rainbow Minnow," Whirlpool announced. "Colossal waves crash on bare rock! Rise from the depths of the ocean! Synchro Summon! Surface, Whirlpool Demon Shark!"
The two material monsters deformed into puddles of water, which burst upwards into violent torrents that twisted and crashed against each other. As the peak height was reached, all the water crashed into the ground in one simultaneous downpour and created an artificial sea. A deep whirlpool emerged at the center of the sea, with a menacing shark rising from its depths to reveal itself.
(Whirlpool Demon Shark: Level 7/WATER/Fish/ATK-2900 DEF-2000/Effect: Any monster that battles this card is removed from play at the end of the Battle Phase)
"That monster," Eric smiled, "you were named after it, weren't you?"
"That's right," Whirlpool grinned proudly. "This was my pop's ace monster. My ace monster."
"Your bond with that card," Eric said, "is strong."
"I'll show just how strong it is!" Whirlpool smirked. "Whirlpool Demon Shark, attack Moonlight Viking! Surging Predation!"
The shark pierced through the water, smashing past the Viking and crunching it in half. (3300/4000)
"Now," Whirlpool continued, "I activate the Trap card Tidal Wave! Each time my monster destroys a monster by battle, you take 1000 damage!"
"I activate my Trap card Double Spy!" Eric countered. "I negate all damage this turn!"
As its name suggested, Whirlpool's card unleashed a massive wave of water at Eric, only to split down the middle, narrowly missing him.
(If a Water attribute monster destroys a monster in battle, inflict 1000 points of damage to your opponent's Life Points)
(Negate all damage received this turn. You can Special Summon a Level 3 monster from your hand)
"If you could've negated all the damage from this turn," asked a puzzled Whirlpool, "why didn't you use it earlier when I attacked?"
"Because he wanted to bait out your cards," Gareth said from the side. "If he had activated it earlier, you probably wouldn't have used Tidal Wave this turn."
"I see," Whirlpool nodded. "You chose to take the small amount of battle damage now so you could avoid more damage in the long run."
"Told you I'm pretty strong," Eric winked.
"If you hadn't done that, you would've lost for sure," Whirlpool grinned. "I activate 3 copies of the Continuous Spell Kamikaze! This deals you 1000 damage at your End Phase as long as I have a Water monster. When it comes back to my turn, I'll only have to deal you 300 more damage to win."
(Once per duel, while you control a Water monster, deal 1000 damage to your opponent during their End Phase)
"Indeed," Gareth nodded, "if Whirlpool had saved Tidal Wave, he would've been able to ensure 4000 damage the next turn. Not bad."
However, for Gareth, more surprising than the amount of skill being displayed in this duel was the lack of pressure. Whirlpool had so much to lose, and yet, he was playing without a single worry. In fact, it almost looked like he was having fun. For someone like Gareth, who thought he knew it all, who viewed life as a fierce battle between good and evil, he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. The only thing he did know was that Eric was the cause. He didn't treat his opponent like an enemy. He actually tried to comfort his opponent and even complimented his plays. Gareth had no idea why Eric did any of these things, and the fact that there was something he didn't know infuriated him. Yet, this uncertainty only heightened his interest in Eric: the first man he couldn't understand.
"You may think you have me in the bag," Eric smirked, "but I've got a little surprise for you. Even though you've established a win condition for yourself, you used up all your resources to do so. That means that you have nothing to stop my counterattack!"
"You think you can overcome my 2900 ATK ace monster and deal 4000 damage in one turn?" Whirlpool smirked. "Just try it!"
"My turn," Eric said. "I discard the Tuner Monster Vanishing Moon to make your shark lose the same number of levels and ATK points as it. That's 1 level and 1000 ATK."
A small celestial body appeared on the field for a second, only to disappear immediately afterwards. However, with it went a large amount of the water composing Whirlpool's sea, leaving his shark flopping helplessly.
(Vanishing Moon: Level 1/LIGHT/Psychic/ATK-1000 DEF-100/Effect: You can discard this card from your hand to have one of your opponent's monsters lose 1000 ATK and 1 level. If you do, Special Summon this card to your side of the field in attack position on your next Battle Phase)
"Well," Eric smiled, "since I'm going to lose my Life Points anyway, I might as well use them. I pay 3000 Life Points to activate Destruction of the Moon, removing from play every monster in the Graveyard that wasn't sent there this turn to take control of your monster."
"My monster?" Whirlpool exclaimed. "But that's mine!"
"I wonder if you've ever considered that when you took other people's cards," Eric chided.
Upon hearing these words, Whirlpool looked at the ground in guilt and embarrassment.
Another glowing sphere appeared on the field, this time much larger and brighter. Unlike the last one, this moon collapsed into itself and crumbled, sprinkling silver dust over Eric's entire field. It appeared that Whirlpool's monster was so entranced by the sparkling dust that it scurried to Eric's side. (300/4000)
(Remove from play all monsters that weren't sent to the Graveyard this turn and pay 3000 Life Points to take control of one of your opponent's monsters)
"As I enter my Battle Phase," Eric continued, "Vanishing Moon is Special Summoned from the Graveyard!"
The moon that had appeared to have vanished suddenly reemerged from its invisible state.
"This is bad," said a slightly quivering Whirlpool.
"You bet," Eric grinned. "Double direct attack!"
Without an ounce of hesitation, Vanishing Moon and the Whirlpool Demon Shark that now belonged to Eric struck at once, wiping out a large chunk of Whirlpool's life points. Whirlpool broke down and fell to his knees, not from the Life Points he lost but from the sting of being hit by his and his father's favorite card. It felt as though he were being punished for misusing and betraying it for all these years. (300/1100)
"You've made your point," Whirlpool said, choking on his tears. "Stealing other people's cars is wrong. This is completely your win."
"Don't surrender just because of that," Eric frowned. "This is a duel. No matter what happens, you have to stick it out until the end. Your cards deserve at least that much."
"Well," Whirlpool laughed weakly, "I was trying to give you the win because you made me realize the error of my ways. I don't want to fight you anymore. It wouldn't feel right for me to win after you failed to finish me off this turn."
"Failed?" Eric smirked. "You think I failed just because I've finished attacking with the monsters on my field?"
"Yeah," Whirlpool said with a look of confusion. "You've already attacked with both monsters. Your Battle Phase is over. You can't deal me any more damage this turn."
"Let me tell you something," Eric said in a serious tone. "Even when everything is going wrong, even when it seems like there's nothing you can do, you have to keep trying. That's what it takes to make it in life. That's what it takes to be a duelist."
"But what more can you do in this situation?" Whirlpool asked.
"I can give it everything I've got left," Eric grinned. "Trap activate: Moonlight Synchro! This card let's me Synchro Summon a Light monster in my Battle Phase. I'm tuning the now level 6 Whirlpool Demon Shark with level 1 Vanishing Moon. The shining moon guides all to greatness. Glisten brightly in your quest! Synchro Summon! Arise, Everbright Enchanter!"
Whirlpool's monster dissolved into small particles of light, which rose to surround Vanishing Moon and create a glowing structure that resembled an atom. The shining particles zipped around Vanishing Moon at increasing speeds until they appeared to form a rapidly rotating sphere of intense light. At the climax of the light's intensity, the sphere exploded into a blinding flash of energy. As the field became visible once more, all that stood was a mage-like figure adorned in embellished robes with a crystal staff in hand.
(During your Battle Phase, you can Synchro Summon a Light attribute monster)
(Everbright Enchanter: Level 7/LIGHT/Spellcaster/ATK-2600 DEF-2000/Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned, return all removed from play monsters back to their owner's Graveyard. This card gains 100 ATK for each monster in the Graveyard)
"When Everbright Enchanter is Synchro Summoned," Eric explained, "all of our removed from play monsters are returned to the Graveyard. In addition, it will gain 100 ATK for each monster in the Graveyard. Since there are 7 monsters total in our Graveyards, my monster's ATK becomes 3300."
"Incredible," Whirlpool gasped in awe.
"You can never blame bad luck for your shortcomings," Eric said. "You have to keep trying and achieve your goals with your own power. Then, when you overcome impossible odds, this is how bright your future will become. Everbright Enchanter, direct attack! Shining Beam of Radiance!"
Raising its staff, the mage unleashed a radiant wave of warm light across the field, illuminating everything it made contact with. All the emotions that built up from this duel resonated brilliantly in one luminous moment of truth. (300/0)
November 13, 3050 7:25 PM
Minutes later, Whirlpool was escorted to a police car, which would soon bring him to the station. As he sat in the car with his hands cuffed, Eric approached him for some final words.
"Those cards you took from other duelists," Eric said, "you never put them in your deck, did you?"
"No," Whirlpool smiled solemnly. "I gave them all to my boys. The only cards I needed were my pop's."
"For a Dark Chaser," Eric grinned, "you're pretty alright."
"No," Whirlpool said, "I'm not a Dark Chaser anymore. At heart, I never really was."
Whirlpool looked down for a moment of silence to reflect on his past actions.
"Listen," he said, looking at Eric with eyes that screamed of determination, "I'm going to do my time and pay for my sins. Afterwards, I'm going to start over and try to get into Duel Academy again. Just like you, I'll give it everything I've got. Maybe then, I'll become the kind of man my pop wanted me to be."
"When that time comes," Eric smiled, reaching out his hand, "I'll meet you at the pro league."
Whirlpool reciprocated that smile and happily accepted the handshake. With that, he left on his journey of atonement.
"I must say," Gareth said, approaching from behind, "you're one strange guy."
"I'm just a duelist," Eric replied. "Nothing more. Nothing less."
"You had that ending planned the whole time," Gareth chuckled. "You did way more than you needed to, and just to give that criminal a little hope before he faced Hell."
"I don't know what happened to you," Eric frowned, "but you've changed a lot from preschool."
"What do you mean?" Gareth asked, his expression hardening.
"Just like how you gave me hope in the past by returning my cards from those bullies," Eric said, "I gave that man the tools to walk the right path. What he's facing now isn't judgment from Hell, but rather a trial to climb back up to the light. If you were the same person from back then, you would understand that."
"I'm starting to remember now," Gareth snickered. "You're that boy who cried in the corner everyday because he couldn't stand up to his enemies. Indeed, I did fight those bullies and return your cards, but you misunderstand something. I wasn't trying to give you hope or anything. My intent was much nobler. I was simply performing my role as an individual with power. Those with power have a duty to protect those weaker than them and to enforce justice. That is the principle of noblesse oblige."
"That's what makes you full of s***," Eric snarled. "Protecting the weak? Enforcing justice? That's not proof of your resolve. That's the delusion of a self-righteous glory seeker. You think you're doing the right thing, but all you're doing is looking for self-gratification. That's what's wrong with the duelists you recruit and that's what's wrong with you!"
"So you won't help me, who's trying to save the world from evil," Gareth said, seething with rage, "but you'd help some low-life Dark Chaser scum?"
"Yeah," Eric said, glaring vehemently into Gareth's eyes. "I helped him because I respect him as a duelist. But you, and your band of wannabe heroes, I will never acknowledge!"
For the first time in his life, Gareth saw the turned back of the same person twice. Never before had someone rejected him twice after hearing what he had to say. What Eric did just now left a permanent crack in Gareth's pride, leaving him completely and utterly shocked. For several minutes, he didn't say a word or move an inch. He had one thought and one thought only.
I will make Eric Lambert mine.