Yu-Gi-Oh! DT

by dtaoa

This is an original story with OCs and original cards that takes place a century after Yu-Gi-Oh! 5d's. Eric Lambert is a duelist who dreamed of becoming a professional duelist until his fateful encounter with an evil organization. With the help of new friends, Eric joins the battle to save the earth, discovering his own self-identify and unveiling a sinister plot with dark roots.

11. Chapter 11

Yu-Gi-Oh! D.T.

Chapter 11: Bleak Uncertainty, Descent of the Waning Moon

January 1, 3051 6:42 AM

A blonde woman in her late twenties stood silently within a stone room, gently sweeping the dust that had accumulated over the course of the week. She had always hated this tiresome job, as the entirety of the temple was larger than an imperial castle. It wasn't unusual for her to spend several hours to clean up every room and corridor inside the temple, and by the time she was done, the aching of her slender back would render her bedridden for at least the next few hours. Luckily, she had very few duties to uphold aside from maintaining the temple which fell under her guardianship, and even that responsibility entailed little more than her weekly sweeping. She spent the remainder of her time trying to entertain herself by reading historical documents and learning the language of the outside world. Nonetheless, due to the lack of significant activities in her daily life, she was incredibly bored.

Yet, patience, if nothing else, was her strong point. It was perhaps the single most important virtue for anyone who did her job.

Indeed, the life this woman had lived was not the most pleasant, but it was not entirely devoid of enjoyment. The temple housed numerous guests, many of which spoke to her about this or that from time to time. The topics they discussed did not particularly spark her interest, but at least they managed to keep her amused for these last fifteen years that she hadn't set foot outside the temple. However, she was recently made aware of something by one of these guest, something that might put an end her solitary reclusion.

"A guardian will soon arise."

These words echoed repeatedly through her mind, tearing at her nerves with daggers of trepidation. Although she had always yearned for an escape from her mundane lifestyle, the idea of one actually emerging invoked a certain fear within her. Exactly what she was afraid of, she was not sure. Perhaps it was the fact that she had not fully mastered the language of the outside world, that she would inevitably make an embarrassment of herself when she spoke. Or maybe it was the fear of being disappointed by the outside world, and the possibility of it being completely different from the garden paradise she had remembered from her youth. Sighing deeply, the woman returned to her sweeping, trying to distract herself from her dreadful feelings of unease.

January 1, 3051 12:33 PM

He had won. Within the timespan of one week, Gareth and his soldiers had successfully dismantled the controlling faction of the Dark Chasers in Malik City and established a base of operations there to wage war against the other small gangs. In Grant Lilith's absence, they had annihilated the most vicious group of Dark Chasers in a significant economic center, dealing a massive blow to the influence of the entire organization. With his most powerful squadron in command of Malik City, Gareth hypothesized that it wouldn't take more than a month to fully liberate the city from the Dark Chasers' control. Even if Grant Lilith returned and tried to regain his territory, the numbers would not be in his favor, and amassing an army strong enough to contest with D.T. would be incredibly difficult. Gareth had taken every countermeasure and everything went exactly according to his plan. It was Gareth's complete victory.

However, despite his military success, Gareth couldn't help but feel a tight knot of guilt in his stomach. To succeed in his mission, he had used Eric as a decoy for Grant Lilith, knowing that he would be a high-priority target because of his interactions with local Dark Chaser gangs, his revelation of a Nature Dragon, and more recently, his victory against a high-ranked captain. He also knew that Grant Lilith would most likely be the one to pursue Eric because it was his second-in-command who was defeated. What he didn't understand was why the general of the Dark Division would be so careless as to reveal his location in his haste to approach Eric.

Generally, the upper ranks of the Dark Chasers took care to leave their actions and locations hidden, eliminating any witnesses to maintain the obscurity of their positions. Even with a network of spies, Gareth found it difficult to estimate the exact size and strength of Dark Chaser forces in various geographical zones. For this reason, he found it highly suspicious for any member, much less a general, to recklessly attack and give away his position. Several possibilities came to mind, none of which were the least bit comforting.

First, the Dark Chasers could have used Grant Lilith as bait, tricking Gareth into attacking his vulnerable sector and preparing a trap to take out D.T.'s most elite forces. Second, it may have been a tactical decision to sacrifice Malik City for an opportunity to attack D.T.'s headquarters. This second possibility was what drove Gareth to rush as quickly as he could to defend his company's base of operations.

Then, there was the third and most frightening possibility: Grant Lilith was so confident in his power that he didn't care who saw him. There existed the chance that Grant Lilith was so bloodthirsty that he went right to his target without a single fear. This could either mean that he overestimated himself and made a fatal decision that put his entire division at risk, or that he truly possessed a strength unlike anything Gareth could ever imagine. The cynic that he was, Gareth found himself more inclined to believe the latter, the implications of which sent a chilling surge of fear throughout his body. If there really existed someone whose strength Gareth himself couldn't gauge, then Eric had no chance against him. Gareth had no doubt that Eric was strong, and as his friend he wanted to believe in him, but against this kind of opponent, he didn't see any way Eric could have survived unscathed.

With this in mind, Gareth now faced a moral dilemma. He could either confirm his company's safety by returning to Muto City and preparing for a possible attack, or he could check up on Eric to see if he was okay. Logically, the first choice was the more rational, as a surprise Dark Chaser attack on his company's headquarters would pose disastrous consequences. Two months ago, he would not have hesitated to select that option. But now, cold logic did not appeal to him at all. He'd had enough of sacrificing ideals for results, so much so that he felt his decision to attack Malik City was wrong to begin with. Gareth wanted to believe in justice, and justice meant equality. He had already placed his company ahead of his friend once, and he was not about to do it again. Firm in his decision, Gareth shifted gears and accelerated, speeding down the vacant DR lane towards Truesdale Town.

January 1, 3051 5:54 PM

Eric lay awake on his bed, shivering coldly despite the fact that the sun had yet to fall. He had been like this since his duel with Grant a week ago, when he had, for the third time in his life, lost Moonstar Dragon. The word depressed wasn't nearly enough to describe his mental state, as he had lost much more than his most precious card. Eric didn't know why, but the pain in his chest stemmed least from his loss of Moonstar Dragon. This is not to say that the loss of his card didn't affect him. If anything, each time he lost Moonstar Dragon was more painful than the last. It was the fact that something hurt him much more, so much so that in a way, he felt like all the tears he could ever shed for his beloved card were already gone. What now ate at his mind was what Grant had told him about his father.

There were so many questions Eric wanted to know the answers to. Was his father wrong? Were things like faith and respect worthless in the face of raw power? Was strength the only true justice in this world? Eric desperately wanted to know. He wanted to know if everything he believed in was still true. He wanted to ascertain that there was merit in following his father's teachings, that he had spent his life pursuing the right path. Yet, at the same time, he didn't want to know. If the answer was no, if strength was all that really mattered, then Eric didn't know what he would do with himself. Everything he believed in and everything he lived for would've been for nothing. He would've been a fool naively chasing an impossible dream.

He would've eventually met the same fate as his father.

Eric hated the fact that he was doubting his father's beliefs and considering the truth in the words of a man who had spat in the face of everything he stood for. He wished his father was still alive so that he could ask him for guidance, so he could be given hope and confidence in the path he walked. He wished he could witness once more the warm light his father had exuded with each breath, the light that had inspired him to follow in his footsteps and become the person he was today.

But more than anyone, Eric knew that this was an impossible wish, the hopeful delusion of a lonely orphan drowning in his own self-pity. Eric hated it, but he thought Grant might've been right. Perhaps it was time for him to face reality. If Robert Lambert had truly been the strong, righteous man Eric had admired, then he wouldn't have died so easily. He would've persevered through anything and everything that came his way, shining so brightly that no darkness could stop him. He would've achieved the impossible.

But he didn't.

He died.

Like Eric, Robert Lambert had lost to the harsh cruelty of the world. His dream of people treating each other with respect had been nothing more than a dream, crushed by the reality that strength trumped everything.

All this time, Eric had believed that his victories were achieved through his determination to respect his opponents and trust his cards. Now, he considered the possibility that his determination and willpower had nothing to do with his success. He considered that it was nothing more than his strength that had allowed him to defeat his opponents and convince them of his ideals. If justice was truly whatever the victor deemed it to be, then he had done nothing more than defeat his foes and force his views upon them. Like Grant, he had used his power to have his way with others, never seeing the foolishness of his actions until he himself had tasted defeat. When he lost to Grant, he had witnessed the limitations of his power, a power he had always believed was derived from his faith in his father's convictions. But now, he considered the possibility that he was wrong. He considered that just as Grant had done to him, Eric had merely used his superior strength to force his opponents to submit to him. Grant had no resolve, no just cause to fight for, but he had won. He had won with nothing but strength, and strength alone.

Eric tried to think of some counterargument, some weakness in Grant's philosophy that allowed him to regain confidence in his father's ideals, but he simply couldn't. If he argued that he simply wasn't strong enough, then becoming strong enough would only mean defeating his opponent with power alone. He could argue that he didn't have enough resolve, but that was refuted by the fact that Grant had easily beaten him without an ounce of it. Then, if he argued that Grant's cards were simply too overpowered, Eric would only discredit his father's beliefs even further by acknowledging that rare cards were the key to victory. The more Eric thought, the more it seemed like Grant was right, and the fact that he was starting to believe it tore his heart apart.

Sighing deeply, Eric pulled his sheets over his head and curled into a ball, trying to warm his shivering body and fall asleep. He had been like this everyday for the past week but his attempts to comfort himself never succeeded, as his mind always wandered back into the dark territory shaped by uncertainty of his father's ideals and growing belief in Grant's words. Only when he completely exhausted himself did he manage to find refuge from the thoughts that perpetually haunted his mind, and even then, he always awoke panting in cold sweat, terrified by a horrible dream. It seemed like nothing spared him from his anguish. In the daytime, he was taunted by the blinding sunlight, which instilled a harrowing guilt within him and appeared to mock him for doubting his father. At night, the shadows seduced him, tempting him to abandon his father's ideals and fully commit himself to Grant's cynically realistic view of the world. Even the moon, which had always granted him peace and solace, appeared to abandon him with its long absence from the black starless sky, a reflection of the misery in Eric's heart and soul.

Suddenly, in the midst of his desolate thoughts and turbulent state of mind, Eric was brought back to reality by a loud knock on his door.

"Eric!" he heard a familiar deep voice shout from outside his door. "Are you in there?"

He ignored it. In his current state, Eric didn't want to speak with anyone, especially not someone who was so similar to Grant in his methods.

Gareth's fire deck and aggressive dueling style symbolized burning through evil with his so-called flames of justice. In other words, he believed that in order to defeat evil, he had to overwhelm them with absolute strength to punish them for abusing their own power. It was for this reason that Gareth had always dueled with powerful cards, one-sidedly crushing his opponents with unwavering ferocity and brutality. Eric had always disapproved of this approach because he believed that dueling was a way for people to understand each other rather than a way to fight. However, even this belief of his began to waver as he considered Grant's words. If people simply forced their ideas onto others by dueling, then what Gareth did was not wrong. In fact, what he did could even be considered praiseworthy, as it demonstrated a realistic understanding of the world that probably factored heavily in his success. His beliefs may be different from Grant's, but the way they went about convincing others was equally abhorrent.

At this moment, Eric felt a sense of shame run down his spine. He had just compared his best friend to the wretched man who had taken everything that was important to him. Eric had allowed Grant's cynicism to corrupt his thoughts to the point where he couldn't distinguish between his friends and enemies. It was true that his loss to Grant had driven a stake through his faith in his father's beliefs, but that was not an excuse to doubt others without giving them a chance to speak for themselves. Without any further hesitation, Eric crawled out of his sheets and opened the door.

The appalled expression on Gareth's face showed just how bad of a state Eric was in. As his widened eyes became narrow with remorseful understanding of what had occurred, Gareth silently entered Eric's small apartment room. Neither knew what to say to each other.

Minutes passed before they both spoke at once.

"Sorry," they said simultaneously.

Their eyes met at the same time, reflecting the same surprise. The next second, they both stared at the ground.

"Why are you apologizing?" Gareth asked.

"I doubted you," Eric replied softly. "I let my personal problems affect me so much that I thought bad things about you."

"You have every right to," Gareth sighed. "I'm just as bad as you think I am. No, probably worse."

"What do you mean?" Eric inquired curiously.

"I knew," Gareth said through gritted teeth. "I knew what was going happen but I didn't warn you. I put you in danger by using you as bait to attack an important Dark Chaser base while their general was gone. I could've warned you. I could've come over to protect you. I could've done so many things."

Eric's eyes widened with shock upon hearing Gareth's confession of betrayal. He didn't know what to think of the fact that the man who stood before was admitting that he was the one responsible for all the pain and grief he was forced to go through. There was a part of Eric that wanted to accept what Gareth said, that wanted to place the blame for his grief on someone else. Yet, he knew he'd never allow himself to. If anything, he now felt a slight sense of relief.

"It's not your fault," Eric smiled somberly. "The fact that you didn't warn me shows that you trusted me. You believed that I could win."

"No," Gareth muttered with a downcast expression, "I knew you couldn't win. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would run away. Because of my selfish actions, you had to go through so much suffering."

"It wasn't anyone's fault but mine," Eric pouted. "I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't protect the things that were most precious to me. "

"Neither could I," Gareth said, his fists shaking.

Silence ensued for a few more minutes.

"Tell me honestly," Eric said. "Am I naive?"

"What do you mean?" Gareth asked.

"You said you knew I couldn't win," Eric replied. "It's because I play with too much respect for my opponents, isn't it? It's because you knew I couldn't do anything against someone who played with sheer power."

Gareth stared at the floor, trying to come up with an answer. It was true that he didn't agree with Eric's beliefs about respecting his opponents, but those beliefs were the reason why he admired Eric in the first place. The fact that Eric could be so idealistic and still win demonstrated his determination and conviction. They were the things that made Eric special. Yet, at the same time, his ideals could become the things that destroy him. If Eric ever admitted defeat, his confidence would be crushed and his faith in his ideals would falter.

In his life, Gareth had witnessed man's descent into depression far too many times. To him, there was nothing more saddening than the hopes of a naive and innocent individual being shattered by the cruelty of the darkness known as reality. Gareth understood better than anyone that a cynic was nothing more than a disappointed optimist. That was why he had so much faith in Eric, the first man he had met who retained his ideals despite the harshness of the life he had experienced. Unfortunately, hope and despair were two sides of the same coin. The more hopeful an optimist, the more pessimistic he would become when he succumbed to despair.

This was the greatest fear that Gareth harbored for Eric: that when exposed to darkness, his light would cease to shine. By overcoming the dread of living in a cruel world and persevering with his own beliefs, Eric had broken through Gareth's cynicism and taught him to live with dignity. It was for this reason that Gareth feared if Eric himself ever fell to despair, there would be no hope left for him. Eric was the beacon of light that had pulled him from the darkness, and that light was fading before his very eyes. Gareth wanted more than anything to save that light, to bring him the same hope Eric had given him. At this moment, Gareth thought of what he had to say to do so.

"No," Gareth said. "Your respect for your opponents is what makes you strong. It's your belief in your father's ideals that makes you the duelist you are."

"But I lost," Eric whimpered. "I couldn't do anything against him. No matter how hard I tried, no matter how much I believed in my cards, nothing I did meant anything against his raw strength."

"You've been through worse before," Gareth said. "Just because you lost doesn't mean that you're wrong. If you fall, all it takes is a little courage to stand back up."

"To do what?" Eric exclaimed. "Even if I face him again, nothing will change."

"Didn't you say you wanted to be a beacon of light?" Gareth asked. "Didn't you say that any human being can be saved from the darkness in their heart?"

"This is different," Eric murmured. "Grant isn't like Conundrum. He isn't lost in the darkness of his heart. It's like he's found truth in it. Absolute strength is something that he believes deep in his soul."

"Your father's ideals are something you strongly believe in as well," Gareth countered. "If it's something you truly believe, you shouldn't let something like this stop you from believing in it. You have to show him that he's wrong and that your ideals are stronger."

"I can't," Eric said.

"Why not?" Gareth asked.

"Because," Eric muttered, "I don't think I believe it anymore."

Trudging silently, Eric brushed past a dumbfounded Gareth and exited his apartment. Gareth stood frozen with shock upon hearing these words, words that he never wanted to hear again from any human being, much less Eric himself. Already etched in his heart were horrible memories of people he had met who had lost to the cruelty of the world and fell to despair. Time and time again, Gareth swore that he wouldn't ever let someone say such words again, yet time and time again, he failed. Gritting his teeth, Gareth slammed his fist against the wall, furious at himself for not being able to do anything for his friend in pain. At this moment, he had a taste of the despair that Eric felt, an agonizing powerlessness that tore open another wound in his already scarred heart.

January 1, 3051 10:44 PM

Eric knew Gareth was only trying to help, but he also knew that nothing he said could solve his problem. It wasn't a simple matter of being depressed over losing a duel. It wasn't even the pain of losing his most precious card or being betrayed by the man who was taught by his father. It was having his core beliefs fundamentally challenged and badly shaken by a force that he had no control over. Eric knew from the bottom of his heart that this was a problem he had to think over on his own. It wasn't something a mere pep-talk could repair.

Eric drove down the highway, the destination of which was unknown even to him. Or more precisely, he didn't care where he was going, as long as he was going somewhere. The freezing night wind blew furiously on his face as he charged down the road, numbing his skin and giving him focus. This was his best mode of inner concentration, as his unity with the wind made him feel like he was isolated from the chaos of the living world, away from the distractions that clouded his rationale and obscured his feelings. It was in this separate world that he tried to sort his thoughts and come to terms with everything he'd been through.

What he told Gareth was true. He didn't believe in his father's words anymore. After his duel with Grant, he couldn't believe that the key to victory was faith in one's cards and respect for one's opponent. This wasn't just about winning or losing in a card game. An individual's duel philosophy reflected their way of life, and the implications of this reflection were what made Grant such a terrifying man. Everything Grant said about power being absolute felt right. He couldn't sense any hesitation from Grant. It was as though he had found enlightenment in the darkness he had immersed himself in to achieve his goals, and truth in the answer he had discovered within that darkness. But Eric still didn't want to believe that Grant was right. He wanted to trust his father's convictions, even if he knew they were mistaken. What Eric sought wasn't a way to win in Duel Monsters. He wanted to know if his way of living was right.

Just as he began to realize this, Eric felt a jolt of pain on his back as a steel gray duel runner appeared from behind him.

"Who are you?" Eric barked, panting from the mysterious shock. "What did you do to me?"

"Don't tell me you've never felt a DED before?" the man on the duel runner sneered.

Eric turned around to see a bald young man in a black leather jacket, sticking his tongue out to reveal a column of orbular piercings.

"DED?" Eric asked.

"Duel Energy Discharge," the bald man laughed. "It's a weapon that turns my duel energy into a beam that hits harder than a gun!"

"You bastard!" Eric shouted. "You're using Duel Monsters as a weapon?"

"Of course!" he snickered. "How else do you think us Dark Chasers got as big as we are?"

"Dark Chasers," Eric grunted. "Now it makes sense."

"I'm surprised you're still alive after that last attack," the bald man grinned. "My DEDs usually kill instantly. For you to survive that, you must have quite a bit of duel energy. Maybe that's why General Lilith wanted a piece of you himself."

"What do you want with me?" Eric frowned. "If you're under Grant, you should know that I don't have Moonstar Dragon anymore."

"But you have other rare cards, right?" the man smirked. "Just 'cuz the general gets the best prize doesn't mean I can't get the leftovers. After all, I gotta stock up before we take back our base from those annoying DT army ants."

"You bastards are all the same," Eric growled. "If you want my cards, you have to duel me for them."

"Says who?" the bald man laughed. "I can just shoot another DED at you and take your cards!"

Without batting an eye, he pushed the button on his duel runner that fired his DED. At that moment, however, a shock ran through him and prompted a hoarse scream. Eric's eyes widened as his own duel runner engaged into Duel Mode, with his deck being shuffled and his duel disk flashing to indicate the start of the duel. Turning around, he noticed that the same had happened to his cursing opponent. As Eric faced forward again, his screen revealed the bald man's name to be Heist, a Dark Chaser with an impressive 82% win rate.

"Why the hell do you have a DED repeller?" Heist snarled. "Are you also a DT ant?"

"No," Eric replied. "But it looks like I've made friends with the queen."

"Fine," Heist said, suddenly smiling, "have it your way. I'll take all yours cards after I beat you."

"We'll see," Eric muttered under his breath.

"Duel!" both shouted at once.

"I'll take the first turn," Heist said assertively (1/1). "I activate the Speed Spell Over-Acceleration! I multiply my Speed Counters by each multiple of 1000 Life Points I have. I have 4000 Life Points so my Speed Counters are multiplied by four!"

On his very first turn, the bald duelist pulled back hard on his throttle, accelerating far past a shocked Eric as his Speed Counters quadrupled. (1/4)

(Multiply your Speed Counters by each multiple of 1000 Life Points you have)

"I activate the effect of Speed World 2!" Heist chuckled. "I remove 4 Speed Counters to deal 800 damage for each Speed Spell in my hand. I have 5 so you take 4000 damage!"

"An OTK?" Eric exclaimed. "This style of dueling is like-!"

"Looks familiar, right?" Heist interrupted. "I built my deck to finish my opponents off in one turn like General Lilith's."

"You bastard," Eric growled. "I activate Moonlight Pixie's effect from my hand. I discard it to negate one instance of effect damage!"

As a tremendous bolt of lightning shot from Heist's gray duel runner, a miniature fairy-like creature blinked onto Eric's field, protecting its master by scattering the lightning into its composing electrons. (1/0)

(Moonlight Pixie: Level 2/LIGHT/Fairy/ATK-0 DEF-0/Effect-During your opponent's turn, you can discard this card from your hand to negate your opponent's card effect that would inflict effect damage. If you do, you can Special Summon this card from your Graveyard during your next Standby Phase)

"Shit," Heist cursed.

"This is what you get for disrespecting your opponent," Eric lectured. "Now that I know you have all Speed Spells in your hand and you have no Speed Counters, you have nothing to protect you from my attack next turn."

"You'd like to think so," the bald man smirked. "I activate the Speed Spell Speed Recycle. For each Speed Counter I removed this turn, I can shuffle that many cards back into my deck and draw the same number."

"Another Speed Spell with no Speed Counter cost," Eric grunted.

Eric snarled as he watched a smile form on his opponent's face after seeing his newly drawn cards.

(For each Speed Counter you removed this turn, you can shuffle the same number of cards from your hand to your Deck. Then, draw the same number of cards you shuffled)

"I set 2 cards," Heist declared. "Turn end."

This guy, Eric thought to himself, he duels just like Grant. Trying to win in one turn without giving his opponent a chance to fight back. Relying on rare cards with overpowered effects. I don't want to go through this again.

He took a deep breath before pinching the top card of his deck.

But this is the chance I've been looking for, the chance to see for myself if I can still believe in my father's words.

"My turn," Eric announced, drawing a card. (2/1) "Moonlight Fairy is Special Summoned to my field during my Standby Phase."

A glittery noise echoed through the air as the tiny pixie creature blinked onto the field once more.

"Next," Eric continued, "I summon the Tuner monster Moonlight Sorcerer."

A golden portal formed beside Eric, revealing a thin magician dressed in a thin blue robe.

(Moonlight Sorcerer: Level 4/LIGHT/Spellcaster/ATK-400 DEF-2000/Effect: This card gains 200 ATK for each LIGHT attribute monster on the field)

"I'm tuning level 4 Moonlight Sorcerer with level 2 Moonlight Pixie," Eric declared. "The shining moon guides all to greatness. Glisten brightly in your destiny! Synchro Summon! Sparkle, Lunar Knight!"

Eric's two monsters zipped upwards as small masses of light, swirling intensely before slamming into one another and illuminating the dark sky. In one instantaneous flash, a gigantic pillar of light descended from above, dissipating immediately to reveal Eric's armored, lance-wielding knight.

(Lunar Knight: Level 6/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-1800 DEF-1400/Effect-This card can attack until your opponent controls no monsters. This card gains 100 ATK for each monster in your Graveyard)

"My monster gains 100 ATK for each monster in my Graveyard," Eric explained. "I have two monsters so it gains 200 ATK. Lunar Knight, attack directly with Shining Lance!"

Without putting forth any resistance, Heist received the full brunt of Lunar Knight's piercing lance, impaling straight into his chest. (4000/2000)

"See?" Heist smirked. "You do have some rare cards left."

"You're sick," Eric grunted.

"Maybe," Heist snickered, "but at least I win duels. I activate my Trap card Murderer's Guilt. When I receive damage from your monster's attack, I take control of it and deal you 500 damage!"

"What?" Eric exclaimed.

Its eyes turning red with fury, Lunar Knight spun around and struck Eric with its lance before leaping to his opponent's side of the field. (3500/2000)

(When your opponent's monster inflicts battle damage to you, take control of that monster and inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent)

There it is again, Eric fumed. Without any regard for his opponent, this guy just took my card. If he has to steal my cards, that means that he has no faith in his own cards. Needless to say, he has no respect for his opponents, just like Grant. And yet, he managed to take field dominance and control the pace of the duel.

"I set two cards," Eric said through gritted teeth. "Turn end."

"Is it over already?" Heist chuckled to himself as he drew for his turn. (3/2) "I activate the Speed Spell Double Accel! I double the number of Speed Counters I have!"

Pulling his throttle back even harder than the first time, Heist zoomed past an agitated Eric, blowing dust in his face. (3/4)

(Double the number of Speed Counters you currently have)

"I activate Speed World 2's effect!" Heist cackled. "I deal you 1600 damage for these two Speed Spells in my hand!"

Eric braced himself as he was struck by a bolt of electricity shot from Heist's duel runner, tightening his grip on his handles to stop himself from losing control. (3/0) (1900/2000)

"Let me get a taste of your rare cards," Heist smirked, licking his lips. "Lunar Knight attacks you directly!"

"I activate my Trap card Moonlight Revival," Eric countered. "I banish all other monsters in my Graveyard to Special Summon Moonlight Sorcerer in defense mode! This turn, it can't be destroyed by battle!"

Just as Eric's monster, now under the control of his bloodthirsty opponent, prepared to lunge, a bright light appeared on his field, revealing the robed spellcaster in a kneeling position, spreading his arms out to generate a barrier. Realizing that it couldn't penetrate Eric's defenses, Lunar Knight returned to its normal stance.

(Select one monster in your Graveyard. Remove from play all other monsters in your Graveyard to Special Summon it. It cannot be destroyed the turn you summon it)

"You're no fun," Heist whined. "Turn end."

This bastard's ruthless, Eric thought. Every turn, he's trying to finish me off with those overpowered cards of his. If I'm not careful, I could lose at any moment.

"My turn," Eric declared. (4/1) "I summon Moonlight Boxer in attack mode."

Appearing from a shining portal, the lean boxer dressed in blue shorts hopped onto the field, bouncing up and down in a traditional boxing stance.

(Moonlight Boxer: Level 3/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-1700 DEF-800/Effect-Once per duel, you can Special Summon a monster this card destroyed to your side of the field)

"Next," Eric said, "I activate the Speed Spell Energy Transfer. I switch the ATK and DEF of Lunar Knight!"

Eric watched in slight discomfort as he weakened his own monster, kneeling and panting with exhaustion.

(If you have 3 or more Speed counters, you can switch the ATK and DEF of 1 monster your opponent controls)

I'm sorry, Eric mentally apologized to Lunar Knight. But if I destroy you with Moonlight Boxer, I can bring you back to me. Forgive me.

"Moonlight Boxer," Eric announced, "attack Lunar Knight with Glowing Knuckle!"

"Naive!" Heist laughed. "I activate my Trap card Nostalgia Trigger! When your monster attacks a monster you own, I take control of that monster!"

"Again?" Eric exclaimed.

Eric watched in absolute horror as yet another of his monster turned against him, glaring at him with hateful eyes, eyes that seemed to abandon all sense of familiarity.

(When your opponent declares an attack against a monster they own, take control of the attacking monster)

Now, not one, but two of his monsters stood opposite him, exuding a murderous intent that seeped painfully into Eric's chest, tearing him apart. These were monsters he had always played with, monsters that stood by his side for years. But now, they regarded him as an enemy. In the face of this situation, Eric faced a dilemma: he couldn't bring himself to destroy his own monsters. He simply couldn't accept being a hypocrite. How could he expect others to respect their cards if he didn't respect his own?

At that moment, Eric glared at his smirking opponent, knowing that he wasn't having any of these personal worries or concerns. He wasn't conflicted over issues of morality or ethicality. He was just a selfish bastard who did everything for himself without any consideration for his principles. In fact, Eric entertained the thought that this man had no principles. He had no self-convictions, no beliefs to defend.

"You're just a fake," Eric growled angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Heist asked.

"Everything you've done was just copying others," Eric said. "You copied Grant's dueling style. You stole my monsters. None of it was you at all."

"So what?" Heist scoffed. "I do whatever it takes to win. If copying General Lilith makes me stronger, if you have strong monsters that I can steal from you, I'll do it if it'll let me win against anyone."

"Don't you have any sense of self at all?" Eric asked. "If all you're doing is copying and stealing, you're not just disrespecting your opponent. You're disrespecting your cards and yourself."

"Like I give a damn," Heist smirked. "Power is power, no matter how you get it."

"You guys are all the same," Eric said through gritted teeth. "You, Grant, all of you Dark Chasers. All you care about is power, without a single care for what you do and who you hurt. If you don't care about your cards or your opponents, you'll never-."

Eric couldn't finish his sentence. The words he had spoken were ideals deeply ingrained in him for many years, words he had spoken many times to many opponents. Yet, this time, he couldn't finish. With his humiliating loss to Grant, with his uncertainty in his father's beliefs, he couldn't find the conviction to empower these words, words he no longer had any faith in. Words that were empty.

Eric's head fell as he sagged his shoulders. Without a sound, he declared the end of his turn.

"I don't know what you were trying to say," Heist smirked, "but to be honest I don't really care. It's my turn!"

Heist smiled as he glanced at the card he eagerly drew. (5/2)

"Looks like this duel is mine," he laughed. "I activate the Speed Spell Double Shock! I pay 1 Speed Counter to halve the ATK of my monsters, but in exchange they can attack you directly and I gain 2 Speed Counters for each card on the field!"

Sticking his tongue out from his mouth, Heist pulled back on his throttle and charged past an unresponsive Eric. (5/9)

(Remove 1 Speed Counter. Until the End Phase of this turn, your monsters' ATK is halved and they can attack your opponent directly. Gain 2 Speed Counters for each card on the field)

Eric made no response. He knew he was on the verge of defeat, but he made no response.

"I attack you directly with Moonlight Boxer!" Heist cackled.

Howling madly, the lean boxer dashed at is owner and threw a hook at Eric, who couldn't bear to look his monster in the face. Yet, he felt the blow, in his heart. (1050/2000)

So this is it, huh? Eric thought weakly to himself. This is how it's going to end.

"I attack you directly with Moon Samurai!" Heist laughed hysterically.

Once more, Eric felt the piercing sharpness of his monster's treachery, wounding his chest and spilling what faith in his monsters he had left. (400/2000)

Is this my punishment? Eric asked himself. For believing in something that never existed?

"Now," Heist snickered, "I activate the effect of Speed World 2! I pay 4 Speed Counters to deal you 800 damage! Go to Hell!"

Is this what Dad felt in his last moments?

Eric raised his head to gaze at the night sky, starless, moonless, void of all light. He had hoped at the very least that he would catch some glimmer, some sparkle, something that could save him, or at the very least comfort him, in this hopeless situation. He saw nothing but a squirming bolt of lightning flying straight at him, aimed to finish him off with the utmost hostility.

Yet, this was all he needed. As soon as he saw this light, a light which represented coldness instead of warmth, chaos instead of order, death instead of life, something clicked inside Eric. What he found was not faith, or confidence, or peace. What Eric felt was a shrieking rage, screaming for self-preservation and vengeance against the cruelties the world put him through. It didn't matter that he lost trust in his father's values. It didn't matter that his beliefs and his pride had been stripped from him. Nothing from his past mattered. Because, for a brief moment, he no longer cared.

"I activate my Trap card Magnetic Wave!" Eric declared. "I equip it to Moonlight Sorcerer and remove 800 of its DEF to negate damage!"

Inches before reaching Eric, the electrons from the lighting swerved towards the magnetized monster to which they were now attracted, sending a painful shock to his monster but saving him from defeat. (5/5)

(The equipped monster loses ATK or DEF points equal to the amount of damage you would take and is the only monster your opponent can attack)

"Boo," Heist pouted. "Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait until next turn to finish you. I set 1 card. Turn end."

"You won't have a next turn," Eric said darkly.

"What are you talking about?" Heist scoffed. "You have nothing on your field except a crappy monster with hardly any ATK. Even if you manage to summon a stronger monster, this Trap card of mine is just gonna take it. You've got nothing!"

"Draw," Eric said, ignoring his opponent. (6/6) "I activate the Speed Spell Maximum Boost. When you have more Life Points than me, I double my Speed Counters."

Without so much as a blink, Eric yanked hard against his throttle, lifting his duel runner onto its back wheel and blasting down the lane far past Heist. (12/6)

(If your opponent has more Life Points than you do, you can double the number of counters you have)

"I activate the effect of Speed World 2," Eric said with a grim tone. "I remove 10 Speed Counters to destroy your set card."

An orange sphere of light emerged from above Heist, shining ominously before unleashing a tremendous burst of exploding energy downwards, completely annihilating his only set card. He had seen this holographic animation multitudes of times before, but something about this felt different, something felt wrong.

"W-wait a second," Heist stuttered. "Slow down. Don't-."

"I summon Bright Star," Eric interrupted.

A small orb of light blinked onto the field, hovering silently beside its master.

(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)

"I'm tuning level 4 Moonlight Sorcerer with level 1 Bright Star," Eric declared. "Synchro Summon. Lunar Wolf."

Eric's two monsters formed into swirling vortexes of light, churning violently before merging together to create a catastrophic mess of clashing waves, with jets of energy spewing vehemently in every direction. As the chaos subsided, what remained was a ravenous wolf with silver fur, coated black by the darkness of the night. A cold bead of sweat ran down Heist's face as he stared this horrific monster in the eye, sharp yellow eyes that screamed of bloodlust.

(Lunar Wolf: Level 5/LIGHT/Beast/ATK-2000 DEF-1000/Effect: When this card destroys a monster by battle, you can banish 1 LIGHT monster from your Graveyard to have it attack again)

"Lunar Wolf attacks Moonlight Boxer," Eric commanded without an ounce of sympathy for his own monster.

Swiftly and deftly, the silver wolf leapt off of its powerful hind feet and charged at the blue-garbed boxer, tearing its flesh to shreds while ignoring its dry shrieks. (400/1700)

At that moment, Heist felt a severe pain in his chest, screaming in horrific agony.

"What did you do to me?" he panted with an exasperated expression.

"Lunar Wolf's effect activates," Eric said, ignoring Heist. "I banish Moonlight Boxer to have it attack again."

"Wait!" Heist pleaded. "Something's not right!"

"Lunar Wolf attacks Lunar Knight," Eric declared without hesitation.

Once more, Lunar Wolf jumped at his opponent's monster, stripping off its armor before brutally and bloodily dismembering the human inside. (400/1000)

Once more, Heist groaned in unbearable pain as he clutched his chest, tears streaming continuously down his face.

"Please!" he begged while sobbing. "Forgive me! What happened to respecting your opponent?"

"Lunar Wolf's effect activates," Eric said, ignoring him. "I banish Lunar Knight to have it attack again."

"No!" Heist pleaded. "I'll do anything! I'll give you all my cards! I'll give you all my money! I'll-! I'll-!"

"Lunar Wolf," Eric said coldly, "direct attack."

Heist's face grew pale as blood rushed away from it. For the final time, the ravenous wolf leapt on its helpless prey and tore it apart, slashing and biting repeatedly. For a continuous minute, screams of unspeakable suffering echoed throughout the chilly air, filling the night with the dreadful aura of pain and death. Eric, riding leagues ahead of his opponent, didn't so much as turn around to see what was happening. (400/0)

Until the screaming stopped moments later, followed by a thundering crash.

Due to the deafening sound of the impact, Eric suddenly awoke from his trance-like state, blinking several times to reconfirm where he was and what he was doing. When he remembered that he was in the middle of a duel and realized what he had done, he looked around in search of his opponent, who was nowhere to be seen. Seeing on his duel runner screen that the duel had already concluded with his shocking victory, Eric hit the brakes and turned his vehicle around, driving back to see what had become of Heist.

He never found his opponent.

What he found was a charred mass of savagely torn flesh, burning continuously from the fire engulfing his completely dismantled duel runner lying pitifully on the side of the highway. What Eric felt from this horrendous sight could not be described in words. Shock, fear, disgust, and confusion did not even begin to describe what Eric experienced. As the putrid odor of burnt flesh entered his nostrils, Eric crawled out of his duel runner and vomited on the side of the road. Several times.

He had no idea what had happened. He had no idea why he did what he did. He had no memory of the rage or despair he felt minutes ago. All he knew was that someone had died, and that he was the murderer. All sorts of thoughts and emotions ran through Eric's mind, and in the midst of this chaotic uncertainty, he managed to find only one solution to cope with what he was experiencing. Hopping back on his duel runner, Eric shifted to high gear and bolted down the highway toward home, never ceasing to shudder with fear and anxiety until he reached the front door of his apartment.

Now in the safety of his home, Eric collapsed on his knees, cold fearful tears pouring from eyes and soft whimpers echoing throughout his room. Over and over again, images of today's events flashed in Eric's head, robbing his peace of mind and, very nearly, his sanity. The betrayal of his monsters. The terrified look on Heist's face. A demonic wolf. A human carcass shredded and burnt beyond recognition. These were followed by other scarring memories. Conundrum's unconscious tears of sadness. Grant's hardened face. Gareth. Olivia. The Dark Chasers. All the pain he had to endure was too much.

Unleashing a bloodcurdling shout, Eric slammed his fist on the ground, slowly lowering his head as he wept. Then, at that moment, he felt something fall from his right pocket.

Looking back, Eric's bloodshot eyes widened as he saw the card that he last played: Lunar Wolf. As he picked up the card and beheld its voracious figure, he came to a sudden and dark realization. All of these painful memories. All the suffering he'd been forced to endure. Duel Monsters was the root cause. Gritting his teeth and tasting the salt in his tears, Eric pulled the rest of his cards out of his pocket and tossed them against the wall with all his might, scattering them and bending several out of shape.

He had made up his mind. Or perhaps it had already been made since his loss against Grant.

After everything he'd been through, he couldn't take it anymore.

Eric was no longer a duelist.

It was over.

He quit.