Yu-Gi-Oh! D.T.
Chapter 12: Falling Chaos, The Unleashed Flames of Pain
January 2, 3051 4:23 AM
The blonde keeper of the temple sat alone in her spacious sleeping chamber, pondering the future as she stared blankly at the grainy stone bricks which composed her room and much of the temple she resided in. She knew something bad had happened; she had felt an explosion of anger, an anger so desolate and pitiful that it could only be achieved through the darkest of solitudes. It had been written in the scriptures that anger was an emotion that derived from many things, among which the most powerful were the desperation of survival and the acceptance of loneliness. Many had awakened their untapped potential by depending on such raw, grotesque emotions, having to look at the void before resolving themselves to pursue a path that knew no love or friendship. Such a path was undesirable for virgin eyes to the dark, but almost inescapable for the unfortunately initiated, either lost in the despair of life or the fear of death. The historical records written by previous priests contained many stories of guardians who thrived on these feelings of fear and isolation, who led miserable lives but eventually came to be known as triumphant vanquishers of evil.
The woman breathed an audible sigh as she remembered the childhood teachings of her people's history, laden with tragic heroes who used their feelings of woe to destroy their enemies. Against her will, she was forced to remember the tales of sadness on which the survival of the world had depended, each figure robbing her childhood of pleasure and naivety, filling her thoughts with bleak images of necessary darkness. However, her education, though very impactful and arguably traumatizing, had failed to deprive her of an adolescent sense of heroism. Historical trends had dictated that these terrible emotions were what drove men to achieve their destinies, but no matter how many examples of dark heroes existed in the records, she believed that darkness neither caused nor correlated with power and success.
This belief was reflected in her favorite character from history, a guardian known as the Golden Basilisk who overcame the savagery and seduction of the monster within him and fought with such nobility that even those more powerful than him could not withstand the light he exuded. She had thought many times to herself how wonderful it would be if every human being learned from his example, if everyone had the courage to look at their pain and suffering head on and defeat it with nothing but courage alone. But sadly, her hopes were met with nothing but mockery and disappointment. Her mentors and peers had dismissed her optimistic wishes as the naive ramblings of a foolish girl who knew nothing of the world's cruelty.
Scarred by humiliation, she had never publicly expressed her sentiments again. Yet, she never stopped believing. And now that a new guardian has arisen from the shadows under her priesthood, she felt that it was the time to put her theory to the test. Nodding her head and crossing her arms against her chest, she whispered a brief prayer, asking for help on this new guardian's behalf to confront his inner darkness and rise forth to leave his mark on history, not as a warrior of sadness and hatred, but as a true hero of hope and justice.
Satisfied with her prayer and hopeful for the future, the woman rose from her bed and exited her room, eager to read the story of the Golden Basilisk once again.
January 2, 3051 4:56 AM
"What the hell is this?" Gareth growled as he pulled up on the highway beside a bloody pile of human flesh, mutilated beyond human recognition.
"We received a report of an unidentified object blocking the road," said a young woman with short blonde hair and sharp green eyes, adorned in the black D.T. uniform with a single gold stripe across her torso to indicate her rank of battle commander. "From our preliminary analyses, the cause of death was ruptured organs. The weapon is unidentified."
"Look Aja," Gareth said as he pointed at a particular wound, "these incisions were caused by a slashing motion, undoubtedly from some kind of carnivorous animal."
"You think this was an accident?" the woman asked incredulously. "You think a wild beast just happened to attack a man as he was driving down the highway?"
"Do you have another hypothesis?" Gareth replied sternly.
"What if he was in a duel?" she suggested, "His duel runner was damaged so severely that we couldn't recover any data. Maybe his opponent did this to him and erased the evidence?"
"There's no evidence to prove that," Gareth said. "And even supposing that was the case, we know this man is a Dark Chaser. No D.T. employee has records of dueling him and none of our technology has the capability to do this much damage."
"Maybe it was another Dark Chaser who did it," Aja proposed. "Maybe they had some kind of falling out. It's not surprising for a Dark Chaser to resort to such violent methods."
"These are all hypotheticals," Gareth sighed. "There simply isn't enough evidence to come to any solid conclusions. All we can do is wait for the forensic analysis."
"We're taking the body into custody then?" Aja asked.
"That's right," Gareth said. "We can't trust the police to take care of this. Report back to me when the analysis is complete."
"Yes sir," Aja replied as she raised her hand in a salute.
As Gareth mounted his crimson duel runner and pulled down his overarching handles, he wore a grim expression on his face. He didn't lie to his battle commander when he said a D.T. employee wasn't involved in this incident. But he did hide the fact that he knew what had happened. Now, the only thing he didn't understand was how or why it had happened. Sure, he knew Eric was upset over his defeat and uncertain of his father's morals but he never expected that Eric would do something so rash as to kill a human being. By habit, Gareth began a line of reasoning to rationalize a situation he didn't fully understand. In psychopathic behavior, the mental desensitivity to taking a life is generally activated by an emotional trigger, often connected to a childhood trauma. In a sense, Gareth could imagine a scenario in which Eric's past struggles with bullying and loss could resurface from recent events and drive him to kill his opponents in anger. At least, from a general profiling view, this hypothesis was completely logical. However, this was Eric he was thinking about, the same Eric who had the willpower to overcome grief with his own self-confidence and upstanding virtues. In even evaluating such an individual as a criminal, Gareth felt an immense guilt in his chest. Yet, he knew that if this same individual posed a threat to society, it was his duty to neutralize the threat, even if it meant taking out his closest friend.
Weighing his emotions against his reason, Gareth ultimately came to the decision to visit Eric and see for himself what had occurred. Part of this decision derived from the fact that Eric was the primary suspect in this investigation and that interrogation was a natural part of the process. Another part was from Gareth's desire to confirm that Eric wasn't the one who had done it, or that he had a good reason for doing it. Convinced that he had made the optimal choice, Gareth swirled his vehicle around in a swift motion and pulled back on the throttle, accelerating down the highway towards Truesdale Town.
January 2, 3051 9:49 AM
Dylan Hewitt, D.T. Corporation's chief of finance, sat quietly in his office on the top floor of the headquarters building, tapping away on his computer, the chattering of his keyboard echoing softly throughout the mostly empty room. Hewitt's personality was perhaps best described by the very structure of his office, bare without a single decoration and white without a single stain. This man was motivated and defined not by a sense of self-worth but rather a sense of utilitarianism, the idea that he existed for the very purpose of bringing peace to society as a whole. Without any hobbies and completely devoid of a social life, Dylan Hewitt devoted the entirety of his time and energy to the activities of the company in which he worked, believing without an ounce of doubt that it was the world's best chance at attaining the kind of peace he imagined. Aside from his undoubtable skill and intellect, what made him a valuable asset to D.T. Corporation and what caught Gareth's eye was his complete devotion to the good of mankind, an undying loyalty to an entity which ensured an allegiance that could not be swayed.
Yet, this unshakable faith was also what made Dylan Hewitt one of Gareth's most fearsome adversaries. Hewitt was not devoted to Gareth or D.T. Corporation, but to his concept of peace, which, at least for the time being, coincided with the interests of the company. However, if he found any reason to doubt the intentions of those around him, if he sensed a threat to his vision of world peace, he would not hesitate to rectify the problem. Such was the motivation of a certain action he had recently taken, a task he had assigned to the individual who had just walked into his office.
"Reporting," the blonde Aja declared as she stood rigidly at the door with a salute.
"Come in," Hewitt said, continuing his typing without bothering to look up.
"It's as you predicted," Aja said solemnly. "Gareth is hiding something from us."
"I see," Hewitt replied stoically. "What have you learned?"
"The forensic analysis returned with no trace of foreign organic substances," Aja said. "However, there were massive traces of duel energy on the body, suggesting that some kind of duel weapon was used. This confirms what was obvious even before the forensic analysis. This wasn't an accident; this was murder. Yet, knowing this, Gareth kept insisting that it wasn't."
"And?" Hewitt asked.
"We need to find out what Gareth is hiding," Aja said through gritted teeth. "Trying to throw us off track, making suspicious visits to Truesdale Town. As things are going, we can't trust him. If it turns out that he's actually on the Dark Chasers' side, there's no telling how or when he's going to betray us."
"Keep watching him," Hewitt said. "Anything he does, report to me."
"But sir," Aja exclaimed, "right now, shouldn't we confront him about-?"
"No," Hewitt interrupted. "We don't know enough to come to a conclusion. For now, we should just see how things proceed. We need to tread carefully and avoid making hasty decisions."
"You sound just like him," Aja scoffed under her breath.
"Excuse me?" Hewitt said, raising his head.
"Nothing," Aja sighed. "I'll do as you say."
Without another word, the battle commander exited Hewitt's office, leaving him to his personal ruminations.
I don't know what you're planning, Gareth, he thought to himself, but if you do anything to jeopardize our mission, I'll terminate you.
Taking a sip from his cup of coffee, Hewitt returned to his work, the echoes of keyboard chattering filling the room once again.
January 2, 3051 10:05 AM
Gareth was appalled at what he saw. Eric, despite all that had happened to him, wore a wide smile on his pale face as he walked with Gareth along the cracked, uneven sidewalk, trying to stir up some cheerful conversation. Only yesterday he had witnessed Eric in the most miserable state he had ever seen and yet today, he was all smiles. Inside, a small part of Gareth wanted to believe that Eric had settled his grief and come to terms with what had happened. But the rest of him knew the truth. He could see it in Eric's eyes, the dried out spirit of someone who had lost all sense of himself. This flamboyant Eric that stood beside him wasn't the person he had regarded as his friend; it was the empty shell of a person trying to run away from the pain in their heart.
"You know," Eric said with a forced smile, "I've been feeling much better since I stopped dueling. I don't feel any more stress. I'm not spending my life trying to play silly card game anymore. Maybe you should quit too. It feels like a burden's been lifted off of me."
"Eric," Gareth said through gritted teeth, "tell me exactly what happened."
"What do you mean?" Eric asked with a blank expression. "Nothing happened. I just decided to move on with my life. That's all."
"This isn't like you," Gareth growled. "The Eric I knew wouldn't have given up so easily. You don't have to deal with this by yourself. Tell me what happened so we can figure this out together."
"Stop sounding so serious all the time," Eric laughed awkwardly. "Maybe that's why you don't have many friends. You've gotta chill out and think about the important things in life."
Gareth's eyes widened for a second at the words coming out of Eric's mouth, so foreign and so distant that it felt like he didn't know the person standing beside him, like he couldn't recognize his friend anymore. Hanging his head, Gareth continued listening to Eric's meaningless talk, unable to even look at his face.
"Maybe I should sell my cards," Eric chuckled weakly. "I'm sure someone else would want them. They did get me through Duel Academy after all."
"Sell your cards?" Gareth muttered. "Those were your father's cards. You've played with the same deck your whole life because you never stopped believing in it. You cherished it so much. How could you just give it away?"
"I've found that it's time for me to let go of the past," Eric smiled. "At some point, you have to realize that the past is only holding you back, that the only way to move on is to stop obsessing over the things that have already happened, the things that you can't change. You should learn from my example. You should let go of your grudge and try to do something more useful with your company."
"The past isn't something you can simply let go of," Gareth replied. "You can't have a future without a past, and how you deal with your past determines your future."
"Yeah," Eric nodded, "that's why I'm choosing to open my future by forgetting about the past. Let bygones be bygones. There's no good in getting caught up in the things that happened before. It's all part of growing up."
"Growing up?" Gareth growled. "You think by just ignoring the past and running away from your problems you're growing up? If anything, that shows how childish you are! Listen to yourself! You sound nothing like the person you were before, the duelist I admired!"
"That person is dead," Eric smiled awkwardly. "That person was holding me back from what really matters in life: happiness. By giving up all those childish beliefs I had, I found happiness in my life, a kind of happiness I never experienced before."
"Were you not happy when you dueled Whirlpool and showed him the error in his ways?" Gareth asked. "Were you not happy when you taught me the importance of following my personal beliefs? It's true that the kind of life you lived wasn't easy but at least you had true happiness. What you have right now, what you're trying to do, that's not real happiness. That's just you trying to convince yourself that you're happy when you're far from it. Don't run away, Eric. Let me help you."
"There's nothing I need help with," Eric grinned fakely. "The way I'm living right now, I've never felt more free, more alive, more hap-."
"Just shut up already!" Gareth barked angrily.
Eric, having been interrupted and silenced, merely bit his cheek and scoffed.
"You're no fun," he said as he began to walk away from Gareth.
At that moment, however, they heard a sharp cry from a nearby alley. As they moved there to see what had happened, they were met with the sight of a trio of schoolchildren bullying a young a child. It appeared that they were harassing the young boy, attempting to steal the cards he was holding in his arms to protect. As he curled into a ball, the bullies began kicking him mercilessly, prompting repeated screams of pain from child.
From witnessing this scene, Eric's expression suddenly changed to one of deep concern. Seeing this change, Gareth felt a glimmer of hope as he realized that this scene must have triggered Eric's childhood memories of being tormented by bullies, signifying that he still cared about what was right and wrong, that he hadn't truly abandoned his morals and beliefs.
However, this quickly changed, as Eric averted his eyes from the scene and began to walk away.
"What are you doing?" Gareth exclaimed. "That kid is being attacked! Don't you want to save him?"
"It's none of my concern," Eric said softly. "That kid has nothing to do with me. I don't need to get involved."
"Is that what you really think?" Gareth asked. "What about your sense of justice? What would your father have done?"
"My father is dead!" Eric shouted.
Gareth's eyes widened, shocked to hear what Eric had said. For a second, he felt guilty for having mentioned the root of his grief and making him feel worse than he already was. However, Gareth also knew that he had touched a nerve, a nerve that could break Eric out of this unbearable facade.
"Your father taught you to do the right thing even when no one else is doing it," Gareth chided. "You're father taught you how to be a good person! If you walk away now, you're betraying everything your father taught you! You're going to be on the same level as Grant Lilith!"
"Shut up!" Eric screamed as he covered his ears. "Shut up! Shut up!"
He knew this was where it would eventually go, but he couldn't take it anymore. He saw no other way. His body flooded with rage, Gareth roared as he threw a heavy punch at Eric's face.
Without the slightest bit of resistance, Eric fell to the ground like a ragdoll, devoid of spirit, devoid of energy, devoid of life. Even as he felt the stinging pain on his cheek and the hot blood dripping down his nostrils, he didn't make a single sound or motion.
"Just look at yourself!" Gareth yelled. "You have no life in you! The Eric I knew would've fought! He would've stood up for himself, stood up for what was right! You call what you're doing living? For all I can see, you're more dead than ever!"
For the next minute, nothing could be heard except the bully victim's sharp cries escaping from the alleyway they stood outside.
Then, slowly, Eric pushed himself up off the ground. The expression Gareth witnessed left him speechless, silencing his rage with the pain of truth, a sad harrowing truth which had finally escaped Eric's pitiful facade. Behind Eric's bruised and blood-stained face, tears streamed down his lifeless eyes which quaked with indescribable fear and grief. Yet, at the same time, he wore the same crooked smile, his cut and bloodied lips quivering as he tried to maintain his composure. This was the face of a broken man, trying desperately to find hope and meaning in his life after losing all sense of himself. This was the somber smile of a fallen angel.
Closing his eyes, Gareth tried to think about the most appropriate words for this situation, words that could save Eric from his suffering and give him the strength to continue living. Within Gareth's calculating mind, multiple scenarios flashed and dissipated, fleeting with his confidence in being able to do something. But after exhausting all his thoughts, Gareth still couldn't find an answer. Despite all his intellect, Gareth realized that there was nothing he could do. But at the same time, he had finally come to understand the hardships Eric had dealt with his whole life, not having the power to change anything but still trying his very best to do something. Eric's strength wasn't in what he could do, but in his willingness to do something.
Ultimately, Gareth didn't find an answer for Eric, but he found an answer for himself.
"You once told me this," Gareth said firmly. "I don't know what you've been through, but I do know that instead of fighting for what you truly believe, you've given into the rage and sadness in your heart."
The kneeling Eric made no response, only the trickling of his tears making soft drips as they fell on the ground.
"I don't know if this will do any good," Gareth said. "I don't know if there's anything I can do to make you feel any better, or make you see things the way I do. But like you once did for me, I'm going to show you what I believe in, because that's all I can do. After that, it's up to you to decide what you're going to with your life."
Marching towards the three bullies, Gareth kicked a stone on the ground, launching it at one of them and striking them in the temple. As the target made a pathetic squeal, the other two directed their attention towards Gareth.
"Scram," Gareth commanded.
"Who the hell are you?" asked a tall, chubby boy who appeared to be the leader. "What the hell do you want with us?"
"Leave the kid alone," Gareth said, walking even closer to them.
"I don't care who you are," the chubby boy smirked cockily, "but no one messes with me! Get him!"
The two other boys dashed at Gareth, who easily evaded their punches and pushed one into the other, causing them to collide with enough force to slam against the wall as a single mass. Weeping from their minor injuries, the two boys scurried on their feet and fled the alley. The third chubby boy stood where he was, furrowing his brow in agitation.
"Having others do the dirty work for you," Gareth mocked, "you're pathetic for a leader."
"I'll teach you to make a fool out of me!" he shouted as he pointed his duel disk at Gareth.
Realizing what he was about to do, Gareth instinctively pressed a button on his duel disk.
For the next few seconds, the chubby boy stood aghast, puzzled at why nothing happened despite him repeatedly pressing a button on his duel disk, which suddenly engaged into duel mode.
"What the hell did you do?" he asked furiously.
"I never expected the Dark Chasers to give DED's to kids as young as you," Gareth frowned.
"I asked what the hell you did!" the boy roared.
"I hacked your duel disk," Gareth explained. "I sent a wireless frequency that disabled your DED and linked our duel disks into duel mode. That means you have to duel me. If you win, your DED is reinstated."
"Why the hell do I have to duel you?" the chubby boy spat.
"Because if you move outside the 2 meter radius from where you're standing," Gareth explained, "you'll receive a high voltage shock that will render you unconscious for several days."
"And what happens if I lose?" he asked.
"You'll receive a high voltage shock that will render you unconscious for several days," Gareth said. "Do you feel convinced yet?"
"Yeah yeah," the boy rolled his eyes. "Just make it quick, will ya?"
Gareth grimaced at the fact that this child felt no fear whatsoever from his current predicament, as though he was absolutely confident he would win. On one hand, Gareth felt great disdain towards this arrogant opponent. On the other, he looked forward to bringing justice to such an undisciplined child.
"Before we begin," Gareth said, "I think it's customary for duelists to give their names to their opponent. My name is Gareth Basilius. And you are?"
"I don't need to give my name to a piece of shit like you," the boy laughed. "Hurry it up. You're wasting my time!"
Irritated, Gareth pulled a phone-like device from his pocket and attached it to a port on his duel disk, smirking as he looked at the screen seconds later.
"I see," he said. "So you're not a Dark Chaser, Willie. Your father is."
"How do you know-?" the boy shouted, gritting his teeth.
"I don't need to answer a stupid kid like you," Gareth replied mockingly.
Gareth looked from the corner of his eye at Eric, expecting some kind of response. An exclamation for Gareth to stop picking on a little kid. A lecture on treating people with respect. Anything that the old Eric would have said or done in this situation. But he didn't say anything. He just kneeled pathetically on the ground, looking down at the dark splotches where his tears had fallen. Furrowing his brows, Gareth turned back to his opponent.
"Can we just start the duel already?" Willie growled with agitation. "I can't wait to hit you with my DED."
"Fine," Gareth replied with an angry smirk, "I'll burn your attitude away with my flames of justice."
"Duel!" both shouted simultaneously. (4000/4000)
"I'll go first!" Willie shouted. "I summon Incendiablo in attack mode!"
The ground before Willie melted into orange magma, simmering roughly before a sinister fiend coated in pouring streams of lava erupted from the spot, laughing with a throaty cackle.
(Incendiablo: Level 4/FIRE/Fiend/ATK-1600 DEF-300/Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned, you can discard 1 card to inflict 1000 points of damage to your opponent)
"I activate Incendiablo's effect," Willie smirked. "I discard 1 card to deal you 1000 damage!"
Gathering a ball of lava in its hands, the fiery demon launched a deadly jet of orange sludge at Gareth, who wore a spiteful frown but was otherwise unfazed. (3000/4000)
"I set 2 cards," Willie continued. "Turn end."
"So you're running the Incendia archetype," Gareth noted. "Quick damage. No defensive cards. Says a lot about what kind of person you are."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Willie scoffed. "I just play the cards that will let me win. They don't say anything about me other than how strong I am."
"Or how weak you are," Gareth smiled mischievously. "My turn."
"On your Standby Phase," Willie interjected, "I activate my Trap card Incendiacid! I discard 1 card to deal you 1000 damage!"
Once more, Gareth was shot at by a stream of molten fluids, dissolving his Life Points. (2000/4000)
(Discard 1 card. Inflict 1000 points of damage to your opponent)
"There it is," Gareth said. "I can feel it, the rage in all of your attacks. It's like you're trying to retaliate against something."
"How annoying," Willie snarled. "Just shut up and make your move."
"Fine," Gareth grunted, annoyed by the kid's attitude. "I'll show you how a real Fire deck works. I Special Summon Rising Dragon from my hand!"
The ground in front of Gareth broke apart, unleashing a winged beast coated in brown scales.
(Rising Dragon: Level 5/EARTH/Dragon/ATK-2000 DEF-0/Effect-This card can be Special Summoned from your hand if you have no monsters on your side of the field. If you summon it this way, its ATK is cut in half)
"Next," Gareth said, " I summon Skilled Kindler."
A red portal opened beside Gareth, revealing a shirtless street performing juggling a pair of flaming sticks.
(Skilled Kindler: Level 3/FIRE/Spellcaster/ATK-1500 DEF-200/Effect-If you Normal Summon this card, you can Special Summon a level 3 or lower Beast type monster from your hand or deck. If you do this, both monsters are destroyed at the End Phase)
"Skilled Kindler lets me summon a Level 3 or lower Beast," Gareth explained. "I summon Cinder Runner in attack mode."
The street performer twirled his flaming sticks in a flashy pattern, creating a ring of fire in the air. Suddenly, a fiery hamster leapt from the ring, dropping softly on the ground with a light tap before scurrying around in a playful manner.
(Cinder Runner: Level 1/FIRE/Beast/ATK-0 DEF-0/Effect-This card can attack your opponent directly. Each time this monster attacks, it gains 500 ATK. If it deals 0 damage to your opponent, they lose 1000 Life Points)
"Next," Gareth continued, "I activate my Spell card Prodigy of Fire."
A young child emerged from a conflagration which suddenly erupted midair, holding a ball of flames in its hand.
(This card is treated as a monster and a trap (Warrior type/Fire/Level 4/ATK 1700/DEF 1200). If this card is destroyed as a monster, deal 500 points of damage to your opponent. If this card is destroyed as a Spell, discard 1 card from your opponent's hand)
"Prodigy of Fire is treated as a monster," Gareth explained. "Now, Prodigy of Fire attacks Incendiablo!"
Gareth's monster threw a fireball at his opponent, brutally annihilating the fire demon and prompting a snarl from its owner. (2000/3900)
"Next," Gareth said, "Cinder Runner attacks you directly, dealing you 1000 damage by its effect and gaining 500 ATK!"
Scurrying swiftly, Gareth's hamster dashed through Willie, searing him with a blazing trail of flames. (2000/2900)
"Rising Dragon attacks you directly!" Gareth commanded.
Howling loudly, the umber dragon charged at its opponent, slashing him with a swipe of its claws and causing him to yelp in response. (2000/1900)
"I'm not done yet!" Gareth smiled. "Skilled Kindler, direct attack!"
Gareth's fourth and final monster spun in the air, making a swinging motion with his flaming sticks and launching a curving wave of fire at Willie, who grunted in agitation. (2000/400)
"It's over," Gareth grinned. "I activate my Spell card Raging Fire, dealing you 500 damage for each monster in your Graveyard."
"Don't you fucking underestimate me!" Willie shouted angrily. "I activate my Trap card Indendialysis! When I'm about to lose, I negate all damage I take and destroy all the cards on your field!"
(Deal 500 points of damage to your opponent for each monster in their Graveyard)
(If your Life Points are about to reach 0 while you have an "Incendia" monster in your Graveyard, negate all damage you would receive until the End Phase of this turn and destroy all cards on your opponent's side of the field)
Gareth gasped in shock as flaming meteors rained on his field, completely obliterating every last monster and laying everything to waste. Completely taken aback by this desperate move, Gareth gritted his teeth as he stared at his barren field and the last two remaining cards in his hand.
"Incendialysis," Gareth frowned. "Most Incendia players don't use it because they prefer to win quickly and don't use any defensive Traps, much less ones that require you to be on the brink of defeat."
"First you try to tell me how to live my life," Willie growled, "and now to you try to tell me how to play my deck? Fuck off!"
"I set 1 card," Gareth declared, ignoring Willie's outburst. "Turn end."
"I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done to me," Willie said with glaring eyes of fury and disdain. "I'm going to make you suffer."
Gareth furrowed his brow as he watched the boy he was facing. It was as though he had changed from a power-hungry bully to a hateful and vengeful victim. Somehow, it seemed like in the face of someone else's power, he became small and powerless, desperate to defend himself and spiteful towards the things he had no control over. Something about him was almost pitiable.
"I activate my Continuous Spell card Incendiary!" Willie declared. "I can remove from play 1 Incendia monster from my Graveyard to deal you 500 damage! I remove Incendiablo to deal you 500 damage!"
Gareth flinched as he was struck by a massive burst of molten lava, affected not by the holographic special effects but by the intensity of the boy's hatred, which seemed to burn fervently in his attack. (1500/400)
(Remove from play 1 "Incendia" monster from your Graveyard. Inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent)
"I'll do it again," Willie said with a sadistic smile. "I remove another Incendia monster I discarded earlier to deal you another 500 damage!"
Once again, Gareth was struck by a powerful blast of lava. And once again, Gareth flinched, overpowered by the fierceness of Willie's anger, laced with a nasty feeling of enjoyment from his position of power. (1000/400)
"Again!" Willie laughed. "I'll do it again to deal you another 500 damage! Burn, you motherfucker!"
For the last time, Gareth felt the immense heat of Willie's emotions, burning into his skin with the murderous intent of a killer and the bloodlust of the devil. (500/400)
"I summon Incendiablo in attack mode," Willie chuckled wickedly, licking his lips.
A bead of sweat streamed down Gareth's face as he stared at the molten demon which stood before him, the embodiment of the hatred and evil within Willie's heart.
"Die!" Willie roared. "Incendiablo, kill him with a direct attack!"
He felt a great deal of sympathy for the child. But that wasn't enough.
"I'm afraid it's not over yet," Gareth countered. "I activate my Trap card Flame Blast! I remove from play Skilled Kindler and Cinder Runner to lower your monster's ATK by 1400!"
As Incendiablo launched a blast of lava at Gareth, a torrent of wild flames intercepted the attack, reducing the force of the attack to spare him from defeat. (300/400)
(Remove any number of FIRE attribute monsters from your Graveyard to decrease your opponent's monster's ATK by 700 for each)
"You lived for now," Willie smiled. "But that just means I get another turn to give you hell."
"You know," Gareth said softly, "I think I understand what you're going through."
"What do you mean?" Willie growled, his smile disappearing.
"It's rarely the case that people are born bullies," Gareth explained. "More often, they're made by other bullies. Beating people up and threatening them with a DED. Like father like son, right?"
"You trying to make fun of me?" the boy snarled. "I'll kick your ass so hard in this duel you'll never open your shitty mouth again. And then, I'm going to hit you with my DED! I'll hit you so many times that you'll cry and scream and beg! But I won't stop. I'll keep hitting you and torturing you until you're dead! I'll give you a hell a thousand times worse than what you put me through!"
"You mean your father's DED?" Gareth said with a frown. "The only reason you're doing all this is because you had an abusive Dark Chaser as a father. How often is he home? How often does he even talk to you? And then, how often does he beat you? With that kind of childhood, it's not surprising that you're trying to get back at a world you think was unfair to you. That's why you go around harassing people. Because you think that gives you the sense of power you've been deprived of at home."
"Shut up!" Willie shouted with shaking fists. "You don't you anything about me!"
"I know you're weak," Gareth said. "I know that instead of trying to do something about your situation, instead of dealing with it like a man, you're running away from your problems."
"I said shut up!" Willie screamed, his face twisting with rage.
"Even the way you duel shows it," Gareth continued. "Trying to torture your opponent with damage-dealing cards. Destroying their monsters with desperate moves instead of fighting them head-on. Everything about you says that you're a spineless wimp trying to get back at the world for something that you could've avoided by manning up and standing up for yourself."
"What part of 'shut up' don't you understand?" Willie screeched in fury.
Ignoring the boy, Gareth turned to look at Eric, still kneeling on the ground and wallowing in grief. Part of what he told Willie was actually addressed to Eric. Indeed, he could tell that Eric was experiencing great suffering from whatever he went through, but like Willie, it was no excuse to react with self-pity and anger. He wanted them to understand that the way people overcame their problems and moved on was by dealing with them directly, not by trying to avoid them. That was the message he wanted to get across to both of them, but to his dismay, it seemed like it got through to neither.
It was this part of himself that he hated. No matter how strong he was, no matter how many opponents he defeated, Gareth was still unable to save anyone. He always knew that power was needed to protect those he cared about, but even with all his power, it seemed like nothing he did succeeded at comforting those around him. Not in the past, not in the present, and, as he feared, not in the future. It was at this moment that Gareth began questioning the point of it all. The duel. The things he did to try to encourage Eric. He wondered if he should just give up.
Then, a smile formed on his face. The answer he came up with was so simple and so ridiculous that he blamed himself for not realizing it. The thoughts he had just entertained were those that he had just chided Willie for having. Hopelessness and despair were things that people could easily fall victim to. That was why Gareth knew it was important to be strong, so that he could set an example for those who weren't. So what if he couldn't save anyone? So what if he couldn't give people hope? What was important was that he himself didn't give up. If he fell, he couldn't expect anyone else to stand strong. There would be no hope for anyone. But if he stood tall, even if he was the only one, he would always be a beacon of hope and justice. This was the sentiment that had carried Gareth to pursue his goal of defeating the Dark Chasers. This was what allowed him to carry on with his life. This was what allowed him to regain hope in Eric, and even Willie.
"My turn," Gareth declared. "I summon Red Tinker."
A small, red fiend emerged on the field with a burst of flames, chuckling with a high-pitched squeal.
(Red Tinker: Level 2/FIRE/Fiend/ATK-1000 DEF-1300/Effect-If a card you control is destroyed, look at the top card of your opponent's deck. If it is a monster, deal 500 points of damage to your opponent)
"Then," Gareth continued," I Special Summon Blazing Sky!"
The space surrounding the two duelists erupted in flames, coloring everything around them a bright orange.
(Blazing Sky: Level 4/FIRE/Pyro/ATK-0 DEF-0/Effect- This card can be Special Summoned if there is a Fire attribute monster on your side of the field. As long as this card remains on the field, all Fire attribute monsters gain 500 ATK and DEF)
"I'm tuning level 2 Red Tinker with level 4 Blazing Sky," Gareth announced. "A burning flame of the soul smolders brightly! Kindle the fire of hope and justice! Synchro Summon! Roar proudly, Leoferno!"
Shivering violently as it set itself aflame, Red Tinker launched itself into the sky, merging with the sea of vermillion to form a gargantuan spiral of raging fire. After several seconds of grumbling and churning, the flames all gathered in one central spot and unleashed a fiery pillar down to the earth, crashing heavily against the ground. In one forceful blow, the flames were brushed aside to reveal Gareth's faithful lion with a fiery mane and tail, roaring with great reverberation to announce its arrival.
(Leoferno: Level 6/FIRE/Beast/ATK-2400 DEF-1800/Effect- If this card destroys a monster whose original ATK is greater than that of this card, deal 1000 points of damage to your opponent. When this card is destroyed in battle, you can deal 800 points of damage to your opponent or Special Summon a Fire attribute Tuner monster from your Graveyard)
"Your flames are fueled by nothing but anger," Gareth said, glaring at his opponent. "No matter how much you try to burn away your problems, your flames will never be strong enough because they have no substance. Let me show you the true power of fire, my burning flames of justice! Leoferno, attack Incendiablo with Infernal Impact!"
At that moment, however, a chill went down Gareth's spine. He felt something wrong, something dangerous and sinister. An aura of sheer bloodlust filled the air. It appeared that his opponent felt it too, as Willie fell backwards, shivering at the sight of Gareth's monster. Gareth shifted his gaze to his fiery lion, whose flames seemed to burn brighter than usual and whose eyes seemed to give off a powerful sense of ferality. Never before had he been in the presence of such a monster.
Reason played no part in what Gareth did next. Right when Leoferno jumped off of its hind legs, Gareth sprinted towards Willie, forcing all the power he could muster in his calves and quads. In a flash of red, Gareth scooped the boy in his arms and kicked off the back wall of the alleyway, performing a backflip to narrowly avoid his ferocious monster's attack. Even before he landed, the sheer force of Leoferno's impact against the wall knocked Gareth back, causing him to crash roughly against the cement as both he and Willie rolled a couple times before they came to a full stop.
As Gareth stood back up, groaning from the pain of multiple bruises around his body, he stared in utter disbelief at the beast which stood before him, as well as the damage it had caused. The lion locked eyes with Gareth as it slowly faded, appearing to threaten him with a high-and-mighty smirk. Gareth was completely speechless as he stood still for about a minute, not even blinking until his monster had fully vanished. His silence was only interrupted by a gasp of shock from seeing what Leoferno had reduced the alley wall to: a molten pile of burning rocks, seared far beyond repair by scorching, dancing flames.
His face ashen from the shock of what he had just witnessed, Gareth turned to look at Willie, who had been knocked unconscious by the force of Leoferno's attack. Afterwards, he shifted his gaze to Eric, who had finally stood up after having been on his knees the entire time, his expression still downcast and lifeless.
"Eric," Gareth said softly, trying to think of something to say, "I-."
"Grant was right," Eric mumbled. "In the end, strength is the only thing that matters. If that's what it means to live in this world, then I don't want any part of it."
Without another word, Eric walked away from the scene, leaving Gareth alone. Gareth's knees gave as he fell backwards, leaning against the alley wall with a multitude of thoughts racing through his mind. For the next few minutes, he just sat there thinking, trying to rationalize everything that had just occurred.
Thinking.
Pondering.
In utter silence.