Yu-Gi-Oh! D.T.
Chapter 14: Soothing Dusk, Gleam of the Unwavering Moon
January 15, 2051 12:00 AM
Her eyes burst open when she suddenly felt an intense jolt of of energy from somewhere far away, the place where a guardian had unsealed their hidden powers and made a contract with a spirit. That was what the mental vision she saw in her dream just now had made aware to her. Now, there was no choice; she had nothing to hide behind any longer. The time had come for her to finally leave the sanctuary of the temple and meet the guardians who held the fate of the world in their hands.
Pulling off her silk sheets, the young woman rose from bed and opened her closet to gaze upon the traditional attire of the priests, worn by millennia of predecessors before her. She had always dreaded the image of herself in this bland white robe with its distasteful black pallium and waistband, a set of attire she found not only archaic in style but also visually displeasing. But despite her aversion towards her people's fashion style, the young priest knew that it was her destiny to represent her people, to carry on the wishes of those who had given their lives so that the world may be saved from the ambitions of evil men. To wear this garment was a great honor.
And yet, as she looked at her small figure in the mirror, poorly accommodated by the long, draping sleeves of the robe dragging embarrassingly on the floor, she couldn't help but feel anxious about the kinds of reactions she would elicit from the denizens of the outside world, whose clothing styles she remembered from her youth looked nothing like what she was wearing. The shy and self-conscious girl that she was, the young priest shuddered with fear at the prospect of being mocked and laughed at, of being cast out simply because she was different.
In the past, she would often confide in her peers, telling them about her multitudes of little concerns, but the responses she had received comprised mostly of derision for thinking about such trivial things when the fate of the world rested in her hands. Of course, remembering these lectures about what was important and what wasn't did nothing to calm her nerves, but they did remind her of the tremendous weight upon her shoulders. Between saving the world and wearing more aesthetically-appealing clothes, the choice was obvious. As she walked down the main hall of the temple, she knew it was no time to be selfish.
Taking a deep breath, followed by several more, the priest placed her hand on the large stone door leading to the outside world and pushed gently. The two doors slowly creaked open, revealing a thin line of orange sunlight which glowed warmly on her face. Gasping with awe and affection as the temple was slowly illuminated by the first wave of daylight it had seen for almost two decades, the priest took a moment to appreciate the sheer beauty of this spectacle. Then, inhaling a breath of the fresh air she'd been deprived of for so long, she took her first step into the outside world.
January 15, 3051 12:03 AM
Eric walked slowly into the convenience store near his apartment, his face hidden by the shadows cast from the hood over his slouching head. He trudged down the center aisle and made his way to the refrigerated section, where he opened a glass door and pulled out a bottle of his regular iced tea. In the past, he would have been elated by the sight of this chilled beverage, its dark translucent color tempting his appetite, the foggy condensation enticing him with the promise of refreshing coolness.
But lately, he felt no such excitement from his frequent iced tea runs. In fact, for the last week, he hadn't felt much of anything at all. Everything about him felt empty: his meals, his daily routines, his work. With his passion extinguished and his identity shattered, deprived of any goal to strive towards, Eric felt that his whole life had become meaningless.
As he walked towards the cash register to pay for his drink, he took a glance at the store owner, his face as grouchy and unwelcoming as ever. At this point in time, the sight of Gaige made Eric realize something: the reason why the old man was so grumpy and unpleasant all the time. In life, all human beings experienced pain and sadness, things that chipped away at their spirit and confidence over time. Eric wondered, in the many years of Gaige's life, how many things he'd seen, how much he had suffered as a result, and how hard he must have tried to find a reason to live all this time.
At the same time, he also came to admire Gaige as a veteran of the war known as life, a survivor of the cruelties he had witnessed, a battle-hardened warrior who continued to live despite all that had happened to him. Eric had always chided people for giving up hope and being weak, but he didn't understand them at all. It wasn't until he had drowned in his own sorrows that he realized just how difficult it was to retain hope in this chaotic world and how much of a hypocrite he'd been for expecting people to be strong when he himself was so weak. As he peered at his reflection in Gaige's dry gray eyes, he wondered if he was doomed to live the same agonizing life, to watch idly as the world lost all its color and light.
"Trying to hide your face from my security cameras?" Gaige mumbled. "Take off your damn hood."
Eric silently did as he was told.
"Did you see a ghost or did you turn into one?" Gaige asked as he saw Eric's pale complexion. "What's your deal?"
"Nothing," Eric replied softly. "I'm fine."
"That's funny," Gaige scoffed as he scanned the iced tea.
"What is?" Eric inquired.
"That's the first time I've heard you lie," Gaige said, furrowing his brow. "Whatever happened, it must've been one hell of a killjoy."
"You know," Eric smiled weakly, "I've never told you how much I appreciate your sarcasm."
"Save the flattery, kid," Gaige snorted. "Wanna tell me what's going on?"
"It's fine," Eric said, turning away. "It's my problem, not yours."
"The hell it isn't," Gaige raised his voice. "If you mean to tell me that your moping isn't affecting my customers, then you're at the wrong shop, kid."
Eric glanced around the store, devoid of any human beings aside from the cardboard figure of a woman in a dress promoting the purchase of lottery tickets. Turning back to the store owner, Eric cocked an eyebrow and gave a cheeky grin.
"Anyway," Gaige coughed, averting his eyes, "what the hell is your problem?"
"It's nothing really," Eric said, staring at the floor. "I've just got some things to think about."
"Oh?" Gaige smirked. "So you can think, huh? And all this time, I thought you couldn't land a stable job 'cuz you didn't know how to rack your brains."
"I was a duelist, you know?" Eric sighed, grinning weakly. "It takes more than a little brain-racking to graduate from Duel Academy."
"You 'were' a duelist, huh?" Gaige repeated. "What happened?"
"I couldn't take it anymore," Eric replied somberly. "It just wasn't the same as it used to be."
"Saw the ugly side, did you?" Gaige asked.
"I guess you can put it that way," Eric mumbled.
"Lemme tell you a story," Gaige said.
"God no," Eric groaned, preparing to walk away.
"Just shut up and listen," Gaige snorted.
Resigning himself, Eric turned back and leaned against a shelf, taking a sip of tea.
"My pop used to run a store like this one back where we lived in Schroeder City," Gaige began. "Business was good. Well, except maybe when the economy went to hell along with the Momentum Reactor, but we managed to keep the shop alive."
"Setup," Eric said, rolling his eyes to indicate his lack of interest.
"But then," Gaige raised his voice in annoyance, "a new store opened right next to us and stole all our business."
"Conflict," Eric noted, taking another sip of tea.
"Shut up, smart-ass," Gaige hissed. "Anyway, we did all sorts of things to pick business back up. Promotions, deals, advertisements. We worked our asses off day and night to stay in the game."
"And then by persevering and not giving up hope, you eventually made it through," Eric sighed. "I'm sorry, I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but that's not going to help me."
"Actually," Gaige frowned, "we went out of business."
"What?" Eric asked in slight shock.
"Yeah," Gaige said. "We couldn't keep up with our competitors 'cuz they pulled some nasty tricks on us. Scaring our customers. Talking shit about our products. We didn't stand a chance."
"So why didn't you do the same thing to them?" Eric asked.
"My pop was a good man," Gaige said in a serious tone. "He always taught us to do the right thing, and because of that, he didn't stoop to their level."
"But that made him go out of business," Eric muttered bitterly. "He wanted to be the bigger person, and he suffered because of it. I guess it's true that in the end, winning is all people really care about, no matter how they do it."
"That's what my pop learned after that," Gaige sighed. "When the shop closed, he became a different person, a broken man. Failure took his guts. Then, drugs and booze took his life."
"I'm sorry," Eric whispered, imagining his own life ending in a similar tragedy.
"But I wasn't ready to quit," Gaige said. "I was a kid back then, a little older than you. I took out a loan and opened another shop, tried to beat them for revenge. I pulled the same tricks they did and then some. They went out of business in no time."
"And then?" Eric asked with a glint of curiosity.
"I regretted it," Gaige frowned as he lowered his head. "It turned out their kid was sick and they needed the money to pay for her meds. After their shop closed down, she didn't last long. The mother committed suicide a year later, followed by the father."
Eric remained silent.
"I killed that family," Gaige said in a somber voice, "and I couldn't live with myself after that. I guess my wife couldn't either; a year later, she took our son and left. Eventually, I closed my own shop and moved away."
Eric was speechless. Until now, he had never thought about the different reasons why people resorted to evil; he'd always assumed they were doing it for their own self-satisfaction. He had quit dueling because he didn't want to be part of something that punished those who played fair, something that brought out the monsters in people, including himself. But now, after hearing Gaige's story, he understood that the darkness of human nature didn't manifest in Duel Monsters alone; it was everywhere.
Although Eric learned something from his story, it did nothing to cheer him up. In fact, if anything, it made him feel worse. It was as though he'd been told that there was no way to escape pain and agony, that humanity was doomed to suffer eternally by its own hands.
Yet, something still didn't make sense.
"If all that happened to you," Eric said to the store owner, "then why are you still running a shop?"
The elderly man raised his head and met Eric's curious eyes, giving him a peculiar smile. Looking at them once more, Eric saw something else in Gaige's dry gray eyes, a kind of shine which exuded a feeling of enlightened wisdom that came not with age or experience, but with something even simpler. For a good minute, Eric stared quietly at the old store owner, deeply entranced by the knowledge which gave him the courage to hold his head high despite the darkness of his past.
"You've got a brain, right?" Gaige snorted condescendingly. "Think about it."
"Some things never change," Eric grinned as he pulled out his wallet.
"Don't worry about it," Gaige said. "This one's on me."
His eyes widened at the store owner's unusual generosity. Somehow, Moria Gaige, the grumpy man who had always argued with Eric over prices and other petty things, seemed a saint. Maybe it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Maybe it was sympathy. Or maybe he was giving a cryptic hint about what he was trying to say. Whatever it was, Eric began to see this man in a new light. Looking the man in the eyes, Eric offered him a teethy smile.
"Thanks, old man."
With that, Eric exited the store and made his way back to his apartment.
If evil exists in everything, Eric thought to himself, then quitting Duel Monsters isn't the solution, it's just running away from the problem.
Picking up the cards that still lay scattered on the floor, Eric arranged them back into a pile, caressing them apologetically as he noticed the creases and bends that had formed as a result of his throwing them against the wall.
I may not know what the answer is, Eric thought, and I may never get back the confidence I had before. But at least now, I won't run away or hesitate. Crying and being sad about my problems isn't going to fix them. It's time for me to grow up.
Taking a deep breath, Eric inserted his deck into his duel disk. Immediately, he felt a large burden fall off his shoulders as tears began to stream down his face.
God damn it, Eric laughed at himself. I just told myself I wouldn't cry anymore.
But he didn't get upset.
He knew that these weren't tears of anguish or despair.
They were tears of joy and relief.
January 15, 3051 1:15 AM
As he sat on his bed looking through his cards, Eric couldn't stop smiling to himself. Although his doubts and frustrations weren't gone, he felt a sweet sense of relief over the fact that he didn't have to quit Duel Monsters, an integral part of his life he didn't know he loved that much until he had almost abandoned it. Despite his second thoughts about his father's philosophy of respect, Eric felt that he had somehow reconnected with the part of that man which he had inherited: the soul of the duelist, the spark of passion that lit the hearts of men and led them to the battlefield of their dreams. He was so close to rediscovering his reason for dueling, but somehow, it eluded him.
He needed something to believe in, something that would let him jump back into that brutal and savage world despite all the grief it had caused him. He didn't have a just cause like Gareth did or a moral obligation like Olivia did. In fact, he now knew that even if he did, he wasn't mentally strong enough to withstand the pressures and bitterness involved in such a cutthroat battle. Eric felt that his reason for fighting had to be something simpler to explain why someone as weak and naive as him would continue to walk down this path of tragedy.
In the midst of Eric's contemplation, that reason emerged before him. In the blink of an eye, he felt something heavy latch onto his back, restraining his arms and pressing against his throat with tremendous force. Gasping for air, Eric collapsed onto the floor, flailing his arms about as he suffocated. As per human survival instinct, Eric's reaction was not an attempt to rationalize what was happening, but rather a desperate impulse to stay alive. He gripped the arms wrapped around his neck, pulling as hard as he could to pry them off but finding to his horror and dismay that he lacked the physical strength to overpower the assassin.
God damn it! Eric thought to himself. I don't want to die now! Not like this!
He rolled around, try to ram his opponent into something and inflict enough damage to make him let go, but found to his dismay that his room was entirely devoid of furniture, with the exception of a soft spring mattress.
Shit! Eric grumbled mentally. If I don't do something soon, I'm going to die! If only Gareth were here; he'd beat this guy in less than a second!
Then, he remembered something, something Gareth had told him the day he bought his duel runner.
If there's one thing I learned from my experience fighting against the Dark Chasers, Eric recalled in his mind, it's that they'll almost always attack from the back like the cowards they are. Arm locks. Neck chokes. Restraining techniques. Those are the things you should look out for most. Luckily, there's an easy way to beat them all. Just swing your head back and strike them in the face. Even if they don't let go, they'll be stunned long enough for you to escape.
Leaning his head as far forward as he could, Eric swung his head back, only to strain his neck as he missed the assassin's face. Groaning roughly, Eric repeated this motion several times over until finally, he managed to collide against what felt like the assassin's forehead. Succeeding in distracting his opponent, Eric summoned all the strength he could muster into his hands to pry apart his attacker's arms and escape the suffocating choke. Wheezing and coughing violently, Eric stumbled outside his apartment where he activated the DED nullifier on his duel runner and trapped his opponent inside its constraining barrier with a two-meter radius. Sighing of relief as his breathing returned to normal, Eric equipped his ultramarine-colored duel disk and waited for his attacker to reveal himself.
Only now, as the attacker emerged from Eric's room, it quickly became clear that it was not a man, but a woman. Eric's eyes widened as he noticed her hand over her face, secreting a stream of blood which trickled down her arm onto her white tank top and faded blue jeans. With her curly brown hair tied back, he could see a number of other nasty scars, ruining what might have otherwise been a very pretty face. Her light blue eyes quivered in the moonlight as she tried her best to hold back tears.
"Why?" Eric asked, completely shocked by what he was seeing. "Why is someone like you-?"
"You don't get to judge me," she growled, her lips shuddering over her gritted teeth.
"Just tell me why?" Eric pleaded, his face full of anguish. "Why do we have to fight? I just don't understand."
"Because I'm a woman?" she snarled. "You think because I'm a woman that I'm weak? That I can't fight my own battles? You men are all the same, looking down on me just because I'm a girl!"
"That's not it!" Eric exclaimed. "What reason do you have to attack me? Why do you have to go so far, letting yourself get hurt because of it?"
"Just shut up and duel me, you sexist pig!" the woman barked.
"Wait!" Eric shouted. "Can't we talk thi-?"
"Duel!" she shouted, activating her duel disk.
"God damn it," Eric whispered to himself, checking his duel runner monitor to check his opponent's identity.
Aurora, he read mentally, a Light division Dark Chaser captain with a 74% win rate.
"I'll take the first turn!" she declared, drawing a card as a trickle of blood fell on her gray-colored duel disk. "I summon Silverstream Sentry!"
A shining portal appeared beside Aurora, revealing a black-haired woman adorned in an argent suit of armor and wielding a long metal spear.
(Silverstream Sentry: Level 4/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-1400 Def-1300/Effect: When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 level 4 or lower "Silverstream" monster from your Deck)
"I set 2 cards," she continued. "Turn end."
It was now Eric's turn, but he didn't know how he was going to play. Without a reason to fight, without a philosophy to believe in, Eric felt entirely lost as to why he needed to go through with this duel in the first place. He didn't know why the woman standing in front of him wanted to hurt him, and he definitely had no reason to hurt her. Yet, here they were, standing face-to-face in a duel for their lives.
He didn't want this. All Eric wanted was to talk things out and resolve whatever problem there was without resorting to violence. Even now, when he could no longer believe in his father's ideals , all he wanted was for people to respect each other. But unfortunately, he knew it could never happen. He'd been through too much and seen too many things to think that people could ever do that. Yet, nonetheless, he couldn't bring himself to embrace the wickedness he saw in everyone else. He had crossed that line once before, and he never wanted to do it again.
It was for this reason that despite this woman's attempt to kill him only minutes ago, he couldn't feel an ounce of anger or hatred towards her, only sadness. He felt it from the multitude of scars all over her face and body. He felt it from her dry blue eyes which seemed to reflect all the anger and despair she'd experienced in her life. Whatever happened that made her into this pitiful creature, this fragile woman sacrificing herself for an organization that probably didn't give a single damn about her, Eric didn't even want to imagine. He was sick and tired of seeing the misery in people's lives turning them into instruments of heinous men's ambitions. Deep in his heart, Eric didn't want to fight her. Even if she was a Dark Chaser, he couldn't bring himself to cause her any more pain that he knew she had already experienced, even if she wanted to kill him.
"What the hell are you waiting for?" she barked. "Take your damn turn already!"
After gritting his teeth for a few seconds, Eric finally drew a card.
"My turn," Eric said weakly. "I summon Moonlight Guard in defense mode."
Particles of light materialized and collected together to form a glowing ball, which burst open seconds later to form a shield-bearing warrior in steel armor, crouching to defend its master.
(Moonlight Guard: Level 3/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-0 DEF-2000/Effect: If your opponent's monster attacks this card, all of your opponent's monsters' effects are negated. As long as every monster in your Graveyard is LIGHT attribute, this card cannot be destroyed in battle)
"Turn end," Eric muttered.
"You son of a bitch!" Aurora shouted. "What the hell are you trying to pull?"
Eric remained silent, only watching as she glared at him with eyes of animosity.
"Is this the skill level of someone who beat a captain?" she roared. "Are you looking down on me just because I'm a woman? If that's what it is, then I'm going to make you pay!"
"I-I..," Eric stuttered, struggling to say something.
"You what?" Aurora growled. "If you're gonna say something, then say it already!"
"I didn't want to make you suffer anymore," Eric replied softly. "I didn't want to make you feel any more pain than you've already felt. It would be insensitive and disrespectful of me."
"Bullshit!" the woman cursed. "You think I want your goddamn pity? We're enemies! There's no room for useless feelings like sympathy on the battlefield!"
Once again Eric did nothing but listen in silence.
"If you think you can beat me so easily, then you're full of shit!" Aurora shouted. "Insensitive? Disrespectful! Bull! What's insensitive and disrespectful is that you're not treating me like a real opponent!"
"I don't want to fight you," Eric insisted. "I don't want you to be my opponent."
"Then I'll make you," Aurora growled. "I activate my Equip Spell Silver Gale, giving my monster 1000 ATK! Silverstream Sentry attacks Moonlight Guard! Silver Impale!"
As a thin stream of air swirled around her monster's weapon, the sentry gave a dignified battle cry before charging Moonlight Guard, piercing through its shield and torso.
(Equip this card to 1 "Silverstream" monster you control. That monster gains 1000 ATK)
At this moment, Eric felt something click inside. Through the impact of her monster's attack, he could feel a melancholy scream of unsuppressed rage tearing through his very core. It was as though he could feel her raw emotions exploding, rending his heart with her lifelong experiences of bitter torment. Eric's body shook with a numbing chill as he began to understand just what kind of a horrible life she had lived to turn her into the hateful person she was today. Her sheer hatred of men seemed to stem from injustices she had experienced at the hands of the male gender, injustices Eric didn't even want to imagine. Without a doubt, she was yet another product of society's crimes. Yet, her feelings of anger and hatred weren't manipulated by the Dark Chasers and channeled into vicious missions; everything she did was for herself. He knew then that no matter how much he understood her sorrow, no matter how much respect he gave her, there was nothing he could do to alleviate her suffering. Only through battle could she fully express the full extent of her pain. Only by fighting had she managed to cope with everything she'd been through. Only by killing had she managed to stay alive.
"I'm sorry," Eric apologized.
"You fucking asshole!" she shouted. "You think I need your apology? You mysoginistic-!"
"I'm sorry that I can't do anything for you," Eric interrupted her.
After hearing his words, Aurora became silent.
"I'm sorry that nothing I do will change what happened to you," Eric said. "But you're right. I haven't been treating you with respect. You don't deserve it."
"You….you….," Aurora growled, contempt bleeding from the tears in her eyes.
"Me too," Eric smiled. "I'm not worthy of anyone's respect either. I'm not so naive as to think I am, not anymore. "
Eric could hear rough breathing as she gritted her teeth, trying her best to control her tears of anger.
"That's why," Eric said, "I'm not going to play as a man, your opponent, or anything else you might think of me as. This duel isn't about you or me."
"No," Aurora growled, "it's not. It's about me completing my mission."
And me mine, Eric thought to himself.
"My turn," Eric declared as he drew a card. "I summon Brightglow Dragon from my hand!"
A beam of light descended from the sky, fading away to unveil an adolescent dragon with shimmering white scales, growling in an honest attempt to intimidate its foe.
(Brightglow Dragon: Level 4/LIGHT/Dragon/ATK-1600 DEF-300/Effect-If this card is Normal Summoned while you have no monsters on your side of the field, you can Special Summon a level 4 or lower LIGHT attribute Tuner monster from your hand)
There are so many people out there who are in so much pain.
"Brightglow Dragon lets me summon a Light Tuner from my hand if it's summoned when I have no other monsters on my field," Eric explained. "I summon Lunar Soul!"
The dragon opened its mouth and spat out a glowing ball of light, which unexpectedly opened a pair of glistening crystal eyes before bouncing around playfully around Eric's field.
(Lunar Soul: Level 2/LIGHT/Rock/ATK-0 DEF-0/Effect: When this card is summoned, you can play a Trap card from your hand)
It's like the human race is good at nothing but hurting its own people.
"I'm tuning level 2 Lunar Soul with level 4 Brightglow Dragon," Eric announced. "The shining moon guides all to greatness. Glisten brightly in your destiny! Synchro Summon! Sparkle, Lunar Knight!"
Eric's two monsters fused together into a spiral of swirling light, instantly bursting into a thick horizontal beam which dissipated moments later to reveal a golden knight leaning forward with its lance in a lunging stance.
(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)
People are always doing horrible things, taking advantage of others for their own benefit.
"Next," Eric continued, "I remove Brightglow Dragon from play to Special Summon Moonlight Prince from my hand!"
A shimmering light blinked onto Eric's field, flashing in a second and replacing itself with a young man dressed in elaborate royal garbs.
(Moonlight Prince: Level 5/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-1500 DEF-300/Effect: You can Special Summon this card from your hand by removing 1 LIGHT attribute monster in your Graveyard from play)
And with every evil act, hate brings nothing but more hate.
"I equip Lunar Knight with my Equip Spell Moonlight Saber," Eric declared. "This card gives my monster 500 ATK for each Light attribute monster on my field, making its ATK 2900."
The golden knight raised its empty hand to the air to receive a blue energy sword, glowing brighter with each monster beside him.
(The equipped monster gains 500 ATK for each Light attribute monster you control)
We are so wicked a species that we can even let something like a card game turn us into monsters.
"Now, Eric said with a wave of his hand, "Lunar Knight attacks Silverstream Sentry with Shining Lance!"
Eric's monster dashed at the female warrior, skewered it with its lance, and turned around to throw a backward slash with its energy saber, sending it flying backwards into a white portal. (4000/3500)
So why can't I quit Duel Monsters, this awful game that brings out the darkness in all of us?
"When Silverstream Sentry is sent to the grave," Aurora grunted, "I can Special Summon a Silverstream monster from my deck. I choose Silverstream Shieldmaster!"
From out of the portal emerged another female warrior, this time a bulky, dark-skinned fighter wielding a large heavy shield.
(Silverstream Shieldmaster: Level 4/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-100 DEF-1800/Effect: Once per turn, this card cannot be destroyed by battle)
If it's simply because I don't want to run away from evil, does that mean that I'm bound to become evil myself?
"Lunar Knight can attack until you have no monsters left," Eric explained. "Now, attack again with Shining Lance Barrage!"
"What?" she exclaimed.
Aurora watched in frustration as her new summoned guardian was decimated by a flurry of jabs from Eric's monster, seemingly unstoppable with its dual wielding capabilities.
If my only options are running like a coward or seeing myself become the evil I've always dreaded, why am I still fighting?
"That's not all you've got, right?" Aurora growled.
"Moonlight Prince," Eric commanded, "direct attack!"
The female Dark Chaser raised her arm to brace herself for the prince's attack, a small sphere of energy released from his hand that created a large explosion around her. (4000/2000)
Without the hope my dad has always given me, what's my reason to live?
"I activate my Quick Spell Moon Wave Swap," Eric declared. "I return Lunar Knight to my Extra Deck to draw 1 card and Special Summon the Tuner monster Lunar Soul from my Graveyard!"
Raising its lance at the moon, Eric's golden knight vanished into particles of light, replaced momentarily by the shining orb of light which had aided in its summon.
(Return one monster you control to its owner's hand to Special Summon a Light attribute monster from your Graveyard. If you returned a Synchro monster, you can draw 1 card)
I'm no better than all the other evildoers out there...hopeless, lost, sinful.
"When Lunar Soul is summoned," Eric explained, "I can activate a Trap card from my hand. I activate Moonlight Synchro, allowing me to Synchro Summon during my Battle Phase!"
(During your Battle Phase, you can Synchro Summon a Light attribute monster)
"Hell," Aurora groaned.
But I don't want to let it end like this, not with everyone submitting to inevitable despair.
"I'm tuning level 2 Lunar Soul with level 5 Moonlight Prince," Eric declared. "The shining moon guides all to greatness. Glisten brightly in your quest! Synchro Summon! Arise, Everbright Enchanter!"
Gathering all the energy it could muster, the glowing sphere entered the prince's chest, enshrouding it in a blanket of iridescent light. The brightness of the brilliant entity standing on Eric's field fluctuated as it morphed in shape and grew in size. Finally, when the transformation was complete, the creature waved powerfully with both arms, dispelling the light to reveal itself as a powerful sorcerer dressed in grand blue robes and wielding a rare crystal staff.
(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)
I want to be a beacon of light, guiding others from the path of darkness.
"Everbright Enchanter," Eric said, raising his hand, "direct attack!"
"Like I said," Aurora scoffed, "don't underestimate me! I activate my Trap card Silver Aegis! I can discard 1 card to negate your attack and Special Summon a 'Silverstream' monster from my Graveyard. I discard Silverstream Empress from my hand and Special Summon it via Silver Aegis's effect!"
As Eric's monster unleashed a radiant beam of light energy from its crystal staff, a blonde female warrior clad in embellished metallic armor descended upon the field, raising her hands to form a gigantic silver barrier, which succeeded in shielding Aurora from the attack.
(When your opponent declares an attack, you can discard 1 card from your hand to negate the attack. Then, Special Summon 1 "Silverstream" monster from your Graveyard)
(Silverstream Empress: Level 8/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-2500 DEF-2000/Effect: Once per turn, you can increase the ATK of 1 "Silverstream" monster you control by 1000. While you control another "Silverstream" monster, this card cannot be attacked or targeted by your opponent's card effects)
But time and time again, I fail because I'm not nearly strong enough, kind enough, or wise enough to pierce through anyone's darkness.
"I set 1 card," Eric said in a sorrowful tone. "Turn end."
"I can see the condescension on your smug face," Aurora growled, furrowing her brows. " You think you've beaten me just because you made one decent play. You presumptuous, cocky asshole! I'll show you to look down on me!"
With each word, Eric began to feel more and more of her deep emotional scars, the hatred which had been ingrained in her very soul. More and more, he began to see it, the blood-red aura of anger and contempt that ensnared her body, thick and putrid, aged and stale.
"I summon the Tuner monster Silverstream Assassin!" Aurora announced fiercely.
A silver portal formed beside her, revealing a female warrior with short black hair clad in armor composed of thin metal plates and wielding a pair of sharp daggers.
(Silverstream Assassin: Level 2/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-500 DEF-500/Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned, destroy 1 level 4 or lower monster your opponent controls)
"Next," she continued, "I Special Summon Silverstream Cavalry from my hand!"
Pouncing from another white portal emerged a snow-white horse, mounted by a masked female warrior wielding a sleek straight sword.
(Silverstream Cavalry: Level 4/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-1600 DEF-1200/Effect: If you control a "Silverstream" monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand)
"I'm tuning level 2 Silverstream Assassin with level 4 Silverstream Cavalry," Aurora declared. "A silver arrow pierces the fraudulent heavens and descends upon the world of man's sin. Spill the tainted blood of oppression with your unstoppable fury! Synchro Summon! Rise forth, Silverstream Matron Knight!"
Both of Aurora's monsters howled in anger before dissipating into brilliant fragments of metal, floating gently in the air. Without warning, the metallic shards amalgamated to form two rings which aligned together in the fashion of a gyroscope. Spinning progressively faster, the rings created golden sparks as they scraped against each other, producing ear-shattering shrieks of clashing metal. Finally, at the peak of this pandemonium, the contraption exploded into billions of raining silver sparkles, revealing a red-haired woman wearing a heavy suit of iron armor, wielding a pair of arrow-launchers on her wrists and a sword strapped to her waist. Placing her hands on her hips, the female knight glared at Eric with a poised and dignified smirk.
(Silverstream Matron Knight: 1 "Silverstream" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters/Level 6/LIGHT/Warrior/ATK-2000 DEF-1600/Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned, increase the ATK of all "Silverstream" monsters you control by 500. When this card destroys a monster by battle, you can draw 1 card)
"Matron Knight's effect activates!" Aurora proclaimed. "When it's Synchro Summoned, all my Silverstream monsters gain 500 ATK!"
Eric grimaced in slight agitation as he witnessed both of her monsters gaining a power boost in the form of a silver coat of energy surrounding them.
"Now," she continued, "I activate Silverstream Empress's effect, giving Matron Knight 1000 more ATK!"
Once more, a glowing white energy cloaked Aurora's knight, so dense and powerful that the light rose to the sky in a single bright column.
"Silverstream Matron Knight," Aurora commanded, "attack Everbright Enchanter with Argent Calamity!"
Cocking an arrow into place, the red-haired knight unleashed a tremendous torrent of silver light at Eric's monster, skewering it with an overwhelmingly forceful energy beam and shattering it into a million pieces. In this one attack, Eric felt the sheer weight of her hatred towards men, the demons in her soul which empowered her with the evil promise of vengeance. Beyond the intangible holograms projected by her duel disk, his spirit burned from the poison of her resentment. (3800/2000)
So sad, Eric thought to himself. Every one of her attacks is filled with so much sorrow and anger. It hurts so much. Yet somehow, with every attack I take, I feel a sense of bliss, like I'm seeing deeper into her soul and finding something else, something that isn't just rage and hatred. With each turn that passes, with each card played, I feel like I'm getting closer to finding the answer I'm looking for.
"Matron Knight lets me draw a card when it destroys a monster," Aurora explained. "Now, Silverstream Empress attacks you directly with Edict of Luster!"
A golden sword, sacred and holy in its very appearance, materialized above its target and plunged down upon him, striking him with a violent burst of blinding light and prompting a hoarse scream from Eric, who once more felt the cold, dark feelings of loathing which motivated the girl standing before him. (800/2000)
I can see it. Darkness. Fear. Hate. Despair. And something else, something buried deep beneath these emotions.
"Turn end," Aurora grinned, clearly exhilarated by the damage she managed to inflict on her prey.
Eric could feel the answer lurking inside him, so close that he could almost grasp it. He was down to his last few Life Points, his hand was empty, and his field was left with a single set card. Under these circumstances, any duelist would tremble in fear of not drawing the right card, of not being able to make it through their opponent's next turn. But at this moment, Eric wasn't the least bit afraid of defeat. To him, this next turn wasn't a matter of winning or losing. To him, it was a matter of confronting his uncertainty, of discovering the answer to the question he had always run away from.
Who am I?
"My turn," Eric declared.
I'm not like the Dark Chasers. I'm not going to use pain to justify evil, and I won't let evil justify complacency.
"I activate my Trap card Moon's Ray of Giving. I discard 1 card to draw 1 card for each card you control. You have 2 monsters and 1 set card, so I draw 3 cards."
(You can discard 1 card from your hand to draw 1 card for each card on your opponent's side of the field)
I'm not like my dad either. Preaching about ideals and leading by example won't eliminate the darkness in people's hearts.
"I activate my Spell card Soul Resurrection," Eric said. "This lets me summon a Light monster from my Graveyard. Revive, Brightglow Dragon!"
Rising from the ground emerged a translucent ball of light energy, which burst moments later to take the form of Eric's previously summoned dragon.
(Special Summon a level 4 or lower Light monster from your Graveyard)
Sometimes, darkness isn't a sin or a weakness that should be reprimanded.
"Now," Eric declared, "I summon the Tuner monster Lunar Wing, which lets me draw a card when it's Normal Summoned."
Fluttering beside the adolescent dragon came a white bird with large silver wings, whose appearance prompted Eric to pluck a card from the top of his deck.
(Lunar Wing: Level 1/LIGHT/Winged-Beast/ATK-0 DEF-0/Effect-When this card is Normal Summoned, you can draw 1 card)
Sometimes, darkness is what shapes a person's identity and makes them grow.
"I'm tuning level 1 Lunar Wing with level 4 Brightglow Dragon," Eric announced. "The shining moon guides all to prudence. Glisten brightly in your shadowy elegance! Synchro Summon! Howl, Lunar Wolf!"
Condensing into a black sphere of energy, Lunar Wing rose slowly in the air, drifting eerily before merging into the luminescent dragon's chest. Howling madly, the dragon became coated in an opaque cloud of murky dark clouds, veiling and dimming whatever light remained of it. After churning turbulently for several seconds, the blanket of darkness lifted, revealing a ravenous canine sporting a coat of silky gray fur, glaring at its opponents with savage yellow eyes.
Sometimes, we need to stop trying to ignore or repress our darkness and accept it for what it truly is.
(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)
"W-what the hell is that monster?" Aurora asked, shuddering at the sight of Eric's vicious beast.
"This card is the symbol of my inner darkness," Eric said sternly. "This card exists because of all the negative feelings in me, all the frustration, anger, jealousy, and hatred that had been repressed until I couldn't hold them in anymore. It's also a symbol of a sin I could never take back or make up for."
"So you're going to take your stress out on me," she growled furiously. "How typical of a misogynist pig."
"No," Eric countered. "You're going to take out yours on me."
"What do you mean?" Aurora hissed.
"All the hate you feel," Eric said, "all the revenge you want for every man who wronged you, give it all to me. I won't run away from the darkness in your heart."
The Dark Chaser stared at her opponent with an expression of shock, her sharp eyes so used to grimacing suddenly softening. However, almost immediately, she hardened her face once more and took a defensive stance.
"You're trying to trick me," she asserted furiously. "You're trying to make me lower my guard so you can take advantage of me! You goddamn son of a bitch!"
"Like I said," Eric replied, "I won't run. I set 1 card. Turn end."
"My turn!" Aurora declared. "I activate my Spell card Silver Javelin! I lower your monster's ATK to 0!"
As a long metallic spear appeared in the red-haired knight's hand, she arched backwards before swinging her body to hurl the weapon straight into the wolf's chest, fatally wounding it and triggering a howl of writhing pain.
(While you control a "Silverstream" monster, target 1 monster your opponent controls. Until the End Phase of this turn, that monster's ATK becomes 0)
"Next," she continued, "I activate Silver Blessing. My monsters can't be destroyed by card effects this turn!"
A ray of light shined down from the sky, granting both of Aurora's monsters a protective barrier of iridescent luster.
(Until the End Phase of this turn, your "Silverstream" monsters cannot be destroyed by monster, Spell, or Trap card effects)
"Burn in hell!" Aurora cursed. "Matron Knight with Empress's ATK bonus attacks Lunar Wolf! Argent Calamity!"
"I activate my Quick Spell Protection of the Moon," Eric interjected. "This turn, Lunar Wolf can't be destroyed by battle and doesn't take battle damage."
Once more, the female knight unleashed another arrow followed by a ruthless beam of overpowering light, searing Eric's wolf and subjecting it to indescribable agony. However, a wave of light descended upon the canine from the moon in the night sky, shielding it from destruction. Yet, Eric still felt the full brunt of his opponent's attack, immersed with the same bitter emotions growing ever stronger with her rage. And with each attack, Eric felt more and more of her internal suffering, like he was staring into the abyss of her soul, the darkness of her heart. There was no physical pain, but the aching in his heart which resonated with his opponent's was enough to render him breathless.
(When a LIGHT attribute monster you control battles with another monster, it cannot be destroyed in battle and you take no damage)
"You're not done, are you?" Eric said through heavy gasps. "Give me all your anger!"
"God damn it!" Aurora screamed in irritation. "Silverstream Empress, attack!"
As a golden sword materialized and cleaved through Eric's monster once again, Eric collapsed to one knee, unable to weather the suffocation in his chest caused by the complete consummation of the unbearable emotional pain Aurora had endured for her whole life. So immense was this misery that he began to see images of events in her life, flashing through his mind in a torrent of her most wretched memories. He had acquired all her inner darkness.
"I'm so sorry," Eric said, tearings streaming from his eyes, "that you had to go through these horrible things. No human being deserves this."
And just as he said this, Aurora felt a rush of warm emotions flood through her, emotions previously restrained by the anger inside of her. Her body felt light and free, devoid of pain and suffering. Eric had absorbed all of it into himself, freeing her from the darkness which had plagued and twisted her soul.
"Why?" Aurora cried, her blue eyes watering. "After all I've done to you, why don't you condemn me? Why don't you hate me? Why would you willingly take my pain?"
"Because I can't stand to see people suffering like this," Eric replied, wiping away his tears. "Even if there's nothing I can do to get rid of your pain, even if there's nothing I can do to make up for the things that happened to you, I can at least share your misery."
After hearing Eric's heartfelt words, Aurora broke down, bawling her heart out. Having always believed that all men were selfish scoundrels who abused those around them without a second thought, she felt the full weight of her guilt from having assaulted and scorned someone who not only meant her no harm but was also willing to take on her suffering. At this moment in time, having forgotten all the anger and hatred which had justified her actions before, she felt nothing but regret for what she had done and the utmost joy from having someone act so understanding towards her.
As she calmed down and wiped away her tears, Aurora looked into Eric's watery brown eyes, which wore the same broken look she had been all too used to.
So pitiful, she thought. Is that what I looked like? Is that the kind of person I became?
At that moment, forgot all about her mission. She couldn't bring herself to kill him, the first man who genuinely cared about her and understood her pain, the first man she could genuinely respect. Aurora wanted nothing more than to atone for all her sins and to spare him from any more pain.
"I surren-."
"No," Eric interrupted, prompting her to look up in shock.
"I don't want to continue this duel anymore," she pleaded. "I've already done so many terrible things to you. This is the most I can do to atone for what I did."
"No it's not," Eric dissented. "This isn't the way I want things to end."
"Then what do you want me to do?" Aurora shouted.
"That's something I've thought about over and over again," Eric said. "For as long as I can remember, all I've ever wanted was for people to respect each other and treat each other as equals, and for as long as I can remember, all I've seen was that it could never happen. Human beings are flawed creatures; they're weak, selfish, and ignorant of all the harm they do to others. Does there always have to be a winner and a loser? Do you think it's truly impossible for people to understand each other?"
"I," Aurora mumbled, "I don't know."
"Here's the answer I came up with," Eric said.
Closing his eyes, Eric breathed deeply. To Aurora's absolute shock, dark particles began to emerge from her body and flow towards Eric and, as she raised her head, she saw that the same was happening to him. These dark specks of energy assimilated and gathered into Eric's deck, coating the top card pitch black. She couldn't explain it, but for some reason, she felt the anger and bitterness inside her within that card, malicious, hateful, sinister.
"My turn," Eric declared, swinging his arm as he drew to create a black arc. "I summon the Tuner monster Regalia of Darkness."
The darkness gathered in the card Eric played escaped and swarmed onto the field, assembling to form a diamond crest bearing the image of a hideous man shrieking at the top of his lungs. A chill ran up Aurora's spine as she stared at it in horror.
(Regalia of Darkness: Level 3/DARK/Divine-Beast/ATK-0 DEF-0/Effect: When this card is used for a Synchro Summon, that monster cannot be destroyed by monster, Spell, or Trap card effects until the End Phase of the turn in which it was summoned. That monster can attack your opponent directly)
"Is that…?" she began.
"Yeah," Eric replied. "This monster was created from the negative emotions of both you and me. It represents all the darkness of mankind. It's a symbol of humanity's ugliness."
"It's horrible," Aurora whimpered, turning her head away from the awful sight of the shrieking man.
"Horrible but necessary," Eric said. "If I want to understand people, I first have to understand the darkness in their hearts. Instead of trying to fight against what I think is wrong, I've decided to embrace everyone's sins. Before I can become a beacon of light, I have to first become a vessel for people's darkness. This card is the symbol of that commitment."
"But that sounds so….sad," Aurora lamented. "How can you willingly live a life of so much pain and suffering? You'll drown in all that darkness."
"It won't be easy," Eric admitted. "But you're wrong about one thing."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Let me show you," Eric smiled. "I'm tuning level 5 Lunar Wolf with Level 3 Regalia of Darkness. The unwavering moon guides all to unity. Glisten brightly in your umbral mercy! Synchro Summon! Illuminate the darkness, Bright Shadow Lycan!"
Enlarging to a massive size, the diamond crest began to phase through the malicious wolf, injecting it with the feelings of hatred gathered from both Eric and Aurora. Consumed by the overwhelming negativity of this dark energy, Lunar Wolf started spasming, bursts of black plasma geysering out of its body each with the force of a volcanic eruption. With a final deafening shout, the wolf's body ruptured, creating a massive wave of black smoke that expanded in every direction and engulfed the field in utter darkness. Aurora stood lost in the the blindness of this eerie darkness, her heart beating uncontrollably from the terror and hopelessness this black world reminded her of.
However, from out of nowhere, a faint ray of light began to shine through the black mist, giving her a slight feeling of warmth, comfort, and something else. Slowly but surely, this light began to grow, becoming brighter and warmer with each passing second. Then, as the light expanded and dissipated the darkness, she saw the source of this gentle luminescence, a towering bipedal wolf-like creature with lush alabaster fur covered in pitch black armor, with the horrific diamond crest resting on the center of its head brace. At first, Aurora was terrified by its vile appearance, but the longer she gazed at it, the more she could see how bright and handsome it looked, exuding such a warm and pleasant light. It was then that she realized what it was she had been feeling from this creature of darkness amid her feelings of despair: hope.
(Bright Shadow Lycan: Regalia of Darkness + Lunar Wolf/Level 8/LIGHT/Beast/ATK-2800 DEF-2000/Effect-Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 Light attribute monster from the Graveyard to have this card gain its ATK. You can tribute this card to inflict damage to both players equal to this card's ATK)
"That's right," Eric smiled after seeing the blissful expression on her face. "I will consume everyone's darkness, but I won't be destroyed by it because it's not the only thing people have. Only from sadness can we understand happiness. Only from pain can we understand mercy. Only from darkness can we understand light. Beyond the dread and despair we feel lies kindness and hope. But sometimes, people are so lost in their darkness that they can't see past it. That's why I've decided to accept whatever darkness haunts them, so I can show them the light."
"The light?" she asked.
"Yeah," Eric nodded. "There's a light inside every human being, even you. You've experienced horrible things in your life that made you angry and spiteful, but that's not all. They've given you strength, perseverance, pride, and dignity. No one understands the darkness you've felt as well as you, but that's why it's so important for you to see the light inside yourself, so you can give hope to others who have also seen that darkness."
As she thought about what he said, she came to realize that he was right. She had been consumed by the anger she felt towards the men in her life who had done her wrong and allowed it to turn into a vicious hatred of all men in the world. Because of that, she had done so many awful things to so many people, things that she could never make up for. But now that she no longer felt the hatred and despair from her past, now that this man had taken it all from her, she began to see the light he was talking about, the hope which lay past her darkness.
"Please," she said with tears in her eyes, "end this."
"I activate Bright Shadow Lycan's effect," Eric declared. "I tribute it to deal 2800 points of damage to both of us."
Throwing its head back and howling gallantly at the moon, the armored werewolf unleashed a medley of golden energy, flowing through the night like a streaming river coursing in gentle circular patterns as they passed through both Eric and Aurora to give them one final wave of tender light. Both closed their eyes as they took in this last influx of warmth, allowing it to fill every inch of their bodies and wash away all the pain, even healing Aurora's wound on her forehead. Then, having expended all its power, the werewolf began to disintegrate into white particles, vanishing peacefully into the starry night sky. (0/0)
As the duel finished without a winner, the DED nullifier switched off, freeing Aurora from her barrier constraint. She was now free to attack Eric once more with no further obstruction. However, Eric stood still without the slightest sign of fear or defense, and Aurora stayed where she was without the slightest malicious intent. They both knew that the person standing before them was no longer an enemy.
"This is all I can do for you," Eric said. "There's nothing I can do to completely erase your darkness. Your memories will always be a part of you, and they will always influence your life. But now, it's up to you to decide how they define who you are."
"I know," she nodded. "At least for now, you've shown me a little bit of the light that lies beyond my pain. Now, it's up to me to find the rest of it."
"What will you do from now on?" Eric asked. "Go back to the Dark Chasers?"
"Yeah," she replied, lowering her eyes to the ground. "Even though you've shown me the ugliness of my hatred, my devotion still lies with the Dark Chasers who took me in when I had no one else. I won't betray them."
"I see," Eric sighed. "I still don't like it. But I respect your decision, Aurora."
"My name is Isabel," she smiled as she began to walk away. "Isabel Llyod."
Eric watched with a bittersweet grin as she departed, not turning away until she became a speck in the horizon. He then turned to look at the moon, half shining with an ethereal glow and half faded in the cold darkness of space.
I'm sorry I couldn't become the kind of person you wanted me to be, dad, Eric said somberly to himself. My light isn't strong enough to withstand all the darkness around me, much less wash it away. My light isn't as bright as yours.
He then pulled out the card which represented his inner darkness, staring at it with ambivalent feelings of disdain and acknowledgement.
But I've learned that what people need isn't someone who can overpower the shadows in their hearts with a blinding light. It's someone who can understand and accept their darkness, and then show them their own light.
Closing his eyes, Eric slid the card into his deck, resolved to endure whatever pain it would bring him in the future.
I know this isn't the answer you want.
But it's the answer I've decided on.