Episode 55: Trials Part 1

Yuni is lying on the ground of a cave in the Realm of Chaos, sleeping. He begins to toss and turn. The scene changes to show the dream that he's having. Yuni is witnessing Apep's final moments over again, Konton is ordering the Chaos Deity to attack Apep. Yuni shouts out, "No, Apep!" He begins to reach out towards Apep. But suddenly freezes in place. He thinks, No! I can't move!

The attack is fired at Apep. Yuni makes grunting noises, as if making an effort to move, but he stands completely frozen. Apep is hit by the attack and is sent flying backwards. He slowly dematerializes away. Yuni thinks, Apep is gone, and it's all my fault. I should have been the one dueling, not him. Yuni manages to move again and looks towards Konton. Yuni's face becomes covered in rage. He thinks, No, this is your fault! He shouts aloud, "You destroyed Apep! This is all your fault!"

Konton smiles wickedly, as if to say, "What are you going to do about it?" but he says nothing aloud. Konton then raises his arm and beckons Yuni to come closer.

Yuni takes several steps. He says, "You will pay for what you've done!" Konton still says nothing.

An small apparition of the Chaos Emperor Dragon appears next to Yuni. It says, "Destroy him, you know that you want to. Justice must be served." Yuni clenches his fists in anger.

Another apparition appears, this one is the Black Luster Soldier. It says, "No Yuni! You must not give into your anger. You must remain a servant to the balance."

Chaos Emperor Dragon insists, "No, he's the reason Apep is gone, you must have your revenge."

All this time Konton is still standing exactly where he was, still beckoning to Yuni, with the same, sadistic smile.

Black Luster Soldier tries to convince, "Vengeance is not the answer, it will not bring back Apep."

Yuni looks down, clenches his fists, and closes his eyes. After a few moments he says under his breath, "No, I need this." He suddenly looks up towards the sky and screams with rage. He charges at Konton and leaps at him. Just as Yuni is about to make contact, the scene shifts. There is a dark figure, cloaked by shadows, sitting on a throne. The figure wears a black cloak, and has glowing purple eyes. Standing behind the dark figure is the Chaos Emperor Dragon. The scene is still in the Realm of Chaos, but it is nighttime. The Chaos Emperor Dragon says, "The new Age of Darkness is upon us!"

The figure says, "Indeed it is."

The Chaos Emperor Dragon roars, "All hail Dark Lord Yuni!"

The shadows break on the figure to reveal it to be Yuni sitting on the throne, but not the Yuni we know. He has a pail, grey face, and has look of pure evil.

Yuni bolts awake. He's panting and in a cold sweat. He thinks with despair, Oh Apep, I could really use you now right now. I need guidance. Yuni looks out the entrance to the cave, as if trying to judge the time. He thinks with aggravation, It's impossible to judge time in this stupid place! How am I supposed to know if I got a full night's rest. He sighs. Oh well, guess I might as well get moving now. I'm not that far Temple of Balance anymore. Yuni gets up and walks out of the cave.

It is an unknown amount of time later. Yuni is taking his final steps towards a massive temple complex. Its architecture is reminiscent of ancient Greek or Roman styles, with massive columns and a triangular roof. Yuni steps up to the first of many steps leading to the inside. He takes a deep breath. He says aloud, "Look out destiny, here comes Yuni." Yuni walks up the steps. He makes to the top and stops for a moment to allow himself a breath. He steps in. Inside, the temple is dark and shadowy. Almost nothing can be seen. Yuni gulps. He projects his voice, "Um…hello? I'm here to see the Will of Chaos."

Very quickly, there is a slithering motion to the right of Yuni. Yuni quickly turns to try to see the source, but is too late. He says, "Well…um…if no one's here, then I'll just be going. I'll come back at a better time." Yuni lets out a sigh of relief and turns around to walk out. Suddenly a shadowy serpent slithers in front of Yuni, who jumps back the moment he sees it.

A loud voice emanates from the shadows, "So, you have finally arrived." It is the same voice that has been speaking to Yuni in dreams, the voice of the Will of Chaos.

Yuni gulps and turns around, towards the source of the voice. He says nervously, "Yes…I am Yuni Oha. I have come to become the next Lord of Chaos."

"I know why you are here." In the back of the room, there is another slithering motion. Slowly, the figure that caused it slowly rises into the air. Its features are revealed by the twilight shining in from outside. It is a massive serpentine dragon, colored gold. It looks like an Egyptian hieroglyph of a dragon come to life. It has no legs, two arms, and its head has many red and blue frills and projections adorning it. On its chest is a yin-yang emblem. Like many other things relating to Chaos, one of its eyes is gold, and the other is dark purple. The serpent speaks, but instead of physically speaking, its voice is projected, "I am Apophis, the Will of Chaos!"

Yuni, seeming to forget his nervousness, exclaims, "Wait a second, your name is Apophis? That was…" He trails off at the encounter of the painful memories.

Apophis says, "Yes, the previous Lord of Chaos took my name as his honorary title." Yuni flinches upon hearing Apep referred to as the previous Lord of Chaos.

Yuni takes a deep breath and asserts, "Alright, I've had many dreams where you have spoken to me. Every time I ask you why, but you never answer. So, now that we're face-to-face, why do you always come to me?"

Apophis muses, "You are very assertive, for a mortal. Yes, I have come to you in your dreams, but I think you know why by now. You are the Heir of Yugoha, you are to be the next Lord of Chaos. That is why I come to you."

Yuni says, mostly to himself, "I guess I was just hoping that you'd be able to tell me more than that."

"Anything more than that is up to you to find out on your own."

Yuni nods. He looks up, into the eyes of Apophis and says sternly, "I ready to face my destiny. Make me the next Lord of Chaos."

Apophis floats toward Yuni and swirls around him, creating a loose coil. He looks Yuni eye-to-eye, mere inches away from his face. He says, "One does not just become a Lord of Chaos! You must first pass three trials!"

Yuni, not flinching at all from Apophis' sudden approach, says, "If that is what I must do, then I will. I am ready for anything that you might throw at me. Bring on the trials!"

Apophis returns to his original position and says, "Only the trials will tell if you are truly ready. Let the trials will begin." Apophis opens his mouth, and breathes a black and white fire. The fire begins to swirl in a vortex around Yuni. Yuni hesitantly reaches towards the fire, to find that it is not hot. The fire closes in on Yuni, and suddenly the scene around him changes. He is standing in the center of a Roman style coliseum. Yuni looks around in confusion. The projected voice of Apophis says, "I call upon the power if the Chaos Guardian (Dark/Level 4/Warrior/ATK 1000/DEF 0)!" In front of Yuni, a massive hulking monster appears. It wears black and white armor and holds a sword of light, and a shield of darkness. Apophis explains, "The Chaos Guardian was one of the first monsters that the first Lord of Chaos fought when stranded in the Realm of Chaos. Let's see how you do against it."

Yuni smiles and nods. He says, "Alright, I get it." He flips open his deck box on his hip, and pulls out a card, which he holds up to the sky. "I summon Cyber-Technokinetic (Light/Level 4/Psychic/Effect/ATK 1900/DEF 200)! Go my monster, attack Chaos Guardian!" Yuni's monster uses its powers to assemble a laser cannon and fires it at the opposing monster, destroying it. Yuni cheers, "Alright! Is that all you got? I shouldn't have been worrying about this at all!"

Suddenly there is a pulse of black and white, and the Chaos Guardian is back. It grows bigger (ATK: 2000). Yuni doesn't notice, and the monster slashes its sword, which sends a beam of energy at Yuni's monster, destroying it. The attack continues onto to Yuni, who notices just in time to dodge out of the way.

Yuni demands, "Hey, what gives, I destroyed that monster already! Fine, I'll just do it again!" He pulls another card out of his deck case. "I call upon the power of the Cyber-Tech Magician (Dark/Level 7/Spellcaster/Effect/ATK 2500/DEF 2100)! Attack now, Cyber Magic Attack!" Yuni's monster releases its magical blast, and once again, destroys the monster. Yuni shouts, "You see Apophis, anything that you throw at me, I can take! Might as well just proclaim me the next Lord of Chaos now!" But as he's speaking, the monster revives itself once more, and then grows even bigger (ATK: 4000). It launches its attack. Yuni, noticing this time, commands, "Cyber-Tech Magician, out of the way!" Both Yuni and his monster dodge and avoid the attack. Yuni thinks out loud, "Okay, so you can't be destroyed by battle. I get it. Well, how about this!" He pulls out another card. "I activate the Cyber-Tech Spellbook of Destruction, in order to destroy Chaos Guardian with an effect!" Cyber-Tech Magician wields the spellbook and casts a spell. Chaos Guardian is hit by a massive blast of energy, and destroyed. Yuni says, "Bet you didn't expect me to catch on that fast." But once more, the monster returns, and yet again, it grows bigger (ATK: 8000). At this point, it is incredibly huge. Yuni sighs. He thinks, Shoot! I thought that that would work for sure! Hmm…maybe I'm going about this wrong. Maybe I can't destroy it all!

The Chaos Guardian raises its blade for another attack. Yuni whips a new card out and declares, "I activate Dimensional Prison! With this card I can banish any attacking monster!" In front of Cyber-Tech Magician, a giant vortex opens up and swallows the attack. The vortex then sucks the monster in. Yuni waits several moments, but the monster doesn't come back. After feeling certain that it won't, he says, "How about that Apophis!? Did I pass your test!?"

After a few moments, Apophis says, "The first trial has been completed. Barely, but completed." The scenery around Yuni begins to warp and change, until he is standing back in the temple. Apophis says, "You may have succeeded, but know this, had the Chaos Guardian reached 16000 attack points, you would have failed the trial."

Yuni says, "Well I passed, isn't that all that matters?"

Apophis says sternly, "If you wish to become a Lord of Chaos, it is best that you lose your attitude. And just because you did not fail, does not mean you have passed. Your total performance across all three trials will be evaluated at their completion."

Yuni nods. "Alright then, what's the next trial?"

Apophis says, "For the second trial, you shall be placed in a random area of the Realm of Chaos. It will be your job to retrieve for me the True Treasure of Chaos. This trial dates back to the first Lord of Chaos, who in his journey to defeat the Chaos Emperor Dragon, had to complete this task in order to gain the trust of the Black Luster Soldier. However, the first Lord of Chaos had the aid of Black Luster Soldier in his search, and most who come here to take the trials already have some sort of command over Chaos powers, so you will be given a rudimental set to assist you in your trial. These powers will be extremely basic in comparison to the powers that you will be granted, assuming you pass all three trials. A word of warning; part of the trial is also to see how efficiently you use your Chaos powers. Do you except the challenge?"

Yuni smiles and nods. "Of course I except. Let's do this."

"Let us begin." Once more, Apophis breathes its flames, and Yuni is transported elsewhere.

Yuni is now in a nondescript area of the Realm of Chaos. The only noticeable landmark is the Chaos Range, the mountains where the Temples of Balance and Eternity are located, which appears not to be too far away.

The voice of Apophis declares, "Let the second trial begin."

Yuni takes a few moments to look around. He says to himself, "Well isn't this just great? There's nothing here! How am I supposed to find a treasure with out any sort of map or something?" He takes a few moments to consider his options. He smiles and says, "However, I've always wanted to try this trick out." Yuni holds the palm of his hand face up, and looks like he is intensely focusing on his palm. After several moments, a small, dim, black and white fireball appears above his palm. "Sweet!" The fire quickly flickers out. "I guess that I'll need to keep more focus, at least until I get some more practice." Yuni looks out towards the horizon and sighs. "I guess that I should get going now." He sighs again and starts to walk away.

Some time later, Yuni is trekking through the wastelands of the Realm of Chaos. He stops for a breather and sighs once more. He says to himself, "This is impossible, I have no clue where this treasure is located. I don't know what to do!" Yuni walks several steps to his left and sits down on a boulder. He looks stressed out. He thinks, I'm sorry Apep. I've failed you. There's no way I can complete this trial. I'm no Lord of Chaos. He then says aloud, "Why'd you have to go away Apep? Why?"

Suddenly, a mischievous voice answer, "That would be because of me."

Yuni looks up, and to his surprise, standing before him, not even ten feet away is Konton. Rage suddenly overcomes Yuni. He shouts, "You! How dare you show your face near me!?"

Konton chuckles malevolently. He says playfully, "What are you going to do about it?"

Yuni starts to say, "I'm going to…" he hesitates, "I'm going to destroy you!" Yuni holds out both hands and black and white fireballs ignite in each. The fires suddenly start to burn hotter and brighter and turn completely black.

Konton smiles again. He claps whimsically and says, "Oh, so pretty. Can you pull a rabbit out of your hat next?" Yuni roars with anger and throws both fireballs at Konton, who simply flicks his hand and they disappear. He smiles once more, and then turns around and runs away.

Yuni demands, "Get back here!" Yuni runs off in pursuit. "You won't get away from me! You will pay for what you have done!" Yuni thinks, Alright, what Chaos power could I use to help me? He experiences a quick flashback of the night before his duel with Apep at the Duel Sanctuary finals. In it, he sees Apep's servants, Lux and Nox, and how they used their Chaos powers to make a rope-like projection to capture the ninja duelist, Sasuke. Yuni thinks, That's it! He focuses and raises his arms. Two shadow projections leave his hands and stretch towards Konton. Konton immediately turns around and flicks the projection away.

Konton taunts, "Is that all you have? Ha! Didn't Apep tell you? I am one of the strongest masters of Chaos ever! Then add my extra powers, ha! Your puny powers can't beat me!" He pauses a moment, and then says, "You'll never avenge Apep like that!"

Yuni says in anger, "I'm sick of you!" He closes his eyes. Dark purple energy begins to swirl around him. He opens his eyes again, and they're glowing red. Yuni roars with rage. He then yells, "You're doomed!" A massive surge of black and dark purple energy fly out Yuni and head straight at Konton.

Konton looks behind him and upon seeing Yuni's attack, his eyes grow wide in shock. He mutters nervously, "Mommy…" The energy hits him and knocks him to the floor. He is then pinned down by the energy.

Yuni catches up with him and stands over him. He says, "You have put me through so much! It all ends here!" Yuni creates a massive black fireball and prepares to throw it at Konton, who looks extremely nervous. Yuni shouts, "Goodbye!"

Just as he's about to unleash the fire, a voice shouts out, "Yuni, no!"

Yuni instantly cancels the fireball. He looks around him frantically. Finally he questions cautiously, "Apep?"

In front of Yuni, a spiritual manifestation of Apep appears. He says, "Do not attack with your rage Yuni."

The dark energy around Yuni ceases. He says, "No, this is impossible."

The spirit says, "Obviously not, since I'm here."

Yuni shakes his head. "No it's not. I just had a traumatic experience, and now I'm under the stress of these trials. You must be some sort of hallucination."

The spirit says, "That is your decision to make. I am as real as you believe me to be. Let go of your anger Yuni. Vengeance is never the solution. Trust me, I don't want you to defeat Konton purely to avenge me."

Yuni throws his hands into the air. He says, "Why should I listen to you!? Your just my subconscious projected into a hallucinated image."

"Don't you think that your subconscious would know me well enough to know what I would want?"

Yuni puts his hands to his forehead and groans with frustration. He says, "I don't know! I just don't know!" He starts to cry. "I'm under so much pressure right now. I don't know what to do."

The spirit nods and says, "All I can't help you with your trials, that is up to you, but I can advise you on this, defeating Konton using darkness will only lead to even more darkness and disbalance."

Yuni has a quick flashback to his earlier dream, where he was sitting on the throne.

"The Dark Path is not one easily recovered from."

Yuni beckons to Konton, still lying helpless on the ground, and asks, "What do I do about him?"

"Let him go, this is not the time or place to stop him."

Yuni sighs and turns towards Konton. With a wave of his hand, the energy binding him disappears. Yuni starts to say, "Thanks, I needed…" He trails off he realizes that the spirit is gone. He mutters to himself, "I guess the hallucination must also have been anger induced as well." he turns back to Konton who is standing motionlessly. Yuni asks, "What, are you going to mock me for being weak now?"

Konton asks, "Why did you not attack me?"

Yuni thinks, That entire conversation must have happened in my mind. He says aloud, "This is neither the time nor the place to stop you. It would not serve the Balance, only serve to destroy it. You can go now, I'll see you when I'm a full fledged Lord of Chaos, and a guardian of the Balance."

Konton smiles and vanishes into nothing. Yuni looks surprised, as Konton normally appears and disappears in a flash of shadows. The voice of Apophis sounds, "You have completed the second trial." Yuni is returned to the Temple of the Balance.

Yuni looks even more confused. He asks, "What do you mean? I didn't find any treasure."

Apophis says, "As a matter of fact, you have found the greatest treasure of all. You have defeated your inner darkness and found Balance."

Yuni says, "I don't get it."

"What is a treasure, other then something of a great beauty? And what can be more beautiful than the purity and perfection of the balance?"

Yuni nods in understanding. He asks, "What about Konton, what was up with him?"

"The second trial is custom designed for the one being tested. You were put in a situation that would bring out the darkness within you, and you defeated it. You discovered the treasure of the Balance. Now tell me, are you ready for the third trial?"

Yuni smiles. "Of course I'm ready. What do I have to do?"

"For the third trial, you must face me in a duel."

Yuni smirks. "In that case, all I have to say is duel on!"