Dechal
She could remember how she'd gotten here. Somewhat at least. Mostly.
It wasn't until recently that she'd been able to do that after all, so it was rather hard to tell.
Anzu's eyes were closed to the world, her body submerged in what felt like the coldest waters of the sea. Though her clothes were still there from the evening before, right down to the cheap sandals she'd worn to the store, she felt as though she'd been stripped completely bare and tossed in the oceans of the southern poles. 'Where is this,' she wanted to ask, slowly looking around the darkness and holding herself close. Though her eyes in 'here' were open, there was nothing to see. Even a cleared mind couldn't help this, and so again the question repeated with a slightly altered tone. '...What is this..? ...How did I..?' How did she get there, she tried to tell herself. How? Her mind was clear- she could remember it clearly now...
She could remember going home that evening. The day before school, the final day of summer. Evidently a cause for celebration in her mother's eyes, so she'd asked her to decide on something 'special' for dinner. That was how she'd been caught outside she supposed... But what had she been doing again, she asked herself with narrowed eyes. Not just for that day... What had she been doing? For a number of days that summer she'd visited with Yugi, or worked on her summer homework... She'd contacted Shizuka a few times, having visited the hospital in her stead to check up on Ryuzaki as well- and speaking of the hospital...
She'd actually run into Haga of all people while there. That was odd... It was just in the hall on the way to the stairs, so who knew what happened really. He'd ignored her for the most part as well- there was an odd look on his face she had noticed... She couldn't place what it was though. That day however... The last evening...
She'd gone to the market as far as she could recall. Malik's mentions of sukiyaki the few weeks prior had put a little bug in her mind she supposed, and when she checked the fridge for some food to try getting her own cooking done half the ingredients were missing. Between her mother's request for something 'special' and that, she'd decided she mind as well go the extra length for it. So she went out, throwing her bag over her shoulder.
And when she was on her way back...
She could remember the car pulling up beside her, a window rolling down. The car itself was fairly noticeable. A black rolls royce, and though it was obviously rented (or so the 'Malik' in her mind told her), it was just as obviously not for show so much as familiarity. The man inside was asking for directions but try as she might she couldn't recall what he'd even looked like. All she remembered was what he'd said after she'd given the directions to the Kaiba-Corp building... Just a quick 'Thank you very much! By the way...'
Who's that behind you?'
Her face had been covered by something before she could even react. A cloth, or at least it felt like one for the moment. And then just as she'd realized that, she saw darkness...
Before she'd woken up with a snap, eyes wide with the same fear she'd felt at that very moment.
"N... Nggg..." Anzu shuddered somewhat, breathing cold and almost forced as she rolled over from her bed. "What..." What was this, she asked herself with a frown. Meeting her gaze at the moment was her bedroom, as it always had been. Her 'half loft' bed above her dresser, blanket somewhat lumped up on the side thanks to the summer heat. Her the desk at the side near the window, lamp still bent over where she'd left it the night before. A few books in the corner from where she'd been doing some 'pet research'- she'd initially wondered why she was doing that before deciding to send an angry e-mail to Malik about his memories getting in the way of things again actually...
She'd very quickly gotten a response saying that he himself was very upset about suddenly not liking snakes, and that she should probably just assume Newton's Third Law on anything that happened from that point on. Namely that if she was doing something 'Malik-ish', he was probably doing something 'Anzu-ish', which meant he was probably feeling just as awkward if not possibly more-so. She supposed he was right- and that he honestly had just as much reason to complain if she decided to whine about it in the end...
But it still annoyed the heck out of her that she couldn't stop looking at that pet store snak-
"Anzu..!" The woman turned, blinking as her mother's voice came over the air. Hn? Mom? "ANZU! Wake up or you'll be late for school!" Late, but it was only-
Her eyes widened as she looked at the alarm clock on her bed, throwing the sheets aside in panic."A-Ah..! I'm up mom..!" She scrambled, half tripping out of her bed as she ran to grab her things. Shoot, shoot... Homework in back, uniform on bathroom door, shower, shower, shower..! (How could she have slept in like that!)
"You better not take too long in there..!"
"I won't mom!" The water was already warming up against her hand, splattering off the sides even. Ten minutes she told herself. No more than ten minutes or she'd be late on the first day back..! Showers tended to last around that time really, at least before school. Get cleaned, get dressed, get breakfast. That was how it worked. Even so, it wasn't long before she found herself simply turning it off anyways- she didn't really need a shower a voice told her, the woman finding herself frowning somewhat at the thought. She wasn't sure why, but it felt almost like it wouldn't do anything... Even with to the sweaty state the night before had left her in. (...Ew...)
"ANZU..!"
She pulled herself from her thoughts, throwing her clothes on and grabbing her backpack with a shout. "Shoot... Coming mom..!" The girl rushed into the kitchen, grabbing the lunch she'd prepared the evening before from the fridge while her mother prepared herself breakfast in the next room. "Ahhh... What time is it..."
"Seven thirty," she said flatly, ignoring the fact that her daughter had supposedly been aware of the time already.
"You didn't wake me up earlier!"
"I thought you were until I realized the shower never came on." The elder woman poked her head around the corner of the room, frowning somewhat. "Come to think," she muttered with narrowed eyes, "That shower didn't seem very long..."
She merely grabbed one of the rice-balls in the fridge at that, slinging the backpack over her shoulder. "No time," she quickly answered, stuffing some of the rice in her mouth and running to the hall to pull her shoes on. "I have to run or I'll be late..!"
"So I see," the woman commented, before catching a glimpse of what her daughter was eating. "AH- Anzu," she barked, "That isn't a proper breakfast!"
"Ittekimasu!"
"ANZU!"
It was already sunny out she'd noticed dully, looking up at the sky as she ran for her bus stop. Despite the somewhat early hour of the day, the summer's dying influence still brought an early rise to the sun. She'd laughed to herself at that thought, picking up speed as she ran down the street. She had to stop feeling surprised over these obvious things she told herself- stop letting Malik's memories of darkness underground influence her, stop letting-
"...This place..." She wondered what the chances could have been- that the place where she'd given those directions would be the same location as her bus stop. She had to pass it to get to the store after all... Within such a short distance of her house though, it was almost surprising that she'd 'dreamed' all that went on the evening before. "There's even a market bag there," she laughed, walking toward the stop when it was made obvious that the bus had yet to arrive, "Just like-"
Hers. The blood drained from her face the moment she looked over the bag that lay fallen on the ground, a few eggs cracked and long spoiled on the pavement before it. Vegetables here and there, straps stepped on, meat lapped away by whatever stray dogs or cats were in the area...
A hissing sound pulled her attention from her thoughts, and as the bus doors opened she turned. "A-Ah..." Fumbling, she hurried onto the bus, flipping her pass to the driver before moving to stand on the side. "..." Outside the window, she could see the bags for just a moment longer, before the bus' movement had banished it from sight. The market bag. Her bag.
If it was a dream, it wouldn't have been there. If it wasn't, she wouldn't have woken up in her bed, with her mother none the wiser. So then why, she asked herself, holding her head and grimacing in pain as the darkness surrounded her. Or rather, how, she supposed. How could it be possible for one or even the other to happen without her knowing..? How...
Put it from mind, a soft voice seemed to whisper to her at that moment, Anzu quite vividly recalling herself leaning back against the bus window and staring off with dull eyes at those words. Put it from mind, school was more important wasn't it? But was it really, she responded mentally, this seemed a little serious-
Put it from mind...
So she had. She'd exited the bus at the school stop, walked in, and joined class with her friends. She'd talked with Yugi about their summer 'date', almost tripped over herself when it turned out it was the 'other' Yugi listening in rather curiously... They had English, Gym, Math and History, and halfway through the day lunch had gone by just as expected. Tests to check up on whether or not they'd bothered studying over the summer were handed out of course ('SHIT', shouted Jonouchi!), and overall she felt...
As though she was only half there. She didn't say anything of course- if anything, she probably acted more chipper than she ordinarily would, joining in the conversations of the day with almost menial things in order to lift the mood. Laughing when one of the 'guys' (Yugi didn't count... Most of the time) did something stupid, making some kind of response when someone said something to her... And then 'Tenma' had appeared...
And try as she might have, she hadn't been able to correct herself that time. She hadn't been able to tell herself that this was just a dream, or that she was hallucinating, or that nothing was wrong. No... By this point she just felt stupid for not even realizing what had happened. "What..." She'd felt half there all day... "What is this..." Now she felt even worse... "What..." She felt sick... She felt... Dead... "...Yu-"
She was vanishing. Within seconds her body was turning into ash and smoke, her senses fading into darkness. All she could see of the rooftop were fading blurs, hear the shouts of the others as they stared, horrified...
"Yugi," she shouted, voice barely a whisper. "What..." The entire world had vanished right then, leaving her completely blind...
And when she opened her eyes... She saw nothing but darkness. Nothing but liquid shadows curling over her form, voices and hissed whispers filling the air. And though she wanted to ask who was there, she could barely find it within herself to shiver, instead pulling herself closer and clutching the thin t-shirt she wore. All there was was darkness... Darkness and curious voices, and as she held herself close she found herself almost ready to cry. Where was this? Darkness, she thought someone answered. How did she get here? Ask yourself. When...
When was she going to get out..?
There was no answer to that question, and a few moments later she couldn't even remember asking that. All she could do was close her eyes... And hope.
-Error; Incorrect Key.-
"Hnnn..." The device flashed red as they both stood before it, eyes narrowed with annoyance at their current obstacle.
-swp- -BZZZZZT.-
-Error; Incorrect Key.-
Hnnnng, again..! "I don't think it's working Aibou."
"Hnnggg..." Yugi frowned, looking over the card in his hands. "Weird," he muttered under his breath. "We haven't run into anyone else so far... If there's no one here, how are we supposed move forward..?" The boy turned, eyes drifting over the almost black hall. So far, they'd come up quite a number of floors with no trouble; already they were on the tenth of twenty, passing closed doors and signs pointing toward staff cafeterias and washrooms. Despite this however, there wasn't a soul in sight- it was as though the entire building had been abandoned for years. "Hn..."
"Perhaps there's another way," his partner offered, crossing his arms in thought. The spirit hovered from the side, gesturing forward. "...Look," he added with a nod. "There's a light over there; perhaps it's the next 'professor'." Hnn...
"Perhaps," he muttered, looking toward the dull light and moving toward it somewhat hesitantly. It seemed properly suspicious after all- a single light on a floor that was entirely dark. The room where the light came from was labeled cafeteria oddly enough, and even from outside the large entryway he could see the enormous glass windows letting light into the room, a few potted trees sitting near the side for decoration. It wasn't until he actually made his way in however that he spotted the one who had likely turned the light on.
"Hn..? 'Obaa'," his other self questioned, brows furrowing in confusion. Ah- while there was indeed an old woman there...
"Other me, that's a little rude," he muttered, ignoring the 'it's true!' coming from behind him as he walked toward the old woman his partner had spotted. The woman in question seemed almost right at home in the cafeteria; she'd set herself up with a teapot and a cup in fact, and had only just set it down to turn toward the one interrupting her time. She was Japanese from what he could tell- and settled beneath a blanket in a rather advanced looking wheelchair, hands folded calmly in her lap.
As to what she was doing here, he had a feeling that one of the professors was currently visiting a relative that they refused to leave alone. Or at least something similar to that particular situation. She seemed a little too nice to be caught up in this really. "...Excuse me," he called out, the bespectacled woman turning her full attention to the boy. "...Ah..." Far too nice, he corrected mentally. "Excuse me, obaasan... Could I ask you something?"
"Oh..." She blinked, nodding. "Go right ahead," she responded kindly, a light smile on her face. "Is there something wrong? Are you looking for someone?"
Right on the dot. "I am," he said somewhat confidently. "I was having a few problems with the door you see... So I was wondering..." He lifted his arm, gesturing to the duel-disk latched over it in 'stasis' position. "Have you maybe seen anyone with a device like this," he asked, soon bringing his arm down as the woman stared.
"Hnn... Something like that?" The elder shoo her head, glasses balancing rather precariously on the edge of her nose. "No, I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone pass by here," she admitted, turning her chair to face the boy. "I'm quite sorry..." No one huh...
"Ah... Well, I suppose that's alright," he decided, rubbing his head and turning. So she didn't know... Alright then. "I'll just go somewhere el-"
"Are you looking for someone to duel perhaps," she asked, Yugi blinking in surprise.
"Ah- Duel... Do you know someone who duels then," the boy managed to get out, receiving a chuckle in response.
"Ohh, I should hope so. Despite my old age, I certainly know a thing or two about duel monsters. My grandchildren introduced me," she continued, 'driving' the chair away from the tablet to face him. "They taught me how to play, and in the end I couldn't resist buying myself a few cards of my own. It's quite the addictive game," she chuckled, shaking her head.
"This... Then she duels," his other half muttered in slight surprise, shaking his head. Hah...
"Like Grandpa," he found himself muttering, before shaking it off. He should stop being surprised really... "So... You're a duelist too then," he said somewhat louder, the elderly woman nodding in response.
"Quite right. Though my reasons for dueling are likely a little different from your own..." Hahaha...
"I doubt anyone's dueling for the same thing we are," his partner grumbled, Yugi holding back a response as he bit his tongue.
"That... That's fine," he instead answered, coughing somewhat awkwardly as the spirit continued to mutter under his breath. "Everyone has a reason right..?" Though he should probably be looking for the professor really...
"That's right..." Yes, and not to be rude... "But you see," the woman chuckled, tapping a button on the side of her chair, "My reason is quite specific... My dear boy," she continued, whirring meeting the air as a loud click followed, "My reason is to make sure you move no further than where you stand..!"
With a resounding clack the device that had pieced itself together within the woman's chair flipped forward, a thick and obviously modified form of dueldisk coming forward. "Th-That..." With a wide and welcoming gesture the woman chuckled, turning her chair to properly face the boy as she pulled a deck from in her pocket. Something as sudden as this...
He'd found the next card professor. "Hnhnhn... I have heard many things about you 'Mutou Yugi'," she complimented, bowing her head. "The 'King of Games' and the Champion of Japan... It's quite a feat," she continued with a chuckle. "My name is Katou Maiko- member of the Card Professors of the USA- and unless you don't wish to move on," she warned sternly, "I suggest you prepare for a duel."
"D-Duel you," Yugi repeated, still partially in shock.
"Is that a problem then," she asked, slipping the deck into her disk.
"Problem," his other half snarled. "Is that an insult, 'Old Hag'...!"
"It's an old woman other me! And stop being rude," he protested, "She can't even hear you!"
"No matter!"
"She's a GRANDMOTHER!"
"And Grandpa duels fine as well! I'm FIGHTING," he roared, abruptly swapping places with his still semi-shocked partner. "Prepare yourself..! When it comes to the end, I'll be the one to win..!"
"Ohohohoh..." The elder chuckled, spinning her chair to face the boy. "Quite the change in attitude," Maiko observed, moving the wheelchair over and across from her opponent. "Well... We'll just see about that. How about you go first now dear..? We'll play this through and decide at the end..."
"Hn! Very well then," the 'other' Yugi answered, drawing himself a hand of cards. Holograms shot into existence as he set a single card, giving his opponent a curt nod while a stationary monster came to the field. "I set Big Shield Guardna in defense mode," he announced, the enormous shield almost hiding him from sight. "End turn!" 2600 defense points would be more than enough to act as a shield for now... He couldn't afford to rush in on someone after all- he'd work on attack once he had an idea of Maiko's own strategies.
And as to what those were...
The woman across from him adjusted her classes, taking her card with a nod. "My turn then," she said calmly, her own dueldisk resting across her lap like a sort of table. "I'll summon this... Leprechaun in attack mode." The small one-shoed elf appeared in a flash of light, card revealing its tiny amount of power to her opponent. Four hundred attack... Now what could that do he wondered, watching the tiny 'elf' hover before him. "Next," Maiko was saying, Yugi's eyes narrowing suspiciously, "I play the equip spell 'poison bowgun', equipping it to my monster." Poison bow- The crossbow appeared in the monster's hand, taking aim toward its opponent with ease. "...Which allows me to destroy one card on the field! And I choose your shield," the woman continued, her monster's 'gun' clicking as it fired an arrow toward him. With ease the bolt pierced through the shield, Guardna vanishing in a shower of light as its summoner ducked under the force behind his arm. "The Bowgun and the Elf... A simple yet effective strategy to make a 'weakling' a beast..!"
"Gh..." He'd guessed really...
The hologram on the field faded into mist as a new arrow appeared in the bowgun's shaft, Yugi biting his lip. "Hnnn... That was almost too easy," Maiko muttered, clicking her tongue almost reproachfully. "Are you even trying..?" There was no response, and she merely smiled. "Well... I'll set a card before finishing for now..."
"Hn. Not bad..."
"Mmm..?"
The other Yugi smirked, eyes narrowing somewhat as he looked up from where his monster once sat. "I said 'not bad'! You're rather good at this, putting together a strategy that quickly." First move take-overs were difficult for the most part... It was mostly based on a luck of the draw after all, something he'd built his deck to work with. However, it was still hard to do that without sacrificing power...
It looked like this match would be fun. "Oh..? You think so," the elder 'asked', hiding her smile behind one hand. "My my, quite the compliment to me," she laughed. "Coming from the King of Games, that's nothing to take lightly... You'll have to pass the thanks onto my grandchildren," she continued, face somewhat flushed. "It's all thanks to them that I can play now... After I defeat you, I'll be sure to use the prize toward some new things for them..." Defeat..?
Hah! As if! "...Odd," he chuckled, smirk growing wider. "I could have sworn I told you I would win this match..! It's my turn now," he continued, drawing the next card and making the move he'd already decided upon moments before. "I'll set two cards face down... And summon the Jack's Knight!" The card shimmered into the air, as did the familiar yellow armor of the long-haired swordsman. The monster's blade gleamed under the already evening glow outside the window, and with narrowed eyes he too his stance forward. "Now," he announced, the knight standing almost stiff in his usual silent state of 'living' light, "Attack the leprechaun!"
"Hnnn..!" With a curt nod the monster charged, and just as quickly he found his blade digging into the thick bark of a tree. "Gh-"
"Not so fast!" With a swift 'tap' a button was clicked on the disk, holographic trees surrounding them in an instant. "Activate my face down spell, the field 'Deep Forest'... A truly deadly combo," she chuckled, her monster suddenly hidden from view by the leaves surrounding them, "You won't be able to find or attack me, but I can still attack you thanks to my equip card!" He already knew that. Damn it... "My move," the woman went on, 'Jack' merely widening his eyes as he attempted to locate his opponent, "I set one card face down, and following that attack! Now Leprechaun," she ordered, the imp appearing from behind one of the trees and cackling. "POISON ARROW!"
As the bolt fired toward the Jack's knight Yugi found himself smiling despite the monster's destruction. It tore into his monster's chest and in an instant the monster faded from sight, yet with closed eyes he understood. So that was her strategy then? Hide and attack- a guerillas strike. Well...
That was plenty easy for him to counter. "Hn..?" Across from him Maiko raised an eyebrow, the expression on her opponent's face obvious even from a distance. "Such a positive expression you have," she noted. "You should be in the middle of a crisis right now..."
"A crisis," he repeated, tapping his duel-disk with a laugh. "I don't think so- this card certainly doesn't fit the word 'crisis'..! I activate 'Circle of Illusion'," he shouted, the seal abruptly latching onto the still present leprechaun on the field. As the hologram stiffened and locked in place the smirk grew, light already appearing at the side as he made his next move. "You won't be able to hide any more... Moreover," he continued as he drew his card, "It's my turn now!" And the card he drew was...
Ah- Perfect!
"I summon Gazelle, King of the Mythical Beasts," Yugi announced, the lion-like creature shimmering into being with a roar as an alternate card was set upon the field. "Now... Slaughter the leprechaun," he ordered. "MYTHIC STRIKE!"
"GRRRAAAOOOO!"
Gazelle's claws tore through the hologram like hot butter, the monster not even needing to move from its place to attack. As the Leprechaun vanished in showering light the bowgun did the same- the cards faded from sight, and in their place was Maiko's face down and the forest she'd brought into existence. And yet, as he watched the remaining light fade away, he could hear something other than Gazelle's growling breathing.
"Hnhnhnhnhn..." What..? The boy took his eyes off Gazelle, the monster in question stalking toward one of the trees with a yawn. "Hahahhaha... Hnnn..." Wh-What..! Was Maiko...
Laughing..? Even Gazelle looked up with a confused growl, a frown almost appearing on the lion-monster's face. "You... How can you possibly laugh?"
"How can I not," she responded, still laughing as her holographic card swung upward. "Can't you hear it? The sad, lonely voice of the forest fae... Coming to avenge the smaller ones..."
"...Fae," Yugi repeated, narrowing his eyes as his other stared. "As in fairies?" Wh- Fairies!
"What..?"
-dmn...- What was that sound... -Dmmn..- "What's going on..?" -DMN...-
With the sound of rustling leaves the holographic trees shifted and twisted, green-fingered hands pushing past to stand behind the elder who summoned it. On enormous clawed feet the holographic monster stood, light misting off its form from the recent summon as it stared down toward its opponent. This thing... An ogre of incredible size, "What in the world..." Great and tall the monster stood, carrying over its slouched armored shoulders an enormous bat. With a gaping mouth and wild eyes it stared forward, Maiko still laughing as her opponent ground his teeth.
"Meet the Forest Guard, the Green Baboon," she chuckled, gesturing to the hologram at her side. Despite its name, it certainly didn't resemble an actual 'Baboon'. It was green and hulking yes, but it was no ape. "When this card is in my hand I can sacrifice 1000 points to summon it to the field," Maiko explained, "And at any time I so desire. My first strategy might have failed," she stated, clicking her tongue somewhat as she drew a card. "But my next one will assuredly stand for me... And now it is my turn," she laughed, switching her new card for another in her hand. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that your own monster has access to the forest' power... As a beast type, it's only natural. So, since I can't attack Gazelle," Maiko decided, the monster in question looking up at the sound of its name, "I'll play this... The Coloured Chameleon! Allowing my monster to attack either one monster or the player themselves directly during my turn! The Forest Guard will be invisible to your eyes," she warned, narrowing her eyes as the Baboon's hologram faded from sight. "Be on your guard... He could be anywhere..." Any...
Anywhere..? Yugi's heart pounded in his chest, the only thought running through his mind now being panic. True, he wasn't as 'sensitive' as Jonouchi, but at the same time he couldn't take a direct hit- and if he didn't time himself with the proper defense... "Where did it go," his lighter half muttered, looking around almost in fear as synthesized sounds of the forest continued to echo around them. "Where..?" Where...?
"Grrrrnnnnn..." Gazelle's low growls took his attention, the monster pulling itself to his feet to snarl at seemingly empty space. "Grrrrooooooouuuu..." That... Yugi's attention moved toward the monster, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Obviously Gazelle had an idea but-
-dnm...- That sound... -dmn...- That sound, it was-
"KH-"
"FOREST GUIOLTINE," Maiko snapped, her opponent turning just in time to find a holographic bat beating him downward. "The chances are in my favor," she continued, the baboon vanishing just as quickly as it came while Yugi grimaced. "Admit defeat..!" Defeat..?
"Tch..." He winced, rubbing his shoulder as he stood back up while Gazelle growled darkly from his side. "Never," he growled, drawing his card. He seemed to be finding himself in another 'all or nothing draw' he noted darkly. Not good... So... He looked toward the card, before smirking. "...Hn." Perfect, he thought to himself. eyes narrowing as he set it to the field. "You're done for Maiko... This is the end! I'll play this card in attack position," he shouted, cards set on the disk while he spoke, "Using Gazelle as sacrifice..! ARISE," he roared, the monster padding forward as it vanished into a shower of sparks, "The devil himself... THE ARCHFIEND OF GILFER! And following that," Yugi continued, setting still more cards on the disk as Gazelle's remains flamed upward in the form of the great winged demon, "I equip it with this... Hellfire's Flame!" The spell that destroyed field spells... Dealing damage to all other monsters save itself in return. And as the monstrous demon snarled in place the flames were already surrounding its feet. So... "With Hellfire's Flame in effect," he snarled, "I think you know what's next... GET READY," the boy shouted, hand hovering over his duel disk. "NOW-"
"DE-SPELL,"
"DE-SPELL!"
"What..." Maiko's eyes widened as both player's holograms flipped forward, identical lock-and-key images facing each other from the cards. "This..."
"Hnhnhn... Too bad for you," 'Yugi' chuckled, shaking his head. "My card overrides yours... So I'm afraid this is the end! GO," he roared, pointing the demon forward as it flew above the field. "Activate the equipped spell!
"HELLFIRE'S FLAME ATTACK!" Wh-
What? Gilfer was speaking- Before Yugi could even think of the sound of yet another monster's voice his vision was filled with red, the boy wincing and ducking behind his arm. The synthesized flames devoured everything in sight- it shrank the Forest Guard to almost half its size, and scattered the trees into 'ashes' on the wind, taking 1000 points of power and life from all but the source. And as the smoke cleared Maiko was left looking around, crossing her arms with a sigh.
"Oh my... It seems there's nothing I can do," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Go ahead boy- you earned this match." Hn!
He'd gladly finish it then! "In that case, time for Gilfer's normal attack," he announced, again pointing the demon forward as it inhaled. "Go... DEMONIC BLAZE!"
This time the flames that filled the air took everything- the monsters, the cards... Even the 'wind' that was left in its wake was gone, disks clicking back into a stasis while he walked forward. As he'd said, he had won.
And despite this, Maiko still smiled, as did he himself. "That was a good duel young man," she chuckled, pulling a key card from her breast pocket. "Quite fun..." Yes...
"It was," he responded honestly, taking the card in his hands with a slight bow. He'd almost left things with the compliment- but his lighter half decided that would be rude.
And given how much he'd been fretting in the background... "As promised," the woman went on, pulling Yugi from his thoughts, "Your way forward... You'll want to go upstairs," she continued, gesturing to the staircase at the side, "Through the second cafeteria entrance. In addition-"
-tp. tp. tp.-
"Hn..?" Clapping entered the air as Maiko spoke, each of them turning to follow the sound. That sound... Where was it coming from-
"Other me," Yugi abruptly cried, eyes widening in horror as his darker half followed his gaze. "Look..!" Wha-
Standing on the second level of the cafeteria, near white hair shadowing his eyes... "Gh... TENMA," he hissed, stepping back in shock.
"Oh... Now this is interesting," Maiko muttered, turning back to watch her former opponent pale. "...Yugi..?"
"Tch..." The boy bolted from the spot, racing up the stairs toward the man that was currently seated calmly at one of the many tables. "Tenma..!"
"Other me, calm down..!" What? How could he possibly calm down, this was the one who took- "If he has Anzu's body there's no telling what he'll do," Yugi protested from behind him, shaking his head. "So please..." ...Right...
He stopped a number of feet away, swallowing back his rage and forcing himself into apparent composure. "Tenma... So you've come down here, have you," he spat, eyes shadowed as he spoke.
The man shrugged, calm smirk over his face. "Well... Technically I wasn't supposed to actually leave the top of this building," he admitted, brushing a bit of hair from his eyes. "But with all these duels going on... I just couldn't help myself... I decided to come down here and watch," he continued, chuckling darkly. "After all, there's still seven more..." Gh... Seven...
"Jonouchi might run into them," Yugi realized with a short intake of breath. "...I wonder... ...Other me," he whispered, his partner merely clenching his fists. "Other me, I'm going to go check on him alright?" The boy nodded, and in a few moments his partner had vanished through the floor to leave him alone with Tenma. To business then, he decided.
"...Tenma... Why are you here," he asked, body stiff with unease.
For a moment, Tenma was silent, his eyes glazed over in apparent thought from his seat. With Yugi's words however he turned, stare narrowed in a mix of emotions that left the real one unknown. "In our previous battle," the CEO began quietly, "My Devil's Avatar never did finish its move..." He fell completely silent for a moment, standing from the table before continuing. "Moreover, I was fighting with a mere skeleton of a deck... It wasn't at all complete," he admitted, the boy across from him trembling more and more with rage. "But you know," Tenma went on almost crazily, "I'm ready now... So how about a re-match," he shouted, grin widening as he chuckled. "With a new deck, the strongest in existence..! Defeat me and you'll see Mazaki Anzu again, understand," the man offered. "Of course," he continued, ignoring the brief expression of shock and hope on the boy's face, "If you lose, I get something as well... Namely your three God Cards," he murmured darkly. The...
The god cards..? What did he want with the-
"Do you accept," Tenma asked, eyebrows raising in expectancy. Yugi found his scowl deepening with his words yet again. Accept... On the one hand, he would see Anzu again. On the other, there was just something... Wrong about this. If there were seven others why fight him now? Why challenge him... It was so obviously a set up, and yet the possibility of what happened in the end-
"...Fine," he spat, clicking his dueldisk into place yet again. For Anzu... For her sake..! "Lets duel..!"
Tenma nodded curtly in response, dark and superior smirk still playing over his face as he turned to the side. "Very well," he answered, moving to the side and pushing past a large door at the far end. "Follow me- we'll be dueling in one of this building's many presentation halls," he explained, walking through the doorway and into a dark auditorium-like room. "On the stage..."
And what a stage it was he noted from the entrance, almost wondering for a moment how many it could even seat. The reminder that this was 'one of many' was almost ringing in his ears for a moment as he followed Tenma down the steps from the seats, eventually hopping onto the stage proper to take his position. From the side, a third man appeared, carrying with him a duel disk. As he handed it to Tenma, it took a moment to recognize him.
In the end however, he made himself all too obvious, even without the large gauze bandage he'd seen him with almost a year before. "The duel will now commence," Crocketts announced, voice sounding almost morose and forced as he moved to the side. "Are the competitors ready?"
Sparing only a minute glance at the old man he nodded, Tenma doing the same from the opposite end of the stage. "I am," Yugi responded, turning his gaze back to his opponent. "Now... Lets go..!"
"DUEL!"
"I go first," Yugi announced just as quickly as the call to battle, cards pulled into each of their hands with blurring speed. "I set one card face down," he began, hologram shimmering into sight. The card hovered at knee's height before him, and soon enough another card joined it. "Following that the Queen's Knight in defense mode!"
As the stationary red warrior hovered in place his opponent chuckled, shaking his head. "Hnhnhnhnhn... The three God-summoning knights," he whispered, narrowing his eyes in mirth. "An old strategy Yugi... You should try something else for once," he continued, expression widening yet again. "I'll show you the results of a new strategy..! Watch- I summon the Summoner Monk in defense mode," Tenma cried, the long haired and long robed man misting into existence above the ground. "And while I can't use it as a sacrifice," he went on, "I can special summon one level four or lower monster from my deck each turn thanks to his ability! Watch... I summon the Seraphim Saber in attack mode," he shouted, light searing from his side as a blade wielding angel crackled from the projection. "Moreover," Tenma went on, "By his effect, all Angels I have on the field increase either their attack or defense by 200 points... Including himself! I'll leave you with that and set another face down card," he sneered, waving his hand somewhat as the hologram shifted into place on his already filling field. "I end my turn..."
"Right," he responded, drawing his next card. "Here goes..." A new strategy indeed... This was nothing like Tenma had played before Yugi noted, narrowing his eyes. In the place of demons and fiends he had angels and priests... Nonetheless. At the moment Tenma had two monsters on the field- and regardless of what he did through normal methods, there would be one remaining. With that in mind... "I'll set one more face down card," he decided, before setting yet another card on the disk. "Next, I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" In milliseconds the monster shouted his response, blinding light forming its being as the magnet fisted being. "So... Beta," he ordered, the golden robot nodding in response. "ATTACK THE MONK!"
"HNNNNN..." Beta charged the monk before him, curved fist pulled back and ready for a strike. Despite the lack of a mouth the battle cry was just as clear as the words from his monster's mouths before, and it was for that reason that he found himself just as surprised as it was when he heard its shocked grunt. "-NH!"
The monster stiffened and stumbled as it flew through the hovering Priest, landing at Tenma's feet with a robotic 'oof'. "W-WHAT- WHAT..." He was beginning to feel like Jonouchi he thought idly, watching as the monster turned to shake itself and look back to his opponent before shrugging. "OH-WELL. MAGNET PUNCH," it decided, smacking an ignorant Tenma across the stomach as Yugi stared. "THAT-WENT-WELL..." Yes, of course it did but...
"How..." Other than the obvious since when did all the monsters speak, how had the Monk...
His eyes widened as they fell on the card far across from him, before narrowing in distaste. "I activated 'Shield of Afterimage," Tenma explained, chuckling even as he stumbled under the attack he'd taken with direct force. "Allowing me to re-direct your attack to me instead of my monster." Well that was all great... But why protect-
He paled, grinding his teeth as Beta returned to his side of the field. Quick summon deck. The monk was the 'summoning' monster in a deck with a purpose similar to his, a deck meant to amass tributes for a God, so of course he'd protect that one..! "Tch... End turn," he grit out, watching as his opponent chuckled. "Your move, Tenma..!"
"Hnhnhnhn... So it is," Tenma laughed, drawing his next card as yet another hologram appeared to the field. "And I'll set yet another face down card before making my move..! First," he announced, light again searing from the projected holograms, "I activate the Summoner Monk's effect- From my deck I pull out the Seraphim Guarder in defense mode," Tenma cried, an angelic mass of metal appearing in a hunched position before the winged swordsman behind it. "Next," their summoner continued, "For my normal summon, this! The Seraphim Gunner..!" Again light appeared from the ground, and again a winged warrior came to the field. With a flowing cloak around its form two white shotguns could be seen in its hand, and with pre-programmed disdain it looked over the field. "Each of their effects are the same," Tenma explained with a laugh. "For each angel the monsters gain 200 attack or defense, and multiplied by 3 that means each monster gains six hundred points depending on their position! So... Prepare yourself," he cackled, pointing the overpowered monsters forward. "Slaughter him... KILL HIM," he roared, the monsters charging forward with blank faces. "Seraphim Saber attacks first... GET THE MAGNET WARRIOR!" Hn!
Not so fast! "Counter," Yugi announced, Beta bracing itself as the angels soared forward to strike. "Spellbinding circle! Locking position and decreasing power by seven hundred points..!" A monster that was now still powerful than Beta, but at least unable to attack, leaving him unharmed. However...
"NEXT," Tenma howled, grin widening even more as his defensive monster stood in blank stasis, "Seraphim Gunner... Kill the Queen's Knight! ANGEL SHOT!"
Gunfire sounded through the air and he winced, turning away as the hologram exploded in a shower of light beneath the holy bullets. It was hardly 'violent'- just shattering pixels, yet all the same, the fact that the difference between attack and defense gave a voice to those pixels...
It was chilling, to say the least. "Gh..."
"Only one left," Tenma 'warned', chuckling darkly. "Another 'God Summoning' combo down the drain... A God that will soon be mine," he hissed, the grin widening beyond its already impossible width. His?
He would die first..! "Tch... You underestimate me," he countered, tapping his duel disk with narrowed eyes. "I've only just begun... I activate the spell Soul Rope," Yugi announced, the card flipping upward to reveal its effect. "By tributing 1000 lifepoints I special summon a monster in the Queen's Knight's place... Alpha the Magnet Warrior," he shouted, the golden robot quickly shimmering in front of him to stand at Beta's side. "And... Now that it's my turn," he went on, narrowing his eyes, "I summon the third of the group.. GAMMA!" As Alpha's shadowed helmet took to the field the monster was quickly joined by his winged counter part, the monsters looking toward each other with nods.
"IT'S-TIME..." "ONE-TWO..." "GO..!"
"Alpha, Beta, Gamma," Yugi called, the monsters before him breaking apart into pieces before his eyes. "Combine! De-construct and reform- By sending the three magnet warriors to the grave," he thundered, pieces clacking and screwing together before his eyes, "I bring about Valkyrion the Magna warrior!" With a blast of light and metal the enormous beast took to the skies, earthen blade gripped tightly in its hands. "While he is only 'one' monster," the boy growled darkly, "He has far more power than you... Go Valkyrion," he ordered, the monster already charging forward with his sword. "Kill the Monk-Priest..!
"MAGNA MELEE!"
-BROOOOUM...!-
Lightning seared from the sword to strike the priest down, the hologram in front of them easily dispatched. Regardless of the attack however, Tenma's expression remained unchanged. He faced Yugi with a calm and steady smirk, the three angels hovering at his side in just the position he needed them to be. It was a formation that Yugi was all too familiar with.
A formation meant to summon a God. "I'll play one more trap," he said almost quietly, before moving his hand back from the field. "...End turn." Avatar would copy Valkyrion in power and appearance he reminded himself, looking to the monster at his side for a moment. He would have only one point more in power...
But surely, he told himself, that wouldn't cover the additional power from an equip spell. Surely there was at least that chance, that one hope...
"Back to me," Tenma was saying, the next card coming into his hand. "Draw..." All at once a shudder ran down his spine, breathing caught in his throat the moment the card was pulled. What would happen, he found himself wondering, despite all the confidence he'd held moments before. What would happen if he was wrong? If the Avatar struck Valkyrion down and destroyed him? What would happen... If... If he... "Hnhnhn... Hnhnhhahahahah... Do you feel it," Tenma hissed, sweat already running down the side of Yugi's face. "This foreboding, never ending terror? The presence of a 'Wicked God'..? Do you feel it," he repeated with a shout, his opponent even stepping back from the man before him as fear began to fill his every being. "WATCH... I'll show you now... I sacrifice the three angels to summon this," he cried, each of his monsters blackening and crumbling before his eyes. "THE DEVIL'S WARRIOR... DREADROOT!"
Without warning a fist shot forth from the darkness, the angels that were sacrificed scarcely out of sight before darkened forms began to take the shape of the monster. "Activate equip spell 'Lighting Blade'," he hurriedly shouted in panic, Valkyrion's sword charging with power as it stood to block the fist, "COUNTE-"
-CRK- A thick crack appeared in the blade, and silence hung over the field.
No...
Bone claws and knuckles forced the magnetic robot into the ground, pieces scattering against the stage as they faded into dust. In a single instant the remaining shadows took form... Forming ashen skin and yellowed bone armor, with a wicked face beneath a skull shaped helm... So huge was the being that only half of him could remain upright in the room, and with cackling laughter it looked below at the boy before it. "SO," it rumbled, wide grin across its face. "THIS is the one whom my brethren would be sealed by..? THIS is the one who stands before me?" Yugi said nothing as his gaze met that of the demon's, soulless black eyes rendering him petrified in a fear he'd never even known. "TELL ME BOY," the monster thundered, lowering himself to meet Yugi's eyes. "TELL ME... ...Are you AFRAID..?" He didn't even have to answer that question for the monster to laugh in his face, shark-like and rotting teeth bared before him. He wasn't simply scared anymore.
He was utterly terrified.
It was amazing what time could do to people- mere moments before fear filled the tower it seemed as though that would be the last thing to reach the air. In fact, as Katsuya looked over his wound and waited for Pete to finish going through the first aid kit, he was almost wondering what the point would be in feeling even somewhat worried about the current situation. True, it hadn't healed over after fixing itself from anything that could have been somewhat dangerous, but it didn't seem to be bleeding either...
"Alright," their 'friend' stated, sorting through the white and red box before him. After all had been said and done about the dueling... 'Fun' so to speak, Pete had taken things fairly well. If anything, Honda was probably the one that took things worst- evidently, the professor had a small fragment of Katsuya's ability himself. Which certainly explained the were-wolf floating around him and helping with the box. "I found antiseptic wipes, gauze... Tape," he added as an after thought, the werewolf beside him having nudged it over with its nose. "Along with- Ah-!"
Pete jumped as the items he was listing were snatched from his grip, Honda quickly tossing it to a still (reluctantly) seated Katsuya. "Catch," he called out, his friend doing just that with a slight scowl.
"'Bout time," he grumbled, pulling his shirt up and opening one of the wipes. "Damn blood's dryin already, it's gonna be a hell t' clean th' uniform by th' end..."
The man at the side frowned, looking up at those words. "Why would you know about-"
As Pete asked this he was quickly cut off, Honda's hand catching his attention first. "If there's one thing you should know about us," he said almost flatly, "Outside the weird duel thing... It's this. 'Don't ask'." He received a fairly unimpressed look in response, and the teen shrugged. "Just trust me on it," he muttered, "You're better off not knowing." A hiss came from the side at that, the others turning to watch as Katsuya tried to clean up the already closing wound on his side. "Jonouchi, are you seriously still flinchy around those things?"
"N-" Shut up! "You try an' sit through it, it stings like hell!" The blond scowled as the took the gauze and bandages, wrapping a square of cotton to the wound before pulling his shirt back on. Not like he could feel a drying bloodstain through the bandage... Stiff as hell though, man... "'Sides," he muttered, pulling himself back to his feet. "It doesn' matter. We gotta get somewhere righ'?"
At these words Honda looked over to Pete, the man giving a somewhat dismissive shrug as he pulled out the card. "Here," he said, tossing it to Honda as the teen nodded, "The door is just outside that staircase," he told them with a gesture. "After that, you'll need to take the hall toward the 'greater' hall... You'll find the next person there."
"Next person," Honda repeated, Katsuya putting his deck back in his pocket as he listened. "And that would be..?"
The 'professor' shrugged. "Not sure- I don't know who's there exactly," he admitted, "But I at least know that they should be in that area roughly." The others gave a short nod, moving toward the door to leave before he continued. "Hey... That cut of yours..."
"I'll be fine," Katsuya told him quickly. "'S nothin', don' worry abou'-"
"If you run into Mendo Cino, give up," Pete continued bluntly, not turning from where he stood. Katsuya froze from where he'd been about to open the door with Honda, both of them turning to look toward the man with a frown.
"What'd you say..?"
"I said don't fight Cino," Pete repeated, stepping down from the arena and toward the room they'd come in from before. "It's one thing with me- your monsters would have been resisting Highbrain's effect, right," he asked, his back still facing the group. Um... Yes?
"What..."
While Honda merely continued frowning confusedly his friend found himself swallowing almost nervously at Pete's question. Not good... He had a nasty feeling about what the warning was for. Nonetheless he answered him, putting the unease out of mind. "Y-Yea," Katsuya found himself saying, shaking himself. "Yea, but..."
"Cino won't hesitate when he's attacking," he went on, turning with narrowed eyes. "That's what affects how much damage you actually take from what I can tell. And while he'll regret it afterward, during a battle all that matters is the power behind the attack. And his monsters won't stop for anything, regardless of what he feels."
"His monsters," Honda repeated almost incredulously, "What do you mean his monsters..? I thought you were the one to-"
Chuckling came from the man as he turned, a mischievous smile on his face. "Don't assume the world only has one 'oddity'- if you're going to spend your time in the company of duelists, you should get used to people like me! I can't speak for Cino, but he certainly has a connection with his deck. At the same time though," he went on, swallowing, "I won't lie- this is the first time I've seen anything at all like this. The closest was when I was dueling Tilla- and even then..." Well... Tilla was Pete shook his head, sighing. "Listen- don't just disregard what I'm saying alright? Cino's monsters are meant to kill and cut- it's one thing against Tilla, or myself, but if your monster's sword did that," he warned, gesturing to the red stain on Katsuya's side, "Then his mantis could well take your head off. Understand?" His... His head..?
While the blond swallowed uneasily Honda merely growled, taking his friend's shoulder and heading out through the next door with stiff steps. "We already knew that," he said almost bitterly, as though wishing this all to simply vanish in a dream. "Worst comes to it I'll pull him out of the duel myself!" Er... Yea...
Um. "AH- Wha-"
"Good luck then," Pete shouted flatly, another nod coming from his friend as they stepped through the door. 'You'll need it.'
Though the last part had come through a 'flash' and was blocked by the sound of the door slamming shut, Katsuya couldn't help but think that it was something even Honda would have imagined the teen saying. It was one of those incredibly obvious things that you just didn't leave without saying, but even then-
"'Not since Tilla'... That was the creepy chick downstairs wasn't she," Honda muttered, the two slowly walking down the hall toward their next destination. "The one with the vampire?"
He nodded, trying not to think of the vampire itself. "Yea... It was..." 'Say that when you meet Coppermine', the Vampire had said. So obviously he'd referred to someone else talking to monsters but... To run into someone that quick? Someone who actually had a clue how it worked? ...Nnnngggggg... "...Shit our lives are fucked," the blond moaned, head smacking against his friend's shoulder. "Augh..."
"Tell me about it," Honda groaned. "What's with this world, everything was simple until High School!"
"Beatin' th' crap outta of people..."
"People trying to beat the crap outta us for beating people..."
"Beatin' th' crap outta people trying t' beat th' crap out 'f us f'r beatin' people..."
The two both paused, looking to each other for a moment. "...Now that I think about it," Honda muttered almost dryly, turning to cough to the side. "It sounds like we're safer now than we were then..."
What... Seriously? "Awww... Tha' ain' what y' think," Katsuya snorted, coming toward the staircase as he grinned. "No way it w's tha' dangerous!"
"...Actually... Yea," he responded flatly. "Yea it was."
The blond stared back for a moment, a false pout in place. "...Traitor."
"No offense, but your 'ability' is at least somewhat as helpful as it is a pain in the ass for me," Honda grumbled, patting his friend on the back as he sighed.
"Yea yea... Tell me tha' after th' next-" Abruptly he stumbled, hand flying to the railing at the side for support. "GH..." A wave passed over him, knocking the wind out of him and sending wracking pain through his skull. "Ngh..."
"J- Jonouchi," Honda sputtered, almost stepping back out of fear. "Oi... J-Jonouchi..!"
"Ngh..." Oh god his head... "GNGH..." Oh god oh god HIS HEAD..!
"JONOUCHI," Honda shouted, watching as the blond collapsed against the rail in a shuddering fit. His eyes were wide and unseeing, his body stiff, cold, pale... "JONOUCHI... Damn it Jonouchi, what the hell..!"
"Nghh... Nhh..." He couldn't speak... He couldn't... Feel... Anything..! (Oh god damn it his head..!)
"Jonouchi..." Gh... "Jonouchi DAMN IT talk to me!" Ngh...
The last thing he saw was Honda's screaming face through the haze of pain, and then...
Sand...
It was as though he was standing in Obelisk's presence again. The monster's bone helm even resembled the head-piece of the God in some twisted way, the open jaw beneath its chin forming a crude likeness of the pharaonic headress so iconic to the Kings of Egyptian times. And as he stood before the God's presence he could barely listen as Tenma, with almost glazed eyes, explained its power. 'According to the card,' he was shouting, 'FEAR dominates the field... It halves the attack of all monsters... Easily forging the difference in power!'
Tenma had set a trap card Yugi noted, sweat still dripping on the side of his face. His eyes, while glazed, were wide with madness, and his entire being seemed to quake and seep with dark power. "Tell me Yugi," he shouted, snarls mirrored by the God above. "TELL ME! Are you trembling with fear yet? Are you ready to taste your DEFEAT!" Not yet, he wanted to shout in response, taking dark and heaving breaths. Tenma's coat was no longer wrapped around his shoulders as it had been on the rooftop, merely buttoned tightly shut and blending with the darkness around him easily. Not yet... He couldn't lose... Not yet!
This wasn't just a monster, he reminded himself. This was a God. But he as well had Gods in his deck, Gods which would match these ones with ease... He had to remember that, the boy told himself. He had to rely on this next draw- lest the demon before him strike him down. He had to have faith in the 'Gods' he had in his hands, lest the one before him crush him completely. "...It's my turn," he managed to shout, swallowing back his fear. "I draw..." And the card in his hands...
Thank the Gods for this card he now had in his hands he told himself, breathing a sigh of relief. "Might I suggest something," Tenma chuckled from across him, eyes briefly gaining clarity as he spoke. His opponent glanced up, frowning, and Tenma continued. "'Defense' would be best... Until you at least run out of cards..." Tch... Bastard...
Deciding to do nothing more than level a glare toward the man he made his move, setting his card on the disk. "I activate this magic card," he announced, the hologram revealing itself clearly. "Card of Sanctity! We'll each draw until we have six cards in hand!"
"Six cards," Tenma repeated, voice almost bearing an undertone of relief. He'd likely imagined it, he told himself; this was, after all, the one who started all this. Not to mention the one with Dreadroot. Nonetheless... "It looks as though you live for another few turns..." He would live for much more than that he assured himself. But just what was Tenma's game...
The cards were pulled into his hand, eyes not turning to them until the very last one was there. Already, he could feel the power of God within his hand, sitting alongside the spirits of his deck- But what was Tenma doing? These flashes of expression that were cropping up now that Dreadroot had appeared, these almost pained faces... It was almost as though he was hesitating, and yet his actions showed just the opposite!
...And why was he even concerning himself with this..! "I set two cards face down," Yugi roared, the holograms appearing in an instant. Somehow they felt less 'real' now... More like the fragmented light it was 'meant' to be than ever before. It wasn't as though he could tell from them at this moment however, and so he paid it no mind. "...I discard one card to special summon 'The Tricky' in defense mode," he instead announced, watching as the flickering jester's form appeared to his field.
"The Tricky," his opponent repeated, cutting the boy's words short. "Why don't you quit now," he sneered, an almost 'pleading' expression flashing through the look of distaste. "You should realize now that nothing in your deck can kill the Devil's Dreadroot... So why fight?" Why?
"Because there is still at least one card in this deck that can," he responded clearly, despite the obvious fear he still felt. "And so long as that card exists," he went on, "I will fight... Now! I activate the Monster Reborn," Yugi roared, the card flipping up from the field as a card was sent out from his disk. "Summoning the card I discarded moments ago... I CALL UPON HIS NAME FOR AID," he snarled in another language, the rest of the 'ritual' shortened for speed, "THE GREAT SUN GOD RA! And as a GOD, his power won't change," the boy spat, watching as flames tore forth from his graveyard. "IN FACT-"
Though the flames of a golden phoenix had already taken form, shadows seemed to have erupted from the opposite side of the field. Nearly the entire stage was covered in it... The other half was filled with fire, and despite its attempts it seemed that even Ra was struggling to take form.
"GH- DARKNESS..." Yugi paled as the Dragon's pained cry met the air, the flaming gold beast abruptly smoking into dust from what little had been able to take shape within the room. "Forgive me," the God rasped as it vanished, "I CANNOT aid you, LITTLE KING... Nghh..!" That... The final dredges of flames sank back to the grave, his eyes following it for a moment before turning to the retreating shadows.
How was that... "Tenma... What-"
"I activated my trap," he sneered, narrowing his eyes. His opponent turned back to look at the card that had swung upward mere moments before, paling even further as he read the effect. "Selection of Arc," Tenma roared, the hologram slowly fading from sight. "Killing any monsters summoned that are the same as my own!" The same- "And that means your gods," Tenma chuckled, "As 'Divine' beings such as my own, are now useless..." Completely useless...
But without the gods, defeating the Dreadroot could be..! Could...
"You..." This strategy... "This was your plan from the start wasn't it," he realized coldly, his opponent's sinister grin widening considerably. "To render all of the gods useless in this fight..." There was even clapping at the side, however forced it seemed coming from the man who was doing so. But while clapping and laughter filled the air he had to narrow his eyes. There had to be a way, some way... Dreadroot's attack power was set, it wouldn't change. Even with the effect, there was still that...
So to get around that... To defeat a 'God' in the same way he'd had to face the others... "Yugi," Tenma laughed, taking his turn with a smile. "I have to thank you for playing Card of Sanctity..." Thank him? As the boy looked up his confused scowl deepened, the expression his opponent held growing still larger as he spoke. "It allows me to play this! Watch... I activate EVOLUTION OF GOD," he laughed, the Dreadroot's entire being quaking with power. Shadows melted from the hologram and with a feral roar the Demon-God began to change. His legs melted into blackened and boned scales, lengthening into that of a serpent's body lined in ragged spikes. His claws grew even larger over his hands, and as power radiated from the demon's form Yugi again found himself stepping back, the God's cruel wings surrounding the field completely. It was only 1000 attack points more, he tried to assure himself. Only that...
And yet...
At that moment, Tenma was announcing the card's continual status... For even Gods, setting one seemingly useless trap as his opponent became crushed with fear. He couldn't... He couldn't be defeated like this, he almost wept from his mind, watching as the 'Tricky's hologram stood motionlessly beneath Dreadroot's massive fist. There was nothing... Nothing...
Nothing but this, he reminded himself, shaking hands clicking the button just in time for the monster defending him to fade out of sight. "W... What," Tenma muttered, the light again appearing in his eyes. "You avoided attack... Your monster vanished," he whispered in shock, "It-"
"I activated this card," he rasped, swallowing weakly. His body was still threatening to crumble under the pressure of the ever constant darkness, legs quivering and twitching considerably. He was barely standing even now... And he'd be surprised if he stood for much longer unless he did something. "Soul Cross," the boy explained, weakly closing his eyes. "It allows me to swap the monster on the field with one from the grave... And I picked the Queen's Knight," he continued, a motionless and defensive hologram now hovering beside him for protection. "It nullified your attack... I..." It was a last minute trump...
"Tsk tsk tsk... Yugi," Tenma chuckled, voice grating the boy's every nerve. "You've only prolonged your inevitable defeat by another turn! How can you hope to win!"
"How... How can I win," the boy repeated, hand finally snapping to grip his leg as he threatened to fall to his knees. No matter how afraid he was... No matter what stood before him... "How can I lose," he repeated louder, looking up with wide eyes. "If I lose to you I lose Anzu... And I wouldn't be able to face even my self let alone anyone I know... SO I REFUSE TO STOP HERE," he roared, straightening himself as he threw the wave of fear back. "It's my turn... AND I DRAW!" And the card in his hand now was...
Heh...
Just what he needed, once again. "I set one card," he shouted, eyes trained on his opponent as the hologram shimmered into sight. "Following that, I summon the King's Knight! And when both knights are on the field," Yugi continued, words coming out as little more than a hoarse cry, "The Jack's Knight can join them!"
"The three knights..." Tenma chuckled, shaking his head in incredulity. "Trying to summon a GOD are we..?" Tch...
As if he would... Chances were Tenma had some sort of card to bring back the 'Arc'. Something to stop God in its tracks once again... He wasn't about to take that chance. "Hn. The burden of God is a little too much at this point," he 'decided', a smirk coming over his face as Dreadroot itself narrowed its eyes. "Instead, I'm activating this! Polymerization..!" Light seared from the ground, surrounding the monsters completely. His opponent's eyes were widening with confusion and shock both, and as the pixels scattered through the air he continued. "And with this I fuse all three of the knights, Tenma..! Summoning the Heavenly Warrior... Arcana Knight Joker!" A warrior with the Jack's face... Garbed in the robes and armor of all three knights, with a blade in one hand and a shield bearing from the bottom a similar weapon for the other hand.
Had this been any other time he was sure he would be radiating power... With this however, and with the darkness before them, it was a mere hologram. "That... That may be so," Tenma countered, voice wavering under his own monster's pressure now, "But Dreadroot's effect halves your monster's attack," he shouted, "Making it a pitiful defense against the Evil God! 5000 against 1900... You die, now!"
Would he now? They would just see about that. "I end my turn," he said flatly. "Fusion monsters can't attack the turn they're summoned."
"That... That's your only reason," his opponent repeated, chuckling. "THAT'S your reasoning to 'stop'!" He shook his head, wide eyes filled with terror despite his words. "Leaving your fate to such a weak monster now... What chance do you have!"
"A chance you're obviously afraid of," he countered easily. "The fear emanating from this monster you have at your side... It is not my fear anymore," he spat. "It's yours, Tenma. So why are you afraid?"
The former gleam in Tenma's eyes vanished completely with that, the glazed appearance bringing them into a tight glare. "You can ask that after you lie on this floor in defeat," he snarled, evidence of unease vanished yet again. "For now the Dreadroot attacks your Joker! AND WITH HIS FEAR YOU'LL NOT JUST BE ON THE GROUND... YOU'LL BE BURIED UNDER IT! GO!"
"DEVIL'S KNOCKDOWN!"
"Trap card activate," he shouted in retaliation, the card swinging upward. "Curse of Illusion! Cutting your power by 500 and blocking your monster's effect! With that, the Arcana Knight's power is restored," Yugi continued, the hologram seeming to shimmer to life itself as he braced himself for battle. Light seemed to appear in the Knight's eyes, and its feet now touched the ground beneath it. With both blades hanging at its side the monster turned his gaze directly toward the opposing demon... And like his summoner behind him there was no fear in his eyes.
"An incredible play," Tenma sneered in response, "But I still overpower you..! SMASH HIM," he ordered, the God doing just that as he threw his fist forward. "KILL THEM ALL!"
This time, the fist did indeed land a blow, with the wind visibly parting to allow the knuckles to move forward even. Yet it did not work at all as Dreadroot had planned, and as the Joker's blade and shield were held strong against the Demon's fist it balked. "Impossible," it spat, shaking its head and watching as the armor over its knuckles slowly cracked and spiderwebbed over the rest of its body. "IMPOSSIBLE!"
"What is this..!"
"I staked all I have in this monster," Yugi wheezed, narrowed eyes fixed on the demon god before him. "The power of 'FEAR' will not win against me!" Dreadroot himself seemed to pale with those words, and the boy moved on with his final play. "I activate another spell," he roared. "Armament Regeneration! I can now equip the Joker with a spell from my graveyard... And I choose the Lightning Sword!" And as sparks flew across the transforming left blade that the Joker held, the fear in Dreadroot's expression increased considerably. "Your power is no match for me NOW," Yugi hissed, staring the monster directly in its eyes. "Now Joker... CUT THROUGH THIS 'FEAR'...
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING BLADE," they both cried, the blades swinging forth to break through the fist as 'God' gave a piercing scream. The streams of light seared forth from the swords and streaked around the beast, coiling like snakes and tightening on themselves until it was cut to pieces. Rendered nothing but shadows on melted ground they slowly attempted to reach back into the deck from whence they came...
Only for the remnants of the electricity to slowly carve a shield from it. "G-GGNNNAAAAAAGGGHHH! GGHHAAAA!" His opponent screamed from across him- his arms were held in front of his face and by the force of the attack he was thrown to the stage floor, knocked off his feet by over a full meter. And still, his cries met the air. "GGGh... NGH... Ghha... Hhhaaaahh..."
And suddenly they stopped. And as Tenma fell to the ground he pointed the rejuvenated Joker forward for one final strike. "Now, Joker," he ordered, snapping his fingers as the knight charged toward their fallen opponent. "DIRECT ATTACK-"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
The pair both froze, watching in shock as Crocketts ran to the field to pull his employer from harm's way. Joker's blade sank into the stage floor before fading from sight, and just seconds later the monster himself followed in a trail of pixels and sparks. The duel was over...
But why interfere? "What... Why did you-"
"That is enough," Crocketts repeated, swallowing in unease. "You've already won... To go to a further extent... It would be too far," he whispered weakly. "His will to fight is gone," the suit begged, attempting to help the shaking man before him to at least his knees as Tenma groped around for a card amid the pile on the ground. "Victory is yours, Mutou-san. But I beg of you to not go through with your attack." Not go through?
But the duel field had already cleared! And why would he- "My my..." What... "I must congratulate you Mutou Yugi. The Evil God has been, as I expected, defeated... Impressive." A voice..?
Yugi turned, eyes widening as a video feed opened on the screen along the auditorium's wall. Identical in every way to the one before him now, the face of Yakou Tenma looked upon him from the screen. And just as before the smug smirk remained on his face, eyes narrowed in superior mirth. "This... Is it recorded," he muttered to himself aloud, the man on the screen chuckling in response. There was no other way... No way for him to be in two places at once, and yet-
"Regretfully, this is a recorded image," Tenma admitted, shaking his head with a laugh. "I am where I always have been; at the top of this skyscraper, waiting in one of the many rooms monitoring your actions. But don't feel so confused," he laughed, eyes widening viciously. "The man before you is still real! We both exist..." That... How was that possible, unless...
"Both of you..." ...A disguise maybe? There was no way they could be related, no one could possibly do that to their own bro-
"It's amazing what power can be harnessed through the 'Evil Gods," Tenma sneered, narrowing his eyes and cutting Yugi's thoughts short. "With my will alone his actions were mine to control, right down to the minute! True, he put up quite the fight... But in the end," he chuckled, ignorant to the fumbled attempts to destroy the card at the side, "I owe the success of RA's second phase to my dear older brother... Tenma, Gekkou..." T-Tenma...
His own... Brother...
With a ripping sound Yugi's attention was torn from the screen, the sight of fallen shards of a card joined by a large gasp of relief. From what remained of the paper the boy could make out the bare shape of the monster he'd only recently defeated. Coughing, the man before him slowly stood, weak eyes looking toward the screen in betrayal and despair both. "Y... Yakou..."
"Oh...?" The one on the screen raised an eyebrow, smile dimming. "So you've broken my spell..? And my card too," he continued with narrowed eyes, "How upsetting..! No matter then," he chuckled. "It isn't as though that's the only one in existence..." It wasn't..? While Yugi's frown deepened Yakou's laugh grew louder, hair hanging over one of his eyes completely. "Thanks so much for your trouble 'Nii-san'... I really couldn't have done it without you!"
Gekkou's energy seemed to return to him immediately at that, eyes widening in horror. "You... This kind of project... Yakou STOP THIS NOW!"
But the man was ignored, his brother merely stepping to the side with a widening grin. "Hnhnhn... As promised Yugi," he laughed, "You get to see your beloved Anzu..! I can't say she'll answer though," he howled, a tall metal device or sorts visible from behind him. "She's not quite... 'There' at the moment!" Th-
"WHAT?" What did he mean by- His face fell the moment the camera zoomed in, his friend's open-eyed, 'dead' expression clear on the screen even with the glass visor covering her face. Worse than Bakura, worse than Malik's Millennium Rod... It was as though she'd been killed mere moments before, her soul more than simply 'removed' from the body. "Anzu... ANZU," he cried, shaking his head. Dead eyes, staring off at nothing, no light visible at all... "No..."
"Hnhnhnn... Perhaps she was 'Mazaki Anzu' once upon a time," Yakou sighed, "But the power within the cards you hold... Along with the power of the Evil Gods," he added darkly, "It allowed me to stop that in its tracks. You've seen this before right," he chuckled, placing a 'gentle' hand on the woman's head. "The removal of a person's soul... All thanks to you," he hissed. "All of it..." That... That monster...
That... "Get-your-filthy-hands OFF OF HER," he roared, stepping toward the screen only to stop cold. Those dead eyes staring toward him... "Anzu..." Why... "ANZU, LISTEN TO ME... Wake up, PLEASE," he cried, torn between his rage and his despair both. "Wake up... Wake..."
"Too late..." Shut up... "She's long gone," Tenma sneered. Shut up..! "And now that her body is empty, I'll be using it as the vessel for the one I've wanted to bring back for almost a year now..." Bastard... "My teacher..." Sick... "My 'father'..." Fucking... BASTARD! "Pegasus Crawford..." ...What... "This project is called 'R.A.'," Yakou laughed, eyes again twisting and shifting in his face with madness. "'REBIRTH of AVATAR! I'll summon him back to life once more, and there's nothing you can do about it! AND I'D LIKE TO SEE ALL OF YOU TRY TO STOP ME! So... Good bye," the man cackled, image crackling out from existence as the screen went black. "AND THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELP!" No...
No, no, no! He couldn't, he... He... He... "Anzu," Yugi whispered, a tear dropping from the corner of his eye. "No... I..." Her captor was moving forward with his plans and it was even his fault...
"Yugi... I beg of you to forgive me," 'Gekkou' rasped, hesitantly stepping toward the motionless boy. "Just like Pegasus before us, he wants more than anything to see the one he cares about alive again... And I to... I shared that desire as well," he wept, chocking as the boy's hands flung to his coat to pull him forward.
"Was it now," he hissed, breathing hitched as he looked the man in the eye. This man... Manipulated or not he'd caused this as well, this man..! "Is this what you wanted! More than ANYTHING?"
"... Not at this cost," Gekkou whispered, the boy's grip slackening with his words. "Not for this sacrifice. I don't know how he came up with this plan... Nor how he amassed the ability to go through with it. All I can remember is attempting to snap him out of this crazed trance he's suddenly become caught in only to succumb to the mercy of his 'Gods'. Can you believe it," he cried, turning away in shame. "A 'card'! All that power in a card... I..." Yugi released the man's coat, stepping back with a bowed head as Gekkou continued. "...That duel..." He swallowed, still turned away. "All I could do was wish for it to stop, to end before it was too late... The entire point of that battle was to generate the power from the monster," Gekkou explained, "To generate the fear and quicken the divide between Mazaki-san's body and soul... But I couldn't stop it," he wept. "And in the end, I watched my brother commit a terrible act... Gods such as these should have no name," Gekkou whispered. "Pegasus himself told us this. He found their carvings on an old ruin near Egypt's capital," he went on, "Not far from the carvings of the Gods, and he drew them from that. And when he finally realized what he'd done he sealed them away, never speaking the name again. It's inexcusable," he continued, shaking his head. "To go against those words. And in the end... Those who were never meant to be involved have been pulled into my Teacher's mistakes... Anzu Mazaki's very heart and soul rest with those of the cards now, if you believe such a thing," he told the boy. "...And... If you believe such a thing," he offered quietly, "Perhaps, there is a better way to see her before we move forward." A better way?
"What do you mean... 'If you believe such things,'" he asked. "I'd hardly expect someone like you to say that," he continued with narrowed eyes. "Someone carelessly creating cards like these..."
Gekkou said nothing in response to that, merely bowing his head as he took the blame. However, it was shortly after that he gestured to the boy's disk, he looking up as he did so. "...The card that Deschutes gave you... Set it on the disk," he told him firmly, Yugi's eyes widening in response.
"Set... Set it on-"
"Trust me," Gekkou pressed. "Try it."
Anzu's card... Yugi slowly pulled it from his pocket, gaze dimming as he looked over the cover. It seemed almost... Heavier now, he thought to himself. Thicker... As though a weight had been sent into it. And as he cleared his disk of other cards, clicking the disk itself back into place he wondered what would be worse- if she didn't appear, still proving that she was tied to her body somehow and quite likely about to die...
Or if she did, and everything that was happening now, everything that was more unbelievable than anything that had come with Battle City, was real... And not some twisted nightmare he had yet to wake himself from. "...Anzu," he whispered again, setting the card on the field. "I... I..."
"Aaaaa... hah...." When he looked up, the dust from the ground was rising into the air. It was misting around the ground before him and slowly forming the relative shape of his- of his lighter half's- childhood friend. Hair grew, and clothing took shape, forming not the uniform she'd worn at the school but instead a simple pair of shorts and a tank top. Cheap flip flop sandals covered her feet, and in addition a few bruises from whatever had handled her body in reality developed... And with a shuddering breath she opened her eyes, looking forward in shock. "Y.. Yugi," she whispered, blinking a few times as the last bits of dust took their place. "Yugi... Is that..?"
It was impossible. Even with all he believed in his deck, with all that Jonouchi told him about the 'monsters in the 'other realm' as they themselves called it, it shouldn't have been possible. And yet, as he reached forward, the woman's face twisting as all the fear and confusion of the day struck her there, she herself running forward as well- "Gh-"
"Nh-" A mouthful of dust was his answer to the attempt, and as his eyes widened in horror he could see Gekkou grimacing and turning away. The two friends turned back, staring for a moment in horrified silence. And then, as she always had, she'd put a smile on her face. As though nothing had happened, as though everything was just fine... "It looks like you're stuck getting me out of trouble again, huh," Anzu 'joked', brushing some hair from her eyes. "I can't help but wonder when it'll be reversed, hahahaha!" This...
To hold such strength even now... "...Anzu..."
"She's a hologram right now," Gekkou said almost needlessly, Crocketts watching in silence from behind. "You won't be able to touch her. I'm... I'm sorry," he added quietly. "...We're lucky she can speak as it is..."
"Lucky," Anzu repeated, her smile fading.
Yes. 'Lucky', he thought bitterly, biting his tongue. A few more moments of silence passed and his head hung downward, fists clenched with determination. "...I swear to you Anzu," he wept, shaking on the spot as his head remained bowed before his friend. "Above all... No matter what happens I will bring you back! Even if it costs me my soul, I-"
Anzu's voice cut him off, the boy looking up to see her smile again. "Really," she 'laughed', shaking her head. "Yugi... Stop feeling so depressed," she chuckled. A brave thumbs up came from the woman, and she brought her hand down toward her friend's shoulder for comfort. "Honestly, you're a boy," she snorted, "Boys are supposed to be..."
Her hand passed right through him.
"Strong..." Anzu pulled her hand back in shock, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked away. "I... ...Yugi..."
It wasn't fair.
"You're so close," he whispered, his own tears already falling to the ground. It wasn't fair at all. "So close," he repeated through shuddering breaths, "But even then... Being unable to even touch your hand..."
"Lonely," she murmured. "...It's so lonely... ...Isn't it?"
AN: Oh my god WHYYYYY. WHYYYYYYY.
This is... Such a depressing scene in the manga- I can't even tell if I did it justice, I just... Anzu's summoned forth, in a flash of hologram light, and in the end he can't even touch her. It's... WUAAAAAAAAHHH...
And then the mood was killed by the next page, which was made up of Kaiba's AMAZING JET making its appearance, along with the usual 'end of chapter' 'wait for an update' note, which read 'KAIBA'S ENTRANCE!'
GEE, I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER, HUH?
In other news, as you've likely guessed, we get to go 'back in time' again next chapter, going to when Dreadroot was summoned and onward to cover what Jou does... And then covering why the heck Kaiba's suddenly in a jet in the first place. But you can probably guess, given that the company has been taken over and all that...
Those who pay attention to people Seto mentions in her mental monologues will have likely seen the above coming, with the crafty twin switch. Not to mention the start of this arc, but given that I never outright said that they were identical freaking twins...
Anyways! AS PROMISED! The results are in!
...But it's a TIE!
We're tied between Jadej.J's entry and Imadork's entry! For that reason, we are holding one FINAL round! For the next TWO UPDATES, vote for either of the two choices for the new summary for this fanfic!
The section is down below; good luck to the final competitors!
And besides that... No art today! I have a note in the music section as to why though. (Lots of portfolio work, but I'll try to get both references up next update!)
Anonymous Review Responses
Imadork, you already voted remember! Regardless, your entry was tallied- in the end, it looks as though you're a finalist! Congratulations!
I'm glad you like the comedy so much- I sometimes wonder how much is too much, and how much is too little... It's a real challenge, putting in just the right amount.
As for people noticing, this will happen... A lot. Mostly because of the increasing number of direct attacks. Uh-oh~
Hey Iona! Glad you're enjoying the flashbacks so far- there's more to come, and while it wasn't this chapter, the next one has its own fair share! I try and keep the duels interesting between all people... But I suppose that in the end, Jou's ability to actually hear them converse brings his dueling to a first-place holder for the interest by a long shot...
Any ways, until next time! Enjoy the chapters everyone!
Usagi's Manga & Japan Guide/Corner
The section that would like to sit in this corner, right here, and have a good cry now...
'Dechal', pronounced 'deh-khal' is Hebrew for 'fear'- specifically, it's a verb. It means to fear, or 'to be afraid.'
You can probably guess really fast why I picked this one.
Now, originally, Yugi just walks in, spots Maiko, and decides 'oh hey, maybe she knows where the next duelist is'.
Despite the fact that there's been no one else so far, and if his grandfather is any sign he should know damn well that old folks can duel too. In Yugi's defense though, it isn't as though he knows the building is cleared of people... And I suppose that a doting grandmother in a chair really isn't an expected opponent.
When Yami says 'Obaa', he's saying it in a manner as though one would say 'an old lady'. When Yugi says it however, he says 'Obaa-san', which is the proper term to use in Japan with elderly women, at least elderly in comparison to yourself. (Which is why women tend to get all hot and bothered when they don't feel they're old enough for that phrase.)
In other words, the difference between what they said is 'old lady' and 'ma'am'. Quite the jump in manners.
Funny thing, this originally said 'my reason is to defeat you', but that somewhat defeats the purpose of the duel in itself. Generally, you're supposed to aim to win, so saying that your reason for dueling is to defeat someone sounds a little odd. Though it could just be how it was phrased I suppose...
Hey! This name didn't come from a codename! Nope- it came from the 'KatMai' chip. In addition, 'Maico' (Which is what the name was romanized as) and 'Katou' are both names that have to do with motorcycle dealerships.
Which makes sense I suppose, I mean wheelchairs, motorcycles... ...Yeeeeeeaaaaa I'm not following it either. (They both have wheels?)
Originally, Yugi questions the defense power of Leprechaun. Even though it's in attack mode. What..?
Strange thing; in the scan, the card effect for Poison Arrow reads 'destroy a monster when you deal damage'. But since Maiko never deals any damage in the duel, the effect is wrong..! For the sake of... Well, making sense, I've changed the effect.
Fae? FAE..! Well... Maiko said 'Fairy' initially, but not only does it feel just plain weird calling that giant OGRE a fairy, but the proper term for the sneaky and mysterious nasties from which leprechauns and the like belong to is technically 'fae'. Soooo there.
Also, fairy, despite referring to the... Well, nasties and not the butterfly Victorian era things, still conveys... Well. Butterfly Victorian era things!
What what WHAT THE HECK MANGA. Why is Gilfer level six... And summoned without sacrifice? Oh, you just forgot to say Yugi tributed Gazelle? Well MENTION IT NEXT TIME.
Sometimes, Yugioh R bugs me.
Why was Yugi fretting? Because the holograms have a possible side-effect on the 'weak of heart'. As in, stick to the usual 'hot tub' warning and keep away from pregnant ladies and those with heart risks. Basically, since the holograms still cause minor amounts of damage, there's a bit of a bar to who can use them.
Another thing I don't get is... How did Yugi know Tenma was up there? He just... Turned, looked up, and there he was! We didn't even see why he looked up! What, did Tenma say something, did he... Did he randomly trip over something and catch his attention, what is this!
Originally, the two guys were just all like 'what's that noise..? It sounds like a God card..!' and then ran off.
Obviously, it's a little different right now... Given that we have a seizure-victim-like-Jou now. (He'll get better..?)
And haha, funny thing... At about this point I just stopped taking notes and read through the duel. There was just... Nothing 'of' note, at least not anything that was covered up in my usual 'end of chapter' freak out.
Also I was a little busy crying. In any case, it's a little weird how many people just take the events in this series and 'roll with it', but think about it- is it really the time to freak out! People are going to die, people are obviously being manipulated by something... There's just certain things you don't go about denying at this point.
Of course, once dear 'Seto-chan' makes her entrance you can toss that out the window...
Oh oh oh- I lied. Gekkou's name? It comes from a chip in the Nintendo Gamecube! Pretty awesome in my opinion.
Specifically, it's the microprocessor chip. (YESSSSS)
Musical Notes
Shameless promotion has grown to video games now! (WHAT- Wait, I've done that before...)
So what's this? What? No art? No music either!
Heheheheh... Truth be told, outside portfolio work I've been playing Sonic video games all week. (ACK, LAZY USAGI!) Guilty pleasure, but I have to say, I love the music. I suppose the only song of note for now would be 'Knight of the Wind' from 'Sonic and the Black Knight'- either instrumental or with lyrics, take your pick.
I like the instrumental better myself...
CONTEST SECTION
You know the drill guys! There are now two entries tied for the winning place; you have until the second chapter updated from this day to vote! Limit one vote per person now...
GO!
FROM IMADORK:
Jounouchi Katsuya will always look out for his friends, no matter how weird things get. That means he will keep on fighting, whether facing maniacs with freaky powers, monsters from a childrens game, or the fact that Kaiba's a girl. Wait, what?
FROM JADEJ.J:
Seto Kaiba has secrets that run skin deep but when Jou gets drawn in all bets are off. Both teens' dark secrets come to the surface & life changing experiences that will take them into dark secrets of Duel Monsters that no one knows.
And that's all for this week! I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I'll be working hard on the next one!
I'll see you then!