Chapter 34: Rebirth by Fire Part 1: The Trials of the Crimson Shadow

"Please follow me Mr. Hinodama." Blaine led Kageru across his residence, conversing with praise about his recent victories and performance at the Red Nova Qualifiers. The inside was a grand sight to behold, as the building was filled with many rooms and the finest of decorations and furniture. Kageru could not help but be amazed.

"Whoah! So this is how a leader of a faction lives huh? Pretty sweet lifestyle if you ask me."

"Hahaha.. I supoose you could say that." Blaine chuckled, feeling nothing short of flattery from the young duelist. "Truth be told, we only get to enjoy such a pleasant life for only a brief period each day. Most of of our time is consumed with the businesses of trade, order, manufacture, and other issues regarding Termina as a whole."

"Really? That stinks. Still it would definitely be an awesome place to crash by every once in a while at least."

"Hehehehe yes, I suppose you young people would have that first in mind I'm sure... It looks like we're here."

After a brief conversation, the two soon arrived at another large gate with a grey lever nearby the right-hand corner. Blaine placed his hand hand over it before asking " Are you prepared Kageru Hinodama? This isn't something I offer to just any duelist. Only very few chosen ones have entered beyond this point. This will take a large amount out of you. It will not only require your ability as a duelist, but it will also push your physical and mental endurance to its limits. Are you sure you are prepared?"

Kageru, despite feeling uneasy, stood firm with eyes set beyond the gate as he replied. " ... Let's do this! Go ahead."

"Very well then..."

The large metallic door slowly but surely opened as Blaine pulled the lever more and more. And out from beyond,Kageru saw a large uphill path filled with several gates and flat areas, all leading to what seemed to be like ceremonial shrine, which was located at the heart of a volcano. Grey clouds and waves of heat covered the valley, making it unbearable to stay in for long periods.

"Welcome... to the Valley of the Fire Kings."

"Valley of the Fire Kings...*whew*" Kageru quickly wiped the sweat perspiring rapidly out of his face and asked "What exactly is this place? Why here?"

"Like I said, it is not something I offer to any duelist. Body, mind, and spirit must endure all this. Tell me... is it not true that you yourself have experienced a Terminal Duel firsthand?"

"Y-yeah..." Kageru replied as he recalled his last duel with Aria.

"Then you know truly why you are here... To be honest, I'm glad that Aria had you endure such an experience. Despite the possible threat she could have caused to you physically, she had chosen the proper method to teach you, and that my boy is through personal experience. That was meant to enlighten you on how the matches at the DT Grand Championships will be."

"You mean...That pain setting in those DT Duel Disks will be used there too? Why? Why'd you all go out of your way for something like that?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you all the details yet until you have understood all of this. For now you must be educated. And when you make it to the tourney. I will tell you everything I know regarding these unusual events."

Kageru looked slightly confused, unsure to what he was getting himself into, but in the end he knew that he needed power, and hesitating won't help him any further to reaching his goal.

"Alright... What do I have to do?" he asked.

"You must first learn to awaken your inner connection with your deck."

Kageru stared at him blankly "Inner connection?"

" Yes... In order to gain newfound power, one must learn to tame it. Control it. Gain dominance. And this right here is where you shall start... Please if you would care to join us miss?"

"Huh?"

Blaine looked over, calling a mysterious figure in the shadows. The figure appeared to be a woman, covered in a velvet cloak, with her face concealed with an eerie purple striped mask. Her entire body barely revealed what appeared to be some sort of a suit. A dark aura filled the air around her.

"W-who... is that?" Kageru asked

"This... Mr. Hinodama shall be your mentor. Allow me to introduce you... Noire Scarlet, also known as... The Crimson Shadow."

"The Crimson... Shadow?" Kageru did not know what to think seeing the presence of this mysteriously cloaked woman.

"Come with me." The woman commanded. Kageru, unknown of what to expect followed along.

Blaine stopped for a short moment, allowing Kageru and Noire to proceed first. "I'll be observing your progress. From here on, Noire will lead you and I'll will simply provide you with as much advice as I can offer."

Kageru, Noire, and Blaine approached the first gate. Upon opening, they entered a flat, broad area with an large circle and a pedestal at its center.

"So what's with the whole get up?" Kageru asked curiously. Though Noire seemed to have ignored his question.

"Noire is a special apprentice of mine. Her goal is only to find duelists worthy of learning the arts offered here. Everything else like her identity and such is of no concern."

"O-okay... (Kinda creepy if you ask me)." Kageru thought.

"This way..." Noire led Kageru to a higher plain on the valley. They entered a another large room, with a large stadium at front and a cloaked duelist awaiting him.

Kageru walked ahead towards the field "Sooo... I gotta duel now?" he asked.

"Yes... But it won't just be any type of duel. Your next tests shall require you to master the art of fire. For that your skills in handling cards shall be tested."

Noire moved up to Kageru, handing him a deck to use. "For your first test... You must defeat your opponent... using only effect damage. Only your opponent may be permitted to attack you with monsters."

"What!?" Kageru exclaimed with surprise at the challenge. "I can't attack!?"

"Yes. This is part of the many skills you must learn to control. The Laval tribe will not acknowledge you as their master until you have mastered these skills."

Kageru grumbled, as he obviously did not agree with the idea. "Urgggh...fine..okay then... let's duel." He swallowed hard and went on as ordered.

From there Kageru, was forced into a decisive duel, with set rules that all require him to defeat his opponents with a specific method and a specific deck premade for him to use. Kageru would spend a total of three days completing all his matches before he could advance any further.

"I'll activate Ultimate Baseball Kid's special ability; I can tribute FIRE monsters to inflict 500 points of damage to my opponent. I tribute my 4 monsters. And thanks to Dark Room of Nightmare, each damage will take an extra 300 points as well. Eat this!"

" Aaaahhhh!"

Trial Duelist LP 3000-3200=0

Kageru kept advancing on and on. Struggling to ensure that his path to new power will come closer in hand.

" Next you must learn harness the soul of your very monsters. Yes, even in their deaths, you must learn to use their fuel to create your own power."

"I activate Infernal Flame Emperor's special ability. I banish 5 FIRE monsters in my graveyard and destroy as many spell or traps on the field as well. Now... you're wide open! Attack! Emperor Blaze!"

Trial Duelist LP 2600-2700=0

"Next you must learn to master the art of destruction."

"I attack with Volcanic Doom Fire! Wildfire Mortar! Next when Doom Fire Destroys a monster, it also destroys all monsters on your field, and inflicts 500 points of damage for each one! Looks like you got 4 more monsters too. So you're takin 2000 extra points!"

"Noooooo!"

Trial Duelist LP 4200-2200-2000=0

"Now... finally, you must demonstrate the power of rebirth, and the ability to overwhelm your opponent with sheer might. You may... Use your deck this time.. Use everything you've learned to your advantage..."

"I activate Flamvell Archer's ability to raise Uruquizas's power by 800. Then... I activate Rekindling to revive all my Flamvells!... Next, I'll use the revived Flamvell Archer's ability again and tribute him a 2nd time to increase my monster's ATK by another 800!... Then I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Archer a third time to use it's ability once more!... And finally I activate my Fiery Fervor trap card to double the attack of a monster since its ATK is higher than its original ATK!"

Flamvell Uruquizas ATK (2100+800+800+800)x2=10600

vs.

Labyrinth Wall DEF 3000

"Pierce it Uruquizas! Meteo Fist!"

" Yaaarrrgghh! Impossible!"

Trial Duelist LP 7000-7600=0

After his trial duels were over, Kageru arrived at a large altar decorated with many glyphs and ancient writings. He was exhausted from all the duels he had just went through. " *pant*pant* Is it over?..."

"Almost." Blaine reassured. " You've done well. Now behold..." Blaine led them to the area, where the cermeonial shrine was located. Kageru's last destination. "Welcome... to The Shrine of Garunix. Here, is where your deck shall be reformed. It's time... Kageru Hinodama."

"Place your deck at the middle frame of that pedestal..." Noire commanded.

Kageru without question took out his deck, and placed it within a small, rectangular frame. The pedestal began to glow, and bright orange appendages began to circle wildly around him. He panicked as the appendages seemed to close him in.

"W-what's going on?!" Kageru asked, as he frantically looked around him.

Noire replied "Before one may gain the power to control... One must learn communication... Your Flamvell tribe holds this key Kageru. Once this process is finished, you will experience the very experiences of these monsters. All they're memories, their goals, fears, emotions, all of it. You will understand. And... once they know how much you can connect with them then they will begin to connect with you..."

Kageru began to scream in fear, as his mind began to travel at different intervals through time and space. Suddenly found himself looking around in a mysterious place. " This is... The whole environment... What is... No... IS this... Is this... Termina?"

Kageru's mind suddenly began to envision images of a large scale war. He began to see how the monsters that were once in his very deck prepping and charging into a life or death battle.

"Firedog? Grunika? Uruquizas? Origin... M-my.. Monsters? And these are... The Ally of Justice... Jurracs... Ice Barriers.. X-Sabers.. Naturias... The Worms... The Flamvells... They're all... Noo."

He watched as many of them suffered severe casualties, how tragic the losses were, how noble they fought in spite of it all. And as a result of the endless conflict, the world itself was destroyed along with all of its inhabitants. There he witnessed the extent of his clan's strength and realized.

"It wasn't enough... It just wasn't enough."

Just when Kageru thought it was over, a bright flash suddenly transported him further in time. There he saw what came of the lost Flamvell tribe. They were now replaced with he rise of a new group of magmatic creatures born from fiery marshes. Creatures hardened with armor and weapons developed from the heart of volcano. Forged out of fire, he felt overwhelming strength within them.

Kageru broke free from his trance, gasping for breath at the horror he just experienced. " That... that was all.. real... too real."

"Now you know for sure that these Terminal Wars are no joke or fantasy at all." said Blaine.

"What... Was that tribe I just saw?"

Noire approached him and explained "That Kageru... Shall be the power you will obtain... Once your training is over, you will have had mastery over an army of creatures that possess powerful weapons crafted out of the most intense magmatic material. That tribe. They are known as... The Lavals." she opened the next gate, not allowing even a moment for Kageru to settle his mind. "Get up... Your training shall continue here."

"(The Lavals?... That shall be... my new deck...)"

Kageru walked towards the center of the shrine. Around him, he began to feel a tremendous spiritual pressure emitting from all around the air.

Kageru's head began to ache and throb with pain "Urgh... What is this? This feeling... I can... hear voices.. Urgh... S-s-s-so many of them."

"So... you're finally beginning to sense the presence of duel spirits." said Blaine

Kageru began to wonder why. He finally understood that the monsters resting within his deck as well as many others indeed possess ancient spirits. He wondered why have they decided to reveal their existence to him now.

"I've only spoken to them once. And that was during my match with Aria. I... I always told myself that they didn't exist... Even when my dad or sis would tell me about them constantly... I denied it all. All these wars. These stories. These experiences. All of them. And now... Here I am, hearing all these annoying voices ringing in my head, calling me out."

The sound of a deep, intimidating voice called out. "HHHMMMMM... ARE YOU THE ONE... YOU HAS SOUGHT OUT OUR POWER? ARE YOU HE, WHO HOLDS THE WILL AND THE ABILITY TO LEAD US?"

Kageru's heart throbbed, hearing the voice of the creature calling him. Still, he could not let himself be intimidated by the very essence that he had been trained to control. SUddenly he grinned, staring at where the creature was about to appear. "Yeah... That's me. Listen up! The name's Kageru Hinodama! And I'm the one who's going to be in charge of you from now on!"