My First Psychic Duel
The day I had my first real Psychic Duel will forever remain engrained in my memory. As with any milestone in life, your first Psychic Duel represented a tremendous achievement in your abilities as a Psychic Duelist. Now, let me explain the differences between a normal card duel, and a Psychic Duel.
A card duel is what everyone here is Domino does; they use Duel Disks or Duel Arenas to project their monsters in real time and battle to diminish their opponents Life Points. People lay Trap and Spell/Magic cards to either support or weaken their opponent's strategies, their opponent's monsters, or their own monsters. A Psychic Duel consists of two individuals battling without technological help, with only their prowess as a Psychic Duelist and their Duel Spirits. The object of the duel is to 1) defeat your opponent and weaken their Energy. And 2) overcome their ownership of a select Duel Spirit and take them for yourself to increase your own strength.
It sounds harsh and unjust, but it's how it is. Now, there is a solution. Should you lose a Duel Spirit, you do have the chance of a rematch against the winner to try and reclaim the lost monster. So far, I have been undefeated. I have only taken the mage of another Psychic Duelist. Or, I should say that he was bequeathed to me as his former Master felt I was better suited to care for him. But more on that later. All of my Duel Spirits I have obtained myself, though not without dangers I thought only existed in fantasy movies.
In my first Psychic Duel against other independent Spellcasters I used Von. My first Psychic Duel against another human happened later in the summer. It was early July. I had taken some weeks trying to find a good graduate program to apply to, much to my mage's curiosity.
"What's a graduate program?" They asked me whilst I searched schools online.
"It's a higher form of education." I said reading the program guidelines.
Neo made a noise of interest and peered over my shoulder at the computer screen. His face held wonder at the contraption and he flitted his green eyes over the application requirements.
"This is amazing."
I raised a brow and turned to glance at him. "You are a mage from an entirely different world, you can do magic and fight dragons and you think a computer is amazing?"
Rae and Brie chuckled behind me on the couch.
"You humans have such fascinating things. This flat box gives you any information you need at will." Neo went on. "It's like human magic!"
Brie let out a laugh. "Come sit Neo. You're bothering her. Let her research a while."
"Thanks Brie," I said once Neo stopped hovering.
"Where are Lord Razel and Von?" Neo asked as I heard him sitting on my sofa.
"Von is reading somewhere and Razel is training in the field." Rae chimed turning on the T.V.
"Razel is like New York. The mage that never sleeps," I said. "The man never rests. He always is bettering his skills."
"It is admirable to say the least," Rae stated.
"Then why don't you guys get off your asses and go join him?" I suggested as I clicked on the Apply button for Domino University's (grad program of choice.)
"Because we need breaks from the great Razel. Though we respect him and aim to be like him, he can be much to handle for days on end."
"I hear that," I replied. "Hey, since you guys have the T.V. on can you check the weather for me?"
"Surely."
I heard the forecast for the week and, much to my excitement, it was going to rain today.
"Yes! I love the rain! And rain means no training today!" I threw my arms into the air.
"Razel does not make you work in the rain?" Neo questioned.
"They're my only days off," I said sadly excited.
Neo, Rae, and Brie all looked at me with pity. "Oh Mistress, that's awful."
I turned in my chair and glared at them all. "You learn to take graces wherever you can with him. Well, I think I'll go out then and get groceries before it rains."
"Would you like one of us to accompany you?" Neo offered kindly.
"No. I'll be quick. Just a few things like coffee, cream, essential stuff like that."
I darted upstairs to dress and then I came back down to grab my purse off of the kitchen counter. Neo caught sight of my short shorts and said aloud, "Mistress, do you think it proper to go out baring your legs like that? You can see nearly your bottom in those."
I looked down at myself. "Neo, women my age wear these. It's fine. And this coming from you? Please."
"It's one thing for a woman of the Duel Monster Spirit World to wear revealing clothing but my Master, it seems…improper."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Neo actually seemed sheepish about the fact that I wore short shorts. I mean, normally when not wearing my workout gear I trudged around my house in a shirt and pajama bottoms. But sometimes I dressed a bit sexier. So seeing his expression, he reminded me of some nervous dad desperately wanting to cover his daughter with a thick, ugly blanket.
"Look Neo, it's perfectly normal for human women to wear clothes like this."
I slung my purse over my shoulder, causing my V neck tee to pull away from my chest a tad. Neo saw my bra strap and stared at my exposed underwear.
"I'll be right back. Try not to destroy my house while I'm gone ok? And don't touch my computer. I have all of my grad application info up now and I don't want you exiting out of it."
It was around eleven when I left and still clear out. My walk was nice, the cool breezes from the coming rains felt wonderful cutting through the stagnate hot air. I got closer to downtown Domino, crowds mingled outside stores and restaurants enjoying the day. In the distance the monolithic KaibaCorp building stood alone against the Domino skyline.
At that point in time, I had not yet meet Seto Kaiba either. He would play a large role in my life however, whether for the best or worst I can't fully figure it out. I met him before I met Yugi, but only by a few days.
The market came into sight. Walking past groups of high-school teens and couples I made my way over. Grabbing a basket I went inside and strolled the isles for the necessities. Fruit, veggies, meat, etc. I paid for my items and with my bags left. I toyed with the idea of going clothes shopping, there were really cute displays in windows but I thought against it and figured I should get back home. I passed by the fountain in the center of downtown Domino. It was there that I felt a sudden pang of Energy nearby. It made me nearly stop mid-stride but I quickly continued on my way. I did not know if it was just another person like I was, a Psychic Duelist. But it was one of those instances where you did not want to bring more attention to yourself by acknowledging the source.
However, it followed me. It was some distance behind but most assuredly following me home. The longer I studied it I knew it was not a Duel Spirit. It was human alright. Another Psychic Duelist. I resisted all urge to turn around. I had never felt another one like me until then. I was curious as all hell. From their Energy output, they were more than curious—they were challenging me. A Psychic challenge is like constant pulses of Energy, like a show of dominance.
I tightened my grip on the bags. This was completely new to me but I was not going to back down easily. If Razel taught me anything worthwhile, it was to face my enemy and stay steadfast. So, turning a corner, I started to lead this person towards the wharf. This would be the spot where Malik would challenge Yugi as Joey in Seto's duel tournament the following year year.
Surrounded by warehouses and docks, I neatly placed my bags down and turned to see who it was that followed me for over three miles. I blinked. It was a young man. He could not have been more than sixteen. He was very good looking, with long white hair and brown eyes as soulful as Von's. But I sensed his Energy underneath. He was darker than I first thought, bordering on sinister. His Energy flexed around him, trying to intimidate me. He wore a strange necklace, a solid gold ring about seven inches in diameter with dangling points of gold. The eye of Ra was in the center of a flat pyramid.
"Who are you?" I asked.
The man laughed, then spoke. "Who I am does not matter now. What matters is our Duel."
His was British. " Our Duel?"
"Yes. I sensed that you are also a Psychic Duelist. One with potential. I am one who searches for power and when I defeat you I will claim your power as my own."
Without warning his body glowed a fierce gold. Shielding my eyes, I was unprepared for the sight of a grotesque blue fiend standing before me. It was bald, with evil black eyes and was holding a broken baby doll.
"Wha…What the hell is that?" I asked trying not to scream at the creature.
"This is my Duel Spirit, the Dark Necrofear. It will serve to destroy you and then I will gain your power! Attack!"
The man issued for his creature to advance. The blue humanoid lunged at me, her demonic face lifeless as a mannequin's. She extended her gangly free arm to swipe at me. I did not move fast enough and was struck in the gut. Her blow sent me backwards.
Going to my knees, I panted. I had to do something and fast. The man laughed awfully at me and his creature stood there waiting for her next order. I knew his power as a Psychic Duelist was strong and very old. He knew what he was doing and did not care about the outcome.
"Dark Necrofear attack again! Do not let her stay in one spot for too long! Weaken her!"
The Dark Nekrofear did as commanded and chased me like a nightmare. I dodged some of its attacks but was hit by a few. I felt the bruising form on my stomach and back already. Thankfully Razel's training increased my durability and stamina so I could keep myself alive while I figured out what to do. I needed a Duel Spirit but which one? This being was infused with her Master's evil Energy, which seemed vast. I needed a swift counterstrike to end this.
My body jerked to the side as the creature went for me again. I landed on the concrete hard, scraping my elbows in the process. As she came at me again with that incredible speed, I quickly heightened my Psychic Energy and channeled it back towards my home five miles away.
"Ahh! Razel I need you!"
The Dark Necrofear was upon me then. Her dark shadow cloaking me, her face a gruesome smile. She screeched and was ready to unleash a surge of dark power on me. But then my Energy thudded with force and soon the blue countenance of the Dark Necrofear was harshly shot backwards. I heard the agonized yell of the man as he felt his creature's pain.
Her face was a mask of surprise and disbelief. She flew towards her Master, her feet trying to regain balance. The man raised a barrier round him, into which the Dark Necrofear collided. She fell to the ground in a heap, her breathing rapid. With noticeable tremors, she looked up at her assailant. I did the same thing. Standing in front of me, with body posed in a powerful protective stance, was Razel in his full battle garb. His long jet hair was spiked and threatening. His staff flared with power.
Dark Necrofear shakily rose to her feet and spoke. "The…The Magician of Black Chaos! But how? How are you here?"
Razel retracted his stance to stand squarely in front of me. His deep voice was threatening and angry. "How dare you ask MY reasoning for being here you filthy creature. You who dare to harm my Master! I shall show you no mercy."
Razel's Energy burst with life, his innate power filed me and I felt rejuvenated. I stood and felt the solidity of our bond. His strength flowed through me, joining us together. This was what happened with Von against Rae and Brie; we were becoming one on the field of battle. But with Razel it was better, more intense, I felt invincible.
"Chaos Mage, let us Duel! Now, attack Dark Necrofear!" I shouted.
With that inhuman speed of his, Razel charged. Dark Necrofear barely had time to react when she was sickeningly tossed into the air. She screamed in terror then, her shrill voice unheard to those without Psychic abilities. In fact this entire Duel would be invisible. But the damage inflicted would not. Razel targeted her ferociously. He attacked her over and over. The man endured endless Energy blows and still managed to yell out attacks.
"Dark Necrofear! What the hell are you doing? Fight!"
"Do not give up Chaos Mage! Take her down at any cost!" I commanded feeling his threatening forces within me. It was like I was possessed. "That's it! Win this!"
"You also may fight! This is a good opportunity to practice what I have taught you. Use my power and fight your own battle!" Razel snapped down at me from the sky.
It took me mere seconds to realize what he was referring to. I looked over at the white-haired young man, protected by his Energy shield. I could fight against him while my Duel Spirit battled his Duel Spirit. Like a two-pronged attack! Any hesitation in me vanished once I quickly recalled the brutal beating Dark Necrofear gave me on his orders and I brought my Energy into my hands. With my connection to Razel in effect, I pulled on his Energy source, channeling it into my own. My hands and arms shone brightly as our combined power was harnessed. I raised my arms, made liquid, serpentine gestures, then swept them outwards towards my opponent. As I did so, bright crescent-like waves of Energy surged forwards. Their loud rush gave me goose-bumps. The crescents collided with the shield, exploding in thunderous claps of light. The man teetered on feet, shocked by my ability.
I swept out my left arm, another Energy crescent flooded towards him. The shield withstood a few blows before it began to crack. The man behind the shield screamed and tried to rebuild his defenses.
"What is this? Hahahaha! Such power! I want it even more!" Came his crazed reply.
It was then that I noticed that he was not truly worried for his own safety, but rather for the fact that he was losing. "You humans who have these abilities! I must have it all! Yours and little Yugi's!"
"Yugi?" I said. "Who is that? Tell what you plan to do to us?"
"Oh you'll find out soon enough. This is merely a test to see what you are capable of. And I am much impressed!"
I swung my right arm to unleash another Energy strike. The shield cracked completely and the attack struck him in the torso. The white-haired man hacked up blood as his body was flung several yards away. Above, Dark Necrofear gasped as she sensed her Master's loss, but remained fighting.
She tried. She fought fiercely against Razel, but her hits never landed. Razel twisted away from her, using his powers to levitate and float above us. He raised his black leathered hand and released a ball of dark purple energy. It brought her down, crushing the concrete with her. The man faltered again as he felt her anguish from the connection they shared and coughed up more mouthfuls of blood.
I watched him with a cold, calculating glare. My Duel Spirit was by far the stronger, my powers as a Psychic Duelist outweighed his. I knew I had won.
"Surrender. I do not wish to kill your Duel Spirit. It is not her fault that she was charged with watching your sorry ass." I stated.
The man looked at me full of hatred. "Know this, I will return to take your power. And now that I see your mighty Duel Spirit, the Magician of Black Chaos, I will take him as well! I swear it! I will destroy you and little Yugi! Come Dark Necrofear!"
Dark Necrofear weakly nodded from her prone position amidst the rubble. In a flash of golden light, both disappeared.
Razel and I were alone standing on the wharf. Our Energy tie diminished and again we were separated. The sky was now gray and the rumbling of thunder sounded close.
"What was that Razel?" I asked a little breathless. I saw the damage to building that we had caused and I felt ashamed. Ashamed and I also wanted to get the hell out of there before we were spotted.
"That was a Psychic Duel. You should be elated. It was your first of many." His voice was hard and distant. I stared at his profile, playing over in my mind the differences in reaction between him and Von. When Von and I merged, he was so happy. Razel just looked pissed.
"Psychic Duel huh? It sucks." I grunted rubbing my bruised abdomen. My scraped arms stung and I winced as I bent them.
"Now do you see why I push you so hard? You must always be at the top of your game. Not all of them will be as easy."
I nodded and went to go retrieve my bags of groceries. But when I bent to grab them, my back tinged with sharp pain and I gasped. My raw arms crusting over with blood and grit. "Ah! Dammnit!"
Grimacing, I picked up the bags. They felt much heavier than before. I exhaled heavily, bracing against the aching in my body. Before I could step away, Razel came to me, and took my grocery bags.
I looked at him, most surprised. "What are you doing?"
"You're injured. You were careless not to summon me sooner. In the future do not make the same mistake again." He said gruffly.
"What!?" I exclaimed now irritated. Pain makes normal irritation a thousand times worse and you say things you normally would not say too. "I was not careless. I wasn't given the chance to call for you. At least I did call for you, I could have summoned Von or the others you know!"
"And you would be dead right now instead of licking your pathetic wounds!" Razel stormed back at me.
His words hit me and I raged. I was more in shock about what had happened that first time than I thought.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? You're always telling me to be ready and when I remember that my life is not some crazy fantasy, that your kind does exist…I call for you to help because that's what you're here for! To protect me! And when we do the Energy Exchange and I listen to your instructions to fight that bastard myself, I do them! And when everything's finished and WE'VE WON, you still have a stick up your ass with me! What now Razel? What did I do so wrong this time? I was almost fucking killed by some fucking monster and some lunatic fucking guy who followed me in order to fucking duel me! Do you know what that feels like? Do you know how all of this seems to me? That man wanted to kill me! He wanted to kill me for a power that I don't even really want!"
I let loose. I was hurt, shaken, and afraid. No one had wanted me dead before. No one wanted something from me so badly that they had no qualms about killing me for it. My shouting caused my sore body to scream out. I breathed hard. I wanted to go home. I wanted my normal life back.
Razel did not speak to me. He just watched me vent, shake, and rant like a child in front of him. It began to spit rain. There was a long, almost tangible pause.
"Never mind. Give me my bags."
I went to take them, but Razel pulled away. Our eyes met. When I saw the man emotions feuding in his, I felt even worse. His were filled with frustration and…hurt.
"A power you do not want." He stated. "I understand. In the future Mistress, please refrain from minimizing my entire existence and purpose in this life."
With that, before I could say anything to try and fix the issue I had caused, Razel sidestepped around me and proceeded to return home.
I was left following him home like the bitch that I can be, feeling horrible for what I said. I'm such an asshole, I thought. When we got back, the rain was coming down steadily and Rae, Brie, Neo, and Von greeted us. Immediately picking up on our argument, no one said much of anything. They stayed out of our way, kept to themselves.
"Did you touch my computer?" I asked quickly.
"Not at all Mistress," Neo said.
"Good."
I went straight to my room. I wanted a shower and to go to bed. I was so embarrassed by my reaction. I undressed in my bathroom, frowning at my black and blue torso, my red arms. The sharp pain in my back had dulled a bit but persisted. Turning on the hot water, I stepped into the shower and let the water soothe me.
After I got out later, I gingerly wrapped a towel around me and returned to my room where I put on a large T-shirt and cotton shorts. I was about to get into my bed when my door opened.
"What? Not now you guys."
"Those dolts are downstairs putting away your food. We, however, are not finished."
I shot a look at Razel. He was no longer in his battle garb, but in one of his Mandarin robes.
"Oh jeeze Razel," I started. I did not want to talk about it but I did want to resolve it.
He came over, stoic and stone faced. "Sit."
Rolling my eyes I sat on my bed, trying not to make eye contact.
He knelt in front of me. "Show me your stomach."
"What for?"
"Don't be stupid. I know you have injuries. Dark Necrofear is a vicious fiend from my world, known for her savage ways. Now, show me."
I felt like a kid. So, biting my lip I pulled up my shirt to just under my breasts. Razel's face hardened when he saw how bruised I was. His lips tightened.
"Don't move." He brought his hands up, but it was their gentle touch on my belly that made me look down at him.
His blue hands softly glowed as his powers worked to heal me. I felt his long fingers rest on my waist, and my face blushed.
"What are you doing Razel?" I meekly asked.
"What does it look like? You're my Master. I'm simply fulfilling my duties."
I sighed up at my ceiling. Christ! This is messed up. "Hey…Razel…about that…"
"About what Mistress?"
Oh! He was rubbing it in! Damn him. "At the wharf…what I said to you." I paused, gathering my pride. "I was in a lot of pain and I took it out on you."
"Yes."
I swallowed. His hands were warm and the pain gradually melted away. "What I said to you…not wanting this…the guys…you…it was terrible. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
Razel breathed deeply. "As you know, those words hurt me a great deal."
"Yes, I am aware." I said sighing again.
"It's not my fault for being charged with watching a novice like you, you know."
My eyebrow twitched. "Yeah…"
"You can't fight worth a damn, as you say."
"Oh really?" I knew then that he had forgiven me.
"You're sloppy and have poor control." He eyed me with a small smirk.
"Ok—now I know you're messing with me. Stop," I smiled back.
"Turn around. Your stomach is done."
I turned on my bed, my shirt still up. My back now received the same treatment as my front.
"You need to eat more. You're too thin." He said, bringing his fingertips over my spine.
"What? I do not. I'm just in shape." I retorted. The I remembered a disturbing thing. "Hey, Razel…that man today. He said something weird."
"Oh?"
"He said that he was going to take you away from me. What did he mean? How can he? You're my Duel Spirit."
"That's part of the Psychic Duel."
"What do you mean?" I turned my head to the side.
"During a Psychic Duel, it is not uncommon for the victor to take the loser's Duel Spirit as their own."
I felt a chill go through me. "Really?"
"Yes. I have known Duel Spirits that have been sent to live with other Masters. Most of the time such cases are unfortunate. They are mistreated because they are the loser's creature, and are never fully accepted by the new Spirits."
I listened as he spoke. What he was telling me gripped my like ice. I had no idea that one could lose Duel Spirits so easily! I suppose that was another reason why Razel pushed me to hard. He did not want me to me be weak in any form. His happiness depended on it. All of them did. I felt such a great pressure, a newfound responsibility. But at the same time, I felt pride and determination. I was not going to let that happen to me or my Spirits. They were happy, content, and they were mine. They needed my Energy to sustain them. I was their Master and their friend.
"Razel…I want you to teach me how to be the strongest Psychic Duelist I can be. You've told me I have potential to be one of the best and that's what I want. You guys are my Duel Spirits. I'll be damned if some punkass takes you away from me."
Razel chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that."
"I'm serious" I turned around again to face him. I wanted him to see how serious I was. "Teach me to be the best."
The Chaos Mage lowered his hands away from me to set them on his lap. "Are you sure? I will not go easy on you. On any of you."
"I know."
He thought for a moment. Appreciating my tenacity. "Alright."
I smiled, relieved and pleased. "That's great."
"But I am not going to train you just so that you can keep the others safe. You must realize that the more intense my training the more…"
I did not let him finish. I didn't want him to finish. I didn't want to hear some made up excuse, or some bravado. I had leaned forward to wrap my injured arms around his neck. He tensed. His soft black hair was like silk and he smelled like spices.
"I won't let anyone take you guys away."
Razel sat motionless. His back was ridged, his shoulders hard. This was the first kind gesture either of us had shown the other, so it was new and unfamiliar. I personally did not know whether or not Razel had ever shown outward signs of affection for anyone. He was held on such a high pedestal that he must have had to uphold a certain standard. Von and the others could freely show their feelings as they were not celebrated like the Chaos Mage. Was he at all generous? Was he at all capable of being a friend? I wanted to know. I wanted him around long enough to find out.
In that instance he did not return my embrace, but I did notice how his head inclined towards my own. Its gentle rest, his posture slowly relaxing under me informed me that he was just as concerned as I was. Not having his arms come around me, holding me, was fine. I understood his distance. I, on the other hand, tightened my grip on him. I didn't care at that point. I didn't care if what I was doing was proper decorum for a Master and Duel Spirit, but I was comforted knowing that he knew that I was there.
"It's going to be a long road." He finally said quietly.
"I know."
I rested my cheek on his shoulder. Razel still let his head softly touch mine. We enjoyed each other's presence, each other's silence. What I did not know, was that Von had come searching for us and watched us from the crack in my bedroom door.