Chaos was the nature of existence itself. It was the driving force through which the universe constantly changed. Only by the primordial chaos which shook the stale order of nothingness did everything come to be. Many feared the change brought about by its mere power, yet all reaped its benefits, for through the unstoppable force of chaos, new orders were ultimately brought forth in a never ending vicious cycle. Shishima had always known this truth and had accepted it thousands of years ago, yet even he had at times been a victim of chaos. But in the present, as he stood high and mighty above the unfolding revolution at the entrance of the Twilight Kingdom's capital palace, he was the bearer of chaos and he would also reap its benefits. Carefully flying out of the military's sight, he landed by Nekohana's side, the latter regarding him with worry and asking, "What is the next step, my prince?"
"We will take advantage of this distraction the oni have offered us. I want you to bring me your strongest sleep powder and follow me upstairs. It is time we laid a trap to those self-assured daiyoukai, wouldn't you agree?"
Nekohana nodded and replied, "Lead the way then, Shishima!" No sooner did she finish her sentence that he already spread his leather wings wide and flew towards the spiraled stairs which led towards the upper levels. She ran after him while checking the flowers in her mane for as many Passion's Grip as she could find.
During the commotion of battle cries, falling bodies and broken walls, Akamaru's kanabo collided against Rufu's katana, the oni's black eyes with glowing red dots meeting the wolf daiyoukai's single blue eye. With a confident smirk and a mocking tone in his voice, Akamaru asked, "What's a frail old timer like you doing on the battlefield? Shouldn't you be upstairs enjoying your life in fluff?"
"If it isn't the Oni King's sheltered little brat! I never would've expected you to lead this gang of vandals against our glorious capital," General Rufu retorted with disgust in his voice.
"What's so shocking? Your little toy soldiers need more training, you'd think they'd fare better against our magic and brute strength."
"Shut your trap, you snotty child!" the tall military figure roared and swung his katana upwards, throwing the kanabo in the air, disarming his opponent and leaving him open for attack. "Die!" He grabbed the sword's handle with his other hand and charged with the blade, intent on piercing the oni's exposed chest. In a split moment, Akamaru dodged the attack and spat a torrent of fire from his mouth which easily melted the sword and burned away the sleeves from his opponent's expensive black uniform along with the glove covering his left hand.
"You're way too slow! How could a senile old geezer like you ever defeat the army of Purgatory or the Dawn Kingdom?"
"Don't you dare mock my achievements, you sad excuse of a noble!" General Rufu spread his left palm open wide and turned to face Akamaru, aiming his hand at him and shouting, "Magic claw!" before firing countless spheres of green light at him.
Akamaru was taken by surprise and blown right into a brick wall. By the time he was done with the attack, the oni prince's kimono had been burned off to expose a well-built red-skinned body. Smoke was coming out of his arms with large biceps, chest with hard pectorals and belly with rippling abs. Even Rufu had to admit that despite the sheltered upbringing, whatever physical training the Oni King may have offered his son did indeed pay off. But due to the stubborn attitude of their race, they were always prone to surprise magic attacks. Their true strength lied not in brute force, but in numbers. And it became all the more evident as he looked around and saw his army outnumbered by the horde of invaders which were pouring through the opened gates.
"Where are you looking?" a familiar voice asked, and before the general could react, his left hand was sliced open by a pair of claws.
"Fuck!" Rufu roared and turned to face the still-conscious Akamaru. "How did you-"
"I've faced worse in my life." The latter shrugged. "But what about you? You call yourself a glorious general and yet you make the most basic mistake of turning your back to your opponent? There's no wonder my father always told me great stories of King Akushishi and Prince Shishima, but he had nothing to say about you!"
"Those two fools are ancient history, only Queen Koushishi is the future!" Rufu proudly declared while gripping his wounded hand to stop the bleeding.
"Wrong. The queen's reign has grown heavy like a boulder that is weighing down the collective shoulders of all youkai. Today we will smash that boulder into pieces and start anew!" Akamaru declared while taking out his deck.
"That's only wishful thinking on your part!" Rufu replied, and after magically stopping the bleeding in his left hand, he reached with his right hand into his pocket to pull out his own deck, accepting the challenge.
As he did, two dueling tables arose from the floor between them, allowing them both to set up their cards and begin their match, five blue shields materializing above each player.
"I summon Hakiri, Leafcry Faerie." A Snow Faerie with black hair donning a blue kimono and red dress and holding a teapot appeared by Rufu's side.
"Bad Action Dynamite 2, I summon Dorgan Churis." A blue mouse donning the fossilized skull and claws of a dragon appeared by Akamaru's side. "I attack with Dorgan Churis and Revolution Change into Dogiragon Nova, Blue Guardian Deity!" The rodent rushed at the opponent, then turned around and hi-fived a red-armored dragon with a long blonde mane and a sword in its mouth, the latter continuing the attack of the former. "Final Revolution, I reveal the top four cards of my deck and put any number of multicolored creatures with a total cost of 6 or less in the battle zone!" Akamaru revealed Valchuris, Dragon Armored, Dokuganryu, Oni of "Kagekiri", Bolshack Dogiragon and Hyakki no Jaoumon. "I put Dokuganryu in the battle zone and the rest to the bottom of my deck." A bipedal dragon donning white and purple armor appeared by the red armored dragon's side, the latter lashing at the opponent and hacking away three of his shields.
"Shield trigger, I cast Ougon! Bouken MAX and send Dokuganryu to your shield zone face up! Then shield trigger, I cast Imen's Sign and bring out Gorio Bugori, Gorira King!" An orange gorilla donning silvery armor with two golden chains wrapped around his fists that were double the size of his body appeared in the middle of the battle zone and gave a loud battle cry.
"I end my turn and untap Dogiragon Nova," Akamaru concluded.
"I summon Shinobu, Boost Chain." A purple-haired Snow Faerie dressed in a pink ninja suit appeared next to the other one. "Hakiri, attack and Abarechain! Shinobu puts the top card of my deck to my mana zone, Gorio Bugori doubles Hakiri's power and gives her a redundant powered breaker, and with Hakiri's regular effect I bring out from my hand a second Gorio Bugori, Gorira King!" Another orange gorilla emerged, joining its twin and giving a similar battle cry while pumping his chest.
"Dogiragon Nova, block Hakiri!" The dragon jumped in front of the faerie and hacked her away with the sword from its mouth.
"Gorio Bugori attacks Dogiragon Nova next. Due to his second effect, I can activate Abarechain effects during the second attack of my turn as well! Shinobu ramps again and Gorio Bugori doubles his power to 10000, then due to the second Gorio Bugori his power is doubled again to 20000!" The gorilla rushed towards the dragon and with a single fist he broke the creature's armor and made it vanish in an explosion. "Bow before the might of the Bouken Kingdom's leader! I shall end my turn here."
"I summon Bakurohoshi, Oni of "Musabori"!" A tall red oni with two pairs of black wings coming out of his back, a crown of black feathers on his head with long flowing white hair appeared, fixating his burning yellow eyes on the opponent. "With his effect, I return two of my shields to my hand without using shield trigger. Onitime has activated, meaning that Bakurohoshi now has power attacker +7000 and triple breaker! Go, break his final shields!" The winged oni flew through Rufu's remaining two shields and shattered them. "Your move, old timer. You've got one last chance to show me you're worth all the hype you've built around yourself."
"Be careful what you wish for, you arrogant brat - I summon Namakeira, Alive Chain." A sloth in a white gi appeared and lazily collapsed on the ground, holding two golden chains in his hands. "I attack with Gorio Bugori and with Namakeira's Abarechain I check the top two cards of my deck, add one to my shields and the other to my mana zone. Then with Shinobu's Abarechain I ramp one and both Gorio Bugori's Abarechain I double his power to 10000 and then 20000 again! Break his final shields!" The gorilla rushed headfirst and punched away the three remaining opposing shields. "Now you are the one who is left defenseless! It is time you met your fate - I attack with my second Gorio Bugori and activate all my Abarechains again! Namakeira grants me another shield and ramps me, Shinobu also ramps me and Gorio Bugori's power goes to 20000, todomeda!"
"Not so fast!" Akamaru retorted. "I reveal Anyaku Yasha and send him to the bottom of my deck to destroy Shinobu. Then Oniend - I cast two Hyakki no Jaoumon!" Two imposing red gates arose from the ground, two pairs of oni horns on top of each and six kanji symbols glowing in a circle on each of their doors. "With this spell's effect, I put the top four cards of my deck into my graveyard and revive a Darkness or Fire non-evolution creature among them which costs 6 or less." The cards which went into the graveyard were Dogiragon Buster, Blue Leader, Gedogongen, Oni of "Korekara", Gashadodokuro, Oni of "Tamagari" and Basara. "I revive Basara and with his effect I destroy your strongest creatures and for each creature destroyed this way I also burn one of your shields!" Much was Rufu's surprise as he saw his attacker disappear in an explosion and his Imen's Sign shield go to the graveyard. "Then with Hyakki no Jaoumon's effect I force battle Basara with your other Gorio Bugori. Now I'll resolve my second Hyakki no Jaoumon!" Dokuganryu, Oni of "Kagekiri", Balad Vi Na Shura, Jaouga, Oniga Overlord and a second Basara went into his graveyard. "I'll revive another Basara to destroy Namakeira and burn your other shield!"
The general grit his fangs as he also lost the Ougon! Bouken MAX he had set in his shield zone. "Impossible! I refuse to lose to an inferior barbaric oni!" Rufu declared and opened his wounded left palm wide, trying to conjure another magic claw attack.
"Bakurohoshi, todomeda!" Akamaru quickly ordered and the winged oni flew headfirst into his opponent, knocking him unconscious and sealing his victory.
The surrounding oni cheered for their leader. So motivated were they by his duel that they rushed without any further hesitation against Rufu's soldiers, forcing them to run and seek shelter. Inspired by Nekohana's letters and the unfolding success of the revolution, more and more youkai commoners emerged from their apartments and joined the cause, attacking the authorities and chasing them upstairs. The sparks of their efforts had set a collective flame, one that would ultimately burn down the corrupt establishment and mark that day as a pivotal one in the Twilight Kingdom's history, and Akamaru was more than excited to play a role in such an important event.
Tensions were high in the senate room. Word of the spreading revolution and both the military's and sealing corps's failure had reached even the ears of politicians. All senators sat uncomfortably on their seats, not a word was even whispered as Koushishi walked in and took her rightful place on the throne, an expression of utter anger on her face which filled even the most wicked daiyoukai with fear. It was common knowledge to not make one's voice heard whenever the queen was in a particularly foul mood, lest someone had a death wish. One of her nude succubus slaves followed suit, her head laid down, a plate with three filled glasses of wine in her hands. She stopped by the monarch's left side, knelt down and offered the drinks.
"Not now," the queen instructed, but added with a firm voice as her slave was about to get up and leave. "Stay." Then she turned her attention to the gathering around her. "Where are my closest confidants? I demand to know their whereabouts in this instant!"
"Your Highness," a black-haired yuki onna senator shyly spoke as she got up from her seat. "I'm afraid that neither General Rufu nor Senator Sazansho have given us any sign after going down to the lowest level to deal with the revolution. Should we organize a rescue crew for them?"
"So they have failed me," a disgusted Koushishi replied. "This is an unexpected turn of events, I only demand utmost perfection from my daiyoukai underlings. No, do not lift a claw to aid them. Let both of them deal with the mess downstairs, that punishment will be sufficient enough. Now I ask all regional senators who represent each particular sentient race of the Twilight Kingdom to stand up!" At her demand, over a dozen senators got up from their seats. "I wish for you to explain the reason why the people are revolting. Now."
"With all due respect, my queen, the reason why my oni brethren are revolting and have been having their riots these past few centuries should be quite evident," said the blue oni senator while adjusting his glasses. "My race are fed up of being treated like second class citizens. They have been pushed in the point where the only way their voice can be heard is by causing havoc, I'm afraid."
"Shut your mouth, you disrespectful cur!" Koushishi raised her voice at him. "I have let the oni appoint one senator to represent them for thousands of years! I have made sure that the tributes they brought to the capital palace and the taxes they paid were always fair and balanced! There is no way I am giving them any special treatment merely because nothing ever satisfies them!"
"What about the succubi and incubi being treated as sex workers?" the succubus senator added, backing up her colleague. "Like the oni, we have been viewed as second class citizens merely because we are humanoid demons. Why do we have to send hundreds of our kin on a yearly basis to become the personal slaves of the daiyoukai?"
"She is right!" an anthropomorphic bee youkai chimed in. "Our fields and meadows are becoming poorer each day and most of our enchanted honey and nectar are being claimed by the capital palace as tribute. We've gotten to the point where we are starving and yet are working hard to feed an entire kingdom that never pays us back!"
"And on this point, your administration's poor exploitation of the Twilight Kingdom's and even former Purgatory's nature is harming our environment!" the yuki onna senator added. "Our mountains are becoming too warm for my kin to survive, our winters are growing warmer despite our weather magic, in a few centuries this land will become uninhabitable!"
One by one, all regional senators who were called to stand up assaulted the queen with the complaints they had kept to themselves for thousands of years. If they had been alone in their ire, none would have had the courage to voice the true opinion of their people. But now that they had each other's back, the weight of her severe reign was finally closing in on the enthroned despot.
Unable to keep up with what she viewed as petty whining, Koushishi opened her fanged mouth and roared loudly, "Shut up, all of you!" Silence had filled the room as she got up to reveal that her figure was taller and much more imposing than all gathered there. She spread her wings and flew mid air as a circle of fire formed around the entire senate. "Have the past few hundred years been too kind to you? Have you forgotten that nobody is allowed to question my perfect rule? You should all know that there is a single fate for all dissenters - they will all be thrown into the gates of Hell to rejoin their fallen ancestors."
Her threat was enough to silence all senators and force them to sit down. But there was one exception, a single fool still dared to stand tall and defiant of her warnings - Yuktre. Either the squid was brave or, most likely, too stupid for his own good. Curious to his defiance, Koushishi snapped her fingers and the circle of fire vanished. Then, with a smirk on her face, she asked:
"Senator Yuktre, do you not comprehend the grave nature of the consequences? Do you still not know your place in this here gathering?"
Through the slimy tentacles that covered his mouth, the senator replied, "My sewer youkai brethren have always been among the worst-treated in the entire Twilight Kingdom, despite us residing in the capital palace! At least the oni are viewed with awe as threatening warriors, we are laughed at for being unclean despite our important role as janitors. I'm afraid I have reached a point where your threats of hellfire no longer work on me."
The other senators regarded him worriedly, some whispering to him, demanding that he shut up and sit down before something bad happened. Amused by this, Koushishi said, "You must truly have a death wish."
"Death or a tortured eternity in Hell are still better than shamefully living under your rule!"
"Yuktre, I've always known you as a shy and disgusting slime ball of a daiyoukai. When did you grow a spine?" the queen wondered as she flew to the senator's seat. "Or are you really senator Yuktre...?"
All of a sudden, the senate's doors bust open and Nekohana tossed in a large bag filled with Passion's Grip pollen. As soon as it collided against the stairs, the yellow dust filled the air. The few forest youkai senators immediately recognized it, quickly covered their mouths and ducked beneath their seats. But the rest foolishly breathed in the pollen and were all knocked out. The only ones who were unaffected were Koushishi, who flapped her wings to keep her nostrils safe, and Yuktre.
"Identify yourself, intruder!" the queen demanded, but all of a sudden her sights turned red as she was assaulted by images of the departed Akushishi, his voice booming in her head. Why did you plot my death, Koushishi? Did I deserve this after loving you for thousands of years? Stunned by this, she dropped from the air and crashed into one of the podiums. The collision knocked her back to reality and she immediately got on her feet and surveyed the room. Most senators were sleeping on their seats and while a few still remained hidden to avoid the sleep power's effects. Senator Yuktre remained tall and proud, but now his eyes glowed bright red and looked straight at her.
"I was right, you are not the real Yuktre!" she growled. But before Koushishi could lash at him, the two plants from the pots near her throne stretched out and tied her arms and legs tight, lifting her up. Looking ahead, she noticed that Nekohana was the one controlling her plants as she walked by the impostor's side. Her sight became blurry and red again as images of her beaten, mutilated and burned husband dying all alone in a field of flowers kept flashing in her mind. You murdered me, Koushishi! You are not a ruler, you are a traitorous criminal! How was it possible? There was no afterlife for any spiritual being, when the former king met his demise, his entire existence had been erased. For the first time in her eternal life, the queen felt true terror at the impossibility of her mate having somehow survived. Giving in to her fear and anger, she screamed, "Yes, I indeed plotted your death, Akushishi! I've hated you... Yes, I've hated you for always sticking your nose in my affairs! The last straw was you taking Shishima from me when all I ever wanted was to raise the perfect heir in my own way! You ruined our son, so I made you lose everything in return! I truly hate everything about you, Akushishi!"
With the queen stuck in her delirium, senator Yuktre dropped the disguise as Nekohana opened the windows to let the pollen out. As the politicians awoke or got up from their hideouts, they were shocked to bear witness to the return of the former prince. Gasps and murmurs filled the senate room. Shishima turned to face the gathering with his chest out, tall and proud, then with a confident voice he addressed them:
"Fellow members of the Twilight Kingdom's senate, do not be afraid. I, Prince Shishima, did not die a thousand years ago as you have all been led to believe. The truth is that I have gone into hiding alongside my most loyal servant Nekohana." He stretched his right wing to motion at her. "The reason for this came right out of Queen Koushishi's lips. You all now bore witness to her confession of the terrible crime she had committed against her husband, your former king. But fear not, I have now returned to right her wrongs and lead the revolution! This prince is more than willing to help the people revolt against this tyrant, have their original rights restored and put an end to the current war against the Dawn Kingdom. But most importantly, I am here to bring justice for my late father. So I now come to ask you not to oppose the revolution, but join it so we can give birth to a better Twilight Kingdom!"
"Your Highness, as much as we all missed your presence among us, I'm afraid I must inform you that what you are plotting is downright crazy!" the succubus senator said.
"While I would love for my people to have more rights and better fields, I'm afraid I cannot have this at the expense of the status quo," the bee senator added.
"I agree! The only reason we spoke back against Koushishi was because we hoped to push her into becoming more lenient with the people. Sometimes fear is the best weapon even against kings or queens," the yuki onna senator added.
"As much as I would enjoy seeing all commoners satisfied, I am not ready to sacrifice my own comfort for this goal. The daiyoukai have granted us a life of luxury, one that only Queen Koushishi had sustained. All previous rulers had plunged us into community work or military duties, and as things stand, I'm afraid we cannot have that," the oni senator concluded.
Nekohana shook her head, not at all surprised by the outcome of events.
"How can you tolerate Koushishi's rule?" a frustrated Shishima asked back. "It is nothing but a lie built on the former king's death and my own exile! Are you actually comfortable having such a backstabber who would sacrifice her own family as your leader?!"
"King Akushishi was the past, Queen Koushishi is the future," the bee youkai said.
"Kings come and go, we just have to focus on our duties," the succubus added.
"My prince, despite everything that happened, at the end of the day we care about our safety. There is no reason to risk our lives bringing justice for those long gone," the oni argued.
Shishima was left speechless by the senators' utter display of selfishness and cowardice. Before he could react, Sazansho appeared by the opened doors and spat a large torrent of blue fire upon him and Nekohana. With their strength sapped and magic nullified, Koushishi snapped out of the illusion and managed to break free from the grip of her plants. As she got back on her feet and came down to her senses, a large grin on her face upon seeing her son alive and well after a thousand years. While she would have dreaded Akushishi's return, Shishima was always easier to control due to fragile pride and emotions.
"Welcome home, my beloved son!" she greeted as the collapsed youkai both weakly looked up at her. "I wonder how you've managed to survive the poisoned arrows I had my guards shoot at you. But alas, I will save the questions for later." She leaned down and looked him in the eye with sadistic glee. "The time has finally come for you to take your rightful place under my foot."
Mustering whatever power he had left, Shishima forced himself back on his feet, facing his mother for the first time in over a millennia. Silence had filled the room as everyone stared at the reunited royal family. Most expected him to weakly attack her and be severely wounded in retaliation, a few expected him to kneel down and grovel for forgiveness, but nobody knew his exact intentions. The prince immediately turned around and kicked Nekohana in the stomach, plunging her right into a portal to the southeastern woods he had just opened. In the next moment he dashed towards the it, but his escape attempt was foiled when Sazansho fired another blue flame which extinguished the portal and had him crash against a wall.
"You have nowhere to run this time around," Koushishi informed him as she took slow steps towards her offspring. "And do not worry about your little co-conspirator, we will find and arrest her in due time. As for you, not even death will save you from what I have in store."
"Curse you..." Shishima growled and turned to face her with his deck ready.
The queen paused in her steps and giggled at the prospect that her son had also learned how to duel. For a moment she wondered what other skills he may have attained during exile, but she would learn once he was subjugated and fully under her control once more. Although she could have called the guards to arrest him, she decided to humor him and entertain her fellow senators. Gracefully reaching behind her wings, she produced her own deck and thus two dueling tables arose from the floor for them to set their cards, deploy their shields and unfold their fateful showdown.
"I summon Rousseau Montes." A purple Mafi Gang with four arms, wearing a red mask and holding a golden scale appeared by Shishima's side, causing him to discard Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge and his opponent to randomly discard Kanashimi of Satan and Angel.
"I summon Mixel, Strange Stone." An airship made of red crystal appeared by Koushishi's side. "Now whenever you put creatures into the battle zone which cost more than the number of cards in your mana zone, they are sent to the bottom of your deck."
"Predictable. I cast Reload Charger, discard Gokensai, Oni of "Outrage" and draw a card."
"You are playing Onifuda Kingdom cards? So you must indeed be the one who's been stirring up those brainless oni! Worry not, once I defeat you, this should be enough to calm them down and put them back in their place. But until then... I cast Kenzan Charger, reveal the top card of my deck and if it's a blocker or spell, I can add it to my hand." The top card was Emeralda, Pitch Dragon Elemental which she gladly added to her hand.
"I cast Bone Dance Charger." Tsuruhashi Doji and Ninjariban, Dragon Edge landed in Shishima's graveyard. "Then I summon Magnum, Shortshot." A cowboy puppet riding a plush horse appeared by his side. "Rousseau Montes, break her shield!" The Mafi Gang stretched one of his arms and used his scales to break through one of the opposing shields.
"Already on the offensive? That is so unlike you, my dearest son! You must be feeling confident now that my creatures are locked down during your turn due to that Magnum. But rest assured, I have ways to get around it - I summon Phantom, False Moon Thief." A demonic raccoon wearing an elegant gray tuxedo with a top hat that had a half moon symbol and with a walking cane in his hands appeared by Koushishi's side.
"A mere blocker is not enough to stop me, mother! I cast Assault, Onifuda Kingdom! With its effect I revive Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge who brings out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace!" A winged and horned purple wolf plushie wielding a bone scythe emerged and called to a hole above the ceiling from which a winged demonic palace also descended. Jaouga, Oniga Oni and Borof, Final Dragon Edge had been milled from their owner's deck. "With Welcome Hell's effect I revive Ninjariban, Dragon Edge who brings out Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle which grants Hellborof speed attacker!" A blue ninja plushie also emerged with a Japanese-styled castle which had flaming swords on its edges. "I attack with Hellborof and Welcome Hell revives Gokensai, Oni of "Outrage"!" An oni donning a red and blue samurai armor appeared, a skull necklace around his neck and dragon skulls attached to his arms as the wolf plushie flew towards the opponent and hacked two of her shields with his scythe. "Rousseau Montes, break another shield!" The Mafi Gang stretched his arm again and tore through a shield with his scales. "Now I have five shields and you one, meaning that Onitime has activated and-"
"Shield trigger, I cast Mujun! Gekko MAX. Since I have a Light creature and a Darkness creature in the battle zone, I can activate both of its effects! So I add a new shield from the top of my deck, then I destroy Gokensai and return a shield to my hand."
"I end my turn and destroy Rousseau Montes, Magnum, Ninjariban and Hellborof to dragsolution Welcome Hell into Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King!" The winged palace fired two beams upon Shishima's remaining creatures and obliterated them all, after which it cracked open to reveal a demonic dragon wielding a bone scythe. "When Deathgoros is dragsolutioned, I destroy both Mixel and Phantom!" The Demon Command Dragon flew towards the remaining creatures in the battle zone and hacked them away with his scythe, thus ensuring he was the only creature left.
"What an amusing show you've put, Shishima. However, it is time to show you just how futile your efforts truly are - I cast Heaven's Gate and bring out Welkius, Assault Gate Elemental and Kaiserbarra, War Dragon Elemental." A winged mechanical angel wielding two purple laser swords and a golden armored angelic dragon wielding a blue sword and being decorated with a large blue rose appeared by the queen's side. "With the effect of Welkius I draw a card and bring out Hades, the New Moon that Rules the Underworld." A six armed angel-demon hybrid donning a purple armor and holding a weapon in each of his hands joined the other two creatures. "Then with Kaiserbarra's effect I draw a card and bring out none other than the ruler of the Gekko Kingdom himself - Moon, Destruction, Satan and Angel!" Another angel-demon hybrid arose, this one taller than all other creatures, his limbs and wings made of black cannons, four gun barrels coming out of a faceless head. "With his effect I add the top two cards of my deck to my shields. I end my turn and Satan and Angel breaks one of my shields. Oshiokimoon has now activated!"
"Oshiokimoon...?" Shishima wondered aloud.
"This effect activates every time a card leaves my shield zone. With the Oshiokimoon of Hades, I destroy Deathgoros." The purple armored creature plunged a golden sword through the demonic dragon, forcing him to return to his winged palace form. "Then with the Oshiokimoon of Satan and Angel I break one of your shields." The kingly creature raised an arm and fired shots from his fingers which tore through one of the opposing shields as well. "And now I pass the turn to you."
"Marvel at the power of our glorious queen!" Sazansho ordered and his fellow senators began applauding her performance, Koushishi basking in the glory of their praises.
"That glory won't last long," Shishima crudely interrupted them. "Onitime, I summon Jaouga, Oniga Overlord for 5 mana instead of 10. When Jaouga is summoned, he can't leave the battle zone until the end of the turn. And when he is put in the battle zone, all creatures are destroyed."
"What the...?" Koushishi was surprised to see a tall dark red oni with a single horn coming out of his head, skull shoulder pads, a chest armor made of ribs, a battle axe attached to his left foot and a kanabo attached to his right foot appeared and unleashed a wave of darkness upon her creatures. "Escape, I return a shield to my hand and save Hades." All her other creatures were devoured by the wave of darkness.
"Now I think it's time you truly felt the power of the Onifuda Kingdom leader - Jaouga, break her final shield!" The oni charged ahead and used his kanabo foot smash the remaining opposing shield.
"Shield trigger, I cast Heaven's Gate and bring out Uragawa, Science from the Moon alongside Moon, Destruction, Satan and Angel!" A caped mad scientist wearing a horned skull mask appeared with the leader of the Gekko Kingdom, the latter defiantly standing against Jaouga. "Uragawa allows me to cast Kenzan Charger from my hand for free." Koushishi revealed Waltz, Almost Transparent, a blocker which she added to her hand. "Then Satan and Angel grants me two new shields from the top of my deck. And now I believe my turn has come," she smugly declared, enjoying the annoyed silence coming from her opponent. "I cast Jamming Chaff, which allows me to draw a card and now you can't cast spells until the start of my next turn!" Shishima's eyes widened as he realized that he had just been locked down, his mother taking great delight in his shock. "Hades, triple break his shields!" Her opponent angrily stared at an Inferno Sign and Assault, Onifuda Kingdom he could not cast. "Uragawa, break his final shield!"
"Shield trigger, I summon Tsuruhashi Doji." A small horned blue oni wielding a sickle appeared, causing Tigernitro, Explosive Devil, Reload Charger and Rousseau Montes / Monte Scale Sign to be milled. "With his effect I recover Jaouga, Oniga Oni."
"Satan and Angel, todomeda!"
"Tsuruhashi, block! Since he's a slayer, both our creatures die!"
"I use the Escape ability of Hades, return a shield to my hand and save my creature. Oshiokimoon, Hades destroys Jaouga." The purple armored creature's golden sword was plunged through the oni's chest, making him disappear in a painful explosion. "Then with Uragawa's Oshiokimoon I recover Heaven's Gate."
Shishima growled as he stared at the opposing battle zone. Due to Koushishi's alternative ways of breaking her own shields and activating Oshiokimoon, his battle zone had been quickly dealt with and thus he had been cornered well. But he would not give up, for there was always a way to break through even the greatest of adversities. Hajime had taught him that back in Sagakin when he ultimately prevailed and managed to save humanity.
"Onitime, I summon Jaouga, Oniga Oni for 5 mana instead of 10." A tall red and blue oni with a single horn coming out of his head, skull shoulder pads and a chest armor made of ribs appeared and ran headfirst. "I attack with Jaouga and revive Hellborof whom I equip with Go To Hell, Annihilator Blade, which in turn revives Ninjariban whom I equip with Migawari, Nightmare Swastika." The winged and horned purple wolf plushie reappeared with his bone scythe, while the blue ninja plushie reappeared holding a giant red shuriken with a monstrous face, the tall oni piercing the remaining opposing shield with his horned head.
"Oshiokimoon, Hades destroys Hellborof and Uragawa recovers Jamming Chaff." The purple-armored creature's golden sword hacked the wolf plushie into pieces. "What a poor performance you've brought today, my son. It's evident that these past thousand years have made you weaker. But worry not, soon I will rectify this - I cast Kanashimi of Satan and Angel and discard a card at random from your hand." Assault, Onifuda Kingdom landed in his graveyard. "Then I cast a second Kanashimi of Satan and Angel and discard your last card!" She adored the scowl on her opponent's face as he lost Hayabusamaru, Lightfang Ninja. "Lastly, I cast Mujun! Gekko MAX and destroy Jaouga." The oni leader vanished again in a large explosion, leaving his owner only with a single creature that could do nothing. With no shields and no cards left in his hand, he had been left without defense and thoroughly humiliated. "And now for the grand finale - Satan and Angel, todomeda!" The tall angel-demon hybrid raised both arms and fired bullets from all of his fingers which blew Shishima and his cards away.
He crashed on the floor. The last thing he saw before his mind went blank was the empty throne which should have been rightfully his on the night his father had passed.
Akamaru and a small group of surviving oni were chased out of the capital palace by the united forces of the army and sealing corps under the leadership of General Rufu. With both brute militaristic strength and the ability to immobilize and seal away magic, they proved to be an unstoppable force mightier than the oni ever could hope to be. And as they ran away, Akamaru cursed himself for not killing Rufu for good when he had the opportunity. Eventually the weather grew colder as they reached the bottom of the northern mountains which they immediately started climbing, knowing they would not be followed easily. If any fool even tried such a feat, they had their traps ready. Upon reaching the first cave, they immediately ran inside to safety and pushed a boulder to cover its entrance. From there they would arrive in the oni village by nightfall.
"Shishima, you failed in overthrowing Koushishi and her daiyoukai in time," Akamaru thought as he reflected on the happenings of that day. "That's why we've lost today. This is the last time I'm trusting your kind. I hope you got to reap what you've sowed, you bastard."