A/N: Minor changes had been made to earlier content to correct some oversight, shouldn't affect anything. I wrote this chapter specifically to include any adjustments from previous chapters. That being said, if you're reading this consecutively, it may seem a little repetitive. I will edit out the relevant content in a couple of days.
Devack's challenge outside woke me from my reverie. Time to deal with the much simpler problem of progressively weakening an evil god until it it tame enough to be used as an energy source for my construction plans. Compared to what needs to happen after the Dark Signer thing's done, this is a piece of cake.
Oh well, how bad can it be?I mused rhetorically. All we're doing is to redesign the human civilization to once again revolve around agriculture (the way it was meant to exist), with people who does not yet understand the concept of money. What could possibly go wrong?
"Sup!" I waved cheerfully at Devak, glad to relax with a children's card game. Chaos, Felice, Kalin and Yusei followed me outside, Cyril and Galen stayed back because somebody had to do the real work around here.
"Greetings, Signer." Devak stepped off of this own duel runner to stand before me. An aura of darkness seemed to radiate off of him as he challenged me to a duel that he honestly believes would decide the course of humanity.
Yawn.
Let's be real, he's running a Earthbound Immortal deck with a single immortal, he shouldn't be able to defeat a paper bag without major help from the Ruler of the Netherworld. Well, his god can only do so much.
"Greetings, Dark Signer," I mirrored his words mockingly, "We shall enter into a duel of Light and Darkness, where I shall slaughter you, and if you cooperate, we might even keep you alive in the end, how's that?"
"You ridicule the power of the Shadows?" He gnarled.
"It picked you as its envoy, didn't it?" I taunted. "Talk's cheap, let's just start the game so I could prove my point."
"Your point?" Devack repeated suspiciously.
"That Dark Signers can be converted back to normal with a children's card game without being killed," I elaborated.
Felice has been planning on how to get Vincent back now that he's a Dark Signer, her ideas so far include but are not limited to breaking all of his limbs, and getting him prosthetics when he's sane again... So I thought we'd probably need a backup plan. Plus, with all the information I conveniently forgot to reveal, I need the brownie points.
Also I'd like Vincent and Ara alive.
"As you wish," Devak replied coolly, "I shall reveal to you the Darkness and all its terrors."
"Uh-huh." I rolled my eyes, "You're one to talk, a child defeated you at a children's card game."
Devak looked understandably confused. I was talking about the duel he had with Leo in the original anime, which I guess wouldn't happen anymore.
"As a Signer who hasn't even embraced her powers yet, you don't stand a chance against my Earthbound Immortal!" Devack seemed to have ignored my interjections and continue his own speech.
"Cusillu (lv10, 2800/2400), that monkey thing, right?" I replied dismissively. I gestured vaguely for him to make his move before he physically exploded from anger.
Turn 1, Devack's turn; Devack 4000, Yuki 4000
"My immortal will rip you to shreds." Devack promised. "I summon, Fighter Ape (lv4, 1900/1200), in attack mode. I place one card face down and end my turn."
Turn 2, Yuki's Turn; Devack 4000, Yuki 4000
"I'll activate Swords of Revealing Light, place two cards face down. That should be more than enough." I said carelessly.
"You're already buying time on your first turn? That measly card won't be enough to prolong your time in this world."
"Actually, I'm not going to attack while Swords of Revealing Light is on the field, so you have three turns to summon your immortal, should be enough." That way, he's much less likely to lose all his life points and die.
"You undermine the power of my deck and the powers my deck grants me," Devack responded evenly, "Unlike you Signers, I duel with my monsters, not using them. With their help, I cannot lose!"
What he said just sounded so much like the 'heart of the cards' stuff I burst out laughing.
"Your name sounds like D-bag, you know that?" I glossed over the mental detour with another laugh, completely changing the topic. The harsh lines on Devack's face deepened with my words. I chuckled apologetically. It does though... "Whatever, just summon your immortal so I can destroy it."
Off the field, nobody was really paying us any attention.
"Is there a Shadow Duel going on?" Akiza's feathered dragon swooped down as she leapt off the dragon, her jacket bellowing out behind her. Akiza was secretly pleased- she's been practicing that entrance for a while. It took a while to get her coat flowing just right. Blue Rose Dragon (lv4, 1600/1000) nuzzled against her hand and disappeared into its card.
"Yuki's dueling a Dark Signer, but I don't feel anything." Yusei looked down on his arm, where the tattoo of the tail of the Crimson Dragon remains dormant, "My mark has always lit up between the battle of a Signer and a Dark Signer."
"Are you supposed to feel anything?" Felice asked nonchalantly, "Maybe it's because Yuki doesn't have one of your marks yet. Or maybe your marks ran out of juice."
"I didn't feel anything when Yuki dueled Kalin either," Akiza recalled, "It felt completely different from when you and Jack were dueling, I didn't think anything of it at the time..."
Yusei looked to Kalin for confirmation, the latter looked uncomfortably away.
"I sensed no energy from her during the duel," Kalin kept his eyes down to avoid looking at his friend, "At the time, I attributed the anomaly to an inactivated mark."
"It's possible," Yusei admitted. The last time there was a 'Battle between Light and Dark' was around the time written language was invented, so it's not like anybody really knew what was supposed to happen. Still, his instincts screamed otherwise.
X
"A Shadow Duel?" Jack looked up from his new duel runner, the one unfortunately named Wheel of Fortunes*. "Odd, I don't sense another Signer in the game."
"Jack, I got permission from Director Goodwin for you to enter the Satellite!" Mina burst through the door, annoyed to see Carly sitting by her computer at the side of the garage.
"The King Returns... The Return of the King," Carly glanced up to acknowledge Mina's entrance, still typing on her computer, "No, no, that's too cliched for tomorrow's headline. Riding into Satellite? Too simple. The One Thing About Jack Atlas You Must Know? Click bait, people will hate me. Ugh, why is this so hard?"
X
"The first battle of many," Rex Goodwin mused from his position on top of the Neo Domino Towers. So those satellites didn't need any nudging from Neo Domino to battle the Dark Signers, probably out of 'the goodness of their hearts'. In other words, a woefully misplaced hero-complex. Well, the upcoming famine in the Satellite shouldn't hurt.
X
"So it begins," Greiger stepped on the gas, then remembered his speeding ticket. Not wanting to be deterred by Security again, he slowed down to 30 miles per hour. He had business to attend to, he didn't have time to be detained by these mortals. He had learned alot since he left the village, from both Goodwins and Tono, now it's time to put that to use. "I should be in time, can't let Devack have all the fun." And why should he deny himself the pleasure of victory? Or the pleasure of destruction? He has need for self restraint- he has nothing left to lose.
Turn 3, Devack's turn; Devack 4000, Yuki 4000
"Yet another mortal who treat this gladiator sport like a game, I expected more from a Signer. Very well, if you insist on aiding in your own demise, I shall oblige you." Devack drew, "I summon the Dark Tuner Dark Ape (lv-3, 0/0), and activate the spell Dark Wave to change my Fighter Ape's level into -4. I tune my level 4 Fighter Ape with my level 3 Dark Tuner Dark Ape. When the Shadows are devoured by even darker Shadows, the curtain pulls back to reveal a world without Light."
I didn't interrupt him with a smart alec remark like I usually do. Devack looked devout, almost Divine, and I was awed, not by his 'god' but by his reverence and passion. He really believes in this, whatever this is.
"Come forth, Zeman the Ape King (lv7, 2500/1800)."
A human-looking creature in a dark green cloak rose from the battle field, it turned back and bowed towards Devack, its face twisting into what I would imagine was a smile, before facing me again, standing still among the confines of Swords of Revealing Light.
"Welcome, my friend," Devack nodded, "Thank you for joining me in this battle. We shall share in the power of the minus curse to defeat the Signers! Our magic shall turn everything into its opposite. Left will be right, up will be down. So finally, the wrongs shall be right again! Our combined powers would restore this world into how it was meant to be!"
The monkey chirped in response. (do monkeys chirp? It wasn't quite a screech, so I'll call it a chirp...)
"A world that's meant to be?" Yusei asked curiously.
"One where duel monsters no longer need to obey the will of their human masters, or be imprisoned in the Shadow Realm. But rather are free to roam the earth, fighting for their own advancements rather than enjoyment of mortals. The way this world is meant to be! The human kind were never meant to rule this world, nor are we deserving of it! Not while duel monsters are trapped in the Shadow Realm, being used as weapons for our infighting! When my magic finally takes hold of this world, duel monsters will icbbe again reign!" Devack said, ecstatic.
"Why should duel monsters be trapped in the Shadow Realm, forced to do biddings of their unknown masters in brutal gladiator fights? What right do we have to command them and herd them into battle?"
As enticing as that sounds... "As a human, I have to say, that might not be a good idea." I interjected, it doesn't take a genius to figure out roaming Blue Eyes White Dragons are not good for the well-being of the human race.
But I'm not human, am I? To me, the characters in this world are no more or less real than the duel monsters. I could just as well have ended up as a duel monster, then I would be fighting for Devack's cause, possibly more passionately than I fight for the Satellite.
I mean, everything he said makes sense, if you don't look at it from the perspective of a human. It's a disconcerting idea but I couldn't deny the truth in it.
"I set one card face down and end my turn." Devack ignored me and finished his turn.
Turn 4, Yuki's Turn; Devack 4000, Yuki 4000
"Well, there's not much I can do. I told you I wouldn't attack, so I'll just set one card facedown and end my turn." I said lazily, distracted. A Dark Synchro monster, powerful though it is, wouldn't really save him. "Just summon your immortal, 'kay?"
"As you wish." Devack replied. "I activate my face down card, "Fires of Doomsday, summoning two Doomsday Tokens (lv2, 0/0) to the field."
"Yay! Immortal! Finally." I cheered sarcastically, "Let's get this over with."
"It's unbecoming for you to take their sacrifices so lightly." Devack remarked seriously, "They are summoned by your hand to the mortal realm to fight under your command. At least attempt to lead them to victory."
"I'll still win." I said weakly, for once at a loss for words.
Turn 5, Devack's turn; Devack 4000, Yuki 4000
"I sacrifice the souls of these spirits, to summon the god lurking in the Shadows, Earthbound Immortal Cusillu (lv10, 2800/2400)." Devack didn't hear or didn't acknowledge my comment.
A bright light seeming appearing from nowhere filled the battle field, from its center emerged a black hole that spat out the Earthbound Immortal Devack summoned.
Devack raised both hands above his head, "Welcome, my Lord, to the mortal realm!"
"There're no disappearances in the Satellite." Kalin confirmed over his cellphone (yay, cellphone! Like I mentioned earlier, long-distance walkie-talkies).
"My immortal draws life from a different source." Devack explained.
"The spirit realm, right?" I recalled vaguely from the anime, "Doesn't that go against everything you just talked about? If you're so concerned about the duel monsters, shouldn't you at least avoid, I dunno, killing them?"
"Those monsters are weak," Devack elaborated at my disapproving look, "Not in attack or defense, but in spirit. They willingly kneel to their human masters, never daring to even dream of freedom, let along conquest! They would do nothing but obstruct our cause, they're traitors to the duel monster race!"
"They're loyal to their friends!" Yusei protested.
"Friendship, is that what you're call it?" Devack mocked, "Where one dictates the fortunes and sufferings of the other?"
"I'm fairly nice to my monsters," I defended, "It's not like I'd take a monster and just tear its card up or anything."
"It?" Devack repeated mockingly, "Is that what you call a friendship?"
"What?" I was genuinely confused.
"He." Devack explained, "Though he has no more powers in his own fate than whatever name you choose for him."
"...You may have a point." I admitted, finding myself siding with Devack again. If I referred to pets by 'he' or 'she', why didn't I do the same for duel monsters? Of all people, I should knew for certain that duel monsters were intelligent and a race on their own.
"Your penance comes too late," Devack said almost regrettably, "I cannot stop a Shadow Duel once it had commenced. Though I will finish this battle quickly and end your suffering."
"I might sympathize a little with what you're saying, but I'm still not gonna lose," I said flatly, rolling my eyes.
"That won't be up to you. Zeman the Ape King's attacks cannot be stopped by spells or traps, and he can negate any attack. Earthbound Immortal Cusillu is invincible to your attacks, spells and traps. Accept your doom in face of the Dark King."
"What does he mean?" Akiza asked curiously.
"Cusillu is not affected by my spells or traps, it cannot be attacked by other monsters and it can attack directly. I think that's about all." I explained from memory.
"If Cusillu would be destroy by battle, I could tribute in his stead another monster, in the process cutting your life points by half."
None of my people even pretended to look worried, I concur, I'm not exactly concerned either.
"Meh."
"Your pride shall be your downfall, I activate from my hand, the trap Typhoon, to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light. Now nothing on your field can hinder my advances!"
"Face-downs," I coughed.
"I activate the field spell Closed Forest, increasing his attack by another 200 points. My immortal, attack directly and destroy this Signer!"
"Activate trap, Sinister Shaddoll Games, I don't have a monster to flip face up, but it does allows me to send Shadoll Hound (lv4, 1600/1000) from my deck to the graveyard. When Shadoll Hound is sent to the graveyard, it," I paused, a little flustered, "I mean, he can force your immortal into the defense position. Next, I will chain to that the activation of the trap monster Shadoll Core (lv9 1400/1950), which I'll place in defense mode."
"So you've hindered my immortal for one turn." Devack dismissed, "We will only come back stronger. Zeman, destroy Shaddoll Core!"
My monster did its, I mean his (her?) best to shield me from the damage as (s)he shattered into pieces, even the residual of the attack felt like being swept over by a tidal wave, with the suffocation and sheer force of the impact knocking me backwards.
Chaos cocked his tranquilizer, aiming it in my direction, ready to end the duel when necessary.
Turn 6, Yuki's Turn; Devack 4000, Yuki 4000
"It seems my victory is in sight." Devack boasted, "With both of my monsters immune from your attacks, you can only wait till your demise."
"You really don't know too much about this game do you?" I countered, pulling my focus back into the duel, "I'll start by playing Shadoll Fusion. When you have an extra deck monster on the field, I can summon monsters using materials directly from my deck. I will tune Shaddoll Beast with Effect Veiler to synchro Summon, El Shaddoll Construct (lv10, 2800/2500). I also get to draw a card, but I don't think I'll need that."
"Your monster is powerful, but she wouldn't be able to withstand my Immortal's attack next turn."
"There is no next turn. I banish Shaddoll Beast and Effect Veiler from my graveyard to special summon Chaos Sorcerer (lv7, 2300/1600) from my hand. Next, I normal summon Shaddoll Falco (lv2, 800/1400) to the field and discard Shaddoll Squamata to activate from my hand Super-Polymerization, fusing Falco with Zeman the Ape King to summon, El Shaddoll Winda (lv7, 2200/1400)."
"Chaos Sorcerer's effect allows him to banish one monster from the field each turn." Devack finished the my train of thought. "Earthbound Immortals are not affected by the opponent's spells or traps, but the one effect from which my Immortal is not immune is the powers of a fellow duel monster."
"I'm sorry, my friends. I've failed you" Devack spoke to his monsters on the field and in the graveyard instead of to me, "Despite the trust you placed on me, I couldn't free you from your bondage. Forgive me."
"But!" I tried but didn't know what to say, suddenly feeling like the villain for some reason. But I'm not the villain! Am I?
Devack had always been stupid, Greiger mused, always going on and on about how 'duel monsters should rule the mortal realm'. There is no 'should', there is only what 'is', and what 'is not'. In this world, the only way to win is to abide by a mortal set of rules. Thankfully, Tono had shown him exactly how to do that.
"Tono!"
I looked up at Greiger's voice I could barely see him. He was standing on top of an abandoned building nearby, his duel runner still revving beside him. How the heck did he get a duel runner up on the roof?
"Greiger?" Devack said in surprise, "What are you doing here? This is my game!"
"Game?" Greiger scoffed, "If this is a game, then you're playing it wrong. In case you haven't noticed, your opponent is playing by an entirely different set of rules and she's destroying you with it."
"What is the meaning of this?" Devack demanded.
"Look up from your duel monsters, Devack. This is the mortal realm and there's more than one way to kill a mortal."
Devack looked on uncomprehendingly, though my team was beginning to catch on.
"I learned something valuable from you, Tono," Greiger continued, "Why trust anything to a Fate, or for that matter, to a children's card game?
Greiger was hold something in his hands but I couldn't tell what. My eyesight's really been going, now that I have cellphones, computers and tablets again.
Akiza reached for her deck, throwing the first monster she touched into the air to summon Botanical Lion (lv4, 2000/1900). But although the monster is magical, her reaction time was not.
"It's a gun! Yuki, duck!" Yusei shouted. But bullets travel faster than sound waves.
All I saw was a glint of light and an inexplicable fear rose within me. Then I saw my duel monsters. First El Shaddoll Construct, then El Shaddoll Winda and Chaos Sorcerer. Each monster disappear from my field and materialize in a translucent form in front of me, just like they always do on a duel field, before being shattered again by the bullet. I felt hollow, lost, like gaining sight for the first time before immediately losing it again.
Then the impact hit me and I heard the gun shot ring out.
He shot me ! He saw the game wasn't going in his favor so he shot me!
Karma was the only thing that came into my mind as my world went black. In retrospect, I must have hit my head on the ground. For that brief second though, panic took over me, I honest thought I was going to die.
* I kid you not, Jack's duel runner was named Wheel of Fortunes in the Japanese version.
A/N: Yuki's not dead, so technically not a cliff-hanger :D
A/N 2: The anime didn't mention Devack's backstory,the only thing I could find online was that he was in a cult, so I thought, why not a duel monster cult?
A/N 3: The duel monsters thing is frankly worthy of a story on its own. Not that I haven't tried, but the inter-relations between two species is too thin a line to write about, so I eventually gave up. Though if you think about the existence of duel monsters and the state of their existence, the entire story falls apart faster than you can say 'card games'. More on that later. :P