Yuzu and her group may have woken up, but they still have one more nightmare they must face in order to save Shuzo: The terrifying Chopman! Let's get to it!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 20: Kaiba Arc – Part 10
"That was rather disappointing." Vivian complained. She was hoping that "nightmare" Bakura would finish off the real one and go after Yuzu next, but it didn't turn out that way.
Noah actually didn't seemed too bothered. "Relax. They may have conquered their own individual fears, but they still have "You Know Who" to contend with." Vivian smiled, remembering who was waiting at the center of Death-TF. She looked forward to seeing that brute chop everyone to pieces… especially Yuzu.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"How sick. Killing people with their own fears." Yusho said in disgust. The others all agreed with the performer. Aqua's hacking allowed those with her to witness everyone's worst fears being used as killing weapons. Except for Yuzu, who's nightmare Aqua couldn't see. This puzzled her, until she hypothesized her bracelet was blocking her own nightmares from everyone observing.
'Even I never went that far.' Pegasus thought to himself, still ashamed of his previous actions.
"Such a tactic truly shows the dark side of humanity, even if Noah isn't technically human anymore." Aqua said.
"But they're all okay now, thanks to Yuzu." Mokuba said.
While they were glad Yuzu managed to save herself and those with her, no one was prepared for the appearance of Yami Bakura in the real world. Witnessing his Duel with the real Bakura made Duke remember that one match during Battle City. But, like Yugi, the good Bakura triumphed over the evil one. They all relaxed after that.
"What a relief." Said Solomon.
"It isn't over yet. According to Noah, Chopman is still waiting." Duke reminded everyone present. Suddenly, he got a buzz on his cell phone. He had set it on vibrate so he and the others would not be easily disturbed while watching everyone. The caller I.D. says "Unknown". This made Duke feel suspicious.
"Who's that?" Mokuba asked. Duke shrugged.
"Don't know." He felt he should let it go to voicemail, but he picked up anyway. If it was something related to Noah, he didn't want to hear it in a message. "Hello?" He replied casually. As he listened to the person on the other end of the line, his eyes widened and tensed up instantly. He kept quiet while the caller spoke. Aqua and the gang watched with both curiosity and concern. After a minute, a now pale Duke hung up.
"Duke, what's wrong?" Yusho asked. Duke turned his back to them.
"I… have to go upstairs. There's something I need to do. I promise I'll be back. Keep watching our friends and fill me when I return." He instructed them, an edge in his voice now.
"Where are you going?" Mokuba demanded. He was stunned one of Yugi's friends was about to leave without an explanation at a time like this.
"Stay here. No one leave. I'll be back soon." Duke said, ignoring the little boy's inquiry. He then stepped out of the room and into the hallway.
After the door closed behind him, the rest of the group shared a very worried look. "What do you suppose that was all about?" Pegasus asked, but all he got were shaking heads and befuddled expressions.
As she refocused on Yuzu's group, Aqua had gotten a very bad feeling about Duke's situation. 'Be safe, Duke. Be alright.'
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Once his evil lookalike was no more, Bakura sighed heavily with relief. "Finally… it's really over this time." He hardly dared to believe it, but he felt it in his gut. Yami Bakura was at last vanquished for good. He would no longer be haunted by that monster, no longer had to be afraid. He could finally move on. It was then that the toll on his body caught up with him and he started to fall back. Luckily he was caught by Yuzu and Miho. "Thank you." He said gratefully.
"Bakura, are you okay?" Miho asked. The boy nodded.
"I think so, just a little beat up."
"I'm glad." A smiling Yuzu said. Bakura smiled back.
"That evil you did a real number on you, Bakura. I think you should take it easy for a bit." Mai suggested.
"Gladly." Bakura as he sat down to rest. His body ached everywhere and didn't want to rush anywhere just yet. As he recovered, Mai and Valon smiled down at him.
"That was a hell of a Duel, mate. Nicely done." Valon praised.
"Thanks Valon." Bakura replied.
"Same here. I like your new Deck." Mai added, also sounding impressed. Bakura looked at his Abyssal Deck with admiration.
"So do I." Bakura definitely felt pleased with his choice. When he first learned of Egyptian based snake cards that involved Special Summoning them from the Graveyard, it clicked for him that that's the kind of Deck he wanted. Not zombies, but living creatures that rise up to fight back against it's enemies. Bakura wanted himself to "rise up" and be a stronger person after all the times he was overpowered and possessed by Yami Bakura. And now, he finally won against that same evil.
"Bakura, who exactly was that person? Why did he look like you, and why was he so evil?" Yuzu asked after a moment. Bakura sighed before giving his answer.
"Do you remember being told about Pharaoh Atem?"
"Yeah." Yuzu said while nodding. Yuya and Yugi both filled her in on the ancient spirit in Yugi's Puzzle not long after arriving in this world. Bakura continued.
"Well, that spirit was someone similar. His original identity was Bandit Thief Bakura. 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, he lived in a village that was destroyed and nearly all the people massacred. He was the only survivor, and desired revenge against those responsible. It wasn't long before he fought against Pharaoh Atem and nearly destroyed not just Egypt but the entire world. He unleashed a powerful demon called Zorc the Dark One to try to accomplish his goal."
"Same name as the Monster you battled in that Duel." Mai noted. Bakura nodded.
"Yeah. To stop him, Atem sealed himself and Zorc sealed away in the Millennium Puzzle, one of the seven Millennium Items created to protect Egypt from invaders. However, a part of Zorc's darkness was in the Millennium Ring, which also called the Bandit Thief to be sealed within it as well. The combination of those two souls became the evil being you saw just now. I became his unwilling host after my father gave me the Millennium Ring, probably not knowing the dangers within."
"So Zorc is still in Yugi's Puzzle?" Valon asked. Bakura shook his head.
"No, Zorc was destroyed when Pharaoh Atem recovered his lost memories over a month ago in Egypt. It was right before Yugi and the others were recruited to help you and Yuya if I recall." Bakura told Yuzu, who nodded to confirm.
"That's good to know." She said.
"So he's completely gone this time?" Miho asked. Bakura smiled.
"Yes, Miho. I can feel it."
"Man, I don't know now who was worse, that evil version of Bakura or Dartz." Valon said, trying to compare the two. That made Yuzu remember the man from Mai's nightmare.
"Valon, I saw Dartz when I saved Mai. He didn't seem any better than that other Bakura. What was his story?" She asked. Valon snorted.
"His tale just as crazy. Believe it or not, he ruled the kingdom of Atlantis 10,000 years ago. He was a different person back then from what I understood. All was pretty fine for everyone there until a meteorite struck the continent. That stone, the Orichalcos as it came to be called, had an unnatural power that turned almost the whole populace into monsters. That included Dartz's own wife, the Queen."
Yuzu was speechless. 'How awful.' She thought as Valon went on.
"After forcing himself to slay his wife, he became "possessed" by the Orichalcos. Or more specifically, the ancient creature that created that Orichalcos stone: The Great Leviathan. Nasty beast. Dartz then began a mission to revive the thing and take the souls of everyone on the planet. In more recent times, he recruited some followers, like me."
"You worked for Dartz?" Yuzu asked, stunned that a guy like Valon would for such a maniac.
"I did, along with a man named Alister and the other guy you saw in my nightmare, Raphael. He created tragedies for all of us to convince us to work for him, though at the time we didn't know of his involvement in any of it. And…" He looked over at his girlfriend. "I was the one that led Mai to Dartz." He said, feeling immensely guilty. Mai took over.
"You heard of my involvement. We were all misled by that bastard. Eventually, Yugi, Kaiba, and Joey worked together to defeat Dartz and save everyone. In the end, Yugi and the Pharaoh rid the world of the Leviathan and freed Dartz from it's control. After that, he vanished along with his island hideaway… resting in peace I suppose."
Yuzu took in each of the stories and saw similarities between them and the one she learned about Zarc and Ray. She took comfort in knowing even though the beginnings were pretty bad, everything turned out okay in the end. Of course, Zarc's story was not over yet…
"Those stories, both of them, sound really out there." An overwhelmed Miho said, having heard none of this before.
"Believe me, I lived through stuff that is just as crazy." Yuzu assured her. Bakura and the others agreed.
The gang decided to rest a little before figuring out their next move. During their break, Mai asked Valon if they could talk alone for a bit. After he saying he it was fine, the couple moved away until they were out of earshot.
"What's up Mai?" Valon asked. Mai gave him a concerned look.
"When Yuzu saved us, you clung on to me like you never wanted to let go. You also said you were relieved I was "still here with you." What did you mean by that?" Valon then looked uncomfortable and turned away. Mai figured what had to be the issue. "Your nightmare was about me, wasn't it?" She asked softly. Valon still didn't look his girl in the eye, but he nodded.
"I saw you alright. You said you were done with me, that you could never be with the kind of guy I am. I tried to reason with you, but you wouldn't hear of it. You didn't want to be with someone who fights for the sake of fighting. My pleading with you got nowhere, so you turned and walked off." Mai could hear the pain in her man's voice.
"You know how I feel about you. Sure you like to get into fights, but only if you had good reason. I would never leave you because of that." She told him. Valon's expression didn't improve.
"There's… there's more." He then explained the near fatal beating he took from Raphael and that the Mai in the dream chose him over Valon himself. "Then you kissed him, and I felt all the fight got taken out of me. It broke me to see you that way with him. I just… gave up. If Yuzu hadn't pull me out…" Valon stopped, knowing the outcome.
"Valon…" Mai said, stunned by the whole story. 'He's really afraid of losing me.' Valon took another moment before he looked back his woman.
"Mai… you mean the world to me. I don't want to do anything that would ruin what we have. I… love you too much to lose you…" It was then Mai kissed him hard before wrapping her arms around Valon, holding him tight.
"I'm not going anywhere, you knucklehead. I also love you too much." Valon held Mai tightly as well.
"Thanks Love." He whispered emotionally. As they held each other, Mai also decided to have her own confession.
"My nightmare was me losing everyone I cared about because me being unable to forgive myself. You, Joey, Yugi, everyone. Dartz was there, trying to convince me to kill myself to not feel the pain of loss anymore. He made me believe Joey died in an accident because of me. I was so close to taking my life. But then Yuzu appeared and convinced me to finally put it behind me. She helped me start to move forward again." Valon then gently released himself and gazed into Mai's tear filled eyes, and smiled.
"I'm grateful you chose life instead of the alternative." Valon whispered before he kissed her back, which Mai happily returned.
While the couple conversed, Bakura had his own chat with Yuzu and Miho. "So that bad you was what you were really scared of?" Miho asked. Bakura frowned while looking down at his hands.
"Well, yes. Before Yuzu woke me up, that spirit was trying to take over my body permanently, killing me in the process. More than that, I was more afraid that one day… I would become just like he was." Yuzu took one of Bakura's hands and gave him a stern look.
"Bakura, you're nothing like him. You are not a bad person. You're a very good person that some very bad things have happened to. It was the same with Yuya and Zarc..."
"Yuya and who?" Miho asked, having never heard the latter's name before.
"I'll explain later." Yuzu told her before turning back to Bakura. "I know Yuya will never be like how Zarc was, and I know you won't turn out like that dark spirit either. Plus, unlike him… you have friends to help you out through all the bad times."
"I believe that to." Miho said, holding Bakura's other hand to reassure him. "We're all afraid of something. In my nightmare, Joey said some… really bad things to me and I almost ended up jumping off a roof." Miho said, still not fully recovered from that.
"I can't imagine Joey ever being mean to you, or anyone he cares about." Bakura said, surprised by what he heard. Miho smiled.
"I know that now. Yuzu helped me see the truth and saved me." She was very glad Yuzu was there for her. However, she still felt unsure if Joey would reciprocate her feelings. Time would tell, she supposed.
"How did you save us, by the way?" Bakura asked, still not quite understanding how the younger girl pulled it off.
"Yeah, how did you manage that?" The trio turned to see Mai, who just asked, and Valon return.
Yuzu held up her bracelet. "Same way I managed to save myself. I guess my bracelet is somehow connected to my feelings, and when I realized what I was seeing wasn't real it broke the illusion and… woke me up." She explained.
"That's one handy piece of jewelry." Valon said.
"Are you two okay?" Bakura asked the couple. The two nodded, smiling.
"We're good." Valon answered.
"Definitely." Mai added. "Say Yuzu. What exactly were you forced to see?"
Yuzu winced. She was afraid someone would ask her that sooner or later. She just assumed it would be later.
"You saw each of our biggest fears. What was yours?" Miho questioned.
Yuzu had to think carefully. She couldn't risk breaking her promise to Yuya about keeping Zarc's good self a secret. Telling them her own fears would likely force her to confess… or maybe not. She found a way around it as she tried to appeared scared.
"I saw Zarc. He admitted that he… killed everyone. He saved me for last. He was going to eat me just like he tried before. I was so afraid that I nearly missed Noah's last warning to us, about not letting our fears kill us. Once I realized everything I witnessed wasn't real, my bracelet glowed and it brought me back. Then I helped all of you." The girl felt pleased with her "confession". 'That should be convincing enough. It wasn't really a lie. I just left out some specifics.'
Bakura, Miho, Valon, and Mai all reassured her that will never happen and that Zarc will be beaten one day. Yuzu thanked them all.
Just then, one of the walls surrounding them slid aside and revealed a new passage. "Guys, looks like we're not stuck anymore." Miho said. The whole group then got on their feet, feeling very apprehensive. The new pathway looked completely dark, no source of light of any kind. Yuzu didn't hesitate.
"Let's go. My dad's waiting." She said determinedly as she marched forward with her friends right beside her. They were all swallowed by darkness when the entrance closed behind them.
"Stay together everyone." Mai advised so that would not be separated. As the group moved, their uneasiness grew. They all knew who they must deal with to rescue Shuzo Yuzu herself wondered how "he" would prepare for their arrival. From what she understood, the Chopman loved to viciously murder his victims beyond recognition. If he did hurt her dad in any way, Yuzu would see to it that monster would regret it.
"Is it just me, or is it getting warmer?" Valon asked, who actually felt like he was starting to sweat.
"I feel it too." Miho said while wiping her forehead with her hand.
"There's light up ahead!" Bakura pointed to an bright orange light near the end of the tunnel. It was also likely where the heat was coming from.
'What could be at the other side to make things so hot?' Yuzu questioned as they approached the end of the tunnel. As soon as they were through, her question was answered… in a very bad way.
"Oh boy." Mai muttered as she and the others gazed around. Before them was a huge chamber with a bridge leading to a single metal platform in the center. What scared everyone was the fact that the platform was surrounded by a lake of what seemed to be…
"Is that… lava?!" Miho shouted in disbelief. It certainly appeared to be molten rock bubbling everywhere, and the amount of heat coming off it strengthened that possibility.
"How could lava be in here?" Yuzu wondered.
"That actually isn't lava… just something close enough to be deadly should you fall in." The gang tensed when Noah spoke to them again.
"Noah, you bastard! Trying to have us die in our worst nightmares was beyond low!" Mai yelled in anger. Noah chuckled.
"Apparently I haven't tried hard enough, seeing as you all managed to survive." Noah replied, sounding disappointed. "But I assure you, none of you will escape from this one." No one believed him.
"Just what is this place? And where's my dad?" Yuzu demanded.
"Look above you." They did so, and there he was: Shuzo Hiragi, hanging on a cross far above.
"Dad!" Yuzu yelled.
"Is he alright?" Miho asked.
"Looks like he's just unconscious." Valon said.
"I don't see any kind of ladder or staircase. How do we get him down?" Bakura asked as looked around again, seeing no way to reach Yuzu's father.
"Remember me saying that he wouldn't be here alone?" Noah teased. Before anyone could reply, the center section of the platform slide had opened up. They watched as a big man in a leathery mask rose upward and through the opening before it closed again. The man also had a Duel Disk strapped to his arm. Nearly everyone gasped.
"Guys, is that…?" Yuzu started to ask, fear in her voice.
"That's him alright, the big horror show himself… the Chopman!" Noah said with a laugh. Chopman laughed with him.
"So those are the ones I was promised after the others got away. I'm going to enjoy chopping them all to pieces!" He said with sick anticipation.
Valon groaned. "Let me guess. The only we get Yuzu's dad back is to beat that murderer in a Duel?"
"Not quite as simple as that. There's a reason for that moat of poison around the platform. I could just tell you what it is, but where's the fun in that? Best of luck to whoever gets the honor dueling the infamous killer!" Noah laughed before he signed off again.
"I'll face him." Yuzu said boldly. Before she step onto the bridge, Valon held out an arm to stop her.
"No way, kid. I'm doing it."
"Valon!" Yuzu started to protest, but Valon interrupted. He gave her a very stern look.
"That guy is psychotic, especially when it comes to kids. I don't want you anywhere near him. Also…" he softened his expression. "Think of this as my way of paying you back for saving me from being beaten to death in my nightmare."
"But… my dad." Yuzu argued.
"Your dad will be fine, I promise you that. Just let me handle this one." Valon insisted.
Yuzu still didn't agree, but she saw that she wasn't going to be able to change her friend's mind. "Are you sure you can beat him?" She asked him. Valon smiled as he gave her a nod.
"Very sure. Just hang back here with everyone else and leave that mad bloke to me." He then turned to the rest of the group. "Keep her safe guys."
"We will." Bakura assured him.
"Kick that sicko's butt." Miho encouraged.
Mai seemed more concerned when she gave her reply. "Don't drop your guard, Valon. And try not to fall into that stuff." She warned while pointing into the pit. Valon smirked and gave her thumbs up.
"You got it, Love." With that, Valon walked across the bridge to his enemy, his Duel Disk on his arm. Once he reached the platform, the bridge retracted away from the entrance. Now the gang was cut off from Valon, who now stood before Chopman. "Alright ugly! Ready to get your ass whooped?" He challenged as he activated his Duel Disk.
The Chopman gave a sinister smile as his own Disk was activated… signaling the start of their battle.
"DUEL!"
(Valon: 4000) (Chopman: 4000)
"Alrighty then, I'll be going first. My turn! Draw!" Valon eyed his opponent warily, as well as his prisoner. 'My gut's telling me that bastard's Deck is going to be a problem. I shouldn't pull any punches in this Duel. Plus, what Noah said about it not being so simple to save Shuzo… that really worries me. Still, I'm not going to find out anything just by thinking too much. That ain't my style anyway.'
"I'm waiting." Chopman said, sounding eager to get his hands on Valon and rip him to pieces. Valon smiled.
"Keep your creepy mask on. I activate a Magic card, Full Armor Gravitation! This allows me to pick up the top 10 cards in my Deck, then I Special Summon as many "Armor" Monsters as possible in the order they were picked up and banish the rest!"
"Armor Monsters?" Yuzu asked curiously. Valon then picked up his 10 cards, and was pleased.
"Here I go! I Special Summon Overboost (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 0; DEF: 1000), Jet Gauntlet (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 0; DEF: 1500), Burning Knuckle (EARTH; Level 3; ATK: 0; DEF: 1000), Active Guard (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 0; DEF: 2500), and Psychic Armor Head!" (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 0; DEF: 500) Yuzu and the gang watched in amazement as pieces of grey and blue battle armor appeared and attached themselves to Valon. His legs, arms, main body, and head were now covered with the unique Monsters.
"Woah! Valon looks really awesome now!" Miho said, mouth hanging open.
"I'll say!" Bakura added, also very impressed.
"I've never seen Monsters like that!" Yuzu commented.
Mai smirked. Out of all of them, she was the only one who knew Valon's Deck inside and out. 'Chopman must be more dangerous than we realize if Valon's going "Full Armor" this early.' She couldn't imagine how that infamous killer could be such a threat for someone like Valon. She figured he wanted to be ready for anything.
"My Burning Knuckle gains 200 Attack Points for each "Armor" Monster I control! Since I've got five, my Knuckle's power goes up to 1000! With that, I end my turn!"
(Burning Knuckle's ATK: 200 x 5 = 1000)
"How does he plan to attack with Monsters like those?" Yuzu asked. From what she could tell, those Armor cards don't look like they can attack on their one…
"You'll see." Mai told the confused teen. Chopman, clearly not intimidated, just grinned beneath his mask.
"So you got a fancy suit of toy armor, eh? It won't do jack against what I have in mind for you, little man. My turn! Draw!" Chopman smirked. 'Just what I expected.' Thought the mad man before he got started. "I play a Ritual Magic card, Rise of a Killer! By Sacrificing Monsters either in my hand or on my Field whose total Levels equal 7 or more, I can Special Summon the Monster from my hand that will literally cut your life short! I send the Level 7 Illusory Snatcher from my hand to the Graveyard to Ritual Summon a true nightmare of a Monster: Masked Murderer!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 3000; DEF: 3000) The creature definitely looked liked it came out of someone's bad dream. It looked liked an overly muscled man in torn street clothes and wild, long black hair. It also wore a pale white mask showing burning orange eyes and a mouth filled razor sharp teeth behind it. Lastly, it held a chef's knife in one hand and a machete in the other, both stained with dark red blood.
"That thing really scares me!" Miho shouted as she stepped back a step. 'Its things like that that make me hate horror movies so much!' She kept to herself.
"Just be glad you're not his opponent, Miho." Mai told her, sounding calm.
"Valon can beat it." Yuzu said confidently, even though she was unsettled by the big brute's appearance too.
Valon smirked after seeing a scan from his helmet regarding the enemy Monster. "He ain't that frightening to me. Give it your best shot!"
"With great pleasure!" Chopman said excitedly, waiting to see what was about to happen. "Battle! Masked Murderer, attack Psychic Armor Head! Blood Slasher!" The dual bladed brute leapt toward Valon, eager to slice the helmet Monster off his head.
"Like I'd let ya! All my Monsters have this Effect: When one of my "Armor" Monsters is chosen as an attack target while I control 2 or more, I can switch that target to another! So instead of my Psychic Armor Head, your Monster's new target is my Active Guard!"
"Heh! Won't make a difference which of your pieces I attack! You're still getting sliced!" Chopman taunted.
"Wrong again, mate! My Active Guard's own Effect prevents me from taking damage this turn, then it gets destroyed during the End Phase!" To his surprise, Chopman's grin still remained. 'Why is big and ugly still smiling like that? He can't possibly touch me this turn.' He got his answer when Masked Murderer stabbed Active Guard with the knife… which completely shattered the latter like glass! "What the hell?!" He yelled in shock.
"But how?! Chopman's turn isn't over! Active Guard shouldn't be destroyed yet!" Yuzu said, just as stunned as everyone else.
The killer Monster then slashed at Valon's exposed chest with the machete, making him scream painfully and leaving a huge bloody gash. Plus, with one "Armor" Monster gone, Burning Knuckle's Attack Power took a slight drop.
(Burning Knuckle's ATK: 1000 - 200 = 800)
(Valon: 4000 - 3000 = 1000)
"VALON!" Mai screamed in alarm as her man hit the ground and nearly slid off the edge. He lay there, his hand on his now blood stained clothes.
"What happened?! Why didn't his Monster protect him?!" Miho said worriedly.
"And how could he possibly be hurt like that?! It was just a hologram!" A shocked Bakura said. Chopman laughed maniacally.
"Not quite my soon to be victim! Noah gave my Duel Disk an upgrade that allows my cards to actually inflict real damage to my opponents! It makes the experience so much more fun for me!"
"You monster!" Yuzu insulted. Chopman shrugged it off.
"As for your armored pal, his Active Guard didn't do jack because my Masked Murderer can negate all the Effects of the Monsters it battles until the end of the Battle Phase!" He revealed, raising the group's concern for Valon even more.
"In other words, Valon is in very serious trouble! Plus he's already badly hurt!" Yuzu concluded. She hoped the wound wasn't too deep.
"Oh, there is one more thing. Take another look at your old man, little girl" Chopman told Yuzu as he pointed upward. As she did, Yuzu gasped in terror.
"Oh no! Dad's… he's much lower than he used to be!" She was right. Shuzo had somehow sunk from the ceiling and was much closer to the boiling lake of toxic chemicals. "Why is that?"
"The mechanism thats holding him is designed to drop little by little depending on how much damage my opponent takes in the Duel! Since he lost over half of his Life Points already, the old man took a dip from up high!" Chopman explained. Yuzu held her hands to cover her mouth.
"The more damage Valon takes, the closer Shuzo will be to plunging into that stuff!" Bakura realized.
"That means if Valon loses and his Life Points hit zero…" Miho couldn't bring herself to finish.
"Bingo! He'll be fried to a crisp! He must be feeling the heat more now! Just wait until that punk's down for the count!" Chopman said as he laughed once more.
"The hell… I'd lose… to a beast like you." Valon said in pain as he struggled to get up again, one hand over his blood soaked clothes. "And he'll if I'd let anything happen to Yuzu's father!" Chopman smirked.
"Ready for more pain, are ya?" He said as he lipped his lips. Valon spat to the ground.
"It won't be just me that's going to be hurting. Now let's pick up where we left off already!" His opponent chuckled.
"If you insist, little man! I Set one card facedown and end my turn! Now try to strike back if you dare!"
"Valon, try not to take anymore damage!" Mai advised. Valon nodded in acknowledgment.
'Now I've really gotta step it up if I'm to win this thing and help Yuzu's dad!' Valon thought determinedly as tried to pull of his next move. "Okay, I'm officially pissed off! Now I'm gonna make you pay for it! My turn! I now activate the Effect of Psychic Armor Head! During my Draw Phase, I can add an "Armor" Monster from my Deck to my hand instead of making a normal draw! I'm taking Fire Guard, which I will now Special Summon since Active Guard is in my Graveyard!" (FIRE; Level 4; ATK: 0; DEF: 2900) A flaming red and orange variety of Active Guard materialized and attached itself to Valon's injured body. "With that done, my Burning Knuckle's back at full power!" Valon declared as his mecha glove returns to having 1000 Attack Points.
"More toys for me to break, huh?" Chopman snorted. Valon regained his smile.
"Not really. Fire Guard can protect all my "Armor" Monsters, including itself, from Monster Effects during the Battle Phase! Now your serial psycho can't negate my Armor's Effects anymore! Not only that, it can negate battle damage twice before it gets destroyed in the End Phase!" This only slightly annoyed his enemy.
"I'll still cut you down from head to toe." He said.
"Believe me when I say I'll never let you land another blow on me! But I'm definitely going to land one of my own! Battle!"
"Even if your metal pieces are protected from Masked Murderer's Effects, you still can't defeat it!" Chopman said. Valon's grin widened.
"Who said I was going after your Monster?" He asked, confusing the killer. "My Over Boost allows my "Armor" Monsters to attack my opponent directly, but then it gets destroyed during the End Phase! I'm having my Burning Knuckle take a crack at your leather covered skull! Payback time!" Valon yelled as he shot forward, literally flying past Masked Murderer and at his adversary. The fist that had Burning Knuckle collided with Chopman's face with a satisfying, sickening crunch.
(Chopman: 4000 - 1000 = 3000)
"Woah!" Yuzu, Bakura, and Miho stood opened mouthed in astonishment. Mai smirked, seeing Valon in his element as well as getting a little revenge. Chopman was hit so hard he slid back to the very edge of the arena, though he remained on his feet.
"Valon himself attacks while his Monsters are latched onto him? It's like he and his cards have become one. Amazing." Yuzu admitted to herself.
"That's not all. Since Valon is actually doing the attacking and not just his Monsters, his opponents feel a lot more pain from the battles… especially since Valon is such a tough fighter already." Mai explained.
Yuzu now understood what Valon meant when he said his dueling style was "intense". She was internally glad she didn't duel him instead of Mai.
Chopman was shaking, but not from the blow. Valon could tell he was angry. In his rage he threw off his and revealed his disgustingly disfigured face (this made the girls even more scared of him), which was now covered in blood thanks to Valon breaking his nose. "YOU WRETCHED LITTLE WHELP! THAT REALLY HURT! I WILL CUT YOU OPEN AND ENJOY YOUR SCREAMS OF PURE ANGONY FOR THIS!" Valon chuckled, but moaned a little from the pain in his wound.
"Not gonna happen, ugly. As much I want to smash your face in again, I can only attack with one "Armor" Monster per turn. So I Set one card facedown and end it there. With my turn over, Over Boost is destroyed and my Burning Knuckle gets a bit weaker. Nothing I can't manage." Valon said as the armor around his legs disintegrated and his Knuckle's Attack Points drop to 800 again. He hoped he can last long enough to win. Like Yuzu, he hoped his injury wasn't life threatening. Regardless, he should get it checked out when they all escape this awful place. Chopman gnarled his teeth in fury.
"I promise that will kill you for wounding me! My turn! Draw!" His snarl became a smirk. "Now I have you! I Equip my Masked Murderer with Serial Weapon – Hunter's Axe! This will let my Monster attack you directly! Now your pathetic suit parts can't protect you since I'm not targeting one in the first place!"
"Dammit." Valon muttered. 'Lucky for me, I'm prepared…'
"Go Masked Murderer! Attack that punk directly and end his miserable life!" Chopman's Ace ran toward Valon, swinging the axe wildly all the while.
"No! Valon!" Yuzu shouted. Just when the brute came within range of it's enemy's head…
"You ran right into my Trap, Extinction Fist! This bad boy can only be activated when I'm being attacked directly by a Fusion or Ritual Monster, the latter of which is what you're sending right at me! Now that Monster is destroyed! EXTINCTION FIST!" Valon's fist glowed as it struck Masked Murderer in the gut. "It may negate Monster Effects in battle, but not Traps!"
"Yes!" The gang cheered.
"YOU BASTARD!" Chopman yelled furiously as his Ace was destroyed.
"Don't be too miserable, mate! My Trap revives the Monster or Monsters used to Summon the destroyed Monster on your Field!" Valon revealed as Chopman's sacrificed Monster appeared. (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 1000) A grey half armored fiend appeared in Masked Murderer's place. "One more thing about my Trap! After reviving your second Monster, the Battle Phase ends! No more action from you this turn!" This made the killer even pissed.
"Nice save!" Miho shouted happily.
"Damn you, arrogant punk! Don't think you've got the upper hand! Not even close! I have my own Trap card: Murderous Spirit! When "Masked Murderer" is destroyed by a card effect and goes to the Graveyard while my opponent as at least one Monster, I can Special Summon my Ace back… by Sacrificing one of your Monsters! I'm picking your Psychic Armor Head!"
"What?!" Valon could do nothing is armored helmet blew to pieces, leaving his head exposed. At the same time, the Monster he had just punched into oblivion reappeared to face him again. Also, with another of his Monsters gone, Burning Knuckle lost another 200 points.
(Burning Knuckle's ATK: 800 - 200 = 600)
"He just won't quit!" Bakura complained.
"And that's a problem." Mai added, sounding frustrated as Chopman continued his turn.
"I may not be able to attack anymore for now, but that doesn't mean I'm done! Murderous Spirit protects my resurrected Monsters from being destroyed by card effects until the end of my next turn! Next I Equip Illusory Snatcher with Serial Weapon – Clawed Glove! A Fiend Monster with this Magic card cannot be targeted by Magic and Traps! Now both my Monsters have protection! I end my turn! And when my turn comes around again, I WILL finish you off once and for all!" Chopman declared strongly.
"No, just when I thought Valon started to have the advantage." Yuzu muttered angrily.
Valon huffed. He also started to feel dizzy and light headed, no doubt do to the loss of blood. He knew he couldn't last much longer. He had to finish this fight now… and he needed a certain card to pull it off. He just needed to draw it. "I'm not giving you that chance, Chopman! My turn! DRAW!" Valon's new card came just when he needed it. 'Alright! This should do the trick!'
"Whatever you're planning, it won't work! You cannot escape me! No one can escape the Chopman!" Valon chuckled.
"Funny, I could've sworn some friends of ours just eluded you not long ago. Am I right bucko?" Chopman fumed from that cheeky remark.
"Shut the hell up and get your damn turn over with!" He demanded.
"You got it! Since my Psychic Armor Head is in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it back in Attack Mode during my Standby Phase!" Valon's Monster helmet returned and placed itself on his head once more. "Now I activate Armor Swap! This handy Magic card allows me to return an "Armor" Monster on my Field to my hand and Special Summon another from my hand! I'm swapping my Burning Knuckle for Big Bang Blow!" (EARTH; Level 4; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) A new blue and silver mecha gauntlet appeared on Valon's right arm to replace the previous one.
"What's that piece of junk good for?" Chopman questioned, clearly not impressed but the change. Valon, on the other hand, couldn't be more pleased.
"Heh, you're about to find out! Battle! I'm having my Big Bang Blow attack your Masked Murderer! Remember, thanks to Fire Guard, my Monster's Effects don't get negated and I won't take any damage! EAT THIS!" With that, Valon made a beeline toward his enemy's Monster. In seconds, his fist collided with Masked Murderer's two blades… and it started to spark.
"What's happening to Valon's gauntlet?" Yuzu asked, greatly concerned. Mai smiled down at her.
"If I'm right… something not good for his opponent." Big Bang Blow was cracking up everywhere, threatening to break apart any second. Chopman started to laugh.
"Hahaha! Your new fancy glove isn't doing a damn thing! It's just about to be busted!" His laughter stopped almost immediately when he saw the wide grin on Valon's face. "What are you smiling about, boy?"
"My "fancy glove" just won me the Duel! That's what!" This statement stunned everyone but Mai. She knew what was coming, smiling all the while.
"What do you mean?!" Chopman demanded.
"When Big Bang Blow is destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard while I control 2 or Monsters, I can inflict damage to both of us equal to the total Attack Points of each Monster we control! After that, all Monsters are destroyed! While Masked Murderer can't be destroyed now by card effects, there's no stopping the damage you take from this!"
"That's why he wanted to switch out his armor, so that all of his Monsters on the Field would have no Attack Points to take damage from!" Bakura realized.
"Exactly." Mai said softly.
Chopman stood stock still, shocked by what he heard.
"NO! YOU CAN'T!" He yelled, panic rising from him for the first time. Valon laughed back.
"Yes I can… and I did! Consider your ass officially kicked!" He shot back as his gauntlet finally blew itself apart, sending out a shockwave that pushed the defeated evil man off the arena and into the burning liquid below.
(Chopman: 0)
He screamed and struggled to save himself, but in the end even the infamous child killer could not survive in something hot enough to melt human flesh. In his final moments, he lost his strength and succumbed to his approaching death… bringing a permanent end to his bloody ambitions.
"Good riddance." Mai said disdainfully. At the same time, Valon had collapsed onto the floor, unable to stand any longer.
"Valon! Are you okay!" Yuzu called out.
"Get your dad, then worry about me!" He responded while lying on his back.
Although very concerned for his well being, Yuzu knew he was right. Getting her dad back was her top priority. She then refocused her attention to Shuzo, who still hung over the boiling moat below him. 'How do we get him down safely?' She wondered. Then to her horror, one of the clamps keeping her dad locked into place came off. His left leg now dangled loosely. "Dad! Why did that clamp come off?!" Noah chimed in once again.
"I told you it would not be so simple. Defeating Chopman is what is causing those clamps to come undone. Once all four release him, Shuzo Hiragi will also take a plunge into oblivion!" Yuzu gasped.
"No, you can't! We beat your traps and took down your thug! Now give me back my dad!" She yelled.
"Yuzu, Yuzu… when have I ever said you can have him back after all that?" Noah asked in an evil tone. She paled as the clamp on Shuzo's right leg came off. "I just wanted you witness you losing your father… while I take joy in it!" Noah laughed once more as Shuzo's left arm was released from it's clamp. Now he only had the clamp on his right arm, which would pop open any second.
"You heartless beast!" Miho insulted. Noah did not respond to her.
Yuzu quickly shook off her outrage hate at Noah concentrated on she needed to do now. She slipped on and her Duel Disk, activated it, and Summoned her blue dragon. "Saffira, fly me to my dad! Hurry!" Yuzu ordered as she hopped on her dragon's back. The majestic creature flew upward with it's wings flapping furiously to reach Shuzo. The pair were just under the older man when the last clamp opened and allowed him to fall. With her arms outstretched, Saffira had caught Shuzo before he fell too far.
"She did it!" Bakura and Miho cheered at Yuzu's rescue of her father. Mai was also just as happy.
Yuzu patted her Ritual Monster fondly. "Thanks Saffira." She said softly, grateful. The dragon gave her a toothy grin. Yuzu looked over at her father, who still had not woken up. 'I'm surprised he's still out after what just happened. Whatever Vivian used on him must've been really strong stuff. Still, at least he's okay now.' With that comforting thought, she had her dragon fly down to pick up Valon.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"I do believe we do not need to see that." Pegasus said after seeing Chopman fall off the arena.
"Agreed." Aqua said as she instead readjusted the image to focus on Valon and the others.
"So he's really gone?" Mokuba asked.
"It is doubtful any human can survive in that substance in such quantity." Aqua pointed out.
"I hope not. Will Valon be okay? And what about Yuzu's dad?" The boy questioned further.
"I'm definitely concerned after seeing him getting cut like that, but he seems to be a tough young man. As for Shuzo, he will be fine. They just need to get him…" Yusho was interrupted when the building suddenly shook.
"What is this? An earthquake?" Pegasus questioned in alarm.
"At a time like this?!" Solomon complained understandably.
"Unlikely. I am detecting an unusual energy reading… from our current location." Aqua said. Mokuba then suddenly remembered and started to panic. Duke!
"Guys, Duke never came back! He could be in trouble! I'm going after him!" The boy then ran out of the room and headed upstairs.
"I'll go with the lad! Kaiba-Boy will kill me for sure I let something happen to him!" Pegasus said as he followed Mokuba. Yusho and Solomon remained with Aqua, all looking worried about their latest predicament.
As the duo reached the upper level, they found a dark mist flowing out beneath a nearby door. "What's that?" Mokuba asked, now afraid.
"Nothing good, that's for certain. I strongly suggest you stay behind me." Pegasus advised as he slowly approached the door and grabbed the knob. He found it unlocked. He then turned it and pulled the door open. He cautiously peaked inside and gasped at the sight before him.
"Oh my… guess the horror stuff isn't over just yet."
To be continued.