Legacy of the Tormentor (Finished)

[Umbra]

- Listen carefully, Jonah, because I'm only going to say this once. My mind is not what it has been.

Jonah nodded. His mother was just about to start to tell him how himself and her were connected to all this. In the kitchen, Jonah could hear Susannah put on some tea water. His mother continued.

- It all began seven weeks ago, when I just had came home from work. You were still signing up for the tournament, so I thought the house would be empty. I was wrong. As soon as I came through the door, I heard loud bangs and voices from the second floor...

 

The hallway door slammed shut behind Mia as she came indoors. The voices had not noticed her, and she slowly walked towards the stairs.

- Looks like we have a guest, Razool.

- Indeed, Herios. And one of the Tormentor's Heirs, aswell.

- Maybe it's the Son. We ought to have a look, shall we? Before this chapter ends in a hurry.

Mia gazed in fear as two men walked down the stairs. They were dressed in richly ornamented robes, one green; the other red with a hint of orange. They were almost bald, except for a white circle around the top of their heads, and had long, white beards. Their eyes were glowing, green and red respectively. The green-eyed man shook his head.

- Alas, Herios, it was not the Son; but the Healer.

The red-eyed man, obviously Herios, nodded.

- May so be, but possibly the Healer can provide us information of the Son's whereabouts.

He turned to Mia.

- Healer, could you take us to the Son? It is urgent matter that we must speak to him.

- Who?

Mia was confounded, and Herios nodded at her.

- He might have taken - or been given, such a dumb tradition - another name, but is nevertheless the Son. He carries the Legacy of the Tormentor, both blessing and curse.

- Tormentor?

Mia suddenly thought of something that had happened days ago. A sealed package of cards had arrived to the Industrial Illusions building a few days ago. The workers had been given strict information about these cards; they should be randomly placed within the price tins. Mia hadn't given it much thought; strange assignments always appeared now and then, but this was different. It had been ordered by Edward Ketitrod, head of the Industrial Illusions Corp, commonly known as “Echo” for being very repetitive in his speeches. All of these cards had something in common. All of them had the suffix “of the Tormentor” in their names, and the images were blank. They looked like Effect Monsters, but had no effect. In fact, the effect box was blank aswell. It seemed quite strange to her even back then, but she didn't think of it that much.

 

Beside Mia, stood Herios and Razool, eagerly waiting. Razool looked at Herios.

- It seems like the Healer has forgot us, Herios.

Herios shook his head.

- The Healer is merely having a flashback, Razool. Now, don't interrupt it again, or else this chapter will be over in the blink of an eye.

Mia briefly shook her head.

- I remember now. The Tormentor cards... It's...

Razool nodded.

- Seems like the flashback has ended, Herios.

He turned to Mia.

- Yes, Healer. The Legacy of the Tormentor has lived on to this world, and apparently it has decided to show in this world as thin pieces of paper with an image printed on it and laminated. Quite dumb, if you ask me. But since no one ever does, I will continue anyway. These cards, the Avatars, are not important. They are simply means of locating the Tormentor's Heirs, and awakening their power. After that, the Avatars are nothing but mere cards.

- But... what is this Tormentor?

Herios and Razool stared at each other. Apparently, the Healer had absolutely no memory of her previous life. What a convenient plot twist.

The Tormentor is the Ruler of the Pantheon, and one of the largest forces of good among the worlds.

- What? Worlds?

Razool sighed. The predictability of the dialogue was killing him, so to speak.

- Yes, worlds. This world is just one of many thousand others, commonly called the Multiverse, which were ruled by the Pantheon. But later on, the Pantheon was defeated by the Dreadroot and his kin, and so the Tormentor's Heirs fled. The Tormentor himself fell in battle, but his two dragons, Osiris and Ra, fled and took his kin with them. After their flight, they came here. And now, they have reincarnated within a few living people. One of them are you, Healer-Priestess Odara.

 

At this point, Jonah had a rather dumb look on his face.

- Odara?

His mother frowned.

- Sheesh, I'm telling the story here.

 

The name opened up a shock of memories somewhere deep inside Mia's mind. She remembered. The long flight from the Tormentor's Palace, and the settle on the young planet. Nephtys releasing her golden phoenix, and their previous argument about it. She thought that the phoenix' release would light up the Multiverse, so that the Dreadroot would find them. But Nephtys didn't listen, and released it. Razool nodded at her.

- I thought that would make you remember, Odara. At least it worked for Rataval in Chapter Ten.

- Who?

Razool shook his head.

- Nevermind, it isn't important. Anyway, we must proceed. We must meet the Son, the oldest of your offsprings.

Mia gasped.

- Eric? You want to meet Eric?

Razool shrugged.

- Your oldest child. The Son, whatever his name might be in this world. He carries the Legacy. In fact, you do aswell. It flows in your blood. We must find him, and speak to him. Now, for the last time, do you know where he is?

Mia thought for a second, then shook her head.

- He moved up north a few months ago, to New York. That's all he told me. I don't know exactly where.

Razool and Herios looked at her, then looked at each other.

- I guess we'll take our leave, then.

They both walked right past Mia, but Herios stopped in the doorway.

- In due time, you will encounter several servants of the Dreadroot. Do not tell your sons about these matters until you encounter a man named Rataval. Let your youngest son engage in a battle with him. Not until the battle is over, you can tell him. We will consult the Son about this in fifty days from now, then we will come back.

He stepped out of the doorway, but Mia followed him.

- Wait! I have-

She was stunned. Neither Razool nor Herios could be seen.

 

 

Jonah was shocked.

- Eric's also involved in this?

Mia nodded.

- Appears as if everyone are. Susannah told me about these Isiah, Shiki and Flora, and it seems like Herios prediction was true. Except for Flora, though. She doesn't fit in.

- Maybe she's just a normal duelist? Maybe there actually is someone out there that isn't related to the Tormentor and the Dreadroot?

Mia smiled.

- Maybe. But we can't be sure about her. Isiah and Shiki even admitted they worked for the Dreadroot, but she hasn't said anything.

Jonah shrugged.

- Anyways, what about Eric? When were Razool and Herios supposed to contact him?

- Fifty days from when I met them. And seven weeks had passed yesterday.So that means...

- Today. They're going to see Eric today.

 

A few miles to the north, in the twenty-third floor of a Skyscraper, Eric opened the door to his apartment. It was very untidy, and he sighed. It would never have been such a mess if Lucy were here. Lucy used to be his girlfriend and fiancé, but they broke up about a month ago. They just didn't fit. Lucy had moved to Chicago, while Eric were still paying off the apartment. He lived at a friend's house for a few weeks, and hadn't until now even stepped into his own house. He turned on the lights, and saw the air was thick. All of the furniture had about an inch of dust on them, and the floor had turned from white to a sickening gray. Eric sighed, but wasn't surprised the electricity worked. He had redirected his mail to his friend's house while he lived there, and had set everything up. Suddenly, he heard a voice from the kitchen.

- Welcome, Eric.

A man, possibly in his mid-thirties, emerged from the kitchen. He wore a yellow t-shirt, and black trousers. Around his neck, he wore a pendant with a large shard of obsidian imbued. He had short, black hair, and blue eyes. He had a quite stressed look on his face. Eric looked at him.

- Who are you?

The man smiled at him.

- The name's Vergüenza. I'm a friend, trust me. I'm here to tell you a story on your legacy. About your family.

Eric was shocked.

- You know my family?

- I know what you descend from, Eric. Or should I say... Aigora?

Eric stared at him.

- How did you... You know of the Legacy?

Vergüenza smiled.

- Of course I do, Aigora. I'm an agent of the Tormentor. I'm here to help. You see, your family has recently been visited by several agents of the Dreadroot. Among them was Rataval, also known as the Wicked Avatar, and the Dreadroot's own daughter, Lilin.

Eric sat down on the sofa, ignoring the rising fog of dust around him.

- Are they alright?

Vergüenza nodded.

- They're fine, just shocked. They'll be fine in a few hours. Anyway, the most important thing I wanted to say was-

They were interrupted by several knocks on the door, which Eric had closed behind him. Eric rose up and turned towards the door, but Vergüenza stopped him. He whispered:

- Don't open the door!

- Eric?

The voice of an old man came from the other side of the door. Vergüenza hushed Eric, then pulled him towards the window.

- This is what I wanted to warn you about. Your visitor is an agent of the Dreadroot. His name's Razool; that's what I know. He and his three other associates, Gaoga, Herios, and Aila, will hunt you down and kill you if necessary.

- Kill me? Wouldn't the Dreadroot want to see me?

Vergüenza shrugged.

- I don't know; all I know is that they have killed before, and can kill again.

- Better to be on the safe side, then. So, how do we get away from here? The door's blocked.

Vergüenza smiled at Eric.

- It's easy.

He picked up a remote from his pocket, with a blue and yellow button on it, and pointed it out the window. Then, he clicked the blue button. Eric could suddenly hear the flap-flap of a helicopter outside the window. Suddenly, the door cracked up and a part of it fell off. Eric could see a green robe outside it.

- Eric! Wait! You're making a big mistake!

The helicopter was now hovering next to the window, about three feet away. It was quite a leap, and quite a fall if the leap was not good enough. Vergüenza smiled at him.

- Off we go!

Then, they jumped.

 

Author's Notes:

First of all, I'll say this. Don't expect this “Author's Notes to be a regular thing, I'll do it when it's necessary. As you can see, the dialogue around the Elemental Sages - Razool,Herios, and Gaoga, along with one other, not yet revealed - are a bit altered. Or, to be more exact, there are large cracks in the fourth wall. This will only be when the Elemental Sages are involved, so don't expect it to happen regularly.

 

New characters:

 

Name: Razool

Age: Ancient

Deck: Winged Beasts

Favourite Card: Sage Razool

 

Name: Herios

Age: Ancient

Deck: Pyro

Favourite Card: Sage Herios

 

Name: Vergüenza

Age: 37

Deck: Shame Codex

Favourite Card: Lost Warrior from the Underground

 

Name: Eric Morae

Age: 24

Deck: Cyber Dragon

Favourite Card: Cyber Lazer Dragon

[Phantom Roxas]

Love your breaks in the fourth wall. Didn't expect that in this story. I can't wait to see the next chapter

[Umbra]

Love your breaks in the fourth wall. Didn't expect that in this story. I can't wait to see the next chapter

 

Thanks. I wanted to see how people reacted to it, and so far, I have recieved 100% positive results.

 

Anyone else feel like reading?

[Umbra]

For a split second, Eric was flying. He didn't feel the gravity pulling him down to earth; for a moment, he was free. Then, he landed next to Vergüenza inside the helicopter. As soon as he had landed, Eric felt that the helicopter was moving. As he looked out, he saw that they were already about a hundred feet from his apartment. In the window, he could see the green-robed man, staring at the helicopter. Vergüenza smiled at him.

- Nice timing on that, eh? A few more seconds, and Razool would have gotten to us.

Eric was still a little shocked, but nodded.

- And he can't reach us from here, that's the best part. Now, we're off.

- Off to where? Back to Jonah and my mother?

Vergüenza shook his head.

- Not yet, there's someone I'd like you to meet.

 

The helicopter flew for a while, and Eric saw that they had left New York. They were flying across a large forest, until they came into view of a large factorial building. For some reason, it had thick steel walls. Within them, except for the factory itself, a thick cloud of fog covered the ground. Eric frowned.

- What's that?

Vergüenza nodded.

- It's part of the security system. We got it straight from Silicon Valley; a swarm of nanoparticles that will devour anything that enters. Anyway, my friend waits inside.

Eric shivered. Apparently, this was someone with a lot of money. The nanotechnology was still in development, and this mysterious man had somehow got hold of a prototype. The helicopter slowly lowered itself, until it was hovering just a few inches above the roof of the factory. Eric could see that the roof was rather messed up, and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned off in decades. To the left of them, there was a hatch. Vergüenza walked up to it, and opened. A cold breeze emerged from the hatch, and Vergüenza smiled. As he climbed down, his steps echoed through the corridor below.

- Come here, Eric! We're kind of in a hurry!

Eric shrugged, then walked to the hatch and looked down. Vergüenza was already halfway down, and beneath him was only a steel floor. He nodded, and began to climb down.

 

As soon as he had reached the floor, the lights in the rather dim corridor was lit up. A voice echoed throughout the corridors.

- Welcome back, Rodriguez. I assume you have him with you?

Vergüenza nodded.

- He's right here, Takake. The Son is here.

- Good. Bring him to the office; we'll discuss the matters there.

- Of course, Takake.

Eric and Vergüenza started to walk down the steel corridors

Eric turned to Vergüenza.

- Rodriguez?

Vergüenza nodded.

- That's my name. Vergüenza Rodriguez. I've worked here for quite a while, so people generally call me by my last name. And I, on behalf of Takake Hironima, president, would like to welcome you to the Crystalfound Corporation.

- Crystalfound Corporation? What's that?

- Officially, we're a branch of the Industrial Illusions Inc. We develop new types of cards. And that's what we do. But apart from that, we work with people who have been given special powers. Until last fall, that was. Now, this place is merely a base of operations for me, Takake, and a group of co-workers. Our main priority is the Tormentor's and the Dreadroot's agents, along with the Tormentor's Heirs.

Eric nodded.

- Like me.

- Exactly. The Dreadroot's Heirs can be counted on one hand, so we did them first. The Tormentor's Heirs, on the other hand, are around fifty to fifty-five. We've only managed to locate a few of them, thanks to the Avatar cards. Oh, here we are.

They stopped outside a steel door, marked with the label: Takake Hironima, CEO. Eric suddenly shivered, but Vergüenza opened the door. Eric saw a bright light, and slowly walked inside. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the door slam shut behind him as soon as he had stepped inside. Vergüenza had trapped him, and he had no choice but to step forward.

- Turn off the spotlights, will ya? I can barely see anything.

Eric heard the sound of a turning armchair.

- Sorry, I just wanted to keep the dramatic effect.

The bright light faded, and Eric could see a spotlight pointing towards him. But he wasn't focusing on that. In the armchair infront of him sat a Japanese man with short, black hair, and sharp, violet eyes. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, but with a black cape on his back.

- Welcome, Aigora. I understand that you got here in a hurry, but it was for your own safety. We couldn't let you fall into the hands of Razool.

He rose from the chair, and walked over to him. Eric could see that the Asian was a little taller than him. He lifted his right hand towards Eric.

- It took us quite a while to find you, mr Morae. I'm Takake Hironima.

Eric nodded, and shook his hand.

- I've been on the move.

Takake smiled.

- Well, I guess you want to know why you're here. Rodriguez brought you, of course, but why did I want to meet you? Well, the answer to that is simple.

Eric shrugged.

- What is it, then?

- I want to duel you, Aigora. All of our calculations indicate that you are the Son, a direct relative to the Tormentor himself. If anything, the Legacy should flow in your blood like a river in spring. And I've always wanted to duel the Tormentor himself. But you're as close as it gets.

Eric was confused.

- You brought me here so that I could duel you?

Takake nodded.

- Affirmative. Come with me. I'll take you to the dueling hall.

Eric thought over the situation. I haven't dueled in a while, especially since we moved up to New York. But there is something special about this Takake guy. Something in the way he talks. Something in the way he acts that makes me think something isn't right. Then, he shrugged.

- Fine.

- Takake smiled again, and opened the door. Vergüenza stood outside.

Everything's alright in here?

- Yes, Rodriguez. Everything's perfectly fine.

Both of them smiled briefly. Eric was worried, but the three men walked through the doorway and down the corridors. After a few minutes' walk, which Eric could never remember in his head, even if he walked it a million times, he, Vergüenza and Takake reached a pair of steel double doors. As soon as they approached, the doors swung up. Eric gulped, but Takake laughed briefly.

- Motion detection in the walls, Eric. No need to worry about old ghosts dwelling around.

Eric smiled, and all three of them stepped into the Dueling Hall.

 

The dueling hall was a large, rectangular room, about sixty times forty feet. It was about twelve feet high. The walls were covered with the same steel that could be seen everywhere else in the building, but Eric focused on other matters. In the middle of the room was a large, eight times eight squared zone that covered the middle part of the floor. Eric smiled.

- What are we going to play, chess?

Takake smiled.

- This is just a remain from the old days, back when we used a different system. But let's forget that, shall we? Walk over to the other side of the field, so that we can begin the duel.

Eric nodded at him, and after a short walk, he was on the other side.

- You'll find a Duel Generator on the floor.

Eric nodded; he had already strapped it to his wrist and loaded it with his deck. He had been using these before, in a pre-tournament back home. Takake smiled.

- Good. You can begin.

Both of them drew five cards, then Eric drew a sixth. Eric nodded.

- I'll place a card face-down, and Set a monster. There's not really much more I can do. Your turn.

Takake drew a card.

- I'll start off by summoning Mechanical Absorber. (1800/500)

A levitating machine which looked something like a miniature tank appeared infront of Takake. On the top of it, Eric could see three circles.

- And when he enters the field, his effect activates.

Suddenly, the three circles began to quickly change colour. Takake nodded.

- When my Mechanical Absorber enters the field, these three circles randomly turn into different colors. It's effect varies depending on the number of each red or blue circles. Ah, looks like it has stopped.

Eric looked at the Absorber; it had indeed stopped at two red circles and one blue.

- Now, the effect resolves. For each red circle, the Absorber gains 300 ATK points. And for each blue circle, it gains 300 DEF. (1800/500 -> 2400/800) - And then, I'll attack your face-down monster.

Eric sighed.

- It's my Proto-Cyber Dragon. (1100/800) And as it was in Defense, I don't lose any Life Points.

Exactly, Aigora. You don't. But my Life Points are affected.

(Takake rises to 5300)

Eric was shocked.

- What the...?

- The Absorber's second effect inables you to take any Battle Damage from it, but I gain Life Points equal to the difference in our monster's ATK points. That of course, only activates when I attack one of your monsters. And at the end of the turn, my Absorber's ATK becomes equal to the Life Points I gained. It's your turn, Aigora.

(Mechanical Absorber: 2400/800 -> 1300/500)

Eric drew a card, then smiled.

- I activate my Spell Card, Cyber Mirage. When I have a Cyber Dragon or a Proto-Cyber Dragon in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it back to the field until the end of my turn. So, Proto-Cyber Dragon returns. (1100/800)

The Proto-Cyber Dragon appeared infront of Eric, but was transparent and hardly visible.

- Then, I'll activate my face-down card, Cyber Prism. I can tribute a face-up Cyber Dragon, which my Proto-Cyber Dragon qualifies as, and summon Cyber Prisma. (2100/800)

Suddenly, the Proto Cyber Dragon exploded in a billion of colours, and a steel-clad angel wearing bright leather armor and a glowing lance on his back stepped out of the bright light. The angel's armor seemed to change colour as it levitated a few feet above the ground.

And guess what? When Cyber Prisma appears, and you have a monster with an effect out, he can copy your monster's effect! Spin those funky circles, angel-boy!

(Circles stop on red, blue, red. Cyber Prismatic Angel: 2100/800 -> 2700/1100)

- Prisma, attack his Mechanical Absorber!

(Machine Absorber is destroyed, Takake loses 1400 Life Points. Drops to 3900)

Takake smiled.

- Only what I expected from a Son of the Tormentor. My turn!

He drew a card.

- I'll summon Mechanical Twin Cannon! (1500/1000)

A large SUV with two large cannons mounted onto the back of the car appeared infront of Takake.

- And then, I'll snatch that Cyber Prisma for a while. Activate Change of Heart!

(Cyber Prisma moves to Takake's side of the field.)

- Don't worry, you'll get him back. But first, I'll use him to Synchronize!

A string of blue flowed out from the Twin Cannon, and struck the Cyber Prisma. One by one, the strings came from the Twin Cannon and attached to the Cyber Prisma. Soon, the air between them was nothing but a blue glow. Eric couldn't even see Takake anymore. Suddenly, a large knight made entirely out of armor - as far as Eric could see - stepped out from the blue light, which faded away.

- Behold, the Mechannon Knight! (3200/2100)

Eric was terrified, but at the same time confused. It looked like it had been a Fusion, but both the Twin Cannon and his Cyber Prisma were still on the field. It had just appeared.

- How did you...?

Takake smiled, then glared at Rodriguez.

- I thought Rodriguez had told you that we are a branch of Industrial Illusions Inc. We make new cards. Last Christmas, I came up with this idea. Fusions that wouldn't need the Fusion Material to be destroyed. I called them “Synchro” Monsters, but it's basically the same thing. The board approved them, of course. Echo liked them a lot.

- Echo?

- Oh, sorry. Edward “Echo” Ketitrod, president of the Industrial Illusions Inc. Can be quite “special” some times. For your own sake, don't see him. He can be so dull sometimes.

Eric smiled, then looked at the Mechannon Knight.

- You plan to do something with that Mechannon of yours?

Takake looked back onto the field, then nodded.

- I'm actually going to give you a fair chance. Mechannon, attack him directly!

(Eric loses 3200 Life Points, drops to 800)

- And then, I'm going to give you your turn, Aigora. Better try to do something.

Eric nodded, and drew a card.

- With Change of Heart fading, I get back my Cyber Prisma.

(Cyber Prisma returns to Eric's side of the field.)

- Then, I'll activate Future Fusion, and remove 2 Cyber Dragons in my hand from play, and along with the Proto-Cyber Dragon in my Graveyard. Then, I'll attack Mechanical Twin Cannon with Cyber Prisma.

(Mechanical Twin Cannon is destroyed, Takake loses 600 Life Points. Drops to 3300)

- And by placing one card face-down, I end my turn.

Takake drew a card.

- I actually won't attack with the Mechannon Knight this turn, Aigora. But don't worry, more will come. With it's own effect, I'll Special Summon Virus Root from my hand. (800/600)

A small plant unearthed at the feet of the Mechannon Knight. It had a single eye on it's edge, and it continuously looked at Eric. He shivered.

- Then, I'll Synchronize them again!

The field around the Mechannon Knight suddenly opened up, revealing a large pit. The Virus Root attached itself to the Mechannon, then a shady figure emerged from the pit. Eric could see that it was a warrior, wearing black plate armor and a hood of the same colour. Inside the hood, Eric could see a pair of blue eyes and a short, white beard.

- My Aspect of Black Plague (3200/2800) enters the field! Then, it attacks your Cyber Prisma!

Eric smiled.

- You sure? But if you're sure, I'm sure you won't mind this card. Magic-Arm Shield! It allows me to redirect the attack to one of your monsters.

Eric's face-down card flipped up, revealing a strange device. It lifted off the ground, and grabbed around the Mechannon Knight. As the Aspect of Black Plague ran towards Eric, it saw the device flying towards it's master.

 

Hey Kids! See what the Aspect is thinking!

Must obey orders from master... Must obey... Hey, what is that? It looks like a grapple arm, but it's purple! I must have it! *turns towards the Magic-Arm Shield* But, master's orders was... Hey, the Mechannon Knight got the purple arm! I want it!

The Aspect ran up to the Mechannon Knight, and slashed at it. It's mine, I tell you!

 

(Aspect of Black Plague 3200 vs Mechannon Knight 0 (3200). Mechannon Knight is destroyed, Takake loses 3200 Life Points. Drops to 100)

Takake sighed.

- Quite an impressive maneuver, Aigora, but not an unexpected one. It seems to run in your family's blood. Your brother also uses the Magic-Arm Shield.

I always knew he would... Hey, how did you know that?

Takake smiled.

- An agent of ours is following his every step, documenting his actions and sending them to us. Each of his duels. Any cards he has used. We have an eye on your brother, and he won't give up on the spying until we tell him to.

Eric was shocked.

- That's it! It's my turn.

Takake shook his head.

- Not really. See, my Virus Root still has the ability to do something. And so he will. Infest!

The Virus Root lifted off the ground, and hit the Cyber Prisma. It dug deep into the angel's warm flesh, and the Prisma suddenly turned green. Eric was disgusted.

- Virus Root can infest one of your monsters, decreasing it's ATK by 800 points and decreasing it's DEF by 600 points. (Cyber Prisma: 2100/800 -> 1300/200) And the best part is, it isn't even destroyed.

The plant jumped out of Prisma again, and landed where it had started.

- Now, it's your turn, Aigora.

Eric drew a card.

- Just the card I needed! I activate Hole in the Space-Time Continuum! It allows me to skip your next turn, as long as I destroy all monsters on my side of the field or in my hand. And with that said, Cyber Prisma, Cyber Laser Dragon, and Cyber Proto-Dragon goes to the Graveyard. And that means, I can remove them with Future Fusion's effect, along with my other Cyber Dragons, to summon Chimeratech Overdragon! (?/?) And it gains 800 ATK and DEF for each monster used to Fusion Summon it. And as far as I count it, that's six. (?/?=4800/4800) Chimeratech, attack his Virus Root!

(Virus Root is destroyed, Takake takes 4000 damage. Drops to 0.)

 

Takake smiled as the holographic images faded away. Eric was surprised; Takake seemed more like the “sore loser” type. He walked up to Eric.

- Just what I expected from a Son of the Tormentor. Now, let me tell you a special thing.

Eric shook his head.

- Nope. You're going to stop following my brother around, and you'll leave me alone. I have- bang!

He suddenly fell down on the floor. He didn't feel anything, except for a grand pain in the back of his head. As he passed out, he could see a vague shape appear behind Takake. It was standing in the doorway, and it disappeared a split second afterwards. Help...

 

 

Author's Notes:

Well, this did turn into a regular after all. Anyway, I know at least one of you out there (And yes, I mean you, Ixigo) will recognize some of the events in this chapter. For the rest of you, check out my older work. And for the end of the duel, don't say “Future Fusion doesn't work like that”. It's my fanfic, and if I want it to work like that, it works like that.

 

New Characters:

 

Name: Takake Hironima

Age: 34

Decktype: Mechanical (Machine)

Favourite Card: Mechanical King

 

Created Cards:

 

Mechanical Absorber

Monster Card

EARTH

Machine

4/1800/500

When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, flip 3 coins. Increase the ATK of this card by 300 points for each “Heads” on the flipped coins and increase the DEF of this card by 300 points for each “Tails” face-up on the flipped coins until the End Phase of the turn. Repeat this effect during each of your Standby Phases. If this card destroys a monster as a result of battle, increase your Life Points equal to the difference between this card's ATK and the destroyed monster's ATK. Then, the ATK of this card becomes equal to the Life Points you gained by this card's effect, until your next Standby Phase.

 

Cyber Mirage

Spell Card

You can only activate this card when “Cyber Dragon” or “Proto-Cyber Dragon” is in your Graveyard. Special Summon “Cyber Dragon” or “Proto-Cyber Dragon” in face-up Attack Position on your side of the field. During the End Phase of the turn that this card was activated, send the summoned monster to the Graveyard.

 

Cyber Prism

Trap Card

Tribute 1 “Cyber Dragon” on your side of the field. Special Summon “Cyber Prisma” from your hand, deck, or Graveyard.

 

Cyber Prisma

Monster Card

LIGHT

Warrior

4/2100/800

This card's type is also treated as Machine. This card can only be Special Summoned by the effect of “Cyber Prism”. During your Standby Phase, if your opponent controls an Effect Monster, this card's effect becomes the same as your opponent's monster.

 

Mechanical Twin Cannon

Monster Card

EARTH

Machine / Tuner

4/1500/1000

This card can attack twice during the same Battle Phase.

[Phantom Roxas]

Wait, a Japanese guy named Takake Hironima who uses a Mechanical Deck. Why does that seem familiar?

[Aozora]

I'd rename the Future Fusion card, just to make it make more sense.

 

Other than that...

 

I like your story. To be, it would be better in actual story format as a lot of time it takes me a second to be able to tell who's talking.

[rowan_thewolfgod]

This is getting good! (not to say it wasn't good before, but you know) I can't wait to see what else you have in store!

[dark sanji]

Awesome Fanfic Best one i've read yet

[Umbra]

Wait' date=' a Japanese guy named Takake Hironima who uses a Mechanical Deck. Why does that seem familiar?

[/quote']

 

You didn't react at the latino Rodriguez or the Crystalfound Corp. itself. ^^

 

I'd rename the Future Fusion card' date=' just to make it make more sense.

 

Other than that...

 

I like your story. To be, it would be better in actual story format as a lot of time it takes me a second to be able to tell who's talking.

[/quote']

 

Good idea, even though I have no idea for the new card name or how to OCG the effect. And I try to make it as easy to understand who's talking as possible.

 

This is getting good! (not to say it wasn't good before' date=' but you know) I can't wait to see what else you have in store!

[/quote']

 

Check the webpage for some more information on the next chapter. Those of you that have read Inheritance of the World will be opposite to the next chapter's name.

 

Awesome Fanfic Best one i've read yet

 

Best rating I've got so far.

[Phantom Roxas]

Well, I noticed Rodriguez and Crystalfound too, I justy didn't feel like mentioning them

[Umbra]

Well' date=' I noticed Rodriguez and Crystalfound too, I justy didn't feel like mentioning them

[/quote']

 

Along with a load of other references to IotW.

[Phantom Roxas]

Like how Crystalfound is a branch of I2 and how three circles determine Mechanical Absorber's effect?

[Umbra]

Like how Crystalfound is a branch of I2 and how three circles determine Mechanical Absorber's effect?

 

Or the following:

Wind (fog outside the company)

Leander's Office (bright light)

Mentions of the Mind (last part)

[Phantom Roxas]

Fog and bright light, too. As for mentions of the mind, closest I can think of is Jack and Takake's abilities. I remember that the fog made of nanotechnology is like that fog that ate that giant rock they threw in

[Umbra]

The Mind as in the person. Leander talks about him in the end of Chapter Ten in IotW. (I forgot you guys haven't seen chapter eleven yet)

[Umbra]

April 23rd, Crystalfound Corporation

 

Eric opened his eyes, slowly. His head was still hurting, and every move sent a shiver of pain down his neck. Withstanding the pain, he tried to look around. He was lying in a richly ornamented bed, but the room itself had the same steel walls as the rest of the factory seemed to have. He looked across the room, and saw an old man, sitting at the desk. It looked like he hadn't recognized Eric yet, so Eric slowly rose from the bed - his head hurting every moment of it - and stumbled towards the man. He wasn't walking as silent as he had hoped, and the old man soon turned around, towards him.

- Why, hello there, Eric. Glad you woke up.

He lifted his hand for Eric to shake.

- The name's Harry Leander, but people call me Mind, since I have a photographic memory.

Eric nodded, and Harry continued to talk.

- We're at the Crystalfound Corporation, as you might have been told. Not that it is what it used to be anymore, now that Damon's gone.

Eric was confused.

- Damon?

He could see that Harry's face became sad when he talked about Damon, but he wanted to know anyway.

- Damon was my little brother, and head of the Crystalfound Corporation until last fall, when Razool, the Earth Sage took him from us. He trapped his soul inside a red gem that he kept with him. Takake tried to defeat him, but he fled before Takake could stop him.

He then shook his head.

- I wasn't there, of course. I was still here, but Rodriguez told me. I trust him.

Several knocks on the door, then a voice.

- Harry? Are you awake?

Eric frowned; it was Takake.

- I'm awake, Takake. You can come in.

 

 

April 25th, Red Sky City

 

Jonah was worried. A few days had passed since his mother had came home from New York and told him that Eric's apartment was empty. Looked like it hadn't been used in weeks. She had got the address from Lucy, Eric's old girlfriend, so she was sure it was the right place. And now, she couldn't find her either. There were footsteps in the dust, three pairs, so Eric had been with someone lately. Jonah couldn't imagine who; he just hoped it was Razool and Herios, and that they had taken him somewhere safe. From where he wouldn't be harmed by the Dreadroot's servants.

He heard knocks on the door; he must have closed it when he came in. He couldn't remember anymore.

- Come in.

The door slowly opened, and Susannah walked in.

- You okay, Jonah? You've been sitting here for hours.

Jonah looked at his watch. He had been sitting there for at least three hours.

- I'm just worried about Eric.

Susannah smiled.

- I'm sure he's fine. Anyway, there's someone here to see you. Aunt Mia's down there talking to him now, and I just wanted to warn you.

Jonah nodded.

- Thank you, Susannah.

He slowly rose from his bed, and walked right past Susannah, who followed him closely. Both of them walked down the stairs, and looked out into the hallway. His mother was talking to an old man, probably around fifty years old.

- Oh, here he is. Jonah, this is someone I'd like you to meet. He says he knows where Eric is.

Jonah looked at the old man.

- Who are you?

The old man smiled at him.

- The name's unnecessary. I know where your brother is. A former colleague of mine has locked him up in a facility outside New York.

Jonah was skeptic, but he couldn't help feeling happy.

- How did you know this?

- Sadly enough, I was there when they locked him up. That's when I came here.

Their guest turned to Mia.

- What day is it?

Mia looked at her watch.

- It's April 25th.

The man growled.

- I missed two days. I traveled from the corporation the day before yesterday.

And you came here now? What did you do, walk?

- I don't trust you enough to tell you my exact means of traveling. Let's just say I have a way to cross the borders without the guards noticing.

He turned to Jonah again.

- If you want to save your brother, you'll have to come with me, and hope the delay isn't longer. I can only take one person with me when I travel.

Mia was worried.

- What am I supposed to do, then? I can't just wait around here.

The old man smiled.

- If everything goes well, we'll be back very soon and have Eric with us.

Mia frowned, then nodded.

- I suppose so... Well, off you go.

Jonah walked up to their guest, then looked at his mother.

- Well, bye Mam. We'll be back soon.

Jonah could see that his mother was crying.

- That's... That's exactly what Eric said when he and Lucy moved up to New York. And now he's gone...

Jonah walked up to his mother, and hugged her.

- Don't worry, Mam. We'll be back before you notice.

The old man grabbed Jonah's shoulder.

- We'll have to travel upstairs. I found out it works easier the higher up I am.

At this point, Jonah became worried. Well, more worried than he was before. But he shrugged.

- Fine.

The two of them walked up the stairs, and as they took the final step, there were knocks at the door. Mia looked at her son as he left the staircase. This is all-

Suddenly, there was a flash of blue light from the upper floor, and Mia was blinded.

- Jonah? Jonah!

She looked up the staircase, so that she could see the hallway above. Both Jonah and the old man were gone. She gulped. The knocks on the door were heard again, and Mia briefly shook her head. She walked over to the door, and opened it. She would never forget who stood on the other side.

 

April 23rd, Crystalfound Corporation

 

Jonah was shocked. The moment before, they had stood in the upper hallway of their house. Next thing he knew, he stood in a large steel rectangular room, with a eight times eight square pattern on the floor. The old man took a deep breath, and smiled.

- We're here, boy. The Crystalfound Corporation.

Suddenly, Jonah heard footsteps coming their way, and a man with rather Latino looks emerged from the door infront of them. He looked at Jonah, then he looked at the old man that stood beside him. Jonah could see that he was surprised.

- You! But... you're dead!

The old man shook his head.

- Think not. Neither of us are, right, Rodriguez?

The Latino stumbled on the words, trying to speak.

- But, but, but how? You and Rick... you vanished! You didn't come back!

- I did. Rick, however, did not. We endured fifteen years in that place, trying to locate the Beast and hunting him down. Finally, we did. After that, Rick decided to stay. He knew there was no one waiting for him. He had a feeling that Leander was dead. And he was right, wasn't he? I told him that we could go back, that we could change it if Leander had died. But he wouldn't listen. He's married now, you know. Probably got a few kids aswell back there. But I'm back.

As they had been speaking, the old man's hands started to glow.

- And my powers have evolved, Rodriguez. I can't just teleport and travel through time anymore. I can see the final outcome of anyone I meet. I can see their entire life. And yours, my friend, will take a dramatic turn right now. I'll send you to a place you've always wanted to study. The Big Bang.

He walked up to the Latino, presumably Rodriguez, and pushed him in the chest with his glowing hands. There was a loud bang! and a flash of light, and Rodriguez disappeared.

 

Somewhere in the Multiverse, at the dawn of time

 

Vergüenza Rodriguez couldn't believe what he was seeing. He saw two giant beings, enveloped in a rain of light. One of them had rather brown skin and wore gray armor, and Rodriguez could sense great power from him. But also great malice. His gaze turned to the other, and he was struck by respect. This other glowed with so much power that Rodriguez was almost blinded. A single thought struck Rodriguez.

These two must be the Tormentor and the Dreadroot! If I can align myself with one of them, I will become a legend! I can affect the worlds themselves with my power!

Then, for the first and only time to ever be, a human heard the voice of the Tormentor.

- Now, Dreadroot, it is time. Time to awaken the lands.

The Dreadroot nodded, and they clasped hands. Both of them began to chant.

- Upon the powers given to us, we call Life and Death to enter the world!

As they spoke, two beams emerged from high above. The brighter of them hit the Tormentor, the darker hit the Dreadroot. For a split second, nothing happened. Then, the Dreadroot and the Tormentor meld as one. A shock of light and darkness exploded from them, and Rodriguez tried to block the light, tried to see whatever he could see.

Then, he was instantly incinerated by the shock of darkness.

 

 

April 23rd, Crystalfound Corporation.

 

The steel door swung open, and Takake stepped inside. Eric frowned.

- Good to see you have woken up, Morae. You passed out on the floor right infront of me. Me and Rodriguez carried you up here. Harry was asleep when we came.

- I just passed out?

Takake nodded.

- I think you were touched by the mind of the Dreadroot. It works through Razool and Herios, and it can corrupt any normal person. Luckily for you, you're not that normal.

Eric smiled.

- Guess so.

- Sadly enough, I bring worse news. Your brother has switched sides, Eric. At this very moment, Jonah and an agent of the Dreadroot, one I thought I'd never meet, is inside this building. They have already killed Rodriguez, and come here to kill both of us. You must stop them, Eric.

Eric suddenly felt dizzy, and took a few steps back. Next to him, Harry had fallen asleep in his chair. Takake's voice penetrated his mind, blending with his thoughts until he was changed. He fell to the ground, his mind drastically altering itself. Eric could feel his memories fade away. One birthday after the other. Jonah's birth. The death of their father, only a few weeks ago. Jonah didn't know of it; Eric had only heard it a few days past. Any trace of his family or anyone he had met was gone. He rose from the ground, with a new look in his eyes. His iris was gray rather than white, and his hair had turned pale.

- So I will, master.

Takake smiled, then grabbed Eric's shoulder.

- You need a past now, and I shall give you one. Your name is Nathaniel Roderick. I found you outside the corporation when you were a child, next to a burning car wreck. You were the only one alive. I took you in, and trained you to master the art of the cards. A month ago, your training was complete as you had beaten me in a fair duel. I have awarded you with a deck, that you wish to combine with your own. Two weeks ago, I gave you as an offering to the Dreadroot, and we gave him a part of your blood. However,we must repeat the offering in two weeks again to make it complete. But now, to more urgent matters. There are two intruders here, which wish to halt the process of the Dreadroot. They wish to end his life. And we can't have that, can we?

Eric nodded.

- They will be taken care of, master.

Takake shook his head.

- Call me Takake. Now, this is what I want you to do...

 

Jonah was running up the stairs, trying to catch on to the old man, which was about six meters infront of him. Jonah couldn't believe that an old man could be so fast. He must be eager to find Eric. Suddenly, Jonah heard that the man came to a halt, and looked ahead. Jonah could see a strange, white-haired young man with cold, empty eyes. As Jonah looked into them, he saw nothing but duty. The young man was wearing a richly ornamented red robe, with golden threads imbued in the woven cloth. The robe had a hood, which was lying against the young man's back. The cold eyes stared at Jonah.

- You must be the intruders, are you not?

The voice was familiar, but Jonah couldn't place it. It sounded almost like Eric, but it had changed. There was something that reminded him of Rataval; a darker tone, a darkness hidden beneath the surface.

- I've been ordered to dispose of you.

The old man shook his head.

- Take me to Takake, boy. We'll handle this matter ourself.

- I don't think so. I know what you did to Vergüenza. He saved my life, and now you come and kill him? Neither I nor my master wishes to speak with you, Diviner.

The young man picked up a card from the back of his sleeve. Apart from the normal cards you see every day, this card was covered in runic symbols. Jonah was worried.

- I call forth Zondra the Vile!

The air around the young man's hands began to shiver, and a large shadow appeared out of it. It looked similar to a snake, but with a half-rotten gray body and with large parts of it's internal bones visible. Jonah was disgusted. The snake-shape wrangled throughout the air, approaching the old man at a dangerous high speed. The old man rose his hands, and as the snake came within reach, he pushed it. Jonah smiled. He's going to do the same thing he did to Rodriguez. I think it was Rodriguez, at least.

But something didn't go like it was expected to. The light, instead of consuming the snake, it covered the old man completely, and a smell of smoke could be felt in the air. Then, he vanished, and the snake fell to bits.

[Jack Witt]

6/10

[Phantom Roxas]

11/10

 

That was a freaky chapter! And I noticed the named Damon

[Umbra]

11/10

 

That was a freaky chapter! And I noticed the named Damon

 

I take that as a compliment. And thank you for noticing.

[Death's Seduction]

are you going to make the cards in relistic card

[Umbra]

The cards created here will never see daylight, unless someone creates them for me and credits me for the idea. Thank you for commenting anyway.

[Phantom Roxas]

BUMP! This thread shall not die! The story is too awesome to die!

[Umbra]

Wow, I really keep the chapters coming in a quick rate, don't I?

 

Important note:

The created cards will no longer be posted at the end of each chapter. Since the story has a website now, they will be found there. Enjoy the new chapter for now!

 

The white-haired man looked over the scene, and shrugged.

- Well, I had a feeling it would work like that. Zondra, return to your nest.

The card in the white-haired man's hand started to glow, and the runes flashed in red. Suddenly, the snake-shape manifested itself again, right where it had crumbled, and vanished into the card. Jonah was shocked, and the white-haired man turned to him.

- You're next, little boy.

Now, Jonah was sure it was Eric. Somewhere beneath that shell was the Eric he had grown up with. Now, he was trying to kill him. Jonah had only one shot. He took out Heir of the Tormentor, and lifted it high up.

- I challenge you to a duel, Eric!

The white-haired man was confused.

- Eric? Who?

Jonah sighed. That plan didn't work.

- That's you, Eric. You're my brother.

For a split second, Jonah thought that those empty eyes flashed in blue. But then, the white-haired man shook his head.

- I have no family. You could never be my brother. And my name's not Eric, it's Nathaniel.

Jonah sighed again.

- You have to remember, Eric. It's the only way.

Suddenly, a black-armored knight wielding a long, red blade appeared infront of Jonah. The knight didn't wear a helmet, and Jonah saw that the knight's face had a striking resemblance with his own. This was the true Heir of the Tormentor. Not the monster that materialized when Jonah played the card. This was the ancient spirit of Kyaran, the long-descending Heir of the Tormentor's oldest son, Aigora, that had now been released. Nathaniel smiled.

- You wish to play that game? Well, two can play.

He pulled up his left sleeve, revealing a special kind of Duel Generator. It resembled a Duel Disk, but was still smaller and covered the whole lower arm. The entire cover was black, and filled with the same kind of runes that Jonah had seen on the previous card. Nathaniel smiled again.

- Amazed, are you? I got this one straight from the master himself. A Night Generator, he called it. It adds a special touch to the game. And the best part is, it works for yours aswell.

- Jonah felt a wave of power pass down his left arm. When he looked at it, he saw that his Duel Generator had changed aswell. His new Generator was as large as Nathaniel's, but it was a bright gray with blue runes instead. Nathaniel looked at it, and nodded.

Instead of the Night Generator, you got a Day Generator. It's just the same, but the opposite. They work together, you see. Just as night and day passes, the Night and Day Generators change. They're just two sides of the same coin.

Jonah shrugged.

- I don't get any of that philosophical crap, but let's get on with the duel, shall we?

Nathaniel glared at him.

- Fine. You can start off.

Jonah looked down into the Day Generator, and saw that his deck was already loaded. Nathaniel drew five cards, and so did Jonah. Finally, he drew a sixth, then looked down at the Generator. There must be some meaning to all that crap he said about day and night. I better be careful.

- I'll start off by summoning Dark Blade in Attack Position! (1800/1500)

A warrior wearing dark armor and a pair of twin sabers appeared infront of Jonah. Nathaniel smiled.

- Your Dark Blade is a servant of the Night. When he arrives in Day, his body is weakened and his mind troubled. The light shifts his power into a mere shell of their former glory. (1800/1500 -> 800/500)

Jonah stared as his warrior, now having dropped one of it's sabers on the floor, and looking anxiously around.

- I guess I'll just place a card face-down, and end it there.

Nathaniel drew a card.

- Since you have a monster, and I don't, I can summon my Cyber Dragon from my hand! (2100/1600) Of course, since he is a servant of Day, he becomes weakened. (2100/1600 -> 1100/600)But it doesn't matter, since he won't stay on the field for long. I'll activate Inverse Prism! All I have to do is sacrifice Cyber Dragon, and I get my favored Dark Prisma! (2100/1600)

A glowing orb enclosed the Cyber Dragon, which then imploded. Out of it stepped a man with raven wings on his shoulders. The man's skin was pale, and his hair was as white as snow. Jonah sighed; it looked exactly like Nathaniel. Suddenly, he remembered what Alex had told him. No doubt that's his Avatar.

- And with that said, Dark Prisma becomes affected by the Night, as it is a creature of Night. (2100/1600 -> 3100/2600) Now, Dark Prisma attacks your Dark Blade.

(Dark Blade is destroyed, Jonah loses 2300 Life Points. Drops to 1700.)

- I'll place two cards face-down, and end my turn with that.

Jonah drew a card, but was blinded by a flash of light. When it faded away, he could see that Nathaniel was smiling.

- You look surprised, yet I told you what happens. Day and night shifts.

Jonah looked down onto his Duel Generator. It had now changed from a gray colourscale to a blacker.

- Just as night and day passes, the Night and Day Generators change over time. Night turns to day, and day turns to night. Of course, this means that I hold the Day Generator, and that my Dark Plasma is weakened. (3100/2600 -> 1100/600) Not that it'll be a problem.

Jonah nodded.

- Thank you for telling me, Nathaniel. But I'll make it a problem. First, I'll summon Heir of the Tormentor! (1800/500) And because he's a DARK monster, if I got it correctly, he's affected by the Night Generator. (1800/500 -> 2800/1500)

The black-armored knight appeared infront of Jonah, and to Jonah's surprise, the knight began to speak.

- I've always hoped I could meet my descendant.

Jonah was surprised. Even though they looked almost exactly alike, the Heir's voice was entirely different. It held a tone of respect. A tone of elderly thoughts and minds. Jonah nodded at him.

- Well, nice to meet you too. Name's Jonah Morae.

The Heir nodded.

- I'm Kyaran.

He looked at the Dark Prisma.

- I suppose you want me to take care of that?

Jonah nodded.

- Yep. Charge up, Kyaran. Give it all you got.

Kyaran nodded at him, then ran up to the angel. He rose his sword high up in the air, and swung it with great precision.

- For the Tormentor!

Nathaniel smiled at them.

- You don't think I was prepared? Prepared that you might want to destroy Dark Prisma? Well, let's find out, shall we? I activate Cyber Mirage, which lets me bring back Cyber Dragon to the field! (2100/1600) And then, I'll activate Cyber Prism, to tribute Cyber Dragon and summoning Cyber Prisma! (2100/1600)

As the Cyber Prisma emerged onto the field, Jonah saw something in Nathaniel's face change. He was stressed. Maybe... I know a part of Eric's still somewhere inside there. The Cyber Prisma was Eric's favorite card, and from what I can see, his Avatar card. While his other monster, the Dark Prisma, looks more like Nathaniel. Does that mean...

That doesn't really affect my attack, you know.

- Are you sure, punk? When Dark Prisma and Cyber Prisma are on my side of the field at the same time, both of them are immeadetly destroyed.

The two angels looked at each other, the air between them vibrating with power. Then, they clashed together, and in a surge of bright light, both of them vanished. Jonah looked at Nathaniel.

- What did you do that for?

- You'll see, kid. You'll see.

Jonah shrugged. I bet he's trying to lead me into a trap. But at least, his field's open for an attack.

- Kyaran, attack Nathaniel directly! Slash his Life Points up!

Kyaran nodded, then looked at Nathaniel.

- Hiyah!

(Nathaniel loses 2800 Life Points, drops to 1200)

- Your turn, Nathaniel.

Nathaniel nodded, then drew a card.

- I'll start off by activating my Spell Card, Light and Darkness Alteration! I can remove Cyber Prisma and Dark Prisma, to bring out my most favoured monster! Chaos Prisma - Angel of Light and Darkness! (3400/3200)

As he spoke, a circle of bright white and purple light appeared behind him. The circle began to spin at a tremendously high speed, and inside it, Jonah could see the faces of Eric and Nathaniel. Or more correctly, those of the Cyber Prisma and the Dark Prisma. Then, the faces quickly changed, until they looked identical. Both of them looked like a mixture of both of the Prismas, half bright and half dark. But then, Jonah saw something different. Nathaniel's face had began to change aswell. The left half of the white hair became brown, and the left side of his face got a different expression in it. Jonah stared in fear at his opponent, who just smiled at him.

- Surprised, punk?

Nathaniel's voice had changed, suddenly becoming more mature, with a slight Asian tone. Possibly Japanese or Chinese.

- There's nothing left of your brother here, punk. He works for me now.

Jonah noticed something. Nathaniel's lips wasn't moving like he spoke; there were minor misses here and there. It just didn't look right. He's not the one that's talking!

- Who are you?

Nathaniel smiled.

- I'm Takake Hironima, head of the Crystalfound Corporation and Voice of the Dreadroot. I'm in charge here.

- You're the one that kidnapped Eric?

- It was not by my order he was kidnapped. I receive all of my orders from a higher state. But let's not speak of that, shall we? Let's continue the duel.

Jonah nodded.

- I believe it is your turn, Takake. But let's set some conditions here, shall we? If I win, you'll let Eric go. But if you win, you can have him.

Nathaniel-Takake shrugged.

- That's the stupidest thing I ever heard. When I win, I will take control of you, just like I did with your brother.

Jonah shook his head.

- Won't happen. You bother do anything?

- I'm actually going to leave the two of you alone. Nathaniel can take care of you himself.

Then, Nathaniel rapidly shook his head, and when he spoke, it was with the same voice as he had had before.

- My Chaos Prisma, as it is a servant of both night and day, it is not... affected by th- the Night or the Day.

Jonah could see that Nathaniel had some sort of problem. He was staggering on his words, hardly able to duel. The colour of his hair was also changing, rapidly switching between white and brown, passing in waves over the head. It almost looked like a street lamp that is partially broken. Jonah had to concentrate to hold back the laughter. Nathaniel shook his head briefly, then looked Jonah in the eye.

- Chaos Prisma... attack his Heir of the Tormentor!

The angel of chaos charged up to Kyaran, and they crossed blades. Suddenly, the angel began to speak. It spat in Kyaran's face.

- So we finally meet, Kyaran.

Kyaran shook his head.

- I don't know what you're talking about...

Then, his eyes flashed.

- Captain Goreflesh? You're the one that was guarding this child?

The bright side of the angel, the rightmost, seemed quite confused at Kyaran's words. The left half was an entirely different story. It grinned in both entertainment and surprise. Altogether, it was a face that felt... twisted, somehow. The angel nodded at Kyaran.

- Indeed. Nathaniel shares my spirit, and my will to fight.

Jonah stared at the Chaos Prisma.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. Who's this “Goreflesh” fellow?

Kyaran turned to Jonah.

- Goreflesh was the captain of the Palace Guard back in the days. Before the death of our ancestor, of course.

Goreflesh grinned.

- Obelisk was a weak leader. I had no trust in him. The Dreadroot told me the Truth, and I gave him what he requested. I opened the passage to the Tormentor's Palace. There, I saw the Dreadroot slay him, right on the spot.

Jonah was disgusted.

- You betrayed your leader?

He thought of his Code of Honour deck, how it relied on the strength of others. Of the allies. Then, a thought struck him.

- I know how to defeat you, Goreflesh, and take Nathaniel with you. Trust me.

Goreflesh smiled.

- I don't think so, kid.

Then, he rose his blade and stabbed Kyaran in the chest. The Heir of the Tormentor fell to the floor, and crumbled to bits. Jonah was struck with a shock of pain as he saw his Life Points fall from seventeen-hundred to eleven-hundred. Yet, he smiled.

- I'm sure, Goreflesh. You're going down.

He drew a card.

 

 

Red Sky City, April 25th

 

Mia couldn't believe her eyes. Outside the door stood the old man that just had walked upstairs with Jonah. But he was bleeding all over. He had a terrible wound on his left temple, and his arms smelled strangely. Mia quickly rushed out and took hold of the old man, and led him into the kitchen.

- What happened? Where's Jonah?

The old man coughed.

- I... I think he's still there. Where I came from. Crystalfound Corporation, outside New York.

Mia suddenly remembered something. Something that had happened only a few seconds ago, but now felt strange. The knocking had begun before the old man and Jonah had walked upstairs, but if he was inside... How could he get outside? Before he had left? Mia could feel the headache coming up. The old man smiled at her.

- I know you're troubled, ma'am. You have many questions, some that I can answer, and some that I can't.

- What's going on?

Mia turned around. Susannah had came down the stairs. It looked like she just woke up. She must have fallen asleep again, Mia thought.

Susannah looked at the old man, whose bleeding had slowed down, but there was still an ugly-looking wound on his left temple.

- What's he still doing here? I thought he had left with Jonah.

The old man looked at Susannah, and his eyes were troubled.

- I did... but it appears I came back.

Susannah stared at him.

- You left him there? Where is he?

- I don't think you'll find him there if you go now. As far as I know, he's in the day before yesterday...

 

 

Jonah looked at the card, then sighed. Christ, I really thought this card would help! With Kyaran in the graveyard...

He then looked at his Graveyard, and smiled.

- Since it's my turn, the Generators switch, right?

Nathaniel nodded.

- True.

- Good. I'll activate Heir of the Tormentor's effect, and remove the Dark Blade in my Graveyard from play. Then, I can bring him back.

A cry could be heard from Jonah's graveyard, and Kyaran materialized infront of him.

- Welcome back, Kyaran.

Nathaniel smiled.

- You know that your so-called Avatar is weakened to the limits of extinction? With the Day on his side, all he gains is a penalty. A penalty of a thousand attack and defense points, that is, which brings him down to a thousand attack points and zero defense points.

Jonah nodded.

- I know. That's why I played him. I'll then activate Axe of Despair, and give it to your Chaos Prisma.

Nathaniel frowned.

- You must be dumber than I thought. Giving my monster a boost, upping it to forty-four thousand attack points, while your monster is nothing but a shell?

Jonah shook his head.

- The part of you that is Nathaniel must be in control now, Eric. Otherwise, you would have remembered this. The card that Mam gave me for my tenth birthday. A card I haven't really seen a use for, until now. Activate Curse of Last Survivor!

Nathaniel frowned.

- Well, what use could that have?

- It's quite simple, Eric. Curse of Last Survivor swaps the attack points of two face-up monsters, as long as they are the only monsters out. Which means, Kyaran now has forty-four thousand attack points, and your Chaos Prisma has two thousand. It's as easy as target practice. Kyaran, slash him up!

 

 

Suddenly, Nathaniel twitched, then grinned in a way so horrible that Jonah almost fell backwards. One of his eyes was wide open; the other was normal. The skin on the left half on his body suddenly began to shake violently, and the eye turned red. When he spoke, it was with an entirely different voice. A voice that felt darker. Mystic. Ancient.

- I see that you carry the Legacy of the Tormentor, Jonah Morae. Your very spirit is glowing with the same, weak mind that I saw in Obelisk when I ran him through with Viseari.

He then turned to the Chaos Prisma.

- Goreflesh?

The Prisma nodded.

- Yes, my general?

- Take this body with you to the Spire. I'll contact you through him when the time is right.

Goreflesh nodded.

- My general, there is something I must tell you. This body... It belongs to the Son.

Nathaniel grinned again.

- The better. Now, get going.

Goreflesh saluted Nathaniel.

- Yes, my general.

The events that then happened infront of Jonah's eyes would surprise him for many years. The hologram of the Chaos Prisma, which held the spirit of Captain Goreflesh, left the dueling area and flew up to Nathaniel and stopped on his right side. Then, he entered the body, making the right side look identical to the left. Jonah was shocked. The new entity, a fusion of Nathaniel and the ancient spirit of Goreflesh, smiled at Jonah.

- There's nothing left of your brother here, Jonah. There's no one here to help you.

He then picked up a circular disk, probably around fifteen centimeters across, from inside the red robes. In the middle of the circle, Jonah could see an image of a human cranium. Nathaniel smiled.

- I call forth Zondra the Vile!

The large skeletal worm materialized infront of Nathaniel, it's old bones cracking as it rose from the ground. The part which seemed to be the head - it had a large opening, with teeth around it - looked at Nathaniel, who smiled at him.

- That's him, Zondra. Take care of him.

The worm turned it's head to Jonah, and the mouth opened in a wide grin. Jonah was struck by fear. Then, he turned and ran.

[Phantom Roxas]

Best. Chapter. EVER!

[Umbra]

Best. Chapter. EVER!

 

Best rating I've ever recieved, can tell you that. I hoped that people would like the story development.