YuGiOh: Hidden Legacy [Descent into Darkness] [Ch. 29 Reality Check] Posted! NEW!

[Umbra]

New chapter's definitely interesting, and while it didn't really answer any questions (not that there are many questions to ask at the moment, a bit early for that) it poses some different new ones. Marcus is definitely getting the protagonist treatment, standing up against Tyaro, but other newly-named Allison seems less heroic. I didn't get the same vibe from her as Ace did, but definitely something along those ranks.

The only problem I have with the chapter is the Gigantes scene, namely how Riley at first doesn't notice the Duel Disk, and then suddenly POOF, it's right there. You'd think a duelist would know where to look. Other than that, good read, and I look forward to reading the next chapter.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Umbra' timestamp='1311796453' post='5392624']
New chapter's definitely interesting, and while it didn't really answer any questions (not that there are many questions to ask at the moment, a bit early for that) it poses some different new ones. Marcus is definitely getting the protagonist treatment, standing up against Tyaro, but other newly-named Allison seems less heroic. I didn't get the same vibe from her as Ace did, but definitely something along those ranks.

The only problem I have with the chapter is the Gigantes scene, namely how Riley at first doesn't notice the Duel Disk, and then suddenly POOF, it's right there. You'd think a duelist would know where to look. Other than that, good read, and I look forward to reading the next chapter.
[/quote]

This was that Chapter that was meant to do a few things; begin to build that doubt in Riley's mind that the Celestials might not be as "celestial" as they're portrayed to be; establish that they've arrived in the Spirit World and the first arc (Crystal's arc) is now in full swing; further (slowly) Ace's journey to find and defeat Tyaro to avenge Bryan; and begin to build up Aurkus as a temporary hero who may or may not see a little success. Allison's not done yet, she'll play a much more prominent role in the Season once Crystal's arc is over.

I wasn't really sure how I wanted that to work. I was trying to establish that Gigantes was a vicious, vile beast that couldn't communicate with humans, which in a way would make the duel more interesting. (It can't talk, so how can it duel?) Look at it this way; Riley was standing on the right, Rayori on the left. The sandstorm made it hard to see, so Riley didn't notice it while Rayori did. It's simple; I didn't [i]need[/i] to do it that way, but I figured I'd explain it as best I could.

[Aviv: D's Knight]

I hope that Crystal kicks the a*s out of the good guys, then destroys the celestial's and turns on the wanderer. She rules both worlds with an iron fist.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Lonely Horus' timestamp='1311838638' post='5394663']
I hope that Crystal kicks the a*s out of the good guys, then destroys the celestial's and turns on the wanderer. She rules both worlds with an iron fist.
[/quote]

Well, I can't guarantee that, but who knows? Crystal's arc should be completely finished by Episode 14-15, so that's when we'll move into the second Arc, which will be the main part of Tyaro's story.

[Aviv: D's Knight]

Crystal should be the star of the series! Her arc should never end.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Lonely Horus' timestamp='1311880954' post='5396089']
Crystal should be the star of the series! Her arc should never end.
[/quote]

Perhaps, but it must. Don't fear, we'll see plenty of Crystal as the story progresses; until that point, continue reading and enjoy!

[Synchronized]

BUMP! I'm hoping to get some more people to comment on this; I'd like some feedback.

[Synchronized]

[b]Writer's Note[/b]: So, in just a brief update, I've started working on Chapter 8. This one might take a little while because it involves two duels, which is going to make for a challenging back-and-forth, yet keeping things logical piece. That being said, hopefully once 8 gets going (since one of the duels will likely be a two-part), things'll get better.

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 8: Crimson Crisis]

Life is never easy. That’s just something they tell you to build your confidence; it doesn’t make much of a difference at all once you get out there into the real world, because the same people who told you it was easy, are now nowhere to be found. That was the best way to sum up Aurkus’ life. Abandoned by his parents at sixteen years old, he basically grew up on the streets, struggling to make a living yet never giving up his dream to make something of himself one day.

He didn’t remember it too clearly; he’d just woken up one morning, got into a fight with his dad over something so pointless, and then they forced him to leave. They kicked him out and forced him to be out on his own, to experience the world for himself. Of course, it wasn’t fair to place the blame on them; he was stubborn. He’d taken everything for granted, had everything handed to him. And he came home and started things, caused problems that were absolutely uncalled for. At first, he was spiteful. But now, he was grateful. And he knew his parents didn’t do it because they hated him; they did it because they knew it was best for him. Right…?

Still, the thought of parents just abandoning their child, despite the child’s issues…man, that was hard to take.

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Episode 8: Crimson Crisis

This wasn’t about him. It couldn’t be. For the past twenty-four hours, despite how hard he tried, there was no way to erase the thought, the image of Bryan’s last few seconds, watching the energy be ripped out of him, used to fuel Tyaro’s selfish goals, hurting innocent people for no reason, something as stupid as a “status upgrade”. Bryan had been his only friend, the only one who’d accepted him. It was because of Bryan that he’d agreed to work for Tyaro, not knowing at the time what he was getting himself into. The job paid well; it was a nice opportunity to earn some money and really straighten his life out.

But things hadn't worked out that way. They were treated like garbage, as though Tyaro truly had no respect for anyone but himself. And that wasn't coincidence; that's exactly the way it was. Aurkus stuck to it, knowing that at least, he was earning money, and not hurting anyone else in the process. The employees (or servants, as they were treated) had no idea of the duel disk function, the [i]Virus Drain[/i] as it had come to be known. At least, that's what he thought. Bryan wasn't who he'd appeared to be. He did his job, yet he wasn't "taking it". All the while bowing to Tyaro's every beck and call, Bryan was slowly figuring out a way to escape.

[i]“Ace, you asked if the reason I needed to win was the fear for my own life.” Bryan went on. “But that’s not the case at all. I can tell, I just know, that you know what’s going on here. You know the trouble that’s been caused both here and in the Spirit World. When I found out, I threatened to quit. But it’s not that easy. You can’t take the disk off.”[/i]

He was locked in; there was no way to truly "escape", unless he had lost. And that's exactly the route Bryan had chosen to take. He knew Ace would be able to help him, to help [i]her[/i]. Bryan's sister, Karahiri, had been taken by those same evil forces that Tyaro himself had aligned with. Aurkus wasn't familiar with any of these terms, any of this outside evil, yet he knew it was real. He could feel it; he could sense the tension, that awkward feeling in the air that things weren't right. Karahiri, or Kari, as they called her, had grown up with them her whole life. Aurkus had been friends with Bryan for years, despite a few years' age difference; she was like a sister to him, too. Yet after his parents had kicked him out, the friendship has slowly started to fall apart.

It was then that Aurkus met up with Bryan, who told him about the job. It was a chance to reunite with an old friend and make some money at the time, doing what he loved. Dueling. That's what this was about; despite what other forces might have intended, Tyaro's main goal was to become the Number One Duelist in the world. He was already the World Champion, but he'd been defeated by Riley Storm. It turns out Riley wasn't the only one to defeat him either. Bryan had done it, too. But once Bryan had beaten him, Tyaro exacted revenge by forcing Bryan to lose, using the threat of endangering his sister. With that loss, the Virus Disk activated, and it was do or die every time.

Aurkus didn't have one of those disks; Bryan had made that specific request, willing to keep his own life and his own job on the line so that his friend could live safely. Had he known what he was getting into, he would've never complied. Yet he was done, now. He was no longer going to work for Tyaro; it was time to take things into his own hands. His parents had wanted to teach him responsibility, and that's exactly what he was going to take charge of. He'd find Tyaro, and beat him, no matter what it took.

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The creature was disgusting. A large, human-sized troll stood before them. There was a sharp horn in the center of its forehead, but perhaps not as sharp as the spikes that lined the metal armor along its body. It was roaring at the top of its lungs, almost as though it were in pain, but it didn't look friendly. This creature certainly didn't want any help. It locked eyes with Riley, who wasn't sure what to make of it. He'd fought and dueled Spirits here in this world, but this thing didn't have a duel disk, so it didn't appear to want to duel. It looked hungry. Very, very hungry.

"What the hell is that thing?" Riley looked to Rayori, who was at a loss for words.

Rayori stood his ground. "It's a Gigantes! It's a rock troll Duel Spirit! Gigantes are vicious, and can't communicate with humans! But look, it seems to have a duel disk on its arm!"

Riley looked more closely, and noticed a wooden disk on the creature's left arm. He'd somehow mised it, perhaps understandably in the chaos of the sandstorm. If it couldn't communicate, how could he duel it?

"You sure this thing wants to duel?" Riley asked. "I'm not getting that vibe."

"That's exactly what it wants." Rayori replied sternly. "Duels here are different, as you know. It's all real. If this thing can out-duel us, we'll be weak enough for it to seize the opportunity, and we'll be fast food."

It made sense, Riley figured. But still, to think a monstrous creature, incapable of communicating would be able to actually play the card game.

"Riley, just hold back." Rayori stepped forward. "I'll take h--"

"No," Riley interrupted. "Let me duel him."

"Are you sure?" Rayori sounded surprised. "You're not in any condition to duel right now, man."

There was a greater possibility for danger, but he had to do this for himself. "No, I've got to do this. I've got to make sure I'm ready."

"Well then, let's make this quick." Rayori smiled, offering some confidence. He wasn't so sure, but at least it'd be interesting to see how much Riley had improved since he'd last seen him duel.

"You got it, that's my intention." Riley activated his duel disk, and as he did, the red light on the Gigantes' disk did the same. "Let's duel!"

The creature mumbled something; Riley couldn't quite make it out. "I'm gonna assume that means you'd like me to make the first move."

Riley drew his card, glancing over his hand. This thing wasn't friendly; dueling it wouldn't be a simple task, but he'd have to do his best. Because facing Crystal wouldn't be easy, either. This would be nothing compared to that. He had to be able to win; he couldn't leave her behind a second time. It was success, or nothing. "I'll start with Reborn Tengu, in attack mode!"

[spoiler=Reborn Tengu]
WIND/Level 4
Beast-Warrior/Effect
When this card is removed from the field, Special Summon 1 "Reborn Tengu" from your Deck.
1700/600[/spoiler]

"Next, I'll throw two cards face-down." He tried to get a read on the creature, but it just stood, growling as drool rolled down the sides of its face. A menacingly sharp set of teeth stood out; that thing could rip him to shreds if it wanted to. "Come on, then. Let's see what you're made of."

"Yaargh!" Gigantes drew a card, immediately placing it in the Field Spell Zone. [i]Wasteland [/i]. The surrounding desert area, not nearly as bad as some, vanished, and in its place was a craggy wasteland. Dry, brown dirt for miles, filled with cracks and pieces of scattered stone.

[spoiler=Wasteland]
[b]Field Spell Card[/b]
Increases the ATK and DEF of all Dinosaur, Zombie, and Rock-Type monsters by 200 points. [/spoiler]

[i]It doesn't look too bad so far.[/i] Rayori tried to keep calm. Riley's condition was anything but good, and dueling here took physical life energy. It wasn't the same as back home. There was no telling how much Riley could handle before his body would collapse.

Gigantes roared again, this time placing a monster card on his Duel Disk.

[spoiler=Sand Doodlebug]
Level 4/EARTH
Insect/Effect
During each player's End Phase, destroy 1 Level 3 or lower monster on the field. This card can attack your opponent directly. While "Wasteland" is face-up on the field, you can negate 1 attack from an opponent's monster.[/spoiler]

"What is that thing?" Riley was perplexed. A vile, oversized ant with razor sharp jaws crawled out from beneath the cracks. No bonus from Wasteland. Without no benefit to his monster, why would he have played the Field Spell?

"That's [i]Sand Doodlebug[/i]," Rayori grabbed Riley's attention. "It's an Insect-type monster with the ability to destroy a monster on the field, once per turn, with a Level of 3 or lower. Be careful what you bring out."

[i]It's weaker than my Tengu, not to mention Tengu's Level 4, so it's safe from the effect. So why would he play that thing in attack mode? Something's not right here.[/i] Riley watched, awaiting the creature's next move. Gigantes extended his right arm, screaming something that must have been an order to attack, because the creature dug itself underground.

"An attack?!" Riley shouted. "What the-?"

The ground in front of him burst open, as the ant sprung up and struck him right in the chest, avoiding Tengu completely.

[b]Riley's Life Points[/b]: (-1200) 2800

Pain surged through his body instantly; he dropped to one knee, clenching his chest as the pain seemed to grow worse, as oppposed to going away. The monster retreated to its side of the field, as Riley gasped for air. [i]What is this? This pain...it's so real. I hav...haven't felt anything like this in so long...[/i]

"Riley! Are you alright?!" Tyaro called out to him. This was exactly what he'd been worried about; Riley there mentally right now, this was all so immediate. But physically, he'd been wounded from the attack back on Earth. "Listen, you can call off the duel! I might be able to hold him off long enough for us to escape!"

"N...no," Riley persisted. "I...I have to do this. If I can't handle the pain from this duel, what makes you think I'd stand any chance at facing Crystal?"

Rayori began to speak, then hesitated. There was no point. He wouldn't be able to get through to him; Riley had made up his mind from the beginning. All he could do was hope that things would work out. Because if they didn't...

[i]So I guess that thing can attack directly.[/i] At least now he knew. There was no way he'd let that thing stay on the field for another turn, that much was for sure. Reborn Tengu had plenty of attack points, more than enough to destroy it. And with no face-down cards, he wouldn't have much to worry about. It was time to give that Gigantes a taste of its own medicine. After all, he was no pushover himself.

The longer this duel went on, the harder it would be to win. Rayori was right, it was rough. He'd have to try and end this as quickly as possible. "My go! I'll start with this, Backup Flight!"

[spoiler=Backup Flight]
[b]Normal Spell Card[/b]
Target 1 monster you control: select 1 monster in your Deck with a Level lower than the targeted monster and banish it; when the targeted monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, add the selected monster to your hand.[/spoiler]

"By selecting Reborn Tengu on my field, I can remove from play the Necro Gardna in my Deck!" His ace card, Necro Gardna, had helped him before in so many duels. By having it as backup, if Gigantes did somehow manage to get Tengu off the field, not only would he bring out another one, he'd get the Necro Gardna to help negate an attack. "I bet you're not so tough when I'm actually aware of what your cards do! Reborn Tengu, attack with Piercing Wing!"

The bird took flight, the tips of its wings beginning to glow on both sides. [i]CAW[/i]! Arrows of light flew out from the end of each wing, headed straight for the defenseless Doodlebug. Suddenly, the sand began to lift, forming a barrier around the monster. The attack hit, but was completely useless as the sand shield disintegrated to reveal that the Sand Doodlebug was untouched.

"How is that possible?! He's got nothing on the field at all!" Tengu's attack hadn't gone through; there were no face-downs, and Wasteland had no secondary effect. Was it possible this creature had a third ability? If it couldn't be destroyed, how could he win? It would only take three more attacks for him to reach 0, and there was no way to stop it.

"I'm thinking that's got to do with the Wasteland Field Spell!" Rayori called out. "If Wasteland's out, Doodlebug can negate one attack per turn. Meaning if you're able to bring out another monster, you can take that thing down. But don't waste time."

"Alright," Riley sighed. "That makes things slightly easier. I've got to find a way to stop him from attacking me again; I'm not sure how much more of that I can take."

He was always so confident, even overconfident his friends used to say. But now, he was feeling anything but. So much had changed since he'd last been here, but the one thing that was exactly the same was his pain tolerance. He had a strong will, but a very low pain endurance. That Doodlebug was going to get another attack off, but this time, he'd at least be able to reduce it. It wasn't going to make it any less painful. There was no giving up. He had to do this, for Crystal.

"I'll set one face-down, and end my turn." The card materialized in front of him, alongside the other two, as Gigantes drew a card.

Gigantes placed a face-down card, and it took place behind Sand Doodlebug. There wasn't much to his strategy, but he didn't need it. He had brute force, and with two cards was controlling the entire duel. "Arragh!" Here it was again; the next attack. The creature dug underground, making its way across the field.

"You may not be able to communicate with me, but let's see how well you understand this!" The face-down card, Half or Nothing, revealed itself. "I activate, Half or Nothing! With this, you've got one of two choices! Either your Sand Doodlebug can attack me for 600 points, or you agree to end your Battle Phase! The choice is yours."

There was no doubt in Gigantes' mind. An attack was good enough. After all, the whole intention was to weaken the enemy, to then capitalize on his prey. He just needed to do enough damage. The attack would continue. Riley was struck once again, although this time, the pain was slightly less.

[b]Riley's Life Points[/b]: (-600) 2200

Things were getting worse by the second. This time, he managed to hold his ground, but just barely. The pain was intense, and it was real without a doubt. But he knew, and he kept telling himself, it was nothing compared to the pain he'd have to experience once they got out of here. An illiterate troll was nothing compared to Crystal's smarts, her intelligence, and if what Rayori had said was true, that she'd volunteered to join the Dark Wanderer, rescuing her would be no easy task.

[i]Riley...[/i] Rayori watched, at a loss for words. They could've escaped; he would've been able to hold the creature off long enough to get away. He should've stopped Riley from accepting the duel in the first place. If something were to happen to Riley, it'd be because of him. Maybe he should've interevened, but it was Riley's determination to save his friends, how all of this meant so much to him, that caused that glimmer of hope to exist. Once Riley was set on something, he'd get it done. But how? It's possible Riley could Summon another monster, but then there was that face-down card; if that was a Trap that took either of his monsters out, there'd be no way to win.

[i]Enough of the negativity, feeling sorry for myself. I can do this. There's no way this incompetent troll's gonna take me out![/i] "I activate the Spell Card, Trap Shuffle!"

[spoiler=Trap Shuffle]
[b]Normal Spell Card[/b]
Select 1 Set Trap Card you control, and add it to your hand. Then, select 1 Trap Card in your hand and Set it on the field. During this turn, you can activate the Set Trap Card.[/spoiler]

In a flash, the face-down card on Riley's field materialized in his hand, while he placed a new one on the field. Gigantes showed no reaction, unless you were to count the drool that continued to run down the sides of its face. "I've faced tougher Duel Spirits than you could ever hope to be! I just had to get back in the swing of things. Now it's time to show you why I was able to save the world the first time around! Reborn Tengu, destroy the Sand Doodlebug with Piercing Wing!"

Again, Tengu flew up, preparing and firing its attack, which was blocked by the same barrier of sand. Rayori watched, wondering what the point was. Riley had the opportunity to Summon another monster, which would've allowed him to attack again, but instead wasted it. Was he took weak too fight?

"Dont doubt me yet, man." Riley looked to his friend, and managed a smile. "Activate Trap, Destruct Potion!"

[spoiler=Destruct Potion]
Select 1 monster you control, and destroy it. Then, gain Life Points equal to its ATK.[/spoiler]

A green light began to surround the bird as it stood; the light seemed to affect Gigantes, as he shielded his eyes. Tengu exploded in a burst of pixels, restoring Riley's Life Points, and at the same time, his physical health.

[b]Riley's Life Points[/b]: +1700 (3900)

Riley felt renewed, energy flowing through his body. Not only did his ability to stand improve, so did his confidence. "Ah, there we go! That feels so much better! Now, check it out as I activate Reborn Tengu's ability! When Tengu's removed from the field in any way, I can bring out another one from my Deck to take his place!"

A brisk whirlwind hit the field, as a new Tengu settled in the place of it's predecessor. "But that's not all, because the effect of my Backup Flight kicks in, and I can take Necro Gardna from the banished zone to my hand!"

So it made sense now. By attacking with Tengu, and not Summoning anything else, Gigantes wouldn't have suspected that Riley planned to destroy his own monster. Therefore, he used Sand Doodlebug's negation, the only one he had. Now, even if Gigantes decided to activate the face-down card, Riley had significantly higher Life Points then earlier, and he'd be able to bring out a third Tengu from his Deck. It was a genius strategy. Rayori regretted ever doubting him.

"Reborn Tengu, do away with that pesky bug! Attack with Piercing Wing!" This time the attack struck without fail, shattering the ant into thousands of small pixels. Despite taking damage, Gigantes seemed unphased.

[b]Gigantes' Life Points[/b]: -500 (3500)

[i]And with that, I should -[/i] Riley stopped his own thoughts as Gigantes activated his face- down card. It couldn't be, not [i]that[/i] card.

[spoiler=Avalanche]
Activate only when an EARTH monster is destroyed by battle while you control a Field Spell Card. Destroy the monster that destroyed it, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to that monster's ATK x 2. Then, send the top 5 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

[i]Oh no! Impossible![/i] Rayori thought, stunned. It couldn't be. Gigantes was powerful, but apparently, wasn't without strategy, either. With that Trap, Riley's Life Points would be extremely closed to depleted.

Riley looked up, his mouth open wide. Rocks began to crack from the side of the desert wall, slowly, but so fast at the same time. They fell straight down, and he had no way to dodge. As they connected, the pain went through his body instantly. He dropped to the ground, face first in the sand.

[b]Riley's Life Points[/b]: (-3400) 500

"Riley!" Rayori called out. "Riley! Are you okay? Answer me!"

He was beginning to panic; Riley had completely vanished under the pile of rocks, yet the duel was still in play. Gigantes knew it had accomplished exactly what it set out to do; if he hadn't killed Riley, he had weakened him to the point where doing so would take no effort at all.

Fading...everything around him was fading. He could feel the bits of sand between his eyes, in his nose, covering his entire face, making it near impossible to breathe. Everything around was blackness; even the light from his duel disk wasn't enough to allow him to see. The back of his head was pounding, the pain near impossible to bare. He was slowly losing breath...no air...he...

Rayori rushed to the pyramid like structure of rock, which had already begun to settle within the dirt. As he advanced, Gigantes appeared to take notice. Despite not being in the duel, Rayori was still a target, and the creatures could damage him just as they could Riley. With that in mind, the troll drew his next card. It was his ace in the hole: Megarock Dragon.

The earth began to shake, fragments of rock and sand began to crumble, and the entire area felt like it could collapse at any moment. As the four Rock-type monsters in Gigantes' Graveyard were moved to the banished zone, the intensity of the area picked up, with a tornado of sand beginning to collect, right in the middle of the duel field. Rayori paid no attention as he picked away at the rocks, throwing them to the side as quickly as possible. There were so many of them. There was no way Riley could have survived that. The pain had to have been too much, especially after all he'd already endured.

Rocks crumbled to shards of dust, the ground began to crack and the tornado dissipated to reveal a monstrous dragon, composed entirely of rock, with teeth as sharp as kitchen knives appeared in its place; unbelievable in comparison to the Reborn Tengu that had now taken its place on Riley's field.

[spoiler=Megarock Dragon]
EARTH/Level 7
Rock/Effect
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by removing from play a Rock-Type monster(s) in your Graveyard. The original ATK and DEF of this card become the number of Rock-Type monsters you removed from play when you Special Summoned this card x 700.
?/?
4 * 700 = 2800/2800[/spoiler]

As the dragon raised its tail into the air, letting out a ferocious, earth-shattering roar, Rayori took notice, and became paralyzed with fear. He couldn't move, yet he knew he had to as a collection of white energy gathered within the beast's mouth, about to be fired directly at them. It would no doubt shatter the rubble, and if Riley was somehow still alive, he wouldn't be in a matter of seconds. There was no way he'd be able to get him out in time.

He wouldn't give up. A stream of unforgiving energy, hot as the desert itself at mid-day, headed straight for them, and he continued to lift the rubble, finally uncovering Riley's right arm, the one with the duel disk.

"Riley!" Rayori screamed out for his friend as the impact of the strike sent him flying back, relatively unharmed. He could see nothing but smoke mixed with sand that had been blown into the air from the impact of the attack.

But as the smoke cleared, and the dragon was still there, Rayori could not believe what was before his eyes.

"I'm...not going...down that...easily." Came the voice. As Riley stood, on one knee, blood dripping from his forehead, Rayori noticed that his right shoulder had been torn, both the shirt and the skin. He seemed to be bleeding in other places, too, but he was alive. How could he...?

"I...probably would...would've been better off to just give up and die." Riley wiped the blood from his forehead, just before it reached his eyes. "But, I've been known to be a little stubborn, so I figured I'd try and uphold that reputation."

"I don't understand!" Rayori exclaimed. "How are you even standing right now? I mean, you..."

"Sure, it hurt like hell, and I'm not sure I've ever been in this much pain in my entire life, but a duel's a duel, and this one's not quite over yet." He tried his best to smile, though it wasn't quite there. "Listen up you big ogre! Sorry to disappoint, but I don't plan on staying for dinner! That's why I triggered my Trap Card, Necro Force!"

[spoiler=Necro Force]
[b]Counter Trap Card[/b]
When a monster is Special Summoned: Discard 1 "Necro" monster from your hand; negate the Summon and destroy it.[/spoiler]

"That's why I took Necro Gardna to my hand, see!" Riley explained as he managed to send the card to the Graveyard. "When your Megarock Dragon hits the field, Necro Force negates it entirely, and sends it right back to the pile of rubble it came from, meaning your attack is completely useless!"

[i]I have to be strong to be able to defeat Crystal; I have to fight for her, but more importantly, I have to be able to take everything she throws at me and hit back twice as hard, if I've got any hope of bringing her back to our side.[/i]

"You're finished!" Riley drew his card, but paid no attention to it. "I activate the Spell Card Monster Reincarnation!"

[spoiler=Monster Reincarnation]
[b]Normal Spell Card[/b]
Discard 1 card; add 1 monster in your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler]

Discarding the [i]Necro Defender[/i] he'd just drawn, Riley took the Necro Gardna in his own Graveyard and added it back to his hand. "It's time to finish this, I play Polymerization!"

[spoiler=Polymerization]
Send Fusion Material Monsters that are listed on a Fusion Monster Card from your hand or your side of the field to the Graveyard, and Special Summon that Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck.[/spoiler]

[i]A Fusion? Now?[/i] Rayori was perplexed.

"I'll fuse the Reborn Tengu on my field with the Necro Gardna I just brought back, to Fusion Summon Necro Armed Flight Master!"

[spoiler=Necro Armed Flight Master]
WIND/Level 9
Warrior/Effect
"Reborn Tengu" + "Necro Gardna"
When this card is Fusion Summoned: Banish up to 3 WIND monsters from your Graveyard; this card gains 500 ATK for each monster removed by this effect. Once per turn, you can negate the attack of 1 opponent's monster.
2800/600[/spoiler]

Rayori watched in awe as the winds blew, but not just any winds. Winds mixed with the power of darkness, the darkness in the light. This boy, he had stood up to the hardest challenge, regardless of how much damage it would do to him; how much it [i]did do[/i] to him, and he'd survived. It reminded Rayori of why he'd saved Riley in the first place during the Chaos Wars; Riley cared about himself, sure, but it was his friends, and those who mattered to him the most that he would do anything for. And to survive something like that, who was he? Rayori was the Guardian of the Spirit World, and yet he'd have never stood a chance. It was just a Title; being named a powerful leader didn't mean s***, it was all about heart. Any doubts he had that disobeying the Celestials' order to report immediately were gone; saving Crystal was the right decision. Doing things differently may have been frowned upon, but that didn't mean it didn't work.

"With Necro Armed Flight Master, I can remove the three Reborn Tengu in my Graveyard, to boost his attack points by fifteen-hundred! That's more than enough to bring this duel to a close! Necro Armed Flight Master, attack with Piercing Darkness Shot!" The warrior, covered in a dark suit of armor, lined with spikes, raised the weapon, a staff, lined with spikes and equipped with the ability to control the winds. Gathering energy from around it, it fired a blast, striking Gigantes directly. The creature let out a shrieking scream, one that would be its last, as it exploded into pixels, joining the sand beneath it.

[i]You did it...[/i] Rayori smiled, rushing over to his friend as Riley collapsed in the dirt. He was far from the best of conditions, but he'd managed to survive, exceeding his own expectations. They weren't safe, but they were living, and that was enough of a reason to keep fighting. [i]Let's get you somewhere to rest, man...[/i]

Rayori looked up at the sky, still inhabited by darkness. And just for a moment, he could've sworn he saw a glimmer of sunlight.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[i]“What was it?” Ace asked. “Bryan, you’ve got to focus. Focus all of your energy towards the weakest part of your body, the part where the shock will do the most damage! What was the condition?!”[/i]

[i]“He forced me,” Bryan muttered through periods of coughing up blood. “to duel him and lose willingly. Meaning the next time I lost, well…”[/i]

[i]“Would be the last time.” Ace finished the sentence for him. Was Tyaro truly this evil of a person? To take and manipulate these people just for the sake of publicity and being the World Champion? That didn’t seem right. It didn’t seem like someone would go to these lengths for a simple title.[/i]

[i]“Listen…I’m not proud of what, or who I’ve become.” Bryan wiped the tears from his eyes. “But it is done. This world is filled with evil, but I truly believe it is filled with good, as well. My sister, Karahiri, was the most caring, loving person in the world, and now because of me she has to suffer. Who…who even knows if she’s alive?”[/i]

[i]“Don’t talk like that.” Bryan began sobbing uncontrollably as Ace tried to reassure him. “Listen to me. Look up. Toughen up, look up, and listen to me.”[/i]

[i]Aurkus watched on curiously as Bryan did what he was told, albeit not without some difficulty. “You’re not to blame here. Everyone has a period in their lives where they make a few difficult decisions that don’t always end for the best. But its acknowledging those mistakes, and believing within your heart that you’re willing to make whatever changes are necessary to fix them, that proves a person can change. No one has a pre-set destiny. Life isn’t a card game, but it’s similar in the fact that each move you make counts. Bryan, if for a second I believed you weren’t a worthwhile person I would have left already. I’m making you a vow, I’ll find your sister, I’ll make sure she returns home safely, and I’ll make sure Tyaro is punished for everything he’s done! I hardly know you, but I can see the sincerity in your eyes; I can see the suffering you’ve endured, and I’ve got my own problems with Tyaro as it is! You can rest assured, when all’s said and done, he’ll be the one begging for mercy!”[/i]

[i]Aurkus couldn’t believe what he was hearing; the emotion within Ace’s own voice was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Bryan managed a smile; a genuine smile. He’d done it to save his sister, and Ace had done it because wanted to put an end to all of this. In a way, they were both fighting towards the same goal.[/i]

[i]Silence fell upon the hallway as the timer ran out. Bryan stared straight into Ace’s eyes as a bolt of dark lightning shot out from the disk, just as he’d said, striking his whole body. Ace jumped back, as did Aurkus, to prevent themselves from feeling the damage of the blast.[/i]

[i]The two said nothing out of respect for a fallen friend. Bryan lay against the wall, a shell of a man who had already been a shell of his former self. Ace stood, unable to keep his emotions under control, and wiped a tear from his eye. He bowed his head in respect and walked out the door.[/i]

Aurkus fought back the tears as the memory continued to haunt his mind. He stopped outside the building; Tyaro's headquarters. Tyaro would be there for sure. But Aurkus wasn't reporting to work today.

No, he had something else in mind.[/spoiler][/center][/center]

[Umbra]

Interesting chapter. I do, however, have a few points I'd like to raise.

1) "Up until this point, I haven't really been able to connect with Aurkus. Even with the tragic backstory presented here, he just doesn't cut it for me, I'm sorry." That is what I would have said if I hadn't read the end of the chapter. Him going after Tyaro may be futile, but it shows a kind of guts I really hadn't expected from him.

2) Speaking of the backstory, there is something slightly awry there. There seems to be something missing between the first and second paragraphs after the italicized sections (the ones that begin with "He was locked in..." and "It was then that Aurkus...". Just reading along makes me think that there was another paragraph in there beforehand that was later edited out.

There seems to be some time passing between them; in the first, you have Aurkus and Bryan falling apart after Aurkus is kicked out, then immediately after that they bond again.

3) Overall, the Aurkus sections seem like too much of a recap from the last few chapters. Some of it isn't even from Aurkus' POV, which is really confusing considering that it's his thoughts. (Unless Aurkus can read peoples' minds... he must be in cahoots with Lester and the Celestials. ) While that may work in a TV show or an anime series, this is literature. If we wanted to know something we'd already read - not even that long ago - we'd just go back and read it. Right now, there's paragraphs of what's little more than filler here.

4) ONTO THE MAIN STORY. As above, a little bit too much of a recap. The wonderful "large, human-sized troll" description appears again, making me think of Gigantes as severely obese.The duel itself was alright, although Rayori calling out the effects of every single card Gigantes played seemed a bit unnecessary. (He also left out the part where it says that Sand Doodlebug can attack directly. He's obviously a villain.) The Fusion Monster felt blatantly out-of-nowhere. Oddly specific summoning conditions and just the effect you need to finish the opponent in one move. This feels like I'm watching the anime. In this case, that's a bad thing.

My personal favorite part of this story - apart from Aurkus going on his crusade against Tyaro - has to be the avalanche / rockslide. It really demonstrates what's exactly going on in the Spirit World, and that damage doesn't always equal battle damage. Other than that, you've really got the story going right now; even with the recaps, it feels like we're going somewhere. I look forward to seeing the rest of it.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Umbra' timestamp='1312581761' post='5417659']
Interesting chapter. I do, however, have a few points I'd like to raise.

1) "Up until this point, I haven't really been able to connect with Aurkus. Even with the tragic backstory presented here, he just doesn't cut it for me, I'm sorry." That is what I would have said if I hadn't read the end of the chapter. Him going after Tyaro may be futile, but it shows a kind of guts I really hadn't expected from him.

[font=georgia,serif]Aurkus' story will continue to be expanded upon. I left out details on [i]why[/i] he fought with his parents, and what happened. I will explain that, later though. He's definitely like a B/C level protagonist right now; while taking down Tyaro is essentially Ace's goal, and his "promotion" from sub character to main character, Aurkus will play a part in that.[/font]

2) Speaking of the backstory, there is something slightly awry there. There seems to be something missing between the first and second paragraphs after the italicized sections (the ones that begin with "He was locked in..." and "It was then that Aurkus...". Just reading along makes me think that there was another paragraph in there beforehand that was later edited out.

There seems to be some time passing between them; in the first, you have Aurkus and Bryan falling apart after Aurkus is kicked out, then immediately after that they bond again.

[font=georgia,serif]That one was poorly explained on my part. "He was locked in" referred to Bryan, who had no choice but to work for Tyaro because they had taken his sister. Aurkus was thinking this; Aurkus himself isn't locked in. As far as Tyaro knows, Aurkus has no idea of what's going on, and is reporting to work just like it was a normal day. (They report to the headquarters, and do as they're told from there.)[/font]

3) Overall, the Aurkus sections seem like too much of a recap from the last few chapters. Some of it isn't even from Aurkus' POV, which is really confusing considering that it's his thoughts. (Unless Aurkus can read peoples' minds... he must be in cahoots with Lester and the Celestials. ) While that may work in a TV show or an anime series, this is literature. If we wanted to know something we'd already read - not even that long ago - we'd just go back and read it. Right now, there's paragraphs of what's little more than filler here.

[font=georgia,serif][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][font=georgia,serif]I overdid the flashbacks. The point of it, though, was to really stress the importance of the situation to Aurkus'; to stress that he kept thinking about what happened, [/font][/font][/font]

4) ONTO THE MAIN STORY. As above, a little bit too much of a recap. The wonderful "large, human-sized troll" description appears again, making me think of Gigantes as severely obese.The duel itself was alright, although Rayori calling out the effects of every single card Gigantes played seemed a bit unnecessary. (He also left out the part where it says that Sand Doodlebug can attack directly. He's obviously a villain.) The Fusion Monster felt blatantly out-of-nowhere. Oddly specific summoning conditions and just the effect you need to finish the opponent in one move. This feels like I'm watching the anime. In this case, that's a bad thing.

[font=georgia,serif]Really? I didn't think the recap was that bad in this part. Maybe I overdid it; I'll stop using the flashbacks so much. Gigantes is supposed to be this disgusting, fat creature. Rayori calling out the effects was my way of explaining the logic of Riley knowing what the cards did, since Gigantes couldn't explain the effects. The Fusion Monster, believe it or not, is one I've been thinking of using for a while. Riley focuses on Fusions and has other Fusion Cards like Spear Gardna. However, I didn't design the effect yet, and at the time, it seemed like the right moment to end the duel. I'll work on that.[/font]

My personal favorite part of this story - apart from Aurkus going on his crusade against Tyaro - has to be the avalanche / rockslide. It really demonstrates what's exactly going on in the Spirit World, and that damage doesn't always equal battle damage. Other than that, you've really got the story going right now; even with the recaps, it feels like we're going somewhere. I look forward to seeing the rest of it.

[font=georgia,serif]Exactly. Everything is real; it's supposed to be that even though they're dueling, these are real creatures that they're battling with. Life Points are just that; [b]Life[/b] Points. I feel like I'm finally progressing with the story, which is good. I'm going to use a lot less of the recaps.[/font]
[/quote]

Thanks, man. I'm not on your level, but I hope I'm at least writing a slightly interesting story, and I'll continue to try and do so.

[Umbra]

I could tell that it was Bryan who was locked in; I just quoted that particular part to tell you which paragraph I'm talking about. The transition between the two feels awkward.

You're closer to my "level" than you think.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Umbra' timestamp='1312616741' post='5419001']
I could tell that it was Bryan who was locked in; I just quoted that particular part to tell you which paragraph I'm talking about. The transition between the two feels awkward.

You're closer to my "level" than you think.
[/quote]

Yeah, I overdid the flashbacks and I'm definitely going to cool it on that.

On a side note, Episode 9 should be done today at some point.

[Aviv: D's Knight]

[quote name='Vanquishing Light' timestamp='1311602360' post='5385736']
I won't spoil what she'll be using, but it should be interesting to say the least. The decision to have her use Dinos in [i]The Shadow Lord[/i] was a mistake on my part, and never really fit well with her character considering she only dueled like twice.[/quote]

Yes, don't spoil the fact that it's going to be darklords.

I loved that chapter.

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 9: Dark Beginning]
The girl sat, rather quiet, in the throne which had been provided for her by the Dark Wanderer's forces. They were certainly trying to make her feel right at home. She smirked at the notion. In reality, there wasn't much to complain about. She had everything handed to her now; it was brilliant. She'd managed to work things entirely in her favor. Had she still been sitting at home, in Diamond City, she'd probably be partaking in some local tournament, doing absolutely nothing of relevance. Here, she mattered. They knew how valuable she was, and in turn, she knew how valuable they were if she wanted to continue living this type of lifestyle. It was incredible, really. Despite the evil king's appearance of power, determination, and the willingness to fight any threat to his own power, he needed her.

It's like Tom and Jerry, funnily enough. No matter how often the two fought, trying to catch one another, separated by differences, species that were born and put into this world to rival one another, they needed each other to get by. No matter how many times Tom actually caught the mouse, he'd always let it live, because in reality without him, he wouldn't be able to accomplish his own goals; he'd have no purpose. Perhaps it was to a lesser extent. There was no romance here, none at all. She hated the Dark Wanderer, but he was very convincing. He knew exactly how to handle himself and how to keep control over those below him.

That said, she didn't see herself as below him, not at all. She flashed a soft smile, running her fingers through her long brown hair. The feeling of success; it was different from past successes, so much so. She had people answering to her every whim, servants who brought her food, did her hair, supplied her with anything she possibly desired. Almost. See, the one thing she desired more than anything else; the one thing that continued to eat away at her, was revenge. Riley Storm; he'd abandonded her. A "best friend"? Would a best friend leave you behind in a world completely unknown to you, where you'd have no realistic way of surviving?

Not only that, but Riley's main concern was himself; it always had been. She'd been so blind up to this point, never really seeing the whole picture. Even when he saved the world; it was a game to him. "Playing the hero", being in that mindset, it was what he craved. Riley wanted the spotlight, and that was no doubt what was on his own mind upon his escape from this world, and back to the safety of their own. But she wasn't bitter, not at all. She was strong enough to overcome the issues that had plagued her, and become much stronger than she'd ever imagined. More powerful cards, the ability to tap into the power of darkness and control it, hold it tightly under her own command.

They had provided her with a throne, of all things. Her own room in the castle, where she could sit and think in peace. She truly felt like a queen; and soon enough, she could be. But Riley was to pay. He was here, in the Spirit World; she could sense that. Her newfound powers gave her the ability to break limitations that had previously held her down. Riley would probably try to save her, try to play the hero again and not realize that this was a decision she'd made on her own. Why would she return home when she had everything she could possibly desire here? Soon enough, she'd gain enough power to overtake the Dark Wanderer himself, and rule over this place under her own command. Everyone would bow to her might, her power, and she wouldn't need any friends other than herself.

There was no one else to rely on.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[i]-----------------------[/i]
[center][center] [/center][/center]
[left][left][img]http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff244/InvertRemix/Untitled-2.png[/img][/left][/left]
[left][left][b]Episode 9[/b]: Dark Beginning

[b]BREAKING NEWS: DUEL MONSTERS WORLD CHAMPION TYARO KIMINARI TO HOLD OPEN DUEL CHALLENGE [/b][b]TOMORROW IN DIAMOND CENTRAL![/b]

[i]"In a story DCN has been struggling to follow all day now, we can now confirm that reigning Duel [/i][i]Monsters World Champion, Tyaro Kiminari, who returned to the city recently and has not been seen since [/i][i]his crushing defeat at the hands of Riley Storm! Now, in an attempt to avenge what his rep calls "an [/i][i]embarrassing defeat", Tyaro has decided to hold an Open Challenge to anyone, male or female, in Diamond [/i][i]City who'd like to try their hand at defeating him! Tyaro says this challenge will last ten hours, or until [/i][i]someone is able to defeat him! We will have live coverage of this monumental event all day long [/i][i]tomorrow, right here on DCN!"[/i]

Ace clicked off the television, tossing the remote at the floor in anger. The simple sight of Tyaro at this point made him sick; the things he'd done, he wasn't an honorable World Champion, he was an evil, careless low-life who deserved to be imprisoned. But that wouldn't happen. There was no point setting unrealistic goals. He'd still been unable to find Riley, but perhaps Rayori had caught up to him by now.

There was no guarantee, but he'd searched nearly the entire city. There had been no calls, no text messages, nothing from anyone that gave any hint to Riley's whereabouts. He'd keep looking, but perhaps paying Tyaro a visit tomorrow at the Duel Challenge wouldn't be such a bad idea. Maybe Riley himself would show up, if he was still in this world.

He thought of Bryan, and the promise he made to avenge the fallen comrade's life. Bryan appeared to be working for Tyaro, but did everything he could to work his way out from the inside. Unfortunately, he was killed in the process. Part of it was Ace's own fault, and he assumed that was the reason this meant so much to him, the reason he was so driven to wrong the rights he helped to cause. Of course, that meant for sure that Aurkus would make an appearance at the event, most likely looking to take Tyaro down out of revenge. Marcus wasn't equipped with a Virus Disk, so there wasn't as much of a concern, but it was safe to assume that Tyaro would take precautions to ensure Marcus wouldn't get involved in his business, especially considering the knowledge Marcus had on the situation.

In the brief chance that he and Rayori had to speak, the plan was for Rayori to find Riley and take him to the Spirit World, where they could meet with the Celestials and find out exactly what was going on. There was a new evil; The Dark Wanderer, he was called. It was known that he had some relation to the Dark General, but anything further than that wasn't clear. While they were there, on Earth, Ace was to take care of Tyaro. He wasn't supposed to kill him; simply find out what his involvement was in all of this and put a stop to it, before heading to the Spirit World himself.

Of course, there was Crystal. Rayori mentioned that she'd been located, and that she'd joined the Dark Wanderer's forces. It was hard to believe, their best friend growing up, now fighting against them; but focusing on that right now would only make the current task more difficult. Plus, he knew Riley better than anyone; Riley wouldn't stop until he'd brought Crystal back to their side. There was nothing to worry about there.

The decision was simple. He wouldn't answer Tyaro's Duel Challenge. What he would do, is sneak into the headquarters while it was empty. Likely, all the security would be in Diamond Central with the Champion himself. That would give Ace a chance to look around and find out just what they were up against. That just left Aurkus; the kid was sure to get in over his head. Well, that just meant one more thing on today's to-do list.

[i]------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/i][i]-----------------------[/i]

Aurkus acted as though it was a normal day at work as he entered the building, not saying a word but delivering a nod of acknowledgement to a few of the well-known employees that passed him. Tyaro had his own global empire here. Someone for every category; marketing, Deck Building, attire, you name it. It was all done inside this building, which unsurprisingly, had millions of dollars of Tyaro's own money put into it. He was all about the spotlight. Nothing negative about him could reach the public; that was his mindset, at least. And things had gone pretty well in that respect, up until his duel with Riley a few days ago.

That duel changed everything. The World Champion is defeated by someone who is considered a nobody to those who know little to nothing about the Chaos Wars. It was amazing; so many people came so close to losing everything, yet in reality they never even knew it happened. That was society; oblivious to anything unless it was socially "cool", or involved money in one way or another. Exactly the kind of people Tyaro could manipulate, and take advantage of. He was the "cool", young, World Champion who had everything going for him. On the outside.

In reality, Tyaro was vicious. He showed no respect to anyone, commanding those below him as though they were slaves, ordering them to do everything he demanded and say nothing in response. Aurkus had always hated his job, but who didn't? However, there was a difference between hating your boss, and being unable to contain the anger inside of you as you stare into the face of the man who killed your best friend. Tyaro would pay for what he'd done.

Aurkus had seen the news; he knew about Tyaro's Duel Challenge tomorrow and fully planned on attending. There, he would defeat the World Champion in front of the entire world; something Tyaro would have trouble comprehending. It was bad enough from Tyaro's point of view to have been beaten by Riley, but to lose to an employee? That would send him over the top.

There was another reason Aurkus had come here today. Defeating Tyaro in a duel wouldn't be enough.

He'd have to use Tyaro's own evil against him.

It was time to set the World Champion up with a new duel disk.

[i]-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/i][i]------------------------[/i]

"I've got news, but it might not be what you'd like to hear." Rayori perked up, looking towards the doorway as the old lady stepped below the treshold. To some, she might seem frightening, what with the craggy old face, purple hair that was short, yet definitely aged, and an orange coat covering her upper body, but he'd become quite friendly with her. Well, as friendly as you could be with a nagging magician, he supposed. She was an expert with medicine, after all.

Yet her words were far from reassuring. "How's he doing? Have you given him anything?"

"I tried a small remedy," the woman explained. "But the problem is, there is no condition." She entered the room and pulled out a chair, taking a seat at a small, wooden desk perhaps older than she was.

"No condition?" Rayori stood up. "How is that possible? You saw, just like I did. He couldn't even stand, he's completely unconscious."

"That much is true," she coughed a couple of times, fixing her position in the chair. "He's not conscious, but he's most certainly alive. Though, based on what you've told me, I don't see how. It takes serious strength to survive a Gigantes attack, nevermind that avalanche, which I've never heard of in these situations before."

"Riley's not an average kid, to say the least." Rayori laughed, attempting to make light of the situation.

Just to keep himself calm. "If you've dealt with these situations before, can't you heal him?"

"That's where you're mistaken." The woman shuffled through some papers on the desk, searching for something. Apparently having no luck, she stood up and headed towards the room from which she'd came. Rayori followed suit.

Riley was laying on the bed, not moving. It looked as though he was breathing, and the mechanical device at his bedside seemed to suggest that his heartbeat was infact, still there. It was hard to stomach; Riley didn't have to go out there and duel. There was an uneasy guilt eating away at Rayori, knowing that he should've stepped in and stopped him regardless of Riley's plea to let him continue. Look where it had gotten him now.

"But you said-"

"I said I've handled a Gigantes attack." She interrupted. "I've healed many injured or wounded Duel Spirits
who've come across this beast. But never a human."

That's what it was. Humans weren't commonplace here, by any means. There were very few of them, and as such the Spirit World's technology and medicine weren't designed to handle human problems. Rayori clenched his fist, pushing back the emotions that began to cloud his mind. The top priority was saving Riley's life; it could be done. Riley had survived the avalanche and continued the duel; if he wasn't going to make it, wouldn't he have just stayed down, made it easier on himself? Why get up and fight?

And then it clicked. Crystal. That's what this had been about. Riley's best friend, the girl he'd do anything for. And with that in mind, even when it looked like all hope was gone, Riley got up, covered in blood and injuries no less, and not only continued, but won the duel. It wasn't for himself; it was Riley's determination and care for his friends that willed him to keep fighting. Somehow, he would pull through.

"I see." Rayori cleared his throat. "So what can we do? Should I take him back to Earth and get him
treatment there? Then we can return?"

"I'm afraid that won't work." The woman frowned. "Riley's body is in such bad shape, that traveling between the two worlds at this point would be too much for him to handle. If there's any hope of him pulling through, he's got to stay here, and we've just got to hope and pray for the best, that he'll be able to recover."

Rayori nodded. [i]Come on, man. You can do this. You've got to pull through, and soon, because we[/i]
[i]don't have much time left...[/i]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Sir, may I have a moment?" The quiet voice, one almost certainly full of fear, echoed throughout the main hall of the Wanderers throne room. The knight walked in, his sword carefully positioned in the belt around his waist. The Wanderer wasn't one to be interrupted, a well-known fact around these parts. But he'd taken the chance because he felt the results would make it worthwhile, especially for the Wanderer himself.

"This had better be worth my time, Zure." the king growled. He had more important issues to worry about than his servants' problems, but he was tipped off by his consultant that perhaps what the knight had to say might have been worth listening to.

"I assure you it is, my lord." Zure knelt down in front of the throne, paying respect as he was supposed to. Though part of him felt above such things, he knew he could never truly stand up to the Dark Wanderer, and therefore did as he was instructed. "The boy, Riley Storm. The one you've been waiting for. Is it not true that he's in a currently unconscious state?"

"It is," came the reply. "Of what relevance is that to us right now?"

"Well, it's simple." Zure stood up, brushing dust off his knees. "If you'll send me, I'd be delighted to go
and...finish things up."

"You mean, you're suggesting I send you to kill Riley Storm and put an end to this once and for all?" The king rolled his eyes, hardly seen due to the darkness covering the room. Zure may have been powerful, but there was no way he'd be able to beat the boy; he had to do it himself. But at the same time, it wouldn't hurt to let him do some damage.

"Exactly! It would be an honor to save you the trouble, my lord." Zure spoke with a sinister laughter in his voice, hiding his true intentions.

"Don't play me for a fool, Zure!" The Wanderer bellowed. "For I am not one. What is it you want?"

"Well...," he hesitated for a moment, letting out a big sigh. "It might have crossed my mind that, perhaps I could earn a promotion of sorts for taking on such a task. But if not, it's very well..."

The Wanderer could sense the fear in the knight's voice; it brought a smile to his face, understanding the true power which he controlled. "Very well, you've got your wish."

Zure looked up in shock. Was it really that simple? Had the Wanderer decided to give him this opportunity? He'd wanted a promotion for so long, and yet opportunity had never truly struck for him.

Now, all he had to do was rid the world of this boy, this annoyance, and he could become more powerful than the majority of those within the castle, bringing him one step closer to overtaking the entire organization.

"Do I? Oh how gracious I am, sir." Zure bowed at the king's feet. It was all an act, though he felt a sense of pity throughout. Why should he, clearly superior to the rest of the Wanderer's army, be forced to do something like this? It was no matter, for it would all be over soon enough.

"Yes. If you can find, defeat, and destroy Riley Storm, ridding him of this world and his own once and for all, than I shall promote you to a level just below my own. You'd be on the same level as the girl. You know, the one you despise ever so much?"

This was even better. Crystal, that mortal from the human world had come here and taken a position in which she had no place! And yet he was forced to obey her, to respect her! How unbelievable it was. Now was his chance to put an end to that; he'd kill her, too, and then there would be no one left to stop him from truly rising to the top.

"Consider it done." Zure stood up, preparing to leave, when the Wanderer spoke again.

"You've got exactly one day." The Wanderer replied. "And do not fail, for if you do, you won't have the
chance to fail again."

As the knight left the room, a servant standing aside the Wanderer's throne looked up at him. "Sir, are you truly allowing Zure the opportunity to achieve that power? I mean, you must know his intentions are anything but loyal."

"Don't take me for a fool." The Wanderer replied, grinning. "There's absolutely no chance of Zure defeating the boy. That coward's overconfidence will destroy him before Riley does. However, this solves two of my problems at once. I weaken Riley further, and at the same time, eliminate a servant not quite who he appears to be."

"And Crystal?" The servant asked, at work as he polished the side of the throne. "Won't she disapprove of this? I mean, she said she wanted to be the one to destroy him."

"Have faith in me, Crystal will get her opportunity." He laughed. "And then I will do away with her, too."

[b]To be continued...[/b][/spoiler][/left][/left]

[Umbra]

Interesting chapter. It's obviously a lot of lead-in to what will come next, but that's not a problem - it's a good lead-in. It keeps the reader interested, and sets up for some conflict further down the line. Riley (or Rayori, perhaps?) vs Zure and Aurkus vs Tyaro are the two immediate duels to look forward to, and after the Gigantes duel I look forward to seeing what Zure can do.

Crystal... reminds me of Randall Flagg, in that she conspires against the Dark Wanderer and he simply doesn't seem to care much about it. Flagg is probably my favorite villain of anything I've ever read, so that's a huge compliment. Evil is not a big happy family, and that's made very clear in the story.

If I am to criticize anything, it's the portrayal of the Wanderer himself. For a big bad, he seems awfully... present. We meet him in the flesh a bit too soon; wish you'd kept us in the dark[url="http://instantrimshot.com/index.php?sound=rimshot&play=true"]*[/url] a bit longer about him, personally. But that's just a minor thing.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Umbra' timestamp='1314215012' post='5465963']
Interesting chapter. It's obviously a lot of lead-in to what will come next, but that's not a problem - it's a good lead-in. It keeps the reader interested, and sets up for some conflict further down the line. Riley (or Rayori, perhaps?) vs Zure and Aurkus vs Tyaro are the two immediate duels to look forward to, and after the Gigantes duel I look forward to seeing what Zure can do.

Crystal... reminds me of Randall Flagg, in that she conspires against the Dark Wanderer and he simply doesn't seem to care much about it. Flagg is probably my favorite villain of anything I've ever read, so that's a huge compliment. Evil is not a big happy family, and that's made very clear in the story.

If I am to criticize anything, it's the portrayal of the Wanderer himself. For a big bad, he seems awfully... present. We meet him in the flesh a bit too soon; wish you'd kept us in the dark[url="http://instantrimshot.com/index.php?sound=rimshot&play=true"]*[/url] a bit longer about him, personally. But that's just a minor thing.
[/quote]

Well, there's more to the Wanderer than meets the eye. I simply had to introduce him (at least slightly) to get the plot moving, and explain why Zure was there. Zure wants his promotion, obviously to overthrow and take control himself, whereas The Dark Wanderer's not an idiot, and that shows here. He's a villain that's intelligent, something you don't often come by.

Crystal, I've got a lot to work with there to live up to those expectations, which is why this arc might go a little bit longer than I had expected originally.

That being said, the next event

[IMG]http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff244/InvertRemix/hl.png[/IMG]

will be one to look forward to. I can promise that.

[Divine Chaos]

I think this fanfic is great! But I have a question. Why are a lot of the episodes named after card packs?!

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Divine Chaos' timestamp='1314386045' post='5470568']
I think this fanfic is great! But I have a question. Why are a lot of the episodes named after card packs?!
[/quote]

It's the theme of the arc. No reason, really. The second arc will be named after Cards, and the third will be original names. Just something I do.

So you liked it?

[Synchronized]

Well, I was hoping to premiere the 2-part "Rise of the Dark Ones" special tonight, but due to the Hurricane, we lost power for a long time today, and it's been pretty chaotic. So I'll be moving that to Tuesday instead.

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Chapter 10: The Dark One Rises (Part 1)]

Darkness. Despair. Destruction. All things synonmyous with the evils of the past, and even those which have yet to arrive. The Spirit World, for as long as it had been around, and all of the darkness which it had been forced to endure and would be forced to endure as time itself continued, had never been prepared for the events which were waiting upon its doorstep. It's been said throughout time that with a strong enough good, one can conquer any evil. And that may be true. Yet, what if said evil is more than just an evil. What if it was neither good, nor evil? Just, nothingness. A nothingness looking to rid the world of everything. Is it possible for something that's not really there, yet more powerful than anything else before it, to be defeated? Well, that's not up to me to decide.

The Dark Wanderer's forces were readying. It was not yet time to make their move; no, they still had a few things to take care of. But the order had been passed down to rally the troops, to prepare to march into battle and unleash what the Wanderer had hoped would be his final strike. The massive army of darkness had managed to conquer nearly every inch of this world. There wasn't much left, yet it wasn't something they were taking lightly. The forces themselves, most the brutes that they were, saw this as nothing more than another opportunity to kill. It was "fun" to them. Fiends, ogres, the most powerful creatures from the entire Spirit World, gathered together in the one place they were accepted. But more importantly, feared. These relentless creatures wouldn't hesitate to kill, be it Duel Spirit or human. It didn't matter to them.

It all started with an event that began to shake the very foundations of the Spirit World; Codion. Named after the very first human being to enter this world, Codion was unintentionally transported to the Spirit World after a massive strike of energy opened a portal between the two worlds. Upon Codion's arrival in this world, Spirits were unsure how to react; they'd never seen a human being before, nor was their knowledge of the existence of any race outside their own. As such, he was treated as an outcast, and understandably so. Then came the war, the war that completely changed the course of history.

The War of Codion was not anything like the great prophets had predicted. It was originally believed that a Dark Army would rise up and try to slaughter the Spirits, completely covering the Spirit World in a veil of darkness that would mark the end of any and all hope for the world. Yet, a human's involvement had never been expected. As the Spirit Army, the "good guys" if you will, prepared to fight, there was a much-noticable sense of doubt amongst nearly everyone. Codion, despite not knowing his place and wanting nothing more than to return to his own world, convinced these creatures to fight.

Completely outnumbered and with all odds against them, things didn't look good. Just as the Dark Army prepared to deliver its final blow, Codion stepped in from the sidelines, taking the full impact of the attack that would've wiped out the remaining forces. It was this change in story, completely different from the way things were supposed to play out, that caused a rift in the dimension, allowing the heroes to banish the Dark Army for good, ridding the Spirit World of its presence. Following this, a tribute to Codion was established, and the Duel Spirits themselves began to gain an amount of respect for the human race.

But now, things were beginning to crumble once again. Even with Codion's sacrifice, the knowledge was clear that the human race was - for the most part - selfish. Allowing them free entry into the Spirit World would cause nothing but chaos and corruption. That explains why the Chosen Duelists were selected in the first place. Humans with the qualities necessary to earn the trust of both their world and the Duel Spirit World. The fate now of the entire universe had been placed into their hands.

It was time then, for them to take action.

---

[img]http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff244/InvertRemix/Untitled-2.png[/img]

Episode 10: The Dark One Rises (Part 1)

Dark cloud shifted over the horizon, and Rayori could sense a discomfort in the air as he watched from the mercy of the doorway. Gusts of sand covered as far as the eye could see, and were he standing five feet father from the entrance to the house, he'd have been carried away with it. He knew they had spent too much time here; he could tell that the Wanderer's forces had begun to gather, and the event which the Celestials had warned him about would approach far sooner than they'd be able to do anything about. Rayori closed his eyes and slammed his fist against the wooden frame, forcing a crack in it. Riley's condition hadn't improved at all; he had a very slow heartbeat, and what little the magician could do wasn't enough, though he appreciated her efforts. Worse, they had nowhere else to go.

When he'd agreed to serve as the Guardian of the Worlds, he'd done it with the intention to help both humans and spirits alike, to use the abilities he'd been given to do the world justice, and abandon the rich, selfish lifestyle he'd lived previously. The Celestials had given the order to find Riley, fill him in, and bring him to the Order immediately. But he hadn't done it, not because he was stubborn, but because as powerful and legendary as they are, the Celestials lack the element of human emotion. They see only what protects this world, and nothing else. Crystal was nothing but a minor setback to them, yet it consumed Riley's entire focus, meaning that without rescuing her first, Riley would not have agreed to finish the fight. Yet he shouldn't have sat back and allowed Riley to fight that battle. It had been two years since Riley had come here; things had changed. He wasn't equipped mentally nor physically to handle it.

The Gigantes was a vicious beast, a ruthless creature not even related to what they were trying to achieve. He should've put himself in the way, he should have used the blade to stall for time and fight the creature off, despite Riley's pleas to continue. The winds began to pick up, as Rayori clenched his jacket closer to his body to shield his eyes from the blistful grains of sand. He could hear the magician shuffling around, searching through the piles of scattered pages, folders, continuing to search for a possible remedy. The house was made entirely of wood, tough wood, reinforced with magic so it would hold up against the storms, but if they were attacked by creatures, it wouldn't stand a chance. He continued to hope for Riley's recovery, because although he'd gained some skills with the blade, there was no way he could fend off an entire army.

---

Zure heard nothing but the pitter-patter of the horse, galloping through the sands at speeds impossible to reach by a normal animal. A dark veil surrounded him, protecting his eyes and the rest of his body from the sand which whisked straight past him. He was near; he could sense it. No more than 200 miles away; he'd reach it in two hours, tops.

The sky was shrouded with darkness, and the thought of it made him smile. Crushing that puny brat, that human. Riley Storm was the reason for all of this, the reason that they weren't able to move forward with the final step of the plan, and the reason that he was unable to proceed with his takeover. Since the days of the Dark World and the Supreme King, he'd worked to achieve the greatness he'd come to close to earning before. The rest of them, Goldd, Silvva, Broww; they'd all been wiped out, gone for good, yet he'd perservered. He was the true Knight of Darkness and he would claim his throne.

For too long, the Wanderer and his brother, Freed, before him had ruled over this land, weak, powerless rulers who cared about nothing but simple destruction. His goal was much bigger; he would become the most powerful being in existence, and both worlds would bow at his might.

"Let's get a scan." Zure spoke, activating the scouter over his left eye. "Riley Storm."

"Processing...retreiving data...Riley Storm; Age: Seventeen; Deck Type: No Specifics; Chance of Victory: Eighty-Five percent."

So that was it then. The scouter's accuracy was spot-on; his chances of victory were nearly guaranteed. But a duel wasn't even necessary; the boy wasn't even breathing, he could simply kill him. All of this waiting around, to think he'd finally be putting it to an end, so easily as this, it was almost disappointing. But not quite. He grinned, continuing to gain ground at a breakneck pace.

Prepare, boy, for this is the end of you.

---

"He's breathing, that much I can tell." The magician spoke, remorse in her voice. Rayori knew, despite Riley's humanity, she had great sorrow for her inability to help him. Especially given the sacrifices he was making. Yet there was nothing she could do; she'd done everything possible.

"I've got faith in him," Rayori responded, quietly. Truthfully, he had a great fear that Riley might not survive, but he continued to force the thought aside, knowing Riley would pull through. "After all, he's stubborn. I'm not sure even death can outmatch him."

"He's a brave boy, your friend." The woman smiled. It was a soft, gentle smile. She'd been through it all, and now was her time to give back to the world. Rayori felt comforted being in her presence; she was a powerful being even in her old age, and they were about as safe as it was going to get here. "Don't worry. Here, have some tea. You need to keep yourself strong. You're the only one who can fight right now."

"Y-yeah," he grabbed the tea from her, sipping it. The warmth calmed him slightly, but he could feel his nerves acting up. When he'd first come to the Spirit World, he'd done it to save Riley, who he'd met back in Domino City. Riley inspired him, his courage, his never quit attitude, it made him take a look at the way he was living his own life and realize he had to do something. But there was no way around it; Riley was the stronger of the two. He felt weak, as though he'd let everyone down. Had he really made any sort of difference, ever? What good was it to protect people if he couldn't actually keep them safe?

Rayori leapt to his feet as he heard it. He turned around; a glass had fallen from the counter to the floor, the entire house was shaking. Was it an earthquake? No, it couldn't be. Because he didn't feel anything underneath him. But what was it?

He snapped to his senses, rushing to Riley's room. He was still okay, but the bed was shaking. Rayori tried to hold it in place, to little avail. He took off his jacket and tied a knot, holding the bed to a metal rod coming out of the wall. It didn't stop the shaking entirely, but it definitely calmed it down.

"Riley, are you alright?" His voice was filled with panic. "Say something, man!"

"Vivian, where are you?!" He yelled to the magician, as the shaking began to get worse. She yelled out a phrase and a flash of blue light illuminated the entire house. After a moment, the shaking stopped. The blue light could now be seen amongst the walls; a barrier, lining them completely.

"Wha-what's going on?" He called out. "What was that shaking?"

"I don't know," Vivian replied, perhaps a bit shaken herself. Magic or not, she was old, very much so. It had frightened her and it had taken her longer than usual to respond.

"Stand back." Carefully, Rayori advanced towards the door. He looked through the hole, but could see nothing. Slowly, he turned the knob and opened the door, stepping outside.

He put his hand on his blade.

---

Zure gritted his teeth as the boy stepped outside. The house seemed small; that much easier for him to crush, he figured. The problem was, the boy didn't look like Riley. His grey t-shirt was covered with sand and debris, and he looked much more muscular than the boy he'd seen in the image.

"Let me get a scan."

"Processing...retreiving data...Rayori Malix; Age: eighteen; Decktype: Scrap; Chance of Victory: Ninety Eight percent."

"Hm, how interesting." Zure muttered. "You don't look at all like the one I'm searching for. How foolish of you to put yourself in my way."

"How ironic," Rayori replied sharply, grasping his blade, placing his hand on the switch that would open it with a moment's notice. "I was just about to tell you I'm not exactly up for playing games."

"I'd be careful what you say, Rayori, is it?" Zure stared at the boy, significantly smaller in size. Even his horse was bigger. He was a pitiful human, regardless of his status. Zure knew that Rayori had become the Guardian of this world, but found it impossible to take that seriously. He was a joke.

[i]What is that thing? He's huge! I'm not sure I could handle a fight against this guy, but if he's here for Riley I've got to do everything I can to hold my ground and stall for time - as much time as possible.[/i] Even if it meant his own life, Rayori would fight to protect Riley, who had put his own life on the line for the sake of a friend. It wasn't about prophecies and what people were or weren't "supposed" to do, it was about the decisions they'd already made.

“So you've got an arrogance to yourself, I see.” Zure grinned. “That should make this all the more interesting. But see, I'm not here for you; why don't you make it easier on yourself and run away while you still have the chance?”

“It's a tempting offer.” Rayori tightened his grip, staring straight into the eyes of the fiend who stood across from him. Maybe it was just the severity of the situation, but he felt no fear. Vivian, Riley, they were safe within the house, with that magic barrier she'd put up. But it wouldn't take long for the knight to break through it, either. He'd have to hold him off as long as he could. It was hard to believe that already they'd begun to move; he knew it would be soon, but that reality was still setting in.

“Ha, then why don't you make good on it?” The fiend bellowed, roaring with laughter. The horse on which he rode galloped upwards, and he tugged on the reigns as it settled down. “You'll find I'm not a very patient person, though. So I'd scurry along now before I change my mind.”

“It poses an interesting scenario,” Rayori explained. “See, there's no way I could take you in a fair fight. I'm not foolish. But, I'm also stuck in the middle of the desert with no hope of escape. So what do I have to lose?”

“You're a brave fool, aren't you?” A strong gust hit, blowing shards of sand across through the unforgiving desert air. “I've got a proposition for you. I'm feeling generous today.”

“I'm listening.” Rayori glared, all the while keeping his blade readied, just in case. On Zure's belt was a large sword, almost the height of Rayori himself as the behemoth was at least three times his own size. There was absolutely no way he could even begin to handle a fight, but a duel on the other hand, was a different story. While there was no guarantee he'd win a duel, it would at least help him to stall for time.

“As I'm sure you know, the duels conducted in this world are absolutely real.” Zure went on. “Just ask Riley, I'm sure he could vouch for me.”

[i]You'll pay for that one you jerk.[/i] Rayori clenched his fists. Perhaps it was friendship, or just his extreme dislike for this “thing”; but he'd crush him. Moreso than anything else, this felt like a chance to prove to himself that he wasn't worthless; that he'd been truly given this position for a reason, and not just because it was convienent at the time. He wouldn't continue to serve as Guardian if he couldn't handle the responsibilities it demanded.

“Needless to say, I could just crush you now, but perhaps a demonstration of my power would cause anyone watching to think twice before attempting to defy me.” The knight looked up towards the sky as a duel disk materialized in front of him. It was sleek red, almost crismon in color, and circular in shape. It had ten zones, going around, and attached to his arm instantly with a connector underneath. “So what do you say? But before we play this game I should warn you; I already know your Deck, the pitiful Scraps, and my sensor indicates victory is all but certain. Still, I'd welcome the challenge.”

[i]He...he knows my Deck type? That's a new one. Heh, fortunately, I'm not to worried about it.[/i] Rayori wasn't like most duelists; he'd made it a goal to never play with the same Deck twice in a row. When he used to play on the tournament scene, he'd done it so his opponents would never be able to prepare for his strategy. Now here, in his free time, he'd continued, having a different tactic to face each different opponent. It was time to demonstrate that tactic here; Zure's calculations had predicted his victory against the Scrap Deck, the one he'd last played.

But why not play along? “You want a duel? I don't care if you know my Deck, if it'll shut you up, I'm game.”

It was simple. He had to either win this duel, which would either take Zure out completely, or weaken him to the point where he might actually stand a chance in a fight, or stall long enough for Riley to recover. But even if Riley was able to recover, what difference would it make? He would be in no condition to fight, duel, or anything. Especially not against such a powerful enemy.

Zure said no words; he simply smiled, stepping down from his horse. It was almost symbolic, in a way. This figure...he was so powerful, and here he was, stepping down to Rayori's level. It couldn't be that way. If Rayori was going to be counted on to protect people and Duel Spirits alike, he had to get it together. Game time.

---

“Since you were generous enough to spare my life,” Rayori mockingly explained, hiding the intention in his voice, “why don't you start things off?”

“Foolish child.” Zure remarked, picking up a sixth card. “Do you truly think I'd have agreed to a game in which I was at risk? I'd tone down your confidence, for I've already got this duel won.”

“Alright then, go ahead.” Rayori watched, intent, not saying another word.

[i]The boy plays a Scrap Deck, so I'll take the necessary precautions to put a stop to that first.[/i] “Activate Spell Card, Barrier of Darkness!”

[spoiler=Barrier of Darkness]
Continuous Spell Card
As long as this card remains face-up on the field, the effects of Effect Monsters that include the effect of destroying a monster(s) on the field cannot be activated. During each of your End Phases, inflict 100 damage to your opponent.[/spoiler]

Rayori nearly lost his footing as a black circle formed beneath him, encompassing the entire surrounding area. The wind continued to blow as a translucent veil surrounded the two of them, creating the illusion that they were trapped inside. Realistic, in a way. Zure was setting up to take down the Scraps, yet had no idea what he'd be facing. By simply letting his opponent assume his moves, Rayori had already been able to gain the advantage.
“This is just beginning, for you have no idea the command I have over the powers of darkness.” Zure placed a card into his Spell Card Zone, and Rayori began to notice a rippling in the darkness behind him. “I activate the Spell Card, Dark Pulse!”

[spoiler=Dark Pulse]
You can only activate this card by banishing 1 “Dark” Spell Card from your Graveyard, or if you control a “Dark” Spell Card. Inflict 400 damage to your opponent. During your Standby Phase, you can reveal 1 DARK monster in your hand to add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler]

The ripple began to increase in power, and soon became an almost bullet-like shape as it fired straight at Rayori's back, striking him with great impact. He almost dropped to one knee, grimacing in pain. At such small damage, no less.

Rayori's Life Points: 3600

“Is that the best you've got?” Rayori asked, his bravado completely evident.

“Funny you should ask,” Zure laughed, half to himself. “Because it gets much worse from there. And this is just the beginning of the pain you'll endure throughout this game. The slow and painful route is always the most fun, don't you think? I'll end with a face-down.”

Rayori went to draw as a card appeared vertically at Zure's feet. “Oh, but one more thing. Don't forget the effect of my Barrier of Darkness, which hits you for an additional one hundred points of damage!”

Rayori's Life Points: 3500

Again the ripple struck his right arm, and though it was slightly less painful this time around, it was still enough to knock him for a loop.

“Your darkness is cool and all, but I'm about to show you why I am where I am!” Rayori drew his card, adding it to his hand. Great, a perfect starting move. “I call to the field, Dread Dragon!”

[spoiler=Dread Dragon]
FIRE/Level 2
Dragon/Tuner
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can add 1 Level 3 or lower Dragon-Type monster from your Deck to your hand.
1100/400[/spoiler]

Zure was thrown off as a small, yet fearsome green dragon appeared on the field, its wings blowing in the wind as it settled atop a horizontal card back.

“What's this?” Zure inquired, watching curiously. “And interesting choice for your Deck, I must say. Are you that inexperienced?”

“You could say that,” Rayori snapped back. “See, since this duel is a good experience for us to get to know one another, I feel like I should be slightly more honest with you, Zure.”

The fiend shot him a look, one of anger.

“While it's true that I do have, and frequently use a Scrap Deck, this time around, I've decided to change up the game a little bit.” Rayori had a confidence about him, something he couldn't really explain but was absolutely sure of. “The last duel, against one of those creatures, I could call them, that the Wanderer decided to send to our world, I played the Scrap Deck. But now, I've taken a different route. One that will lead to your defeat!”

“You dared to play me for a fool?!” Zure asked, filled with rage. “You will pay for your insolence! I was still throwing around the idea of sparing you, or even putting you out of your misery and ending this early, but now, now you will pay with every inch of your life! Regardless of what Deck you play, you're still unable to defeat me, and that is something you will learn very soon! The power of darkness cannot be stopped!”

[i]I gotta be honest, he took it easier than I'd expected. Just wait, Zure, it's gonna get a lot better.[/i] “I'm not sure what I was thinking, disrespecting you like that.” Rayori placed two cards from his hand, two Trap Cards, face-down. They'd help him sooner, rather than later. And he'd need all the help he could get here. “I'll end my turn.”

“Your brash arrogance will get you nowhere in this world, kid. Since it is now my Standby Phase, I can activate the effect of Dark Pulse in my Graveyard.” Zure spoke a rushed fury in his voice, as if he was anxious to deal as much damage as possible, to see this boy who had essentially tricked him experience nothing but suffering. As he did so, he revealed a monster card in his hand. Rayori couldn't quite make out the image, but it appeared to be a young woman with brown hair, dressed in a mailman's outfit. He'd never seen the card before. “Now I reveal Tour Guide from the Underworld from within my hand, and I can take Dark Pulse and place it right back into my arsenal.”

[i]Ugh, if I can't somehow put a stop to that combo, he can continue to bring the Dark Pulse Spell Card back every turn, and I'll end up with no Life Points in no time. Not to mention the pain, it'll only get worse every time.[/i] Rayori held his ground; there was nothing to say.

“Now, while I could hit you for more damage, let's make this slightly more interesting, first. I'll Summon Zure, Knight of Dark World!” Dark energy, drawn from the barrier holding them in, began to take the form of a creature very similar to the knight himself. A large, grotesque figure, with glistening silver armor and a blue cape, holding a large sword that Rayori knew for sure was the same one at the real Zure's disposal. And if that thing did damage, it would be just as real.

[spoiler=Zure, Knight of Dark World]
Level 4/DARK
Fiend
The name of this illustrious knight is known by all residents of Dark World. He never oppresses the commoners.[/spoiler]

“Your monster's more intimidating than you are,” the boy replied, getting under Zure's skin. “But I suppose that's not saying much.”

“You want intimidating, then fine! You can have it! I equip my knight with the Spell Card Darkness Blade!” The sword within the monster's hands vanished, and a new, sleeker model appeared in its place. This one was completely black, with a silver lining around the edge of the blade and on the handle. A dark aura, again drawing energy from the barrier surrounding them, encompassed it.

[spoiler=Darkness Blade]
You can only activate this card by banishing a “Dark” Spell Card in your Graveyard, or if you control a “Dark” Spell Card. Equip this card to a DARK monster. When the equipped monster destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can send 1 “Dark” Spell Card from your Deck to the Graveyard to inflict 300 damage to your opponent.[/spoiler]

“Now, Zure, destroy his Dread Dragon with Shadow Slash!” In the blink of an eye, the knight had crossed the field, slashing the dragon clean in half with its new weapon. No damage. Yet. It was then that the dark aura began to intensify, and Zure placed a Spell Card from his Deck into the Graveyard. The ripple formed in the barrier again, striking Rayori directly in the chest this time.

Rayori's Life Points: 3200

[i]He's attacking me slowly, letting the pain sink in just like he said he would.[/i] Rayori struggled to stand; that one had taken the wind out of him completely. Even small amounts of damage were excruciatingly painful; he wasn't sure how much he could handle physically, but he knew he had to keep going regardless. Too much was at stake to give even an inch.

“Still sure of yourself?” Zure asked, mockingly. “It gets better, at least for me. Because now, I play Dark Pulse once again! Prepare for a familiar pain!”

[spoiler=Dark Pulse]
You can only activate this card by banishing 1 “Dark” Spell Card from your Graveyard, or if you control a “Dark” Spell Card. Inflict 400 damage to your opponent. During your Standby Phase, you can reveal 1 DARK monster in your hand to add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler]

This time, the ripple struck his right leg, and threw him to the ground almost instantly, his knee buckling beneath him. Was Zure controlling the angle of the attacks? Each time, a different location, slowly tearing his body apart, and weakening his ability to fight...

Rayori's Life Points 2800

“Come on, stand up, don't be a coward!” Zure broke out into laughter. “You're the one who wanted this, didn't you? You decided to step in my way, to get involved, despite me offering you the chance to escape!”

“I've never been one to oppress those below me.” Zure went on. “I've spent my entire life being bossed around, thrown around as though I'm expendable. But I am a far more formidable force! I showed mercy on you and you disrespected it! For that, you will pay!”

“I didn't ask for your mercy,” Rayori spoke through gritted teeth as he struggled to pull himself to his feet. “And I sure as hell don't want it. If I was worried about losing to you, I wouldn't have accepted your challenge. Whatever happens, I'm prepared for it.”

Zure said nothing – he simply laughed again, as this false sense of confidence. Poor boy, he had no idea what was coming to him.

“You're not the only one who can activate effects, you know?” Zure grunted as Rayori returned to a standing position. “When you destroyed my Dread Dragon, his special ability kicked in, allowing me to take any Dragon from my Deck and search it to my hand, and I choose my Totem Dragon!”

“Take whatever you want. For it will make no difference.” Zure knew what he had gotten himself into. A skilled leader knew the full possibility of every possible scenario, and could quickly go over each outcome to the fullest extent. If there was any chance that his plan would fail, he would not have accepted the duel. By crushing this brat, he was actually making things easier. Getting Rayori out of the way permanently meant Riley would be easier to do away with, and he'd have less resistance later. This duel would happen one way or another, and doing it now was the smartest decision. Even though the boy had thrown him off with the Deck, it was no matter. He could handle any situation.

He'd show the Dark Wanderer what real power was, and show the girl that humans have no place in this world – in his world.

“Does that mean you're finished?” Rayori asked, preparing to feel the blast of the Barrier. It was seconds away.

“Of course, and don't forget, it's about that time once again!” Zure bellowed with laughter as the ripple struck Rayori, this time in his left shoulder. “It never gets old, watching you suffer like that.”

It was true; every time he took damage, it caused more pain to his body. Life Points were life here, and Rayori had become accustomed to that. But he knew the pain would only get worse. He had to tough it out; he still had more than half of his Life Points left. And at least now, he could inflict some damage to Zure to even the odds.

Rayori's Life Points: 2700

This was his life now, protecting this world. Protecting his own world. It was a decision he'd made, and one he planned to stick to. Zure was a danger to both, and therefore, he had to be dealt with. If it meant fighting to the death, he would do it, though he hoped it wouldn't come to that.

No more fun and games. It was time to kick this duel into high gear!

[b]To be continued...[/b][/spoiler]

[Agro]

I'm liking this story. You're a much better writer than you've given yourself credit for. (at least from what I've read on other threads)

Note that I'm still trying to catch up on these, so I may not know all that much about the story and all. (which might backfire on me later), but this right here. This chapter has me hooked.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='AggroDrago' timestamp='1314760989' post='5480981']
I'm liking this story. You're a much better writer than you've given yourself credit for. (at least from what I've read on other threads)

Note that I'm still trying to catch up on these, so I may not know all that much about the story and all. (which might backfire on me later), but this right here. This chapter has me hooked.
[/quote]

Oh awesome! I'm trying so hard to get some fans!

Which episode did you read?

[Agro]

Chapter 10 Part 1.

I have to thank you for finally aligning everything to the right. Reading it centered was intolerable (though I suppose I still have to get through chapters 3-9 like that...

I have to ask though (since I looked back at Seasons 1 & 2; what made you decide to change from a script format to a novelistic format?

[Synchronized]

[quote name='AggroDrago' timestamp='1314762691' post='5481043']
Chapter 10 Part 1.

I have to thank you for finally aligning everything to the right. Reading it centered was intolerable (though I suppose I still have to get through chapters 3-9 like that...

I have to ask though (since I looked back at Seasons 1 & 2; what made you decide to change from a script format to a novelistic format?
[/quote]

Well, when I started writing this, YCM hadn't been updated, so that center align thing didn't happen like that. So now, I'm not centering it anymore because trying to center the logo centers the entire post.

When I wrote 1 & 2 (2007-2008), I was far less experienced as a writer, and script format was allowed here. Taking both of those things into consideration, and with a huge amount of help from Umbra, I've managed to improve (slightly) as a writer, and I'm hoping to get a better story told.