Yu-Gi-Oh! Nightmare Hour [Chapter 1: Self-Titled]

[Synchronized]

YuGiOh Nightmare Hour

 

[spoiler=Chapter 1]“Time is not measured, at least for us, in speed. Rather, time for us is measured in progress.”

 

DAKOTA HILLS HIGH SCHOOL – OCTOBER 29TH – 11:00

 

She's so perfect, short pink hair, those beautiful blue eyes that make me just want to melt, and her smile, I can't even look at her without blushing and feeling so embarrassed. I've tried to talk to her before, really I have, but every time I even go near her I get all choked up and nervous, so I play it off awkwardly, say something completely nonsensical, and then get as far away as possible before I make myself look any worse. The struggles of 11^th grade—welcome to my life.

 

Katarina Nicole, that was her name. She was in my grade, but we'd never been fortunate (or should I say I'd never been fortunate) enough to have any classes together. Still, I remember the day she transferred like it was yesterday. It wasn't like she was the cutest girl in school or anything, but there was something about her from the moment that we first locked eyes that just had me hooked. Come to find out, she was a duelist, too. Oh, yeah right, I should probably mention that, too.

 

The name's Kyle. Kyle Irvington. Like I said, in the 11^th grade. High school takes up a ton of my time, but when I'm not being bogged down with pointless papers and annoying lectures, duel monsters is my activity of choice. In fact, the same could be said about most kids—Pro Dueling had really become the way to go, almost like the National Sport of the country. But of course, if we wanted to make it on our own in the world and actually get into Pro Dueling, we had to graduate first. Now this wasn't like a Duel Academy or anything—very rarely was the topic of Duel Monsters actually discussed in school between teachers and students, but new protocol had been put into place that said in order to make it on the Pro Circuit, you had to have a high school diploma. Go figure. The logic behind it was that kids would take more time to really develop into knowledgeable people, but I found it boring. Oh well, only one year to go.

 

I'm getting too far off topic here, so let me reel it back in. Yesterday, for the first time ever, the opportunity to truly make myself shine in the eyes of the girl I loved came to me. But before I could do anything about it, something strange happened.

 

DAKOTA HILLS CITY SQUARE – OCTOBER 28TH – 15:00

 

The sun was just starting to set, and amidst zoning in and out of a Pro League Scouting Presentation I had attended with some friends in the center of the city, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the radiant combination of pink, yellow, and orange was hovering above in the sky. It made me think of her, I'm not ashamed to admit it. Only my closest friends knew of my affection, but it was something I had no desire to make public. I had decided, since nothing was ever going to happen anyway, I might as well just keep it in my head, you know?

 

Anyway, it was beautiful out and I was heading home when I happened to notice something out of the corner of my eye. A few blocks from my mom's apartment, I heard a voice cry out in agony. It was a very familiar one—unmistakable. Katarina. At first I thought maybe I was just still half day-dreaming, and maybe my mind was just being weird as usual, but when I turned down the street to see, my fears were confirmed. The reality of the situation hit me like a brick, but even now almost twenty-four hours later I still have no idea what to make of it.

 

It was Katarina alright, but she was being hoisted up in the air by this weird conglomerate of dark energy. It sounds weird, I know. I can't think of a better way to put it into words, but this stuff was wrapped all around her and it looked like it was squeezing the very life out of her. I panicked, not sure what to do. This couldn't all be a daydream, could it? Standing just a few feet behind her in the surprisingly barren street considering the time of day was a tall man with flowing white hair. He was adorned in a brown robe that appeared to cover only half his body, and the rest of his clothing was black. Though he stood silent, it appeared that he had sensed my presence almost instantly. I hid against the wall on the street corner as she was still crying out, but the man had done nothing other than stand there menacingly, his eyes glowing a frightening shade of green.

 

Get it together, Kyle, I told myself, but even slapping myself in the face a few times to try and wake up did nothing. The more time passed, the more I became aware that I wasn't just seeing things. This was actually happening. What should I do? I wasn't scrawny or anything, but I had a pretty average body type and there was no way I could just run out into the open and fight the guy. What if I failed and it only made him angry, and hurt her more? My initial fear turned to frustration with myself, not knowing what to do. To make matters worse, this had all come completely out of the fly. Our city was a very average one—it wasn't like it was known for troublesome things, and certainly not something like this.

 

Selfishly, as I think about it now, if I was able to rush in and save her, it would make me look like a hero. She'd probably adore me and then share my feelings! But...that's where I was daydreaming again. I found myself frozen in place, unsure if I should take action at all. Completely and utterly pathetic, I know. As the weird darkness surrounding her appeared to tighten, she cried out more, this time sounding even weaker, like her energy was being drained or something. Right here in the open and yet no one was able to see it?! I didn't understand, none of this made any sense at all. And then in an instant, the man's eyes changed. I'd been spotted.

 

---

 

Or so I thought. But as I remained hidden behind the wall, trying only to keep my head close enough to the edge so that I could see what was going on, I realized it wasn't me that he had noticed, but the other boy who had approached from the opposite side of the street. His name was Dante Ryan, a fellow classmate of mine, and a senior. Personally I couldn't stand the guy, but this enraged me! What did he think he was doing, trying to play hero and steal the love of my life?!

 

I calmed down quickly and realized he didn't seem to have any interest in Katarina one way or another. Dante was very soft-spoken. He didn't say much and when he did, it was only because he had to. Girl s loved him, the silent type, all “dreamy” with his perfectly spiked red hair and his all white clean track suit, I dunno, I personally didn't see the hype. But anyway, seeing him out in the open like this was a rarity. He never attended any events and always kept to himself. He was a senior, too, so this was his last year, and he was geared towards the Duel Monsters Pro Circuit for sure. I had never seen him duel, but he had a reputation around school for being an absolutely stellar duelist, one of the school's best without a doubt.

 

Little did I know when he first arrived that I was going to see just how good he was first hand. The man's deep, frosty voice beckoned out to him, but as he started to speak, it was as if he had just hit some kind of stunning realization. The demeanor in his voice went from angered to extremely pleased all too quickly for my liking.

“Do my eyes deceive me?” He asked, his lips curved upwards smiling from cheek to cheek while Katarina writhed in pain. I wondered Dante's presence would be enough of a distraction for me to rush in and try to help her. Allowing myself to move around the corner a bit more than before, I considered advancing. But Dante saw me, or at least I think, and shook his head ever so subtly, telling me to stand down. We had never spoken a word to each other, but for some reason I felt it best to take his advice. After all, he was probably better suited than me to save her.

 

“For real, I cannot believe my fortune,” the man bellowed, his words sounding conniving and yet filled with excitement at the same time. “Right here in the flesh, Number Twelve himself has approached me?”

Whoa, hold up. Number Twelve? What was that supposed to mean?

 

Dante had no idea either. “Look, I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but something's not right here. The girl, let her go.” He ordered, not once stopping to look at Katarina, who's pain seemed to worsen by the second.

The man was amused by the thought, laughing it off. “Forgive me, Twelve, but this is anything but a game. It is in fact very real, and I'm afraid as great of a gift as you've given me by appearing here and saving me the trouble of hunting you down, I cannot honor your request to release Number Two.”

That perplexed things even more, and actually struck a nerve with Dante.

“Number Twelve? What are you talking about?” Dante asked, growing impatient. “I'm not going to ask you again, let her go.”

“How improper of me, allow me to introduce myself. I am Raigar,” he said, not batting an eye. A weird name to go with the weird look he had going on, that was for sure. But Dante didn't really care about the guy's name, and only grew more frustrated. “It would be against all sensibility to reveal the true nature of my cause, but what I can tell you without hesitation is that I was tasked with rounding up three of the twelve Hour Pieces.”

“Look guy, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about, but I'm not gonna ask you again,” Dante said. His patience was wearing thin. “You've got the wrong people, and if you're not willing to comply, I'll be more than happy to force your hand.”

 

Things were beginning to heat up, but I kept going back to the term; “Hour Pieces”. What did that mean? Dante didn't plan on fighting this guy, did he? Look, I didn't mean him any disrespect, but this dude was using some kind of crazy magic...

 

“It would appear, though we're both taking different paths to get there, our end game is similar,” Raigar explained, brandishing a duel disk on his arm. The way he had been standing, with his right arm underneath his overcoat, I hadn't even noticed it. “Of course, in order to collect the Hour Pieces, I must do so fairly, using my own strength.”

“I'm still lost, but it doesn't matter, because Duel Monsters is a language I can understand no matter what,” Dante replied, putting his own disk into action.

“D...don't--” Katarina cried out, wincing as she even tried to move her mouth slightly. She was getting worse and worse. I felt absolutely pathetic being unable to do anything to help; this was torturous. “He's...too strong...”

It made sense to me now.

 

I had to step out. I revealed myself, shaking from my head to my feet in fear. All of them turned to see me, and Dante's eyes were filled with anger. Katarina saw me briefly, but didn't know what to make of it. Raigar turned around and was the first to outright acknowledge me.

“What's this? It would appear we have an onlooker,” he laughed, looking me over. “You are of no use to me, child. If you wish to escape with your life, I would remove yourself from the premises immediately. With the good fortune I've stumbled on, I'm willing to show mercy. You might not be so lucky the second time around.”

I was scared, but I couldn't show it. I ignored his warning and turned my attention directly to Dante himself. “We don't know each other personally, but I know exactly who you are. I have no idea what's going on with all this number stuff, but I've figured out this much at least from listening. This guy wants to take both you and Katarina away with him, and in order to be able to do so, he has to defeat you in a duel first. As for the Hour Pieces, I have no idea, but based on her condition, I would say Katarina's already dueled him and lost. Therefore, it's safe to assume that if you can beat him here and now, that might be our only chance to save her.”

 

Dante didn't reply for a moment, my best guess being that taking advice from someone like me was the last thing he wanted to do. Raigar was amused by the whole thing. Whether I was right or wrong, I don't think he was taking Dante as much of a threat at all. Katarina looked at me with eyes that seemed to plea for help, and I swear for a second she smiled. It was like the perfect moment, but an absolutely terrible moment at the same time as she cried out in pain shortly afterwards.

“You said I was Number Twelve,” Dante said. “What exactly does that mean? What do the Numbers have to do with anything?”

“Again with the questions, and to think I was appreciating your silence.” Raigar cracked his knuckles, still amused by this entire situation. “The Numbers are assigned to each Hour Piece in ranking of lowest priority to top priority, with one being the lowest, and twelve being the highest. In other words, though I am not the only collector, I was tasked with the job of capturing the strongest duelist – that being you, Dante Ryan.”

 

Whoa, Dante was number twelve? Was there really that much of a gap in his skills and Katarina's? Sure, now wasn't the time to wonder that, but the thought crossed my mind. None of this made any sense, but somehow Raigar's words towards Dante lit a fire under him.

“I'll accept your challenge, but under one condition. Let the girl go,” Dante commanded, much to Raigar's surprise. “Think about it, if she's only number two on your little ranking system, it won't be that hard to capture her again. If you can beat me, that is.”

While it appeared at first the older man was going to deny that request, Dante's last few words struck a nerve. The boy was challenging his ability, and he couldn't have that. Besides, chasing was always fun, and it wasn't like capturing the girl had been any kind of a challenge to begin with.

“Normally I wouldn't take such action, technically it is against procedures, but I'm sure capturing Number Twelve will more than make up for it. Here, take the girl,” he laughed, releasing the spell around her as she dropped to the ground. I ran to catch her, barely making it in time.

 

“You, get out of here and take her as far away as possible,” Dante ordered. His face was stern, and though I wasn't the type to openly take orders from others, this wasn't the time or place to contest it. I nodded and took off, holding her as tightly as I could. She could barely open her eyes. I had to wonder just how much life had been sapped out of her already.

I didn't know Dante from a hole in the wall, and this whole situation still felt like some kind of twisted nightmare, but I found myself hoping for his victory. Because if it was real, that meant they would be coming after Katarina again. And I couldn't let that happen.

 

---

 

Meanwhile, as Dante and Raigar stare one another down...

 

“Tell me, twelve, why was saving the girl so important to you? All the research I've gathered suggests you're anything but a people person,” Raigar inquired.

“I could care less about saving her, that wasn't my intention,” he replied, half-lying. “In actuality, I like the idea of facing off against a real challenger. While I may not appreciate socializing like some, I don't think I would be able to duel to my fullest extent while the girl was here in that state. Surely, an elite duelist like yourself would understand.”

“A very interesting perspective, though I'm not sure I buy it,” the man responded, laughing nonetheless as he activated his duel disk. “As I said though, it's no matter to me. I'll defeat you and capture you,” and it'll only be a matter of time until number two is in our grasp as well.”

“Once I beat you, you're going to tell me exactly what the hell is going on, but right now, I don't need any distractions. It's time to focus. Let's duel!” Dante declared as he activated his own disk, the two of them standing an equal distance from one another. It was game time.

 

Turn 1

 

"Since I've been so generous as to comply with your requests, it's only fitting that I make the first move," Raigar decreed, drawing his starting hand of five. "But you needn't worry, it's going to be a relatively simple one. I'll set one monster face-down, and one card behind it." The two holograms appeared in front of him, and that was it.

 

"Boasting about your prowess and then playing defensive," Dante nodded, acknowledging the play. He wasn't planning to take it lightly--it was obvious this guy had something up his sleeve. "Intriguing. Meanwhile, I'll be going now. Draw. Summon, Satellarknight Unukalhai (1800ATK)." The cosmic warrior, clad in a bright golden robe of nobility, appeared on the field.

 

"Upon it's summon, Unukalhai allows me to send any monster I choose from my Deck to the Graveyard, but of course I'm only able to do this once per turn," he said, shuffling through his Deck and choosing one Satellarknight Deneb (LV4) to dispatch. "While it's possible I play right into your hand, it's a risk I'm willing to take. Unukalhai, attack his reverse monster with Cosmic Flare!"

 

The burst of cosmic energy blasted the reverse card to bits, but not before revealing a small blue hedgehog, encased by a blue aura. "You've attacked my Shaddoll Hedgehog (DEF800)! And while it may very well be destroyed, it's flip effect activates, allowing me to search my Deck for a Spell Card and add it straight to my hand," he explained, searching his Deck for a Shaddoll Fusion [SPL] and placing it into his hand.

 

Shaddolls, huh? They were a deck Dante had heard a little about in passing, but his knowledge of it was limited. What he did know was that many of them focused on flip effects, which meant it was likely this guy was going to play defensive for a while, at least until he could build up enough to pull off a big play. That meant his best bet was to get rid of these monsters before he could really set off a strategy. Time to change the gameplan. "I'll set one card, turn end."

 

Raigar drew for the first time, quite pleased by the revelation. "I'll begin with Allure of Darkness [SPL]. I'll simply draw two cards, and then banish a DARK monster from my hand," he said as the disk shot out two additional cards. Scanning his hand briefly, he selected a Shaddoll Squamata and placed it into his back pocket, signifying it's removal from the game. "Interesting, it would appear everything is going exactly as I need it to. But patience is key. For now, I'll simply set another monster."

 

His field looked no different than it had the turn before. "I draw. Exactly what I was hoping for," Dante said, as his eyes came into contact with his newly drawn Satellarknight Altair (LV4). In the back of his mind, things were cloudy--he was trying to make sense of what exactly this whacko was talking about with all the "Hour Piece" references, but focus had to be the key right now, above all else. Even if he thought this guy was a load of crap, he was still dangerous.

 

"Patience is key, I'll absolutely agree with you on that one. But unfortunately, my patience for you has already worn thin," Dante said. "One thing I should make explicitly clear is I hate childish games. Whatever it is you're trying to pull here, I want no part of it."

 

"Ah, such a naive child," Raigar said, still smiling. "Of course, I can't blame you for saying that, for you simply don't understand. But you are destined to fulfill your role, and with time you will come to understand that. Time will reveal all."

 

"Enough with the cryptic words, back to the duel! I summon Satellarknight Altair (ATK1700)!" A new cosmic knight appeared next to the first one, this one a radiant blue and wielding a large katana as it hovered in the air next to the golden-robe clad warrior. "When Altair is summoned, I'm able to revive a monster from my Graveyard, so join them, Satellarknight Deneb (ATK1500)!" Another knight joined the fray, this one an off-white color and wielding a strange golden weapon, somewhat angelic in nature. "Now I've got three Level 4 monsters on the field, but before I proceed, I should note that Deneb's ability activates as well, allowing me to add another monster from my Deck to my hand!" He declared, grabbing Satellarknight Vega (LV4) and placing it there.

 

It's almost as though he's making this far too easy, Raigar noted to himself. Everything was going according to plan.

 

"You know, that smug look on your face just annoys me," Dante spat. "You may think you're pulling the strings, but I've got a surprise in store for you. Since I control exactly three Level Four monsters, I can build the overlay network in order to Xyz Summon the cosmic guardian, Stellarknight Delteros (ATK2500)!"

 

There was a brilliant explosion of light that lit up the sky as the entire area was shaken to its core. Descending from the heavens, a new, much more fearsome white knight appeared in the place of its previous incarnations, wielding a massive long-sword that was very noticeable infused with cosmic energy. Stellarknight Delteros--his strongest monster. And the ace of the Stellar Deck. Even with the tricks Shaddolls were capable of pulling off, this guy stood no chance of winning now.

 

Not quite the reaction I was expecting, Dante noted. The old man sort of stood there, taking in the moment, but didn't show any outright concern. He did have that one face-down card, so it was possible he had a back-up plan, but there was quite a bit Delteros could do. Still, his opponent's unusual response to such a powerful card was something to pay attention to.

 

“Stellarknight Delteros, attack his reverse monster with Holy Nova Burst!” The knight responded in kind, raising its sword high, as if drawing power from the universe itself, and was ready to be slicing through the monster almost effortlessly. But just as the attack struck, Raigar grinned and revealed his Trap.

“Let's liven things up a bit, it's my turn to make a play! Reveal Trap, Sinister Shadow Games [TRP]!” The card revealed itself, depicting a demon spirit circling around a somewhat weaker monster. “Before your knight gets too comfortable, I figured it was only wise to activate my trap, which allows me to send any one monster from my Deck to the Graveyard,” he said, sending Shaddoll Beast to the darkness. As he did, the card's shadow consumed his reverse card, forcing it to flip over. “Once I've done that, my trap then forces my defense monster face-up, and it just so happens to be the sinister Shaddoll Squamata (DEF1000)!” From the shadows, the bluish outline of a lizard-creature appeared, appearing to be linked by strands of magical energy. It had no actual physical form with the exception of gold scales that covered the exterior of its body.

“So what's the catch?” Dante asked. “If I was going to attack your monster anyway and do the same thing, why force it to flip?”

“Brilliant question, but you're no slouch I'm sure you can figure it out,” Raigar answered, placing his trap in the Graveyard as the lizard's shadow began to materialize on Dante's field, wrapping itself around his knight. “You see, when Squamata is flipped face-up, any monster on my opponent's field is automatically swallowed into the abyss!” He laughed, proud of his own accomplishment as the lizard's scales wrapped tightly around Delteros, squeezing it until it was forced to collapse from the pain.

 

Dante brushed the sweat from his brow, but other than that showed no significant reaction, much to Raigar's dismay. He'd set that play up since the beginning, having fully expected the legendary Stellarknight to appear. So why wasn't it packing more of a punch? This Number Twelve was an interesting prospect. It was a shame there would be no time to study him.

“Not too bad at all,” the boy said. “I must admit you're far better than I initially gave you credit for. I still don't buy your story, but as far as dueling goes, at least you're not as much of a pushover as I anticipated. But don't think just because you took my monster down that it's a walk in the park from here.” Placing Delteros in the Graveyard, Dante shuffled through his Deck, searching for a specific monster, which he then placed on the field.

“What's this?” Raigar wondered aloud.

“When Stellarknight Delteros is destroyed, its special ability activates, allowing me to call forth any Satellarknight monster from my Deck and summon it to the field.” He placed the card on the duel disk, as another majestic warrior clad in gold-white armor and wielding a bow and arrow arose from it. “The one I've chosen is the Level Four Satellarknight Alsahm (ATK1400)! But that's not all, because just like his brothers, once Alsahm hits the field, his effect activates as well, striking you directly for one-thousand points of damage! Go Stellar Pierce!”

 

LP

Raigar 3000 | Dante 4000

 

“It's not over yet, because it's still the battle phase, and this time around your lizard's got no defense! Alsahm, attack his Shaddoll Squamata with Flash Flare!” Dante ordered, as the knight did so happily. “That's all for now,” he said ending his turn.

 

---

 

DAKOTA HILLS – ROCKSTONE PARKWAY 15:22

 

We had made it a pretty safe distance from the duel. About twenty minutes of non-stop running, and yet I had no idea where I was supposed to be going. I was still carrying Katarina. She hadn't said much, but I could tell she was weak. Did I take her home? How would I even know where that was? Clearly we couldn't keep running forever though, and there were only so many places to hide in this city. If people saw me carrying her like this, they might get suspicious, and I'd have no way to explain what had happened to her. That was another thing...what had happened to her? I wasn't the type to believe in magic and all that stuff, but it was pretty hard to deny what I saw right in front of me. This wasn't a dream—it was all too real now. But there were more questions than answers, and I was just an 11^th grade duelist in over my head.

 

Dante's duel was very likely still going on, but I had no idea if he planned on catching up with us after the fact. Personally, I had no desire to become buddy-buddy with the guy, but if he was able to get some answers, it was better for all of us. Once we reached Dakota Parkway, a somewhat quiet city street lined mostly with apartment buildings, I found a nearby park and sat down on the grass. I lowered Katarina down gently, placing her on the grass next to me. Under other circumstances, the two of us together in the park like this on a beautiful fall afternoon would be a dream come true, but even now my mind was racing and I couldn't do anything but hope that she'd be okay...and wait for answers that may or may not have been coming.

 

---

 

“Ah, Number Twelve, what an amusing ride this has turned out to be,” Raigar said. “Sadly, I fear I won't be able to enjoy the other challenges as much as I have this one, but even the most fun times have to come to an end, and so it would appear we've reached ours.” He drew a card, Reborn Marionette [SPL]. What an unsurprising “surprise”, he thought. Everything was going exactly as Father Time had predicted. “I can't think of a more fitting way to show you how much of a puppet you truly are in this little game of ours than with this, the spell card Reborn Marionette [SPL]!”

Light illuminated Dante's field as Delteros [DEF2100] was pulled back from the Graveyard, appearing on the field in Defense Position.

Why would he give me back my own monster? Not only does that provide an extra defense, but he's allowed me to activate Delteros' effect again once it leaves the field. Dante was beginning to worry that Raigar's cryptic words may have been more than just “cryptic words”. So far, the man had been able to counter every play he made, and when something didn't go his way, he showed no fear or concern at all, simply waiting it out. But how could someone have the ability to predict the moves of a duel that hadn't even happened yet? As much as he tried to force the thoughts of some kind of other force being in play here, it kept coming back to the forefront.

 

“True, Reborn Marionette does put your strongest monster back on the field, but in exchange for doing so, I'm rewarded with a boost in Life Points equal to your knight's attack!” Raigar explained, partially explaining the play. But still, something was off.

 

LP

Raigar 5500|Dante 4000

 

Hang on...Dante cringed at the sudden realization. It was true he didn't know too much about Shaddolls, but he remembered hearing about the Deck once or twice. There was something that had slipped his mind until now—the true ace of the Deck, Shaddoll Fusion. It was a fusion spell, not significantly different than Polymerization, but with an added bonus in the right situations. If a Shaddoll player was facing an opponent who controlled an Extra Deck monster, they could use materials from anywhere in order to perform a Fusion Summon. Now, he started to connect the dots. On Raigar's first turn, he had set Shaddoll Hedgehog in order to search for his fusion spell. From there on out, everything Dante had done was playing right into his hands. All he had to do was wait for the right moment, and Dante had fallen for it every step of the way.

 

With Sinister Shadow Games set, Raigar could have used it before Dante even Xyz Summoned, flipping Squamata to destroy one of his monsters and preventing him from being able to make Delteros at all. But that would have been counter productive. His opponent actually wanted him to make those plays, because it would give him the means to win the game. Dammit...was he too late to stop it now? The longer this game went on, the more the realization set in that losing would do more than just hurt his pride. He just wasn't sure what. For the first time, he was feeling something he'd never experienced before—fear. How do you beat an opponent who's entire strategy is built around predicting your every move and having every means to defeat you?

 

The answer to that...was his only chance at survival.

 

END CHAPTER 1

 

NEXT TIME, ON NIGHTMARE HOUR:

 

Dante's duel with the mysterious old man Raigar has taken a turn for the worse. The school's top prospect started off strong, but the longer things have gone on, the more he's come to realize that he's not playing a normal game anymore. If winning is his only chance at saving himself and the others who might be targeted, he has to figure out a way to overcome his opponent's near-perfect strategy. But Raigar has other plans, including putting the sinister Shaddoll Fusion into play.

 

Plus, our “hero” may have bought some time and gotten far enough away to give his damsel-in-distress some time to recover, but how long can he hide when he's got a very important “tool” that some people will go to great lengths to acquire? Find out next time![/spoiler]

[Synchronized]

Chapter 2: Squirming Fallen Shadow
 
[spoiler=Chapter 2: Squirming Fallen Shadow]
 
Every minute that passed felt like an eternity. Katarina and I were still in the park, and she hadn't really come to. I got the sense that she was starting to regain at least some of her physical strength, but for the most part she was out of it. Meanwhile, I sat there useless as ever just staring up at the sky and waiting for the answers to come to me. I had no idea what to do, and it only made me more upset with myself. Once she recovered, maybe she'd be able to tell me more of what had happened, but there was no one else I could talk to right now because who would believe such a crazy story? They'd probably either lock me up at the insane ward or laugh it off and walk away. Neither one was a really positive look for me.
 
All jokes aside though, my main concern was Kat's health. At least it looked like she was going to pull through, but we were talking about outside forces here—something of which I knew nothing about. As much as it pained me to say it, all of my hope resided in Dante winning that duel.
 
---
 
DAKOTA HILLS CITY SQUARE – OCTOBER 29TH – 15:35
 
Dante stood his ground, the recollection of what he was up against hitting him all too hard. He knew if he kept thinking about it, eventually it would overtake his head and he'd stand no chance of making a comeback. Even if the enemy was predicting his moves, it didn't mean an automatic loss—but focus was important now more than ever. Based on the current setup, he could predict his opponent's next move. After using Reborn Marionette [SPL] to bring Delteros back, Raigar was about to activate Shaddoll Fusion [SPL], and because Dante's monster was an Extra Deck monster, his opponent could use Shaddoll Fusion directly from the Deck, meaning he didn't have to have monsters on his field. In other words, the perfect setup with no drawback.
 
“Are you ready to experience the true might of my Deck?” Raigar asked connivingly, as he held a specific card between his two fingers. “I sure hope so, because if not you're really not going to like what's coming next. You see, while you did get your cosmic knight back, I gained something much more valuable. The ability to--”
“You're gonna play Shaddoll Fusion, get on with it,” Dante snapped, completely interrupting Raigar's explanation and throwing the old man off his guard. He appeared genuinely shocked for a moment that the boy had been able to predict his move before he made it.
“What's this? Number Twelve, you're a constant surprise, aren't you?” Raigar said mockingly. “I'm beginning to think even with all the credit I've given, I may have underestimated you ever so slightly. I see why you're ranked of such importance; it's because you're one of the few who could pose a significant threat to us,” the old man said, laughing half-heartedly. “But consider that a lucky guess. Even if you do know what I'm about to do, that won't change the fact that you're helpless to defend yourself against it!”
Dante swore under his breath—that last part was completely accurate, at least for now. He knew what was going to happen next, but he had no way to stop it. Everything was going to ride on his next turn. There was no way he'd lose this turn thanks to Delteros being able to bring another monster out from his Deck, but the key was going to be drawing something useful.
 
“The time for talk is over! I activate the Spell Card Shaddoll Fusion [SPL]!” Raigar said dark shadows swirling around both him and his field, very similar to the ones that had entrapped Katarina. He was able to manifest darkness itself into physical existence, and this was a prime example of what such power could bring forth. “By sending both my Shaddoll Dragon [LV4] and Shaddoll Hound [LV4] from my Deck to the Graveyard, I am able to Fusion Summon the absolute ruler of darkness—El Shaddoll Midrash (ATK2300)!”
The darkness began to materialize into a new monster now. Hovering above Raigar's field was a young girl with bright green hair, standing atop a mechanical dragon-like beast that had no mind of its own, being controlled by the energy strings that connected to it through her. She held a staff in her left hand, and there was an innocent smile on her face, almost like she was being controlled herself.
Just as she hit the field, the remnants of the Shaddoll Dragon card appeared before her, firing a blast at the one face-down card Stellarnova Alpha [TRP] on his field.
 
What the heck is that thing? Dante wondered to himself. It gave him the chills—the soullessness of it all.
“Your confidence hasn't lasted long, has it? Not only does my dragon's ability remove your only defense from the field, now your Stellarknight shall suffer the same fate!” Raigar said mockingly. “If you think Midrash is impressive to behold, just wait until you feel that power for yourself! Now, Midrash, banish his Deleteros to the realm of eternal darkness! Shadow Crash!” The cosmic knight was powerless to defend against the dark blast fired from the girl's staff, being destroyed in seconds.
 
The after-effects of the attack almost knocked Dante for a loop—they felt awful real for a hologram. But he still had Delteros' ability, and he was far from out of plays. “Alright so Delteros is gone again, but for someone so cocky yourself, you seem to have glossed over the fact that I get to summon a new monster to the field!”
“Glossed over? Not at all!” Raigar exclaimed, laughing aloud. “It's just that thanks to Reborn Marionette, your knight had no abilities! Meaning it just a meaningless prop!” The old man laughed some more, placing one card face-down on his field. “But be my guest, try and do something! I'm growing tired of this stalemate.”
“Trust me, not nearly as much as I am,” Dante said. Game time. He drew, seeing the card Stellar Blessing [SPL]. Perfect, that would get him out of a tight squeeze. “I activate the Spell Card Stellar Blessing! I'll make it simple for you, I can take three “Stellarknight” monsters from my Graveyard and shuffle them back into the Deck,” he explained, as the disk shot three cards out into his hand. “Then, once I've done that, I can draw a new card!” The most important thing was having shuffled Stellarknight Delteros back into his Extra Deck, meaning now he could summon it again—and use it properly this time.
 
“Sorry, but I don't quit that easily. With Delteros in defense mode, your creepy parrot girl was able to take it out, but you won't be so lucky the second time around!” Dante said, slamming a monster card onto the duel disk. “I summon Satellarknight Vega (ATK1200) in attack mode! And thanks to Vega's effect, I can special summon another Satellarknight Alyshm (ATK1400) from my hand as well!” Both knights, sporting their respective golden white armors, re-emerged on the field. “Don't forget, Alyshm's effect slams you for another one thousand points!”
 
LP
Raigar 4500 | Dante 4000
 
“Now, with my two monsters, I'll build the overlay network to--”
“Nah-ha-ha,” Raigar mocked, wagging his finger back and forth with a smile. “I'm afraid you've used up your summons for the turn, Twelve.”
“The hell is that supposed to mean?” Dante asked. Why wasn't he able to Xyz Summon just now?
“One thing I forgot to mention, Midrash changes the game-state ever so slightly,” he said. “As long as she's on the field, each of us is restricted to one special summon per turn, and I'm afraid you've just used yours!”
“Dammit, I'm getting really tired of these stupid things,” Dante said. He glanced over his hand quickly. Hold on, I didn't even think of that, he thought looking at a particular card in his hand. Normally I don't have too much use for a card like this, I've been considering taking it out entirely. Heh. Guess it's a good thing I didn't get around to it yet. “I'll set one card and end my turn.”
“Don't fret, you won't have to suffer much longer. In fact, it's just about time for you to face your destiny!” Raigar exclaimed, grinning as he drew his next card. Shaddoll Hound. Useless at this point, but it was no matter, because the game was within his reach now. All he had to do was pry through what little remained of Dante's pathetic defenses, and the boy would be as good as his. “Truly, I cannot wait to see the look on Master's face when I bring him the most prized possession.”
“Enough with the cryptic crap! Tell me what it is you're talking about with all this nonsense,” Dante ordered.
“I've already told you all you need to know,” Raigar said with a smile. “The rest of this will play out just as it's been foretold.”
“That's enough! I'm done with this! Make your move, I'm getting sick just looking at you,” Dante snapped. He was beginning to lose his cool, and that wasn't good at all. I can't keep letting this get to me. It's all a bunch of crap. But he wasn't so sure he believed his own words.
“Someone's getting fiery, but as you wish. I shall do just that! Midrash, attack his Shaddoll Vega with Shadow Crash!” Another blast of dark energy fired from the mage's staff, and Vega stood no chance at all.
 
LP
Raigar 3500 | Dante 2900
 
The backlash of this attack was even worse than the last one. This was real pain, and he felt himself weakening almost instantly upon coming into contact with it. He could only imagine how the girl must have felt after losing to this guy. “It's a shame what happened to her, but I'm sure she'll be fine,” he said, though Raigar shot him a confused look about his out-of-nowhere mention of the Number Two. “Either way, I'm not about to be some weird old shaman's puppet!”
“Talk as strong as you wish, but it won't matter, don't you see?” Raigar asked. “There is nothing you can do now, without the ability to Xyz Summon your Deck is nothing more than useless. Your monsters are weak, and you were doomed to fail from the start! Nightmare's wishes will not be denied!”
Nightmare? Dante rolled the thought through his mind. Not now. It doesn't matter now. I have to win. “Let's just see about that!”
“Oh, boy, there's nothing left to see, for this is your final turn,” Raigar placed a card face-down. “Better make it count.”
 
“Oh believe me, I'm prepared to,” Dante said, replying with a smirk of his own. Raigar scowled. “And that's why I threw down the trap Stellarnova Wave [TRP]!” He said, activating the trap depicting a bunch of different Satellarknight monsters drawing on cosmic power. “Here's what this trap does, once per turn during your turn or mine, I'm allowed to Normal Summon a Satellarknight monster from my hand! So here's Satellarknight Altair (ATK1700)!”
The blueish knight returned to the field, holding its sword high. “And I'm sure you remember, when Altair is summoned I can call forth another Satellar monster from my Graveyard! So I'll bring back a second Alyshm (ATK1400)!”
 
Raigar winced as a second copy of the arrow-wielding knight appeared on the field, blasting him with another attack.
 
LP
Raigar 2500 | Dante 2900
 
“And now it's my turn.” Dante drew, just what he was hoping for at that. “So are you ready to see what happens when your predictions straight up fail? Since I control three Satellarknight monsters and I've yet to Special Summon at all this turn, I think you can see where this is going. I'll build the overlay network and Xyz Summon Stellarknight Delteros (ATK2500)!”
 
The valiant knight returned to the field, looking good-as-new and arguably even more fearsome than before, towering over Midrash, who showed no emotion one way or another.
This cannot be, I did everything specifically as Master ordered, Raigar thought to himself. How could the Master's fool-proof plan fail?
“Time to wrap this up, by detaching an overlay unit, I can activate Delteros' effect, allowing me to destroy one card on the field!” Dante declared, as the knight raised its sword above its head, drawing power from the skies and preparing to charge.
“I wouldn't get too confident just yet boy, this is where your comeback comes to a halt!” Raigar interjected. “Midrash is completely invulnerable to any and all card effects, meaning—”
“No one said I was targeting Midrash at all...in fact, I was thinking I'd take out that trap you so subtly set last turn,” Dante said. “Delteros, Cosmic Flare!” The knight's sword smashed the trap, Dimensional Prison to bits.
 
“Nothing else to say? That's a first.” Delteros readied to attack once more. “Too bad, because it's game over for you.”
“You say that, but at most even if you do destroy Midrash, you're only going to do two-hundred points of damage, and with just one card left in your hand, you're powerless to stop another one of my El Shaddolls!” Raigar didn't have to explain it, Dante was aware of Midrash's ability to grab Shaddoll Fusion back from the Graveyard. Any of the fusions could do just that, which is part of the reason the Deck was so powerful. But he wasn't planning on letting it get that far. “Just face it Twelve, it's all over!” The old man bellowed with laughter—it was starting to look like he had lost it.
“You're right. In the instance that you were able to bring out another fusion, I'd have no way around it. However, I figured Delteros would just take you out and end the game here! So watch and learn! Delteros, destroy Midrash and let's put an end to this game! Skynight's Holy Nova!” As Delteros leapt into battle, Dante placed the last card from his hand into his duel disk. “If it's true what you say...if there are really people hunting me specifically...tell them I'm anticipating the challenge. And here's a little added message.”
 
“Oh no, it's that card!” Raigar exclaimed.
“Activate, Battle Fusion [QPS],” Dante said as the light surrounding Delteros began to amplify, increasing its strength. “When a battle happens between a Fusion Monster and any other monster on the field, the attacking monster gets an attack boost, and it just so happens to be equal to the amount of that fusion monster! (2500 + 2300 = 4800) It's convenient too, because that's just enough to take you out!”
In one slash of light, Delteros obliterated Midrash, wiping it out and the rest of Raigar's Life Points in the process. The old man was blasted backwards from the impact of the attack, falling to the ground and his cards along with him.
 
DUEL END
 
The game was over, and yet Dante saw the old man laughing. “What an amusing turn of events this has been! Number Twelve, I can see why you're of such high priority!” He said, barely able to lift his head off the ground. “This struggle will be worth it though. You may have beaten me, but there are far worse ones out there, and lightning won't strike twice. The Hour of Death will strike!”
“The Hour of Death? What the hell is that?!” Dante roared, but it was too late. The man had vanished in an instant. Damn...I'm gonna have to find that weirdo after all. The girl...she's the only one who might have some idea as to what's going on.
 
Teaming up with anyone was the absolute last thing he wanted to do, especially that annoying brat. But the man's threat was far too real for him to keep going about the day as normal. I've got this weird, weird feeling. And I don't like it at all.
 
TO BE CONTINUED
 
NEXT TIME, on NIGHTMARE HOUR:
 
After somehow managing to pull out a narrow victory against the mysterious old man Raigar, Dante finds himself with more questions than answers. Who is Nightmare? What exactly do they want? And the Hour of Death? That doesn't sound pleasant. Plus, Kyle not like Dante all that much, but our hero's got something far more serious to worry about than that...find out next time!

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins]

Chapter 3: The Hunt Begins

 

DAKOTA HILLS – ROCKSTONE PARKWAY – OCTOBER 28TH – 15:49

 

The sun was starting to set, and at the same time I was getting a bit cold myself. There were still a ton of people in the park, but we’d been here for almost an hour yet and Katarina still hadn’t woken up. I mean, she moved a couple of times and it was clear she was conscious, but I was still worried. In fairness, while I had been sitting here, my mind was jumping back and forth from thinking about her condition and worrying about the creepy old dude that had hurt her in the first place. When it came to school, I usually tried to drown things out and my memory wasn’t so great because of it, but with something like this, I could remember every word perfectly. I kept trying to break it down in my head and get some sense of what was going on, but the guy’s words were so cryptic and weird that I came up empty-handed.

 

The one thing I kept going back to, though, was the fact that he said he wasn’t interested in me, but rather three other students who lived in this area. There were Twelve Numbers, right? And if Dante was the twelfth and Kat was the second...no wait, that theory didn’t even make any sense. What did they want them for in the first place? Ugh! It was so frustrating. I hated thinking, nothing good ever came of it.

Hang in there, I thought looking at Kat, who was starting to stir, but was still hurting bad. I wondered if she knew I was there with her, or if she even had any idea what was going on around her.

My mind just kept wandering, but suddenly I felt something really strange come over me. Just a weird feeling, like some kind of a cold shock that was gone in seconds. I looked around, going into panic mode quickly because I couldn’t afford to fall off-guard. There was nothing noticeably different, although a couple of people had just walked by on the path to our left. I don’t like this...

 

---

 

DES RAKUEN OUTSKIRTS – OCTOBER 29TH – HOUR ZERO

 

Still weakened, but starting to feel his strength come back to him, Raigar made his way through the Palace Gates. The guards bowed to him in respect, one of the Master’s highest elders and arguably the most well-known and most-respected one at that. There were rumblings amongst the servants about Raigar’s failure, the word had spread quickly that Number Twelve had approached him back on Earth. He chose not to let those words affect him, as he continued towards his destination up the grand staircase and towards the Master’s Quarters. The top level staircase was forbidden to everyone, with the exception of a select few. An eerie silence crept over the rooms as Raigar walked past. None of these guards would dare to speak, for fear of sparking his rage.

 

As he reached the door to the quarters, a guard blocking the door approached him. “My apologies, elder, but the Master has stated he wishes no intrusions at this time,” he said, bowing and somewhat fearful.

Raigar shoved the man aside, opening the doors himself with no regard for the Master’s wishes. There was a slow, eerie creak as the monstrous door opened, the only significant source of light in the room coming from a few lit torches on the walls.

 

“You’ve returned, Raigar,” the voice echoed.

“He was right within my grasp, Number Twelve. Each move was made with exact precision, just as you predicted, and yet I failed,” Raigar replied, his voice a blend of anger and frustration. “How was a mere human child able to defeat me?! I’m beginning to wonder if these predictions are trustworthy at all.”

“You believe you’ve failed?” The voice asked, a very soft-spoken tone, yet one that commanded attention. “The contrary, Raigar. I’m very pleased with your performance. My predictions were completely and thoroughly accurate.”

“My Lord, I was unable to defeat Number Twelve, the one of utmost importance,” Raigar hung his head. “Your predictions told me exactly what actions I would have to take to defeat and capture our targets, and yet I was unable to do so. So forgive me if I am unwilling to accept that as a success.”

“These things don’t happen overnight. Do you understand, what I am attempting to do has never been done before, and I refuse to allow it to fail,” the Master said ominously. “You were able to defeat Number Two with ease, which was exactly as I predicted. But never for a second did I believe that the same strategy would be effective against Number Twelve.”

“Then why did you not tell me the proper means to defeat him?!” Raigar shouted. An outburst like that against the Master would normally result in great punishment, but Raigar was an exception due to his status within the legion. “I would have captured all of them and we would have been one step closer to the Hour of Death’s arrival!”

The Master simply smiled. “Calm down, Raigar. If you wish to hear the truth, you do not possess the strength necessary to overcome Number Twelve. You see, I knew you would not win, which is precisely why I assigned you to him.”

“How dare you imply something like that?!” The old man shouted furiously. “I am far superior to any other duelist within the Nightmare, with the exception of yourself. Setting me up to fail is a cold, cold tactic!”

“Don’t be so quick to anger. You’ve served your purpose well,” he said. “As I said, you cannot construct the Hour of Death as simply as winning. If it was that easy, don’t you imagine it would have been done before by someone else? Patience is key,” the Master took a sip from the goblet at his right. “Number Twelve had to defeat you. Doing so now gives them confidence, and in the meantime I suspect he will attempt to reunite with the girl in an attempt to get the answers they so seek. I want them to think they have the upper hand, Raigar. And when the time comes, you will have your chance at redemption.”

“I—“ Raigar started to speak, but his words were cut off by painful screams as the Master’s eyes glowed purple, sending massive pain through his body. It felt like everything inside him was being twisted and warped, but he had no explanation for it. “What---what are you doing?! My body is---“ He collapsed to the floor.

“Go, my disciple. Ready yourself. When the time comes, you will be able to use your new found power to exact your retribution.” The Master finished his drink, not moving a muscle as Raigar still lay in a crumpled heap in front of him. For now, the man would rest. Now I shall dispatch the others and allow the collection process to truly begin.

 

---

 

DAKOTA HILLS SENIOR HIGH - OCTOBER 29th - 13:45

 

Finally the bell had rung. I was at school, but I might as well have not been. My mind was so focused on everything else that I couldn't focus on a damn thing today. At least three of my teachers called me out on my silence, but I didn't have much to say. Lessons meant nothing to me right now, and my motivation was usually pretty damn low in the first place.

 

We were only at the park a little bit longer last night until Katarina finally came to. She recognized me, but only barely. The entire thing was awkward too, because even though I liked her, we'd never really said more than two words to each other. I asked her if she remembered anything that happened, but her mind was kind of blurry, and she was still in pain. It was clear she didn't want to talk about it much anyway, so I decided not to push it any further. Without saying much at all, I walked her home. Her parents were there and she acted like everything was fine, but to me leaving her alone knowing there were people...out there hunting for her, it just left a knot in my stomach.

 

She had come to class this morning, but she hadn't said much of anything to anyone. There was an empty look on her face that suggested she might as well have not been there at all, just like me. Except mine was fear, her's might have been something different. The more I thought about it, the more I came to the thought that if Dante and I hadn't arrived when we did - and as much as I hate to admit it, more him than me - her fate could have been so much worse.

 

I made my way out into the hallway and saw her standing outside a locker. Did I approach her? Was that weird? I mean, eventually we were going to have to talk about things, but I didn't want to make her uncomfortable either.

"H--hey," I said to her blushing, kind of waving as I walked past.

She waved a friendly smile but didn't say anything in response.

 

A few minutes later I walked outside. Dante was standing there, and by the looks of it, he'd just arrived. I hadn't seen him in school at all, but it was a relief to know he was still alive...

"You, where's the girl?" he asked me, not even bothering to mention me by name.

"Is that the way you greet a friend?" I asked, half-jokingly. But I wasn't going to let him push me around like that.

"Look, we're not friends. All you did yesterday was get in my way," he said. "I had the situation under control. Now this has nothing to do with you, so I'd suggest for the well-being of everyone you stay out of it."

What the hell was that supposed to mean, I wondered. I wanted to say something snappy back at him, but I decided it probably wasn't the best idea. He was right, they weren't after me, but they were after Katarina, and I wasn't about to take that laying down. "It may have nothing to do with me, but there's only three of us who know what the hell is going on, and unless you plan on following Katarina around and protecting her, then there's no way in hell I'm leaving this alone," I told him, as I felt myself making a fist out of anger, still upset with myself for being relatively useless thus far.

I could tell Dante wasn't used to being talked to that way, and to be honest I wasn't the type of person to act like that, either. My own reactions came as a surprise—but when it came to Katarina, I couldn't explain my feelings. They were just there, okay?

“Whatever, it's not worth my time arguing with you,” he said begrudgingly. “If you want to play hero with the girl, it's your funeral, not mine. But I need to talk to her, now.”

“You and me both,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “She hasn't said a word to me. Or anyone, at least not here. Makes me wonder what happened...”

 

Dante's face was conflicted. I felt like he didn't want anything to do with me, but it also looked like he needed to talk to someone. It was weird seeing Mr. Popularity in that state. Kinda felt nice. But only for a second, when I came back down to Earth and realized there was nothing good about this situation.

“There are others. They'll be coming,” he said. “I don't know when, and I don't know a damn thing about them, but that old man made it clear that this was just getting started.”

“But you beat him, didn't you?” I asked. “Look I may not like you, but I'll be the last one to pretend you're not the school's best duelist. Maybe your reputation will scare the rest of em from trying.” I was half-joking, but it was at least a thought.

“I won, but barely,” came the shocking response. “It wasn't a normal duel Those attacks were real. I could feel the pain with each one.” His jumpsuit covered his body so I couldn't see if he was still roughed up, but he looked tired. “I can only imagine how much worst it must've been for your girlfriend.”

Girlfriend? I blushed at the thought, probably looking like an idiot. Not the time, dumbass. “She's not my girlfriend, but--” Couldn't get the thought of her pain out of my head. “What do you think all of this is about...? What do they want with you guys...?”

“I wish I knew,” Dante said truthfully. The guy who never lost his cool factor was looking pretty frustrated right now. “That bastard said something about the Hour of Death. No idea what the hell it means, but I'm certain it ties in with the whole Hour Pieces thing.”

“Whoa, hang on a sec,” I said. “I just thought of somethin. My uncle's friend is big into all that ancient history stuff. He might know a thing or two about it.”

Dante scowled. The thought of having to rely on me for anything was killing him inside. Selfishly, I kinda liked it.

“I get it.” We both locked eyes for a second, and I felt an odd sense of confidence come over me. “We want nothing to do with one another. Trust me man, this isn't my idea of a good time either. But we don't know a damn thing, and if we don't get on board with it soon, there's a chance we could all be in danger.”

He sighed. He knew I was right. “Let's make this quick, then.”

 

---

 

DAKOTA HILLS MUSEUM – OCTOBER 29, 2014 – 14:30

 

“So, it's a nice day, huh...?” I asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

“Be quiet. We're not friends, I don't care for small talk.”

Well okay then, jerk, is what I would have liked to say.

 

Thankfully, we had finally reached the museum doors, and so the need to try and carry on a conversation was gone. My uncle David was a big-time researcher. He had done a lot of work for multiple different museums, schools, and even film all around the globe. We had a pretty good relationship, too, because he was the one who had gotten me into Duel Monsters in the first place. But he always knew about all these random history facts that, I'm not gonna lie, I found pretty cool. Anyway, if anyone around here was gonna know something about this crap, he'd be the one. But I wasn't getting my hopes up.

 

“That'll be twenty dollars, please.” The attendant said, holding out his hand as we reached the entrance.

“My uncle works here,” I told him. “We're just here to speak with him, not to tour the museum.”

“That's all well and good. If I had a nickel for everyone who “knew” someone who worked here just to get in free, I wouldn't be working at a ticket collection booth,” he said. Someone was grumpy.

“Seriously, my name is Kyle Irvington. My uncle's a researcher here--David Irvington. I'm sure you know him.” I figured at least trying to reason with him might have gotten me somewhere. Dante stood silent, not saying a word. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“No idea kid, now pay up or get going,” the man shot back. “We've got a strict no loitering policy.”

I was flat broke, and I wasn't about to ask Dante for money to pay to get in when I'd been here hundreds of times before without it. Thankfully, luck was on our side.”

 

“Kyle! Surprised to see you here!” My uncle emerged from the building, carrying his suitcase with him. “I was just on my way home for the day, finally got a night off,” he laughed.

“You know this kid?” The man in the booth asked.

“Of course I do, he's my nephew. Kyle how many times have I told you, just mention you know me, you'll get in free!” My uncle replied with a laugh.

“I did...someone wouldn't listen,” I said, staring a hole through the jerk in the booth, as he hung his head in embarrassment.”

“Anyway, you bring a friend to check out the museum? We just got a cool new exhibit set up on the history of Artifacts!”

“Actually, we're here because Kyle said you might know a thing or two about The Hour of Death,” Dante interjected. So much for being subtle.

He froze in place, like he was still hanging on the last word of Dante's sentence. “I haven't heard that term in twenty years...” His hands were shaking, and honestly it made the entire situation creepier than it was before. “Where did you hear of it? Who...No,” he said emphatically, shaking his head in disbelief. “We can't talk about this here. Come inside, we'll go to my office. Now.” We followed him in.

“Yes sir.” I swallowed the gulp in my throat. I had no idea what was coming next.

 

---

 

There was a giant, and I mean giant TV monitor on the wall in my uncle's office. And when I say office, I mean more like a freakin suite. There were papers scattered all over the desk, and his wall was lined with pictures of almost every historical moment you could think of, and then some. After closing the door behind him, he sat down at his desk and started typing quickly, bringing a program onto the TV's main screen.

 

“I apologize for my frantic reaction, but the Hour of Death isn't something we can just openly talk about near the people,” he said, sounding a bit more normal now. “I'm not even sure it's real, but it's something researchers have tried and failed to learn more about over the years. As soon as it's been publicized, it mysteriously disappears and it's like no one had heard a thing. I've done research on it many times myself, but I've kept my findings quiet for the sake of preserving the information.”

“Hold on, why would people not want the information getting out?” Dante asked. “Assuming it is real, wouldn't it be better for people to know so there's a better way to combat it?”

“No,” my uncle shook his head. “There is no combating it. If the Hour of Death is legitimate, and the findings we've discovered are to be believed—once it starts, it cannot be stopped.”

Well that really sucked the air out of things. “But again, that's all just speculation. Some people attribute it to nothing more than urban legend.”

“I'm not so sure,” I said, almost afraid to believe it myself. Man, he made it sound even scarier. “See...we have reason to believe it's real.”

He turned around to face me, trying to gauge whether or not I was just pulling his leg. “Tell me everything you know.”

 

---

 

It took about five minutes for Dante to fill him in on the story, everything that happened from the moment we first found Katarina to the end of his duel with Raigar, and the old man's cryptic words after. My uncle had written down a lot of the things Dante said, and seemed actively engaged in trying to find some things. It was weird to see how invested he was in this, but even hearing him talk about how serious of a threat it was sent shivers down my spine. Dante didn't appear nearly as thrown off by the whole thing as I did, but I could definitely tell that he was weirded out, too.

“The Hour of Death is a legend. I don't know too much about it, but I have heard the term Hour Pieces before,” he said, bringing up a picture of a strange clock on the screen. “The knowledge I've gathered shows that the legend suggests there are twelve Hour Pieces, like all the numbers on a clock. These are represented by humans, “chosen ones” if that makes it any clearer. These chosen ones possess special powers that allow them to see things other people couldn't normally see, which might explain how you, Dante, were able to see Raigar but others walking along the street could not.”

“Special powers?” Dante asked. “But wait, Raigar made it clear that Kyle wasn't one of the Hour Pieces, they weren't after him at all. If that's the case, then your theory about only them being able to see these people can't be right.”

I was wondering the same thing. Why had I been able to see Raigar?

“I'm aware,” my uncle acknowledged. “I haven't been able to figure that part out yet. By the legend's suggestion, Kyle should have had absolutely no idea what was going on. There's always the possibility that he is one of the Hour Pieces and they were just lying about it, but that seems unlikely. Let's not forget, this is all just theory.”

“How can you say it's theory?” I asked. “I know what we saw. I saw Katarina on the brink of death!”

“I'm not doubting your story,” he said. “What I'm saying is, none of this is confirmed. This is all just based on lore we've gathered. It's obvious there are missing pieces.”

“Yeah but...”

“I understand you're concerned, Kyle,” he said. “Trust me, now I am too. But this is all so sudden, and I'm afraid that if it is legitimate, we can't afford to make mistakes. No one has ever completed the Hour of Death. The legend says that some have tried, but they've all failed. That's one trend we need to keep alive. No pun intended,” he took a sip from his coffee, and brought another image onto the screen. “The one thing I can leave you with right now is this—Dante, if it's true you're considered Number Twelve, that means you're going to be the highest priority. In other words, they're probably going to come after you again, and if he's already started making moves, I wouldn't be surprised to see it happen sooner rather than later. And Kyle,” he looked at me. “I'm going to try and figure out your connection to this, but for now you have the ability to see these people, and that means you have the ability to fight them as well. Katarina's been beaten, and once an Hour Piece has been beaten, they're eligible for capture without having to be beaten again. What that means is, it's up to you to protect her, because she's not going to be able to do it herself.”

Up to...me? I mean, I wanted to, don't get me wrong, but hearing it “officially” like this kinda made the reality set in. Things were about to change. And I'm not sure it was for the better.

“I understand you two have your differences, but right now it's best to put those differences aside,” he said. Dante and I both grumbled at one another. “I'm aware it's not the most pleasant course of action, but unless you want to find yourselves dead, until I can figure out what's going on here, we can't afford to be too careful. Is that understood?”

“I guess so...” I didn't want to work with Dante at all. He was a total jerk. But if it meant keeping Katarina and possibly the whole city safe, I'd have to find a way to make it work. “Though I'm not happy about it.”

“If you're not happy, just imagine how I feel.” Dante said. “But I'll live with it.” He turned to my uncle . “Any idea how long until we're able to figure out how to counter these guys?”

He shook his head. “I don't know yet. I have to make a few calls. Just hang tight guys, and most importantly, be careful. Using this computer system, I've programmed a number into both of your phones. If you discover anything else, call me immediately.”

 

We both nodded, prepared to leave when an alarm sounded over the room. I felt my phone beginning to vibrate in my pocket, and judging by his reaction, Dante did too. “What's this?” My uncle pressed a button on his keyboard to bring the alert up on the big screen. My heart sank and my phone fell to the ground.

“ALERT: TWO TEENS REPORTED MISSING. LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A SUBJECT, BUT ARE CONTINUALLY SEARCHING FOR ANY LEADS. 16-YEAR OLD TSUKOMO ITARI AND 17-YEAR OLD KATARINA NICOLE, BOTH STUDENTS OF DAKOTA HILL SENIOR HIGH, WERE REPORTED MISSING WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES OF EACH OTHER. PLEASE CALL THIS NUMBER WITH ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THEIR WHEREABOUTS.”

 

“Of course there's no subject...because they're not visible to the human eye...” My uncle said the words all of us were thinking, and in that moment, the reality of it all came crashing down. They had already started to make their next move.

 

And that meant Dante was next.[/spoiler]