[ Darkness vs. Darkness ]
Story By Catalyst

[ Chapter 1 ]

It had only been several days ago that it was announced a new tournament would be held that would change the way people duelled. Hayku couldn’t see what was so special about it.
There had to be something more interesting to do than just crushing amateur duellists with impunity.
The system was simple, there were ten duelling arenas for a normal duel, or a tag team match between four duellists, two on each side. Each match won would grant the winner (or winners) an amount of points equal to his or her remaining life points. This score was kept on their duel disk, and each duellist started out with 0 points. When a duellist lost a duel, he or she would lose 8000 points. When the score counter reaches 0 or lower, then they were knocked out of the tournament. Whenever a duellist reached 15000 points, they were allowed to descend to the next level through inserting their duel disk into a scanner which was placed next to an elevator descending down to the next level. What was down there nobody knew, as only two others have gone down so far.
There were some duellists who used the God cards. This little triviality didn’t affect Hayku or his ability to duel in the slightest, for he was perfectly capable of taking on a God card, whichever one came his way- mainly because he had one of his own and knew how to use it.
The metallic corridors echoed with his footsteps as he marched down towards the elevator. His score had topped at a grand total of 15650 points, well over the mark which he needed to gain access to the next level.
As he reached the scanner, which was basically a hole in the wall with a niche for the duel disk to be slotted in. Hayku undid the clasp fastening the disk to his forearm, and slotted the device into the niche. There was a moment of silence, then an electronic beep registered affirmative, and an electronic voice rang out.
“You have successfully gained a score of fifteen thousand, six hundred and fifty points. Congratulations, duellist, the next level awaits you.”
The doors to the elevator opened. Hayku retrieved the duel disk, took his time fastening it to his forearm comfortably once again, and entered the elevator. the doors closed behind him, and he felt his stomach lurch as the conveyance descended at high speeds, accompanied by a rising hum.
The interior of the elevator was totally featureless save the fluorescent lights in the ceiling, and the door at one end. There were no buttons, and not even railings adorned the walls, as they often did.
The pitch of the hum slowly descended, and the elevator slowed. Finally, the doors slid open once again, revealing another metallic corridor just like the one he had left.
As he stepped out, the door slid shut behind him, and he heard the elevator rise again.
Walking through the corridor, which only had a door at the other end, a voice rang out over the speakers set into the ceiling.
“Welcome, duellist, to the second level of this tournament. This will test your skills as a duellist against a range of decks and themes. There will be five duellists waiting for you, one after the other. As you proceed through this challenge, your life points will be restored between each match, but should they drop to zero at any time, you are eliminated. Good luck, your first challenge awaits you.”
The door at the end of the corridor slid open smoothly as Hayku neared it. He guessed it must have been an automatic door, but he didn’t see any sensors.
The chamber beyond was eerily dark, lit only by the bare necessity of lighting thanks to one, lonely, ancient-looking lightbulb above his head. The walls were of natural rock, and dripped with water as if it was sweating in the cold dampness.
A spotlight suddenly lit up, highlighting a figure at the other end of the chamber.
“My name is Mort, and I will be the first duellist you will be facing.”
He was a skinny man, almost anorexic, but he moved with a grace that belied his thin frame. Strapped to his left arm was a duel disk. Hayku regarded him with cool eyes.
“Very well, shall we begin, then?” Mort said as he grinned unpleasantly. He raised his arm, and the two parts of the duel disk snapped together. His voice was dry, almost rasping at the sandpaper-like material that must have constituted his throat. As he stepped forward, the spotlight died, once again bathing the chamber in darkness, save for the glow emanating from Mort’s duel disk, and the paltry light from the single bulb.
Hayku didn’t say a word, merely mirrored his opponent’s actions as his duel disk activated.

Mort 8000
Hayku 8000

“Since you are the challenger, I will of course let you go first.”
“You will regret that,” Hayku deadpanned, he was unfazed by the strange settings, nor was he unsettled by his opponent’s strange appearance as he was lit by the glow from his duel disk, and his voice- which constantly made Hayku want to clear his throat.
“Oh, I very much doubt that,” Mort rasped as he chuckled, a dry hiss at the back of his throat.
Hayku drew his first card, and pondered his first move.
“I will set one monster face down, and set two magic/trap cards face down. I end my turn.”
“Oh dear, playing careful now are we?” Mort grinned toothily as he drew a card off the top of his deck. “I too will set one monster face down, and two magic/trap cards. Your turn.”
“At the end of your turn, I activate face down trap card Dust Tornado, wiping out one of your traps.”
Mort laughed again, “very well, my Compulsory Evacuation Device is destroyed before it can be put to good use.”
In a storm of feathers and gale force winds, Mort’s face down card was shattered, and sent to the graveyard.
“My turn again, I flip my face down monster face up, activating my Night Assailant’s (200/500) special effect, destroy your face down monster!”
A figure wrapped in ragged robes leapt from the card, wielding a twisted blade, its arms glowing with unnatural light. Its weapon descended upon Mort’s face down monster, and destroying it instantly. There was a momentary image of a magician, before the card was sent to the graveyard.
‘An Old Vindictive Magician, lucky he didn’t get a chance to activate that.’ Out loud, Hayku slapped another card down onto his duel disk. “Now I summon my Giant Orc (2200/0) in Attack mode!”
a hulking, ogre like figure appeared on the field, brandishing a giant femur as a club, it growled at Mort, saliva dripping from its jaw. He didn’t even flinch.
“Giant Orc! Attack his life points directly!”
“Not so fast, boy! Activate face down trap card Compulsory Evacuation Device! Say goodbye to your Orc!”
In the middle of leaping at Mort, the Orc was abruptly encased in a dome-like machine. There was a brief count down, and the Orc was launched into the darkness above them with a despairing howl. The monster card returned to Hayku’s hand, ‘so he had another one down...’
“Night Assailant, attack his life points!”
The assassin leapt forward again, this time slashing his blade down at Mort himself. Mort shook his head as he smirked.
“There goes my life points.”

Mort 7800
Hayku 8000

‘I still have one face down trap, that should protect me for now if he attacks.’
“I end my turn.”
“Very well,” Mort said as he drew a card. “I activate the magic card Soul Exchange to sacrifice your Night Assailant for my Vampire Lord (2000/1500)!”
An opulently-dressed figure appeared on the field, flinging open his black cloak with a flourish of his arm. He grinned at Hayku, and he noticed that its fangs were unnaturally long.
“Unfortunately, I cannot perform my battle phase in the same turn, so I end my turn.”
Hayku frowned almost imperceptibly, ‘what’s he trying to do? He knows my Giant Orc will annihilate his Vampire Lord. And he hasn’t even set a magic/trap card...’
“I summon my Giant Orc (2200/0) in attack mode, and annihilate your Vampire Lord!”
This time the Orc managed to complete its attack, bringing its bone club down to smash against the Vampire Lord’s skull, caving it in. The vampire was sent to the graveyard.
“My Giant Orc switches to defence mode after its attack, and I end my turn.”
“All right! My turn again! I summon my Zombyra the Dark (2100/500) in attack mode, and I activate the magic card Book of Life!”
A cloaked warrior resplendent in skull-adorned armour appeared on the field, legs set apart in an aggressive stance. There was a flash of light, and a green tome appeared beside it, accompanied by the sound of unintelligible chanting the background.
“I remove your Night Assailant from your graveyard out of play and special summon back my Vampire Lord! Zombyra, attack and destroy his Giant Orc!”
“Not so fast! I activate face down trap card Magic Cylinder, and reflect Zombyra’s attack back to your life points!”
As Zombyra flew towards the crouching Giant Orc, a cylinder abruptly appeared in front of him, sucking it in. As soon as it disappeared, another cylinder appeared beside the first, and tipped over as if to pour something. Zombyra came screaming out of the cylinder as if launched from a cannon, hitting Mort full on. The man stagger a few steps, but was otherwise unfazed as his monster returned to the field.

Mort 5700
Hayku 8000

“You call this a challenge? I’ve nearly taken down half your life points, and you haven’t even hurt me yet,” Hayku stated.
Mort smiled, “you’ve seen nothing yet, boy. Vampire Lord, destroy Giant Orc!”
The vampire leapt forward, claws unsheathing themselves from his fingers and fangs from his gums. The Orc stood no chance as it was abruptly ripped apart in a display of intense violence.
This was nothing more than a sham. Some challenge this was. He smirked as he drew his next card. “I sacrifice both your monsters for my Lava Golem (3000/2500)!”
Flames erupted froth from the ground, engulfing both of Mort’s monsters. A giant shape consisting completely of red hot lava rose out of the ground. A cage snapped shut around Mort, and he was raised up into the midst of several clawing skeletons, all of which were trapped in the giant humanoid shape. The heat haze looked so real Hayku swore he could almost feel the intense heat, he began to sweat.
“I set a magic/trap card face down, and end my turn.”
As Mort drew his card, one of the clawing arms gouged his arm, inflicting further damage to his life points.

Mort 4700
Hayku 8000

“Enjoying hot, flaming death yet?”
Mort smirked, “it wouldn’t be recommended. I now sacrifice your Lava Golem for my Ryu Kokki (2400/2000), getting rid of it for good!”
A monster made completely of skulls burst through the middle of the Lava Golem, sending burning bits of lava all over the place. The skeletons shattered, and the cage was pulled asunder as the Lava Golem died.
“Ryu Kokki! Attack his life points directly!”
“I don’t think so! Activate quickplay magic card Scapegoat to special summon four Sheep Tokens (0/0)!”
In a flash of light, four balls of fluff appeared in the air in front of Hayku. Each sheep token was a different colour, and looked complacent as they floated about. The Ryu Kokki rampaged forward, and smashed one of the sheep apart in a shower of blood and gore.
Hayku drew another card, and laughed, “looks like my deck is offering you no mercy, Mort! I switch one of my Sheep Tokens into attack mode, and I play the magic card Creature Swap!”
Two arrows in a circular formation appeared on the ground, and one of the Sheep tokens were transferred to Mort’s side while the massive Ryu Kokki changed to Hayku’s side.
“Guess what, boy? I activate my third and final Compulsory Evacuation Device! And my Ryu Kokki returns to my hand!”
Again, the dome-like machine appeared, encasing Ryu Kokki. The brief count down was followed by a massive blast as Ryu Kokki was launched into the air, the monster card returned to Mort’s hand.
Hayku growled, that had been a total waste of a good magic card! “Have it your way! I switch another of my Sheep Tokens into attack mode, and attack your Sheep Token!”
One of the sheep floated gently forward, and came into contact with the one on Mort’s side of the field. The moment they touched, both disappeared in a gentle [pop].
“I set a magic/trap card and end my turn.”
There was a pause as Hayku examined his hand after drawing another card. “I set a monster in face down defence mode, and end my turn.”
Hayku drew again, and growled as he saw which card he drew, ‘this is useless to me right now!’
“Very well,” he said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. “I set another magic/trap card and end my turn.”
Mort smiled as he drew, “I set another monster face down, and end my turn.”
‘What the hell’s he trying to do?’ Hayku thought as he drew his next card. “I summon Archfiend Soldier (1900/1600) in attack mode! Attack his face down monster!”
The spiky demon warrior growled, leapt forward, and slashed his sword overhand at the face down card. There was a brief struggle, and the image of a giant turtle with a pyramid on its back appeared, and shattered. However, the pyramid was left behind.
“Fool! You’ve just destroyed my Pyramid Turtle (1200/1400)! Now I get to special summon one zombie from my deck with a defence of 2000 or less! I special summon my second Ryu Kokki (2400/2000)!”
The pyramid stood still for a moment, and abruptly crumbled to dust as another bone construct emerged from its ruins.
A blast of blue energy screamed down from above, and slammed onto the playing field. All the monsters were annihilated in the storm of energy, and when everything cleared, not a single one was left alive.
Mort raised an eyebrow, “what was that?”
“That was my trap card Torrential Tribute, which destroys all monsters whenever someone summons one onto the field,” Hayku said grimly. “I end my turn.”
“So be it.” Mort was smiling as he drew another card. “I summon Spirit Reaper (300/200) in attack mode! Attack your life points directly!”
The robed figure hissed, and flew at Hayku, its giant scythe raised. It swept the weapon down in one massive stroke, destroying a card in Hayku’s hand as well as dealing damage to his life points.

Mort 4700
Hayku 7700

“No! My Snatch Steal!” Hayku was shocked, he had never expected this, Snatch Steal had been one of his better cards. Firming his resolve, he felt suddenly determined not to let this small setback allow him to lose the duel.
Hayku drew, and growled in satisfaction as he saw what was in his hand. “First, I will set one monster face down, and now I remove three Fiend monsters from my graveyard out of play to summon my Dark Necrofear (2200/2800)!”
The robotic, puppet-like monster appeared on the field, shrouded in an aura of darkness as it cradled a broken doll in its arms.
“Dark Necrofear! Attack and destroy his Spirit Reaper! Dark Terror Force!”
The aura around Dark Necrofear abruptly expanded, and sent slivers of icy cold despair into Hayku’s mind. He bore this though, as he knew Mort’s Spirit Reaper and his life points would be experiencing far worse.
As the darkness faded, Hayku was surprised to see the Spirit Reaper still standing, “what?! Why is your Spirit Reaper still alive?!”
A rasping, hissing sound filled the air as Mort laughed, “there’s a reason it’s called ‘Spirit’ Reaper, boy. You might have hurt my life points, but you haven’t touched my Spirit Reaper.”

Mort 2800
Hayku 7700

‘I can’t believe it, he’s nearly lost, and he’s not even affected by it.’ Hayku thought as he gave over the turn to his opponent.
“I’ll first switch my Spirit Reaper into defence mode, and I play Nobleman of Crossout on your face down card!”
A knight appeared on the field, slashing his sword down at Hayku’s face down card. A worn, wooden mask appeared briefly in the air before it was sent out of play. ‘I was counting on my Mask of Darkness to bring my Torrential Tribute back too...’ Hayku thought.
“I end my turn.”
Hayku drew another card. Useless. “I end my turn,” he slumped.
Mort raised an amused eyebrow, “my, my, aren’t we demoralised.” He drew.
“First, I’ll equip the magic card Ekibyo Drakmord on your Dark Necrofear.”
Dark Necrofear suddenly began shaking uncontrollably, and its body began to corrode before Hayku’s eyes.
“Don’t worry, you only have two more turns until your Dark Necrofear is no more than dead matter.”
“You think so? I activate face down quickplay magic card, Mystical Space Typhoon, and destroy your virus.”
In a storm of cleansing wind, the affliction was wiped out, and the magic card sent to the graveyard.
“I end my turn.”
Hayku put a hand on his deck, and prayed silently, he had to get rid of that Spirit Reaper if he wanted to win. ‘Come on, deck.’
With a flourish, he drew his next card. Lady Luck was not with him, he realised.
“I summon another Archfiend Soldier in attack mode, and end my turn.”
“Enjoying my Spirit Reaper? You should be,” Hayku grinned as he drew another card from his deck. “Ah yes, finally, the card I was waiting for. I sacrifice my Spirit Reaper to summon my Dark Dust Spirit (2200/1800)! And using its special effect, I destroy all other face up monsters on the field.”
Hayku watched in despair as a sandstorm whipped up, shredding both his monsters and sending them to the graveyard.
“Dark Dust Spirit, attack his life points directly!”
The crimson, spike-studded spirit raised both its arms, fingers splayed. A blast of sand so intense it could have stripped paint off a car hit Hayku head on. He coughed, and choked on the substance, feeling each little grain bite into his skin like sandpaper. As quickly as it had started, the storm died down.

Mort 2800
Hayku 5500

Hayku was breathing hard, spitting sand out of his mouth and trying to shake off the aftereffects of the attack. he shouldn’t have let that one through. ‘Oh well, at least my Dark Necrofear can return from the graveyard and control his monster...’
As if reading his thoughts, Mort laughed in his dry, rasping hiss. “Because my Dark Dust Spirit is a Spirit monster, it returns to my hand at the end of the turn, denying your Dark Necrofear his special ability!” The Dark Dust Spirit’s image wavered, and faded as the monster card returned to Mort’s hand.
“And just before I end my turn, I set one magic/trap card.”
Hayku was still trying to get sand out of his mouth as he drew his next card. He was desperate now, and Mort probably knew it. “I play Swords of Revealing Light, and end my turn.”
Three blazing swords slammed down into the ground around Mort, lighting up his skull-like features, still grinning.
“I end my turn,” Hayku tried to keep the weariness out of his voice, with little success. This duel was taking more out of him than he thought, and he wondered what his opponent was going to do next.
“I draw, set one monster card face down, and end my turn,” Mort’s move was simple, yet it sent a shiver of paranoia down Hayku’s back. What was the monster he had just set?
This place was getting to him. He had never duelled in almost total darkness before, and he could feel it working away at his mind. At least the Swords helped to dispel some of his fears.
“I draw... and end my turn.”
Mort laughed as one of the swords shimmered, and disappeared. There were two more left now. “Not doing so well now, are we?” His grin turned really unpleasant as he drew.
“Here’s a taste of your own medicine, boy! I play Mystical Space Typhoon, blowing your Swords away!”
When the winds had died down, the swords had disappeared, leaving Mort free to attack Hayku’s life points directly.
“I now sacrifice my face down monster for another Ryu Kokki (2400/2000)! Attack his life points directly!”
Hayku couldn’t do a thing as the lumbering monstrosity threw out an arm made of skulls, lengthening it and smashing into his chest. Hayku screamed in pain, and fell flat on his back.

Mort 2800
Hayku 3100

He staggered to his feet. In a matter of turns, his opponent had reduced his life points down to almost a third of its starting value. The pain in his chest told him there was going to be a nasty bruise there later.
He barely managed to draw his next card.
“I set one magic/trap card face down, and one monster face down. I end my turn.” He had to build up his defences, and he knew these two cards were as good as any.
“Hmm... not much of a choice here for me, yes? Ryu Kokki! Attack his face down monster!”
Again, the arm stretched over the distance, and slammed into Hayku’s face down monster, sending it to the graveyard. However, something was wrong.
“I activate my Newdoria’s (1200/800) special effect! Drag his Ryu Kokki down to the grave with you!”
Two arms seized Ryu Kokki around its body, and dragged it roaring down to the graveyard.
“How did you like that, Mort?” Hayku sneered.
Mort merely smiled, “I commend your move, boy. However, I anticipated that you would do such a thing. I now set one monster face down, and end my turn.”
‘Bastard, I’ll show you just what my deck can do...’
“I summon a Giant Orc (2200/0) in attack mode! Attack and destroy his face down monster!”
The Orc roared, and smashed its club down onto the face down monster. The Pyramid Turtle’s head was completely pulverised as it died, leaving behind only the pyramid on its back.
“Not a smart move, boy! I now special summon my third and last Ryu Kokki (2400/2000) onto the field!”
The pyramid burst into flames, lighting up the area briefly before crumbling to ashes. And from the pile of ashes rose a Ryu Kokki, the red orb set into its chest glowing with unnatural light.
“My Giant Orc switches into defence mode after its attack, and I end my turn.”
“Ah, yes, finally. Ready to die yet, boy?”
Hayku braced himself, he had to be ready for anything now.
“First I will pay 800 life points to play Premature Burial and special summon my Vampire Lord back from the grave! Rise once again, my creature!!”
As the vampire again rose from the grave, Mort’s life points dropped.

Mort 2000
Hayku 3100

“I now remove my Vampire Lord from play to special summon my Vampire Genesis (3000/2100)!”
The vampire writhed as a terrible transformation came upon it. In a burst of bloody flesh and expensive cloth, a new, more terrifying monster rose. Its indigo body was backed by a pair of massive wings as it gnashed its teeth, and laughed coldly.
“Now, I use my Vampire Genesis’ special effect to discard my Despair from the Dark (2800/3000) to special summon back another Ryu Kokki (2400/2000)! Ryu Kokki! Attack and destroy his Giant Orc!”
The Orc’s body was completely pulverised as it was sent to the graveyard.
“Now my creatures! Attack his life points directly!” there was a note of insane glee in Mort’s voice as he declared his attack.
“Not so fast! I activate my face down quickplay magic card Scapegoat!”
“Another one, eh? Well let’s see how they stand up to the power of my monsters! ATTACK!!” Mort’s eyes were wide with feral insanity as his monsters leapt to do his bidding, pulverising two of the balls of fluff that now floated in front of Hayku.
He didn’t know what to do now, there were three insanely strong monsters in front of him, and all he had to defend himself with were two balls of fluff.
As he drew his next card, however, hope again flared within his mind. ‘I just need to hold out for one more turn now...’
He didn’t let this show however, as he played another card. “I play Pot of Greed, and draw two more cards... then I set one more magic/trap card, and end my turn.”
Mort’s expression had transformed from the calm, almost mocking one to the face of a madman. His lips were drawn back, and his eyes were so wide that for a moment he looked like a skull in the dim light of his duel disk, highlighting his face from below.
“Ryu Kokki! Vampire Genesis! Attack his monsters and his life points!”
Two more sheep were mercilessly crushed, reduced to nothing more than balls of bloodstained fur and gore. The stench of dead bodies was starting to permeate in the air, and Hayku wrinkled his nose at the smell.
“I activate my third and last Scapegoat!” he yelled as Mort’s Vampire Genesis reached towards him. Hayku felt no pity for the poor sheep token that was smashed against the chamber’s wall, sliding down to land in a bloody heap as it died.
Mort cackled, “not long now, boy. Soon, I will have your soul!!!”
Hayku kept his fear in check. There was something seriously wrong with this now, but his victory was in his grasp and all he needed was one last card...
As he tentatively looked at the card he drew, his weary expression turned to one of triumph. “Prepare to lose the game, Mort! First I will play the magic card Premature Burial, special summoning back my Giant Orc (2200/0).”

Mort 2000
Hayku 2300

“Now I summon another Giant Orc (2200/0) in attack mode!” he slapped the card down on his duel disk, and watched as another hulking Orc appeared on the field.
Mort hadn’t caught on with what he was doing, his expression hadn’t changed. “None of your monsters are strong enough to destroy any of mine!! Are you suicidal?!! Not that I mind...” He burst into a fit of insane laughter.
Hayku gritted his teeth as he made his next move. “Laugh this up, you freak. I now sacrifice my three remaining Sheep Tokens to special summon Obelisk the Tormentor (4000/4000)!!” he cried triumphantly.
Three sheep tokens were sacrificed as Hayku called upon his God. A wind whipped up, carrying with it flames that burnt and twisted everything it came into contact with it. A sense of deeply-rooted horror rose up, suppressing all other emotions as the God descended. His blue form was adorned with massive spikes, and two gigantic wings whipped the air into a frenzy as He landed, shaking the earth to its core. The gem on His forehead glowed a bright blue as it laughed a deep, cruel laugh. All the monsters on the field visibly cringed away from the massive monster.
Mort’s face didn’t change, though Hayku could tell he was terrified. “I activate my face down trap card Waboku, denying you the chance to attack this turn!! If you think I die so easily, think again! You have three monsters to take care of, and next turn I will win this!!!”
Three robed priestesses materialised in the air in front of Mort’s monsters, forming a holy barrier through which nothing could penetrate, even a God.
Hayku laughed now, venting all his frustration and despair in a single, drawn out, mocking laugh. Obelisk laughed along with him, His deep, cold voice making the sound all the much more terrifying. The sense of terror and dread deepened, but Hayku’s faith in Obelisk shielded him from most of the adverse effects generated by the presence of his God.
He snarled as his laugh died down. “Who said I needed to attack you to destroy you utterely? Prepare yourself for your doom!!! I sacrifice both my Giant Orcs to annihilate all of your monsters, and deal 4000 damage to your life points! Obelisk! I sacrifice to you two of my worthiest monsters! SMITE YOUR ENEMIES, AND REND THEIR SOULS FROM THEIR BODIES!!!”
Both Orcs writhed as their souls were fed to the God. Obelisk opened His jaws, and roared his rage at the skies. His entire body began to glow blue, illuminating the entire chamber, and throwing back every shadow that dared to cringe in the recesses of the room. In an awesome display of power, Obelisk released His energy in one massive burst that sent shockwaves through the foundations of the building. Hayku watched as the enormous burst of energy completely vaporised all of his opponent’s monsters, screaming towards a horrified Mort. His mouth was wide open, and both his arms raised as if to shield himself from the divine energy.
The shockwave hit him, sweeping him off his feet and slamming him back against the rocky wall of the chamber. The thunder of its impact was so loud Hayku thought he was going to go deaf for a second. The paltry light bulb overhead and the numerous spotlights that had remained unused in the darkness above shattered, sending shards of broken glass and twisted metal raining down upon both duellists. Obelisk’s bulk suddenly moved, and shielded a surprised Hayku from the deadly downpour.

Mort 0
Hayku 2300

As everything calmed, Hayku stood up again. The concrete floor was littered with glass and twisted bits of metal. In some places the smooth concrete had been shattered, as if something massive had stepped on them, and crushed them under its immense weight.
Hayku was panting, every breath came with difficulty, his heart pounding at the rate of several hundred beats per hour.
After surveying the scene, he realised bits of metal and glass weren’t the only things in this chamber.
What he saw made him gape.
Bits of shattered bone, the remnants of a skull here, and half of a giant femur there, were scattered amongst the glass and metal. There were also piles of burnt flesh, broken and ripped open as if they had been opened with a can opener and then roasted over an open fire. The air was full of the stench of death, and burnt meat.
On one corner, slumped against a wall, was the broken form of Mort. Hayku picked his way gingerly amongst the debris, avoiding the piles of broken flesh and trying not to gag at the sight of them. He felt blood run down his arm where a few stray pieces of flying debris had caught him unawares.
Mort was laid against the wall, his expression contorted in one of sheer terror. His duel disk lay in pieces, and only the main part remained strapped to his forearm. Likewise, his deck was scattered around his body, some cards were so mutilated they were no longer recognisable as cards. Mort’s body was twisted, one of his arms bent at an angle it was never designed to be bent at.
But he was still breathing, a ragged, shallow sound from his blood mouth.
Which was when Hayku realised something else.
He could see in the dark.
The lights had been shattered, and yet his eyesight was as unaffected as if the entire room was lit by fluorescent lights. He knew it was dark, but his eyes weren’t agreeing with him.
Another part of him suddenly took over; the part which felt indifferent towards the gory piles of smoking flesh; the part which actually relished in the destruction he had caused. This was the darker part of him that knew just how to activate Obelisk’s special ability, and had no qualms about using it even though it inevitably led to the death of his opponent- or rather the destruction of his soul.
His mind had no say in this now, only his darkness had control of his body- the rest of him had been shoved into the back seat.
He smirked, for a moment revealing teeth too sharp to be from a human mouth. “Death shall run rampant through this world, and Darkness shall rule all,” he intoned, giving Mort’s body one last contemptuous look before giving it a kick, and then exiting through the door which now opened near where his opponent had stood.
There was far more to this tournament than anyone could bargain for, and his darkness had learnt this during the duel, though his real self was far too shocked at the consequences to try and face it. The smirk on Hayku’s face did not diminish as he walked through the brightly lit corridor onto his next challenge.

[ Chapter 2 ]

“I summon my Swordsman of Landstar (500/1200), and activate the Spell card Creature Swap!”
“I counter that with my Magic Jammer!”
“Grr... then I play Snatch Steal, and take control of your Dark Driceratops (2400/1500)!”
“How do you like my Mystical Space Typhoon?”
“Then I activate my Call of the Haunted on my Berserk Gorilla (2000/1000), and equip with an Axe of Despair to boost its attack to 3000! Attack and destroy his Dark Driceratops!”
“I activate the trap card Zero Gravity, switching your Gorilla into defence mode, and destroying it!"
The look of shock on his opponent’s face was priceless.
“Y-you countered every one of my moves!”
“That’s right! And you lose right here, right now! I remove a Light and a Dark monster from my Graveyard to summon my Black Luster Soldier- Envoy of the Beginning (3000/2500)! Attack and destroy his Blazing Inpachi (1850/0)!”

Isaac 8000
Martin 3350

“Dark Driceratops! Destroy the pathetic excuse of a monster! Goodbye, Swordsman of Landstar!”
“N-No! I activate trap card Waboku!”
“Hmph, I counter with my Trap Jammer, negating your pathetic little attempt to save your life points.”

Isaac 8000
Martin 1450

“I still have life points left! I can still win this!”
“You can, can you? I activate my Black Luster Soldier’s special effect. If I destroyed a monster with my first attack, my Envoy of the Beginning can attack once more! Take the rest of his life points!”
The giant armoured figure crouched for a second, then sprang into the air, bringing its massive blade down in one deadly sweep, taking the last of his opponent’s life points.

Isaac 8000
Martin 0

Isaac smirked, this was too easy. His Black Luster Soldier had already taken care of twelve other duellists, and not a single time in all those matches had he actually lost any life points.
His grand total now stood at an incredible 104000 points, almost seven times the amount required to get to the next level of this tournament, but he was staying to “eliminate the competition”. Plus, it was fun, it was survival of the fittest at work.
As he shuffled his deck, Isaac noticed with some amusement how most of the other more cautious duellists were physically shying away from him as he walked. ‘Hmph, weak fools...’ he thought contemptuously as he placed his deck back into his duel disk, and began making his way to the elevator.
The corridor was brightly lit, yet there was an undertone of darkness here, as if something dark had passed here not too long ago. He frowned, and shook off the feeling. He had been too paranoid of late, and this was no time for him to feel that everybody else was out to get him.
Approaching the niche in the wall where the duel disk was supposed to be inserted, Isaac unfastened the disk from his forearm, and paused before inserting the device into the slot.
There was a moment of silence, and then a pre-recorded voice rang out.
“You have successfully gained a score of one hundred and four thousand points. Congratulations, duellist, the next level awaits you.”
The elevator doors opened, and Isaac retrieved his duel disk before entering it.
After the brief trip downwards, he exited the metal box, and again walked through a corridor exactly the same as the one he had left, as another pre-recorded voice spoke.
“Welcome, duellist, to the second level of this tournament. This will test your skills as a duellist against a range of decks and themes. There will be five duellists waiting for you, one after the other. As you proceed through this challenge, your life points will be restored between each match, but should they drop to zero at any time, you are eliminated. Good luck, your first challenge awaits you.”
Isaac ignored every word of it. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know about this already.
However, as he entered the next chamber, he knew something was serious wrong.
It looked like a battlefield. Broken glass, and twisted pieces of metal which could barely be recognised as spotlights littered the ground. Amongst all the debris, shards of burnt bone and piles of still-smoking flesh told him that more than just a duel had occurred here.
Again, there was the all-too familiar sense of darkness, only stronger.
A moan turned his attention away from the scene of destruction to a figure slumped against a wall.
His duel disk was broken, and the remnants of his deck scattered around him. His body looked as if it had been thrown against the wall with tremendous force, highly likely seeing the destruction in the rest of the chamber. His face muscles were slack, and his eyes stared off into space. He didn’t move, except for the occasional twitch as he emitted another low moan, this time it was more like a gurgle than a moan.
This man’s soul had been taken away from his body.
Isaac frowned, turning his attention back to the rest of the room for the moment. He tried to work out what had happened. Had something malfunctioned, and exploded? No, not likely. No explosion of any size would tear the very soul from a human body.
Not a normal explosion anyway.
He prodded one of the scorched piles of flesh. There was evidence of a horn here and there, and a burnt skull. It looked like a sheep’s skull.
More than just a duel had occurred here.
The door into the next room was open, its form twisted so that it was no incapable of closing itself. Isaac walked through, feeling a little trepidation at the thought of what he might face.

* * *

This room, in contrast with the last one, was brightly lit and neatly furnished with a duel arena and nothing else. Another duellist stood at the other end of the chamber, and greeted him.
“My name is Boris, and welcome to my duelling arena.”
The man was unremarkable, with European features and a head of fair hair he could have easily been lost in a crowd. However, he held himself regally as if he was ruler of the entire world. Hayku despised him immediately, which wasn’t surprising since his darkness was thundering through his mind, filling it with thoughts of death, destruction, and chaos. visions of violence and horrible death screamed through his mind.
“My name is Hayku.” He said as he raised the arm with the duel disk attached, “why don’t we start duelling instead of standing around talking?” His duel disk activated, and snapped into its active position.
Boris smiled, “you think you’re so good, don’t you? I’ll show you, you little punk.”

Boris 8000
Hayku 8000

“Oh yes, did I also mention I gain an advantage in this match?”
The floor in front of the duellists opened, and a pool of water made to resemble a vast ocean was revealed on Boris’ side of the field.
“The Field spell card Legendary Ocean will boost all the attacks of my water monsters’ attack and defence by 200 points, and downgrade their level by 1 star. Plus it can never be destroyed by any effect,” Boris smirked. “Ready to start?”
Hayku was unimpressed. “I will of course go first,” he said as he drew his first card, not waiting for a response.
Quickly scanning his cards, he made his opening move. “I set one Spell/Trap card face down, and summon Archfiend Soldier (1900/1500) in Attack Mode.”
“A pathetic opening move for a pathetic duellist,” Boris sneered as he drew.
“Are duelling, or are we talking?” Hayku raised an eyebrow, his expression kept carefully blank. He was sick of duellists like Boris, who thought they were so good, and mentioned as much at every opportunity. It was a pathetic attempt at trying to intimidate his opponents, and Hayku wasn’t buying any of it.
“As you wish,” Boris smirked. “I Summon my Amphibious Bugroth MK-3 (1500/1300) in Attack Mode, its ATK boosted to 1700 due to my Legendary Ocean!”
“However, your monster is still weaker than mine,” Hayku pointed out.
Boris chuckled, “it doesn’t need to destroy your monster to damage your Life Points. When Legendary Ocean is on the field, my Amphibious Bugroth MK-3 has a special attack. Attack his Life Points directly! Homing Missiles!”
There was a tongue of flame and smoke, and two missiles streaked over Hayku’s monster. He didn’t even have time to react before the missiles impacted on the ground around him, the concussion throwing him to the floor. His ears rang from the close proximity of the explosion as he staggered back to his feet. There were two craters on the floor next to him, one on either side.

Boris 8000
Hayku 6300

“Now I set two Spell/Trap cards, and end my turn.”
Hayku spat, “I’ll destroy you yet, human.” He promised, drawing another card.
He pressed a button on his duel disk as he declared his move. “I activate the Spell card Snatch Steal, gaining control of your Amphibious Bugroth!”
A figure leapt down from the ceiling, smashing through the cockpit of the machine, and hot-wired the controls. Within seconds, Hayku was the proud owner of the deadly machine.
“Ready for some pain, human? I summon a second Archfiend Soldier (1900/1500) in Attack Mode! Attack his life Points directly!”
His Archfiend Soldiers didn’t move. Hayku looked at them in bewilderment, and finally noticed that they were hunched over, as if a giant weight had been placed on their backs.
“You like that, boy? My Trap card Gravity Bind disallows any Level 4 or higher monster to attack!” Boris laughed. Hayku could only grind his teeth in quiet anger.
“Your turn,” he growled through gritted teeth.
“I gain 1000 Life Points from the effect of your Spell card Snatch Steal, bringing me up to 9000 Life Points.”

Boris 9000
Hayku 6300

“You have been spared the wrath of the ocean for another turn boy. I set one monster face down, and set one Spell/Trap card. Your turn.”
Hayku drew. Finally, the card he needed to get rid of that pesky Gravity Bind. But he had to set it first. “I set one Spell/Trap card face down, and one monster face down.”
He looked over his side of the field. None of his monsters could attack because they were all Level 4 monsters. And turn by turn his opponent was gaining more and more Life Points.
Wait a minute.
“Amphibious Bugroth MK-3! Attack his Life Points directly!”
Amphibious Bugroth MK-3’s Level was reduced from 4 to 3 by the effect of Legendary Ocean! Hayku cursed himself for not noticing earlier.
As the missiles streaked towards his opponent, and just before they impacted, gale force winds picked up. Hayku’s clothes were whipped up in a frenzy by the winds as three tornadoes formed around his opponent. The missiles impacted harmlessly on them, their powers useless against such an awesome elemental force.
Boris’ laughter could be heard even over the howl of the winds. It was as if the sounds weren’t received by his ears alone, but his mind as well.
“As long as I have Legendary Ocean on the field, my Tornado Wall protects me from receiving any damage from your attacks!” he declared mockingly.
Hayku could do nothing else but end his turn.
“And I gain another 1000 Life Points.”

Boris 10000
Hayku 6300

As Boris drew his card, he smiled again.
“I summon a second Amphibious Bugroth MK-3 (1500/1300 >>> 1700/1500)! Attack him again with Homing Missiles!”
For a moment Hayku thought the projectiles were going to be deflected by the tornadoes. But, wavering, the missiles returned to their original course, exploding in the air above him and throwing him to the ground again.

Boris 10000
Hayku 4600

This was not good. His opponent now had more than twice his Life Points, and his defences were impossible to overcome. Thankfully, Boris ended his turn, and Hayku drew, praying to the Dark Gods for the card that he needed.
The wind nearly tore the card out of his hand, but when he saw what it was, he laughed. “My turn to fight back now, Boris. First I’ll activate my trap card Dust Tornado to destroy your Tornado Wall!”
A storm of feathers and wind picked up, seven more ferocious than the tornadoes. The air was filled with a misty substance that made seeing anything beyond three feet difficult. Hayku could barely make out the forms of his monsters in front of him.
When the wind died, everything was quiet again. The tornadoes had died down, and Boris was on the other side of the field glaring daggers at Hayku.
“I still have my Gravity Bind on the field, and my face down cards, boy.”
Hayku shrugged nonchalantly, “you think that’s going to make a difference? I sacrifice your Amphibious Bugroth MK-3, denying you any more Life Points! In its place I summon my third favourite monster. Come forth, my Jinzo (2400/1500)!”
Boris snarled, and swore as the monster appeared on the field.
“And of course, my Jinzo nullified the effect of your Gravity Bind, and your face down Trap card. Attack and destroy his Amphibious Bugroth MK-3!”
A ball of crackling darkness was hurled towards the machine, expanding into a black hole that twisted and mangled the monster until it was barely recognisable. Finally, the black hole sucked the machine in completely, and faded itself.

Boris 9500
Hayku 4600

Hayku frowned, “what?! You should have taken 700 damage from that attack! You cheater!” He accused.
Boris merely pointed at his Jinzo, and said, “take a look at your Jinzo.”
Hayku did so. He was shocked to see spots of rust all over his metallic monster’s form. “What happened to my Jinzo?!”
“My Legendary Ocean rusts all Machine sub-type monster, and decreases their ATK by 200 points.”
“Then why wasn’t your Amphibious Bugroth not affected?”
“My Amphibious Bugroth MK-3 is a state-of-the-art machine, waterproofed and with failsafe systems to ward again such an eventuality,” was Boris’ confident reply.
Hayku growled, “no matter, I can still destroy you even if my Jinzo is weakened. Archfiend Soldier, attack and destroy his face down card!”
He watched as, in one fluid motion, the demon drew its wicked scimitar, and brought it around in a wide arc to slash downwards at the face down card, breaking it into two.
Without warning, a wind picked up, and his Jinzo was thrown back against the wall of the arena with a dull metallic thump, and the card was returned to Hayku’s hand.
“You think I didn’t prepare for such an eventuality? My Gale Lizard’s effect was activated when you attacked it, returning one monster on your side of the field to your hand. And since your Jinzo is no longer on the field, my Gravity Bind is back in working order.”
Hayku watched helplessly as his Archfiend Soldiers struggled to stay on their feet, their backs bent under the enormous gravitational forces exerted on them.
“I believe it’s my turn now,” Boris said as he drew. “Hmm, let’s start killing your Archfiend Soldiers now. I summon Gagagigo (1850/1000 >>> 2050/1200) in Attack Mode! Destroy one of his Archfiend Soldiers!”
The reptilian warrior swam stealthily through the water, suddenly leaping up, and tackling the Archfiend Soldier. Both of them were submerged, the thrashing of the water only clue to the struggle that went on beneath the surface. Eventually, the waters stilled, and Gagagigo swam back to its side of the field, leaving a quickly dissipating corpse of the Archfiend Soldier float to the surface, where it dissolved into a grease film.

Boris 9500
Hayku 4450

“Your turn, little man.”
Hayku clenched his fist, he was down to two monsters, none of which could attack.
He drew. And pondered his next move. First he had to get rid of Boris’ monsters, then he would attack. Who knew what that face down card was, and if it wasn’t a Trap, then his Jinzo would be helpless to deal with it.
“I set one monster face down, and switch my Archfiend Soldier into Defence Mode.”
“Not that it’s going to do you much good, boy,” Boris said as he drew, still supremely confident of a victory.
“I summon Mother Grizzly (1400/1000 >>> 1600/1200) in Attack Mode, which is just powerful enough to destroy your Archfiend Soldier! Attack!”
Hayku’s Archfiend Soldier vainly tried to defend itself with its weapon as the huge bear lumbered towards it, wading through the water. The bear batted its weapon out of the way, snapping it like a twig. Its massive paw swung around, hitting the demon’s head and taking it off in one clean sweep. Hayku winced as the body of his monster fell forward into the water, and dissolved into a puddle of foul-smelling grease which covered the surface of the water.
‘Come on, one more attack...’ Hayku thought, knowing Boris couldn’t possibly resist destroying his face down monsters.
Boris hesitated for a moment, scanning both of Hayku’s face down monster. “Gagagigo, attack the left hand side face down monster!”
The lizard roared, and leapt forward, its claws slashing the face down monster to ribbons. Hayku grinned inwardly.
“You just activated the effect of my Newdoria (1200/800)! Drag Gagagigo down to the grave with you!”
Hayku watched as Gagagigo was destroyed along with Newdoria. He glanced at Boris, who seemed surprisingly calm for someone who had just lost one of their more powerful monsters.
“I set one Trap card face down, and end my turn,” Boris yawned, somewhat insolently, Hayku thought. “Do whatever you want, boy, you’ve lost this.”
He drew. Finally, a useful card.
“I sac-”
Boris seemed to wake up, “oh, yes, that’s right. I activate my face down Trap card Compulsory Evacuation Device, returning your monster to your hand.”
Hayku glared, but could do nothing.
“I set one monster face down, and one Spell/Trap card.
“I end my turn,” he conceded.
“Very well, Mother Grizzly, destroy his face down monster.”
The bear roared as she swiped with an enormous paw, smashing the card to pieces.
“Newdoria, destroy Mother Grizzly!” Hayku snarled.
Boris chuckled, “ah, very good boy. I thought you were just going to stand there and do nothing for a second. You turn.”
“During your End Phase, I activate my Scapegoat, summoning 4 Sheep Tokens (0/0) onto my side of the field,” Hayku said, pressing a button on his duel disk to activate his card.
Boris smiled knowingly. “You turn.”
Hayku drew another card, and narrowed his eyes. ‘Soon now... just one more card...’ he thought as he ended his turn.
“My that was quick. Got nothing good, huh?” he asked as he played another monster. “I summon another Mother Grizzly (1400/1000 >>> 1600/1200) in Attack Mode! Destroy one of his sheep.”
Hayku watched nonchalantly as one of the little fur balls were wiped out, its bloody form slamming against the wall with a wet [splat], and sliding down to rest in a heap, leaving a trail of blood and miscellaneous fluids in a streak down the wall. Boris either had no clue as to what he was about to do, or did not care.
It was his turn again, and he gave another brief prayer to the Dark Gods as he drew. He laughed, the Gods hadn’t abandoned him after all. “I am going to clear your field, and wipe that smart-ass grin off your face,” he promised.
“I switch one of my Sheep Tokens into Attack Mode, and play the Spell card Creature Swap!”
With a confused roar, the Mother Grizzly switched to his side of the field, while one of the small horned fur balls floated to the other side of the field, eyes still closed and smiling beatifically despite its comrade’s messy demise.
“Before I do anything, I need to get rid of that pesky Gravity Bind. Activate Heavy Storm!”
A blast of wind slammed down on both sides of the field, destroying every Spell and Trap card. Fortunately, Hayku hadn’t set any during the last few turns, and so he was unaffected, while Boris’ Gravity Bind and his face down card was sent to the graveyard.
“I now sacrifice your Mother Grizzly to bring out my Jinzo (2400/1500) >>> 2200/1500) once again!
“And that’s not all! I remove three Fiend type monsters from my graveyard out of play to Special Summon my Dark Necrofear (2200/2800)!”
He grinned, he had two of his toughest hitters out on the field, while his opponent had a measly sheep in Attack Mode. There was going to be some pain now. “Jinzo, Dark Necrofear, ATTACK!!!”
The Sheep Token didn’t stand a snowball in a furnace’s chance of surviving the twin balls of Darkness that streaked towards it, and was wiped out, along with a good chunk of Boris’ Life Points.

Boris 5100
Hayku 4450

As Boris regained his feet, he clapped. The sound was abnormally loud and alien in the enclosed space. He was laughing, against all expectations.
“Commendable, boy, commendable. That was nicely done. However, it is my turn now.”
Hayku’s sharp eyes picked out something different about Boris. Was it him, or was Boris’ eyes more diluted than usual? His pupils seemed noticeably larger than they had been moments ago.
“First, I think I’ll get rid of your monsters. Activate Spell card Snatch Steal!”
“NO!”
Hayku could do nothing as his Jinzo was borne away, struggling helplessly.
“Now, attack his Dark Necrofear!”
Two balls of Darkness slid past each other, streaking towards their targets. Hayku had to shield his eyes as crackling energy met metallic form and demonic construct. There was an explosion of Darkness so dark he had to screw his eyes shut lest he be blinded. Even with his eyes shut, dark afterimages still swam before his eyes. Both his monsters were dead, consumed by their own darkness.
“Now that I’ve gotten rid of your monsters, I set one card face down, and end my turn.”
Hayku shook his head, ridding himself of the black blobs in his vision. “My turn,” was all he could manage through the cloud of rage. How dare this... thing destroy his monsters like this?
“I play Graceful Charity! I draw three cards, and discard my Night Assailant (200/500) and my Giant Orc (2200/0)! Now I set two Spell/Trap cards, and end my turn!”
Boris laughed, his head thrown back and peals of mocking laughter echoing from the walls. “Nice move boy, but not good enough! I play the Spell card heavy Storm!”
“I chain my Call of the Haunted to return my Jinzo (2400/1500 >>> 2200/1500) to my side of the field!”
“A lot of good that will do you. Remember my Gagagigo? Well this is the powered up version! I summon my Giga Gagagigo (2450/1500 >>> 2650/1700), in Attack Mode! Destroy his Jinzo once and for all!”
The cyborg lizard, with its metal armour and weapons, growled. Metal claws flashed, and Jinzo was reduced to a pile of scrap metal.

Boris 5100
Hayku 4000

“You better do something about this, boy. You only have two sheep left to defend you,” Boris smirked as he ended his turn.
Hayku drew. This card was useless.
“I end my turn,” he conceded.
“Giga Gagagigo, attack!”
One sheep left.
“Try again, boy.”
Hayku drew again. Another useless card.
“Attack!”
Hayku was completely defenceless now.
“Last chance, boy! I set one Spell/Trap card face down, and end my turn.”
He drew again.
“I set one monster face down, and I play Premature Burial to bring back my Dark Necrofear (2200/2800), in Defence Mode!”
“Cough up boy, 800 Life Points,” Boris pointed out.

Boris 5100
Hayku 3200

“At least your monsters can’t hurt me.”
“Oh, you think so? Because I just drew the card that will annihilate you!”
Hayku quietly braced himself, wondering what new horrors his opponent’s deck would reveal.
“I sacrifice my Giga Gagagigo, to bring out the lord of the seas, my Levia Dragon Daedalus (2600/1500 >>> 2800/1700)!”
There was a moment of silence as the cyborg lizard warrior was destroyed. Hayku licked his suddenly dry lips, his heartbeat the loudest sound in his world as he awaited the arrival of the new monster.
There was a low rumble, and without warning, a huge sea dragon burst forth from the waves, rocketing up to the ceiling of the chamber, then dove, and streaked along the water. The liquid frothed, and parted before the dragon like a crowd before a tank. Water splashed out of the pool, soaking Hayku up to his knees. The dragon streaked back towards Boris’ side of the field, its armoured head studded with huge green and purple gems as it roared.
“And now, before I attack you with it, I will activate its special ability to ensure your pesky cards don’t get in the way. Daedalus! Tidal Surge!!!”
The Dragon roared again as light blazed forth from its open maw and from the gems on its head. The waters rose, and swept through the room, destroying everything in its path.
When Hayku looked again, everything except the Levia Dragon had been destroyed.
What awesome power was this? His opponent’s deck was unstoppable!
“Levia Dragon! Attack his Life Points directly!”
Hayku screamed in pain as blinding light shot forth from the dragon’s jaws, and washed over him. Every cell of his body felt as if it was being crushed, squeezed and then pounded into the ground. The world was white with the light, and with pain.

Boris 5100
Hayku 600

Finally, the attack ceased, and Hayku’s unseeing eyes gave his vision back. He struggled to his feet, every movement made his flesh burn. He groaned in pain.
Boris laughed again, “I set one Spell/Trap card face down, and end my turn.”
“That’s not all...” Hayku croaked. “Since you destroyed my Dark Necrofear, now it returns, and possesses your Levia Dragon.” He couldn’t afford another attack like that again, and to do that he had to deny Boris his monster.
The Levia Dragon’s (2600/1500) eyes suddenly went dark, and an aura of darkness went up around it as it swam sinuously through the air towards Hayku’s side of the field, and stayed. Boris didn’t say anything.
“Why has it returned to 2600 ATK?”
Boris smirked, “because by activating Tidal Surge, I had to give up my Legendary Ocean’s special effects. It’s your lucky day, boy.”
With a trembling hand, Hayku drew his next card.
“I set one monster face down... Levia Dragon, attack his life points.”
The Dragon didn’t move, and Hayku was horrified to see it straining to move.
“No...” he whispered incredulously.
“Yes, it’s another Gravity Bind,” Boris grinned savagely.
“I end my turn.”
Boris drew a card. “One more card, boy, and you lose this. I end my turn.”
Hayku drew another card.
‘Let’s see how much he enjoys watching his monsters turn into sick parodies of their former selves,’ he thought as he shakily slotted a card into his duel disk.
“I activate the Spell card Metamorphosis to transform your Levia Dragon Daedalus!”
The dragon roared as waves of horrific transformation ripped through its body. Its armour plates cracked, and pieces clattered to the floor. Two semi-transparent pseudopodia burst out of its writhing back, and another one out of its open jaws, cutting off its roar. Its flesh rippled, and finally exploded as another monster was born.
Hayku wiped blood off his face, and picked a small string of flesh off his duel disk as he admired his new monster.
“Say hello to my Humanoid Worm Drake (2200/2000), Boris.”
The thing was transparent, with miscellaneous purple blobs throughout its body. Its form was in constant motion, shapeshifting like quicksilver but still maintaining the core form of a dragon made completely out of slime.
Boris’ face was a mask of rage. “How dare you do that to my monster!!! You have just earned yourself a slow and painful death, boy!”
Hayku chuckled darkly, “let’s see you try to kill me then.”
“We’ll see about that...” Boris snarled as he drew. “I summon Mermaid Knight (1500/700), in Attack Mode!”
“However, you cannot attack with that Gravity Bind on the field, Boris,” Hayku mocked.
“Neither can you.”
“Oh, we’ll see about that.”
Hayku drew, ‘perfect.’
“I set one Spell/Trap card face down, and end my turn.”
“You are going to regret that move, boy. I set one Spell/Trap card face down. Your turn.”
Hayku wondered what Boris was planning. Oh well, might as well go for it.
“Activate Dust Tornado, and destroy your Gravity Bind!
“This is the end, Boris!” Hayku declared as he flipped his face down monster into face up position. “I activate Night Assailant’s (200/500) special effect, and destroy your Mermaid Knight!”
A glowing sword flew towards the unprotected knight, and speared right through her chest. The Mermaid fell into a crumpled heap, and sank underwater, leaving an expanding cloud of pink behind it.
“Humanoid Worm Drake, attack!!”
A pseudopod flew towards Boris, honed to a sharpness only found on a surgeon’s tool rack.
Boris laughed as he watched the point get closer and closer. At the last possible second, he activated his face down card.
“Activate Call of the Haunted, and return my Levia Dragon Daedalus from the graveyard!!”
Hayku’s eyes widened. “Stop the attack!”
The pseudopod stopped inches from Boris’ face, and withdrew as quickly as it had been extended.
“I play Swords of Revealing Light, stalling you for three turns!”
Three glowing swords slammed into the ground around Boris.
“Your turn...”
Boris drew again. “I end my turn.”
Hayku drew again, and smiled triumphantly.
“I summon Tribe-Infecting Virus (1600/1000) in Attack mode! And I discard one card from my hand to infect all Sea Serpents on the field with the virus!”
“NO!”
Boris’ expression was horrified as he watched blotches appear on his dragon’s hide. Slowly, the Dragon’s skin began to dissolve, and half a minute later, only the pitted and corroded skeleton remained, which fell limply half in and half out of the water like a dead fish.
“All out attack!”
Boris was hurled off his feet by the attack. The Worm Drake’s body pulsed for a second, and it too shot out a series of needle thin pseudopodia, which pierced Boris’ abdomen and arm in several places. He screamed with the agony, and the pseudopodia withdrew, returning to the Worm Drake’s rippling body.

Boris 1100
Hayku 600

‘Hmm... 4000 Life Points in one go, not bad...’ Hayku thought as he laughed.
Boris stood back up, much to Hayku’s surprise. Blood wept from the wounds on his body, but he managed to stand. Hayku raised an eyebrow, he could still stand. ‘Back for more punishment, huh? I’ll gladly comply with that request.’
Boris drew, and smiled weakly.
“Prepare to meet my ultimate monster, boy. First, I’ll summon my Unshaven Angler (1500/1600), and then I play the Spell card Big Wave Small Wave to destroy all my Water monsters, and allowing me to Special Summon the same number from my hand! The rage of the oceans shall devastate you and your pathetic soul, boy! Rise, my Ocean Dragon Lord- NEO-DAEDALUS (2900/1600)!!!”
Once again, the waters heaved upwards, and this time a twin-headed sea dragon flew out of the water, roaring as it streaked around the room. It was truly a massive brute, one of its heads easily the size of Hayku himself. He gazed up at the monster as it roared at him, not afraid nor impressed.
“So? It’s just a bigger version of your previous monster, I’ll just destroy it again with my Tribe Infecting Virus.”
“Oh, you think so? Activate Spell card Lightning Vortex!!!”
Hayku’s eyes widened, he swore.
A ball of lightning streaked towards the field, impacting on Hayku’s side, and erupting in a storm of electricity. When everything cleared, all his monsters were fried pieces.
“How you like your monsters, boy? Medium or well-done?” Boris laughed.
“I still have the Swords to protect me.”
“Yes...” Boris seemed thoughtful for a while as he glanced at the two remaining swords. “But all I need is one more card, and I can finish you off!”
“Don’t count on it,” Hayku muttered, knowing how unlikely it would be for him to draw the single card that he needed out of his entire deck.
“I set one Spell/Trap card face down, and end my turn.”
Boris snapped another card off the top of his deck, and he laughed. It wasn’t normal laughter, but the insane kind, where the laugher was either mentally disturbed, temporarily disturbed, or both. “I play the Spell card, Terraforming! I transform the field once again into A Legendary Ocean!
“And now, for the finishing move! Neo-Daedalus! Unleash the fury of the ocean!!!”
The Dragon roared, and the waters rose in sympathy, rising up until it was a massive wall of liquid.
As abrupt as it rose, it fell again, destroying everything in its path- Hayku’s swords, his face down card, even the single remaining card in his hand. Protective screens slid over the cards to protect them from the water.
However, Hayku wasn’t as fortunate as his cards. He was washed away in the storm of water, sliding implacably into the pool in the middle of the arena where a giant whirlpool had formed. He had time to suck in on more breath before he was fully submerged.
Down there, it wasn’t much better. The storm of water had disturbed the water to an extent where Hayku was often being tossed around by at least three different currents at once. His lungs were bursting, his body straining to breathe. But to breathe was to die, and even one like him could cease to exist should his physical vessel be destroyed.
Without thinking, he unleashed the full power of his darkness.
It expanded around him as an uncontrollable force, a sphere of pure destruction that vaporised water the moment it came into contact with it. Hayku himself floated above the arena, safe within his sphere. The duel disk strapped to his arm crackled, straining to contain all the energies unleashed.
The sphere disappeared, and Hayku landed gracefully back on his side of the field. The pool in front of him was only half full now, one side of it was a roughly spherical ruin, blasted by a power even he had no control over.
Boris was looking at him now, not mockingly, but with an unreadable expression.
“I should have known what you were. Only you could have beaten Mort... or destroyed him...”
Hayku smirked, “his worthless soul now resides in the serenity of non-existence, as will yours soon enough.”
“You have no cards in your hand or on your field, you cannot win.” Boris smiled mirthlessly. “Looks like I will be the first to destroy one of your kind. Neo-Daedalus! Attack!!!”
Hayku laughed, “forgot to check the field before you attacked? That’s a mistake only a beginner would make.”
There was a wet thump and a small cry of distress as one of his Sheep Tokens was destroyed.
Boris frowned, “where did they come from?!”
“My face down card, fool. I activated it when you used Neo-Daedalus’ effect. I must commend you on this duel, you have fought for long enough, and few can say that. But now, it’s over!”
Without even looking at the card he drew, Hayku knew he had won. He slotted the card home into his duel disk, and activated it.
“I play the Spell card Metamorphosis!”
Boris sneered, a poor attempt at bravado in the face of defeat. “What are you going to transform them into? Bigger balls of fluff?”
Hayku smiled, “uncouth words from an uncouth mind. Fortunately you will cease to exist at all within the next minute. Watch as I transform my Sheep Token into the all-powerful Thousand Eyes Restrict (0/0)! Who knew such an insignificant creature could be your demise?”
The sheep token writhed, and exploded into a form much larger than its small frame could possibly contain. What took shape was something far more horrific. It was shaped like a giant cocoon, its single eye staring out at Boris.
“Awake!”
The front of the cocoon opened, revealing what was underneath. The eye was mounted on an orb which was attached to the body through a ribbed neck. Below its “head” was a fanged maw, which pulsed and flexed as Hayku looked on in pride. Its two massively clawed arms opened and closed in harmony with his own breathing.
The final part of the beast awakened, and thousands of eyes opened. All over its body. They stared in all directions, unblinking.
Hayku could feel the paralysing energy the eyes exuded as they opened, which increased by the second as more eyes opened.
Neo-Daedalus writhed, futilely as it tried to move. Hayku laughed, Boris was experiencing the same difficulty in movement. He took a moment to savour the sensation of power he held over everything within this room.
“Finish it.”
Thousand-Eyes’ mouth part moved, and there was a strangled roar from Neo-Daedalus as it was dragged inexorably into Hayku’s monster’s gaping maw. He laughed, both at the plight of his opponent’s monster, and at the paralysed expression of fear which would now be forever etched upon his face.
The ring of teeth moved, and expanded to a size that would accommodate the barely struggling dragon. Thousand Eyes’ entire body distended as the dragon was consumed, part by part, its body rippling in peristaltic motion.
Finally, as the tail disappeared into the darkness of his monster’s body, the twin heads of Neo-Daedalus appeared on Thousand-Eyes’ shoulder. The two heads let out a thin shriek, as they twisted about in pain. Hayku laughed all the harder.
”And now, with the power of your monster increasing my monster’s ATK to 2900, I will destroy your soul! Blast it away!”
The central eye on his monster glowed briefly, and suddenly a beam of pure Darkness shot out, piercing Boris’ forehead. He didn’t scream, but his face was contorted in a rictus of agony as his soul was destroyed piece by piece. The twin heads of Neo-Daedalus screamed all the louder, as if to compensate for their master’s silence.
Through his spectral vision, Boris’ soul was a slowly fading shape in the storm of Darkness that washed over him, disintegrating like a blob of butter in a hot frying pan. All the colours were reversed, and so his monster’s attack seemed as bright as the sun itself. Hayku shut his eyes, and waited for it to finish.

Boris 0
Hayku 600

It was over.
His opponent’s soul had been blasted, wiped from existence.
As he idly shuffled his deck, he walked over to his opponent’s side of the field. Boris’ body was on the ground, his eyes wide open and his expression forever frozen. His body twitched every now and then, letting out involuntary whimpers and unintelligible gurgles. Hayku smiled, pathetic.
Giving the body a good kick, he sent it over the edge into the pool of water. The body sank, its lungs filling with water and leaving a trail of bubbles behind it. He sneered.
The pitted bones of Boris’ Levia Dragon was still lying on the ground, most of its body trailing over the edge and into the pool of water.
He bent down to pick up a card. It was the same monster card whose skeleton lay before him. Ultra Rare Levia-Dragon Daedalus. Card number IOC-083.
It was useless to him.
He scrunched up the card, and tossed it contemptuously over his shoulder into the pool.
“I am the eternal Darkness. I reside in the darkest recesses of the mind, as ancient as the stars themselves. None can stand before me.” He intoned gravely at the unheeding skeleton of what used to be Boris’ monster.
Hayku abruptly turned, and walked through the now open door without a backward glance.

* * *

Isaac had witness the entire duel from the cover of the doorway, silent as he watched the thing destroy another entity who was, if nothing else, more powerful than itself.
He stared at the skeleton of the monster, and then down at the pool where the body of its master had fallen. The body was useless to anything but a zombie now, its resident entity wiped clean from existence as if it had never been. Several cards floated up, Isaac stared at them. A Giga Gagagigo, Mermaid Knight, and a Ring of Destruction. All ruined by the water beyond retrieval. Isaac turned away with a sound of disgust.
He prodded the skeleton of the sea-dragon. Its brittle substance collapsing like rotten wood.
Death.
He cared not for the things that... creature had destroyed already.
It was a threat to his position.
And any threats must be eliminated.
He grinned unpleasantly at the thought of the terror he would be able to bring upon his unsuspecting opponent. His steps quickened as he followed Hayku to the next chamber, he wanted to see just how well he could duel- hopefully against more talented duellists than the first two.
‘Darkness is nothing compared to what I can bring...’
There were far more powerful forces than Darkness.

[to be continued...]