Battle of Spirits: SC vs. DS

Shane reved up as his counters increased, drawing another card. "Let's try this out, you all seem to love this move so much. A simple face-down monster and two face-down spell or trap cards." As he spoke, the cards materialized next to him. "This is a rare move from me, kid. Savour it."

Harley had no idea who the blonde man was, but he recognized the armor. It was the guy who sent them on their way, the one with the gems. He looked at him in an almost pleading, as if asking him to help Zeiya. There was nothing he could do.

Shuho glared at the sight. It was as if he was being mocked. He drew his card as his Speed Counters went up to two. "I'll start this turn by using the effect of my Angel Baton. Thanks to that, I can draw two new cards and discard one without worrying about the Speed Spell cost." He drew two cards and then discarded a Necro Gardna. He then picked up a card and said, "I sacrifice my Diamond Dude to summon Sphere of Chaos in attack mode!" A large black orb of a creature appeared onto the field. (LV5 Atk:1600) "Now I'll have it attack your face down!"

As Takuro glared as discarded the cards in his hand, Kariya continued to speak. "Zeiya Hisaki, I apologize for all I put you through. I was testing you, hoping you would gain the strength to face your foe and do what I could not. I am not a hunter or spirits but a protector. I could not protect the worlds from that man or what he stands for. That is why I've entrusted my power to you in the Chaos Gems."

"Ah, yeah, but you should know that those gems alone don't mean shit to me," Takuro said to interrupt. Kariya closed his eyes lightly and said, "Yes, that is true, but Zeiya's power, even without them, is more than enough to defeat you. Zeiya, when you understand what it truly means to be one with the spirits, you will be able to overcome anything. You and Harley King both. Zeiya, do not let his tricks deceive you. He wants you to fear him, to give in to despair. He has no power over you if you can stay strong. Just as Yukina Flames attempted to teach you before."

"K-Kariya..." Zeiya turned back, seeing the boy in front of her. After processing his information, she shook her head violently as tears startede tl well up in her eyes again. "I can't...I can't do it! I'm not strong at all, I'm weak! How can someone like me fight against a man like that?!" She held her head and closed her eyes. "I'm nothing...I couldn't even protect Seiki from being kidnapped!"

"Then are you truly willing to give up on that friend now?" Kariya said as he glared at her. "Do not reflect on your past mistakes! All you can do is make up from them with your future actions!"

"Uh, guys..." Takuro said as he looked out at them. "I know this is a touchy freely moment right now but it really hurts when you just ignore me like that. I mean, I am right here. Trying to destroy the world, and all that jazz. Alright, how's this for a wake-up call. Reptillian Gorgon, attack her Morphing Jar and get it out of my sight!"

"Really? A Ball?" Shane said as the sphere came closer and closer to his monster, destroying it....and revealing Mystic Tomato. "Yeah, so that happened. When Mystic Tomato is destroyed I can Special summon a DARK monster in my deck with 1500 or less attack points. Come on out Steelswarm Genesoid!" As the tomato burst, the particles reformed into a black grub-like creature, armored, the Steelswarm logo plastered on it's head (1000 ATK).

"Shut up!" Harley yelled out. He had enough. This negativity was exactly what he wanted to avoid it. "Zeiya...you're strong. Stronger than you'll ever know." He looked up to her "If you weren't you wouldn't be here right now! Kick this guys ass!" As his sentence ended, another engine roared behind them. The Chariot pulled into sight, stopping short of the duel. Seth dismounted, stepping onto the scene, eyes set to kill upon Takuro.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You guys are so noisy!" she shouted. "Stop expecting such big things from a useless girl from me!" She glanced over as she saw Gorgon rushing to her monster. "Trap card open, Defense Draw! This will reduce battle damage to 0 and allow me to draw a card!"

Shuho glared slightly at the creature as he took a card in his hand and set it face down to add with the one from before. "I'll end my turn there. If you don't start taking me seriously, you're gonna be in big trouble."

Kariya gave a sigh as he watched one of the chosen he put all of his faith into become an emotional mess, exactly what Takuro would want. Kariya knew Zeiya well at this point. He knew of her fear, her hesitation, and her doubt. He also knew she had a strong competitive spirit. He had no idea how that would help this, but he knew of one thing that could. "Zeiya, you must listen to this at least," he said, giving his final attempt to encourage her to fight.

Takuro looked at his hand, setting one more card face down and saying, "I'll end it there... Not like I need to do much anymore. I don't even need another monster to finish you off..."

"The man in front of you is one you met before," Kariya said to her. "His true identity is that of the one who controlled you and used you to fight your friends. He is the one who made Seiki face a lifetime of darkness and hatred that only out penetrated. That man is Divine of the Arcadia Movement!"

"Eh...?"

Zeiya froze and slowly looked at Kariya as if he said something taboo. Her eyes shrank as she slowly shook her head. "You're lying..." she muttered, then shouted, "You're lying! Divine's DEAD! How the heck is he standing in front of me right now if he's dead?!". However, just by looking at Kariya told her he wasn't lying. It all made sense, though. She turned to Takuro. The eyes that were just filled with every negative thing possible a few seconds ago now burn with hate. She clench her teeth before facing him.

"You! I'll never forgive you for what you did to us!" She shotued as she drew her card. "I activate the Spell card, Soul Exchange! This allows me to use your monster as a sacrifice for a tribute!" An eerie glow surrounded the snake woman. "Now I sacrifice both of our monsters to summon Blue Eyes White Dragon!" The only monsters on the field disappeared as Blue eyes appeared, roaring to the sky before glaring down at Takuro.

"Better men than you have told me that, kid." Shane drew, his counters too rising to 3. "I gotta say, I admire that heroic nature you got there. I'll be sure to tell the corpses walking to their doom that after this is over." He scanned his hand "Let's get this over with. I tribute Steelswarm Genesoid....." The small worm-like creature began to glow, disappearing into dust. "Genesoid's effect states that if it is used to tribute summon a "Steelswarm" monster, it counts as two tributes. With that, I summon Steelswarm Caucastag!" emerging from a blast of energy came an insectoid like fiend of great stature. Massive wings jutted from it's back, a long tail waving behind. Horns stood from multiple points on it's body (2800 ATK). "My Caucastag allows me to pick one of two effects when tribute summoned by two Steelswarm monsters. I select destroying all spell and Trap cards on the field." The giant creature roared, a shockwave slamming the field.

"Harley..." Seth walked over to his trainee, placing a hand on his shoulder "Be strong, she will win this." Harley looked to Seth with disbelief, but knew deep down they could defeat anyone. He looked back to the duel, hoping some good would come. Then the dragon rose. At the sight of Blue Eyes, Harley threw a fist into the air "YEAH! THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!"

The man glared as he looked at Zeiya, now very irritated at the events before him. "Looks like you finally decided to grow a pair, huh?" he said looking at them both. "I really don't think you guys get how this shit works! I'm the all powerful! I'm the end of this world! Just quit trying and give the fuck UP already!"

Kariya grinned at his display and said, "You've seen through his dueling style, Zeiya! His cards are only meant to support monsters on the field. He has few strategies that involve anything else." Takuro glared down at Kariya and said, "Why don't you just be a good boy and DIE already! You failed to take me out at the Arcadia Movement and you've been a pain in my ass ever since. Seriously, where's pest control when you need em?"

Shuho watched all his face down cards get destroyed in a flash. His Rise to Rivalry and Destruction of Destiny were no match for the monster's ability. "So you got a powerful monster out... but that doesn't mean you can use it. Gimme what ya got!"

"You're taunts aren't doing anything." Shane responded without much care. He didn't care if this kid was a Spirit Caller or Darren's counterpart or the King. To him he was just a number on his record. "Take for example your monster. Can't be destroyed by battle. Doesn't mean you can't get hurt. Caucastag, slap his ball around." Shane's monster launched forward, it's hand pulling back and slamming, claws first, into the sphere.

"But...what about the other girl?" Harley said, noticing now that she was not here with him. "The guy I beat told me she needed to die too in order to beat him......." his voice was laced in disappointment remembering everything.

Shuho went to his graveyard, picking up a card and showing it to Shane. "Sorry, but if I remove Necro Gardna in my grave from play, I can negate your attack. You won't get to me that easily." A man in white hair appeared in front of the sphere, taking the blow before disappearing in the same instant.

"You wasted your Necro Gardna for that?" Shane shook his head as his monster returned to his side of the field. "Whatever. One face-down. You're up kiddo."

"YOU shut up!" Zeiya shouted as she took another card from her hand. "I activate the Ritual Spell card, End of the World! I send Luster Dragon and Prime Material Dragon from my hand to the graveyard!" A faded image of the two dragons appearede before quickly diappearing in a strange, hexagon glyph. "I Ritual summon Ruin, Queen of Oblivion!"

Suddenly, blue flames shot out from the center of the hexagon. As it disapepared, a woman with long, white hair in a dress appeared holding what looks like a red staff (ATK 2300).

"I end with another card face down and end my turn!"

Shuho drew his card as the white wing on his arm started to glow. He closed his eyes as he placed the card down onto the field. "I summon Chaos End Master in attack mode!" A winged figure appeared onto the field with his command. (LV3 Atk:1500) "This monster may not be a match for yours now, but if I use them together I can preform a Synchro Summoning. Now, from these two I summon Light End Dragon!" Within a radiant flash of light a holy white dragon appeared onto the field. (LV8 Atk:2600) "Now, I'm gonna have my dragon attack your Steelswarm!"

Takuro grunted lightly as he drew his card. His glaring anger turned into a grin of joy as it seemed he drew the card he needed. "Looks like its all over already for you, little girl," Takuro said. "I activate the Field Magic Card, Venom Swamp! Now, every end phase all monsters that aren't Venom monsters are gonna get poisoned in this hellhole and the poison takes off 500 attack points per dose. Once a monster's points hit the big zero, its not gonna be around anymore."

Kariya turned to Harley and whispered quietly, "His Life Link with the girl was incomplete before my demise. The chances it remains is low, so for now, do not distract her by speaking of it."

"So what? That doesn't scare me!" Zeiya shouted, challenging Takuro to continue his move. "I won't lose no matter what you do! I'll beat you and save Seiki!"

"Save her? Save her?!" Takuro said as he placed his hand on one of his facedown cards. "You can't even save yourself, you drooling idiot! I activate Reptillian Spawn! Now, by removing my Gorgon from the game, I get two new tokens in its place. They won't be here long though. I'm sacrificing both of em to bring out my Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua!" The man started to laugh wickedly as a gigantic green striped Lizard started to rise from the earth. Its eyes shifted, looking down at the girl with a smile that rivaled Takuro's in creepiness. (LV10 Atk:2800)

"Yeah, saw that coming." He held out his hand "I activate the trap card grave of the Super Ancient Organism!" As Shane's card reveal itself, Shuho's dragon became encase in a large crystal. "From what I've seen of your duels, outside of your Light and Darkness Dragon, Synchros are your hard hitters. with my grave in play, all Level 6 or higher Special Summoned monsters cannot declare an attack or activate their effects."

Harley looked up at the Immortal. That thing managed to be creepier than the one he had faced earlier. He shook it off. "Those things are all show! Just play smart!"

Shuho's eyes widened as he saw the card. He silently cursed as he thought that his Necro Gardna might have been better to use now as opposed to when he used it. He set two cards face down and said, "Fine, I'll end it there!"

Zeiya gaped as the giant, green-striped lizard rose out from th eground and towered over her much like the other Earthbound she faced not too long ago.

"I-it's big..." she muttered befoer shaking her head and glaring at Takuro. "So what?! That won't do anything!"

"Won't do anything except hit you with a direct 2800 points of damage and end your life in one blow!" Takuro said as he pointed at Zeiya. "Earthbound Immortal Ccarayhua, attack and kill that bitch here and now!" The beast lifted up its enormous hand, sending it down in a fist with intent to smash Zeiya's body to nothingness.

"Trap card, Draining Shield!" Zeiya shouted as an invisible barrier around her appeared, stopping the lizard's crushing blow. "It negates an attack and raises my life points equal to the attacking monster!" she mentally sighed as she felt a comforting, gentle wave of energy wafting into her body before glaring at Takuro. "Just give it up!"

Takuro grunted as he flipped over one of his last two face down cards. "I use Venom Absorption. Now Venom Counters increase the attack power of my Earthbound Immortal instead of lowering it. So when I end my turn, it'll gain 500 attack points instead of losing them. Too bad your monsters can't say the same. Go ahead and make your move."

Zeiya drew her card, seeing toxic spots on her monsters as they lsot 500 life points. "Go, Ruin, attack!" The Queen raised her staff as a blue lightning bolt from the sky shot out, threatening to strike Takuro with a single blow.

Shane drew again, his counters rising to 4 as he took the lead, flames licking the side of Shuho's runner. "I play Speed spell- Dark Eruption! Now I lose 2 counters, but I can add a DARK monster with 1500ATK or less to my hand. I choose Steelswarm Genesoid!" With that he selected his card, adding it back to his hand. "Now I set two face-downs. Caucastag, take out that pretty little dragon over there!" With another launch, the claw of the creature launched at the dragon.