Battle of Spirits: SC vs. DS

"Ah, so the spirit reveals itself?" Lucian smirked as the Armed dragon was destroyed, lowering his life points to 2700. "Excellent, all is well." With that, the sign on his arm began to burn brightly, forming into the lined image of a strange type of bird. "A shame this all ends once this turn does."

Shuho closed his eyes as he slowly started to pick himself up to his feet. He wouldn't duel in anger, not anymore. The image of Darren's teachings, of Zeiya and all his friends, they filled his mind as he opened his eyes. "I won't let you!" he called out as he pointed to his monster. "Now that its my turn and I can't draw, I activate my monster's ability! Light and Darkness Summoner has the ability to sacrifice itself as well as two monsters to summon Light and Darkness Dragon from my graveyard without summoning condition!" The three monsters all disappeared in sparkles as a beam of light parted the oceans. The mighty dragon appeared with a roar as wings of black and white spread out. (LV8 Atk:2800) "I'm going to destroy your Earthbound this turn, so be prepared for it!"

".....I end my turn....with a face down and a monster in defense mode." Zeiya muttered, looking at his arm and the strange symbol. ~I have a bad feeling...~

"Go ahead and try! Earthbounds can't be targeted as attack targets!" 'Seiki' said with open arms. "Even if you attack me directly, I'll just knock you back down!"

Shuho grinned lightly as he pointed to his graveyard. "First, since Light and Darkness Summoner was used for the summoning, Light and Darkness loses its abilities this turn." He then pointed to the card he had face down, flipping it up and showing it to the woman. "I activate my trap, Spirit Blaze! When I control a Level 8 Dragon Type monster, I can increase its attack power by 100 points for every card in my graveyard. Right now, my grave has 39 cards in it, so my monster gains 3900 attack points!" The beast roared as its body lit with a force of Light and Dark power, a blazing aura filled it as its power became 6700. "As an added bonus, all monsters lose effects for this turn, but I can't attack a monster with less than 2000 attack points. Now, attack and destroy her Earthbound. Soul Blazing Twilight Blast!"

Another card was drawn, and the air grew heavy. Lucian chuckled once more, but this one was vile. His head began to twitch, neck bending. "It's now time....I play Zombie World." Once again, the graveyard formed around them, Zeiya's Blue Eyes decaying, becoming a member of the undead. "Now I play and then activate Call of the Mummy. Since I control no cards, I special summon Zombie Master." From the ground rose another Zombie, this one with a vile smile across it's face (1800 ATK). "Now, by sending my Pyramid Turtle from my hand to the Grave, my Master shall once again bring forth Master Kyonshee!" purple energy left the hands of the Zombie Master, plunging into the ground, dragging back Master Kyonshee (1750 ATK). "Now......I sacrifice both Zombie Master and Master Kyonshee!" Both zombies shattered, rising into the air as they formed a giant heart, beating. Souls rose from the ground, circling and entering the heart. "the call of those beyond the grave beckon the ultimate power, released from it's sleep! Rise again Earthbound Immortal Aslla Piscu!" A beam of light slammed into the heart, blinding others. When cleared, a massive creature lurked overhead. Yellow lines crossed over a black form as the hummingbird screeched out (2500 ATK).

"W....WHAT IS THAT?!" Zeiya cried out as she looked up, seeing the enormous humming bird Earthbound. She took a step back, then shook her head and stood her ground. ~Stay calm...stay calm! It's just a monster...you can beat it~ "I find it hard to believe a guy with so many creepy zombies has a bird! What good will that do?!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out! Time out!!!" 'Seiki' shouted as she waved her arms. In front of her very eyes, she saw her Earthbound being destroyed in front of her. "Grr...."

"Such a simple child, do you forget my Zombie World?" the colors of the immortal began to dim, a yellow slime beginning to drip from it's beak "All monsters become Zombies, Aslla Piscu is no exception." He slowly brought his hand up. "Now for a taste of it's power. Aslla Piscu, direct attack." He brought his hand down to which the Bird screeched again, letting loose a blast of yellow energy at the blue-haired girl.

A card flipped up at Shuho's side. It was a trap card, but one from his graveyard. "Now I activate my trap, Breaking Blast! When a level 8 or higher monster is destroyed in battle, I can use this to deal damage equal to half the attack of a monster I control. Light and Darkness Dragon, hit her with Breaking Blast!" The beast opened its mouth as its attack was lowered to half. (3350) The blast went directly towards Seiki as Shuho closed his eyes and ended his turn silently.

"Gah!!!" 'Seiki' cried out as the attack hit her head on. She managed to stay standing, holding onto her body as it flickered and flashed until it was her real form hidden in the cloak. "Not bad...Looks like the King Slayer is more than a kid..." She grinned. "That won't mattter! Even if I fall, that won't stop that poor, weak girl from getting mind fucked! Hahaha!" She drew her card and quickly put it faced down. "I'll just end with a face down, if you don't mind...now come at me!"

"uhhh....Uhhh.....UHHHH....!!!" Zeiya started to panick as the attack hit. She cried out in pain, losing over halfo f her life points. She tried to keep her stance, but ends upt falling to her knees as the pain started to overcome her. "O-Ow....It hurts...."

Shuho placed his hand to his deck. He drew a card, actually having the ability to do so. He grinned lightly as he looked at her and said, "Confused? See, when Breaking Blast is successfully activated, I can select three cards in my graveyard and shuffle them into my deck. It looks like this isn't over yet. I play one of those cards, Pitch Dark Werewolf! (LV4 Atk:1600) Now I'll have it attack your monster! And if that face down's a trap, Pitch Dark Dragon won't let you activate it. Sorry about that."

"Be still, child, this will all be over soon." Lucian selected the last card in his hand "I play a face-down. Turn end." He looked up to the giant force flying above him, opening his arms to embrace it's power.

"H-hrgh...My....turn..." Zeiya said, drawing her card while her body was still at her knees. At htat instant, her mind went to Seiki and Aki's duel back at the Fortune Cup qualifications, where Seiki was trying to do as little damage as possible. ~Is this...how it feels to be hurt by real attacks?~ She thought, thinking back to the pain and cuts she got from Aki's attack. Shaking her head, she stood up, glaring at Lucian.

"I flip summon Dark Mimic LV 1 in attack mode!" A small, blue chest with teeth appeared on the field. "His effect allows me to draw a card! Now I sacrifice him to summon Mobius the Frost Monarch!" The small chest went 'poof' as a giant man in blue ice armor appeared on the field (ATK 2400) "when he's tribute summoned, I can destroy up to two spell or trap cards on the field...and I'll start with your face down and Field spell!"

"Heh!" The attack went through, reducing the girl's life points to 0. Even so, she ws still grinning. "So what if you were able to beat me? I got your mind wrecked up a little. Shame that I can't get front row seats to watch that little Zeiya kid break down to nothing but a empty shell....Kehahahahahaha....." Her body started to turn bown and dull. "Even so, the REAL punk ass girl is probably getting ready to fight you all! You have no hope!" Even as her body disinigrated, her chilling laugh echoled till the last grain of dust was gone.

"Lost in the awe." Lucian spoke, eyes lowering to the girl. "This pain is but a sign of passage. A ritual you must endure. Once This is through I will save your body from your soul. You will live through death." His lips curled into his ever present smirk.

"Will you ever shut up?!" Zeiya shouted before activating her facedown. "Pot of Avarice! By returning five monsters to my deck, I can draw two cards!" She returns Masked DRagon, Armed Dragons LV 3/5/7, and Dark Mimic LV 1 to her deck before drawing two cards, having a total of three in her hand. "This is where it'll end for you! I activate the ritual card, Black Luster Ritual! By sending my LEvel 6 Mobius on the field and my LVL 2 Krebons in my hand to the graveyard, I can summon Black Luster Soldier!"

Two pots as well as a statue of two swords crossing each other in front of a shield appeared. Mobius and Krebons were sucked into the pots, causingthem to burst in flames as the centerpiece shined before shattering, revealing a knight in blue and yellow armer, holding a yellow sword at hand (ATK 3000)

"This is the end! Attack him!" The soldier obeyed and rushed at Lucian, dragging the sword behind him before raising it up and slashing down.

Lucian watched on in disbelief as he finally realized his Immortal had been destroyed, his world of the undead gone. "No...no this can't be..." he lowered his head, looking onto the blade of the Black Luster Soldier "I'm....a god...." the blade connected, sending him flying back, his Life Points decreased to 0. He stumbled to his feet, energy leaving him. "This....is not the end..." he stepped forward, each step his body growing closer and closer to a dull brown "I will rule this world. I will bring you all to death." He drew closer to Zeiya, only to stop inches from her, his hand outstretched, and disintigrated into the air.

Shuho clenched his fist as he started to look around. "I gotta hurry and find Zeiya. I don't remember her having a phone, so I don't think she knows any of this stuff..." He started to run forward, not really knowing where to go but he had an idea that he'd find her eventually.

Zeiyas wide eyes refuse to stop staring at where Lucian once was. Her body shook in fear as she tried to calm it down.

"T-the pain...it was real..." She managed to say. Her head shot up, thinking of the others. "Shuho! Harley! Kai! What about them?!" She stood up and looked around. "Ohh...where are you guys?!" She then ran into a random direction.

Harley had been running the entire time. The gem had not reacted, and he had no time to waste. As fast as his feet could take him he ran forward. There was no way to know where he was going, but he just knew he had to keep moving.

Time seemed to pass quickly from then on. Somewhere, Kai had defeated the mysterious Dark Signer, leaving only two remaining. X, the duelist who haunted Shuho, and Takuro, the duelist who haunted Zeiya. With knowledge that the damage is now real, the three duelists now meet.

Shuho stopped as his mark started to react again. It was giving off the same energy as when he had fought the girl who called herself Seiki. Unfortunately, the mark had yet to actually leave his body, meaning it was still there since that battle. He looked around to see if anyone was around, hoping to see a friend before he would see a foe.

Takuro was atop an abandoned amusement park ride, glaring lightly as he looked out to where the first battles were being fought. "Well, I'll be damned," Takuro said in an annoyed tone. "My powers spiked back down to Dark Signer level ALL over again. I thought I took care of that armored bastard, but it looks like he pulled a fast one. Oh well, better give the kid exactly what she wants. Zeiya, the reaper's calling.... Gehehehehehehe!" Purple flames started to rise up from the area, beckoning anyone around to tell him where he was.

"Shuho?! Harley?! Kai?! Anyone?!" Zeiya called out as she walked with no luck. She sighed heavily and wrapped her arms around herbody, feeling a dreadful feeling. "Please be all right..."

Suddenly, she saw purple flames rising up nearby. Her mind was screaming not to go near the flames, but her conscious didn't listen. ~Maybe the others are fighting one of those guys right now~ She thought before running to the purple flames.

Footsteps echoed behind him as the visage of Harley emerged from the darkness. He stopped, squinting as he looked over to the other figure, realizing it was Shuho! "Hey Shuho!" He waved a hand in the air, running over to his new friend. "Man am I glad to see you! I guessin' you won then?"

Cold eyes looked the the glow of purple flames from a distance. "'Bout time he caved in." X pullled back on the throttle of his Runner, crimson fire licking the road as he took off to the amusement park.

Yet, X was not the only one making their way somewhere. A second runner coursed the streets, seeing the blaze. Black leather trailed behind it from the rider's trenchcat, his helmet a futuristic take on that of the black knight. He pulled back to the mansion he had been moments before. The man dismounted, stopping in his place. Seth felt a dark force in his soul. Something wasn't right. He removed his helmet, rushing into the building and to the room they once were, greeted only be death and destruction. He stood, wide-eyed, onlooking the events that happened in his absence.

Shuho saw Harley and gave a small smile. "Yep, I handled it, and it looks like you did too. I knew you could pull it off." His mind couldn't stop thinking of what the girl had told him. He needed to find Zeiya, to tell her what was really going on. He looked over at the amusement park and said, "I think Zeiya's over there. There's something I really need to tell her. Let's hurry!"

Darren was panting as he looked up and saw Seth Drakemore. He gave a small grin as he weakly said, "Seth... It looks like, it really isn't our fight after all, buddy... The enemy... they're much stronger than we though. If that was all, it'd be fine but... our own powers... they're way limited here..."

Zeiya slowed down as she found herself in an amusement park. She could see the flames on an abandon ride nearby. A shudder went throughout her body before cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Guys! Are you here?!" she called out as she walked towards the flames. Something...something was telling her to get away from here. Howevevr, she has to find her friends, and this was the only way she knew how. "Guys, this isn't funny anymore!"

"Fucking shit!" Yuki hissed, punching the wall behind her. Nothing. No crater or any sort of scratch. She was breathing heavily, not bothering to look up. "We were nothing...we couldn't even stop a kid, for fuck sake!"

Harley nodded, trailing Shuho as they charged the park. "The guy I dueled said....something about...Takuro not being able to die unless the other girl dies. I don't know what that means but he really wanted me to tell someone." He pulled ahead, even passing Shuho. Years of world travel and exercise constantly had done him good.

Seth jogged over to Darren, kneeling down to his old friend. "They did this?" He looked around to the carnage, unable to process it at first. Anger filled hi heart, his fist clenched. He shook, his hand beginning to come to life in an emerald glow, growing brighter and brighter. He stood up, his eyes opened, looking to the ring in sheer amazement. In a flash, they went completely white, only for Seth to shake it off, the light dying. "You know I can't just sit here and do nothing." He sighed, the time might have come. He looked to Darren, then to Yuki. This wasn't right. "Our powers are weakened, I can feel it myself. Doesn't necessarily mean.......his powers are."

"I had a feeling something like this would happen," Darren said as he started to stand. "When I came here, I battled Sankishin. He said he wanted to test my power, to see the strength that protected my world. I fought him with everything I had... and lost. That was when I knew... I knew that whatever was gonna happen here was beyond me, but I had no idea the gap would be this much. A single kid and a freak in a green suit took us both out like it was nothing, and did the same to the Spirit users of the Crimson Dragon. They're both barely alive." He turned to Seth and lightly said, "Its not that we do nothing at this point... if those duelists are to have any chance of saving this world, we've gotta make sure they're stronger than we were at the Academy. Anubis and the others were nothing compared to these guys."

"I heard something like that too," Shuho said as he ran to try and keep up. "Something to do with a Life Link... don't know what that means, but I've got a feeling it means Seiki's in deep trouble. Zeiya and Seiki are like sisters. She's kill herself to save that girl, but she doesn't know what she has to do to completely beat Takuro. If Seiki dies because of this, she'll never forgive herself."

Takuro jumped up, leaping high into the air. He crashed himself down right in front of Zeiya with a grin. "Well, looks like you found me, kid. Remember this voice? The guy who took your little friend to god knows where while you were pissing your pants in the background."