Yu-Gi-Oh! Burning Red
(A/N: For all of you who have asked to see me write a fanfic... here it is, surprise. This is sort of my attempt to see if I can force myself to write through a full-length fanfic in its entirety. Expect lots of shounen cliches and formulaic writing, they're there on purpose. My official disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, or Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds. With the exception of the first series and the GX manga, I am not at all sorry to admit this. While I do not have a trademark on any character or fake card featured here, I do reserve the right as their creator to make your life a living hell if you steal them, claim them as your own, or touch them in a way or place that feels uncomfortable. This fanfic is set in an Alternate Universe of sorts- for reference purposes, see manga canon, with one slight difference- Pegasus did not die after DM. Why am I doing this? Because I can.)
First Game: Lionheart! The Fierce Lion of the East is Here!
The stadium was large. More than five thousand spectators were jammed into the seats, eagerly awaiting the exhibition match that was about to take place. The tournament was still a few weeks away and official teams hadn't even been announced yet, but this match would set the pace for this year's professional dueling season- particularly the famed Kaiser Cup.
The match commentator cleared his throat. "…Are the cameras in position, Hank?"
A man dressed in a business suit sitting next to the commentator nodded. "We're rolling already."
The commentator grinned. "Time to warm up the crowd, then."
He pressed a button near the microphone sitting in front of him. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO TODAY'S EXHIBITION MATCH!"
A sudden roar filled the arena as thousands of fans began screaming their approval. The commentator and his companion were suddenly very glad that the windows of the commentator's box they were seated in dampened sound. The commentator took a deep breath and continued. "BY THE POPULAR REQUEST OF YOU, THE DUELING FANS OF AMERICA, WE'VE SELECTED TWO REAL CROWD-PLEASERS AS OUR OPENING DUELISTS FOR THIS YEAR'S EXHIBITION MATCH! THE HOT-BLOODED LION OF THE EAST WILL BE FACING A NEW ENTRANT INTO THE PRO CIRCUIT, THE GRIM REAPER HIMSELF! PLACE YOUR BETS, FOLKS!"
Just outside the burning lights of the stadium, in a dark hallway, one of those two duelists was leaning against the wall, his eyes shut, waiting for the people outside to call his name.
His appearance was certainly distinct. The vaguely almond-shaped eyes and his skin tone were evidence of his Asian ethnicity, but his short, unkempt hair was a flaming, Irish red. While he was lean and muscular, he didn't have much in the way of height. His clothing seemed calculated to appear somewhere between casual and eccentric- aside from the duel disk on his left arm, he was dressed in a simple red t-shirt and a pair of khaki slacks that showed considerable wear. A pair of black sunglasses, too small to be of any practical use, was perched on his nose, and a silver bangle of some sort dangled from his right wrist.
Footsteps echoed around the hallway. He turned to face a tall man dressed in a business suit whose black hair had been pulled into a short ponytail. The red-haired man grimaced. "…Cole, you sure about this?" His English contained only the barest hint of an accent.
The man in the business suit raised an eyebrow. "A case of the nerves, Kaito? That's not usual for you."
The Asian shook his head. "I'm not nervous. Anything this Reaper guy can throw at me I can beat. What I want to know is why you're so gung-ho about this."
Cole answered with silence. The red-haired man decided to elaborate. "Last year you went on and on and on about making sure we didn't tip our hand too early. You turned down every challenge to a pre-season match so that when singles started, nobody would know about my deck. So why is it suddenly okay to have everyone staring at me now? Why do you want me to show my hand so early?"
Cole sighed. "Kaito, you're thinking about the past. Last year you were an unknown enrolled in a singles event. We could afford secrecy then. We wanted to build your reputation as a duelist slowly, make you look like you were emerging from nowhere this year. Now that you're ready for the Kaiser Cup, you need a team. And if we want people to consider forming a team with you, we need to advertise you."
Kaito smirked. "…Lion of the East, huh? Don't suppose you came up with that title?"
Cole smiled back. "Seemed fitting. Actually, one of your fans came up with it. I just helped popularize it a little."
Suddenly, the Commentator's voice lifted over the voices of the crowd again. "WILL THE DUELISTS PLEASE COME OUT TO CENTER STAGE?"
Cole nodded. "That's your cue, Kaito."
Kaito acknowledged his companion by standing up, yawning, and stretching. "…Grim Reaper, huh? He wouldn't play undead by any chance, would he?"
"That's zombies, and maybe," Cole replied. "Why do you ask?"
Kaito shrugged. "Just… I've played newbies with zombie decks plenty of times before today. If he runs something else though, this might just be an interesting duel."
Cole chuckled. "Don't be too ruthless out there, Shishio."
Kaito walked towards the door and responded without turning his head. "We'll see about that, Matthews."
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE DUELISTS HAVE ARRIVED ON THE FLOOR! ON THE LEFT, THE MYSTERIOUS PRO RUMORED TO HOLD THE KEY TO ABSOLUTE VICTORY… THE GRIM REAPER!"
The crowd roared as a man dressed in an outlandish costume calmly walked into the duel arena. He doffed his violet top hat and bowed to the crowd before placing it back atop his head. Like many professionals his outfit was calculated to appear eccentric- a violet suit, complete with white kid gloves. He leaned on a cane topped with a silver skull head.
"ON THE RIGHT… THE JAPANESE EXPATRIATE WITH A BURNING HEART AND BOUNDLESS AMBITION! GIVE IT UP FOR… KAITO SHISHIO!"
Kaito walked into the arena nonchalantly, waving to the crowd as he took his position. He smiled at his opponent, giving him a good view of his extra-large canines. "So I hear you're new to the pro leagues?"
The man who called himself the Grim Reaper shook his head. "I'm not an unskilled duelist, if that is what you're asking. Dueling is a hobby of mine- I take it up periodically. You have the misfortune of being my first opponent the year I decided to make a career of it."
Kaito shook his head. "Heh. From the way I see things, it's only my misfortune if you're a weak opponent."
The Reaper's eyebrow twitched involuntarily. "Oh?"
Kaito grinned. "If there's one thing that I can't stand it's a boring duel."
"DUELISTS, STANDBY READY!"
Kaito held out his duel disk- the device had been spray-painted gold at some point in the past, and a small lion's head had been carved into the graveyard slot. "Duelist ready!" he shouted as he inserted his deck. The duel disk came to life, holo-generators glowing as they released a small pulse of golden light- Kaito's personalized activation effect. The auto-shuffler whirred, randomizing his cards.
The Reaper held up his own duel disk in return- a standard model, with no special additions. "Duelist ready," he replied, as if already bored by the formalities. He waved a hand, seemingly producing his deck from thin air, then inserted it into the disk, which hissed and released a small cloud of holographic fog as it whirred to life.
"BOTH DUELISTS ARE AT THE READY, FOLKS! LET'S GIVE THEM A COUNTDOWN TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS MATCH. READY? FIVE!"
The crowd picked up the commentator's chant. "FOUR!"
"THREE!"
"TWO!"
"ONE!"
Kaito and The Reaper shouted their challenge at the same time. "LET'S DUEL!"
Both duel disks beeped as a robotic voice piped up. "DICE ROLL"
The center panel of both duel disks lit up, displaying a six-sided die. Kaito's had four spots showing, while the Reaper's had only two.
"SHISHIO WINS THE OPENING DICE ROLL! HE MUST NOW DECIDE WHICH PLAYER WILL MAKE THE FIRST MOVE! IN A MATCH BETWEEN PROS, EVEN THE SMALLEST DECISIONS ARE SOMETIMES CRITICAL."
Kaito rolled his eyes. "… I'll take the first play."
"SHISHIO HAS INDICATED THAT HE WILL TAKE THE FIRST MOVE! A BOLD STANCE, AS EXPECTED FROM THE LION OF THE-"
From his seat in the manager's room, Cole watched the match via closed-circuit television and massaged his temples. "…Good Lord… does that man ever shut up?"
"Ah, Matthews! There you are!"
Cole looked away from the set in time to see a tall, blonde man dressed in a pinstriped suit walk into the room. "Thomas Lawrence, I presume?"
The blonde man scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Ah, that's right; we've only ever communicated over the phone, haven't we? I forgot that you wouldn't be able to recognize me on sight."
Cole sighed, returning his attention to the screen. "It's perfectly fine, Mr. Lawrence. Have you given my offer any thought?"
Lawrence stroked his chin. "…Let's just say that I'm still thinking it over. The Kaiser Cup is the largest team-oriented dueling event in America currently, and this will be my client's entry into professional dueling. I want to make sure that the team he'll be joining is one that will be beneficial for his career."
Cole nodded. "Fair enough. That's why I asked you to attend tonight- I thought you might enjoy watching my client duel."
Lawrence sat down next to Cole. "So, care to tell me anything else about your client?"
Cole shook his head. "All I really can tell you is that his name is Kaito Shishio, he's currently living here in New York as an expatriate, and he intends to enter the Kaiser Cup this year."
Lawrence shook his head. "That's common knowledge, Matthews. Can you tell me anything else about him? Personality, dueling skill, that sort of thing?"
Cole smiled. "Well, I suppose I could tell you more about him, but I think in this case you should simply watch the match. That should answer all your questions about him."
Lawrence nodded. "Well then, let's see it."
Kaito surveyed his six card hand. "…Right… Well, no use not taking the initiative! I summon Vorse Raider!"
A half-human, half-beast carrying a lethal-looking two bladed weapon appeared on Kaito's field, licking its lips greedily. (1900/1200)
The Reaper raised an eyebrow. "I may be new to professional dueling, Mr. Shishio, but I was under the impression that monsters as old as your bestial friend there had been relegated to binders and private collections by now."
Kaito grinned cheekily. "You need to get out more, then. I'll set a card and end my turn."
"SHISHIO HAS MADE A BOLD FIRST MOVE, SUMMONING A POWERFUL MONSTER IN ATTACK POSITION! HOW WILL HIS OPPONENT COUNTER THIS PLAY?"
Please just shut up… Kaito thought to himself, sighing.
If the Reaper noticed that the expression on Kaito's face was something akin to a small child being offered a plate of Brussels sprouts, he didn't comment. "My turn, draw."
He surveyed Kaito's field, then selected two cards from his hand. A horizontal card appeared in front of him, then a vertical one behind it. "I believe setting one card to each zone and ending is common here in the pro leagues, yes?" he asked, almost mockingly.
Kaito smiled. "…For the usual pro, yeah. My turn, draw!"
He noted the monster he had just drawn and whistled. "I summon Gene-Warped Warwolf to the field, in attack position!" A burst of golden light appeared to the left of Vorse Raider and a white-furred creature rose from it. The four-armed werewolf howled hungrily, as Kaito's supporters in the crowd let out a massive cheer. (2000/100)
"IT'S HIS SECOND TURN, AND SHISHIO HAS SUMMONED ONE OF HIS TRADEMARK MONSTERS, GENE-WARPED WARWOLF! WITH TWO THOUSAND ATTACK POINTS, THIS MONSTER IS THE STRONGEST LEVEL FOUR IN THE GAME WITH NO ASSOCIATED DRAWBACKS!" The commentator yelled over the crowd's roar. Kaito's monster, meanwhile, simply stared hungrily at Kaito's opponent and licked its lips.
The Reaper stared back, nonplussed. "A second normal monster. Am I to understand this is a running theme with your deck, then?"
Kaito shrugged. "You're free to understand whatever the hell you want. This is my duelist's way. Isn't that right?" he roared, his last comment addressed to his supporters in the crowd, who responded with a loud cheer.
The Reaper shook his head. "A simple beat-down duelist. A pity, I was hoping to duel somebody who was a little more creative."
"Or someone who you could turtle up against without fear of being overrun," Kaito retorted as he pointed at one of his opponent's set cards. "Vorse Raider, attack the opponent's set monster! Bloodlust Howl!"
The grinning fiend threw back its head in a howl and charged the set monster, raising its twin-bladed weapon above its head and bringing it down. The monster appeared- a massive turtle with a pyramid on its back. The blade crashed through the stones of the pyramid, totally annihilating the monster.
"…Your play was a bad one," The Reaper remarked. "My Pyramid Turtle allows me to summon any zombie-type monster from my deck when it is destroyed, so long as the summoned monster has less than two thousand defense points! Come forth, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower!"
A tower of bones shot from the ground. Kaito glanced at it in surprise. "You brought that thing out?" (400/1500)
"SOUL-ABSORBING BONE TOWER HAS BEEN SUMMONED!" the commentator roared. "THIS MONSTER HAS THE ABILITY TO SEND TWO CARDS FROM THE TOP OF THE OPPONENT'S DECK TO THE GRAVEYARD EVERY TIME A ZOMBIE TYPE IS SPECIAL SUMMONED! HOWEVER, SUMMONING IT NOW MAKES NO SENSE- SHISHIO'S WARWOLF HASN'T ATTACKED YET! JUST WHAT IS THE REAPER UP TO?"
Kaito frowned. "…For once I agree with that windbag," he said, pointing to the column of bones that had risen up on the Reaper's field. "And since there's only one real way to find out… Gene-Warped Warwolf, direct attack! Four-Direction Claw!"
The werewolf charged, howling hungrily. Just as it prepared to bring down its claws on the man in purple, however, it was repelled by a shockwave. Suddenly, both of Kaito's monsters were blown backwards, forced into crouching positions. "I activate the effect of Windstorm of Etaqua," The Reaper said. "This card will force all monsters you control to switch their battle position. In this case, all of your monsters are now changed to defense position. I believe I have just removed your claws for now, Mr. Shishio."
Kaito grinned cheekily. "Then try and pull my fangs, 'Grim Reaper'!"
"AND SHISHIO'S EARLY OFFENSIVE LEAD IS COUNTERED! NOW THE REAPER HAS COMPLETELY REMOVED HIS OPPONENT'S MOMENTUM- THE DUEL IS SOLIDLY IN HIS CONTROL!"
Lawrence laughed. "Looks like your client will be taking a rather hard hit next turn, eh, Matthews?"
Cole simply watched the screen, unconcerned. "Tell me, Mr. Lawrence, who else are you considering as sponsors for your client?"
Lawrence stopped laughing and stroked his chin for a moment before giving an answer. "I2's international branch has offered to sponsor him, obviously, and we got at least two offers from Square-Enix."
Cole raised an eyebrow. "They're still around? I thought Kaiba Corporation had totally dominated the gaming market by now."
Lawrence chuckled. "There's a rumor flying around that Kaiba bought them up."
Cole nodded sagely. "How did your client react to these offers?"
Lawrence shrugged. "He said I2's given him enough help and he wants to get started on his own as much as he possibly can. As for Square Enix, he said he might consider it if they made a public apology for releasing Advent Children."
Cole couldn't help laughing. "Your client's a bit eccentric, isn't he?"
"He's a gamer," Lawrence replied stoically.
-----------------
Kaito ignored the commentator's announcement. "I'll end my turn here… now try and throw something at me that I haven't seen before, 'Grim Reaper'!"
The Reaper reached for his deck, preparing to make his draw, and then stopped. "Could you repeat yourself?"
Kaito frowned. "I told you to throw something at me I haven't seen before. You think I'm totally new to this? Your Bone Tower strategy is probably older than I am. You want me to acknowledge you as the Grim Reaper? Fine, then hit me with something I haven't seen before!"
The Reaper's scowl grew deeper. "…Impudent… you're already sure you'll win, aren't you? Only a fool underestimates the Grim Reaper! Draw!"
The Reaper revealed his latest draw. "I activate Everliving Underworld Cannon!"
Kaito stared as a gigantic cannon rose up behind his opponent, apparently built entirely out of skulls. "…Heh. Bringing out the big guns already? You must be desperate to get rid of me, Reaper."
His opponent paid no attention to his comment. "I summon Gozuki, in attack position!"
A gigantic bull demon appeared beside the bone column, holding a massive hammer. (1700/800)
The Reaper rifled through his deck, selecting a card. "By the effect of Gozuki, once per turn a zombie-type monster is sent from my deck to the graveyard. I select Plaguespreader Zombie!"
The bull demon swung its hammer, crushing an image of the selected monster.
"Next, the effect of my zombie activates… Plaguespreader Zombie revives from the graveyard provided I return a card from my hand to the top of my deck!"
Kaito frowned as a groaning monster, stitched together from the corpses of various creatures, rose up on The Reaper's field. (400/200)
"Now… by the effect of my Cannon, I inflict eight hundred points of damage to your life points, and my Tower will send the top two cards of your deck to the graveyard!"
The cannon fired, releasing a gigantic skull-shaped bullet. At the same time, two skeletal hands reached up and snatched cards from the top of Kaito's deck. He brought up his arms to defend himself from them, instinctively. (Kaito LP: 4000-800= 3200)
The Reaper grinned. "I believe I saw a monster enter your graveyard… now, prepare yourself. The field of the dead, Zombie World, activates!"
Suddenly, the dueling field changed. Dead trees surrounded the arena, hedging both players in. Kaito noted the skeletons protruding from the ground. "…Typical undead player," he muttered.
The Reaper snapped his fingers. "…Since I believe there is now a monster in your graveyard, I will tune Plaguespreader Zombie and Gozuki together!"
The zombie moaned and grabbed at its body. Pulling violently, it managed to rip a small hole in its stomach. Hundreds of holographic flies flew from the opened wound, transforming into two rings which hovered over the duel arena. The bull demon transformed into four glowing stars that hovered between the rings. The Reaper began to chant, as the rings expanded outwards. "Under the stars, rotting flesh transforms into a force of sheer destruction! There can be no escape from this devilish plague! Synchro summon… Rise from your grave, Doomkaiser Dragon!"
Kaito pulled back as skeletal hands shot from the ground again, pulling two more cards from his deck. Something clicked as he noticed the art on one of them, and he grinned. "Bring on your dragons, Reaper- it'll take more than that to stop me!"
A column of light exploded from amid the rings and a gigantic, rotting dragon emerged, roaring a challenge. (2400/1500)
"THE REAPER HAS SUCCESSFULLY SYNCHRO SUMMONED DOOMKAISER DRAGON AND ACTIVATED ZOMBIE WORLD! AS MOST PLAYERS KNOW, THE EFFECT OF ZOMBIE WORLD CHANGES ALL MONSTERS IN THE GRAVEYARD AND ON THE FIELD TO ZOMBIE-TYPES, MEANING THAT DOOMKAISER DRAGON CAN NOW SPECIAL SUMMON ANY MONSTER OF SHISHIO'S FROM THE CEMETERY! THIS IS A PAINFUL REVERSAL!"
The Reaper smirked. "I believe our friend in the commentator's box has explained my monster's effect for me. I summon your Gladiator Beast Andal from the cemetery!"
Kaito grimaced as the ground next to the massive dragon split open and his monster crawled out- a large, armored bear, covered in dirt and surrounded by a glowing green aura. "…Tch…" (1900/1500) Suddenly, two more cards were snatched from his deck.
"Now… prepare yourself, 'Lion of the East'! This duel shall end with your defeat!" The Reaper declared, twirling his cane and pointing it at Kaito. "Gladiator Beast Andal, attack his Vorse Raider! Crushing Fist!"
Kaito winced as his monster brought up its blade to defend itself- a moment too late. The armored fist of the bear collided with Vorse Raider's face, shattering the monster like glass.
"Next," The Reaper declared, "Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower will attack your Gene-Warped Warwolf! Soul Eater!"
A strange mist rose from the tower, and Kaito's werewolf howled once before it was completely absorbed into it. When the mist cleared, Kaito realized his field was wide open.
The Reaper smirked. "I believe you have no further defenses… Doomkaiser Dragon! Attack my opponent directly! Undead Plague!"
Kaito managed to raise his duel disk just in time to block the green flames that washed over him, forcing him to take a step back. (Kaito LP: 3200-2400=800)
"…Now do you see why I'm called the Grim Reaper?" The Reaper laughed. "There are three major win conditions in Duel Monsters- burning the opponent's life points with direct damage, whittling away with battle damage, and destroying the opponent's deck. My deck can win with all three! You've already lost Heavy Storm and Mystical Space Typhoon to my milling, and if either of us special summons a monster, this game will end in your defeat! How do you counter that, Lion of the East?"
"THE REAPER TAKES THE LEAD AND ISSUES A BOLD CHALLENGE TO SHISHIO! HOW WILL HIS OPPONENT RESPOND?"
"Draw," Kaito declared. He glanced at his latest card, and then pointed at his opponent. "…Did you think this was going to impress me?"
The Reaper's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"A deck that can swarm, mill and burn all at the same time- you think that's new? You think that's unique? I've seen amateurs with zombie builds that have backed me into tighter corners than this!" Kaito taunted. "And you call this a swarm? You've got one mediocre attacker, one monster that you stole from me, and a useless tower that has to cower behind them if you want it to survive the turn."
The Reaper scowled. "Such impudence!" he growled. "As long as this land of the dead is in play, there is no way for me to lose this duel! Your special summons are sealed by my cannon, and your tribute summons will be prevented by my field spell! With a deck full of normal monsters, you can't hope to overcome me!"
Kaito grinned. "Hey, Reaper, take a good look at the bones in the graveyard of this field spell of yours. Notice anything about them?"
The Reaper found himself scanning the dark arena he'd created. "What are you talking about?"
Kaito's grin took on an almost feral quality. "Didn't you notice? There are no lion skeletons."
Kaito's fans roared in approval.
----------------
"Is that part of the act, or does he really talk like that?" the blonde-haired man asked.
Cole glanced away from the screen. "What?"
"That speech. Does he really talk like that?"
Cole shook his head. "No, but it's not part of the act either. He enjoys saying things like that. Wrote all his own synchro speeches too."
The blonde-haired man whistled. "Must make your job easier when you don't have to worry about making your client look cheesy."
Cole shook his head. "Mmm, you'd think that, wouldn't you?" He looked his companion in the eye.
"Lawrence, explain something to me, if you don't mind?"
"Eh?"
"...Is your client at all interested in our offer?"
Lawrence stared at the screen. "…I won't lie. He's very interested, actually. He sent me here to confirm one thing."
Cole motioned for him to continue. "And that thing was?"
"…He wanted to know if the Lion of the East actually enjoyed his job."
Cole nodded. "I think you'll have the answer in a moment."
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The crowd seemed to hold its breath as Kaito surveyed the contents of his hand. Then the red-haired duelist laughed, revealing the identity of his latest draw to his opponent. "I activate this spell card- Swing of Memories!"
Suddenly, a rustling breeze filled the air, along with the sound of laughing children.
The Reaper growled. "What the hell are you doing? Since Zombie World will cause your monster to be treated as a zombie, your life points will be-"
Kaito grinned. "I guess I should thank your half-assed mill strategy for dumping this card to the graveyard, Reaper… I summon my burning soul to the field! Come out, Master of the Underdog!"
The cannon charged and fired… but at the last second, the skull like bullet reversed direction and slammed into the Reaper, causing him to bring up his arms as a shield and knocking off his top hat. "…What?" (The Reaper LP: 4000-800= 3200)
Kaito pointed to his trap card, now face up, which had created a large barrier between him and his opponent's cannon. "Reflect Nature- a trap card that causes all of your effects that cause damage to rebound on you! That deals with your burn strategy for the round, doesn't it, Mr. Grim Reaper? " He asked mockingly.
"THIS IS IT! SHISHIO IS DOWN TO HIS LAST FEW LIFE POINTS, BUT HE'S SUMMONING HIS ACE TUNER TO THE FIELD! WILL THIS UNIQUE MONSTER LEAD HIM TO VICTORY YET AGAIN?"
A burning flame shot into the air next to Kaito before shaping itself into a lion's head. The lion then broke apart, revealing a man with long, brown hair wearing a bandana and a green vest. The man smirked, his actions mimicking Kaito's. (1400/1000)
The Reaper frowned. "An effect monster… you shouldn't have been able to summon that using Swing of Memories!"
Kaito wagged his finger. "Master of the Underdog has two effects- first, I can't use it to synchro summon unless all of the materials are normal monsters. As compensation, though, it's a level four tuner, and it's treated as a normal monster instead of an effect monster. Alright now, Reaper… you mentioned that you pulled my claws earlier? Well fair enough… now let me show you my fangs! I summon my second Gene-Warped Warwolf to the field!" A second four-armed werewolf appeared beside Kaito's tuner. Kaito grinned one last time and gave the order. "Gene Warped Warwolf! Master of the Underdog! Tuning!"
Suddenly, Master of the Underdog leaped into the air and screamed a battle cry as four giant green rings exploded from his body, surrounding him. Gene-Warped Warwolf howled once before being drawn into the rotating rings and transformed into four stars. Kaito began to chant. "Burning spirit that rules the battlefield…"
The first star touched the Master's vest, changing it into a white trench coat.
"Proud spirit that challenges the stars themselves…"
The second star touched the warrior's legs, which became covered in silver armor.
"Now prepare to join this game!"
The third star touched the warrior's left arm and transformed into a large shield, complete with a
lion-headed crest.
"Raise your blade, master of all you survey…"
The final star transformed into a broadsword, which the warrior gripped, gritting his teeth. Suddenly, a light filled the column created by the green rings, intensifying.
"Synchro summon! Stand proud, King of the Underdog!"
The column exploded, and Kaito's original monster had vanished. King of the Underdog stood on the battlefield proudly, calmly swinging his broadsword with one hand. The original street clothes Master of the Underdog had worn were replaced by white armor, and covered by the strangely regal trench coat. A golden circlet had replaced its bandana. Kaito grinned. (2800/1400)
The crowd went wild.
"THIS IS IT! SHISHIO HAS SUMMONED HIS ACE MONSTER, THE FEROCIOUS KING OF THE UNDERDOG!"
The Reaper growled. "…My Bone Tower's effect is still active… you've lost two cards from your deck for special summoning Master of the Underdog, and another two for your King!"
Kaito was unconcerned. "Yeah, and I'm about to lose two more. By the effect of King of the Underdog, I send one card from my hand to the graveyard to special summon any normal monster I've sent there! And since thanks to your tower I've sent ten cards from my deck there already, I'm pretty sure that… hah! Here it is!"
The Reaper continued scowling. "Your empty boasting doesn't fool me, Shishio. You may have evaded a loss this turn, but you cannot defeat me!"
The red-haired duelist held up his monster, ignoring his opponent. "Now get ready… I summon a monster powerful enough to battle the legendary white dragon on equal footing!"
The King of the Underdog plunged his broadsword into the ground, and a second spout of flames jetted up from it, morphing into the shape of a lion. The flames burned for a moment, before flickering away and revealing just what Kaito had summoned- a massive golden lion, with a mane of fire. "My most powerful monster! King of the Veldt!"
The lion roared, and the arena trembled. (3000/1800)
A flicker of nervousness crossed The Reaper's face for a moment then vanished. "Even if you attack with both your monsters, you won't cause enough damage to my life points to win the game… and next turn I'll use the power of my cannon to defeat you!"
Kaito's face was the picture of supreme confidence. "I don't plan on letting you have a next turn, Reaper. Gotta hand it to you- I wouldn't have been able to finish this duel so early if you hadn't been kind enough to stock my graveyard with everything I needed. Usually I have to do that the hard way. I equip King of the Underdog with Golden Soul Hammer!"
Suddenly, the King's sword transformed into a gigantic golden hammer, which began to shine with unearthly energy. The Reaper was forced to shield his eyes. "…That card…"
"When Golden Soul Hammer is activated, I remove one normal monster in my graveyard from the game. Then the monster I equip the hammer to inherits that monster's strength- specifically, half of its attack points!" Kaito shouted as he revealed a second King of the Veldt in his graveyard.
The King of the Underdog swung his new hammer experimentally as a golden aura surrounded him. (4300/1400)
"No… the Reaper hissed as he did the math in his head. "No! I was so close…"
"Go, King of the Underdog!" Kaito ordered as his monster raised the golden hammer. "Crushing Soul!"
The monster leaped into the air, bringing down its hammer on Doomkaiser Dragon.
The Reaper shielded his eyes as the giant hammer crashed down on his dragon's head. Cracks ran through the monster's body, and it exploded in a corona of golden light. (The Reaper LP: 3200- 1900= 1300)
"And with Doomkaiser gone, the monster you summoned with its effect vanishes too…" Kaito said as he pointed at Andal, who faded into nothingness. "…Now end this, Veldt King Leo! Crush his last monster… Wrath of the Beast King!"
The Reaper stared at his unprotected tower. "…No…"
The lion crashed into the tower, reducing it to powder.(The Reaper LP: 1300- 2600= 0)
"THIS IS IT! THE DUEL HAS ENDED! KAITO SHISHIO HAS PREVAILED, SNATCHING VICTORY FROM NEAR DEFEAT!"
Kaito smiled at his opponent. "A lion doesn't fear death- he meets it with all his strength and swats it aside."
The commentator said something, but the crowd drowned him out.
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Cole looked at his blonde-haired companion. "So, do you have your answer?"
The man looked at the screen as the cameras displayed a close-up of Kaito's face. "…I do," he said after a moment's pause. "…He really does love this game, doesn't he?"
Cole grinned. "I really couldn't have asked for an easier duelist to market in some ways. He really does love this job." He raised an eyebrow. "So, have you decided?"
"I think I have," the man replied as he offered a handshake to Cole. "I do believe my client and I would be honored to accept your invitation to join Mr. Shishio as his team members in the upcoming Kaiser Cup."
Cole's grin grew even wider. "Splendid."
Lawrence nodded. "I'll have to call him to confirm of course, but please go ahead and tell Shishio to expect our assistance."
Cole's smile became slightly crooked. "…Mr. Shishio will likely be out of touch tonight."
Lawrence raised an eyebrow. "Does he have a date?"
The black-haired manager sighed. "…No, but he won the duel, and he'll be celebrating."
Lawrence gave him a knowing wink. "Bar-hopping, eh?"
"Actually…"
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Kaito felt a rush of cold air pass his face, chilling him to the bone. It was dead winter, and the temperature had fallen depressingly low. He clutched his coat tighter around himself. In the duel arena he might have thrown it off and shouted to the crowd that "the blazing heart of a lion keeps him warm even in the coldest glaciers". But this wasn't the arena, it was Times Square. Out here, he could relax- there were no opponents, no performances, and no reason not to take his time. He had turned his cell phone and pager off long before leaving the arena, so there was no chance of anyone interrupting.
"Shishio."
Kaito turned. He almost didn't recognize the man standing behind him without the suit he had been wearing in the arena. He was now dressed casually, albeit in all black. "...Reaper," he replied.
The Grim Reaper gave him a crooked smile. "Call me Creed."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Okay then, Creed… any particular reason you followed me out here? Swearing revenge on me? Giving me congratulations? What?"
Creed smiled, and Kaito couldn't shake the feeling at the night air was now two degrees colder than it had been. "Neither."
Kaito shrugged. "Then why did you follow me all the way out here?"
"Tell me, Shishio, if you knew ahead of time you were destined to lose a duel, would you play it?"
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"If you knew ahead of time that I was going to defeat you in there, would you have dueled anyway?"
Kaito smirked. "Yes."
Creed nodded. "In that case… farewell for now, Mr. Shishio. I hope we meet again soon." He extended a hand. Kaito reached out tentatively and shook it.
Suddenly, Kaito's world felt as if it had been inverted. A sudden ringing filled his ears, and he was conscious of a burning sensation surrounding his hand. He tried to move it, but Creed's grip was too strong.
The next moment, everything righted itself. Kaito blinked, trying to shake away the dizzy feeling. The burning sensation around his hand was gone. "…Creed, what the hell did you-" he began to ask as he looked up.
The man he had been talking with had vanished.
Kaito glanced at the palm of his hand. Somehow, a symbol had been burnt onto it- a lion, opening its jaws to roar. He felt a wave of euphoria wash over him.
Kaito looked up at the sky and began to laugh.
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LIST OF FAKE CARDS:
King of the Veldt
Monster/Fire/Beast/8*
Atk 3000/ Def 1800
The embodiment of a hero's courage. He rules the savanna with iron claws.King of the Underdog
Monster/Fire/Warrior/Synchro/Effect/8*
Atk 2800/Def 1400
"Master of the Underdog + 1 or more non-tuners"
This monster cannot be special summoned except by synchro summon. Once per turn, you can send one card from your hand to the graveyard to special summon one normal monster in the graveyard. You can only control one "King of the Underdog" at a time.
Master of the Underdog
Monster/Fire/Warrior/Tuner/4*
Atk 1400/Def 1000
This monster is treated as a normal monster for the purpose of determining card effects. If this monster is used in a synchro summon, the other monster(s) must be normal monster(s). When this monster is destroyed as a result of battle, special summon one level four or lower normal monster from your deck (except "Master of the Underdog")
Golden Soul Hammer
Equip Spell
When this card is activated, remove a normal monster in the graveyard from play. The equipped monster gains Atk equal to half the Atk of the removed monster.