Tournament of Tears

Chapter 47: Farewell and goodbye; till we meet again

"…father?"

Rikuo groaned and rolled over; trying to block the bright sunlight that felt like it was burning into his eyes. "Leave me alone, I'm trying to sleep…" A few seconds later a dress shoe came slamming down on the side of his head. "OW!" Instantly awake, he leapt to his feet and snarled. "Who did that?"

Putting his shoe back on, Ryu sighed at his fellow general. "You're a hopeless fool." From behind him, Eri sighed in relief that her father was alright.

The wolf demon sniffed the air and chuckled. "So he pulled it off, huh?" They were standing in the middle of a still-abandoned New York City. The biggest difference though was that everything was restored to normal. All of the damage that had been caused was undone. High above the sun shone bright upon them, reflecting the peace that had come from the winner's wish.

Ryu sniffed the air as well. ("I smell everyone except Ichigo. I wonder where he is.")

Almost as if on cue there was a loud yell of surprise and a metal bang from a nearby alley. A few moments later Ichigo stumbled out from around the corner, bits of trash clinging to his jacket and a banana peel hanging off his head. Nursing the bump on the back of his skull, he sucked in his breath painfully. "I'm sore all over."

Rikuo walked up casually and slapped the boy on the back. "So you managed to deal with Sestros then?"

"Huh? Me?" Ichigo pointed at his chest, asking the stupidly obvious question. "So we won then?"

"Huh?" The wolf demon looked back at Ryu. "He wasn't the one to beat Sestros?"

The dragon demon nodded. "That's right. Some strange young man showed up and defeated Sestros both in a duel and then destroyed him afterwards."

"A strange young man huh?" Ichigo crossed his arms across his chest and nodded his head sagely. "He must have been an amazing duelist and a great fighter then."

The dragon demon shrugged. "He dragged the duel out too long for my tastes…" He didn't seem to notice how the banana peel on Ichigo's head slid down over the boy's face as he said this.

("There's just no pleasing some people.") Throwing the offending piece of trash away, Ichigo looked around the street and counted the number of people there. ("One, two three…") "Huh, where's everybody else?"

"Ichigo!" Erian yelled down from a window on the tenth floor of a nearby building. "We're up here!"

"How'd you get up there?" The half-demon shielded his eyes from the sun while he looked up at his newest friend.

"I don't know! There was just a bright flash of light and suddenly I was up here with all these other guys." After saying that Erian was pushed to the side and Adriel's head came into view, followed by Griff and Krieger.

Ichigo grinned and flashed the victory sign to them. "We won!"

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A couple of hours the whole gang was back at the dock they had started from. Slowly but surely the inhabitants of New York City were starting to awaken one by one, while the noon sun held overhead.

Ichigo took in another sight of the beauty that was New York City for himself, because he doubted he'd ever be back here again. Meanwhile Erian continued to talk to Griff and Krieger about assorted things. And back by the ship Hitokage, Kenshin, Deondre, Ryu, Adriel, Rikuo, Eri and Judai all seemed to be having a conference about who the mysterious guy was that saved them all.

After a few minutes Ichigo held a hand on his shoulder. "Something you needed, Judai-sensei?"

Judai didn't immediately respond, trying to figure out how best to say what was on his mind. "Well, about your father and mother…"

"It's alright." Ichigo smiled brightly. "My father and mother are at peace now."

"Ichigo…" Judai had been known to be a bit oblivious every once in a while, but even he could sense the real peace behind his student's voice. "You…you don't feel sad for losing them?"

"Of course I do." The sea breeze blowing through his hair, Ichigo turned to his teacher. "My father and mother died for my future. I've already lamented that, and I intend to make sure their sacrifice wasn't in vain. From this point until I am unable to, I will fight as a hero for the earth. Regardless of whatever threats come, I will be there. That I swear."

Judai laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. "You're such a strange kid." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brown leather box. "By the way, happy birthday."

"Huh?" Ichigo blinked at the package.

"You forgot, didn't you?" Judai wasn't surprised. With all that had been going on, Ichigo had probably never even thought about it. "Well apparently your dad didn't. He sent me this about six months ago, and said to give it to you on your sixteenth birthday."

Ichigo gently took the box from Judai's hand and opened it. "This is…" Reaching into it, he pulled out a small gold pendant shaped like the H that represented the symbol of the Elemental Heroes. "This is something dad showed me once."

Judai nodded, as he remembered it catching his eye when he had first met Daniel and the man had been wearing it. "I remember it too. When I saw it, I asked him why he wore that. He laughed and said that it was just a silly little thing that reminded him of you."

Ichigo's eyes widened upon hearing that. "He…he told me that it reminded him why he lived in this world."

"I think, in his case, those two things were interchangeable." Judai winked and walked back over to the now dispersing conference.

Ichigo just looked at the pendant, and then put it on. ("The reason he lived in this world.") Lifting up the ring on his hand, he reflected a bit of sunlight through the Infinity Mind. "I'll uphold my promise. Your reason for living was for me, and my reason for living was to protect this world. I'll make sure that its people can smile." Lowering his hand, he pocketed the box the pendant had come with and turned to look at all of the people who in less than a year had become like a family to him.

Erian stomped up to Ichigo and tapped his foot angrily. "Hey, you didn't tell me that I needed to pass some test to come live at Duel Academy with you!"

Ichigo just started to laugh and draped his arm over the young alien's shoulders. "Tell you what? I'll help you study for it. That sound alright to you?"

Erian nodded and grinned.

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DATA PROMPT ONLINE, CONNECTING TO HOME SERVER…

WAITING…

…

…

…

CONNECTION ESTABLISHED…

The computer beeped loudly and the speakers crackled. Blue light from the featureless screen was the only thing in the room, but it was too dark to make out who was sitting at the computer.

Once more the speakers crackled, and a garbled voice came out of them. "This message meant for all field agents. Your reports on the defense capabilities of this planet are expected within the next few weeks, this world's time of course."

The hands of whoever was sitting in front of the computer started to type rapidly, the clicking of the keys the only noise in the apparently cramped little room.

This is Agent four of group sixty-three. All is currently going according to plan. Research on the strange energy signatures across this island are going according to plan. Although I have no progress to report in at the moment, as soon as most of the students of this school have left for their 'vacation' I'll have more breathing room to search for the sources of energy.

UNDERSTOOD, AGENT FOUR. HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN A COMPLICATION.

And that is?

A GUARDIAN OF THE INFINITES HAS ARRIVED ON THE PLANET. THE ENERGY THAT SOMEHOW REVITALIZED THIS PLANET FROM THE BRINK OF DEATH HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THAT GUARDIAN. ALSO, AT THAT TIME THE INFINITY MIND WAS DETECTED SHORTLY. IF THIS MEANS THE GUARDIAN HAS THE INFINITY MIND THEN WE HAVE A SERIOUS THREAT ON OUR HANDS.

WE BELIEVE THIS IS SOME REVELANCE TO YOU BECAUSE THE ENERGY THAT WAS DETECTED WHEN THE PLANET WAS REVITALIZED WAS A MASSIVE VERSION OF ALL OF THE RESIDUAL SIGNATURES YOU SENT IN WITH YOUR TESTS OF THE ISLAND'S ENERGY PATTERNS. THERE IS A 75 CHANCE THAT THE GUARDIAN HAS ASSUMED AN ALTERNATE IDENTITY ON THIS PLANET, AND THERE IS CURRENTLY A PREDICTED 35 POSSIBILITY IT IS ONE OF THE STUDENTS OF THE 'DUELIST ACADEMY' YOU ARE STATIONED AT.

Understood.

The computer screen went dark. ("One of the guardians, here? That's fine…there's nothing they could do to stop us…after all, we're already situated here.")

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End story arc/ End Legends of the Demon Duelist

Author's notes: Ladies and gentlemen, the Legends of the Demon Duelist end here. That's right, I ended it without any kind of big heartfelt scene involving the main characters, you know why? Quite simply, you'll be seeing them all again fairly soon. I bow to all of you loyal readers and lurkers (I've looked at the chapter hit counts, I know you people are out there) and thank you profusely for tolerating my general tardiness with updating Tournament of Tears for weeks on end. You guys are the real heroes for sticking through it.

Also, and this applies to all authors and duelists, I have opened a forum under my account name offering a fiction workshop type setting for all fledgling authors who need help. This applies to all authors who are having trouble with the duel parts of their fiction. Check under my account information to go there, and simply start up a topic if you wish to get in touch with me.

The Game of the Gods has ended, and with it Ichigo and company return to Duel Academy to go through the rest of their school year. And on the horizon rests the new foe that Ichigo will apparently have to tackle alone…the Blood Children. Can he do it?

Starting within the next couple of days, The Infinity Chronicles; Second Year Arc. That's right, the second year at the Duelist Academy for Ichigo…I wonder what waits for him.

Look for The Infinity Chronicles under the Yugioh GX section. Hope to get a few more reviews per chapter next time…but considering my track record for posting chapters I'm not entitled to it.