A Kingdom Lost (5/10)
Dec. 31st, 2013 02:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heleentjeWhat got to Manjoume wasn’t the woman’s voice, nor was it Tenjoin-kun’s shaky gasp. No, it was Shou’s whispered, “Aniki,” that made him whirl around, only to come face to face with… Judai.
Only this wasn’t Judai like he’d last seen him. Oh, his clothes were the same, as was his hair, and Manjoume would even have been able to ignore the distinct golden shade his eyes had taken on if it weren’t for his expression: placid, emotionless. Dead.
“We waited for you,” said the monster. It put a hand on Judai’s shoulder and Judai leaned into the touch. Kenzan gritted his teeth. Judai didn’t look hurt, but that face of his, that eery expression…
d Judai, get away from that monster!” Manjoume shouted. No one dared to move, not when the way back had been closed off and the monster was still holding onto Judai’s shoulder. But there were nine of them and only one of the monster. Surely they could take it.
“No,” said Judai. His voice was different too, lifeless. “Yubel has found me. I have no need for anyone else.”
Tenjoin-kun reeled back as if struck. Shou shouted: “Aniki, you don’t know what you’re saying!”
“I know very well. You would do best to leave.”
This wasn’t Judai. That monster had twisted his mind. And if words weren’t going to snap him out of it…
“Hey Judai!” He stepped forward and activated his duel disk. “I challenge you to a duel!”
Manjoume had managed to defeat most of the school more than once. He could take Judai, especially a Judai who was nothing like his normal self whatsoever.
“Manjoume, are you sure this is a good idea?” hissed Misawa.
“If he doesn’t recognize us, I’ll just kick his ass until he does.”
For the first time, Judai looked faintly amused. He exchanged a look with the monster, who nodded and said softly: “Go one. I believe they need a warning.”
Judai stepped forward, his own duel disk activating in eery silence. Behind Manjoume, his friends stepped back to give him space.
“Duel!” he shouted. Judai said nothing, only drew his opening hand.
“My turn!” Manjoume drew a sixth card. A good, strong opening hand. “I summon Blood Vorse in attack mode,” he announced. “And then I play two cards facedown.”
His facedown Hell Polymer should be able to take care of whatever fusion monster Judai decided to summon, he thought as he ended his turn. Only Judai didn’t summon a fusion monster. He took his turn in dead silence and did nothing more than summon Bubbleman in defense mode. Was it just Manjoume’s imagination, or did the monster have the same blank look on his face as Judai?
“Be careful, Manjoume-senpai!” Kenzan shouted. Manjoume nodded. Maybe Judai just hadn’t drawn Fusion, but it was far more likely that Manjoume was walking straight into a trap.
Only Judai’s dueling didn’t improve. Blood Vorse easily destroyed Bubbleman, and Judai made no move to stop him from summoning, in quick succession, all three Ojamas. The monster that had taken him watched it all with a faintly amused smile.
“Judai, what the hell?” Manjoume asked. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Be grateful that my Judai deigns you worthy of his time,” the monster said.
“He doesn’t even recognize us, does he?” Tenjoin-kun whispered sadly. Judai turned his head ever so slightly.
“Tenjoin Asuka,” he said. “Yes, I do believe your abilities are slightly above average. And Marufuji Shou. The boy who could be strong if he weren’t such a coward.”
Shou clenched his fists.
“You take that back!” shouted Kenzan. “Marufuji-senpai is way braver than you think!”
“And Manjoume Jun,” Judai continued, as if he hadn’t even heard Kenzan. “Always trying to catch up. Of course I recognize you. I do wonder: why should I care?”
“Enough!” Manjoume raised his duel disk. “I’m dragging you back whether you like it or not! I activate a magic card, Ojama Delta Thunder!”
It would deal 2000 life points of damage. Judai only had 1300 life points left.
“You know,” said the monster conversationally. “This world has some very specific rules.”
“What do you mean?” growled Tenjoin-kun. Manjoume tried to ignore the monster.
“Whoever loses a duel in this world, dies.”
Manjoume’s hand stilled over the button that would activate his magic card. “Why should I believe you?”
“By all means, go ahead,” said the monster. “I do ask myself what use it has to kill the person you’re trying to save.”
It was lying, had to be. But what if… What if it was telling the truth? He glanced at Judai, who looked supremely unconcerned. Judai might be an idiot and a bastard, but he couldn’t risk it…
“I end my turn,” he bit out.
“Aniki!” whined Ojama Yellow. Manjoume gritted his teeth. How could he get around this? He still had 2900 life points left. Could he force a draw?
“My turn,” said Judai. He drew. For a brief moment, the gold in his eyes flared up. “I play the magic card Dark Fusion and send Elemental Hero Featherman and Elemental Hero Burst Lady to the graveyard.”
Dark Fusion? Manjoume had never seen that card before, but Judai was clearly going to summon Flame Wingman and—
“I fusion summon Evil Hero Inferno Wing!”
“What?” shouted Kenzan.
“Hold it!” Manjoume pressed a button. “I activate my trap, Hell Polymer, which—”
But the trap shattered before he could finish his sentence.
“Dark Fusion prevents my monsters from being targeted by traps. Now, Inferno Wing, attack Ojama Yellow.”
Manjoume barely managed to keep himself from crying out as his life points sank all the way to 800. But he was still alive, and next turn he could—
“Inferno Wing deals damage equal to the attack or defense of your destroyed monster, whichever is higher.”
Ojama Yellow had no attack but 1000 defense points. That— That meant—
“Judai, we’re you’re friends!” shouted Tenjoin-kun. Stop it!”
“I recognize that I once considered you friends,” Judai said, and as Inferno Wing bore down on him, Manjoume could barely make out the rest of his words. “But I don’t see why that should still be the case.”
Only this wasn’t Judai like he’d last seen him. Oh, his clothes were the same, as was his hair, and Manjoume would even have been able to ignore the distinct golden shade his eyes had taken on if it weren’t for his expression: placid, emotionless. Dead.
“We waited for you,” said the monster. It put a hand on Judai’s shoulder and Judai leaned into the touch. Kenzan gritted his teeth. Judai didn’t look hurt, but that face of his, that eery expression…
d Judai, get away from that monster!” Manjoume shouted. No one dared to move, not when the way back had been closed off and the monster was still holding onto Judai’s shoulder. But there were nine of them and only one of the monster. Surely they could take it.
“No,” said Judai. His voice was different too, lifeless. “Yubel has found me. I have no need for anyone else.”
Tenjoin-kun reeled back as if struck. Shou shouted: “Aniki, you don’t know what you’re saying!”
“I know very well. You would do best to leave.”
This wasn’t Judai. That monster had twisted his mind. And if words weren’t going to snap him out of it…
“Hey Judai!” He stepped forward and activated his duel disk. “I challenge you to a duel!”
Manjoume had managed to defeat most of the school more than once. He could take Judai, especially a Judai who was nothing like his normal self whatsoever.
“Manjoume, are you sure this is a good idea?” hissed Misawa.
“If he doesn’t recognize us, I’ll just kick his ass until he does.”
For the first time, Judai looked faintly amused. He exchanged a look with the monster, who nodded and said softly: “Go one. I believe they need a warning.”
Judai stepped forward, his own duel disk activating in eery silence. Behind Manjoume, his friends stepped back to give him space.
“Duel!” he shouted. Judai said nothing, only drew his opening hand.
“My turn!” Manjoume drew a sixth card. A good, strong opening hand. “I summon Blood Vorse in attack mode,” he announced. “And then I play two cards facedown.”
His facedown Hell Polymer should be able to take care of whatever fusion monster Judai decided to summon, he thought as he ended his turn. Only Judai didn’t summon a fusion monster. He took his turn in dead silence and did nothing more than summon Bubbleman in defense mode. Was it just Manjoume’s imagination, or did the monster have the same blank look on his face as Judai?
“Be careful, Manjoume-senpai!” Kenzan shouted. Manjoume nodded. Maybe Judai just hadn’t drawn Fusion, but it was far more likely that Manjoume was walking straight into a trap.
Only Judai’s dueling didn’t improve. Blood Vorse easily destroyed Bubbleman, and Judai made no move to stop him from summoning, in quick succession, all three Ojamas. The monster that had taken him watched it all with a faintly amused smile.
“Judai, what the hell?” Manjoume asked. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Be grateful that my Judai deigns you worthy of his time,” the monster said.
“He doesn’t even recognize us, does he?” Tenjoin-kun whispered sadly. Judai turned his head ever so slightly.
“Tenjoin Asuka,” he said. “Yes, I do believe your abilities are slightly above average. And Marufuji Shou. The boy who could be strong if he weren’t such a coward.”
Shou clenched his fists.
“You take that back!” shouted Kenzan. “Marufuji-senpai is way braver than you think!”
“And Manjoume Jun,” Judai continued, as if he hadn’t even heard Kenzan. “Always trying to catch up. Of course I recognize you. I do wonder: why should I care?”
“Enough!” Manjoume raised his duel disk. “I’m dragging you back whether you like it or not! I activate a magic card, Ojama Delta Thunder!”
It would deal 2000 life points of damage. Judai only had 1300 life points left.
“You know,” said the monster conversationally. “This world has some very specific rules.”
“What do you mean?” growled Tenjoin-kun. Manjoume tried to ignore the monster.
“Whoever loses a duel in this world, dies.”
Manjoume’s hand stilled over the button that would activate his magic card. “Why should I believe you?”
“By all means, go ahead,” said the monster. “I do ask myself what use it has to kill the person you’re trying to save.”
It was lying, had to be. But what if… What if it was telling the truth? He glanced at Judai, who looked supremely unconcerned. Judai might be an idiot and a bastard, but he couldn’t risk it…
“I end my turn,” he bit out.
“Aniki!” whined Ojama Yellow. Manjoume gritted his teeth. How could he get around this? He still had 2900 life points left. Could he force a draw?
“My turn,” said Judai. He drew. For a brief moment, the gold in his eyes flared up. “I play the magic card Dark Fusion and send Elemental Hero Featherman and Elemental Hero Burst Lady to the graveyard.”
Dark Fusion? Manjoume had never seen that card before, but Judai was clearly going to summon Flame Wingman and—
“I fusion summon Evil Hero Inferno Wing!”
“What?” shouted Kenzan.
“Hold it!” Manjoume pressed a button. “I activate my trap, Hell Polymer, which—”
But the trap shattered before he could finish his sentence.
“Dark Fusion prevents my monsters from being targeted by traps. Now, Inferno Wing, attack Ojama Yellow.”
Manjoume barely managed to keep himself from crying out as his life points sank all the way to 800. But he was still alive, and next turn he could—
“Inferno Wing deals damage equal to the attack or defense of your destroyed monster, whichever is higher.”
Ojama Yellow had no attack but 1000 defense points. That— That meant—
“Judai, we’re you’re friends!” shouted Tenjoin-kun. Stop it!”
“I recognize that I once considered you friends,” Judai said, and as Inferno Wing bore down on him, Manjoume could barely make out the rest of his words. “But I don’t see why that should still be the case.”