Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monster GX Fan Fiction ❯ The Darkness of Destiny ❯ Soul Survivor ( Chapter 12 )

The Darkness of Destiny

 

Chapter 12

 

Soul Survivor

 

“I'll start off,” Aster said, drawing. “I play the Spell card `Destiny Draw'. Now by sending a Destiny Hero from my hand to the Graveyard, I can draw twice. Then I'll activate the effect of the monster in my Graveyard. I'll remove `Destiny Hero - Malicious' (800, 800) from play to summon another one.” There was a white flash as the winged Hero appeared on Aster's field. “Next I'll sacrifice him to summon `Destiny Hero - Double Dude' (1000, 1000).” A tall, slender man in a suit with a cane appeared on Aster's field. Aster smiled. “Now when my Double Dude is destroyed, on y next turn I can summon my third Malicious, and use my Double Dude Tokens and my Malicious as Tributes. It's all in place.”

 

“It's your turn,” Aster called. Morte chuckled and bowed his head. “Well, come on!” Aster protested. The ground shook as Morte lifted his head. He raised his cane up and slammed it back into the ground. The dirt erupted as a large form burst up. It was a transparent skeleton in a black cloak with a long chain. A heavy iron mace was attached to the end of it.

 

“What?” Aster yelled, stepping back. The cloaked skeleton threw back its head and cackled.

 

“What's wrong, Mr. Phoenix, does my `Soul Hunter' (1500, 1000) frighten you?” Morte laughed. Aster scowled.

 

“No!” he lied. “How did he summon a monster without a Duel Disk?”

 

“He will,” Morte replied, flinging his cane out over the field. “Spell card activate!” The card rose out of the mist before him. “It's called `Soul Extraction'. Now I can remove a card in my hand from play, and regain a thousand points,” Morte explained. “But don't worry just yet, worry about my second Spell! Go, `Soul Calling'! Now I can select any one of my monsters that was removed from play this turn, and call it back for one turn only. And I choose `Soul Feeder' (500, 500)!” Another monster appeared. This one was a rotting corpse with drops of some white substance leaking out of its wounds.

 

“Big deal. Go ahead and attack me!” Aster cried. Morte shook his head.

 

“The reaper does not strike down the living, he lets time do his work for him and preys on their weakened spirits once they die. Like the great one, I let my enemies get weak before I strike. Observer,” he replied. Soul Hunter growled and held up its mace. A glowing shard of blue crystal emerged from the iron ball. “Whenever a monster is Special Summoned while it is removed from play, Soul Hunter powers up and acquires something known as a `soul' counter. But wait, there's more. Soul Feeder, show Mr. Phoenix how you got your name!” Soul Hunter's eyes gleamed, and with a roar, the mace swung and slammed into Soul Feeder. The monster vanished in a sparkle of blue dust, two more crystals shards appearing from the cloud and attaching to Soul Hunter's mace.

 

“And now it's time for Soul Hunter to use his special power!” Morte laughed. Soul Hunter lifted a hand and swung the mace overhead. “You see, by removing Soul Feeder from play, I can place two more soul counters on my monster. And now that Soul Hunter has been fully charged, he can remove from play any monster on the field that's face-up!”

 

“What?” Aster shrieked.

 

“Soul Hunter, ply your trade!” Morte commanded. The mace glowed and turned transparent blue, hurtling through the air. With a groan, Double Dude collapsed in a head as the spectral mace passed through him. A blue version of the monster appeared, transforming into a beast and raising an arm in defense as the mace swung into it. Double Dude and its soul counterpart vanished in a flash of blue dust.

 

“And since that was just his effect, Soul Hunter still has his attack! Here, let me show you!” Aster cried out and fell to his knees as the mace slammed into his chest.

 

-Aster LP: 2500, Morte LP: 5000-

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Alexis pulled a ten from her purse and handed it to the cashier. The teen had been flirting with her ever since she had come it the store. It wasn't that he wasn't good looking, it was just…well, actually, it was that. Plus he was creeping her out.

 

“You sure you wanna pay? Cute lil' thing like you?” he asked, winking. Alexis groaned. On the other hand, at least he never had to deal with this. Being good looking had its disadvantages.

 

“I'm sure, thanks,” she muttered, swiping the bag from the counter and leaving. The cashier called out for her change, but Alexis wasn't going back there again. She pulled out her cellphone and dialed. The other line rang twice before it picked up.

 

“Yes?” Sartorius answered.

 

“Just calling to let you two know I'm on my way. I'm going to catch a cab,” Alexis replied, looking around for an empty bit of curb to hail one. It was weird, it had been a week, nearly two, but the Phoenix property was already starting to feel like home. She had to keep reminding herself it was only until Sartorius' preliminary payment cleared the banks, which he assured her would be in a few days. She already had plans to go apartment hunting the next day.

 

“A cab? Aster's not giving you a ride?” Sartorius replied. Alexis frowned and pulled her blue jacket tighter as a breeze picked up.

 

“No. Why, is he coming?” she asked, pulling her hair back from the wind.

 

“He left nearly fifteen minutes ago,” Sartorius explained. Alexis frowned. That was easily enough time to get to the Kaiba Dome, assuming Aster even knew where she was, which it sounded like he did.

 

“I haven't seen him all night. Where it he?” she murmured.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“How is he doing this?” Aster through, breathing heavily. The thick white fog kept rolling in, and Morte still had absolutely no evidence of a Duel Disk. “Something's up with this guy, he's gotta be using some kinda magic like Sartorius used to. Man, how come I always have to fight these guys, you never hear about Yugi or Kaiba fighting power-hungry wackos.”

 

“Get up, Mr. Phoenix, my Soul Hunter is hungry,” Morte taunted. Aster growled and stood up.

 

“Chew on this!” he snapped, drawing. “I remove from play the Malicious Hero in my Graveyard to summon a third one. And like the second, I'll sacrifice it to summon `Destiny Hero - Dasher' (2100, 1000).” A sleek black humanoid with wheels in its legs jumped onto the field from behind Aster.

 

“Dasher, take out Soul Hunter!” Aster cried, pointing at the monster. Dasher's wheels spun, and with a screech it zoomed across the field. A left hook caught Soul Hunter in the jaw, the skeleton collapsing into a pile of bones as the cape caught on fire. “And after Dasher attacks, he switches to defense mode. So I'll a set card and call it a turn,” Aster finished. Morte scowled as he held out his cane.

 

“I summon `Soul Capturer' (1400, 1700), and activate the Spell card `Soul Conduit'!” A skeleton with a glowing white net and a hook on a chain appear, swinging the chain overhead. “Soul Capturer has a special power as well. By removing a Soul Counter from him when he attacks a monster, any excess damage bleeds over to you!” The skeleton lashed out the hook. The chain wrapped around Dasher's neck and squeezed until it shattered. Aster cringed as jolts of pain shot through his legs.

 

-Aster LP: 2100, Morte LP: 5000-

 

“How are you doing this, Morte!?” Aster demanded. Morte laughed and held up his cane.

 

“The powers of darkness are in the palm of my hand, Mr. Phoenix! You are no match for the underworld!” he replied.

 

“Yeesh, get a grip,” Aster growled, drawing. “I'll call out `Destiny Hero Fear Monger' (1000, 1000). And then I'll add in a Spell card of mine called `D-Axe'.” Fear Monger glowed as a large, black axe appeared in his hand. “This card gives my Fear Monger a 1000 point bonus! Fear Monger, take out Soul Capturer!” The Hero leapt and twirled the axe overhead, roaring as it slammed it into the skeleton. Morte's cloak blew past him as he raised his cane into the air.

 

“Not good enough! I call `Soul Crusher' (2100, 0000)!” The newest skeleton towered over the field. Giant rings of steel spikes ran over its shoulders, wrists and ankles. Its empty eye sockets glowed bright red. “Soul Crusher, attack!” Morte cried. The skeleton raised a giant fist and slammed it into the ground. The shockwave hit under Fear Monger, covering the humanoid in a shower of rock and dirt.

 

-Aster LP: 2000, Morte LP: 5000-

 

“This doesn't make any sense. Either I'm losing my mind, or he's for real! But there's no way that can be right, but there's no way this is possible either!”

 

“Are you finally beginning to grasp the futility of the situation?” Morte chuckled. “I place a card face down and end my turn.” Morte's cane slammed down into the dirt as the hologram flashed in front of it.

 

“This isn't possible…” Aster whispered, looking at his cards. “I'll…draw,” he said at last, doing so. “I'll use the Spell card `Graceful Charity', and draw three more cards. Then I'll send two to the Graveyard.” Aster slipped his cards away with a frown.

 

“Draw all the cards you like. You have nothing in your deck that can match my might! I manipulate souls, the very essences of creation itself!” Morte called.

 

“Yeah yeah yeah,” Aster growled. “I'll set one card face-down and end my turn,”

 

“Very well. Since he attacked last turn, Soul Crusher is forbidden to attack this turn. But no matter, I have another plan in mind. I activate my Trap card `Soul Crystal'.” A glowing formation of blue crystal rose from the ground behind Morte. “And now, the last Spell card you'll ever see, Mr. Phoenix! Go, `Soul Collecting'!” Morte held out his cane as the crystals glowed. “This card lets me move all Soul Counters on the field onto Soul Crusher, setting the stage for your ultimate demise!” Morte's lips pulled back in a rotting grin as he held up his cane.

 

“I sacrifice Soul Crusher in order to summon the all powerful `Soul Reaper' (2500, 2000)!” Morte laughed. The skeleton vanished as wisps of blue flame sprang up beneath it. The flames stretched higher and wrapped around each other. A cloak of bright blue fight formed and wrapped around a large skeleton, a dark hood sliding over its skull. A long, steel rod appeared in the monster's hand, the tip exploding as a wicked blade of glowing green energy burst out. The hooded skeleton cackled as it rose into the air.

 

“Prepare yourself, Mr. Phoenix!” Morte sneered. “I've already reaped the souls of your cards, and now my Soul Reaper hungers for you!”

 

Soul Hunter

4 Star DARK Zombie

ATK: 1500

DEF: 1000

When a monster is Special Summoned, place a Soul Counter on this card. Remove 3 Soul Counters from this card to remove a face-up monster from play.

 

Soul Calling

Spell

Special Summon one of your monsters that has been removed from play. The summoned monster cannot attack or be offered as Tribute and is destroyed during the End Phase.

 

Soul Feeder

2 Star DARK Zombie

ATK: 500

DEF: 500

Remove this face-up card from play to place 2 Soul Counters on a monster.

 

Soul Extraction

Spell

Remove 1 card in your hand from play. Increase your Life Points by 1000.

 

Soul Conduit

Spell

Place 2 Soul Counters on a monster.

 

Soul Capturer

4 Star DARK Zombie

ATK: 1400

DEF: 1700

When a monster is Special Summoned, place a Soul Counter on this card. When this card attacks a defense position monster with an ATK that is higher than the target monster's DEF, remove a Soul Counter from this card to inflict the difference as Effect Damage to your opponent's Life Points.

 

Soul Crusher

4 Star DARK Zombie

ATK: 2100

DEF: 0000

This card cannot attack if it attacked last turn. When a monster is Special Summoned, place a Soul Counter on this card. Remove 3 Soul Counters from this card to destroy 1 monster on the field. You cannot attack the turn you use this effect.

 

Soul Crystal

Continuous Trap

Place 3 Soul Counters on this card. Once per turn, move a Soul Counter from this card to another monster that can hold Soul Counters.

 

Soul Collecting

Spell

Select 1 monster that can hold Soul Counters, and move all Soul Counters on the field to that monster.