The non-original characters in this fanfiction are copyrighted to Kazuki Takahashi, Studio Gallup and Toei where applicable. All other characters are considered public domain by the author and may be used freely, but he does request that you ask permission as a courtesy.
The card names used are translations of the Official Card Game (OCG) names. For the TCG names, see the "Cards used" at the end of the story. And don't forget to e-mail me your thoughts (vm_postitnotes@yahoo.com). Thank you very much for reading.
--
Shougo - 600 LP
Ophelia - 4000 LP
The army without resources is not an army at all!
As Shougo drew his next card, facing the overwhelming power of Ophelia's Cyber Dark Dragon, the voice of his friend Chiba suddenly echoed in his head. It wasn't his imagination, he hadn't made it up to help him through this. He heard Chiba's voice.
Shougo then looked at the card he drew: "Life Slashing Treasure".
"I activate 'Life Slashing Treasure' from my hand," Shougo said.
Ophelia glanced upward. "Oh? How did you get that card, Shougo-kun? Doesn't that card belong to a friend of yours? Wouldn't he be mad that you're stealing from him?"
"I draw cards until I have five in my hand," Shougo went on, ignoring her. "And on my fifth Standby Phase after activation, I have to discard all the cards in my hand. My hand is empty, so I get five new cards."
Remembering what Ophelia had said about the cards in their decks being drawn from Shougo's subconsciousness, he pulled his cards trying to make them Exodia so he could end this battle. Unfortunately, when he looked at his hand, none of the cards were Exodia parts.
"Not what you were hoping for, right?" Ophelia smiled. "Dreams are the world of your subconscious. Even if you fight to keep your consciousness in control, that is still an act of your subconsciousness. That is what rules the cards you draw. You love the fight, Shougo-kun! You want it to go on. You only feel alive in a duel! Why would you want it to end so quickly?"
She's got a point, though... Shougo thought to himself. I can understand myself in a duel. At any other time, I feel embarrassed and lonely... perhaps I really don't want this duel to end.
"So, what have you got in your hand?" Ophelia said. "Something that can destroy me? Is that really what you want?"
Shougo grit his teeth.
"Or maybe I could just leave you here to dream forever," Ophelia went on. "I could do that for you too, you know. Leave you in a world where you always get your way, and your friends will all love you. Of course, it will be a desperate world. I am Darkness, after all. You'll know you're dreaming, and even your happiness will be mired in misery."
"Each of these cards have possibility," Shougo replied. "Darkness... you who understand only 'despair'... I'll show you what 'hope' is."
He looked at his hand. Something's here that can get me the victory... I just have to figure out how.
His face brightened suddenly as he noted the card on the right... a card he'd never seen before.
The blue dragon brings victory, but the red dragon...
Suddenly, everything became clear to Shougo. In one moment, he surpassed his own limitations.
This is the story of a new legend.
-------------
YU-GI-OH! Negative Zero: Genex Midterms
Turn 35: "The Hope of the Dark World, Aoyama Shougo"
-------------
"You have a strange smile on your face, Shougo-kun," Ophelia said. "I've never seen you look like that... at least, not when you're not dueling."
"I'm dueling now, aren't I?" Shougo closed his eyes, his smile remaining on his face. "I realized something just now. Something you might not know. I have friends that you don't have."
"And your 'friends' are going to help you win this duel?" Ophelia scoffed. "You have 600 life points. I have yet to be touched. Or are you saying that your friends' belief in you is going to get you out of this?"
Shougo's eyes opened narrowly. "That's exactly what I'm saying... 'Darkness'."
Ophelia's own gaze was reduced to a raw stare. "Show me."
Reaching for a card in his hand, Shougo closed his hand and touched it. He heard clearly the voice of his teacher, the one who had reached out to him through the darkness of his own desperation.
Win or draw... there is no 'lose' in your destiny.
"I activate 'Swing of Fond Memories'," Shougo declared, throwing the card on the table.
Ophelia looked, for a moment, afraid. "You don't have that card in your deck, either," she shouted. "How can you do this?"
I see it on your face... 'Darkness'. Despair. I see it as clear as day.
"This is a card that my teacher used to save me from you!" Shougo replied. "She took the risk, put her soul on the line as well as mine, just to have the strength to pull me out of that pit. And because of that, part of her spirit lives in me, too. Can you understand that, Ophelia?"
"Just summon your monster," Ophelia replied, turning her head in disdain.
"I choose to revive my own hope, that I had once abandoned. Be reborn by my own voice and my own volition. You are the monster who gave me the power to confront danger. Power I was afraid of. No more! Now, Aoyama Shougo calls on you, my true soul!"
A black void surrounded the "Swing of Fond Memories" card image, but this one did not have the sickening vibration of a Darkness-infected card. This dark had the brilliance of moonlight as it shot out onto the field, forming the shape of the legendary dragon.
"I call on you, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
Red-Eyes Black Dragon - LV7 Dark Dragon (2400 ATK)
The Red-Eyes roared with undeniable power.
Ophelia scoffed again. "Calling on that monster like it's yours," she sneered. "You do know that the teacher you speak of had a brother who used that card. That very same brother surrendered to Darkness as well! That is the whole reason she reached out to you!"
"Be that as it may, it was the card that brought me here," Shougo replied. "And nobody is going to convince me that my memory was a mere dream. You may have revived me, but Tenjouin-sensei believed in me and gave me real life."
"In any case, that thing can't match my Cyber Dark Dragon's strength of 4700," Ophelia replied. "Show me your true plan, Shougo-kun!"
"'The blue dragon brings victory, but the red dragon brings not victory, but potential,'" Shougo said. "And this card is the proof. You created a card just now with your power. Allow me to do the same!"
"What?" Ophelia shouted. "Impossible... you can't be thinking..."
"I suppose you know what I'm thinking," Shougo said, and tugged a strand of his green hair. "But you can't stop me from doing this. I'm changing destiny with my own power. If I'm evil power itself, then I'll use that power to erase evil from my world. I'll erase you, Darkness! I remove Red-Eyes Black Dragon from play so that I can evolve it to match my true power."
The figure of the Red-Eyes turned into pitch black as light started to gather around it. It formed the shape of metal and attached itself to the Red-Eyes' body, turning into armor. When the process was complete, gusts of wind burst forth from the monster, revealing its highest form.
"I Special Summon 'Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon'," Shougo said simply.
The dragon gave a robotic howl.
Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon - LV10 Dark Dragon (2800 ATK)
"But that's not how you summon that card!" Ophelia shouted with increasing indignation.
"I don't know what you know about the cards I hold, but don't think you can apply that knowledge to me here," Shougo responded with a shake of his head. "Especially after challenging me in my own dream space! Or did you think you'd make me afraid? By praising my potential power and manipulating my desire to remain a kind boy? That doesn't mean I won't use my power to destroy you here!"
"You can talk big all you want, but that card still can't defeat Cyber Dark Dragon," Ophelia said, calm returning to her voice. "You can't touch me!"
"That may be true, but I'm still going to defeat you," Shougo said with a laugh. "I'll now activate Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's effect. Once per turn, I can special summon a Dragon-type monster in my cemetery. My potential, also, will be reborn right here, right now. The same potential that Yugi-nii-san demonstrated to me that day."
Boiling hot lava flowed forth next to the Red-Eyes, and the Meteor Black Dragon burst forth from that spot, releasing its own howl as well.
Meteor Black Dragon - LV8 Fire Dragon (3500 ATK)
Ophelia laughed madly. "You keep making these bold moves, but you still can't defeat Cyber Dark Dragon!"
But Shougo's smile widened. "Your frown speaks more than your words, Darkness," he said. "You don't know what the cards in my hand are, do you? You've been living with me all this time, and you haven't even bothered to understand my feelings towards my friends."
"Useless obstacles," Ophelia clenched her fists.
"Those 'obstacles' are going to be what helps me eliminate you from my body once and for all!" Shougo shouted. "I set one card, and then I'll use my normal summon for this turn. In case you've forgotten, I still haven't done that yet!"
"So show me your final resistance, Shougo-kun!" Ophelia said, her confident smile returning to her face.
Shougo looked at the card he was about to summon. When I studied for my duel against Horiuchi-kun, I found out all kinds of things about Edo Phoenix, he thought. I was planning to play against this card, but I didn't expect Horiuchi to do what he did. Now, I guess I have something of a parting gift from him. Thank you, Horiuchi-kun...
"I summon 'Destiny Hero Devilguy' in attack position," Shougo said, tossing the card nonchalantly onto the table.
Another shimmer of moonlight on the Duel Arena, and out from it arose a pale-faced warrior clad in dark armor, a tattered red cape and fierce claws.
Destiny Hero Devilguy - LV3 Dark Warrior (600 ATK)
Ophelia laughed out loud. "That small fry?! What is he going to do?"
Shougo's face turned into one of utter determination. "He's going to take my destiny back from you. Devilguy's effect, activate!"
Devilguy rushed up to Ophelia's Cyber Dark Dragon and used its enormous claw to grab it by its neck.
"Destiny Lord!" Shougo shouted.
And, just like that, Cyber Dark Dragon had vanished from the field. Ophelia's Meteor Black Dragon, which had been fueling Cyber Dark's power, moaned in misery as it sunk once again into her cemetery.
"What the hell did you do to my Cyber Dark Dragon?" Ophelia demanded.
"Once per turn, I can send a monster two turns into the future," Shougo explained. "Of course, any equipment attached to it gets destroyed, and you don't get it back once it returns. In exchange, I have to skip my battle phase this turn. So don't worry. Your lifepoints are safe... for now."
"Don't screw with me, Shougo!" Ophelia lost her composure.
"I said I would end it if you played 'Cyberdark Impact!' last turn," Shougo went on. "I guess I won't be able to keep that promise. But trust me... we're going to settle this! Turn end."
"Then I'll show you the real power of Darkness," Ophelia said, her voice turning deeper and more baritone. "My turn, draw!"
"Before you finish your Draw Phase, I'll activate my facedown," Shougo said. "Reverse card open... 'Kareijutsu 'Kurenai''!"
You don't want to be strong? You don't want to stand up for your beliefs? Give me a break!
Shougo closed his eyes and said a silent "thank you" to Isabel. He then opened them as he explained the card's effect. "By sacrificing 1 Fire-attribute monster on my side of the field, you will take damage equal to that monster's attack points," he said. "Meteor Black Dragon! You've done very well, but it's time for you to sleep. I release you now!"
The dragon turned into a molten, massive ball of fire which shot out at Ophelia and enveloped her in heat. She yelled in obvious pain as her life points took a massive hit.
Ophelia - 4000 LP - 3500 = 500 LP
Shougo... just don't quit.
Shougo touched his own body, patting himself down. "That didn't hurt," he mused aloud. "Even though Darkness is a part of me..."
"You... how dare you!" Ophelia shouted, her voice now undeniably no longer a woman's. "We gave you the opportunity to be reborn in this world and this is the gratitude you show us! Well, you should have summoned something that would destroy us permanently, but you stopped short at ending the duel! We'll make you pay! I activate 'Pot of Greed'!"
"'Pot of Greed'?" Shougo was taken aback. "But you just played that card. You're only supposed to have one of those..."
"You fool, Shougo! Did you expect me to play fair?! I'll draw two cards, but I think you know what I'll be drawing! I play 'Raise Dead' from my hand, and revive a monster... I have my own Meteor Black Dragon, but I think I'll take yours! Come to my side now!"
The fire dragon appeared on Ophelia's side of the field, appearing to be constrained against its will.
Meteor Black Dragon (3500 ATK)
"And this other card will be the one to destroy you, so I'll just set that for now," Ophelia said with a wicked grin.
Shougo's eyes widened for a moment. Could it be... did he draw "Kareijutsu - 'Kurenai'" too?
"Now, I could hit that Devilguy and cause you extreme pain... would you like that, Shougo-kun?" Ophelia then laughed. "But better to just target that troublesome dragon that betrayed us. Meteor Black Dragon! Destroy that fake Red-Eyes with Burning Dark Meteor!"
Struggling at first but then finally obeying its Master's orders, Meteor Black Dragon struck Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, filling the arena with fire and ash.
"You only have 600 Life points, so either way, you're finished! Give up your life, Aoyama Shougo!"
But when the attack was complete, Shougo was still standing.
When the sun goes down, the moon takes its place.
"I discard from my hand, 'Arcana Force XIV - Temperance'," Shougo said as the shadow of an oddly shaped angel monster appeared, blocking the path to Shougo. "And I make battle damage from one attack into zero."
Your determination must grow stronger...
"That damned Light!" Ophelia shouted.
"Don't call my important ally the 'Light'," Shougo shot back. "She's Toragami Hinata, and she's made the same choice I've made... to not let these battles dictate who we are! Darkness... I'm going to bury you once and for all, here in the void of my dreams!"
"But this battle's already over!" Ophelia chuckled. "Surely, you know what my facedown is."
"Why weren't you ready for the cards in my hand then?" Shougo queried. "Couldn't you have known about Isabel's cards before I did? You could have finished me off with that combo much earlier."
Ophelia just snorted mockingly. "Turn end."
I'm bluffing, of course, Shougo said as he reached for his deck. But this Ophelia person seems intent on watching me squirm. What was it she called me before... the 'uncontested Dark Emperor'? That's silliness... she was just trying to lash at my fragile ego. But what if...
A sudden shock as Shougo drew his card.
"Ophelia-san," Shougo addressed his opponent.
Ophelia suddenly blinked as Shougo addressed her unusually.
"Darkness can't exist as an individual," he went on. "I know you've been lying to me. I really am the incarnation of 'Darkness', this force that everyone's afraid of. But I haven't lost to it. I'm still me. And if every day is going to be a fight between me and that force, I'll fight it! I haven't given up, like you have!"
"Don't you talk about me like that!" Ophelia's voice rose to a feverish pitch, but unlike before it was still female. "Whether or not I'm lying is for you to decide!"
Shougo grinned. "Bingo," he said.
Ophelia was taken aback.
"I sacrifice 'Destiny Hero Devilguy'," Shougo went on. "In time, even the greatest emperor must return to darkness. By my tribute, demonstrate my meaning..."
Devilguy vanished as a rupture of darkness came, and the lights in the illusionary room in which they dueled dimmed. An armored tower of a human, dressed in black armor and surrounded by black electrical energy rose onto the field.
"Awaken, ‘Wicked Emperor Gaius’!"
Wicked Emperor Gaius - LV6 Dark Demon (2400 ATK)
"So, your plan is to remove my Meteor Black Dragon with its effect," Ophelia mused.
"And attack your 'Magic Cylinder', right?" Shougo shook his head. "I'm not using Gaius' effect on your monster. He's going to use it... on himself. Go, Gaius! Darkness Edict!"
Gaius raised its arms over its head as a bolt of lightning erupted from it, striking the floor beneath it. A portal opened, and Gaius fell in. It crossed its arms and, even though it had no visible eyes, seemed to stare at its opponent as it fell in.
"You removed your own monster?!" Ophelia shrieked. "But why would you do that?"
"When Gaius' effect removes a Dark-attribute monster from play, it inflicts 1000 points of damage to the opponent," was Shougo's reply.
Out of the hole left in the ground, another bolt of dark lightning crackled forth from it, and struck Ophelia full on in the chest.
Ophelia - 500 LP - 1000 = 0
"Game over," Shougo muttered in English as the world of the arena started to shake.
"Very good," Ophelia said, applauding weakly. "In this last yami no game, humanity's come out the victor, as we expected. But don't think this means things will go smoothly for you." She then choked and dropped to the floor as the Duel Arena fell away.
Impulsively, Shougo ran to Ophelia. "Are you okay?"
Ophelia laughed. "You were right, Shougo-kun," she said. "Against the overwhelming despair of Darkness, I gave up, and became its puppet. It was a fun duel, wasn't it?"
"Not if you're going to die here!" Shougo sighed and clenched one of his fists. "I knew the whole time it would end this way, and I went ahead and did it."
"You're the 'uncontested Dark Emperor'... there was no other way for this to end." Ophelia chuckled weakly as her body started to disappear.
"I don't want to hear nonsense about that now," Shougo's eyes started to tear up. "It looks like I'm feeling your pain after all, Darkness..."
Ophelia reached into her back, and pulled out a flower as her body continued to fade.
"What's this?" Shougo asked, confused.
"There's rosemary..." Ophelia whispered. "That's for remembrance. Pray, love, remember..."
She finally disappeared completely, leaving only the flower. Shougo, not sure what to do, smelled the flower.
The scent triggered something...
--
Only a dream...
Shougo opened his eyes. He was in his hospital bed. The monitors were beeping as usual.
Toragami was there.
Despite her sudden appearance, Shougo didn't seem frightened. "Toragami-san?" he asked.
"It wasn't just a dream," Toragami said, and held up a flower — a pansy. "You're free now, Shougo-kun."
"No, I can't believe that," Shougo said, looking down. "I don't know how you know my dreams, but this is reality. I shouldn't just refuse Ayukawa-sensei's treatment because I think I'm better."
"That's very wise," Toragami said, and put the pansy down on the nightstand. "You've grown. You're not the boy playing children's games you were when we first fought."
"I can't believe that, either." Shougo laughed uncomfortably. "However I acted in that dream, it wasn't real."
"You don't understand yet," Toragami said, turning her back. "That's to be expected. Sleep now. You'll have the dreams of a child."
Shougo shifted uncomfortably.
"That's a compliment, by the way," Toragami cryptically added as she walked out of his room.
Shougo glanced at the pansy, and remembered the rosemary from his dream. He knew full well what this meant.
There is pansies, that's for thoughts... I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died...
Shougo went through his card deck and sighed. "As I thought... it wasn't only a dream," he said out loud. "But I'm not going to surrender to my impulse... not after how far my friends came to save me."
He closed his eyes and could see clearly a playground with a swingset.
I've lost my memory, it seems... but I'll use this power, and create new ones. But I won't forget the past, either. Tenjouin-sensei, Isabel-san, Chiba-kun... Toragami-san!
And he heard a voice in the playground.
"Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be..."
If life's a mystery to be solved, I'll just wait for further evidence before jumping to conclusions, Shougo thought to himself before he surrendered to the dream. And above all things, I'll be true to myself. That way, I'll never lie to anyone ever again...
--
Shougo: "It looks like my long struggle against Darkness is finally over."
Chiba: "But the battles have just begun for the rest of us! The next day at Duel Academy brings a surprise as Tenjouin-sensei announces the format of the Genex finals."
Tenjouin: "As an employee of Duel Academy, I must support Kiyotaki-kouchou, but I am at a loss to understand this either."
Toragami: "Time is our only ally now."
Aino: "As we await 'zero hour', tensions flare and questions are raised. Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! Negative Zero: 'Preparation for the Finals! The Sixty Card Rule'. Please enjoy."
Shougo: "There'll be more duels for me in the future, too!"
--
TODAY'S FEATURED CARD: "Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon"
Level 10 dark dragon, attack power 2800, defense power 2400. What was once a beast that submitted to the will of Darkness is now Aoyama Shougo's true ace — you can summon it by removing 1 dragon you control from the game. Once per turn, special summon 1 dragon from your hand or cemetery to the field! Truly awesome, Shougo-kun!
--
CARDS USED BY SHOUGO AOYAMA:
LIFE SLASHING TREASURE (note: anime-only card. Its English name is "Card of Demise".)
Normal Magic
Draw until your hand contains 5 cards. On your fifth Standby Phase after the activation of this card, discard all cards in your hand into the cemetery.
SWING OF FOND MEMORIES (TCG name: Swing of Memories)
Normal Magic
Special Summon 1 Normal Monster from your cemetery. It is destroyed during the End Phase of this turn.
RED-EYES BLACK DRAGON (TCG name: Red-Eyes B. Dragon)
Normal Monster (LV7 Dark Dragon, 2400/2000)
A black dragon with crimson eyes. The black flames of anger will consume all people who appear before its eyes.
RED-EYES DARKNESS METAL DRAGON
Effect Monster (LV10 Dark Dragon, 2800/2400)
You can remove 1 Dragon-type monster you control from play to Special Summon this card. Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 Dragon-type monster from your hand or cemetery, except "Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon".
METEOR BLACK DRAGON (TCG name: Meteor B. Dragon)
Fusion Monster (LV8 Fire Dragon, 3500/2000)
"Red-Eyes Black Dragon" + "Meteor Dragon"
DESTINY HERO DEVILGUY (TCG name: Destiny Hero - Doom Lord)
Effect Monster (LV3 Dark Warrior, 600/800)
Once per turn, if this card is in face-up Attack position, you can remove 1 monster your opponent controls from play. If you use this effect, you cannot declare an attack this turn. Return the removed monster to the opponent's side of the field in the same battle position during your second Standby Phase after activation.
KAREIJUTSU "KURENAI" (TCG name: Spiritual Fire Art - "Kurenai")
Normal Trap
Sacrifice 1 Fire-attribute monster on your side of the field to inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Attack points of the selected monster.
ARCANA FORCE XIV - TEMPERANCE
Effect Monster (LV6 Light Angel, 2400/2400)
During either player's turn, you can discard this card from your hand to reduce Battle Damage from 1 attack to 0. When this card is Summoned, flip a coin and apply the appropriate effect:
* Heads: Halve all Battle Damage you take.
* Tails: Halve all Battle Damage your opponent takes.
WICKED EMPEROR GAIUS (TCG name: Caius the Shadow Monarch)
Effect Monster (LV6 Dark Demon, 2400/1000)
When this card is summoned with a sacrifice, remove from play 1 card on the field. If the card is a Dark-attribute Monster, inflict 1000 points of damage to your opponent.
--
CARDS USED BY OPHELIA:
ARMORED BLACK DRAGON - CYBER DARK DRAGON (TCG name: Cyberdark Dragon)
Fusion Effect Monster (LV8 Dark Machine, 1000/1000)
"Cyber Dark Horn" + "Cyber Dark Edge" + "Cyber Dark Keel"
This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. When this card is Special Summoned, select 1 Dragon-type Monster in your cemetery and equip it to this card. This card gains Attack points equal to the equipped card's Attack points. In addition, this card gains 100 Attack points for every Monster Card in your cemetery. If this card would be destroyed by battle, destroy the equipped monster instead.
POT OF GREED
Normal Magic
Draw 2 cards from your Deck.
RAISE DEAD (TCG name: Monster Reborn)
Normal Magic
Select 1 monster card in either player's cemetery and Special Summon it to your side of the field.
MAGIC CYLINDER
Normal Trap
Activate only when your opponent declares an attack. Negate that attack, and inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Attack points of the attacking monster.
