Episode 12. - Black Fire, All-Consuming Void

"You there. Kettou da."

The voice was calm, decisive, and easily recognized as female. Yodaz looked up into the soul-piercing dark eyes of an woman who was obviously of Oriental descent. Her hair was neatly arranged at the back of her head, giving the jet-black mass the impression of being short. Nearly every inch of her skin was hidden, between the passive efforts of her long-sleeved black satin shirt, long black stretch pants, and the red gloves she wore. Yodaz raised one eyebrow, as he was often inclined to do.

"You're challenging me?" he wondered aloud, more for his own benefit than for hers, as he stood up to face her.

"You are the champion, are you not? That implies that you are the best," she said simply, reaching into her back pocket for the small black case that obviously contained her deck.

"Which is why I ask the question," was Yodaz's nonchalant reply, as he too, got his deck out, and began gauging the Kaijudo of one who would attempt to defeat him head on. She seemed calm to him. Almost too calm. Reminding him too much of someone he had not triumphed against.

"I do not have time to waste here today on false hopes. I will not go into the last round and have the champion defeat me. Second place is not an 'honor' I wish for myself, nor a reason I would wish to be remembered. If the champion is going to defeat me, let it be here and now so that I can be at peace with it, and not spend time thinking about how close I had come..."

Yodaz narrowed his eyes as he now regarded her. This was going to be a tough match of Kaijudo if her deck was anywhere near capable of standing up to his. More importantly, she had apparently chosen him as her very first opponent for the day. Both daring and crafty. He had no knowledge of what he could be up against aside from the obvious signs that it would be a darkness deck. Her demeanour, dress, and attitude all pointed towards this, but there was something more, too.

"All right then... Since you are challenger, I choose that you go first."

It was simply the sensible tactic in Yodaz's mind. Darkness decks often relied more on hand advantage than speed, and since the removal of the Bronze-Arm Tribes, he would not need to be trying to rush ahead anyway. He mentally scanned her, trying to get some clue as to whether or not he had made the 'right' decision, but no such indication was forthcoming. He would simply have to duel.

"Very well then," she acknowledged, nodding. She placed her shields before her on the table they had chosen, and drew her cards. It was only at that point that Yodaz realized that he did not even know her name.

"Hey. Who exactly are you, anyway? Hong Kong's champion played already... but I heard the Japan champion didn't come. So what's your name? Where did you come from?"

"You do not need to know my name unless you lose. If you do, you can then choose to ask for it again. For now, you may call me Black Fire," she replied. She glanced over the cards in her hand, and placed her first fire card into her mana zone. Yodaz looked down at it, and for some reason felt his heart constrict with something akin to dread. He was no longer considering the chance he would lose. He knew he would win... but he also knew that whatever was coming, was something to 'fear'. For the woman's first card to mana was the Sword of Malevolent Death.

He drew his sixth card and placed a Terror Pit into his mana zone. Her first card had essentially told him nothing other than that she might aim to amass Darkness mana. That, he had already expected. He had charged Darkness mana of his own, and so he ended his turn.

She drew her card, and placed a Ghost Touch into her mana zone, further augmenting the miasma of smoky Kaijudo that had swirled around her from the moment she charged the first mana card. Yodaz's right eye twitched uncontrollably for a second, before he realized that he would have to adjust his Kaijudo, not to the strength of hers, but to the intent within it.

"I summon Blazosaur Q," she announced plainly, "End turn."

Yodaz drew his card, and charged Fire mana now. His mana energy mirrored hers. He tapped the cards to cast his spell. Crimson Hammer. Even without prompting from him, her own mind played out the event. She was the one who generated the vivid image of the loss of the Blazosaur. The spectacle seemed to dim her Kaijudo's strength slightly, but the undercurrent of it became stronger still, forcing Yodaz to be on his guard. He ended his turn.

She drew her next card, charged another Ghost Touch to her mana zone, and summoned a Horrid Worm. The creature seemed more real to Yodaz than any he had ever seen, writhing before him in its jelloid way. The sight of it almost sickened him. Fortunately he would not be subjected to it for long. She ended her turn. It was obvious that this was not her normal playstyle, but she was adapting to the situation he had created in his first choice, and the subsequent destruction of the Blazosaur.

Yodaz drew his card, charged nature mana, and removed the hideous Worm from his sight with another Crimson Hammer. He watched as it was destroyed by the descent of the flaming tool, reduced to a dead, gooey mess. It was quite disgusting. Even more unnerving was the fact that his opponent did not respond to the event at all other than to place the card in the grave and look directly at him. Again, her Kaijudo had weakened, and again, the undercurrent had strengthened.

"So this is how one becomes a champion... by avoiding battle and destroying everything that is a threat. I understand." There was no sarcasm or odd disdain in her voice. She spoke clearly and genuinely, as if she truly had just learnt that this was the path to victory. She almost seemed to take some strange pleasure out of accepting it.

Drawing her card, she did as Yodaz expected. More Darkness mana. This time, however, it was a Fire creature she summoned. Blasto, Explosive Soldier. Yodaz had no counter to that other than the possibility of a third Crimson Hammer. A rather small possibility. She ended her turn, and Yodaz noted that had she placed the cards to mana and played the Ghost Touch cards instead, they might be in the same place now.

He drew his card and charged water mana for the first time, in order to summon a Phantom Fish. Powerful enough to stop the Explosive Soldier even if she did add a darkness creature to her side of the battle zone to activate its effect. Still, he did feel as if there was an entire trained army on her side. It was then, that he recognized what she made him think of. A military officer. Her next statement confirmed it.

"Yes, it is an effective tactic in wars. Never fight anyone that you can destroy before they reach your front lines. Unfortunately it leaves one open to... diversions and confusion."
She drew her card and charged darkness mana. Nothing more. The Soldier sat there, vulnerable to anything Yodaz chose to throw at it. Yet all he could find himself thinking about was the potential threats in her hand.

He drew his card and charged more water mana, to summon Emeral. Might as well get the show started. He swapped the shield as he always did, and ended his turn. As long as the Merfolk arrived, all would be well.

She murmured something to herself, smiled as she drew her card, and played a Shadow Moon to her battle zone. The Ghost, whose effect normally would only have helped other dark creatures, now shrouded the Explosive Soldier in its black mist also, increasing its power. She seemed satisfied at this event, and yet again ended her turn. Yodaz flinched as her Kaijudo made his eye twitch again. Her tactics were suicidal almost, but then again, the alternatives were also. She was very calm in the face of the endless possibilities of defeat. That was never a good thing... when they were so calm. It meant, to Yodaz, that they were like him, save for the fact that he knew he would not be the one to lose, and they never seemed to care either way.

Yodaz charged more Darkness mana, and played a Terror Pit, to swallow up the Shadow Moon, and remove the shroud that had shielded the Explosive Soldier. He could not do more. He ended his turn. He felt chilled and feverish at the same time. Those eyes...

"Another dead one..." she sighed, "Soldiers hate it worst of all, you know? Dying from disease or starvation or bombs or snipers... never fighting... never becoming one with the battlefield where they draw last breath. Disappointing indeed."

She charged another of her Swords to mana, and ended her turn. Yodaz straightened up and took a deep breath. She was totally creeping him out. No effort to win so far. Nothing to stop him. Not even a successful discard effect. Yet she stood there, watching his power grow against hers, apparently oblivious to it. His Kaijudo pressed against what seemed to be an impenetrable void. It did not push back, yet he could not go beyond it. Almost as if there were nothing there at all.

He drew his card. Feeling the thoughts of the purple one in his mind, he only barely stopped himself from attacking with his Emeral, just to break the silent stalemate that existed on this quiet battlefield. He ended his turn. She smiled slightly at him.

"You cannot mean to convince me that you are peaceful. Why spare me? Surely you have enough power to destroy. You are the champion..."
She summoned a Skullsweeper Q. Nothing else was done. She ended her turn, leaving Yodaz feeling more disoriented than before. He licked his lower lip slightly and swallowed, the action hinted with trepidation. Still no fear in him, but the silence was unnerving. Almost as if he was killing himself slowly by his own attempts to hold off a threat that was not necessarily there.

As if reading his mind, she answered his unasked question.
"Inducing paranoia," she said, "A simple psychological tactic. Unstoppable. It deprives soldiers of sleep in forests, and deprives generals of sleep in bunkers. It is inescapable. Even the fact that I have told you that it is what I am doing does not reassure you. You will wait forever, if need be, for the other shoe to drop."

Yodaz steeled himself. She would not be allowed to mess with his mind or control him. He would--

"Wait... what if that's exactly what she wants me to do. Or is it that she doesn't, and is counting on me to worry about that... I can't tell... I can't read her. She's right? She can't be right. Unless..."

"Quiet yourself! Play... I cannot be defeated. We cannot be defeated. Play..."

Yodaz nodded and drew his card, charging Fire mana. He could have used the Searing Wave to destroy her Skullsweeper, but it did not seem worth it, especially since she would be expecting that.

"I suppose soldiers lose less sleep when they're on the offensive, right?" he smirked, "So take this. Twin-Cannon Skyterror! Ikei! Emeral, ikei!"
The roar of the creature was surpassed only by the thundering sound of its cannons. Three shields broken. None triggered. Yodaz breathed a bit better now. Regardless of what the cards were, he still had the advantage. They had not triggered, and she had six mana. Nothing she could do with either six or seven mana, that would devastate him, came to mind.

Unfortunately, not even the greatest of champions can be prepared for everything.

His opponent charged more Darkness mana.
"This is... interesting," she said, "My deck understands this form of battle so much better than what you were doing previously. Soldiers are trained for combat, I suppose, not long range bombardment. I summon Marrow Ooze, the Twister, and Blazosaur Q. Finally, I cast Sword of Malevolent Death."

A great howling filled the mind of Yodaz, and anyone else within range of their duel with even the slightest receptiveness to Kaijudo. By this time, the surges of other duelists were no longer surprising. The other duels in the room simply stopped, as if on some form of ethereal movie reel, to await the conclusion of the 'larger' duel. The sound of vengeful dark souls wailing against their confinement, and her creatures fed off those shrieks, becoming consumed in black fire. Many duelists were stunned by the woman's imagery alone.

"Skullsweeper Q, attack the Twin-Cannon Skyterror. Ikei."

Yodaz's eye twitched again.
"What!?"

"The Skullsweeper has received five thousand power from my spell, and another one thousand power 'artillery bonus' from the Blazosaur. Quite enough to match your Wyvern."

Yodaz's face contorted momentarily. The sheer unexpectedness of the event was enough to cause his Kaijudo to spin out of control just for a moment. The image that came did not help him any. Yodaz had seldom seen a Skullsweeper fight anything, furthermore such a powerful creature as a Twin-Cannon Skyterror. It seemed to engulf the head of his creature, and the Skyterror's body started to pulse and decay. Amidst the wyvern's agonized roars, he realized that, of course, the effort was draining the Skullsweeper also, until the Twin-Cannon and its parasitic attacker finally fell from the sky. Yodaz remembered the Skullsweeper's other effect only after that, but there were no cards in his hand for it to take.

"Blasto, destroy Emeral. Ikei."

Yodaz saw no usefulness in blocking the attack, so he watched as his Cyber Lord was torn apart by machine gun fire, and he placed the card in the grave. She ended her turn. She seemed to be holding the advantage for the time being, but it was still late game, and that still gave him more potential to be dangerous. All he would need to do, would be to get some cards in his hand. Drawing an Emeral, he sighed. It was a step towards his Merfolk combination, but also dangerously vulnerable with Fire cards to look out for. He wiped his brow, only to find that he was not actually physically sweating. The effect that Black Fire was creating in his mind gave the illusion of dank heat, but there was none. He summoned his Emeral and ended his turn.

"Hm. Your hand is empty. Rather disappointing for the general, but I suppose he should still make his appearance, for the sake of the troops," she mused.

"What are you talking about?"

"I summon Trox, General of Destruction!"
Her laughter left no doubt in anyone's mind that this creature was her avatar. Its jaggedy toothed grin somehow seemed to complement her demeanour, and the myriad of weapons it carried made it clear that the card was not to be trifled with. Yodaz did not see this card often, but he knew the inherent danger of it. Any deck without a way to draw cards would nearly never be able to get rid of Trox before he got at least one hit in. The fact that he did have ways to draw cards was not exactly making him feel very reassured either.

"I assume it would be best not to risk losing my General until he leads the assault himself," she smiled, "End turn."

"How do you know you won't lose him anyway?" Yodaz smirked back. But even he had to admit that he did not look very dangerous at this point. An Emeral and a blocker on the field, no cards in hand, and an enemy with four creatures, at least one of which was strong enough to take down nearly anything in his deck. He drew his card. A Hunter Fish. Certainly not threatening, but it could still cause her problems if he chose correctly. He summoned the blocker, and ended his turn.

"I must say, this is not at all what I expected the champion's deck to be."
She drew her card, looked at it, and summoned her Dark Titan Maginn. She did not attack on this turn either. Yodaz frowned. Again, he was not understanding why she was allowing these situations which were almost obviously advantageous to her, to go unnoticed.

"And why is that?" he asked, the calm returning to him easily as he drew his next card and smiled.

"It neither impresses nor strikes fear in me. I thought it would," she replied equally calmly.

"I've only just begun to fight," Yodaz smirked, "Corile, on your Dark Titan Maginn."

Unfortunately, since his opponent was neither trapped nor on the edge of victory, Corile's usual mind-numbing effect could not occur. Yodaz again found himself pressing his Kaijudo against an unmoving void. She seemed to be paying no further attention to him now, as she drew her card and summoned the Dark Titan again, and ended her turn yet again. Yodaz drew his card, and cast the Crimson Hammer on the Marrow Ooze.

The other duelists watched intently now, observing the champion trapped in the same sort of web he often spun around others. Trying to close the duel before something horrible happened to his creatures. Yodaz knew the feeling and hated being on the receiving end of it, but he also knew he was close, and blockers would make the chances of it much better than when his blocker-less opponents attempted the same sort of ending.

"Corile, ikei--" nothing triggered. This could be the final step before the conclusion, "Emeral, ikei." Again, no trigger. Yodaz scoffed to himself. He didn't like the feeling of being 'lucky'. The woman, however, read his mind again.

"You are not lucky. I simply do not have Shield Trigger cards that can stop you. Ghost Touch is all I bear. Your efforts are sound."

Yodaz did not know why, but he felt his Kaijudo falter at her admission of having no defensive Shield Triggers. Something about this deck was irking him. At least, it felt like it was irking him.

"Filthy thing! Thinking herself superior to us. You can tell! She must be taught that no one is superior to us! She will fall now!"

The woman drew her card.
"I summon Bloody Squito, and cast another Sword of Malevolent Death. Blazosaur, attack Corile. Ikei."

Yodaz knew the futility in blocking the attack, and so, did not bother. He would need his blockers to stand in the way of as many creatures as possible before they died, and letting her clear his field now would almost surely seal his defeat. He watched and winced slightly as her mental imagery again was forced on him. Corile seared into nothingness by the flame burst of the Blazosaur.

"Trox, destroy Emeral. Ikei."

Yodaz winced again. He knew what she was doing. Removing all his attackers. Yet he could not afford to block. With any luck, he would get a card capable of taking Trox down on his next draw. He placed Emeral in the grave also.

"Blasto, ikei. Break his shield."

Yodaz picked up the specified shield, and his Kaijudo leapt powerfully. Another Corile. This would take care of her quickly. He only realized what a false hope that was, on her next move.

"Dark Titan, ikei! Devour his card and break his shield."

He watched the Corile sucked into darkness without even the chance of reaching the battlefield, and picked up the next card. It was no trigger. He had only lost two shields, and there were certainly ways to stop her. The set shield trap, the two blockers... he had a sufficient defensive line. She ended her turn and he drew his card, then sighed deeply with relief, and smiled. They would not let him down.

"Corile, on your Bloody Squito."

She completed the card's effect, then rubbed the back of her neck, carefully considering the meaning of the play. He could just as easily have removed the Dark Titan, yet she felt as if he had purposely done what he did. That he wanted her to attack him, especially since she was now obligated to put the Blocker back, just to stop the Corile.

"I believe I see. If I attack you, it increases your chances of winning, yet I must attack as much as I can because you are close to victory if I do not. I suppose revealing my lack of destructive triggers has caused me this situation..."
Again, she seemed to be talking more to herself than to him, which the purple shape in his mind yet again found totally insulting. The Corile floated there, dwarfed by the two Demon Commands, and locked in a stare-down with the Explosive Soldier. She smirked at her situation and drew her Bloody Squito, summoning it to the field yet again.

"My Soldier cannot overcome your Fish. My Titan will not be allowed to strike and still discard, and even if I arrange it so that my General double breaks, that will be to your advantage and not mine. Yet, I cannot refuse to move, because there is no doubt that by now, the chances of your next card removing my Squito are high enough that waiting will bring me no victory either."

Yodaz chuckled knowingly. He had outsmarted her. She had only one way to win now, and she had practically assured him that she did not carry any such card. Only a Searing Wave would have been any threat to him, and she could not possibly have it. Corile had choked her chances. Unable to draw anything but the Squito, she was now doomed to a strange defeat.

It was then, that she began to laugh. In his mind, the Dark Titan began to laugh also. The Explosive Soldier cackled in its Dragonoid way, and soon Trox's reverberating mirth filled the minds of those in the room also. The five creatures turned away, and retreated, laughing, into the darkness.

"What? What's going on?"

She laughed at him one last time, as she picked up her cards and arranged her deck.
"Isn't it obvious, my champion? I forfeit..." A flourish, a mysterious smile, and she was gone...