LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 19: CHAPTER 19
He managed to cover his face before the blasts hit him dead center, but the force behind the triple beam attacks lifted him from the ground and sent him flying backwards.
Slamming onto the ground, disoriented, his eyes glanced up into the skies as he barely managed to hear his Life Points dropping.
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Yusou Ken: 3000 LP -› 400 LP
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He lay still on the cold metal floor, trying to think of a way to fight back. He had two cards in the backrow that could technically bring back Madame Verre and four cards consisting of traps and spells in his hand.
Bandit Keith had just set another 2 cards from his hand to his backrow: 2 backrow cards that could be anything at this point. If there was another Solemn Trap in those 2 cards, he would be done for if he brought out Madame Verre with Witchcrafter Holiday.
He was screwed.
The collar on his neck suddenly tightened when he realized his situation. He was screwed. With no way out of this situation, he was going to die. His heartbeat skyrocketed, threatening to escape his chest as he started taking shallower breaths.
Oh, no, he was going to die. He's dead; there was nothing he could do at this point. Dead? What the hell? No, no, no, no, no, he doesn't want to die!
It wasn't his choice to even be here! So, why? Why was it him instead of someone else? He didn't belong here; he belonged in his original world! Tears start to streak down his face as he gets on all fours, trying to force the bile in his throat down.
Why, why him? What in the world did he do to deserve this? He just liked to play this game, a simple card game, so why was he dying because of it?
Dying from a simple card game, what a joke. Especially to a side plot nobody, like Bandit Keith.
And then, he felt a gaze. He doesn't mean the hundreds of people watching the duel, nor the man opposite his station who was smirking at him breaking down.
No. He was talking about the gaze on his very soul. It came from above.
His head tilts upwards to see the person responsible.
Radiant light shone from above as a beautiful angel descended from the sky. Actually, the word "beautiful" is not enough to describe her radiance. With a smile that is clear of any sin, the angel spread her wings as golden light shines down on him.
The angel offered no words, as brief memories from both worlds started to flash through his mind. And then, the last memory played. It was incomprehensible, and there was static that made the memory unclear, but he could feel the phantom of the same radiance that he's experiencing right now.
Heat surged from his chest as the single thought rang in his head.
He was not done yet.
He struggled to stand from the ground, the light that touches his skin hardening his resolve as he got back up on both legs.
"Not yet."
As he got up, his Duel Disk raised and his cards clenched, the presence of the angel disappeared. He gave a silent thanks to the angel as he looked forward.
"This duel is not over yet."
He whispered to himself as Bandit Keith clicked his tongue, annoyance evident on his face.
"Tsk. Not yet given up, have you? Fine. Draw your last pathetic card so that Barrel Dragon can end you and your attempt to recover on the next turn!"
Ken closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In an instant, the whole world suddenly disappears in his vision, leaving only him, his deck, and a white void around him that felt eerily familiar.
"My deck has no pathetic cards... And this card will be the last card drawn, Keith!"
Silence surrounds him as the only sound he could hear was his breathing and the sound of his heartbeat calming with each breath he took.
His right arm moves to his deck, his fingers grazing the top card of the deck. He felt a jolt upon his skin contacting the card, something that he recalled feeling back when he fought against Muto Yugi.
His breathing hitched as his determination hit the limit; no fear left in his heart, he pulled the card out of the deck zone, leaving the deck, and sliced the air in front of him.
The world erupts in sound as he is back in the arena, his eyes meeting the sly smirk that Bandit Keith has on his face. His vision moves to glance at the card that he drew.
"... Thank you, Witchcrafters."
Fire burns in his eyes as he moves to the main phase, a plan forming in his mind.
"I play the spell card, Witchcrafters Experimentation!"
The field bursts into light as a cauldron appeared with Witchcrafter Genni operating it, stirring the sparkling light blue contents within the cauldron with undivided attention.
"Experimentation?! You've never played that before!"
Smug turns to shock as Bandit Keith yelled.
In truth, so did Ken, but this was his chance from what he briefly read from the card's description.
"I can banish any number of Witchcrafter monster cards from my deck, and by doing so, I can ritual summon a ritual monster whose level corresponds to the number that I banish."
"Ritual summoning? Impossible, your deck is only supposed to be made of fusion monsters! You have never used ritual summons in your career before!"
"Just because I haven't used it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist in my deck, Keith! I now banish 10 monsters from my deck to ritual summon!"
Eleven cards casually slid out from the deck, allowing Ken to grab the cards to slide most of them into the banished zone for the ritual summon to occur.
As soon as the ten cards were inserted into the banished zone, ten orbs appeared as they flew straight into the cauldron, the mixture of blue darkening in color as wind currents ruffled his hair.
"Witches are beings of progress and innovation! They will find ways to improve on their magics, even using rituals to empower their newly found fusion magic! I hereby sacrifice 10 souls to magic itself!"
"No! I activate my face down—!"
"That will not work! The second effect of Witchcrafter Experimentation: you cannot activate cards or effects in response to this card's effect until it resolves!"
Genni gasps as the mixture suddenly floats into the air as it starts to shift into the silhouette of a figure. Energy radiates, the air screams, space itself bends to the whims of magic as Ken exclaims.
"I ritual summon! Arise, Witchcrafter Teleios (LVL 10 / 2500 / 3500)!"
A majestic figure emerged from the cauldron's radiant light, the ritual complete. Witchcrafter Teleios stood tall, an ethereal presence that exuded authority and power, her appearance modeled with the base of Witchcrafter Madame Verre, looking like an older version of the Madame if not for the long silver hair that shimmered under the intense light from above.
Clad in a marble white gown, she appeared as the very embodiment of magic's queen, fitting as a delicate tiara crowned her head, the symbol of the Witchcrafters prominently embedded at its front.
Surrounding her body were sigils of the various Witchcrafters' personal insignia floating in a perfect circle behind her, each glowing with a distinct hue of their personal colors.
In her right hand, she wielded a staff as tall as she was, crafted from an exquisite metallic alloy. The staff's surface was carved with intricate runes, and patterns flickered in a rhythmical tempo across the staff. At its tip was a perfectly sculptured glass orb, perfectly slotted into place, pulsed with energy.
Gently, Witchcrafter Teleios landed onto the ground with her glass-made high heels, the air around her visually distorting from the pulsing of magic, the epitome of perfection.
Without losing momentum, Ken continued his turn as he activated a card from his backrow.
"With the summoning of Witchcrafter Teleios, I flip one of my face-down cards! The continuous trap card, Witchcrafter Patronus, now activates!"
A large painting of a female Spellcaster appeared behind Ken as he moved his right hand to his Duel Disk.
"I can target 1 of my Spellcaster monsters that is banished or in my GY and shuffle it into my deck, and if it is not contested, I can add 1 Witchcrafter spell card from my deck to my hand."
Waiting for a response, Ken received a click of the tongue, which he understood as Keith not responding, before he made his decision.
"I choose to return one Witchcrafter Schmietta in the banished zone back to the deck while adding Witchcrafter Collaboration to my hand, which I will be using straight away to grant Teleios two attacks this turn! And when Teleios attacks this turn, you cannot activate any spell or trap cards until the end of the Damage Step."
"... Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit!"
Bandit Keith's face started to pale, realizing that he was somehow coming back to the game as he continued by activating his other trap card on the backrow.
"I then activate my other face-down card, Witchcrafter Masterpiece! If I control a Witchcrafter monster, I can target a spell card in either GY or add a copy of the card from my deck into my hand. I choose another copy of Witchcrafter Collaboration, which I'll instantly use, increasing the attacks that Teleios can perform this turn to 3!"
"As if I'd let you! I flip over both face-down cards! The quick-play spell, Shrink! I can target a face-up monster on the field and halve its ATK until the end of this turn, and I choose your Witchcrafter Teleios! And then the quick-play spell, Rush Recklessly, it boosts Barrel Dragon's ATK by 700 points!"
He hastily played both cards as Witchcrafter Teleios shrunk down to half her size while Barrel Dragon gained a red aura, growling with oil drooling uncontrollably from its maw.
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Bandit Keith: 2500 LP
Hand: 0
Monsters: Barrel Dragon (3300* / 2200), Face-Down Monster (??? / ???)
Backrow: 1 (Proton Blast)
Graveyard: Trap Hole, Overdrive, Pot of Greed, Cost Down, Marshmallon, Solemn Strike, Shrink, Rush Recklessly
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Yusou Ken: 400 LP
Hand: 4 (Witchcrafter Patronus, Witchcrafter Masterpiece, Witchcrafter Unveiling, Witchcrafter Draping)
Monsters: Witchcrafter Teleios (1250* / 3500)
Backrow: 1 (Witchcrafter Patronus)
Graveyard: Witchcrafter Edel, Witchcrafter Madame Verre, Witchcrafter Experimentation, Witchcrafter Collaboration x2, Witchcrafter Masterpiece
Banish: Witchcrafter Pittore x2, Witchcrafter Genni x2, Witchcrafter Schmietta x2, Witchcrafter Haine x2, Witchcrafter Edel, Witchcrafter Golem Aruru
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Ken didn't let any emotions slip from his face as he changed the phase of the match.
"Battle! Witchcrafter Teleios (1250 / 3500) attacks your face-down card!"
The face-down flips as Teleios swung her staff diagonally, magic bolts firing from it as it raced towards the now manifested Overdrive (1600 / 1500).
"You lose, kid! My Overdrive (1500)'s DEF points are higher than your Teleios (1250)!"
"I activate Teleios' quick effect! When she attacks, I can banish up to 5 spell cards from my deck, hand, or GY! If successful, for each card that I banish this way, she gains an additional 300 ATK!"
"WHAT?!"
Ken raised his hand as the cards that he chose in his mind suddenly flew into the upright arm.
"I banish from my GY: Witchcrafter Experimentation, the 2 copies of Witchcrafter Collaboration, along with the Witchcrafter Unveiling and Witchcrafter Draping from my hand, boosting Teleios' ATK from 1250 to 2750 ATK!"
Similar to how Witchcrafter Experimentation acted, the cards in his hand turned into balls of light as they soared to Teleios, her body returning back to its original size as the queen of magic gains a hue of dark purple aura.
Holding her staff with both hands, she thrust it forward, sending a beam of magic towards the tank as it bursts into flames. Her Majesty's eyes then shift to the Barrel Dragon on the field as magic surged from her body, sending pulses of energy throughout the field.
"One last attack to finish this game! Teleios (2750) attacks Barrel Dragon (3300), and I banish 5 spell cards from my deck to boost her attack up by another 1500 ATK points to 4250 ATK!"
The glow around Teleios brightens as she starts to float; the staff she was holding onto gently lifts from the ground. Barrel Dragon gave out a final roar as it started to fire its cannons on its back, but a protective barrier made of magic absorbs the electricity from the attack.
Teleios spreads her arms as her staff starts to spin in a circular motion in front of her, magic surging from her palms before she thrusts with all her might, her magic channeling through her staff as a powerful beam of rainbow fires out. Before it could even make a sound, the dragon gets engulfed by the beam, its skin and parts disintegrating into atoms.
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Bandit Keith: 2500 LP -› 1550 LP
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Teleios' head shifts to face Bandit Keith, who suddenly tenses up in panic, his arm moving to the back of his jeans as Ken goes for the game.
"Go, Teleios! Attack Bandit Keith directly—"
Pain bursts from his neck before he could issue the command to Teleios, electricity sparking throughout the metal collar around his neck as he choked up.
"You damn mutt! This duel was supposed to be simple, with me countering everything you bring out! Destroy your resolve, break it down into a paste, and sell it to the crowd! But no, you just had to bring out a new card that somehow turned the tides!"
Keith's anger radiated throughout the arena as he roared, slamming his fist on the railing. His face twisted in fury, eyes burning with a mix of frustration and rage as he continuously pressed on a button with an antenna pointing towards him.
Ken's vision starts to fade, but despite the collar's shocks, he fights to stay conscious. He forced his eyes to meet Keith's glare, his resolve hardening.
His voice, strained but defiant, broke through the pain as he stuttered the command.
"T-Telei...ios... att-tac—!"
"No, no, no! You will not ruin my duel! My performance!"
Tossing the remote to his collar in a fit of rage, Keith suddenly brandishes something from his hips. Steel glinted in the arena lights as he revealed a pistol, his face twisted in a grotesque grin as he aimed the gun at Ken.
Everything moved so fast. One moment, the brandishing of steel caused Ken to freeze up, and in the next moment, a loud explosion rang in his ears as his head was suddenly jerked back; a brief, blinding pain was the only thing he remembered before everything went black.
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A perfect shot to the head was all it took for the brat's body to drop like a ragdoll, blood smearing the platform in an instant. Keith exhaled sharply, the breath caught in his throat, surprised by how effortless it had been.
Damn brat thought he could win against him? Bandit Keith smirked, shaking his head. What an idiot. Do you think he doesn't have contingencies? He had to look good in the duels to hold his reputation.
He holstered his gun, his gaze narrowing with annoyance as he stared at the bloody platform, the crowd's wild cheers echoing in his ears.
"Someone get in here and clean this up! I want this place spotless by the time the next duel starts!"
Keith barked, as his mind raced. The crowd seemed to love the violent spectacle. It made him consider a future where he would hunt down and kill champions in new, creative ways, each time in a more brutal, devastating method.... Hmm, just thinking about it made him a little excited for the amount of revenue he'd make from just viewership alone—
His eyes flicked to his Duel Disk, and he realized with growing confusion that the Solid Vision hologram hadn't faded yet. The system should have automatically powered down when he withdrew his deck; why was it still active?
Must be a glitch, he thought, trying to shake it off. But just as he moved to withdraw his cards from the Duel Disk, he froze.
The boy's body, still slumped lifelessly on the ground, twitched.
Keith blinked, disbelieving, as the brat's form suddenly jerked upright, defying the laws of physics. The crowd gasped and murmured as the boy stood, unnaturally still. His heart started to race as a gust of wind pushed the boy's hair back, revealing the perfect, healed wound where the bullet should have pierced through.
The wound was gone. Not even a scar. The blood on his face, however, had not faded—staining his skin like an unholy mark.
And then… the boy's eyes, they weren't normal. They glowed like the sun, bright golden pupils staring at him.
The world suddenly freezes as Keith felt a shiver crawl down his spine. His knees nearly gave way beneath him as an overwhelming sense of déjà vu crashed over him like a tidal wave. He had seen this before.
"W-What's happening?"
The boy's lips parted, a reverb echo following his deeper tone of voice.
"Imitating it as if it were sport. What a joke. Let me show you what a true Shadow Game really is."
Keith's blood ran cold; his stomach churned. No. No, no, no—he finally recalled what the feeling was like; it—it was just like the time with the Muto brat!
Before Keith could even react, darkness erupted from all around him, swallowing the world in a suffocating wave. The crowd screamed, but Keith yanked his gun from its holster, pointing it at the figure in front of him, his hand trembling.
"S-Stop what you're doing, you stupid shit!"
The world around him shattered, reality bending to allow mists of black motes to seep in.
The boy—No, whatever this thing was—grinned, his eyes now glowing brighter.
"But it's still my turn, isn't it?"
Keith's finger pulled on the trigger in panic; the barrel of his gun shook from the recoil. The bullet flew from the gun, fast and deadly, aiming for the thing's chest, hoping that it would tear through and end whatever the fuck was happening.
But it didn't.
Time and space warped as the bullet stopped, hanging in the air, suspended just an inch from the thing's chest. Keith stared at the floating bullet, his heart thumping in his chest like a drum.
The boy's eyes moved to stare at the bullet, and with a flick of his hand, it was sent flying away—straight into the crowd.
A scream rang out as a terrified member of the audience was struck down. Keith's blood ran cold.
"What… What are you?!"
Keith screamed, his voice cracking with terror.
"Someone who will banish you to the Shadow Realm—who else? My goodness, what a dumb person. Ken's right; you are a no-name Duelist with the skills to even embarrass a third-rate one."
The thing sighed, his voice dripping with disappointment.
"Y-YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Keith screamed, his hand now shaking uncontrollably as he raised his gun, pointing it at the creature.
"That I am, unfortunately. Teleios, if you will. End the game."
The thing smirked darkly before gesturing to the empty field with a flick of his wrist.
Keith's eyes widened in horror as he realized that he had nothing left. His field was empty. The creature's Duel Disk had somehow remained active, and now… now he was vulnerable to a direct attack.
Teleios' cold eyes locked onto Keith's, before nodding slightly.
The ground beneath them quaked; powerful forces rose from below.
Her eyes narrowed as she raised her staff, and with a slow, deliberate motion, she tapped it to the ground.
The air around them crackled.
Ripples of magic surged out in every direction. Keith's eyes widened as it spread like a tsunami, growing larger with every second. The ground beneath him buckled and trembled, and before he could scream, the wave of magic swept over him, engulfing him in its monstrous grip.
His body melted away into the waves, every atom in his body dissolved into nothingness consumed by magic itself, save for his Duel Disk and the cards that fell onto the ground with a loud clang.
He could barely hear the voice of Teleios whispering in his ear, cold and emotionless, before everything goes empty.
"Apocalyptic Witchcraft."
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Bandit Keith: 1550 LP -› 0 LP
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