Shaman King Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Shaman Tournament ❯ Kevin wants to be a Shaman?! ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5- Kevin wants to be a Shaman?!

"Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi commanded. Yami, outfitted in the Dark Magician armor, blasted a powerful beam of dark magic against a hay-stacked target. A successful direct hit as the target scattered in straw.

"OK, I think we can stop here for today, Yugi. You need to rebuild your mana for the qualifying fight tonight." Anna instructed. Yugi exhaled a sigh of relief as Yami's Dark Magician costume disengaged from his spirit form. "I'm impressed, you were able to climb from the Celtic Guardian to the Dark Magician in less than four hours. Quite an improvement from Yoh's Over Soul technique."

"I just have to know how can an Egyptian Pharaoh be a fighting spirit other than by assimilating cards." Manta pondered while having his nose stuck in his thick book. "I mean everyone else has spirit that are special to some sort of combat. Amidamaru a Samurai, Bason a Chinese Warlord, and Miranda's spirits ranging from a Miko, two female Samurais, a fox-demon and an assassin."

"Well there's your answer Manta, a fighting spirit can be anything that has had experience in combat." Yoh answered.

"For once Yoh is right." Anna added on. "I've read once before that the Pharaoh Yugi has for a guardian ghost once saved the world from the Shadow Realm. And I know the Shadow Realm all too well." Yugi gasped at Anna's statement.

"How do you know of the Shadow Realm, Anna?" Yugi asked.

"I'm an Itaku, a traditional Japanese shaman." Anna introduced, "and as one, I was taught to know several famous ghosts and apparitions. From the Pharaoh Yami who has defeated the Shadow Games to the seemingly immortal demon Raikoukou of the Blue Lightning and more." Anna paused and studied Yugi briefly, "I know you had to deal with several encounters of ghosts through your days, Yugi."

"I did, and Miranda has one of them." Yugi added on. "Marik's dark side wanted to destroy the world." Anna sighed right after Yugi.

"He wouldn't have succeeded; the world's fate is always decided around the Shaman Tournament." Anna stated as Yoh did the day before. "If there's anyone to worry about, it's to make sure the crown of the Shaman King doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Now I suppose we get a good lunch down our stomachs, Yugi's going to need all the help he can get if he has any hope to qualify for the Shaman Tournament."

In a half-hour, both Kevin and Mai sped across the streets of Domino. Before Mai made out of her room, Kevin was told to come to the Domino Museum for his father's artifact. His mind changed while Mai's hair whipped wildly in the wind.

"After the check on Miranda, can we go to the museum?" Kevin asked, distracting Mai briefly but her eyes never left the road ahead.

"So you know who that phone call came from?" Mai answered and jumped Kevin. "Don't look so surprised Kevin, I heard you answer the phone. It was Ishizu, wasn't it?"

"How'd you…"

"Call it intuition but I know it's about your father's find two years ago. I ought to know, I was there with him." Mai explained and swung left through the intersection. "I kinda had the feeling. I suppose it's some kind of connection between your father and me. I sometimes hear his voice at night, but a few nights he sounded panicked, like another world-threatening event is about to take place if nothing is done about it."

"The Shaman Tournament…" Kevin mumbled.

"What?" Mai raised a brow and slowed to pull into a house with a scarred landscape for a backyard.

"It's something Yoh is involved. People who have guardian ghosts fight for the right of Shaman King and the fate of the world." Kevin answered and closed the door on his side of the corvette. "I think Miranda's involved, too."

Kevin made his way to the front door first and knocked frantically.

Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!

That was not the sound of my watch's alarm. I finished assembling a well-manipulative deck for Yami Marik to assimilate as Over Soul and scanned the room for what was going off. I finally found what was on my nightstand, a blue device as long as my forearm with silver blades on both ends and a digital display in the middle of it.

"What the heck?" I asked and held it by one of the snap-on leather bands. The digital readout was going off like a pager.

"It was your prize from Chrom for your qualifications for the Shaman Tournament. That Oracle Pager is supposed to give you the information on your three preliminary rounds: the opponent, the time, and the place." Yami Marik answered. Raikoukou yawned and eyed Yami Marik.

Someone's been paying attention… Raikoukou said in her telekinesis.

I checked the display on the Oracle Pager as the marquee scrolled along. "The first fight of the qualifying round will be in front of Kaiba Corp. two weeks from today at sunset. Your opponent is…"

"Miranda…" A shady figure read his Oracle Pager. A small demonic spirit rested on the shoulder of his silver cape that highlighted ripples of light in the morning sun. "One of the few Zodiacs remaining in the world if I'm not mistaken." The demon nodded in agreement and spoke in a hidden telepathy. "Kind of depressing. I've heard she lost someone during the Battle City Finals, but strange as it seems, she didn't sue Kaiba."

He took his eyes off the digital marquee towards the morning sun; orange veins leaked through the dark clouds that overcasts the eastern horizon. "Zodiac or not, I'll defeat her. Despite I know little of them."

"Are you sure you want to put your sword where your mouth is?" A deep voice cut off the Shaman's thoughts. He turned around to see Ironac in his quilted cloak and pined with a large plate of iron crafted to look like a wolf's head from old Indian folklore.

"What do you mean Ironac? This single Zodiac can't possibly come up against a whole horde of demons. Yaril can summon the most powerful beasts of the underworld." The Shaman answered and unsheathed his longsword from behind his back; from hilt to blade tip, it has length of three feet.

"I had been given word from Chrom that this Zodiac Shaman has the potential to channel five spirits at once." Ironac warned, "But that was during her preliminary round."

"Five spirits? They must not have been that strong then." The Shaman continued to brush away Ironac's concerns.

"Montoya, you are not listening. Miranda is a descendant to the demon ally Raikoukou of the Blue Lightning." Ironac's point got Montoya's demon ally's attention and it murmured in his ear.

"By the sound of Yaril, Raikoukou seems pretty powerful." Montoya glanced back to Ironac with his gray slate eyes. "This demon made it even to Yaril's plane."

"Raikoukou is a demon of power in the Lightning Element. However, after the fight with Chrom, Miranda had to choose one of her spirits to be registered into the Shaman Tournament." Ironac got to the bottom line. "You've been warned, Montoya; for her selected ally is very dangerous, more so than Raikoukou. We at the Patch Tribe are all baffled at how such a hazardous spirit could be quelled in her hands…" He turned his back to Montoya and began to walk away.
"Ironac, who is Miranda's spirit ally?" Montoya called out after him.

"I'm afraid you'll have to find out in two weeks. I must go now and prepare to initiate the remaining Shamans into the tournament…" Ironac bid his unconditional farewell and disappeared into the morning traffic.

Montoya concentrated a moment before returning his sword into the sheath. "Miranda's ally is dangerous? Yaril calls the most lethal of demons from the spirit world." He muttered under his breath.

Miranda opened her door to see one panicked Kevin quivering in front of her. Today's attire of the Zodiac descendant included black stretch pants over a magenta sleeveless top with a ruffled collar. A moment after seeing Miranda, Kevin exhaled deeply and calmed down.

"O…K, I think I've missed something." Miranda commented as Raikoukou stepped up to the doorway. Both of them saw Mai's corvette parked in the driveway.

"I know I saw an explosion in this area last night." Kevin panted from his hysteria moments ago.

"An explosion? You've must have saw my result of my preliminary into the Shaman Tournament." Miranda smirked and showed Kevin the Oracle Pager equipped to her right arm above her memorial tablet. "The tablet I've carved a few days ago."

"So you're in the tournament?" Kevin wondered.

"Yep." Miranda answered, but only she knew which ally she has registered.

"OK, we know Miranda's all right. Now how about we head for the museum and see what Ishizu wants." Mai called from the car.

"Coming!" Kevin hollered back.

"Ishizu, huh? Mind if I join you? I need to do a bit of studying up on some spirits." Miranda asked. Kevin was about to answer as Mai intercepted.

"Of course you can come with us. According to Little Harpie Brother you could use some time out of the house." Said Mai, ticking Kevin off some by the name "Little Harpie Brother." "Well get in, we're going to the museum now." Mai invited. Raikoukou shrunk in size and took her place on Miranda's shoulder. Miranda and Kevin both left the front porch of Miranda's two-story but small house.

The three feminine spirits watched from Miranda's bedroom on the second story as Mai pulled out of the driveway and sped off into the city. Miran reacted first with an eye twitching from yesterday.

"Why? Why did Miranda choose that homicidal freak for a spirit ally? I can't trust him as deep as I can cut him!" Miran cried.

"Mirandragon, please calm yourself." Tsunami sat cross-legged with her staff in her embrace, trying to ease her daughter with words alone.

"Kikaita, you're her mother! Knock some sense into her! This is the same psycho that tried to kill her in Battle City!" Miran roared in her episode. Kikaita remained as calm as Tsunami despite Miran's premature death millennia ago.

"Mirandragon, I am just as worried as you are; however-" Kikaita was about to explain when Miran panicked again.

"However what?! What kind of circumstance is it for someone like Miranda to be possessed by a killer like him?!"

"Mirandragon, control yourself!" Tsunami demanded in a strong voice. Miran finally settled herself long enough to listen to the other two. "You may tell us now, Kikaita."

"As you both know, Miranda has made decisions on her own for eight years since her father's death. For how long I've been stuck in Limbo, I've noticed that just recently a ring of friends is surrounding her; not a very big one but enough to keep her from giving in to the Darkness." Kikaita said, bring both of them to interest. "I accept Miranda's decision for choosing Yami Marik to be among us. He seems to be the only one who can help Miranda cope with her loss and loneliness."

"He feeds her that loneliness. The Shadow Realm is nothing but isolation." Miran argued but in a tone softer than before.

"Miran, you have not showed yourself back then, but Miranda had no friends at the start of her American education. She was alone except for the spirits resting in cemeteries near her home. Being alone for so long, she does not know how to be a friend to one of flesh and blood." Kikaita continued. "Yami Marik helps her with that loss because she feels she needs to stay alone to stay alive."

"Kikaita does prove a point: we've all seen the sacrifices Yugi and his friends have made for her in Battle City." Tsunami agreed, "I have to side with my daughter for this point: Miranda needs to understand that she can have friends outside of the spirit world."

"Tsunami, I know." Kikaita tried to swallow her tears. "I hope with all my soul that Kevin can show her the light of the living and free her from the darkness of the departed."

"You say you got a call from Ishizu at the museum?" Miranda asked as the wind whipped her blend of auburn and red hair.

"Yeah, my dad donated an artifact he found in the mountain range of China a few years ago before he came here." Kevin answered. "It was one of the largest swords ever found intact, and among the ranks for being wielded by powerful warriors, like Amidamaru's Harusame. My father named it the Dragon Buster, for lack of its research for its actual name or possessor. The only lead he has was the kanji inscribed on the blade but the name appeared in no research articles documented. Unless it was being read wrong, a blade that worn out could have a misprint."

"So how can this sword be quite known if it has a mysterious wielder behind it?" Mai asked while keeping her eyes on the road, both Kevin and Miranda gasped in confusion.

Dragon Buster…I think I've heard of it before. Rai mentioned in her telepathy.

"You have?" Kevin questioned the demon.

Yeah but how much would this world take from a demon when they always seem to dismiss the like of us? Rai bowed her head.

"We're listening, Rai. Just give us what you know about this Ryumaru or this Dragon Fang." Mai said plainly while driving.

It's legend from long ago in the Mountain ranges from which I was created. Rai began. There existed several humans whom have connections to us monsters, demons, ghosts, and above all Dragons. However, there has been a powerful warrior that makes a living slaying the Dragons. Soon times have passed and many Dragons were slained, the Dragons decided either to stop him or flee to their own world.

"So what did the Dragons do?" Miranda asked her demonic ally.

They didn't do anything, the Dragonic God took it upon himself to stop the slayer of his kind. A war between one warrior and the God of Dragons waged bloodshed for years. Finally the Dragon succeeded, but with many casualties beforehand. They say that a curse laid upon that sword, that each night consecutively the warrior's sword traces a thin trickle of blood. It has reached the point of the century where that war happened millennia ago. For each of the one thousand Dragons that the God avenged, the blood of each fall each day starting on the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. Rai concluded. Miranda might have heard of this nameless warrior now.

"Come to think of it, the legend does sound familiar to me. But that was long ago." Miranda turned away from the group with heavy thoughts. And if that's true, odds are this ghost of the sword and I won't get along very well.

"Well, here we are." Mai said as she rolled up to the museum. It wasn't until now Yami Marik decided to come out of his tablet in his semi-transparent form on the car seat. The phenomenon gave Mai the shivers. "I'll wait in the car, you three can go on ahead."

"OK." Miranda and Kevin said at the same time and left the car. Both of them looked up on the marble columns of the museum before entering; Yami Marik floats next to Miranda, making her the middle of him and Kevin.

Dragon Buster? Never heard of it. Yami Marik commented on their way in to the museum.

"Yami Marik do us a favor and retreat to your memorial tablet. You do not want to stir things up with the Ishtars again, right?" Miranda said of her registered ally. In rare moments, Yami Marik submitted to request and vanished into the tablet. Kevin and Miran proceeded further into the museum until they reached an exhibit of miscellaneous warriors, both heroes and fiends.

"My dad's artifact is at the end of this hall." Kevin told Miranda as they found Ishizu next to the showcase, dressed in a plain off-white dress, black flat hair, and a gold jewel-crested circlet.

"Kevin, and Miranda, thank you for coming." Ishizu greeted. Miranda's eyes landed first on a dark bloodstain in front of the showcase.

"This sword has been bleeding even before it was brought to the museum; the Year of the Dragon was four years ago, correct?" Miranda asked.

"Yes. It still traces the blood of the Dragons the God avenged, those whom have fallen to the malice greed before the God vanquished this fiend." Ishizu stated.

"Fiend…was this warrior really a danger to those Dragons?" Kevin questioned further.

"Yes. This warrior's legacy lives on today in Duel Monsters as the Drifting Swordsman; however, it is his incarnates that possess Buster Blader's power." Ishizu's briefing jumped Kevin and Miranda.

"Buster Blader?! You're kidding!" Kevin paled.

"Actually it'd make some sense. In Duel Monsters, Buster Blader's power increases with each opposing Dragon." Miranda restored her hard look. "I wouldn't want to go up against him in the Shaman Tournament if he becomes your Guardian Ghost."

"Huh? What do you mean, If? He will be my Guardian Ghost." Kevin boasted.

Are you insane?! A Guardian Ghost like him will tear your deck apart! Rai barked. You run a Dragon Deck!

"Rai's got a point. We know Buster Blader's legend proclaimed him to be a ruthless Dragon slayer." Miranda agreed.

"Well that's only legend, I'm sure this guy's real nice." Kevin kept up his optimism.

"We'll see how long that enthusiasm lasts…" Yami Marik murmured in his memorial tablet.

"I'll leave it to you, Kevin, to decide if you want to take the artifact." Ishizu said and began to take her leave. "I'd advise you to take some time to decide. Recently have artifacts involving Dragons were destroyed." She finished and left the hall, leaving Miranda and Kevin alone in the exhibit.

"Artifacts were destroyed?" Miranda repeated in question as Yami Marik allowed himself to leave the tablet.

"Sounds like a potential danger to the Shaman Tournament." Yami Marik commented.

"And you aren't?"

"Man, what I wouldn't give to see this ghost." Kevin looked at the wide longsword under the display glass. While Kevin was looking into the blade, Miranda spotted more than his reflection.

"You can go ahead and try. I've got other business here." Miranda turned around and left Kevin in the exhibit.

"Where are you going?" Kevin asked, "Don't you want to see if I can get my Guardian Ghost?"

"If, Kevin, that's the key word." Miranda replied in her tone. "I still have doubts you two will get along. Besides, I need to study my opponent."

"Your opponent?! You mean you know your first opponent already?"

"I do but I know little of him. I'll still be around if you need to call me. Later." Miranda finished and exited the exhibit, pacing the halls for the study she's looking for.rior that makes a living slaying the Just when she crossed the hall of where the Egypt exhibit and the Japanese historical exhibit crossed, Rai's ears perked up like she heard something. Without Miranda's question, Rai scampered off into the historical exhibit, into the hall where records of the Zodiac Clan were kept.

Montoya paused on his studies of Yin-Yang the Eternal Dragon when a presence entered the hall. His eyes followed the floor until he spotted a small creature, no bigger than a kitten, yet a kitten he's never seen before: snow white with midnight-blue stripes. Montoya crouched to the tile floor, curious as Yaril of the creature.

"Yaril, is this yours?" Montoya asked his partner. Yaril shook its head in response and Montoya's eyes remained on the little creature. After a moment he moved his hand towards the creature.

"Rai! Rai, where are you?" One's voice broke Montoya's interest. He looked to the hallway entrance to see a girl in a distressed search. Miranda finally looked down the hallway, "Rai, there you are." The creature that greeted Montoya too it's strides and jumped to her shoulder. "Whatcha do that for Rai?" Miranda asked and looked down the hallway in sight of Montoya. Her eyes narrowed in concentration under her red bangs to this stranger who hides himself under a silver cloak. Who is this guy? His mana is twice as high as mine is. He's also a shaman? Miranda thought.

"That creature is yours?" Montoya asked. Miranda jumped from her study of him.

"Um, yes. Her name is Rai, and I'm Miranda." Miranda introduced herself with the proper bow to follow.

"My name is Montoya, and this is Yaril. You're a shaman as well?" Montoya asked as Miranda approached to see his studies on the Zodiacs.

"Montoya?" Miranda repeated. Montoya seemed to look in the same confusion and both of them struck recall at the same time.

"You're my opponent?" Both asked each other in unison and studied each other for a moment.

"Well, this will be a disadvantage. For you anyway." Montoya spoke first.

"Pardon?"

"Even from here your mana is weak. I hope you can put up a challenge in two weeks." Montoya said. Miranda's eyes left Montoya to the records of the Zodiacs.

"I guess you're right. I haven't done much training after the Battle City Tournament…" She said. "I'll see you later, OK Montoya?"

"Goodbye Miranda." Montoya bid his farewell as Miranda turned back towards the exhibit.

Coming around the corner, Miranda spotted Yoh, Amidamaru, and Manta there with Kevin. "So, this sword is supposed to bleed every night? That's weird." Yoh commented, "When I last saw a sword being haunted, all it is was Mosuke crying."

"Yeah, but for every dragon. He must have been powerful." Kevin added on before spotting Miranda. "Hey, Miranda."

"Hello, what are you two doing here?" Miranda asked as Yami Marik made himself faintly imaged like Amidamaru.

"Ghost fascination, you know." Yoh shrugged, "though what Kevin's told me of the sword it doesn't make sense." Miranda passed the display to a scroll written in a language not English nor Japanese or any known.

"You haven't seen this?" Miranda asked the trio before they backed her up in front of the showcase.

"It looks like some sort of language that's written like it was carved from a sword." Manta observed.

"It is, it's the same style of hieroglyphics as on Yin-Yang's card." Miranda answered.

"So you can read it?"

"Yep." Miranda answered before scanning the scroll. "Ages ago, a warrior took up the Dragon Buster sword and set out to slay all the dragons of the world. After gaining a reputation as the greatest dragon slayer of all time, he set out to slay the God of Dragons. But he was struck down in battle with the God. Over the ages, his name was lost, and he was known only as the Buster Blader... If one who follows the dragons stands in the spot where he was slain, the Buster Blader will seek vengeance for his demise... Could this be Yin-Yang's record forewarning the Zodiacs?" Miranda muttered to herself after reading what was legible on the age-old scroll.

"Whoa, now this guy is dangerous! I don't know who'd actually kill someone in the Shaman Tournament between him and Yami Marik!" Manta panicked before gaining a breath and looking towards Miranda. "Um, no offense you two."

"None taken." Came the unison answer from both shaman and ghost.

"I still want to meet him." Kevin awed at he scroll and broadsword under the glass.

"Kevin since when did you have a fascination for ghosts? You don't even know the first thing about them." Miranda said.

"And what is the first thing about them, huh? They're here because they don't want to die." Kevin cocked his attitude again.

"They're here…because they have unfinished business." Yoh corrected. "Take into consideration on how I met Amidamaru. He waited six hundred year on the tallest peak of the cemetery for Mosuke to bring Harusame."

"Yami Marik would have dwelt in the Shadow Realm for eternity if I didn't help him escape. He's still ticked at his loss of the duel that decided the winner of the last tournament." Miranda added on her story. Kevin stared at both of them with a questionable look.

"You have to admit both of them actually care for their guardian ghosts. Even if they were legend to be killers or really are." Manta concluded for the both of them.

By now, Ishizu made her appearance again in the exhibit. Yoh smiled in a first-impression greeting. "Hello."

"Greetings, you're friends of Kevin and Miranda?" Ishizu asked.

"M-hm." Manta nodded.

Ishizu's eyes returned to Kevin. "So have you decided to take your father's artifact. I think your father would want it that way."

"Yeah, I'll take it for a keepsake." Kevin nodded. Ishizu began to come up to the showcase and unlock the glass pane. She reached in to grab the sword's hilt when a red outline made itself on the blade. "It's bleeding already?"

"This would be the final day." Ishizu said before she picked up the sword gently from its supports.

"Hey, hold on a minute." Yoh inserted himself calmly. "Don't mind me by asking, but can we stay a few hours after losing to see for ourselves what's going on?"

Ishizu left the blade in his display. "Yes you may."

"If this means an overnighter, I'm out of here." Miranda shook her head. "You can deal wit this slaying maniac if you want. I'm not going to taste his blade."

"I'll leave the back door unlocked for you but it can't be open from the outside for safety precautions." Ishizu answered and left again. She froze in her paces when she passed by Yami Marik's spiritual image.

"Anything wrong, Ishizu?" Miranda asked and Ishizu shook her head to clear it.

"No, it's nothing."

"Don't worry, Yami Marik's dark half won't cause you trouble." Miranda assured as Ishizu left the exhibit. The sword lost its first drop of blood for the night. Behind everyone, the blood stained the tile like it was stepped on.

To be continued…