Shaman King Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Shaman Tournament ❯ Encounter ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter 6- Encounter
 
The bronze sunset glanced over Domino and Yugi's untouched dinner. Anna sat across from him eating silently while listening to a sitcom on the TV in the background. Moments passed until Anna's eyes went to Yugi. “What's the matter? Everyone loves my cooking.” Anna snapped Yugi out of a deep thought.
 
“Oh, sorry Anna. It's just that…” Yugi trailed off in his thoughts again.
 
“Just what? It's evident you're ready. You've improved faster than Yoh did.” Anna bit into a small piece of carrot.
 
“I just want to know who am I up against in this entry match for the Shaman Fight.” Yugi questioned while fidgeting with his food of steamed rice and mixed vegetables.
 
“Honestly I don't know either.” Anna answered bluntly and swallowed a small bundle of rice. “Yoh only told me he faced a Native American warrior whom controls five animal familiars. I'll bet you'll have to go through with the same deal and I highly doubt it'll be easy.” Yugi sighed and finally took a bite of his cooling dinner. Yami came into view to the both of them with a curious glaze in his eyes.
 
Anna, can you tell us about the Shaman Tournament, what you know of it anyway? Yami asked. Anna finished off her meal and took a breath.
 
“As far as I know, the Shaman Tournament gathers the strongest shamans for a competition to earn the crown title of Shaman King. The Shaman King has the ability to connect with the King of Spirits to ensure a world of their desires.” Anna explained. “Yoh has entered this tournament to get an easy life for himself. Everyone has different goals as to when they become the Shaman King, or Queen.” Anna paused to take up her bowl and chopsticks. “I have confidence Yoh will win this tournament. And when he does…I'll be his Shaman Queen.”
 
*****
 
Everyone watched as Ishizu turned the corner to leave the hall. The blood continued sliding off the blade and formed the print of one foot completely. Yami Marik and Amidamaru were first to turn their heads and spotted the shapeless mana figure behind them.
 
“Watch out!” Amidamaru cried in warning. Everyone spun around on their toes and jumped away from the showcase, all of them felt a splinter of wind scathed their bodies.
 
“What was that?” Kevin asked in his panic.
 
“Buster Blader…” Yami Marik growled in the back of his throat. Finally the images came to the four humans. He appeared to be of warrior class, wielding the soul figure of the broadsword. He looks no older than his late twenties and muscles bulked to the max, brown hair spiked the top of his head and his blue eyes crisp with a vengeance.
 
The remaining visitors of the exhibit seemed too scared to move, except for the experienced Shamans. “OK, there's Buster Blader. Are you sure you want him to be your guardian ghost now?” Miranda asked and scanned the exhibit for a dagger or small blade.
 
“Uh, no…not anymore.” Kevin stammered. The Buster Blader scanned the presence before him before his eyes were locked on Kevin.
 
“You! Follower of dragons! How dare you mock my death by coming here! I did not slay a thousand dragons so that you could bring them to this place!” Buster Blader boasted and readied his blade to strike at Kevin.
 
“U-um Miranda, a little help?” Kevin stuttered. Buster Blader then turned his attention on Miranda, sensing her aura strong in Dragon blood.
 
“You mock me as well, Servitor of the Dragon God?!” Buster Blader's anger reached an all-high peak as his spirit form was absorbed into his original armor.
 
“No way! He's possessed his armor! I thought ghosts can only achieve Over Soul through shamans.” Manta panicked as the armor twitched in movement.
 
“Well you know what all English teachers say, `There's an exception to every rule.'” Miranda posed a stance with Yami Marik's memorial tablet ready for Spirit Possession. Buster Blader charged towards Miranda, snagging the Buster Sword from the showcase along the charge. Miranda ran backwards and hoped to find some sort of suitable weapon for over soul.
 
Yoh found his easily and snagged one of the Zodiacs' samurai swords from the shelves along the walls. “Amidamaru, spirit form! Spirit Possession!” Yoh slammed the spirit flame into his own body and absorbed it, completing his possession.
 
Buster Blader slammed his sword to the tile where Miranda was a second earlier. Shards of the glass scattered in the aftershock from the blade that tasted the blood of many Dragons: a blade that threw Miranda into a furious rage. “Yami Marik, spirit form!” Miranda commanded of her guardian ghost. His transparent image ripped from his last position as he reformed to a spirit flame no bigger than a baseball in Miranda's right hand. “Spirit Possession!” She thrust the spirit flame into her body and her aura changed drastically. Her eyes narrowed with a sense of darkness.
 
Still Buster Blader resumed his attack with another charge down the exhibit. “Hey Buster Blader!” Yoh cried out after and followed him with Amidamaru in full Over Soul. “You're busted! Celestial Slash!” Amidamaru gave it his all in that one attack. The sword made contact to Buster Blader's back and knocked him off-balance with his broadsword making him top-heavy.
 
Through it all Manta, Rai and Kevin watched with freaked eyes. Kevin saw Yoh actually fight with his spirit possession but more surprising to him, Miranda allowed Yami Marik to control her body…and they're working as if they're one.
 
Well? Want Buster Blader for a ghost now? Rai asked. Kevin shook his head, shaking off the shock.
“I do.” Kevin answered.
 
“WHAT?!” Manta panicked again, nearly giving his little body a heart attack. “This guy is nothing but bad news. I mean sure, Yoh got Amidamaru even though he was nicknamed the `Fiend.' But Amidamaru never attacked anyone. This Buster Blader is attacking Miranda because she follows the code of Dragons!” They watched as Buster Blader pursued Miranda like a game of Cat-and-Mouse after recovering from Yoh's first attack.
 
“Miranda!” Kevin cried and redirected Buster Blader's attention. Rai's instinct of protection kicked in as she grew in size to the height of a horse's shoulders with fangs bearing and sparks crackling from her nine tails, marking her form of Raikounan. She stomped one of her paws to the ground, her claws making streaks in the tile.
 
Blue Lightning Cannon! Raikounan telepathically commanded herself and opened her jaws, firing a powerful beam of her trademark Blue Lightning to Buster Blader.
 
We need to find something to make Buster Blader back off! Yami Marik suggested to Miranda in his possession.
 
“I've got it!” Miranda spotted a small dagger in the showcase and grabbed it as her own weapon. At that point, the Blue Lightning made a direct hit on Buster Blader, knocking his blade to the ground. Miranda/Yami Marik took the advantage and used the blade like a ramp to Buster Blader. Adding to that, they readied the dagger for a thrust as it punctured the armor through the chest.
 
Despite the effort to get Buster Blader this vulnerable to an attack, it barely phased him. He grabbed Miranda's left wrist and threw her into the main hall, skidding on her back and winded.
 
“Die Dragon Disciples!” Buster Blader bellowed as his first swing passed through Kevin's duel disk and then charged in rage to Miranda. To everyone's surprise, Buster Blader could move as quickly as a samurai in his armor and broadsword, to fast for Miranda to move.
 
Miranda! Get out of the way! Yami Marik tried to break her from her fear of imminent death. Miranda cringed and shut her eyes.
 
“Demon Rush!” A voice blared from outside the Zodiac exhibit. A number of demonic being latched on to Buster Blader and forced him off-balance, this time knocking his whole body to the ground. Miranda finally snapped out of her shock-freeze enough to turn her head towards the owner of the demon rebellion.
 
“Montoya?” She asked. His calm wise face was replace with a smug look of rage and his longsword drawn, coated in shreds of spirit flames on the blade.
 
“This is the only time I'm helping you Zodiac Survivor. You better get your guardian ghost on the same wavelength as you are if you're going to bring his guy down.” Montoya advised, “If you can't defeat this infamous Dragon Slayer than you'll be as good as dead in front of me.” Both Miranda and Yami Marik agreed and got to their feet as one body. The grunt demons on top of Buster Blader were weakening fast and easy to throw off with swings if the limbs.
 
The female shaman stared down in renewed determination to the slaying over soul. Her grip on her dagger tightened with Yami Marik assurance of a successful and critical attack. “You will pay for your lawlessness in the past, nameless slayer!” Miranda's body sparked in black flames as a new aura emitted. Rarely, Montoya was surprised of the fast level up, but returned a steady gaze to the fight.
 
Just a few encouraging words and she's back in action stronger than before. Note to self: use negative bombardment in our fight. Montoya thought and returned his sword back to its holster.
 
Buster Blader took the first step and charged with his broadsword ready. The movement seemed to slow for Miranda and Yami Marik as they scanned for Buster Blader's weakness. Something has to fail if it's hit. What did Yin-Yang do to stop Buster Blader's rampage? Both of them thought at once and their eyes shot to the records on the walls, specifically the immortal words of Yin-Yang's journal over the ages.
 
This slayer must be stopped; many Dragons have fallen in his ruthless quest to eliminate our kind. I am the only one to save my children and my disciples. The Zodiacs pray each day for our protection, and they will have their prayers answered.
 
“Nothing there-wait.” Miranda muttered to herself. “Prayer…was that what it took to take him down?” The movement of the scene returned to normal as Miranda avoided an unbalanced swing, a clear sign of fatigue. Miranda bounced twenty feet, standing right in front of Montoya. She slammed the dagger into the ground and kneeled with the hand gesture of Dragon focused in her fingers, all of the wrapped in between one another except for the thumb and pinkie finger.
 
Miranda, what are you doing?! Yami Marik panicked.
 
“Whouk toako Yin-Yang kxo Eternal Dragon A ujb ximrc0 ev kxo fenohj udt whudk mo kxo jkhodwkx. Xocf mo ludgiajx kxaj veo kxuk kuj ceukxot kxo cudt ev Dragons udt xam ke hojk edso meho.” Miranda chanted, unknown to anyone what she said. Instantly the dagger was the center of a small light circle and became a post of fire, emitting a powerful aura like no other. She grabbed the dagger from the title and jerked it out, now more of the aura infused her body.
 
Through it all Montoya was stunned of the progress, though in the belief that this was only a one-shot deal. He spotted Miranda's quick scan of the records and figure that whatever she said would only work against those that disgrace her bloodline.
 
Miranda charged in herself of the attack with Yami Marik in possession of her body and an even strong force inhabiting the dagger. “Tao jcu0or, hokahd ke kxo jcoof vhem nxodso 0ei unebo!” came her next words, pounding with the signature of the almighty Dragon that defeated the Buster Blader. Her dagger scorched the air but harmed none of the remaining artifacts intact from the fight.
 
Buster Blader recovered from his wrongful technique of attack and charged with his broadsword ready to strike down the middle.
 
“Whoa, Miranda! Watch out!” Kevin called and tried to step in and help. Instead the fox-demon stopped him from going into the death trap.
 
Watch… Raikoukou said calmly in her telepathy.
 
Buster Blader acted first and his sword fell like a guillotine blade. In response, Miranda's possessed dagger came forward and stopped the broadsword with the metal clasp on the dagger's handle. In a moment of guard impact, the broadsword blade cracked on the edge and split right through the middle. The top half of the blade flew over Miranda's head in shards, Montoya shielded himself with his cape of the metal fragments.
 
What?! This can't be! No mere mortal could break the Buster Sword! Buster Blader thought in anger as a small knife destroyed his prize weapon. Continuing her charge, Miranda rotated the dagger so the point was aimed right for Buster Blader.
 
“Candela Thrust! Holy Light judge and destroy!” Miranda cried with Yin-Yang's powerful roar in sync of her command, and the dagger nailed his weak point: a blue stone set in a mount on his broadsword was where his spirit rested, and the dagger nailed it critically. Buster Blader's over soul faded fast. His armor collapsed to the ground in a heap of metal and fabric.
 
A moment's freeze. Most of the exhibit's artifacts remained intact of the fight. Amidamaru and YM escaped from spirit possession.
 
“Miranda, you all right?” Kevin asked, as Manta accompanied for Yoh's aid. Miranda returned the question with a nasty glare along with Yami Marik's look of disappointment. “Uh Miranda?”
 
“You're not fit to be a shaman, Hunter.” Said Miranda and stood up straight out of her fatigue.
 
“Huh?” Kevin looked confused and turned to Yoh and Manta, the both of them also had a judgmental look.
 
“She's right, Kevin: you're not cut out to be a shaman.” Yoh agreed. Kevin angered himself.
 
“And what jumps you to that conclusion?” Kevin growled.
 
“No quick-conclusions were needed.” Miranda resumed, “You have to have a battery of fighting skills before even considering a guardian ghost. But you couldn't even fight a ghost in Over Soul.”
 
“She's right kid, go home and play with your cards…” Montoya approached with his spirit resting on his shoulder. He glanced down to card pieces that fell from Kevin's deck. “The one's that aren't damaged anyway.”
 
“What the?” Kevin looked as cards cut in two fell from his deck one-half by one-half. He recognized his Spear Dragon falling gracefully to the floor. “My Dragon cards!”
 
“Whoa, how did that happen?” Manta jumped.
 
Buster Blader did it. Rai pointed out. During the fight, Buster Blader's sword went right through Kevin's deck.
 
“Buster Blader vowed to destroy the Dragons and their disciples. I'm just glad you're all right, Miranda. I'm hoping a good fight from you.” Montoya smirked, “Just don't think your God of Dragon summoning will work twice.” He finished and turned around to leave. Yoh caught a glimpse of Montoya's spirit.
 
“Hey, wait. Are you a shaman?” Yoh asked, catching Montoya's attention. He turned on a heel with his silver cloak following his wake.
 
“Yes, I've noticed you're one as well.” Montoya eyed up Amidamaru. “A Samurai, an interesting choice for a guardian ghost. I don't believe we were introduced, I am Montoya.”
 
“Yoh Asakura, and my guardian ghost is Amidamaru.” Yoh introduced himself and studied briefly of Montoya's ally. “Don't mind me asking but, what kind of spirit is your guardian ghost?”
 
Montoya chuckled and shook his head, understanding the youthful shamans' miscomprehension. “Yoh, my ally is no spirit. My ally is a caller demon, Yaril.” Yaril bowed while perched over Montoya's cape in greeting.
 
Miranda approached Montoya with the dagger replaced back on display. “Thank you for your help.” Miranda bowed, Montoya returned with a slight flash of disgust.
 
“I hope you improve yourself fast, Zodiac. I won't be saving you in our battle in two weeks. Buenos Nochas.” Montoya departed from the exhibit, but before running into Ishizu. Montoya notified in formality. “The nameless swordsman has been laid to rest.”
 
“Thank you sir.” Ishizu said.
 
“Actually, she did it.” Montoya eyed out Miranda still standing in the exhibit in front of Buster Blader's armor. He then turned and left the museum.
 
“Montoya huh? He's your first opponent Miranda?” Yoh asked.
 
“Yeah, I'm definitely going to have a fight on my hands.” Miranda answered, recalling how only a horde of toy-sized demons took down one of the most infamous swordsmen in history. “And what of yours?”
 
“His name is Horo Horo according to my Oracle Pager. But I haven't ran into him yet.” Yoh smiled, trying to hide his shade of anxiety. “You're lucky you got to meet your opponent before the fight starts.”
 
“I doubt it…” Yami Marik advised. “He didn't have a possession like you two do; his ally isn't even a spirit.”
 
“So? Shaman can have any type of Over Soul as long as there is an Over Soul.” Yoh pointed out and had another stroke of genius. “I felt Montoya's Over Soul before that horde attacked Buster Blader; though his Over Soul isn't like ours. His Over Soul is a lure.”
 
A lure? No wonder I was so tempted to join the fray. Rai said.
 
“Right. That Over Soul is a lure for demons like Rai. And I bet Yaril was that Over Soul even though it wasn't one with the over soul item. I doubt a caller demon has any sort of specialty item.” Yoh continued then returned back his carefree attitude. “Well, I better get back to Anna, she's probably stoke about me being late for dinner if she's not busy training Yugi.”
 
“I'll join you. I'd like to see Yugi have a shot in the Shaman fights.” Miranda looked to Kevin and the mood on her face changed. “Kevin, are you all right?” Kevin's eyes were shadowed under his blonde spikes of hair, looking down on his destroyed Dragon cards. Lying on top of the pile was two pieces of his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card.
 
Kevin blocked everyone from his senses and clenched a fist, obviously staring at his once prized card. “That ghost…destroyed my most powerful card…”
 
“Hey Kevin, it's just a card. You can get more of those.” Manta tried to assure and began picking up the pieces; Yoh and Miranda just stood at the doorway of the exhibit.
 
“Just forget it Manta…just forget it…” Kevin muttered. “Just go with Yoh and Miranda…” Manta hesitated momentarily before setting his pile back down on the floor and dashed off to join Yoh and Miranda.
 
*****
 
The orange highlights over the Domino Town buildings gave way to the countdown of Yugi's trial. His Duel Disk equipped on his left arm and Yami waiting beside him in his spirit form. Anna sat is one leg over the other with her arms crossed. Both of them awaited the mysterious Native American that was to trial Yugi and grant him access to the Shaman Fights.
 
Another tournament with the fate of the world on the line. Yugi sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if it's just a bunch of coincidences that put me up to these sort of things.”
The last of the orange lines faded from the horizon bordered in concrete towers, and all three of them were ready. This is it… Suddenly coming from the skies, an iron-winged owl carried the anticipated officiate. Ironac was in his blanketing robe that covered all but the long black hair and headband holding two feathers.
 
Ironac smirked under the high collar of his cloak. “Well then, shall we begin?”