S. Revolt Act II: Order of the Society

Mist responds with a cold look on her face, "Me...I'll just say this...What would you do when your parents were living in poverty and this was your only choice to get them out?" She shook her head trying to calmly forget a thought passing through her mind.

She took a deep breath and went down the hallway towards a staircase. She calmly responds, "I made the choice to come here under good pay to continue here working for the Society..." She briefly paused before continuing the sentence, "...for exchange of never seeing my parents ever again."

As both of them went down the staircase, the surroundings turned to a Society look to a dark look as they headed towards an elevator. As both of them stopped on the elevator, "Sometimes, sacrificing yourself for others may find inner peace within your soul..."

She turned to Ai asking, "Do you still want to continue?"

"Wh..wha? I never knew, I'm so sorry. Well, i can't really remember how i got to the Society, I just woke up one day and i was told who i was and what my job is. I have faint flashbacks of from before i lost my memory, in them I'm somewhere in an arena dueling. I always have the same feeling in the dreams of despair and nothingness."

"This is starting to look like the HQ, I'm still shocked there's something down here. Of course I'll continue I can't back out now if i do I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

Ai followed Mist into the elevator and his palms began to sweat, thinking of what or who could possibly be down there.

"Shit, I hope curiosity doesn't kill me like it did the cat"

Suddenly, throughout the entire facility, a loud gong sounded through the speaker system. Every member of the Society froze, some paralyzed with fear at the sound of the ceremonial music playing, for they know what was about to occur.

"It is time for the daily ceremonies." A low, baritone voice spoke into the speaker. "All members, gather into the Halls of Blood immediately."

Right away every member dropped what they were doing and proceeded towards the location, many of them almost unwillingly, but they knew trying to avoid it could possibly end in disaster.

The Halls of Blood was actually a kind of hollowed out cavern underground in the shape of an amphitheater. There was no outside light, no signs of any other life at all. The stone walls were dirty and stained with dark substance, and the torches that were lit only served to make the place even more foreboding.

"Man, I love these things." Blake said as he sat down in his special seat reserved for high ranking members of the Society. "They're always such good shows to see the unlucky people get picked."

At the very end of the amphitheater, there was a large stone altar. Standing in front of it was a cloaked figure, his features completely hidden.

"My children, thank you for gathering here in this hallowed place." A dead voice spoke from the man, and everybody in the room grew silent. "Today we offer ourselves to the society. Today, the Almighty One has spoken to me the names to be brought forth for Judgment....Blake Blaze and Jin Ozaka, descend to the front of the temple for battle!"

A murmur rippled throughout the entire amphitheater. An Archlord, a candidate? It had never happened before. Blake, on the other hand, smiled. "Well, this should be fun! I always wanted to try this out for a bit." He grinned wickedly as he jumped out of his seat and flew down the steps to the front of the temple. "Now where is Jin? Don't tell me he's chickened out!"

Meanwhile, Jin woke up and got up from the bench and headed towards. He wondered, "Judgment? What did I do this time? But whatever." As he walked up to the front of the Halls, he smiled, "So...who will be the first to suffer?" as he armed his duel disk with anticipation wondering what's his next task.

A beeping noise came out from the computer responding, "Voice recognition."

Mist replied, "Mist Shoel"

Computer responding, "Affirmative."

As both of them entered the elevator, Mist asks, "Anything else you need to know before entering?" as she readied her duel disk, keeping it deactivated with her deck inside the deck slot of the duel disk.

"Big words for a small fry." Blake laughed as he loaded his own duel disk and drew his opening hand. "Either way, I was getting bored just sitting around doing nothing. Now then I'll start things off!" He laughed as he drew his first card. "I summon Hellfire Imp in attack mode!" a fissure opened in the ground and fire shot out. When the fire died, a tiny little flaming demon took it's place wielding a pitchfork.

Hellfire Imp
Level 2, Fire
Pyro/Effect
When this monster is summoned, inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent's Lifepoints. When this monster is destroyed in battle, inflict half the battle damage to your opponent's Lifepoints.
500/500

"Hellfire Imp's effect activates!" Blake waved his hand. "When it's summoned, you take 500 points of damage!" The little imp threw it's pitchfork at Jin.

"This is all so much to take in, give me a minute." Ai Thought over to himself if he really wanted to go through with this action that could possibly change the way he sees the world.

"Let's do this thing Mist, i won't turn back. The only question i have is why did you ready your duel disk, is there something your not telling me?" Ai looked at Mist still his face was serious.

Ai also took out his duel disk and inserted his deck not activating it.

"Well I don't get to duel much with my job so this should be interesting."

Jin slightly laughed and asks, "Is that all you've got? Is one of the Archlords actually uses such lame tactics." As he smiled while taking the blow,...

Jin's Life Points: 3500

...he responded, "Too bad that you've activated one of my card effects."

Behind Jin, a red clock began to light up moving it's hand to 5. I activate the Continuous Spell, Bloodshed Countdown. By discarding 1 card from my hand, I can activate it from my Hand on my opponent's turn. Whenever I take damage, the counter moves on the clock according to how much damage I took divided by 100. And since it's a clock the maximum it can go is 12.

Jin slowly smiled and asked, "Is this all you've got because I'm getting tired of your antics already?"

Bloodshed Countdown
[Continuous Spell Card]
You can discard 1 card to activate this card from your hand during your opponent's turn. When you receive damage, this card gains 1 Blood Counter for each 100 damage you took (max. 12).

Mist responds, "Ai, don't worry about the dueling part. They'll probably do it for one of their tests with the new person..."

As the elevator stopped, Mist sighed and asks, "Do you want to know what the new person is?"

"Heh, I'm only getting started. Did you think that big clock would scare me?" He laughed at Jin's attempt to be brave...or maybe the guy was just stupid. "I set one card down and then end my turn."

Now then, lets see what this guy has in store for me. Blake thought. He hoped whatever kind of deck this guy had, it would make an interesting duel.

Lifepoints: 4000
Hand: 4 cards
Field: Hellfire Imp (500 ATK), 1 FD

Jin drew his card.

Jin's Life Points: 3500
Field: Bloodshed Countdown (active)
Cards in Hand: 4

Jin responds, "Alright, I'll start off by setting 2 face-downs and setting a monster in face-down Defense Position."

"Now, that my turn has come to a close, what do you have in store for me, Blake Blaze?" as he let out a smirk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jin's Life Points: 3500
Field: One face-down monster (Defense Position), Bloodshed Countdown (active), 2 face-down Spells and Traps.
Cards in Hand: 1

Valentin walked into the dueling arena as the clock struck 5. Like all the others he had followed the call, but he hadn't hurried. Valentin knew he held a privileged position in the Society, and as in all things he did, he aimed to make himself and others stronger through it. The rank and file had to know what they could achieve if there were to achieve it.

Cub does not become pack leader by hiding in shadow, cub becomes Alpha Wolf by proving power!

Valentin had worked hard to get where he was, but if someone were to challenge him for his position and topple him then that too would be great fun, as it would make Valentin the challenger again, a viewpoint he had not seen in years. While not himself an Archlord, Valentin knew there were few positions higher than his own, and was comfortable there, the Archlords ruled over areas he had no interest in; the pursuit of strength, though healing or otherwise, was his only goal, and true strength was not measured by the number of followers you command. Of the Archlords, it seemed only Blaze understood this, the fire-lover certainly gained some advantages through his position, but his passions remained unchanged despite of it, the Archlord's strong will had held through the transition, which is why Valentin held such respect for him.

Seating himself in the chair Blaze had vacated, ignoring the looks of the other Archlords (be they outraged, suspicious or dismissive), he took stock of the ongoing duel, deciding to make some fun of his own while enjoying the match, he called to his friend:

"I keep vodka warm for you Blaze, you win against pup, or no more for you!"

"Going on the defensive? Pity, I expected so much more from you." Blake drew his card. "You can't get anywhere in your life is all you do is cower behind your cards and do nothing. Life is too short to spend in constant fear! If you're gonna live, do it in a blaze of glory! I summon Hellfire Gargoyle in Attack mode!"

From the ground a flaming slab of rock broke through. Cracks appeared in the rock, then suddenly an ugly, winged monster broke through with a roar, fire coming from it's eyes and mouth.

Hellfire Gargoyle
Level 4, Fire
Pyro/Effect
This monster inflicts piercing damage. When this monster is destroyed by a card effect, inflict 700 points of damage to your opponent's Lifepoints.
1900/1500

"Now Hellfire Gargoyle, attack Jin's facedown monster! Hellfire Claw!" Blake ordered. Hellfire Gargoyle let out a roar as its claws burst into flames. The Gargoyle jumped from it's perched, it's stone wings spreading wide as it flew across the field to strike down Jin's hidden monster.

Jin replied, "You know that's exactly what I wanted you to do." He smiled as he pointed to one of his face-down Spell and Trap Cards.

Jin commented, "I activate Divine Ritual Protection. That monster's attack is negated and I send 1 Ritual Spell Card from my Hand to the Graveyard."

Divine Ritual Protection
[Quickplay Spell Card]
You can activate this card when your opponent's monster declares an attack. Negate that monster's attack and send 1 Ritual Spell Card from your Hand to the Graveyard.

Jin is smiling as he wants Blake to continue his turn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jin's Life Points: 3500
Field: One face-down monster (Defense Position), Bloodshed Countdown (active), 1 face-down Spell and Trap.
Cards in Hand: 0

"Heh, again on the defensive." Blake snorted as his monster retreated back to his field. He wasn't even phased by the fact that his attack didn't make it through, he simply grinned at his opponent. "Being defensive all the time won't get you anywhere. I'll set one more card face down, and end my turn."

Lifepoints: 4000
Hand: 3
Field: Hellfire Gargoyle (1900 ATK) and Hellfire Imp (500 ATK), 2 FD

"Alright Mist, I won't." said Ai who was not going to put his duel disk away because it made him feel comfortable being in this place he had thought was only living quarters for the people in the slums of the city.

"New..member?" Ai said nervously.

"Why couldn't i have just gone back to HQ?"

"Fine, tell me who this new member is." Ai said with heavier breathing and a feeling of suspense deep down in his chest.

Jin draws a card.

Jin's Life Points: 3500
Field: One face-down monster (Defense Position), Bloodshed Countdown (active), 1 face-down Spell and Trap.
Cards in Hand: 1

He smiled a bit responding, "I'll just set a face-down to end my turn."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jin's Life Points: 3500
Field: One face-down monster (Defense Position), Bloodshed Countdown (active), 2 face-down Spells and Traps.
Cards in Hand: 0

Mist shook her head and nodded responding, "Alright, I'll tell you."

She sat down near the corner of the elevator talking in depth of the new member.

"I don't know what to say really about the new member except for rumors. This person is always cloaked so we don't even know the gender of this person. I'll just refer to this person as "it". "It" was brought to this place a few weeks ago, but rumors already spread of that person destroying bunch of Resistance homes and causing a lot of pain to families."

She sighed a bit looking up at the ceiling still chatting about the new member.

"To be honest, I think "it"'s perfecting "it"'s deck admittedly. I think they've been trying to make "it" have a Zero Turn Kill so that the missions go through smoothly. So, I don't want to really face "it" but maybe...I have to get ready for anything really. That's why I prepared my duel disk, so that if I must, I'd face "it" and test out my deck's strength. That's why my strategy has to be perfect..."

"Again with the face downs?" Blake gave a disgusted look as he drew a card. This duel was quickly starting to turn very boring. "Geez, you've gotta be kidding me. I thought you'd give me a decent fight, but this is getting sad. Now then, I summon Hellfire Daemon in attack mode!" A magic circle formed from fire on the ground, then a horrific flaming horned demon appeared bound in chains.

Hellfire Daemon
Level 4, Fire
Pyro/Effect
Once per turn, if there is more than one Fire monster on the field inflict 300 points of damage to both players. When this monster is destroyed by an effect, inflict 500 points of damage to both players.
1700/300

"Now then, let's try this again. Go, Hellfire Gargoyle, attack that face down! Then I'll follow up with my Daemon and Imp!" All three of his monsters lunged at Jin, prepared to strike.

Ai shook his head in disbelief as to what Mist is telling him is really true. " Damn, so that's what all the commotion the last few weeks have been. I've noticed the destruction rate has been increasing in all 4 districts.Why are they destroying innocent people for no reason?! The society isn't like this! I thought we were more civilized, but i can see that the Arch Lords will do anything they can to destroy the uproar the Resistance has been causing."

"How can we really trust "It" if all we know are rumors. I mean "It's" always cloaked so we have no clue to what "It" looks like.

"Ze..ro turn kill..?" Ai said with a confused look on his face as a cold chill slowly ran up his spine.

"I can see why you prepared your deck, I can help you with strategy if you like, I don't wanna go down there unprepared so give me a minute to edit my deck."

Ai sat down on the floor in the corner next to Mist, and laid out his deck on the elevator floor constantly swapping in cards and moving cards around.

"Can't forget this card, It's the only thing i had when i woke up on the day i had no memories."

Ai picked his deck up, shuffled it, and put it back in his duel disk.

"Alright, I'm ready Mist. Let's go face "It"!" Ai's serious tone of voice and face was back.

Jin responds, "It's been fun, but it's time to get serious."

He pointed to one of his face-downs, "I activate Further Ritual Summoning. By destroying two monsters on your side of the Field, I can add a Ritual Monster to my Hand equal to or less than the total level of the destroyed monsters."

"My targets are Hellfire Daemon and Hellfire Gargoyle...unless there's any response?"

"Heh, actually I do. I activate my trap card, Shard Blast! When a monster I control is destroyed by a card effect, I can inflict 300 points of damage for each of it's level, and I pick my Gargoyle! And don't forget, my Daemon's effect activates, burning the both of us with 500 points of damage"

Shard Blast
Trap Card
When a Pyro monster you control is destroyed by an opponent's card effect, inflict damage equal to it's level x 200.

He watched as his Daemon and Gargoyle blow up, but shards of stone flew out at Jin and struck him, as wellas the fire from Daemon flew out and enveloped them both. Even though it should have been painful, Blaze just laughed.

Lifepoints 4000 => 3500

"Yes, yes, burn! Burn to the ground! Hahahaha! If you think is all I have, think again! I activate my trap Blaze of Glory! When a Pyro monster I control is destroyed during the battle phase, I can special summon him back to the field and have him attack again! And I pick my Hellfire Daemon!"

Blaze of Glory
Trap Card
When a Pyro monster is destroyed by an effect, special summon it to your side of the field in Attack mode. During the End Phase, destroy that monster and inflict 500 points of damage to both players.

From the ashen ground a hand broke through, and Hellfire Daemon crawled out, it's eyes burning with an unholy flame. Hellfire Daemon roared as it once again lunged at Jin's monster, fully intent on dragging it down to hell with it.

Jin's Life Points: 3500==>3000==>1800

He slightly laughed adding a selected Ritual Monster from his Deck to his hand. Bloodshed Countdown maxed out at 12 Blood Counters.

He slowly let out a grin asking, "How does it feel to knowing that you've made a mistake?"

As Mist opened the elevator, she sighed to herself that she might have to do some training today. She just let the thought slip her mind as she exited the elevator.

She responds, "As long as you don't disturb people, you can stick around." As she leaves the premises alone, she shook her head knowing that she has to listen to what they say down here today because of showing Ai here but at the same time, it's a good way to test her skills.

She responds, "Goodbye, Ai. You might see me somewhere else, but you can look around on your own." She headed down the hallway and left the area.

Ai looked around in amazement at the many rooms and halls of the underground area as he left the elevator.

"Damn Mist, I don't even know where I am and she leaves me here. Well, I guess I'll have myself a look around the place i better be careful though or I might end up not leaving here. Hmm, where to start?"

Ai looked around the large underground lobby as to where he can go, seeing many familiar faces from the society HQ. Ai came along to a large hallway which at the end went left and right. Ai stopped in the middle of the split and thought to himself. "Shit, I don't wanna get any more lost than I already am. Which way should I go left or right..left or right?"

Ai catching the sounds of multiple footsteps coming from the hallway behind him thought "I can't be caught down here looking like I don't know where I am so I'll go left!

Ai took a sharp left turn into a larger hallway with many doors and at the end of the hallway was a large steel door. Ai walked down the hall slowly noticing something about the many rooms.

"What? These aren't rooms, there prison cells! I wonder who there holding in them?" Ai walked up to the prison cells and saw resistance members who were either dead or half dead. All of a sudden a sound caught Ai's ears. "He...help..m.me. hel..help..me." Ai ran to the prison cell of which the noise was coming from. Inside was an old man who was skin and bones.

Ai concerned for the old man said "Who are you and why are you in here?" The old man answered heavily panting "I..don't know..why I'm here, I was pulled out of my bed in the middle of the night and my wife was shot in front of my eyes 10 years ago. The people who abducted me asked me all kinds of questions about my son and something called the "Resistance" I..didn't have a clue what they were talking about. I've been here ever since waiting for death.

Ai being an expert scout who knew how to pick many locks, took out of his pocket his lock pick.

"I'll get you out of here right now!" Ai said with an angry tone in his voice. "Shit, this lock won't open!" Ai kicked the lock as hard as he could multiple times until he had no energy left. Heavily panting Ai looked at the still unopened lock and with one final kick he busted the lock off and grabbed the old man by his arms. "Don't worry, you're safe now, I'll get you out of here." Ai walked the old man to where he had made his left turn. "Hold on a sec, there's something I have to check out, wait right here." Ai ran to the end of the hall to the steel door.

Ai walked up to the small barred window on the door so he could get a glimpse of what was in there. All Ai could see was darkness and what looked liked the outline of a person. "What the, is anyone in there?!" Ai yelled into the room. There was no response, Ai remembering the old man ran back to him. "Follow me as closely as you can." Ai walked the old man through the hallways of the underground area only moving when there was nobody there. "Alright the elevator!" Ai took the old man up the elevator and outside the residential building, by then the old man passed out. Ai spotting two resistance members nearby put the old man on the sidewalk and yelled for the them and ran back into the building before they could catch him.

"That was close, I can't believe that something like that was down there I have to go back!"