With the final match of Joey against Yugi, both Duelists gave it their all, continuing to push each other.
And though Joey had gained the upper hand, Summoning the Black Skull Dragon.
But continuing to fight, Yugi had called upon his signature Monster, the Dark Magician, combining his power with that with his Magical Hats, giving Joey a one on four chance at victory.
Frustrated that Yugi's Monster was now out of sight, Joey groaned as he thought to himself. 'I was hoping to win this Duel before he drew the medical hats. Now I've got to depend on luck and not skill in order to defeat his Dark Magician."
"Come on. Pick a hat." Yugi then interrupted, waiting to see how Joey would retaliate, to see if he could achieve victory in this move or not.
"Alright then. You want an Attack, you've got one." Joey said back, drawing the top Card from his Deck and starting his turn.
"But to start off my turn, I Summon Garoozis." Joey then said, placing the Monster Card on the Field and causing the axe wielding reptile to appear beside the Black Skull Dragon, confusing Yugi, Tea, Tristan and Bakura.
"Now then, Garoozis, Attack one of the Magical Hats!" Joey suddenly commanded, shocking those watching the Duel as the Beast-Warrior charged toward the Magical Hats.
"Has Joey lost it!? Garoozis is no match for the Dark Magician." Tristan pointed out.
"True." Bakura replied, before saying. "But I think that is exactly what Joey wants."
Confused by his comment, Tea questioned. "What do you mean?"
"While it is true that Garoozis only has 1800 Attack Points, while Yugi's Dark Magician has 2500, Joey is making a big sacrifice in order to win." Bakura replied, his words confusing Tea, before he explained. "If Garoozis does Attack the hat hiding the Dark Magician, it will cause the Dark Magician to reveal himself and counterattack, however, that will allow the Black Skull Dragon a clean shot at the Dark Magician and will make Joey the winner. And even if he misses, the Black Skull Dragon will then have three hats to attack, rather than four."
"Garoozis, Attack with Battle-axe crush!" Joey then called, getting everyone's attention as they watched as Garoozis leapt up, bringing his battle-axe above his head and attacked, slashing through the hat on the far right.
And in doing so, it caused the top of the hat to open up, revealing it was the one that hid the Dark Magician.
And just as Bakura had said, with the Dark Magician revealed, the Spellcaster fought back, releasing a dark of magic from his sceptre that struck Garoozis in his chest, causing the Beast-Warrior to shatter to bits as it was sent to the Graveyard, while reducing Joey to a mere 50 Life Points.
But with the Dark Magician now longer protected, the stage was now set for a victor.
Tears filled Yugi's eyes, knowing he had lost, but through the tears, he smiled.
"Go ahead, Joey. One of us had to win." Yugi said, causing Joey to smile and nod back, knowing it had to be done.
Smiling at his best friend as he gave the command. "Black Skull Dragon, Attack the Dark Magician."
And with the call, it ended the Duel as the Black Skull Dragon blasted the Dark Magician to pieces, dropping Yugi's Life Points to 0 and making Joey the one to face Pegasus in the final round of the Duelist Kingdom Tournament.
-Ending Scores-
Yugi: 0
Joey: 50
"I'm so proud of them both. They dulled their hardest, but never once forgot about their friendship." Tea said from the sidelines, she too tearing up, while Tristan and Bakura were not sure what to say, both amazed by the skills that Yugi and Joey showed.
However, though a little surprised at the end result, Pegasus just stood and turned away.
'Touching as they maybe, you should save your tears, little girl. After all, you'll be needing them when I face Joey in the Dueling Arena.' Pegasus thought taking his leave as he prepared for his match against Joey, certain that with his Millennium Eye, there was no doubt he would lose.
-Sometime later-
In the hall of Pegasus' castle, Yugi and Joey had reunited, alongside their friends, all proud of how far they had come and all they had achieved.
"You both were amazing." Tea commented, wrapping her arms around both Yugi and Joey. "You gave it your all and Dueled greatly."
"No arguments here." Joey commented in reply, before facing Yugi as he told him. "Listen Yugi, I'm sorry that you lost, but I promise I will take Pegasus down and save your Grandfather."
"That's ok. One of us had to win. I'm just glad we both made it to the finals." Yugi said in reply.
"Now go and kick Pegasus' butt." Tristan then said, making Joey smile and turn, about to enter the arena once again, but stopped as Yugi called out to him.
"What's up, Yug'?" Joey asked, getting his answer as Yugi held out a Card, offering it to the blond.
"Take this." Yugi offered, surprising Joey at Yugi's continued show of kindness, which caused Joey to say. "Yugi, you've already gave me your Time Wizard, I can't possibly take this Card from you."
"It's ok, Joey. I know it'll serve you well. Besides, against Pegasus and his Millennium Eye, you'll need a few tricks of your own." Yugi replied, smiling at Joey, who accepted his friend's gift.
"Alright." Joey then said, taking the Card, before he then told Yugi. "I'll use it as best I can. And after I beat Pegasus, it's coming right back to you."
Adding the Card to his Deck, Joey walked down the hall, while Yugi, Tea, Tristan and Bakura all watched from the sidelines, Tea commenting as she saw Joey approaching his side of the arena. "He looks so confident."
"Joey, we all believe in you." Yugi called, causing Joey to face his friends and gave them a thumbs up as he set foot on the platform.
And with Joey set, Croquet made Pegasus' appearance known.
"The challenger has entered the stadium. And now, for your Dueling pleasure, Castle Pegasus is proud to present the creator of Duel Monsters and all its wonderful Cards. The undefeated, undisputed ruler of Duelist Kingdom, Maximillion Pegasus." He announced as Pegasus took his spot at the Dueling Arena.
'This is it. I finally face Pegasus. I know this will be the toughest Duel I have ever had, but I've just got to try and keep cool, remember everything Yugi taught me and have faith in my Cards.' Joey thought, determined to keep his promise to Yugi and win, no matter the cost.
"And now, let the Duel begin." Croquet called, to which Pegasus made a gesture with his index finger, where one of Pegasus' guards walked up to his boss, giving him his Deck, before Pegasus faced Joey and said. "So Joey, you've turned out be quite the Duelist, battling your way past all your challengers, winning your way into my castle just to defeat me."
"Look Pegasus. I didn't come all this way to talk. I came to Duel." Joey said in reply.
"Poor Joey. You can be so hasty." Pegasus commented, before looking over at Croquet and nodding.
"Challenger Joey Wheeler, as per the rules of the tournament. Present the Card that allows you to participate."
"Here ya go. Glory of the King's Hand." Joey said, holding out his Card.
"So it is." Croquet replied, before announcing. "And so the stage is set for the final round of the Duelist Kingdom competition."
"May I say one thing before we Duel?" Pegasus suddenly asked, to which Croquet replied. "Of course, sir."
"Tell me Joey, what do you desire most in the world?" Pegasus then asked Joey, confusing him, which made Pegasus chuckle a little, before explaining himself. "I only ask because if you defeat me, you can have anything you want and I can make that happen for you."
"From you, I want you to promise me that you will release Yugi's grandpa." Joey replied, before adding. "And free Kaiba and Mokuba's souls while you're at it."
"Interesting choice. Yugi's grandfather I can understand, but Kaiba-boy? I thought you hated Kaiba as much as you hate me." Pegasus commented.
"I do, but not even a creep like him deserves to have his soul stuffed into a Card." Joey said in reply, making Pegasus smirk, held up the Cards containing Solomon, Kaiba and Mokuba's souls and said. "Fine then. If you win, I shall free these three from their lonesome prisons."
"However, if I am the one who defeats you, I get something of yours'." Pegasus then informed.
Curious, Joey asked. "And what would that be?"
"Your soul. So you see, you have much to gain and much to risk." Pegasus replied with a grin.
However, with such a risk, Joey refused to back down as he said with determination. "For Yugi, for Serenity, for my friends, I will take that risk."
"Did you hear that? If Joey loses, then Pegasus will steal his soul too." Tea said in concern, earning a nod from Yugi who said in reply. "I know. But I know Joey won't back down. He made a promise to me, and I know he will keep it."
"Sorry to break the bad news, but I won't be part of your soul collection." Joey said with a confident stride, while Pegasus thought with a smirk as he took a moment to look at the Cards containing Solomon Moto, Seto and Mokuba's souls, as well as a blank Card. 'Not only will you become part of my collection, but with your soul added, Yugi-boy will relinquish his Millennium Puzzle to me if he ever wants to see you and the others again.'
"The final Duelist contest will now begin. The winner will be declared King of games." Crochet said as two of Pegasus' guards set foot upon the Dueling Field, each walking up to one Duelist and taking their Decks.
"Now both of you, cut and shuffle your opponent's Cards." Crochet instructed, to which Joey, after getting Pegasus' Deck, shuffled and cut, handing it back to the employee, while Pegasus just glanced at Joey's Deck.
"It's good as it is." He said, not even touching it and causing the suit to walk back to Joey, having him his Deck.
"Now the Cards, shuffled, the Life Points reset, and..." Crochet said, where Joey and Pegasus then called in strong voices. "Duel!"
-Starting Scores-
Joey: 2000
Pegasus: 2000
'You have come far, Joey. However, compared to me, you are still a novice.' Pegasus thought arrogantly, watching as Joey drew the sixth Card from the top of his Deck and made his move.
"I'll start off this Duel by playing one Card face-down, along with this Monster Card." Joey said, not taking any chances and starting on defence.
"Sneaky play." Pegasus teased, before asking. "That Monster wouldn't be your Tiger Axe, would it?"
His question just made Joey groan in frustration.
"Oh, this is going to be fun." Pegasus then commented, drawing the top Card from his Deck and making his move.
"I'll lay one Card face-down as well." He said, before Summoning a Monster. "And then throw this, my own Monster Card. I play Red Archery Girl in Defence mode." (Def: 1500)
"Back to you, Joey." Pegasus then said, leaving Joey a little confused.
'Red Archery Girl? Why would Pegasus use such a wimpy Monster?' Joey questioned, wondering if it was just to taunt him or to lure him into a trap.
And a trap it was.
Smirking as he thought. 'Joey, I know all, I see all. The Cards you have face-down are Tiger Axe and Lightning Blade. In the next turn, you plan to use these two in a combination Attack.'
'Man, look at Pegasus just smilin' away, mocking me.' Joey thought, annoyed, where he then stated to himself. 'Well I'll wipe that smirk off his face and make him regret he ever messed with me.'
Drawing his Card and making his move, Joey called. "I switch my face-down Tiger Axe to Attack Mode. Then I activate the magic Card: Lightning Blade, which juices up him up by 800 Points." (ATK: 1300 → 2100)
"Now, Tiger Axe, Attack Red Archery Girl!" He then commanded, earning a roar from Tiger Axe, ready to take Pegasus' Monster down.
"You've made a grave mistake Joey. You activated my Trap Card: Tears of a Mermaid." Pegasus suddenly said with his ever remaining arrogant smirk, watching as the Trap took effect as Tiger Axe was encased in a giant bubble, the lightning around Tiger Axe's weapon bouncing off the bubble's surface, causing Joey to question with concern for his Tiger Axe. "Pegasus, what are you doing to my Monster?"
"Using the power of my Trap Card. When my opponent activates a face-down like your Lightning Blade, it blocks your Attack and fires it back at your Tiger Axe, causing his Attack to drop to its original value." Pegasus explained, watching as Tiger Axe slumped its body, barely able to hold his axe, while its Attack dropped back to 1300 Points.
"And now that it's weaker, I'll switch my Red Archery Girl to Attack mode." Pegasus then said, making his move. (ATK: 1400)
"Archery Girl, Attack his Tiger Axe!" He then commanded, causing the mermaid within her shell to laugh as she drew her bow and an arrow, before firing, hitting Tiger Axe in the chest, causing the beast to shatter to bits, while Joey groaned at the loss of 100 Life Points.
'Great. My first Attack and he's already in my head. How can I beat Pegasus if he can read my Cards before I even play them?' Joey thought in frustration.
"How indeed?" Pegasus asked, alerting Joey that he was once again reading his mind.
"I can see everything in your mind. Your hopes, your dreams, even your fears. And what you fear most right now is me." Pegasus then said, smirking at the worry on Joey's face.
But having come too far, he refused to give up.
"I'll play one Monster in Defence Mode and end my turn. Now do your worst." Joey called, earning a chuckle from Pegasus, who said in reply. "I always do."
"Joey, you can do it!" Tea called, trying to keep Joey's spirits up.
"Keep fighting! Keep believing in the heart of the Cards!" Yugi added, having faith in Joey, but was just unsure how Joey could stop Pegasus' Millennium Eye.
"My turn." Pegasus said, drawing the top Card from his Deck, before he made his mode.
"First, I'll play Ryu-Ran in Defence mode." Pegasus said, placing the Card on the Field and causing an egg to appear, which then cracked open, revealing the dragon's legs wings, claws and a set of wicked eyes as it hid within its thick shell. (Def: 2600)
"Not egg-actly what you expected." Pegasus joked, before continuing his turn.
"And I switch the Archery Girl to Defence mode too." He finished, to which the mermaid took a more relaxed pose in her clam.
"If that's the best moves you can make, I'll smash that egg to bits and defeat you." Joey stated and was about to make his move.
'Joey, so full of banter at this time of peril. I guess he needs another demonstration of my millennium magic. Alright Joey, first let's read your mind and see what's in your hand.' Pegasus, using the great powers of the Millennium Eye to see the Cards Joey was holding.
'Ooh, nice Cards.' He thought upon seeing Joey's hand, before smirking as he thought, watching as Joey drew the top Card from his Deck. 'Now what are you going to draw?'
"Could the Card you just drew be your Red-Eyes Black Dragon?" He asked, continuing to mock Joey.
"Get out of my head!" Joey demanded, only causing Pegasus to continue having his fun, toying with his opponent.
"I think that Red-Eyes will go along very nicely along with your Axe Raider, Shield and Sword, Kunai with Chain and your Legendary Swordsman."
"He's reading all of Joey's Cards!" Tea pointed out, shocked, annoyed and concerned for Joey and what would happen if he lost.
"Just try and focus. I know you have have what it takes to win!" Yugi added, causing Tea to nod and say. "That's right. You can still beat him."
'Easier said than done. With that Millennium Eye of his, he can read my Cards before I even play them. He's unstoppable.' Joey thought starting to doubt himself, but shook his head, trying to focus.
"Go ahead and make your move, Joey." Pegasus then said, smirking as he thought. 'Of course it's not like I don't know what it is. First you'll lay your Kunai with Chain Trap Card, face-down. And then you'll throw out your Red-Eyes Black Dragon in Defensive mode. Go on Joey, I'm perfectly prepared.'
"Alright. I'll start by placing this face-down and playing my Red-Eyes Black Dragon in Defensive mode." Joey said, placing the Cards on his side of the Field, causing the Red-Eyes Black Dragon to let out a proud cry as it hovered before Joey, protecting him and his Life Points.
"That's all for now." Joey then said, ending his turn.
"Goodie. Now it's my turn once again." Pegasus said, drawing his Card as he thought. 'You see the eye never lies, nor does it fail infighting the vulnerabilities for your pathetic moves.'
"I'm switching Ryu-Ran into Attack mode." Pegasus declared, causing the dragon to burst from the remainder of its egg, snarling as it prepared to strike. (ATK: 2200)
"Ryu-Ran, Fire Stream Attack!" Pegasus then commanded, causing his Dragon to Attack Joey's, releasing a wave of flame from its maw at the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
"Nice try. But you just walked right into my Trap. I play Kunai with Chain!" Joey quickly called, revealing his face-down, which caused a long link of chains to shoot past Red-Eyes, taking the hit from Ryu-Ran's Attack.
"And that's not all. Kunai With Chain not only stops Ryu-Ran from Attacking, but it also gives Red-Eyes a 500 Point boost." Joey said confidently, watching as the chains wrapped around Ryu-Ran, while the Attack of Red-Eyes' rose from 2400 to 2900.
"Oh no." Pegasus droned woefully, causing Joey to smirk, feeling his confidence return.
"Alright!" Tea cheered, thinking Joey had outsmarted Pegasus, while Yugi, though glad to see Joey smiling, was not too sure.
"And now that my Red-Eyes is even more powerful, I think its time I let him Attack." Joey said, turning to Red-Eyes as he called in a mighty tone. "Go for it, Red-Eyes! Take down Ryu-Ran with Inferno Fire Blast!"
Doing as Joey had commanded him, Red-Eyes filled his maw with flame and was about to release it, only Pegasus interrupted.
"Not so fast Joey. I play this." He said, revealing his face-down, a Trap Card.
Confused at never seeing it before, Joey questioned. "What is that?"
"A Trap." Pegasus replied, before correcting himself. "Well, a Trap for Traps."
"It's called Trap Displacement, and with it, I can set the Kunai with Chain you set on one of my Monsters and switch it to one of yours'." Pegasus then explained, before the chains around his Dragon faded, materialising around the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, who let out a bellow as it was the one now restrained by chains, while Ryu-Ran got the beneficial effects of Joey's Trap, gaining 500 Attack Points. (ATK: 2200 → 2700)
"No! Now Ryu-Ran is stronger than my Red-Eyes!" Joey panicked.
"Why it's almost as if I knew what you were thinking isn't it?" Pegasus mocked.
"Now let's try this again. Rya-Ran, take out his Red-Eyes! Fire Stream Attack!" Pegasus then ordered, with Ryu-Ran obeying the common as it released another stream of flames that consumed Red-Eyes, burning it until nothing was left, damaging not only Joey's Pride, but also his Life Points.
-Current Scores-
Joey: 1600
Pegasus: 2000
"My turn, Joey." Pegasus said, drawing his Card, while Joey thought. 'And I'm sure it's going to be another painful one. If I'm going to win, I need to find a way to stop his Millennium Eye from reading my thoughts.'
"Fat chance." Pegasus interrupted.
"Nothing you can do can stop it. Face it Joey, you're at the mercy of my Millennium Eye." He then stated, smiling at the Card he had drawn.
"But even without my Millennium Eye and its magic, you are no match for me. After all, who needs magic when you have this Card? Behold, the magical Toon World!" Pegasus announced, activating his all-powerful Magic Card, causing the Toon World book to appear on the Field, opening up with comical 'booms' and thooms'.
"Oh man, this ain't good." Joey commented, watching as pink smoke emitted from the book, consuming Red Archery Girl and Ryu-Ran, which then dragged both Monster's within.
"As you recall, Toon World protects my Monsters by its impenetrable hardback bindings. Binding they'll only vacate when they Attack you. Oh, and see how all my Monsters have transformed to their super Toon forms. It'll be an Attack certain to leave you in stitches." Pegasus laughed, before his Monsters returned as Toons, who chuckled and laughed as well.
Seeing the frustrated look on Joey's face, Pegasus asked. "What's the matter, don't have a sense of humour?"
"Manga Ryu-Ran, Attack the Monster Joey has in Defensive mode. Nasty Nostril Flame Attack!" He then commanded, which Manga Ryu-Ran was more than happy to obey, as it let out a powerful blast of fire from its nostrils, Attacking Joey's face-down, realign it to be Rock Ogre, which was then reduced to bits, having only 1200 Defence Points, no match for Manga Ryu-Ran's 2200 Attack power.
"Looks like your Rock Ogre couldn't stand the heat." Pegasus commented, just before manga Ryu-Ran laughed at Joey's disadvantage and then quickly retreated back into Toon World, where Pegasus then said. "Aren't my Toons simply marvellous? I can't help but feel the same proud satisfaction a parent would. I guess that's my reward for creating the Card."
'That cheat. First he reads my mind and now he plays a Card nobody else can use. He's unbelievable.' Joey thought, angered and disgusted by Pegasus and his underhanded ways to win.
"And next, I think I'll switch the Toon Mermaid to Attack mode, you know, to let her out of her shell." Pegasus said, ending his turn, while the Toon Mermaid giggled as she aimed her arrow at Joey, waiting to Attack him.
"Looks like I'll have to go on the offence." Joey commented as he drew his Card and made his move.
"I play Monster Reborn so I can bring any Monster back from the Graveyard. And the Monster I choose to revive is my Red-Eyes Black Dragon." Joey called, using Monster Reborn's power to revive his Monster, which rose from the Graveyard and before Joey, ready to strike.
"Time to deal some damage. Red-Eyes, take down his Toon Mermaid!" Joey ordered, causing Red-Eyes to gather flames within its mouth that it then released as a great ball of flame, expecting the inferno to wipe out Toon Mermaid and half of Pegasus' Life Points.
However, he, Yugi and Tea were all in shock when the clam, having a mind of its own, acted to protect the Toon Mermaid, to which the clam gained a set of hands, pulled out a fire extinguisher and sprayed away the Attack of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon.
"Impossible!" Joey said in disbelief at what he saw.
"The clam stopped the Attack? What's going on?" Tea asked in shock.
"I have no idea. Red-Eyes should have Destroyed that Monster." Yugi commented, also confused.
"Should-a, would-a, could-a. I'm afraid you are just going to have to accept the reality of the situation. Fighting a Toon head-on will always get you nowhere." Pegasus mocked in reply, drawing the top Card from his Deck, where he made his move.
"It's my turn. And I think I'll just lay these two Cards face-down on the Field." He said, which made Joey groan in frustration and think. 'Great. More to worry about.'
'With those face-downs and his creepy Toons, I better play it safe and defend myself.' He then thought, deciding to make his move a safe one.
"I play a Monster in Defence mode." Joey then said, which made Pegasus smirk.
"I knew you would, Joey. After all, that's the reason I played this Card face-down. Behold the Trap known as Gorgon's Eye." Pegasus announced, activating his Trap Card, causing an eyeball covered in purple snakes to appear.
"I think you'll find his glance most arresting." Pegasus commented as the gorgon's gaze fell upon Joey's face-down, suddenly revealing it to be Masaki the Legendary Swordsman, shocking Joey as his Monster was petrified.
"My Swordsman! He's been turned to stone!?" Joey called, confused as to why his Monster was suffering, until Pegasus explained. "As will every other Monster you throw into Defensive mode, for the Gorgon's Eye is a permanent Trap. And you should know every time I Destroy one of his concrete victims, half of their Defensive power will be reduced from your Life Points."
"Sorry, but there is an upside to having a set of fossilised Monsters. They make fine paperweights." Pegasus joked, which Joey did not find funny.
"Ugh, tough crowd. Well here, maybe you can learn to lighten up with my second face-down Card." Pegasus said as he then revealed it.
"Doppleganger, the copy Card! Know why he's grinning, Joey? Because this little fella loves what he does and does what he loves." He said, placing it on the Field, concerning Joey, Yugi and Tea.
'Not good. That's the Card he used to cream Kaiba.' Joey thought in worry, remembering Pegasus using the power of his Magic Card to copy Kaiba's Crush Card and wipe out almost all of his Deck.
"Correct! This little rascal can transform into any Card on the Field that I want." Pegasus explained as the cunning feline circled around Pegasus, showing off a big grin as it continued to play around.
"Oh, beg your pardon. Any Card that he wants." Pegasus corrected, before asking. "So which one will it be this time, Doppleganger, huh?"
From the question, the Doppleganger leaned down and began whispering into Pegasus' ear, making him smirk and comment to his cartoonish companion. "Perfect. You always have the best ideas."
"Well Joey, it seems that he would like to transform into your favourite Monster, your Red Eyes Black Dragon." Pegasus told Joey.
"What!?" Joey questioned, before saying in protest. "You can't do that!"
"Sorry, but those are the rules. And what are we without rules?" Pegasus asked in reply, causing Doppleganger to mimic Pegasus' actions as both shook their finger sternly.
"Now go, my furry friend!" Pegasus then called, causing the Doppleganger to get serious as he jumped into Toon World, transforming into a copy of Joey's Monster, while starting to become a Toon itself. "It's really something, isn't it Joey? I can copy one of your Monsters, recruit him to my team and turn him into a Toon all in one move."
"And with that, a new friend has been added to Toon World. So let's all give a round of applause to the Red-Eyes Toon Dragon!" Pegasus announced as the book opened up, revealing his new Toon Monster, taking the appearance of the Red-Eyes, only shorter and with a wicked expression on its comical face.
The Toon throwing a few punches as it got ready to fight.
"Red-Eyes Toon Dragon, Inferno Fire Blast!" Pegasus then called, causing the Toon Dragon to spit out a ball of flame, Destroying Joey's Monster.
"Your Swordsman is demolished. And since he was first turned to stone by my mystic Gorgon's Eye Trap, half of his Defence comes out of your Life Points." Pegasus told Joey, who groaned as his Life Points took a 550 Point hit, which made the Toon version of his Red Eyes point and laughed at him, before retreating back into Toon World, causing Joey to think. 'Man, if I didn't have enough to worry about. Now I have to find a way to beat that jerk.'
-Current Scores-
Joey: 900
Pegasus: 2000
"It's your turn." Pegasus pointed out, watching as Joey placed his hand on his Deck, thinking what he could do, a perplexed look on his face, which Pegasus noticed and decided to see what Joey was thinking.
Unsure what to do, Joey thought. 'What can I do now? It seems so hopeless.'
"It certainly does." Pegasus interrupted, causing Joey to sneer at him.
"Oh, sorry. Were you having private conversation with yourself? I'm so gauche, I must really learn not to keep butting into other people's business, after all accepting defeat is such a personal matter." Pegasus then said, faking an apology, which annoyed Joey, but he tried not to let it get to him.
"Sorry but I'm not out yet. I've got too much too give it all up now." Joey stated as he then thought. 'If I give up, not only will I lose the chance to save Yugi's grandpa, Kaiba and Mokuba, but I won't be able to save my own soul or see Serenity ever again.'
"I can't... no... I won't let that happen. I will keep fighting for my friends." Joey then told Pegasus, who laughed.
'Your friends?' Pegasus questioned, before thinking arrogantly. 'You can't even save yourself.'
"Come on, Joey. Make your move, but what can a Duelist in you situation possibly do? If you throw your Monsters in Defence mode, I'll fossilise them, and if you throw them in Attack mode, I'll Destroy them." He then mocked.
"Don't listen to him, Joey! You made it this far to give up now!" Tea suddenly called from the sidelines, trying to keep Joey's confidence and spirits up.
But facing Yugi, she then asked. "Yugi, you think Joey can win, right?"
"It's hard to say. Don't get me wrong, Tea, while Joey has come a long way since we first arrived, against Pegasus' Millennium Eye reading his mind, it puts him in a tight situation."Yugi replied as he then thought to himself. 'I wish there was something we could do to help him.'
{Maybe we can.} The Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle commented, having heard Yugi's thoughts, causing Yugi to face the Spirit and mentally ask. {What do you mean?}
{Remember, Pegasus isn't the only one with a Millennium Item. While Pegasus uses the power of his Millennium Eye for himself, not only have you used the Millennium Puzzle for your friends, but I can sense you have gained a greater control over its power since we first met. So perhaps we can use its power now to help Joey.}
'It's worth a try.' Yugi thought, concentrating the powers of his Millennium Puzzle, which began to glow with a gold light.
Noticing it, Pegasus faced Yugi and saw the boy staring at him.
'What is Yugi-Boy up to?' He wondered, only for Joey to call out. "Hey, are we Duelling or not?"
"My apologies." Pegasus said, turning his attention back on Joey as he said. "Please continue."
"For my turn, I'll keep Red-Eyes in Attack mode, then I'll play this Card face-down." Joey said, ending his turn.
"Poor Joey. You never know when to quit, do you?" Pegasus asked, drawing the top Card from his Deck.
"Before I make my move, let's see what that face-down is, shall we?" Pegasus asked, using the Millennium Eye once again.
However, confusion fell upon Pegasus when he found he was unable to tell what the face-down was.
"What's happening? Why can't I read your mind?" Pegasus questioned, confusing Joey at what Pegasus asked.
"Maybe the reason is because you read my mind and not Joey's, a mind that doesn't know what Cards Joey has in his hand or on the Field?" A deep voice commented, shocking Pegasus as he looked over at Joey's side of the Field, where he saw the transparent form of the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle standing beside his friend, eyes closed, arms crossed and a smirk on his face.
"You dare mock the powers of my Millennium Eye?" Pegasus questioned.
"I dare." The Spirit replied with a smirk, before saying. "So now whenever you try and read Joey's mind, I will be there to step in with my mind block."
'Mind block?' Pegasus thought, stunned that the power of his mind reading was being countered.
"So whenever Pegasus tries and reads my mind, he'll read yours' instead?" Joey asked, earning a nod from the Spirit, causing Joey to smile and say. "I guess it's true what they say, two minds are better than one."
"You might be able to shield Joey's mind, but he cannot shield himself from this. Red-Eyes Toon Dragon, emerge from the safety of Toon World and Destroy his Monster!" Pegasus then commanded, causing the Red-Eyes Toon Dragon to reveal itself, gather up energy in its maw and spit it all out as a massive fireball, consuming Joey's entire Field in an equally powerful blast.
And with that, Pegasus then declared. "Your Red-Eyes has been defeated."
"Better take a closer look." Joey called with a sly voice from behind the smoke, confusing Pegasus, before he was confused further as he checked his display.
"What? Joey's Life Points are unaffected, and his Red-Eyes Black Dragon Card is still on the Field?" Pegasus questioned.
"That's right. Now why not take a look at how Joey stopped your Toon's Attack." The Spirit then said.
Doing so, Pegasus was stunned as the smoke died down, revealing Joey's Monster had vanished and in its place was a large box that had several holes on the top surface.
"Fairy Box!?" Pegasus let out in shock, scowling as he thought bitterly. 'If I had known Joey set that Trap, I could've countered it perfectly.'
"That's right, Pegasus. And since you're the creator of Duel Monsters, you must know that as long as Fairy Box remains, it can keep my Red-Eyes protected from all your Attacks." Joey mocked, angering Pegasus, who stated in reply. "He can't hide forever!"
"You're right about that. But for now, let's see what I draw." Joey replied, drawing the top Card from his Deck, which made him smile.
"I'll place this Card face-down and end my turn." Joey said, throwing down a Card, where he then mocked. "Pegasus, are you going to try and read my mind and find out what I played?"
"No thank you." Pegasus said back, drawing his Card and making his move.
"Do your worst. Let's see how great a Duelist you are without your tricks to back you up." Joey taunted.
"Gladly. Toon Dragon, prepare to Attack." Pegasus commanded, causing the Red-Eyes Toon Dragon to pop out of Toon World and awaited for the order to Attack.
Watching carefully, Pegasus saw a pair of eyes glaring at him from one of the holes near the left side of the box, which made him act.
"Red-Eyes Toon Dragon, Attack the left side of the Fairy Box!" He commanded, causing the Toon Dragon to spit out a fireball at the Fairy Box, damaging it greatly.
Looking upon the damage to the left side of the Fairy Box, many of the holes and box destroyed, Pegasus thought to himself. 'Did I get him? I think I got him. I must've gotten him.'
However, both Pegasus and the Red-Eyes Toon Dragon looked in shock as Joey's Red-Eyes popped its head from out the top hole, showing it had survived and made Pegasus groan in frustration. "No! I've missed again!"
"Too bad, another turn wasted." Joey mocked, before making his move as he drew his Card and smiled.
'Sweet draw. The Copycat will come in handy.' He thought, placing it face-down as he said. "For my move, I'll just throw down this little baby and end my turn."
"I'm becoming annoyed." Pegasus stated, both from Joey now teasing him, as well as seeing his Red-Eyes take shelter back within the Fairy Box.
However, after drawing his latest Card, Pegasus' attitude suddenly changed.
"Eureka! The Card needed to devastate you and your Red-Eyes Black Dragon; Magical Neutralising Force, activate!" He called, playing the Magic Card and shocking Joey as it began to take effect, bringing up a strong wind on his side of the Field.
"This special Card acts to eliminate all Magic and Trap Cards currently active on my opponent's Field, which means the concealing effect of your Fairy Box now disappears." Pegasus explained, smirking as the Fairy Box began to dematerialise.
"This is not good. Without Fairy Box, Joey's Red-Eyes is defenceless." Tea pointed out in concern, watching as the last of Joey's Trap vanished, revealing his Monster.
With the Red-Eyes Black Dragon revealed, Pegasus smiled as he said with confidence. "It's all over for him, and your Life Points. You can only watch as I savour my final victory."
"Does your heart grow cold knowing your demise is only moments away?" He then asked, getting no reply from Joey, who just stared back at him, ticking Pegasus off a little, to which he then said. "Fine. Don't speak. Let our Cards do the talking."
"Come on out Red-Eyes Toon Dragon and prepare to earn me my victory and Joey's soul!" Pegasus called, causing the Toon Dragon to pop out from Toon World and turn its attention entirely on the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, pointing at the original and slid its claw horizontally before its neck.
"Red-Eyes Toon Dragon, devastate his Red-Eyes! Inferno Fire Blast Attack!" He then commanded, to which the Toon gathered all the energy it could within its maw and spat it out as one massive fireball.
However, acting fast, Joey showed he was prepared for the Attack.
"It's not over, Pegasus. I play my face-down. Go, Copycat!" Joey suddenly called, revealing his first second face-down, stunning Pegasus as he questioned. "What!? Your face-down was the Copycat Card?"
"That's right. And after watching me use it in my Duel with Yugi, you know that just like your Doppleganger, I'm allowed to copy any Card you've played." Joey said in reply, before declaring. So I use Copycat and play it as Magical Neutralising Force!"
With his call, Copycat took effect, transforming into Magical Neutralising Force, causing the same winds to pick up on Pegasus' side of the Field, not only reducing his Gorgon's Eye and Toon World to nothing, but it also caused the Red-Eyes Toon Dragon to cry out as it turned back into Doppleganger, who was then wiped off of the Field.
And upon seeing his Magic and Traps Destroyed, Pegasus was stunned, though only for a moment.
"You may have taken down my Magic and Trap Cards, but you were too late in stopping my final Attack." Pegasus pointed out, looking to see the fireball his Toon Dragon had spat out was still heading for the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, where he then stated. "Your Red-Eyes is vanquished."
"Hate to burst your bubble, but did you forget I had a second face-down?" Joey asked with a smirk, confusing Pegasus, before revealing the face-down he had placed on the Field two turns ago. "It's a Trap Card. And you better believe it spells trouble for you, because it's my Double Magical Arm Bind."
'He had such a trap set for me?' Pegasus questioned in awe, unable to do anything but watch as a set of metallic clamps appeared on the sides of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon and shot towards Pegasus' side of the Field, entering his Monster zones, where they grabbed the Red Archery Girl and Ryu-Ran.
"And since I got rid of Toon World, your Monsters return to the Field in their original forms, just in time to take the hit." Joey then explained as the clamps dragged Pegasus' Monsters in front of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, where they were struck by the fireball and blasted to pieces, making Pegasus cry out in shock and awe at seeing his Attack take out his own Monsters.
"Noooo! It's impossible! I can't believe you destroyed all my beloved Toons. No, no, no, no, no, no! This is a nightmare, a bad dream, this can't truly be happening. Ugh!" Pegasus stated, finding it hard to accept his Toons had been defeated, while Joey grinned.
"I did it! I took down his Toons." He called proudly, causing Yugi and Tea to cheer.
"Great going Joey. Keep it up!" Yugi called, believing Joey could now defeat Pegasus, from the combination of his skills and the assistance of the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle.
'At last. Those creepy Toon Monsters seemed almost unbeatable, but Joey managed to do the impossible and put an end to them.' Tea thought, proud of her friend and what he had accomplished.
"Score stands at Joey, 950. Pegasus, 800." Croquet informed, turning to his boss and apologising. "Uh, sorry sir."
'Joey has proven more formidable than I expected.' Pegasus thought with frustration, before he looked at Yugi and then thought. 'And the Millennium Puzzle is more intriguing than I imagined.'
"What's the matter, Pegasus, starting to realise you're going to lose this Duel?" Joey mocked, which got Pegasus' attention, where he then faced Joey and then smiled, confusing him.
"Joey, I am impressed. When you first entered my castle, I thought you managed to get here from sheer luck, but look at you now. You are one step from becoming world champion." Pegasus commented, only to then say. "However, I won't give you the title so easily."
With that said, darkness suddenly surrounded the Duelists, to which, Joey, confused and a little nervous, then asked. "What's going on?"
"For the finale, we're going to Duel in the Shadow Realm!" Pegasus announced, shocking him, Yugi and Tea.
"It's just like when I Dueled Pegasus, he's sealing himself and Joey in another dimension." Yugi pointed out, unable to do anything but watch as his best friend and their enemy were covered by the dark magics of the Shadow Realm.
But before Yugi or Tea could say another word, both heard Tristan ask. "Hey, how about a hand?"
"Tristan, where have you been?" Tea questioned, wondering why he had missed most of the Duel, more curious as to why he was holding the unconscious forms of Bakura and Mokuba.
"You wouldn't believe it. I've had an adventure and a half today." Tristan replied as he set Bakura and Mokuba down and took a moment for himself to recover after all he had been through.
Curious and concerned, Tea then asked. "And what happened to those two?"
"That evil spirit took over Bakura again. And even though I got rid of it..." Tristan began to explain, before noticing the dark sphere that surrounded the Dueling Arena, causing him to ask his own question. "What's going on here?"
"Finish your story, then we'll explain everything as best we can." Tea said in reply, earning a nod from Tristan, who then went on and told Yugi and Tea about his mishaps.
"I freed Mokuba, but that spirit tried to grab him, saying he wanted Mokuba as his new host body." He said, his words concerning Yugi and Tea, which Tristan noticed and caused him to say with reassurance. "Don't worry, I handled it."
And with his situation explained, Tristan then asked. "So what's the deal with the indoor thunderstorm?"
"I'm not exactly sure, but I think Yugi can explain it to us a little better." Tea said, which got a confirmed nod from Yugi.
"After Joey managed to not only defeat Pegasus' Toon Monsters and got the upper hand in Life Points, Pegasus used the power of his Millennium Eye to send himself and Joey to the Shadow Realm."
"The Shadow Realm?" Tristan asked, not liking the name.
"My guess is Pegasus is not just using the power of the Shadow Realm to try and psyche Joey out, but to also regain his power to read Joey's mind." Yugi theorised, while Tristan was surprised at what Yugi had said.
"Joey found a way to stop Pegasus' cheating?" He asked.
"Not exactly. The spirit inside the Millennium Puzzle did." Yugi said in reply, looking down at the Millennium Puzzle with worry as he then said. "But I can feel the spirit is having trouble staying connected with Joey."
While Yugi, Tea and Tristan remained concerned, both for Joey, as well the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle, within the Shadow Realm, Joey, though worried at the situation he was in, he was more worried for the Spirit of the Puzzle, who was finding it a little difficult to maintain his form from being separated from the Millennium Puzzle and Yugi.
Noticing the strained expression and sweating of the Spirit, Joey asked. "You ok, pal?"
"I'll be fine... Just try and focus on taking down Pegasus..." The Spirit replied, to which Joey nodded and watched on as Pegasus made his move.
"For my next brilliant move, I play my Dark Eyes Illusionist in Attack Mode." Pegasus declared, calling upon his Monster, which emerged from the shadows and materialised before Joey, freaking him out at its appearance, while confusing him, for it had an Attack power of 0.
"I was saving Dark Eyes Illusionist to crush little Yugi, but since you got this far, I'll let him play with you." Pegasus told Joey.
"And just to warn you, in this realm, its as real as you are." He then said, ending his turn as he played a Card face-down.
"I can see that." Joey replied, telling Pegasus' words were not false ones.
"Oh, I know he looks formidable, but what kind of a threat could he be to you? He has 0 Attack Points and 0 Defence Points. Of course, since its a Monster you've never seen before today, you have no idea of knowing its hidden secrets. And I have been known to keep a few tricks up my sleeve from time to time." Pegasus laughed, frustrating Joey and causing him to wonder what he should do.
"I don't know what secrets your Dark Eyes Illusionist holds, but I know you wouldn't throw a Monster that has no Attack without a reason. There has to be some nasty surprise to it." He commented.
"Oh, Joey. So suspicious all of a sudden." Pegasus said in reply, pretending to sound offended, going on as he taunted Joey. "What seems to be the problem, go ahead and Attack. After all, you can't just stall forever."
'As much as I hate to admit it, he's right.' Joey thought, selecting a Card from his hand and playing it.
"For my move, I'll Summon Flame Swordsman." (ATK: 1800) Joey called, to which his Monster emerged from a vortex behind him, leapt out and took a spot beside Joey's Red-Eyes, clenching his blade as he awaited for Joey's command.
"Flame Swordsman, Attack!" Joey then ordered, causing the Flame Swordsman to set his sword ablaze as he leapt at Pegasus' Monster.
'An impulsive Attack. No doubt he wants to end this Duel before any further damage is afflicted upon his friend from the Puzzle.' Pegasus thought slyly, activating his Millennium eye as he then thought. 'But in his rush, he has made a foolish mistake.'
"Your Attack activates Dark Eyes Illusionist's special ability." Pegasus stated as Dark Eyes Illusionist's eye glowed with a purple light.
"Mesmerising Magic!" Pegasus then called, leaving Joey in awe as the Flame Swordsman stopped his Attack before his blade could make contact with Pegasus' Monster.
"He stopped my Attack, but how?" Joey questioned.
"Simple. To make up for Dark Eyes Illusionist's non-existent Attack and Defence Points, I endowed him with a special ability. Dark Eyes Illusionist can use the power of its mesmeric eye to paralyse any and Attacking Monsters in their tracks." Pegasus explained proudly.
"With such a superb Monster at my disposal what could my next brilliant move be?" He then asked.
"Just make it already." Joey said, ending his turn and allowing Pegasus to show the danger he in store for him.
"As you wish. Believe it or not, I'm going to use the Black Illusion Ritual Card and sacrifice my incredible Dark Eyes. Has he gone insane you might ask, sacrificing a creature that paralysis any Monster I play? No! I'm merely using this ceremony to create an even better Monster." Pegasus declared as he revealed his face-down Ritual Card, where two lamps and a mysterious jar appeared, the lamps ignited with purple flame, while a powerful wind blew from the jar, before Dark Eyes Illusionist was sacrificed, sucked into the jar, making Pegasus laugh wickedly.
"I hear by sacrifice Dark Eyes Illusionist to Summon another Spellcaster Monster. Yes, there's more. The incredible, extraordinary, unforgettable creature known only as Relinquished!" He called as his jar look life, changing colour from gold to a dark blue and warped into an unknown entity with 0 Attack Points.
"What in the world is that thing?" Joey questioned, never seen a Monster like it beforehand.
"I'll show you by activating its special power. It's even more irritable than my previous creature." Pegasus said in reply, just as Relinquished opened up the hole in its chest, creating a powerful vacuum as it sucked up and swallowed the Flame Swordsman.
"My Swordsman!" Joey called in shock, which made Pegasus say simply. "Gone but not forgotten."
"That does it, Pegasus. Red-Eyes, Attack Relinquished! Inferno Fire Blast!" Joey ordered, wanting to avenge the Monster he had just lost, but was soon to find his Attack a dreadful mistake.
"Relinquished, activate your Defence Shield!" Pegasus called in reply, his Monster obeying it brought its wing-like appendages down, covering its body, before the Flame Swordsman emerged from the right wing, looking as though he was fused with it.
"No way. It's using my Monster as a shield against my Attack!" Joey said in shock, watching as Red-Eye's fireball hit the Flame Swordsman and caused it to shatter to pieces.
"Your Dragon's Attack eliminates Flame Swordsman from the game, but since he was your creature, you lose the Life Points." Pegasus explained, taking joy at seeing the expression on Joey's face as he lost 600 Life Points.
"By absorbing its opponent's Monsters, Relinquished can use them, and their Attack and Defence Points, to protect itself against any Attacking Monster. Relinquished remains unharmed while the opponent suffers the Damage." Pegasus then went on, before mocking Joey as he said. "Your own Attack reduced your Life Points. So long as I have Relinquished in play, you're your own worst enemy."
-Current Scores-
Joey: 350
Pegasus: 800
As Joey was about to draw and make his move, he noticed the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle continue to pant and sweat heavily.
Concerned, Joey asked. "Are you alright?"
"It's seems the strain of being separated from Yugi-boy is having its toll on your friend." Pegasus commented, activating his Millennium Eye, which shone intensely.
"Let's say we how far he can take it." Pegasus then said, continuing to use the magic of his Millennium Eye, which became too much for the Spirit of the Puzzle to handle as it then groaned out and collapsed, fading away and leaving Joey all alone.
And having the advantage once again, Pegasus said to Joey, mocking him. "Ooh, how frustrating it must be to be you. To have all these great Monsters in your Deck, and if you play any of them, they will be used against you."
"This Duel ain't over yet." Joey said back, but knew that without the Spirit of the Puzzle, things would be that much harder for him.
"Nope. But it might as well be. My Monster is unstoppable." Pegasus replied, before he called. "Allow me to show you why. I activate Relinquished's Hypnotic Attraction!"
"Try as he might to resist, your Red-Eyes Black Dragon will find my Spellcaster as irritable as your Swordsman did. And like the Flame Swordsman, he'll soon be mine." Pegasus explained as Joey's Red-Eyes was blasted by a purple light, rendering him useless and allowing Relinquished to swallow him too.
"Red-Eyes, no! Relinquished caught him too." Joey called in worry, watching as Relinquished lowered its wings again, where the tormented form of his Red-Eyes then emerged from, trapped against its will, unable to do anything to fight back.
"And he's been turned into a Defence Shield too." Pegasus then pointed out and went on as he then said. "That's right, Joey. And this time I have your most powerful and your favourite Monster to use against you. Guess you're not his favourite, not anymore."
'Just hold on Red-Eyes, I promise I'll find a way to save you.' Joey thought, not sure how, but was determined to see his Monster safe.
Drawing the top Card from his Deck, he saw his current hand was unable to do much, he could only Defend this turn.
"I'll just throw Garoozis in Defence Mode." Joey said, a vortex opening as the Beast-Warrior jumped from it, appearing in front of Joey, acting as a shield for his Summoner. (Def: 1500)
"That's all I can do this turn." Joey then said, ending his turn, knowing he had no other option if he wanted to keep his Life Points protected.
From seeing Joey back in trouble, Pegasus smirked, before he drew his Card and prepared his move.
"Destroying your Defence Monster won't affect your Life Points, but I'll do it just for fun." He said.
"Relinquished, Destroy his Garoozis!" Pegasus then commanded, his Monster draining Red-Eyes of its power, making the Dragon hiss and cry out, while Relinquished gathered the stolen energy in its eye and fired, blasting Garoozis to bits.
"Ah, that was fun." Pegasus laughed, before holding up the Card he had drawn and played it as he said. "Now for the Card of your final defeat. Your time's run out."
Summoning another Monster Joey had never seen, one that had a mere 200 Attack Points, Joey questioned. "Great another Monster I have to worry about. And what does this one do?"
"Allow me to introduce to you my good friend, Jigen Bakudan." Pegasus said, before telling Joey. "Jigen Bakudan, is a self-destructing Monster that's immune to Attacks. In just two turns, it will explode and Destroy my beloved Relinquished."
Confused, Joey questioned. "Maybe I'm missing something, but why would you play a Monster that blows up your other ones?"
"Poor Joey, so naive. While Jigen Bakudan will Destroy Relinquished it will also Destroy the Monsters Relinquished has absorbed, in this instance, your Red-Eyes Black Dragon. And Relinquished. His Attack power is 0." Pegasus explained, which made Joey realise what Pegasus was planning and caused him to ask. "Meaning you won't lose a single Life Point, right?"
"That's right. While my score is unaffected, the explosion will wipe out your Red-Eyes, and his Attack Points will be deducted directly from your Life Points, ending the game." Pegasus said in reply, making it that more harder for Joey to regain the advantage, while his Dragon did its best to tilt its head, looking at Joey as if trying to say sorry that it had failed him.
'And that will destroy my chance to keep my promise to Yugi.' He thought, part of him starting to feel he had let everyone down.
"Face it. The clock is ticking down on your demise and there is nothing you can do to stop it. I just can't remember that last occasion I've had so much fun. Remember, only two turns left 'till kaboom and you don't have a single Card in your hand that can help you, trust me I know." Pegasus said arrogantly, reading Joey's mind once again to see his hand, which still held Axe Raider, as well as Shield and Sword, but now contained Battle Warrior and Polymerization.
'What am I going to do? Even if I draw a new Card, Pegasus will just read my mind and see what it is.' Joey wondered to himself, before Pegasus interrupted as he stated. "That's right, Joey. Face it, you've lost and this Duel is now over."
'As much as I hate to admit it, that sleaze ball is right. I failed. I failed my friends, I failed my Monsters, I failed everyone I promised I would help. I'm finished.' Joey thought in defeat.
While Joey was in his despair, back outside the Shadow Realm, Yugi, Tea, Tristan sensed Joey's doubt, while the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle appeared beside Yugi, breathing heavily.
{Forgive me, Yugi. I did my best to help Joey. I just couldn't take being parted from you and the Puzzle.} The Spirit mentally apologised.
{It's alright.} Yugi replied, before saying. {However, we need to do something to help Joey, to help him against Pegasus and his cheating.}
"There's got to be something we can do. We have to remind Joey that we still believe in him." Tea then stated, thinking for a moment, where inspiration filled her. "Hey, I have an idea."
"Remember the friendship pact we made?" She then asked.
"How could I forget?" Yugi asked in reply, before stating. "It's what helped me defeat Kaiba the first time we Dueled."
"Well I was thinking, if we concentrate our energies and try to reach him with all our might…" Tea began to say.
"Then there's a chance our bonds of friendship will reach him." Yugi finished.
"Ok. Together now." Tea said, before she, Yugi and Tristan placed their hands on one another, hoping their bonds with Joey would help him in someway.
And while Yugi was the only one who could see, the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle added his hand, making Yugi smile.
"It's my turn now." Joey suddenly said, drawing his Card as a newfound confidence filled him.
"Then let's take a look at what you drew shall we?" Pegasus asked as he began to read Joey's mind, starting to see it was a Monster Card, able to see it had a special ability to it, but was unable to determine exactly which of Joey's Cards it was.
However, Pegasus was unable to learn the identity of the Card as the forms of Yugi, Tea, Tristan and the Spirit of the Puzzle blocked Joey's mind.
"Oh no! Impossible! Inconceivable! My Millennium Eye is being blocked. This can't be. My Millennium powers are totally unstoppable. I should be able to scan your every thought and strategy. I should be able to see every Card in your Deck." Pegasus called in disbelief.
"Not anymore. So long as we're together, we'll thwart your mind reading powers." Yugi stated.
"So get out of Joey's head and stay out." Tristan added, causing Joey to smile at the forms of his friends.
"Thanks. You guy really are the best friends a gut could have." Joey commented, irking Pegasus at their intrusion.
"Pegasus, you just don't get it. Your eye is powerful, but our friendship is stronger." Tea stated, glaring at Pegasus, who groaned in annoyance, while Joey smiled, both at his friends having his back and from what he was about to do.
"They're right. And thanks to them, I can save my Red-Eyes Black Dragon from your Relinquished." Joey then said.
"You cannot save your Monster. I will win despite your pathetic friends." Pegasus stated.
"The only pathetic one around here is you, Pegasus." Joey said back, before throwing the Card he had just drawn, placing it onto the Field as he called out. "Now let's see how you handle this. I play Time Wizard!"
'Time Wizard?' Pegasus questioned, an annoyed expression appeared on his face as he thought. 'I could have countered that if I saw it coming.'
And with the Time Wizard on the Field, Joey then called. "Now spin. Time Roulette!"
Following Joey's command, the arrow began to spinning a clockwise motion, leaving all watching and wondering what the outcome would be.
'Please do this, Time Wizard. Not for me, but for Yugi and the others.' Joey thought, watching as the arrow continued to spin, soon slowing down as it made its decision.
And as it stopped, Joey smiled, while Pegasus was shocked to see the arrow was facing upward, avoiding the Skulls and allowing the power of the Time Wizard to activate.
"Alright! Now do what you do best, Time Wizard!" Joey then called out.
"Time Magic!" Time Wizard responded, using its power over time to age the Field one thousand years into the future.
And with its magic over, Pegasus was shocked as he saw the drastic changes in his Monsters.
'No! Bakudan's hands have been warped by time, he's practically useless to me now.' He thought, gazing upon the self-destructing Monster, who was now rusted and the hands on the clock were bent and drooping, rendering it unable to move, let alone explode.
"No fair!" Pegasus yelled like a spoilt child, which made Joey smirk.
"And there's more." Joey pointed out.
"Take a look at Relinquished." He then said.
Doing so, Pegasus was shocked to see Relinquished had suffered far worse from the time magic, for its skin was dried all up, its body now just a hollow husk, while in its wing, Joey's Red-Eyes had been unaffected by the Time Wizard, causing it to let out a majestic cry as it broke from the decaying form of Relinquished, which then shattered to dust.
But since Relinquished had no Attack power, Pegasus' Life Points remained as they were.
"Good to have you back, pal." Joey said with a smile as his Dragon took its rightful spot before its Summoner, where Joey then ended his turn.
Drawing his Card, Pegasus sighed.
"I pass. There's nothing I can do." He confessed.
"Oh well. Then it's my move." Joey said, drawing the top Card from his Deck, which he then turned to show Pegasus.
"I play the Magic Card: Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two new Cards." Joey explained, drawing the top two Cards from his Deck, which made him smile at what he had drawn.
"To start off, I'll place this Card face-down." Joey then said, annoying Pegasus as Yugi, Tea, Tristan and the Spirit of the Puzzle prevented him from reading Joey's mind, to which Pegasus found it impossible to know what the face-down could be.
"And next, I'm calling out the Summoned Skull to the Field." (ATK: 2500) Joey called, causing the Fiend Type Monster to appear beside Red-Eyes Black Dragon, letting out a hiss as it awaited to Attack.
'Summoned Skull? That's Yugi's Card. But how did Joey get his hands on it?' Pegasus questioned himself, before thinking. 'Yugi-Boy must've given it to him before our match.'
But then seeing both Monsters, Pegasus realised something. "Hold on. With Summoned Skull and Red-Eyes on the Field, that means... Oh, no!"
"That's right. I use Polymerization to fuse my Red-Eyes Black Dragon with Yugi's Summoned Skull to create the Black Skull Dragon!" (ATK: 3200) Joey called, using the power of Polymerization to combine the two Monsters into a great and powerful force, one that actually caused Pegasus to panic.
'No, not him!' He thought fearfully upon seeing the finish Dragon now under Joey's command.
"And with the Black Skull Dragon, my promise will not go unbroken." Joey stated, smiling at the Summoned Skull Card as he thought. 'Yugi, thanks to your Card, I know I will win.'
"It's my turn now. And don't think for a second your Black Skull Dragon changes anything. Allow me to show you why." Pegasus said, drawing his Card and smiled.
"To start off, I'll use the magic of my Silent Doom Card to return my lovely Relinquished back from the Graveyard and back where he belongs, with his daddy." Pegasus said, smiling as Relinquished returned from his Graveyard and before him.
And Pegasus continued to smile as he made his next move, one that would put Joey in great danger.
"And you're not the only one who can play the Polymerization game, so I use my copy of Polymerization to fuse Relinquished with my Thousand-Eyes Idol. Now prepare yourself for the ultimate merged Monster! Oh yes, behold my beauty. With the Thousand-Eyes Idol and Relinquished fused together, I've created the one, the only, the Thousand-Eyes Restrict!" (ATK: 0) Pegasus announced, with him and Joey watching on as lumps began to rise in Relinquished's skin, which turned a dark shade of brown, before all the lumps began to open slightly, revealing each to be an eyeball, grossing and freaking Joey out at what Pegasus had turned Relinquished into.
"If you think he's a real stunner now, well just wait until all one thousand of his eyes open up. Then I think you'll find he's more than just a pretty face. The end is truly insight, wouldn't you say?" Pegasus asked with an arrogant tone and smile.
"Not with the Black Skull Dragon protecting me!" Joey said back.
"Oh I think you'll find that once all eyes are on your Black Skull Dragon, he won't be able to protect himself." Pegasus laughed, smiling darkly as he thought. 'Soon, all the eyes will open up and all the Monsters on Joey's Field will be paralysed, unable to Attack or Defend. Then nothing will stop me from assimilating that Dragon Monster and winning this Duel once and for all.'
From Pegasus' expression and his Monster, Joey felt a little shaken.
'Whatever that eyesore is up to, I can't let it happen. I just have to rely on my Cards and hope for the best result.' He thought, taking a moment to look at his Face-Down Card, then back at Pegasus and his disgusting Fusion Monster.
"Listen here, Pegasus. Whatever tricks your Monster has, they won't stop me from winning!" Joey then stated in a confident tone, making Pegasus smirk and think. 'We'll just see about that.'
"Thousand-Eyes Restrict, time to open your peepers!" Pegasus then commanded, causing all one thousand eyes to open.
"Black Skull Dragon, try to hold him off!" Joey called, only for Pegasus to announce. "There nothing your creature can do, for now I unleash the Thousand-Eyes Spell!"
With that said, all the eyes on his Monster opened fully, each releasing a beam of green light that then circled around the Black Skull Dragon, preventing it from Attacking, Defending or even moving.
"My Black Skull Dragon!" Joey called in concern at seeing his Monster paralysed.
"Is trapped by the mystic gaze of my ultimate beast. And don't think you can rescue him, there's no escape from the mesmerising gaze that blankets your Field." Pegasus told Joey, who stated. "You haven't won yet."
From his continued defiance, Pegasus laughed.
"Fool. In just a couple of moments my Thousand-Eyes Restrict will assimilate your Dragon, absorb its great power and finish you off with one thunderous blast, there's nothing you can do. Accept it, you have lost. You failed to keep your promise to Yugi, and what's more, his Puzzle will soon be mine!" He then stated, before turning his focus back to the Thousand-Eyes Restrict and the Black Skull Dragon, where he then commanded. "Black Skull Dragon, come to me. Absorption Force!"
'This is it.' Joey thought, placing his hand on his face-down and flipped it.
"Soon, your Black Skull Dragon will be assimilated and all his power will be mine!" Pegasus declared, thinking he had won, only for Joey to say in a determined voice. "Guess again."
Suddenly, a white light shone in the middle of the Field, between Joey and Pegasus' Monsters, where caused Pegasus to question. "What is this!?"
"It's my final face-down, the Trap Card: Take One Chance." Joey replied, before he explained how it worked. "Now one Card will be randomly selected from my Graveyard and will be played right away, no questions asked."
Watching the light, both Duelists waited to see which Card would be chosen.
And as it died down, Pegasus was taken by surprise, shocked to see the Card selected was the one that could actually help Joey in his situation, the Time Wizard.
'Not the Time Wizard again!' He thought, frustrated, while Joey smiled, before saying. "And since it's too late to call back the Absorption Spell, your Thousand-Eyes Restrict has to absorb the Time Wizard before it can get to my Black Skull Dragon."
"No! The Thousand-Eyes Restrict absorbed the wrong Monster." Pegasus said as the Time Wizard was absorbed into the Thousand-Eyes Restrict and fused with its being.
"And things are a lot worse than ya think, Pegasus." Joey then said, confusing Pegasus until Joey then pointed out. "Since Thousand-Eyes Restrict's magic paralysed Time Wizard, take a close look at what his arrow is now set to."
Look at the Time Wizard, Pegasus' eye widened in shock to see the timer was stuck on a Skull.
"Nooo!" Pegasus cried out, where he then said in panic. "Set on a Skull will cause the Time Wizard to explode in a time-warp!"
And just as he said, Time Wizard's sceptre glowed blue, before exploding, creating a dimensional hole that the Time Wizard was sucked into, as was a section of the Thousand-Eye Restrict's left wing.
"Curse you Joey Wheeler, you and your Time Wizard!" Pegasus let out, angered, while Joey just smiled.
"Of course Time Wizard was my Monster, so I do take the Damage." Joey pointed out as his Life Points were cut down, dropping down to a mere 100.
"But it's a small price to pay to see that freak show worn out." He then stated, looking at what the damage of the Time Wizard had done to Pegasus' ultimate Monster.
"No! My Thousand-Eyes Restrict!" Pegasus called in panic upon seeing that the Time Wizard's power had not only damaged its left wing, but had aged it horribly, to the point its skin was wrinkled and a sickly white, all its eyes were white, hollow, almost void of life, while it looked like it was having great difficulty clinging onto what life it had left.
"And now that your Monster is a feeble old weakling, his spell over the Black Skull Dragon wears off, meaning he is free to Attack and you are finished." Joey stated, just as the Black Skull Dragon landed before his Summoner and snarled, waiting to finish off the Thousand-Eyes Restrict and his Summoner.
"Black Skull Dragon, take down Pegasus and his Thousand-Eyes Restrict with Molten Fireball Attack!" Joey then commanded, causing the fiendish beast's snarl turned into a roar as the Black Skull Dragon Attacked, released several fireballs from its maw that blasted what was left of Pegasus' Monster and his Life Points, where Joey then stated. "Your Thousand-Eyes Restrict has been Destroyed!"
"Oh, Nooo!" Pegasus cried in disbelief, not only losing his best Monster, but also the last of his Life Points, ending the Duel.
-Ending Scores-
Joey: 100
Pegasus: 0
With Pegasus' loss, outside the Shadow Realm, Tea, feeling a change within the Shadow Realm, then asked. "Did you feel that?"
"Totally. It feels like Joey won the game." Tristan said in reply.
"Pegasus, it's over. We won." Joey then said to Pegasus, speaking for himself and his friends, their forms appearing by his side.
'No... how can this be... it's... it's... impossible. My Eye, my magic, it all failed me. Cecelia, my love... I'm sorry...' He thought as he stared blankly upward, before falling apart as his head collapsed into his hands and he cried due to his failure. "I've lost!"
And with Pegasus in sorrow, Joey was in joy.
"I actually did it. I actually beat the creator of Duel Monsters." He said, still taking it in.
'But I couldn't have done it alone.' Joey then thought, looking at his hand and seeing the friendship mark. 'Thanks guys. This was a victory we all managed to achieve, one that makes us all deserve the title as King of Games.'
The End.