It wasn't my intention to participate in Battle City tournament, but here I was in the Kaiba Corp blimp, where the finals were held. I don't know if it was my usual luck that I was ignored after seeing me at the beginning of lottery to choose the duelists. Every participant has now dueled each other. I had stayed inside the whole time while every other battle was held. Except the last one. Right after Kaiba had finished his duel with Izizu, I stepped out of the shadows. It seemed everyone had ignored me the whole time. Which was fine with me.
"I think it suppose to be my turn now to duel." I said calmly.
Everyone turned to look at me as they realized I was there. I did my best to avoid eye contact with my brother Yugi. If he knows who I am it would be more than awkward. But thanks to my disguise and the mask, my look won't be tipoff. Now, I just had to play it through.
"And who the heck are you?" Kaiba asked annoyingly.
"Aww. Come on, did you forget me so easily. I'm the ninth player, Black Cat." I introduced myself again.
"There is no ninth player!" Kaiba said.
"Oh, but there is. Thanks to the Rare Hunters of Marik. There were more players in the tournament than supposed and more location-cards." I explained.
"But only eight were to enter the Finals." Kaiba argued.
"And that's is were your lackeys made a mistake. In the moment Izizu and I came, they should have sent one of us away but they didn't. Since you were in a hurry to leave."
"Is this true?" Kaiba asked from Mokuba.
"Yes. It's true. They came at exactly the same time. But they agreed to share the room, so they were let in." Mokuba explained.
"So which one was the eighth?" Joey asked since they all heard this conversation.
"Just like all others we made our own small random draw on who would get to duel against Kaiba. Sadly, it wasn't me. But now that you are done and the remaining finalist are here. I will gladly duel one of you." I said.
"And why would I allow that?" Kaiba asked looking down on me.
"One. As a host of this tournament, you either recompense me for the trouble of coming to finals, just to kick me out. By the way, I definitely don't want that. Otherwise the very honor of your tournament goes down the drain for unfairly rules. Two. One more duel always makes things more interesting and maybe some losers can be dropped out." I say hinting to Joey Wheeler.
" Say what now?" Joey shouts and tries to get to me, but is stopped by Tristan and Duke.
"Three. Beside your god cards, you have nothing to lose." I end my explanation.
Kaiba chuckled a little before he answered.
"Isn't Black Cat the alias of the secret agent of Pegasus? Maybe you are trying to get the god cards back for him." He smirked as if he released something bad of me.
"If only. Because I'm his 'agent', I'm not allowed to 'win' any tournaments. Stupid rule of his. Since I'm so familiar with his work, supposedly. He doesn't know that I'm in this tournament. And the only reason for me to enter is to finally have a wordy adversary against me. I refer to the god cards."
"As Pegasus's helper you must have witnessed these cards power already." Kaiba marked.
"No. In the very moment he made them, he took them away. I didn't even hear him finish them till now. Now if ever, I get to see them and I will get to face them."
"Why would you want that?" Yugi asked, or what everyone thought was Yugi, but I knew it wasn't .
"Because I enjoy revealing the weakness of the most powerful ones. I'm sure everyone here has witnessed how powerful these cards are. Instead of holding ones of these cards, I wanna be the one to crush them to dust."
"You? Take down a god card? You'll never succeed." Kaiba laughed.
"Like I said. You have nothing to lose here then."
After a moment of silent, Kaiba agreed to one more duel. But my opponent had to be decided by random lottery which happened fast. By having Kaiba's referee Roland pull the number out of small bag. It was number 5, Marik.
I have to admit, I did feel a tingle in my spine, but I wasn't sure if it was from excitement or worry. I know Izizu was worried, because she tried to get me to forfeit the game. But I refused. I still had a reputation as a Black Cat. Same went on with Yugi, or the pharaoh pretending to be him. He tried to make me reconsider, but again I refused. Marik on the other hand was pleased. Maybe because he had yet another victim for his manipulation. Or so he thought.
"You are really eager to fall to your demise. " He laughed as he went to his place in arena.
"Don't worry, cats always land on their feet when they fall. Same goes for me." I answered.
If he would have seen my face, he would have known I wasn't bluffing.
The game started.
"I commence." I said and draw from my deck.
However I stared for a while at my cards. For the first hand usually reveals what kind of game I'll be facing. And this showed me a hard and difficult one.
"I place one monster on defense and one card face down." I said and place one card face down on the monster slot and other behind it.
"I summon Drillago on attack mode." He said and robot full of drills appears at his side of arena.
"Since you are so eager to fall in darkness let me help you with that." He says and brings the Millennium rod front him.
Soon a thick dark fog spreads behind him to cover all the platform.
"Oh no. Not this again." I hear Tea saying.
"He brought shadow realm again." Said Joey.
I saw how the fog inched closer to my side of the arena. Somehow it seemed like lingering fingers reaching to me. But when it came to me, it rejected. No, more like the whole fog exploded and only clear sky was left around the blimp. Too much clear. There was no clouds anywhere near the blimp and the moon seemed brighter than it was before. I thought it was beautiful to see the moon like that, but something still felt off.
"What!?" Marik wondered when the fog dispersed.
"Odd. This isn't shadow realm." Said my supposed brother.
I kinda felt awkward, when everyone began to wonder the climate change. Even Mokuba wondered the quick change. What worried me most was Marik's glare at me. It was like I had broken something of his and he wanted to reveal it and make me pay for it. So I made sure the only tension here was inside the game.
"Are we all just enjoying the scenery or are we suppose to duel?" I asked like I wasn't bothered by anything.
"I don't know how you are able to resist the magic, but I see that you'll won't get unharmed out of this." Marik declared at me.
'My cards predicted the same thing.' I thought.
"If that is all, would you end your turn soon." I said.
He just clicked his tongue and ended his turn. I drew.
"Now let's see. I sacrifice my monster which is hidden." I said and the which was face down shows a Fierce Lion before it disappears. "And then summon the Cheshire Cat on defense."
Front of me appeared first two green cat eyes, followed by a wide grin of pointy teeth and later surrounded by a body made of blue fur and smoke. However the DP (defense point) were 1100.
"You actually went the trouble to summon such a weak monster?" Marik laughed.
" If he seems so weak, why don't you attack it. I finish with another card face down." I said and place another face down card behind Cheshire Cat.
Marik smiled his malevolent smile. As he draw next card.
"First I'll use a magic card to undo your face down cards." He said and activated a card that cleaned my field of my two cards facing down. "And now, my monster will attack yours."
If only he could have seen my smile through my mask, he would have seen it coming.
"By sending one card from my hand to graveyard, I activate Cheshire Cat's special ability." I announced as I pushed one card to the cemetery slot.
With that Cheshire Cat disappeared from my field and appeared right front of Marik, smiling its famous grin. Marik's robot saw this quickly and resumed to attack it. But once it did, cat disappeared again and the attack came on Marik LP, leaving him with 2400 LP.
"Sneaky trickster." He glared at me.
"Oh come on. Anyone who has read the books knows about Cheshire Cats ability to disappear and appear in different places. In this case, after sending one card to graveyard Cheshire disappears from my field to yours and your monster follows it. Whether it's front of another monster or the duelist. Right before the attack, it disappears again and whatever is behind Cheshire gets hit with that attack. " I said happily while Cheshire Cat appeared on my field smiling its custom grin.
Marik just glared me angrily, I knew he didn't like me but angering him more would make him summon the Winged Dragon of Ra. But before that I had to prepare few things. Marik ended his turn with one card face down. Which meant that I draw. And I got good one. Magic card "Trinity call". A rare magic card. But I needed something more before I can use it.
" I play Mighty Sphinx on attack mode." I say as a beast with wings, lion body and human face appears on my field next to Cheshire with AP of 1800. "And I send it after your Drillago." I said and Sphinx attacked.
As a result Drillago was destroyed and Marik lost 200 LP. Leaving him with 2200 LP. He seemed mad, but at the same time something seemed wrong. Like his back ached. I soon forgot it as he glared at me again. Before I ended my turn I played Pot of Greed to get two more cards from my deck. In his turn, Marik summoned Granadora on his field. Since I didn't have any facedown card , he attacked without mercy at my Sphinx and destroyed it. At that moment I felt pain on left side of my face. As if someone had punched me there. But it wasn't enough to make me lose focus. Since Sphinx was destroyed, I also lost 100 LP leaving me 3900 LP.
"Something wrong Cat?" Marik asked smirking at me.
I wasn't sure what he was referring. There is no way he knew about the ache in my face.
"Just waiting your turn to end." I answered.
He didn't seem pleased, but that wasn't my concern.
He ended with one card face down.
I drew, but it wasn't what I hoped. I didn't want to use Cheshire Cats ability again, because I wanted him to summon Ra and he only had one monster. Using Cheshire's ability would make him lose too soon. And that wasn't my reason to duel him or any other with God card. I wanted to face that card along this duel.
"I pass my turn." I announced.
Marik drew from his deck, and summoned Revival Jam on defense. The Jam Defender wasn't far or the Breeding Machine. Which ever he hold now.
"Attacking your cat would probably send my monster after my other monster. So I'll also end my turn here." He said.
He had now two monsters and one facedown card. Probably a trap. I on the other hand had just one monster and that was all. I drew from my deck. It was good monster, but to summon it I need to sacrifice two others. So I had to summon one weaker.
"I summon Beast tamer in defense. " I say and a woman wearing animal skins appear in my field." And I place one card face down." I finished and placed the Mirror Force in field.
It was Marik's turn. He drew.
"I sacrifice Granadora and Revival Jam to summon Masked Beast Des Gradius." Marik said.
It didn't take genius to figure out that my monsters were doomed.
"And it will attack The Beast Tamer." Marik said.
Masked Beast attacked Beast Tamer as a result Beast Tamer losing to it. Again I felt immense pain in my face. If I didn't know better, I would say maybe my lip slipped open. I still had a mask on so I couldn't tell. Since Beast tamer was in defense my LP was still 3900.
Marik ended his turn without anything else. I drew.
"I play Revive Monster to bring back Beast Tamer." I said and Beast Tamer came back to the field. "I also summon Fierce Tiger in attack mode. "Then tiger appeared in my field with 1600 AP. And I finished with another facedown card.
Along this duel, I couldn't help hearing what Yugi's friends were saying.
"Say Yugi. Something is not right in this game." Joey said.
"You're right. Normally Marik would take his chances to make his opponent suffer along this duel. But somehow he isn't enjoying this. It's like he is the one in tight spot." Tristan said.
"I'm more confused about the fact that this isn't Shadow Game anymore. Marik obviously summoned it, but it came off. This air isn't natural either. We're high altitudes now, yet all the clouds are miles away." pharaoh said.
"You're right. I don't think I have ever seen the moon as bright as now. It's almost too bright." Tea said.
"Despite the wheather abnormalities. Isn't this game also a bit off. Black Cat could easily win now if she activates Cheshire Cats ability. Marik has again one monster which can erase his LP." Duke said.
"I don't get why she brought back the Beast Tamer. It's not the strongest monster and the only special ability I heard it has is to take control one animal or beast monster. It's useless now." Tristan said.
"Because she isn't playing to win. You heard before she wants to defeat a god card." Pharaoh said.
"Wait, what!? She is purposely trying to get Marik summon the Winged Dragon of Ra? Is she nuts!" Joey shouted.
I tried to ignore they talk, but I couldn't help smiling to myself, how correct they were. Yes, I want him to pull out the god and summon it. I still felt face throbbing of the pain felt some time ago, but it didn't stop my focus. Marik drew.
"Masked Beast attack the Fierce Tiger." He ordered his monster.
"I'll activate the trap card Mirror Force to stop your attack." I said quickly.
"I'm afraid not. I also activate. The Re-trap card to undo it." Marik said grinning.
The Mirror broke and the Masked Beast destroyed Fierce Tiger. And my LP dropped to 2200. Yet again I felt pain, not on face but on my left arm. Like a sting that made a line. I thought it was odd that every time my monsters died I would feel this pain. But I couldn't tell why. I bet Izizu would, but I didn't believe her version. Yes, she could see a bit ahead of time and yes, Pegasus had the ability to read minds. But that didn't convince me about past-life-in-ancient-Egypt stuff. What happens now is about now, past is past and it won't come back.
Since Marik had just one monster his turn ended quickly. I drew.
"I place a magic card and activate it. The Black Hole. And get rid of your Masked Beast. " I said and the black hole took Marik's beast away.
But I remembered that when Masked Beast was sent to Graveyard one of my monsters will be possessed by mask and goes to Marik's side. And that is exactly what happened. My Beast Tamer was possessed and it went on Marik side of the field.
"That was a foolish move you made." Marik laughed at me.
He was right, I always felt like payback whenever someone makes my plan backfire. And during that time I don't think straight.
" I'm not done yet. I activate another magic card. Not sure if you have heard of it. Frozen in Time. I can choose one monster on your field and you won't be able to command it for three turns." I said and the facedown card revealed itself and showed picture hourglass in horizontal position.
"You don't like the idea of me possessing your monsters?" Marik asked amusingly.
"What makes you think that?" I asked.
He didn't go on, because Tea found out something.
"OH MY GOD! Is that blood?" She shouted.
Everyone looked first at her, but then looked at me, since I was the one she was watching. All their eyes got wide. I looked at myself too, but didn't see anything. Till I saw my arm. There was a deep cut on my right shoulder and it dripped blood to my black leather gloves. One thing went through my mind. What in the world was happening?
"What is going on?" Joey asked.
"Yeah, I didn't see that wound moment ago." Tristan said.
"We must stop the duel here." Mokuba said and tried to get close to referee.
"Don't you even dare to stop this duel!" I shouted. "I am not intimidated by few drops of blood."
I looked at Marik. I don't know what tricks he used to make this. He noted this quickly.
"For once, I am not causing this. True, I would enjoy see how my opponents suffer, but this was caused no other than you." He said and pointed me.
Again I felt all eyes on me.
"You're kidding. Weren't your family the ones with mystics. Not that I believe on such things." I said.
"My sister didn't tell you? That you too had a past life in ancient Egypt. " Marik asked.
"Ugh, spare me the fairy tale. That I had a past life with some pharaoh as his bodyguard. Or I was some guys girlfriend. None of that matters on this moment." I groaned.
"Oh, but it does. I presume you have an ancient necklace on you." He smiled.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"Because there was only one person in ancient Egypt to stand and survive through Shadow Game. She was given a sacred necklace to protect herself from the effects of this game. But she also had the power to turn things into reality. It repelled the Shadow realm and for some reason made this duels effects real. Every monster that dies affects us. When my monsters were gone I felt twice the familiar pain on my back. And when your monsters were destroyed you too felt it. That real wound you got is the proof. This isn't Shadow Game anymore, everything is obvious to the light and bare to eyes." Marik explained.
I didn't want to believe such things. But too many things were lingering to his side. Yes, I got an ancient necklace from grandpa as Yugi got his puzzle. If Yugi's puzzle had such effect, maybe mine did too. And everyone has seen my wound now, not to mention I felt it so real.
" How about you stop messing with my head and just get on with the game. I end my turn here." I said irritated.
" Hm, you won't get off the topic so easy." Marik said and drew. "Maybe I should remind you of how real this is. I summon Gil Garth. And with it I destroy your Cheshire Cat. Unless you sacrifice another card to the graveyard." Marik said and his monster appeared.
It was big metal knight and it didn't waste time to attack my Cheshire Cat. As much I wanted to send one more card to cemetery but I couldn't . I had too many good cards to give away. So my Cheshire Cat was destroyed.
" Aaagh!" I couldn't help yelling.
The pain felt too intense in my stomach. I had to crouch down from the pain. As I did this I realized something. This pain is the same I felt in the worst day of my life. While crouching down my mask fell off. I couldn't rise my head anymore. Not without someone seeing me. But even without looking up, I could feel Marik grinning his horrid grin.
"Something wrong? Is it all in your head or do you admit that this is all real?" Marik laughed.
I didn't answer him. I was too busy to catch some air. My gut hurt so bad. Not to mention, now that my mask was off, it felt like my wounds on face just opened. I didn't want to rise up, if I did my brother would know who I was. Everyone will know who I am. Even worse, for being so high in the air there still were strong winds, the mask slid away from the platform. Luckily, Izizu caught it before wind would take it away from the blimp. Still, my situation was dire. My face was throbbing, my arm getting cold, my stomach was finally settling but I couldn't get up. Everyone would then see my face.
"What is going on? Why isn't she getting up?" Joey asked.
"I don't know. But her mask fell off. Could it be that her identity is at risk?" Pharaoh said.
"Black Cat! We don't care who you are, just don't give up. Keep fighting. " Tea tried to cheer.
"Why is her identity secret again?" Joey asked.
"She is Pegasus's agent'. If her true identity is known. She might be targeted by other companies. Not to mention she would lose her position as the duelist." Duke explained.
"Not just that. According to Yana, Black Cat has the knowledge of every card Pegasus has made. Along this, she has strategy to beat every card." Pharaoh also explained.
"Wow, your sister knows stuff, Yug. But still I prefer Cat to win than Marik. So, get up kitty cat and fight." Joey shouted.
I couldn't help to laugh at myself. Since when did I needed cheering? Black Cat is an alias to keep people away from me and to lose any connection to other players. Black cat brings bad luck, especially to those who cross it. But then again that isn't the true reason for the mask.
"Well, are you going to forfeit this duel for losing your mask or will you duel." Said Kaiba.
And that was what I needed to hear. True, I didn't want my brother to witness this, but I had my own goals and mask wasn't necessity in it. Whoever, I had to secure my job as Pegasus's "agent".
"Turn off your cameras, Kaiba. I know you have them on this blimp." I said facing down.
"And why would I?" He asked.
"Some things better stay on this blimp. Like the way to conquer a god. And if my face get out there. The project Black Cat loses it's meaning." I said.
It took a while, but soon Kaiba pressed the radio in his jacket.
"This is Kaiba, shut all cameras on the platform. " He said to the microphone.
I had sighed for relief. I had no worries of my identity leaving this blimp. I almost imagined the face Pegasus would make if he ever would find out that I was dueling here against one of the god cards.
"So, only few chosen ones can witness the true face of Black Cat." Marik mocked me.
I rose up slowly. My stomach was still protesting. As I stood up, I also took a deep breath of the clear air around the blimp. I bet no one had trouble recognizing me in the bright moon light.
"It can't be…" Pharaoh said.
"What is the meaning of this?" Kaiba asked.
" No way…" Joey started.
"It's… Yugi's sister, Yana." Tea finally said out loud.
Monster cards mentioned in this battle by OC are invented, they don't exists.
Only later did I began to find more cards and their attributes.