Father and Son Game
Author's Note: A one-shot. My version on how the duel between Seto Kaiba and Gozaburo Kaiba could have gone. Quite frankly, the senior Kaiba sucked as a duelist, even with the anime version of Exodia Necross being almost broken. I won't include scenes that are irrelevant to the duel itself. Statements in italics are thoughts.
Seto and Gozaburo faced each other on the dueling platform.
Gozaburo sneered, "Remember, son, whoever wins will escape to the real world in your body!"
"And that will be me, you washed-up has been!"
"Don't count on it, Seto. I've played games of strategy since before you were even conceived!"
The two men drew five cards. Both shouted, "Let's duel!"
(Seto: 4000) (Gozaburo: 4000)
"Seniority rules, so I make the first move. It won't long until you hear me say, 'Checkmate'." Gozaburo drew a card. "I couldn't have drawn better. I activate the Spell Card: Final Countdown!"
His Life Points dipped all the way to 2000, then a menacing circle of 20 balls of fire appeared overhead.
"What's going on!?" Seto cried out in shock.
"Simple, now that I've played this and paid 2000 Life Points, when 20 turns have passed, I gain an Automatic Win!"
"I'll beat you long before that happens!"
"You'll change your tune soon enough. I activate the Spell Card: Painful Choice. This allows me to…"
Seto cut him off, "I know what that card does! Choose your five cards already!"
His father chuckled, "Patience, Seto. Whether in chess, business, or Duel Monsters, we all know such a trait is essential. Besides, you'll wish you weren't in such a rush when you see them!" He selected five cards from his deck, reshuffled, then turned them around.
Seto gasped. No way! The five pieces of Exodia!? That makes no sense. The five pieces of Exodia grant an automatic win when all five are in your hand. Why would he use Painful Choice on them?
Gozaburo smirked, "There's a reason I have these cards in my deck. They were the cards that handed you your first defeat."
Seto growled, "That's in the past! I choose Left Arm of the Forbidden One!"
"Very well." He discarded the other four cards to the Graveyard and added the fifth to his hand. "I set one monster, then two cards facedown. End turn." One of the fireballs went out.
(S: 4000) (G: 2000) (Turn Count: 19)
Seto drew a card. "I set a card, then summon Luster Dragon in attack position!" A beautiful dragon with scales of sapphire emerged. (1900/1600) "Now, attack!"
The dragon shot a stream of flames that the hidden monster. A disembodied, golden left arm, locked in a shackle, appeared briefly, (200/300) before being incinerated.
"What the!? The Left Arm!? Are you nuts!? Oh well, end turn." Another fireball went out.
(S: 4000) (G: 2000) (Turn Count: 18)
Gozaburo drew a card. "I activate my Trap Card: Fruits of Kokazy's Studies! I look at the top three cards of my deck, then rearrange them in any order I choose." He did so. "Perfect. Now for my second Trap Card: Reckless Greed! I draw two cards, then skip my next two Draw Phases." He drew two cards. "Here's the herald of your doom, the Spell Card: Contract With Exodia!"
Seto screamed in fear as a pentagram with a portal in the center appeared.
"Relax, my son, you haven't lost, yet. When the five pieces of Exodia are in my Graveyard, I can summon my ultimate creature: Exodia Necross!"
A titanic creature stepped out of the portal the pentagram made. It resembled the completed Exodia the Forbidden One at first glance, but its skin was pitch black, instead of golden. It also looked like an emaciated zombie. (1800/0)
"I set a card, then activate the Spell Card: Arms Hole! I discard the top card of my deck, then search it for an Equip Spell." He did so. The top card was Foolish Burial. "I equip Necross with the Spell Card: Pain to Power!" An arcane scroll appeared, and the giant grabbed it. "Exodia Necross, attack!"
Exodia Necross swung its massive fist at Luster Dragon, but the dragon counterattacked with its flame breath. The undead titan staggered back, but it was unharmed. (G: 1900)
"Confused? Exodia Necross can't be destroyed as a result of battle, and thanks to Pain to Power, he now gains ATK equal to the Battle Damage I have just taken!" (1900/0) "End turn." Another fireball went out.
(S: 4000) (G: 1900) (Turn Count: 17)
Seto drew a card. "You won't beat me! I summon Spirit Ryu!" A small, ghostly dragon appeared. (1000/0) "Now I activate the Trap Card: Burst Breath! I sacrifice Spirit Ryu, and all monsters with less than 1000 DEF are toast!"
Spirit Ryu let out a roar and released a wave of fire in every direction before fading away from overexertion. Luster Dragon was unharmed, but so was Necross!
Gozaburo laughed. "Exodia Necross can't be destroyed, period! You did that for nothing!"
"Don't be too sure. I set a card and activate the Spell Card: Super Rejuvenation! During my End Phase, I draw a card for each dragon I lost, this turn. End Turn." Seto drew a card, then another fireball went out.
(S: 4000) (G: 1900) (Turn Count: 16)
Gozaburo, "During my Standby Phase, Necross gains 500 ATK. (2400/0) Attack!"
Necross lunged.
Seto, "Activate the Trap Card: Negate Attack!"
A wall of energy sprang up, halting Exodia Necross' advance.
"Your strategy has a flaw, Necross can't be destroyed, but it can still be affected."
Gozaburo frowned, "You still don't stand a chance. End turn." Another fireball went out.
(S: 4000) (G: 1900) (Turn Count: 15)
Seto drew a card. "I sacrifice Luster Dragon for Kaiser Glider!" The sapphire dragon was replaced by a larger, golden one. (2400/2200) "A activate the Spell Card: Shrink, to cut Exodia down to size!"
To Gozaburo's horror, the giant zombie fell to half its size and half of its original ATK. (1500/0)
"Kaiser Glider, attack!"
The dragon blasted the zombie with a flame blast, but again, its was unharmed. (G: 1000)
Seto smiled, "And that's flaw 2. Exodia Necross may be invincible, but you aren't!"
"And you're a fool! Any battle damage I take just makes Exodia Necross stronger! (2400/0)
"It couldn't be helped. End turn." Exodia Necross returned to normal size. (3300/0) Another fireball went out.
(S: 4000) (G: 1000) (Turn Count: 14)
Gozaburo, "During my Standby Phase, Necross gains 500 ATK. (3800/0) Attack!"
Exodia Necross smashed the dragon with its fist, killing it. (S: 2600)
Seto smirked, "When Kaiser Glider is destroyed, one monster returns to its owner's hand!" The dragon's ghost lunged at Necross.
Gozaburo, "I activate my Trap Card: Divine Wrath! I discard a card to negate that effect." He discarded the last card in his hand: Skull Mark Ladybug. "When Skull Mark Ladybug goes to the Graveyard, I gain 1000 Life Points." (G: 2000) A bolt of lightning smote the ghost. "End turn." Another fireball went out.
(S: 2600) (G: 2000) (Turn Count: 13)
Seto drew a card. "I set a monster and a card facedown. End turn." Another fireball went out.
(S: 2600) (G: 2000) (Turn Count: 12)
Gozaburo drew a card. "During my Standby Phase, Exodia Necross gains 500 ATK. (4300/0) I set a card. Attack!"
Necross smashed the monster, an old-fashioned oil lamp on spidery metal legs. (900/1400)
"End turn." Another fireball went out.
(S: 2600) (G: 2000) (Turn Count: 11)
Seto drew a card.
Gozaburo, "I activate my Trap Card: Lair of Needle Insects! I discard the top five cards of my deck!" The cards were: Dark Factory of Mass Production, Dark Eruption, Backup Soldier, A Feather of the Phoenix, and Skull Mark Ladybug. (G: 3000) "Give up! You'll never beat me now!"
"Wrong! I activate the Spell Card: Pot of Greed! I draw two cards!" He did so. "I activate the Spell Card: Monster Reborn! I'll use it to bring my Ancient Lamp back!" The oil lamp returned. (900/1400) "I use Ancient Lamp's effect to summon La Jinn, the Mystical Genie of the Lamp!"
Smoke issued from the lamp, which condensed into a green skinned genie. (1800/1000)
"Now for flaw 3. Exodia Necross needs all the Exodia pieces in the Graveyard to exist!"
Gozaburo, "No!"
"I activate my Trap Card: Soul Demolition! Since La Jinn is a Fiend, I can pay 500 Life Points to remove a card in your Graveyard from play! I pay 2500 Life Points to remove all the Exodia pieces!" (S: 100)
Gozaburo reluctantly put his Exodia pieces the RFG Zone. Exodia Necross screamed before falling to pieces.
"I sacrifice Ancient Lamp and La Jinn to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
The genie and his lamp disappeared, and in their place stood an enormous dragon with blue eyes and white scales.
"Checkmate. Attack! Burst Stream of Destruction!"
The dragon roared and let loose a stream of lightning from her mouth, striking Gozaburo.
(S: 100) (G: 0) (Turn Count: 10)