It had been 6 months since Egypt. Axalis had been sensing serious shadow magic and now he had come to a location that was strong in another brand of magic. He had been sensing shadow magic in Europe for some time but by some interference he could not pinpoint its exact location. It was as if the magic was being deliberately hidden from him. He had seen a picture of the pharaoh incarnate and knew that the one called Seto Kaiba was close to him since the shadow magic was located in Europe and there was a Kaiba corp. building in London he had corridored there to get some answers.
"Well," thought Axalis, "I know that duel monsters was never big in London but maybe they will have this called duel disk that dark magician girl told me to find. After being in the realm of beasts for 16 earth years I've been a bit out of touch. I wish that the leviathan hadn't got to me before I could aid the pharaoh when he released Timeaus." Axalis entered the building and when to the front desk. The lady heard him approach and looked up from her computer.
"Welcome to Kaiba corp. London branch, how may I help you?" she said with a smile.
"I am looking to buy a duel disk please, standard mode, no modifications."
"One moment please," she said and went to typing on her computer again, "There are a few upstairs can I have your name please."
"Alex," replied Axalis, "Alex Yachira."
A look of shock came over the woman's face as she typed the name in the computer and a file appeared, "one moment please I have to call our CEO, Seto Kaiba."
"Take your time I am in no rush."
She picked up the phone and dialed a number that the employees only dialed in a sure dire need to notify the teenage CEO. She wasn't waiting long when Axalis heard a muffled, slightly irritated voice from the other end of the line.
"Mr. Kaiba," said the woman, "I have a customer wanting to buy a duel disk."
Axalis over heard the other side of the conversation, "well give it to him if he has the money,"
"But sir I got his name to check if we had a record of him and we do. His name is Alex Yachira the former United States west coast champion."
There was silence for a few moments, "are you sure?"
"Yes sir, but let me do another check on him," she typed on the computer and the same picture appeared and Axalis slightly grinned. He had chosen not to wear his mask for this exact reason, he had an average sized fore head, with no creases or stress wrinkles, his eyes where a deep blue, his nose was also rather average just it was a little odd it had a small scar on the bridge of his nose. His lips were soft and average as well. His chin was strong unlike his cheeks which where soft. With these features he almost identical to Alex Yachira at the time of his so called disappearance. The only difference was that his hair was shorter and was a lot lighter than what Alex's was. The woman finished tapping on the computer and went back to the phone, "it is confirmed sir this is Alex Yachira"
"Keep him there," Alex over-heard, "I will be there in a while," Alex then heard a click on the other end as the CEO, hung up on the other end. The woman turned to face Axalis, "please have a seat in the lobby chairs our CEO will be hear soon to see you."
"Thank you ma'am," replied Axalis he went to one of the chairs and sat down to relax and wait. It wasn't too long before he fell asleep. His dreams were very un easy. He dreamt of a long corridor and a door. He didn't understand it, then he heard the voice of the dragon that had chosen him in the realm of the beasts, "this door is important to the pharaoh and his court, make sure Seth does not interfere the chosen one of destiny to defeat the dark lord needs to be at this door at the appointed time that destiny has chosen. The royal sorceress of the court is trying to see it but there is powerful magic preventing her. Remember, keep Seth away."
The voice faded, but was replaced by a more annoyed one, "Get up Yachira!"
Axalis realizing he was awake again, opened his left eye, "and who would you be?" he asked slightly amused. He knew that it was the face of the high priest of the court 5000 years ago, but he pretended not to recognize the face.
"I am Seto Kaiba CEO of Kaiba Corp," replied the annoyed CEO, he had no time for antics. Alex Yachira had been out of the public eye for 16 years and now he was back, it was time to see if he still had what it takes to be a champion, "now get up Yachira, I challenge you to a duel. I will let you borrow a duel disk and if you beat me you can keep the disk you use. Now meet me at the top of the building in 1 hour, do the nessacary maintenance to your deck and take the elevator to the sky top duel ring. The button will have DR on it so you will know which one it is."
The CEO turned on the spot and headed for the elevator but stopped at the desk and talked to the woman. She nodded and he walked away. As he left she got on the phone spoke for a few moments and hung up the phone. Moments later a man with a tattooed face came off the elevator with a case. He walked over to Axalis and handed him the case.
"this is the duel disk mister Kaiba wanted you to use," he said offering the case, "inside is the disk and the instructions of how to use it."
"thank you sir," replied Axalis. He takes the case and walks to the elevator. He strapped the disk in place and loaded his deck. Thank goodness the herald of creation had helped him learn all he needed to use the disk, and was able to use it comfortably. Once he made all the nessacary adjustments it felt like it belonged on his arm and was a part of him as much as his mask, cloak and deck. The elevator dinged as he had arrived at the appointed destination. He stepped out and found Kaiba standing in front of him he looked like he bee in his bonnet and wouldn't let anything stop him from achieving his goal.
"took you long enough Yachira," said Kaiba, his voice literally dripping with annoyance.
"I had to get my disk comfortable on my arm," Axalis replied innocently looking the CEO directly in the face, "you of all people should know that being comfortable in a duel is essential to having a good time."
"whatever," replied the CEO, "are you familiar with the super expert rule that I created in battle city?"
Axalis grinned, "yes I am I actually enjoyed watching some of the matches."
"then you know that in this duel it is only to test your skills and not to win the rarest card in your opponent's deck and I won't have to explain every rule to you as we go along then."
"yes Mr. Kaiba. Now I believe this area is too small for this duel so I take it that the room beyond is the arena."
Kaiba turned around and walked through the door to the arena. It was the same style of arena that he first dueled Yugi in so long ago back before he knew all that he knew now, back when he was still considered the number 1 duelist in the country and maybe even the world. He took his position on the opposite side of the arena, and activated his disk. He wouldn't be using his main deck in this duel but he had a spare with the blue eyes white dragon he had won from Yugi earlier that week. He had put a lot of his extra cards in this deck and had modified it to be a shadow of his regular deck if push came to shove and his main deck was stolen again.
"Ready Yachira?"
"ready as ever Mr. Kaiba."
"then let's duel," they say in unison.
"I think I will start," said Axalis drawing his hand and first card, "I play one card face down and a monster in defense mode face down as well, and end my turn."
"pretty standard move Yachira," replied the CEO as he drew his card, "but it won't be enough to stop me. I play my koumori dragon (1500) in attack mode. Go my dragon wipe out his face down card!"
"you reveled my skelengel, and when it is flipped face up I can draw I card from my deck."
"whatever you do Yachira it won't work on me. I play 2 cards face down and end my turn."
"well then I draw, I play 2 cards face down and play the spell card destruction now we both discard our hands and draw a new hand with the same amount of cards that we discarded. Next I play my freshly drawn kojikocy (1500) in attack mode and end my turn.
"that's all. You've lost your touch Yachira," Kaiba draws his card and smiles, "I play my white dragon ritual and with it I sacrifice my ryu kishin powered (1600) to summon my paladin of white dragon (1900) from my hand! Now paladin attack the kocy with ionic spear burst!"
The warrior is destroyed and Axalis' life points drop to 3600.
"and that is not all now I will have my other dragon!"
Axalis' points drop again down to 2100
"now I will use my paladin's ability to sacrifice it to summon my blue eyes white dragon (3000) from my deck! Rise my beautiful dragon!"
The dragon is called forth and roars its majestic roar that Axalis had only heard at a distance while he was in the realm of beasts.
"amazing," was all Axalis could say in the presence of such a majestic creature.
"that is all for me Yachira, if you are done salivating over my dragon take your turn!"
Axalis snapped back into reality and drew his card, "I activate my swords of reveling light and end my turn."
"that's all you can do Yachira," he draws his card, the shadow spell, 'I may need this later so I think I will play it face down for now.' "I play 1 card face down and end my turn."
"couldn't destroy my swords this turn Kaiba what a shame, oh well maybe nest turn for now I play my skull red bird (1550) in attack mode and end my turn."
Kaiba draws, he obtains la jinn the mystical genie of the lamp and in his hand he help the ancient lamp, "I take on monster and put in defense mode face down for now and end my turn."
"still no luck Kaiba, well I guess that your deck is just not feeling well today," Axalis taunts while drawing his card, the call of the haunted, "I play one card face down and that is all for me," he had taken the call and placed it face down for later. He knew that somewhere in his deck his great dragon was waiting, all he had to do was wait it out till he could draw it.
Kaiba draws, 'soul exchange, this might be useful later but for now I can flip my lamp and summon la jinn, it may be a waste of its ability but I can make up for it later.' "I reveal my face down monster, the ancient lamp (900), which now allows me to play my la jinn the mystical genie of the lamp (1800). And with his summoning I end my turn."
'why did he do that? He wastes using the lamp to hit me with my own attack but uses its ability to summon la jinn? He could have just summoned la jinn normally, what is he up to?' he draws his card, 'perfect the black luster soldier card! Just what I needed, and what do we have here, change of heart and the black luster ritual too. I can have this work to my advantage.' "I will first play my change of heart! Which I will use to take control of the blue eyes white dragon!"
The blue eyes flaps its wings and flies over to Axalis as the card takes effect, "next I will have your blue eyes attack your lamp! Go blue eyes, white lightning!"
"not so fast I active one of my face downs, go negate attack, ending the blue eyes' attack and your battle phase for the round," 'how dare he take my blue eyes and use it to attack me! For this he will pay!'
"well no matter Kaiba, for I now activate my spell card, the black luster ritual, sacrificing your dragon and putting in its place the chaos soldier, the black luster soldier (3000)!"
The dragon vanishes and in its place rises from the alter of the luster ritual, a warrior clad in blue and gold armor, the Black Luster Soldier.
"with the summon of my soldier I end my turn."
Kaiba draws, with his blue eyes off the field taking out the soldier was going to be a bit more difficult. He looks at his card, he had drawn x head cannon. Maybe his deck was telling him how he could take out the soldier not with the blue eyes but with the next best thing, the xyz dragon cannon, "I summon my x head cannon (1800) in attack mode and end my turn."
"very well then mister Kaiba, I move again to attack the ancient lamp! Go my soldier! Chaos saber!"
The soldier runs to attack the lamp but stops mid way.
"not so fast! I activate my face down! Go shadow spell trap that luster soldier!"
"sorry again Kaiba but I came prepared, go dust tornado!"
As the chains wrap around the soldier, a great wind tears through the arena blowing the chains off the soldier, freeing him to lower his sword on the lamp cleaving it in two, and seriously damaging Kaiba, dropping his points down from 4000 to 1900.
"with that Kaiba I end my turn."
Kaiba says nothing and draws, 'the dark core, I can use it later but I need a card to discard, but I may need the soul exchange later. I'll have to switch all of my monster to defense mode to limit my damage,' "I switch all my monsters to defense mode and end my turn."
Axalis chuckles and draws his card, the mystic horseman, a low class level 4 monster but not much of use right now, "I will pass this turn."
Kaiba draws another card, his soul release, 'not the right time for it but maybe my deck is saying hold on their on the way I have to believe that my deck is trying to help!' "I will pass this turn as well."
"well Mr. Kaiba," says Axalis drawing his card. He had drawn the jack's knight, "it seems as though are decks are a little tired and need a breather, I will give it that by sacrificing my skull red bird for my jack's knight(1900) in attack mode! And end my turn. Next I play a spell, the pot of avarice, this card allows me to select 5 monsters in my grave yard and add them to my deck, I then shuffle my deck and draw 2 cards," he does so and smiles at what he draws, "I active the spell I just drew called double summon, this card allows me an extra summon this turn so I will summon the monster I just drew, The Uraby (1500) in attack mode! That will be all for me this turn."
Kaiba draws his card; he had drawn the y dragon head, '2 parts down, 1to go,' "I summon my y dragon head (1500) in attack mode and use its union ability to equip it to my x head cannon (2200) and end my turn."
Axalis draws his next card, he looks at and almost falls over laughing, he had drawn the fairy meteor crush card, one of the most powerful cards in his deck, "I activate, much to my pleasure, the fairy meteor crush spell card, which will now allow my soldier to be able to inflict piercing damage when he attack a monster in defense mode. Now go my soldier destroy the koumori dragon with chaos saber!"
The soldier goes at the dragon and cleaves it in two just like he did with the lamp. The dragon explodes and the shockwave drops Kaiba off his feet and down to his last 100 life points.
"with you down to your last 100 points victory is mine Kaiba," Axalis bows to Kaiba, "it has been an honor dueling you. I hope we can do this again in the future."
Kaiba stands up and draws. He looks at the card and smiles, "this duel is over Yachira, but not for me, but for you, I summon my z metal tank (1500). Next I de-equip my y dragon head from x head cannon. Now I remove all three from play to summon my XYZ dragon cannon!"
"the three monsters combine with the tank on the bottom; the dragon head's wings detach and lower on top of the tank, with the cannon dropping down on top of the dragon head to form the upper turrets of the machine. One of the greatest monsters in Kaiba's deck had just been summoned to the field, The XYZ Dragon Cannon.
"and with his summon will come the fall of your soldier and your knight, because I will use my monster's ability twice discarding 2 cards to destroy 2 cards on the field, namely your soldier and your knight! Go XYZ, cannon fire storm!"
The cannon lowers the upper turrets on the head cannon, the dragon head turret charges along with the metal tank. Then in one mighty burst, fires, destroying the Black Luster Soldier and the Jack's Knight.
Leaving on Axalis' field the uraby
"next I switch my la jinn in attack mode. Go my genie, use your magic and destroy the uraby!
The genie creates and orb of fire and throws it at the dinosaur burning it to a crisp, the excess flames then fall on Axalis who shields his face. He notices his point counter dropping to 1800.
"now to end this," says Kaiba triumphantly, "XYZ Dragon Cannon, use cannon fire burst to attack my opponent directly! End this duel!"
The cannon repeats the steps it did the destroy the soldier and knight. Axalis takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. He knew he had been beaten and would hold his head held high till the end of this duel. The cannon fires blasting Axalis off his feet and back a few yards on his knees. He looks at his counter to watch as his last few points decrease down to 0. The cannon fades as Kaiba switches his disk to standby and walks over to Axalis, he offers him a hand.
"good match Yachira."
Axalis takes his hand and gets up, "thank you Mr. Kaiba," he dusts himself off and shifts his disk into standby, "so how much do I owe you for the disk?"
"keep it. You deserve it for the thrashing you gave me, very few people can do that to me and I only let one get away with it," he pulls a corner of his coat to his mouth and talks in to it, "Odion bring up the standard duel contract to the duel arena. I think this duelist will make a fine addition to the roster."
A few moment later the tattoo faced man came up in the elevator with a manila folder and a pen. He gives it to Axalis. Axalis took it and opened it. He read it over. Odion offered Axalis the pen when he saw that Axalis had read the contract over.
"are there any strings attached?" asked Axalis.
"other than appearing at certain tournaments and such when you are called, no," explained Kaiba.
"then I am in," Axalis said accepting the pen and signing Alex's signature with precision
"very well then, welcome to the KC pro circuit," said Kaiba, "no please leave I have business to attend to."
"very well," said Axalis, politely bowing to Kaiba, "I hope to see you again soon Mr. Kaiba."
Kaiba said nothing as he and Odion departed leaving Axalis alone in the arena. He pulled his mask from under his cloak, put it on and opened a shadow corridor, "yes Mr. Kaiba, I hope to see you again very soon."
With that he stepped into the corridor and went back home to upgrade his deck to be ready for any possible challenge in the future that he may have.
