Chapter III
Atem shook his head. This was getting ridiculous. He figured that once he gives up, Kaiba would gladly take the company and get this over with. But now he found himself being pushed and forced to fight for what wasn't even his.
"Kaiba, we're not in high school anymore. Matters such as those shouldn't be decided with a card game." Atem said. He could feel nostalgia surging through him, like a ghost that took possession of his heart. Before, everything would be decided with Duel Monsters. Who gets lunch first, who leaves school before the others, who does the homework of the day and lets others borrow it, who shares his dessert. Now, they were adults. Duel Monsters played no role here.
"I don't care. Take out your deck."
"I don't have it with me."
"Then take this one. It's Mokuba's old deck. " Kaiba pushed the deck in Atem's hands and sat on the armchair, moving it with his body until he was in front of the violet eyed man. "Now shuffle it."
"This is getting embarrassing, Kaiba." Atem warned him as he shuffled the deck, then handed it to Kaiba so he could shuffle it, and took his deck instead for the same reasons. After that, they handed back their decks and placed them on the table, pulling out five cards for their hand.
"The only thing that's embarrassing is your whining. Now I'll start first." Kaiba said. He set a magic card face down, and placed Vorse Raider in attack mode. He didn't look like he was enjoying this duel very much, but he was doing it for reasons other than enjoyment. He wanted to revive Atem's fighting spirit, and perhaps even learn what crushed it in the first place. The difference between Atem from this morning, and the Atem that was playing now, was like the distance from the Moon to the Earth. It was too much to comprehend or explain.
"Nice card. I remember your tactics, Kaiba. Your deck uses the oldest tricks in the book of Duel Monsters. It is the so called Beatdown strategy, which utilizes strong monsters to force the opponent into defense and deplete his life points as fast as possible." Atem said with a little smile. He knew Seto's tricks, and it was going to take a lot more to defeat him than that.
"My, did you figure that on your own, or did someone help you?" Kaiba sarcastically said, mocking Atem. "Now make your move. It feels like I'm dueling my grandmother."
The shorter male nodded and put a monster card in defense mode, setting two magic cards face down. "I'm done. We are playing with 4,000 LP, right?"
"Even if we were playing with more, you'd still go down." Kaiba said, drawing another card. He grinned and played Hitotsu-Me Giant, waiting for a moment to see if that triggered any trap cards. Atem stood calmly and watched Kaiba, hands crossed.
"I'm waiting. You said I'm going down." Atem reminded.
"Shut up. I'll attack your face-down card with my Vorse Raider. He's got 1900 AP, which would easily destroy almost any pathetic card you have laid."
"Perhaps, but not this one." Atem flipped it, showing his Mystical Elf, which had 2000DP. "Because of the difference in your Vorse Raider's attack points, and my Mystical Elf's defense points, you lose a hundred life points."
"Big deal." Seto murmured as he wrote down his life points on a piece of paper, handing Atem a blank list as well as a pen so he could write down his own points whenever he loses some.
"It's my turn." Atem declared as he drew a card, his violet eyes looking at Kaiba's hazel ones. It's been a while since they could be like this – sitting in front of one another, holding the cards in their hands and watching each other carefully. Atem felt slightly uncomfortable under Seto's surprisingly calm stare, and decided to pay attention to his own hand instead.
"Alright, I'll put Mystic Clown in attack mode and activate a field spell – Yami, which raises the attack and defense points of all Fiend and Spellcaster type monsters by 200 points. I'll also put another magic card face down, and I will end my turn." Atem said. For some reason, he didn't attack. Perhaps he had a strategy planned all along?
"What a stupid move." Kaiba said as he drew his next card. "Your army of mystic losers won't be able to stop my powerful monsters. Allow me to introduce you to one of them." He smirked, playing the card he just drew from his deck. "I'm sacrificing my Hitotsu-Me Giant to summon Judge Man, in attack mode. Now—"
"I activate Trap Hole." Atem said matter-of-factly, flipping his first magic card on the field. Kaiba frowned and took his newly-placed Judge Man card, sending it to the graveyard field. At the same time, Atem placed his Trap Hole card in that same field, their fingers accidentally touching. Kaiba glared at Atem, while the violet-eyed man was startled from the sudden jolt of electricity between them. That didn't feel right at all! Perhaps the air was getting electrified from the heat of the duel?
"Fine, whatever. I'll use Vorse Raider to attack your puny Mystic Clown, and if you don't have any other magic cards to activate, it'll be destroyed and sent to the graveyard, plus you'll lose 200 life points." Kaiba smirked as he did the math out loud. Atem's Mystic Clown originally had 1500AP, but because of Yami, it gained a field spell bonus of two hundred points.
"Well done." Atem praised Seto as he put his Mystic Clown in the card graveyard.
"Thanks. Now it's your turn." Kaiba nonchalantly said and waited. "Oh, I almost forgot. Before you go any further, you should at least know the stakes of this game."
"I thought we were already playing for the rights of KaibaCorp." Atem said.
"We are, but to make it interesting, we're also adding your millennium puzzle. And to turn the game more challenging, since you're such a professional, for every monster I destroy on your field, you'll drink one glass of beer."
"Beer? You're not trying to intoxicate me, are you?" Atem asked, his eyebrows narrowing.
"Of course not. The same applies for me. For every monster you destroy on my side of the field, I'll drink one glass of beer, too. And since you already agreed to this duel, you have no choice but to oblige. Now, shall we?" Kaiba left his hand faced down on the table and took a glass for him and his opponent, filling it with beer. He also took the other packs of beer and left them on the table, so he wouldn't have to get up every time to take one, open it and pour the liquid in the glass.
Atem sighed and decided to play along. He took the glass and drank the beer inside in one go, seeing how Kaiba did the same. It was a strong beer, and Atem knew he wasn't used to drinking alcohol. He should be careful from now on …
"My turn." Atem said, grimacing a bit at the nasty aftertaste of the beer in his mouth. He drew a card, thinking for a moment what he should do. He didn't have the right card yet, so all he had left to do was wait for it to come. "I'll activate a face-down magic card, Swords of Revealing Light, meaning you can't attack for three turns. " He said, flipping one of his magic cards on the field. "With that, I end my turn."
"Hiding now, are we? Although you knew my strategy, you fell right for it." Kaiba grinned. He drew a card and grinned as he saw it, placing it immediately on the field. "I activate De-Spell to destroy your Swords of Revealing Light, and I'll sacrifice my Vorse Raider to summon Dragon Seeker, in attack mode. And since it's a Fiend, it gains your field bonus. I end my turn."
"You still don't have enough attack power to destroy my Mystical Elf. As long as she's standing, my life points will be safe." Atem said as he drew another card.
"Yes, because your Mystical Elf is the strongest monster in terms of defense in the whole game." Kaiba mocked him sarcastically.
Atem smirked, laying a monster face down.
"You're right, she's not. But she's strong enough to protect me."
"Well, it's time for you to stop counting on others for protection, and start counting on yourself." Kaiba said. He watched Atem carefully, seeing that the man wasn't going to do anything else for now, and decided to begin his turn. He drew a card and looked at Atem, wondering what could be hiding under those face-down cards. Perhaps he should get rid of them first. After all, they destroyed his Judge Man. He grinned and played a card in attack mode.
"I end my turn." Kaiba said, leaving Atem perplexed.
"You … summoned Ancient Lamp?" The violet-eyed man asked.
"Yes."
"In attack mode?"
"Obviously." Kaiba rolled his eyes.
"You sure the beer isn't getting to your head?" Atem asked, his confusion so visible that Kaiba found it hard not to laugh. "This was a horrible move. You could've even summoned La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp during your main phase."
"Don't teach me how to play the game and make your move." Seto hissed. He was well aware of what he could have done, but he didn't do it, end of discussion. He didn't want Atem coaching him how to do his strategies.
Atem shrugged and nodded, drawing a card. This was the weirdest move he's ever seen Kaiba make, and it felt almost like a trap. But there was a single magic card on his side of the field, and it didn't look like he was planning on activating it anytime soon. So, if that wasn't the case, then … what did he want?
"Kaiba, if you want to have beer so much, you can help yourself. Don't make me destroy your monsters just so you can drink." Atem said, laying Feral Imp on the field, in attack mode.
"Isn't it easier that way?" Kaiba jokingly replied.
"Well … if you say so. I attack your Ancient Lamp with my Feral Imp. It destroys it, and inflicts direct damage of four hundred points. You're down to 3,500 points. And you get to drink beer."
"Yay." Kaiba cheered in the most monotone, emotionless voice he had as he poured beer in his glass and drank it. Atem bit his lips to hold in a chuckle.
"It's your turn, Kaiba." He managed to say, clearing his throat.
Seto nodded and drew a card. He yawned and looked around, spotting the wall clock. Well, then.
"What is it, getting sleepy?" Atem softly asked, his eyes looking at Kaiba.
"Ah, yeah. It's time to end the duel." Seto calmly said. "I've held back long enough."
"What do you mean?" Atem questioned him. Held back what? Yes, the beer was definitely getting to Kaiba's head. The man had never acted like this before. He was usually so obsessed with the game and how he would win. Now, he didn't show a drop of pleasure in what he did.
Wait, … there it was.
Kaiba grinned widely. He obviously had a plan. Atem figured Kaiba wanted to summon some stronger monster, but why would he leave his Ancient Lamp unattended? It didn't make sense if he needed two tributes to summon his Blue Eyes White Dragon! Unless …
"I activate my spell card - Change of Heart, and I'll take control of your Feral Imp. So hand it over." He commanded. Atem obliged and gave his opponent the card, which was now in attack mode on his side of the field.
"I'll activate another spell card – Megamorph!" Kaiba declared, content audible in his voice. "It doubles the attack of whatever monster I choose if my health points are lower than yours."
"So that's why you wanted me to attack!" Atem gasped.
"Took you long enough to figure it out. Now, I choose my Vorse Raider, who has a total of 2100 attack points. Doubled, they become 4200. In case you can't count, that's more than enough to destroy your precious Mystical Elf. I attack your monster, and utterly destroy it."
Atem gulped, waiting to see what would he do next. This wasn't going to turn out pretty.
"Now, I'll attack with your Feral Imp, and –"
"Not so fast, Kaiba. I activate my trap card – Waboku. It nullifies all damage." Atem proudly said as he lifted his face down magic card. It was his last magic card on the field.
"Tsch, you think that can save you? Watch. I end my battle phase, and activate another spell card. Behold, Monster Reborn. It allows me to revive a monster from the graveyard, and I choose your Mystical Elf. I'll summon her in attack mode."
"Attack mode? You can't be …" Atem's words trailed off. He was planning to summon something! Otherwise he would bother to at least summon that monster in defense, if not summon a much stronger one, such as Judge Man.
"Yes, I am. Now, I'll sacrifice two of my monsters – Feral Imp and Mystical Elf, to summon the almighty Blue Eyes White Dragon! And seeing how you have no magic cards on the field, nor do you have any monster cards, I think your chances of getting out of this situation are pretty slim. But, since I've already done all that can be done during one's turn, I end mine here."
Atem nodded as he drew another card. This wasn't turning out well at all. If only this next card is something that can help to turn this situation around … Come on, heart of the cards!
"This …" Atem was more than surprised when he saw what card he drew, and the smile was quick to return on his lips. "…is going to be the end of you, Kaiba."
"Nonsense. No card can save you from my Blue Eyes White Dragon. Admit defeat now, so I can stop wasting my time with you!" Kaiba angrily hissed.
"Not yet! I activate my spell card, Dark Hole!" Atem placed the card he just drew on the field, and smirked as he saw the smug smile on Kaiba's face disappear. The man growled in fury as he placed his monster cards in the Graveyard.
"And now, I'll bring forth Silver Fang, in attack mode. I attack your life points directly. From 3,500 you're down to—"
"Not so fast, Muto. I activate my trap card, Negate Attack. Did you think I'd leave my life points defenseless like you just did?" Kaiba smirked. He was happy he caught Atem off guard. As much as this was a serious duel, it was obvious that both men were having much fun.
"Now, if you're done with your pathetic dog, I'll start my turn." Kaiba drew a card and placed it immediately on the field. "I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards." The brunette drew two more cards, and decided to summon a monster in defense mode. With that, he ended his turn. He didn't seem too happy with his hand at this moment, but he wasn't going to give up just yet.
"My wolf isn't a pathetic dog, and you'll learn this the hard way." Atem said with a little grin as he drew his card. "I activate my spell card, Beast Fangs. It enhances my monster's strength by three hundred points. Now I'll attack your face down card!"
Kaiba flipped his card, which turned out to be Saggi the Dark Clown. Its defense points would've matched Silver Fang's current attack points, if it wasn't affected by Yami. Thus, its defense rose from 1500 to 1700, rendering Silver Fang's attack useless, and reflecting the difference to Atem's life points.
"Was I supposed to learn something, Muto? Because I'm not getting the lesson you're trying to teach me." Kaiba said, drawing a card. "Now, I'll sacrifice my monster to summon a stronger one, which will put an end to your little puppy. I play Swordstalker in attack mode, and use it to wreck your Silver Fang. I hope you can calculate the attack points you just lost after you drink another glass of beer." Kaiba smirked. With a beer so strong, Atem wouldn't be able to count the fingers on his hand soon.
The exotic-haired man bit his lip in anger as he placed his Silver Fang, and his Beast Fangs in the graveyard. He poured himself beer and drank it as fast as he could, so he wouldn't have time to taste it. He hated beer.
"I can. I am left with 3,100 points – a little less than yours."
"Glad you can still subtract. Now it's your turn." Kaiba was definitely dominating this duel. He was quick to draw, think of a strategy in no time, and execute that strategy brilliantly. Atem hadn't dueled in years. He forgot what it was like to play against someone in such a simple, yet stressful game. He was starting to learn how important it was to keep your fighting spirit up at all times, even if there was seemingly no reason to.
Atem sighed and drew his card with a smile.
"I understand now." He softly said.
"What are you mumbling about?" Kaiba frowned. "Make your move already."
"Yes, of course. Although I feel like this duel has already fulfilled its purpose. Thank you, Kaiba. For being a true friend, after all I've done to you." He said, looking at Kaiba. What he saw was a rather flustered, angered, embarrassed and humiliated person in front of him. Not the kind of a friend he was referring to a moment ago.
"A friend? Don't screw with me, Muto. We're enemies, nothing more. Now make your move before I decide you're forfeiting the game."
Atem chuckled and nodded. Yes, this was the Kaiba he knew. He looked at the card he drew, then looked at Seto. This was going to sting …
"I activate my spell card – Monster Reborn." Atem said. Kaiba's eyes widened as he immediately figured out which card his opponent was going to summon.
"Sorry Kaiba, but this is the end. I'll resurrect a monster's soul from the graveyard, more specifically, your Blue Eyes White Dragon." He took the card from the graveyard and placed it in his field in attack mode. "Now, I'll attack your Swordstalker and –"
The sound of a sudden loud and booming thunder filled the whole room. The lightning had probably struck the apartment, because at that moment, all lights automatically went out and the building literally shook. It was like a mini earthquake which caused both men to tumble, along with the table. Never in the history of storms had there been such a strong, loud and powerful thunder, enough to make the windows vibrate.
"Big brother, did you hear that?" Mokuba yelled as he ran to the living room, using his phone to make his way through the darkness. He had to find Seto, what if something happened to him? Mokuba shook his head, navigating in the pitch black corridor leading to the living room. No, nothing bad can happen to his big brother. He was the best in everything, there was no way a thunder could harm him. Who else was going to protect him, if not Seto?
"Big brother? Big brother!" Mokuba called again. He finally reached the living room with his phone and used the light to find his brother in the darkness. He found him almost instantly – groaning in pain, his hair all messed up from the fall and beer cans scattered on the carpet. Mokuba was more than happy to run to his brother's rescue, but he stopped mid-way when he saw that the light of his phone revealed much more than Seto.
They revealed a petite figure under his big brother's body, lying on the ground with legs spread wide open and shirt conveniently lifted. Seto's right knee seemed to be pressed between said legs, and the smaller male was emitting sounds that were either the result of great agony, or … the opposite.
Fifty Shades of Duel Monsters, anyone?
WingsOfSatan: Whoa, murdered? Hm, not necessarily weird, but quite unexpected lol