Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter. - Ernest Hemingway
Chapter 7: Framed
Marthis angrily draped his cloak around his shoulders and stormed outside. The sun still had yet to completely rise outside, so the sky was tinted in a purple tone.
He spotted a marshal approaching with a spellcaster and two darklands type monsters with him.
"Sir Marthis, I found-"
"They'll do." Marthis interrupted abruptly.
He gestured for the creatures to follow him, then dashed off to the stables. Marthis selected the finest horse the Emperor had to offer- it was his, after all- and mounted it. It was a majestic mare, colored from head to hooves in a color that could not be distinguished as red or brown, with impressive size. For such a beautiful creature, it was both majestic and terrifying at the same time.
"You three, follow me. And keep up!" Marthis ordered his monsters.
He adjusted the reins in his hands and tapped his heels against the sides of his horse.
"Hellfire, let's go! Hyaah!"
He whipped the reins and gave the horse a more powerful kick. The horse reared powerfully, before taking off at a thundering gallop. The cool air of the morning whistled against Marthis's mask and stung his bare knuckles as he clenched the leather straps in his hands.
Those fiends... what wicked plans could Kaiba and his party be plotting?
-a-b-c-d-e-f-g-h-i-j-k-l-
As a matter of fact, Kaiba and his team were plotting... absolutely nothing.
The pink hues of the sky as the sun rose created a rather peaceful atmosphere, over the rugged mountains and the lush green valley that divided them. Three fortresses were scattered within the valley- the western and eastern ones were built as more permanent structures, as a small city and a castle, rather than the central wooden fort.
At this fort, several monsters were taking refuge, resting from a weary night of travel. Among the monsters scattered in the grass, there were three flying monsters resting peacefully. With them were four humans, their masters- known as marshals within this world.
Seto Kaiba stirred momentarily in his sleep, slowly beginning to float back into consciousness. He slowly awakened from the entrancing sleep that had so often eluded him. Bristly fur rustled against his cheek as he slowly regained his senses. Seto shook his head, realizing his face was pressed against the back of Berfomet. There was pain in his back, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been that night. He propped himself up with one arm, glancing behind him. Shizuka's back was turned to him, and she was breathing softly at a fairly slow rate- a sign she was still asleep.
Kaiba rolled onto his stomach and crawled backwards to find a spot to crawl off the creature- careful to mind its wings. He curved his body at an angle and slid down on his stomach. He caught his balance as his feet hit the grass, brushing off the loose fur that had accumulated on his leather clothes. A few paces away, Midnight Fiend and Ryu-Kishin Powered were resting on their undersides as well. Mokuba was resting on his back on top of Ryu-Kishin Powered; Kotsuzuka was resting on his side, facing away from Kaiba on the back of his monster.
Good, everyone made it through. I was concerned someone might have fallen off overnight.
Seto glanced down at his Duel Disk's digital display, waiting for a readout of the surroundings to load. With a little beep, the map finally showed up- they were in the Uruvie Canyon, and had taken refuge at Beyzon. The time was apparently 8:55 in the morning.
A loud groaning caught Seto by surprise, and he turned around suddenly. It was merely Kotsuzuka, stretching out as he woke up. As though his motions had triggered a chain reaction, Mokuba and Shizuka were now awakening as well. Spotting Kaiba, they climbed off the monsters to approach him.
"Ohhh-h-h, nii-sama..." Mokuba moaned, stretching his arms. "That was a rough night..."
"Like we really had much of a choice," Kotsuzuka replied, flexing his neck. "Kaiba would've been killed, and there's no telling what would've happened to the rest of us if we hadn't left."
"Your plan really did work, Kotsuzuka." Shizuka complimented, as she brushed Berfomet's hair off of her clothes. The younger boy gave her a grateful smile.
"The only question is, how do we get out now?" Mokuba asked his older brother. "The story of the game said we had to fight for the Emperor, and now we're trying to escape from him! I don't think we'll make a lot of progress that way."
"And I still need to find my brother and his friends," Shizuka sighed. "I wonder if everyone's okay..."
"We'll figure that out later! We have no idea what to do, or who else is still here," Seto spoke up, increasing his volume. "First we need to decide where to go, and once we get there, we can look for advice from the people."
"Not to mention, look for some food," Kotsuzuka commented, clasping a hand to his gurgling stomach. "My plan was perfect, except we didn't think to bring food... then again, we didn't really get a chance to pack any..."
Seto glared at him as a sign to stop talking, then glanced down at his Duel Disk, holding it out for the team to see. "There are two fortresses near here where we might be able to find some help. We're the green spot here, on the map, and... hmm... that's weird..."
"What? What's wrong?" Mokuba asked, scanning the map for any signs of trouble.
"These two icons were yellow before, but now they've turned red..." Seto observed.
"Well, let's see... green must mean our team, like the good guys," Kotsuzuka deduced. "These dots must keep track of where marshals are. So if green means 'good', then red must mean-"
"Kaiba, you traitor!" snarled a voice on the communicator.
Kaiba groaned. Oh, great...
He clicked over to the option to show marshals actually on the field- he, Mokuba, Kotsuzuka, and Shizuka were pictured with the green base. One red base - Craw Valley - showed an officer residing there; the other red base - Vrauson - held an officer, three soldiers, and...
"You are completely surrounded." Marthis declared. "If you give up now, I may spare your life!"
Seto glared at his Duel Disk, as if he were glaring right back at Marthis himself.
"Hmph! As if I would ever believe that promise from you. The answer is no. I will never give in!" he shot back.
"Stop acting so tough! We have you vastly outnumbered! Do you really think you stand a chance?" Marthis exclaimed. "You are too arrogant for your own good! That's what I hate most about you, Kaiba! You have no respect for the Emperor's authority and rule!"
"You're right. I have no respect for that old sack of bones." Seto replied, smirking. "Why don't you shut up and attack already? I'm looking forward to yanking out that tongue of yours!"
"You asked for it!" Marthis fumed. He set his communicator to address every marshal in the region. "Attack! I'll reward the man that captures Kaiba whatever he wants!"
It didn't take long for the officer and three soldiers staying at Vrauson to come marching towards their base at Beyzon.
"Go get your monsters!" Seto commanded.
Kotsuzuka hustled over to shake Berfomet awake, then ran off to search for Water Girl and The Snake Hair. Mokuba followed him, searching for Hitotsu-Me Giant, Three-Headed Geedo, and Dark King of the Abyss.
Seto dashed over to Ryu-Kishin Powered, shaking it awake.
"Should we try to build a cannon?" Shizuka asked.
"There's no time, and we don't have the supplies!" Seto replied. "Damn it! I wish we had a good constructor here!"
"I wish we had a good cook, too..." she sighed. He glared at her.
Mokuba and Kotsuzuka came running back, along with their were their monsters and Seto's as well.
"Okay, what's the plan?" Kotsuzuka asked, catching his breath.
"It's six against three. We have to conserve our strength as much as possible. That officer at Craw Valley didn't come attacking for a reason; he might be asking for more help. We've got bigger issues heading our way, though. We have to take out the marshals heading for us. Mokuba, that'll be your job."
"Okay, nii-sama."
"Kotsuzuka, you'll fight the officer at Craw-Valley."
"Got it," he replied, turning to his monsters.
"Don't go just yet," Kaiba warned. "Remember, these four soldiers are our biggest concern for now. If Mokuba can't finish them all off, you'll be responsible for doing it."
Kotsuzuka nodded as a sign of understanding.
"As for me... I'll take out Marthis. I'm sick of him, and I want to eliminate him once and for all. Once he's out of the way, I can help you fight the officer at Craw-Valley if you need it. You'd better not need it, though."
The roaring of a dragon caught Seto's attention.
"Mokuba, go! They're here!"
The younger of the Kaiba brothers whistled for his monsters and ran through the wooden gateway with them. The ground beneath his sneakers was cracked and sandy, a sign the region had lacked a good rainfall for a while, but what caught his attention was the marshal ahead of him on the road.
Armored Lizard was one of his monsters, just like his older brother's. He also had a large, green dragon with small wings and yellowed horns and claws. Its neck appeared rather flexible, as it kept swinging from side to side. This one was known as the Blackland Fire Dragon. His third monster was a much smaller dragon colored like the sandy ground, and much cuter as well, with large eyes and smaller features. This one had wings able to actually support its weight, and it floated in the air. True to its small size, this was indeed a Baby Dragon.
"Hmph. You should never send a boy to do a man's job," the officer mocked.
"I agree," Mokuba taunted. "All right! Three-Headed Geedo, Hitotsu-Me Giant, Dark King of the Abyss... Summon!"
"You little brat! Armored Lizard, Blackland Fire Dragon, Baby Dragon! Summon!"
All six monsters now appeared ready for a brutal fight, with hissing, growling, grunting, and roaring coming from both sides of the battlefield.
"Just to teach you a lesson, I'll go first! Blackland Fire Dragon, attack Three-Headed Geedo with Flame Gale!"
The green dragon rolled its head back, then spewed flames from its mouth, scorching the fiend. Even Mokuba could feel the heat as a few embers scattered after the attack.
"Now, Baby Dragon, attack Three-Headed Geedo again with Fire Breath!"
The smaller dragon inhaled deeply as it prepared its attack. It was almost a cute and comical scene, as it nearly rolled onto its back in midair. It wasn't very funny once another stream of fire blazed against the body of Three-Headed Geedo, causing critical damage. Mokuba flinched as a wave of heat hit after the fiery attack, then shook it off.
"If you think I'm going to let you attack me again, think again! Three-Headed Geedo, heal yourself with Red Medicine! And Dark King of the Abyss, attack Baby Dragon with Inferno Trial!"
A red wave of light passed over the fiendish creature. It straightened its posture and appeared ready to fight after the medicine had taken effect, which was definitely a good sign.
The dark king fired a green beam of energy at the smaller dragon, almost like a laser. Revenge is truly sweet... the attack delivered critical damage! It was a little sad to see the smaller dragon with its eyes squeezed tightly in pain, with a dark spot on its chest where the beam had hit... but it was only a creature generated by a computer, nothing more.
"Grrr... Armored Lizard! Attack Three-Headed Geedo with Battle Arts Claw!"
"Oh yeah? Hitotsu-Me Giant, attack Baby Dragon with Sledge Hammer!"
The two monsters leapt towards the opposite side. Hitotsu-Me Giant clasped its hands together into a larger fist and raised them over its head, before slamming them down over the neck of the smaller dragon. Armored Lizard, meanwhile, drew its talons back with a cry and slashed them across the shoulder of the fiend.
For the next turn, the officer repeated his attack on the fiend with his two dragons. Mokuba wisely had Three-Headed Geedo guard after that turn, and had Dark King of the Abyss attack Baby Dragon yet again. Hitotsu-Me Giant used Blue Medicine on Three-Headed Geedo to help ensure its health. Armored Lizard attempted to attack the tri-headed creature, but because Three-Headed Geedo had braced itself in the Guard position, the slashing attack did not deliver any damage.
Mokuba glanced over his shoulder as he heard Kotsuzuka and Shizuka applauding his good fortune. He grinned back at them as the third round started. When Blackland Fire Dragon attacked, it delivered enough damage to knock Three-Headed Geedo out of Guard position. This left it wide open for another attack from Baby Dragon. This didn't scare Mokuba, though!
"Three-Headed Geedo, attack Baby Dragon with Razzle Dazzle!"
The fiend raised its hands and shifted them in a slow, rhythmic up-and-down pattern. A magenta orb formed around the body of Baby Dragon, then released electrical energy into the creature. Next, Mokuba had Dark King of the Abyss attack Baby Dragon. This time, the attack delivered enough energy to knock out the smaller dragon! The soldier cursed softly as Mokuba finished his turn by having Hitotsu-Me Giant attack Blackland Fire Dragon. In return, Armored Lizard slashed Three-Headed Geedo.
Points were calculated, and Mokuba had won the match by a large margin, thanks to the critical hit he had scored and defeating Baby Dragon. The officer had to leave to give his monsters five minutes to rest and restore their Action Points.
"Don't worry, I can take this kid!" A new soldier marched onto the scene. "Axe Raider, Ryu-Kishin Powered, Penguin Soldier! Summon!"
"Three-Headed Geedo, Hitotsu-Me Giant, Dark King of the Abyss... Summon!"
"I'll go first! Axe Raider, attack Three-Headed Geedo with Crushing Axe!"
The armor-clad warrior swung said axe as he leapt forward, brutally hacking across the fiend's body.
"Now, Penguin Soldier! Attack it again with Spinning Sword Slash!"
With a small squack, the little penguin held up its sword and started to spin in a circle. It maneuvered itself along a curved path, spinning faster as it approached the fiend to deliver extra slashing. It finally swerved back to the spot where it had been standing and came to a halt. Remarkably, it didn't appear to be affected by dizziness at all!
"Hitotsu-Me Giant, heal Three-Headed Geedo with Blue Medicine! Dark King of the Abyss, attack Penguin Soldier with Inferno Trial!"
The green laser beam hit its mark, reducing the penguin's Life Points by almost one fourth. This was definitely a good monster to attack!
"You too, Three-Headed Geedo! Attack with Razzle Dazzle!"
Successfully hitting, the energy orb further lowered the penguin's Life Points.
"Ryu-Kishin Powered, attack Hitotsu-Me Giant with Powered Beam!"
Mokuba was quite surprised that his fiend creature had been spared, but the blast of energy still successfully hit his warrior.
In the second round, Axe Raider also attacked Hitotsu-Me Giant. Now it had a little over half of its Life Points remaining. Penguin Soldier attacked Dark King of the Abyss this time, only giving minor damage. Mokuba used Hitotsu-Me Giant's turn to heal itself, then had his Dark King attack Penguin Solider, leaving it with only a quarter of its Life Points! Ryu-Kishin Powered chose to attack Three-Headed Geedo this time, but Mokuba's fiend creature held strong and fought back, attacking Penguin Soldier with Razzle Dazzle, enough to leave it with a scant amount of Life Points!
In the next round, Mokuba had Three-Headed Geedo sit in Guard Position, and had Dark King of the Abyss attack Penguin Soldier. Much to his disappointment, the beam's attack fell just to the right of Penguin Soldier. With two Action Points remaining, Penguin Soldier attacked Hitotsu-Me Giant twice, despite how little damage it did.
Missing the attack had a critical effect on Mokuba's points; he ended up losing the match by only 308 points. If that attack had hit, he would have won!
"Haha, see? You're slipping under pressure. My team'll be back in a second!" the soldier taunted.
"Here, I'll handle the kid while you wait," said a second soldier. "Ryu-Kishin Powered! Axe Raider! Penguin Soldier! Summon!"
"Three-Headed Geedo, Dark King of the Abyss, Hitotsu-Me Giant! Summon!" Mokuba cried.
"Ryu-Kishin Powered, attack Three-Headed Geedo with Powered Beam! Penguin Soldier, do the same with your Spinning Sword Slash!" the soldier declared before Mokuba had a chance to react.
Both monsters delivered their attacks successfully; Mokuba's monster was starting to look really weary.
"Dark King of the Abyss, attack Penguin Soldier with Inferno Trial! Three-Headed Geedo, heal yourself with Red Medicine."
As the green energy beam struck the beast, the red healing energy engulfed Mokuba's other fiend.
"Axe Raider, attack Hitotsu-Me Giant with Crushing Axe!"
The axe met its mark, striking the monster brutally.
"Hitotsu-Me Giant, heal yourself with Blue Medicine!"
A blue healing energy engulfed the same monster. It definitely appeared to be feeling a little better.
The next round, Penguin Soldier was assigned to Guard position and Ryu-Kishin Powered attacked Three-Headed Geedo. Three-Headed Geedo was definitely feeling better, so it attacked Penguin Soldier, delivering enough damage to knock it out of Guard position. After that, Dark King of the Abyss attacked the penguin next, delivering enough damage to lower its Life Points in half. Axe Raider attacked Hitotsu-Me Giant after that, but it still had a healthy amount of Life Points. Mokuba had it attack Penguin Soldier.
The next round, much to Mokuba's annoyance, Penguin Soldier also sat in Guard position again. Dark King of the Abyss was able to knock it out of Guard position with an Inferno Trial attack, but when Three-Headed Geedo attacked, it wasn't completely able to defeat Penguin Soldier, leaving it with 52 Life Points. Penguin Soldier finished the match by attacking Dark King of the Abyss.
Again, Mokuba was left with a disappointing loss, this time by only 189 points.
"Do you need any help?" Kotsuzuka called out from the wooden fort.
"I'll be okay! Tell my big brother not to worry!"
Kotsuzuka turned to Kaiba, standing beside him.
"He says not to-"
"I heard."
Kotsuzuka glanced down from the wooden watch tower, watching as Mokuba engaged in battle with a third soldier.
The first round, Penguin Soldier attacked Three-Headed Geedo. Mokuba acted quickly this time and had Hitotsu-Me Giant and Dark King of the Abyss attack Penguin Soldier. His quick thinking rewarded him; the second attack delivered critical damage! Axe Raider attacked Hitotsu-Me Giant, but then Three-Headed Geedo attacked Penguin Solider. Ryu-Kishin Powered finished the round by attacking Hitotsu-Me Giant as well.
The second round, Hitotsu-Me Giant healed itself, then Three-Headed Geedo attacked Penguin Soldier. Penguin Soldier attacked Three-Headed Geedo, then Ryu-Kishin Powered attacked Dark King of the Abyss. The Dark King assumed the Guard position, just before Axe Raider attacked it. It was knocked out of position and received minor damage.
In the third round, Penguin Soldier attacked Dark King of the Abyss as well. Three-Headed Geedo used Red Medicine to heal it, then the Dark King- feeling revitalized- attacked and finished off Penguin Soldier once and for all.
Having destroyed an opponent's monster, Mokuba got a nice boost of points. He won the match by a decent 567 points.
"Here, don't worry," said the second soldier from before. "I can handle it from here. Penguin Soldier, Ryu-Kishin Powered, Axe Raider! Summon!"
"Three-Headed Geedo, Dark King of the Abyss, Hitotsu-Me Giant! Summon!"
Immediately, Mokuba had Three-Headed Geedo attack Penguin Soldier, defeating it for good. Now he had Dark King of the Abyss and Hitotsu-Me Giant attack Ryu-Kishin Powered. In return, it attacked Dark King of the Abyss, whereas Axe Raider attacked Hitotsu-Me Giant. It healed itself, then Mokuba had his two other monsters Guard. Axe Raider attacked Dark King of the Abyss, successfully knocking it off guard. Ryu-Kishin Powered then attacked it again for extra damage. Both fiends attacked Ryu-Kishin Powered again to finish the match.
Just like before, Mokuba won the match. His confidence was definitely improving after winning by 989 points.
"Oh, you sure 'handled' that well. Let me show you how it's done," the first soldier jeered, brushing past his defeated comrade. "Axe Raider! Ryu-Kishin Powered! Penguin Soldier! Summon!"
"Three-Headed Geedo! Dark King of the Abyss! Hitotsu-Me Giant! Summon!"
In the first round, Hitotsu-Me Giant attacked Penguin Soldier, quickly defeating it. Three-Headed Geedo then attacked Ryu-Kishin Powered. Ryu-Kishin Powered attacked it back, whereas Axe Raider chose to Guard. Dark King of the Abyss then proceeded to attack Ryu-Kishin Powered as well. Hitotsu-Me Giant used its last Action Point to Guard, and Three-Headed Geedo repeated the action. Ryu-Kishin Powered attempted to attack Three-Headed Geedo, but the Powered Beam missed. Axe Raider attacked the same monster and hit, delivering a little damage. Three-Headed Geedo and Dark King of the Abyss were now free to attack Ryu-Kishin Powered.
Mokuba won this match, by 323 points.
Now the officer from before stepped forward to fight. "Blackland Fire Dragon! Armored Lizard! Summon!"
"Dark King of the Abyss, Hitotsu-Me Giant, and Three-Headed Geedo! Summon!"
Mokuba started the match by having Hitotsu-Me Giant wait a turn, then having Dark King of the Abyss and Three-Headed Geedo Guard. Blackland Fire Dragon attacked Dark King of the Abyss, delivering minor damage, then had Armored Lizard attack it again.
Mokuba quickly had Hitotsu-Me Giant use a Blue Medicine to heal the Dark King, then had it Guard again as Three-Headed Geedo attacked Blackland Fire Dragon. Blackland Fire Dragon attempted to attack Dark King of the Abyss but missed; Armored Lizard hit it but only delivered meager damage.
Hitotsu-Me Giant attacked Blackland Fire Dragon this turn. Dark King of the Abyss, feeling stronger, attacked Blackland Fire Dragon, as did Three-Headed Geedo. The dragon attacked the giant, whereas Armored Lizard chose to Guard.
Mokuba stood there, waiting for the soldier to remark on his defeat, but he didn't.
"Kid... what're you doing? You still have another attack left."
"I do?" Mokuba gasped. He glanced down at his read-out, and sure enough, Dark King of the Abyss had one Action Point left. "Whoa, sweet! It must have been leveling up! Okay, Dark King of the Abyss, attack Blackland Fire Dragon with Inferno Trial!"
The attack hit Blackland Fire Dragon successfully, ending the match. It was only holding on to about 90 Life Points.
"This isn't over!" the officer growled, marching away.
The third soldier returned for a match.
"Axe Raider and Ryu-Kishin Powered... Summon!"
"Hitotsu-Me Giant, Dark King of the Abyss, Three-Headed Geedo! Summon!"
Both of the opponent's monsters chose to Guard; Mokuba had his fiends Guard as well, whereas Hitotsu-Me Giant waited a turn. Now both Axe Raider and Ryu-Kishin Powered attacked Three-Headed Geedo; both attacks hit but delivered no damage. Now Mokuba was free to attack, and with seven total Action Points too!
Ryu-Kishin Powered had about 930 Life Points, but they could be easily eliminated after 6 or 7 turns, possibly even 5 if Mokuba got lucky.
Three-Headed Geedo attacked first, delivering a good 175 points of damage. Then it was Dark King of the Abyss's turn, and a well-aimed Inferno Trial delivered 152 points of damage. Last came Hitotsu-Me Giant, delivering 160 points of damage.
Mokuba checked the readout after that turn. Ryu-Kishin Powered had about 443 Life Points left.
The next round, Three-Headed Geedo delivered 155 points of damage and Hitotsu-Me Giant delivered 132 points of damage. Dark King of the Abyss delivered 139 points of damage. For a final attack, Dark King of the Abyss delivered 153 points, plenty to knock out Ryu-Kishin Powered.
The first soldier returned for another fight.
The first round, Mokuba had all three of his monsters Guard. His opponent had Ryu-Kishin Powered sit on Guard, whereas he had Axe Raider attack Three-Headed Geedo, delivering minor damage. Three-Headed Geedo attacked Ryu-Kishin Powered next, delivering minor damage, then had Hitotsu-Me Giant wait, followed by Dark King of the Abyss attacking to deliver more damage.
Kotsuzuka stretched his arms out as Mokuba continued to fight. The soldiers had attacked at 9; now it was almost 10.
"Can I please just go fight now? I think Mokuba can handle these guys. See? He just won the fight,"
The second soldier approached Mokuba to fight. Seto watched as his brother used another Blue Medicine (now down to one) to heal a monster as he started a fight.
"I told you, not just yet. These soldiers haven't been completely defeated, and something could go wrong." Seto replied.
"Then why can't you fight them?"
"As the leader of the group, my safety and my victory is the most important," Seto retorted. "Even if Mokuba beats these guys, even if you beat the officer at Craw Valley... if I lose the fight to Marthis, everything is in vain. We lose. If those weren't the rules... that would be me fighting down there instead of my brother."
Kotsuzuka stared back at Seto for a moment, until a flash of blue light of behind him tore his attention away.
"That was his last Blue Medicine," Kotsuzuka stated.
"He's starting a new fight," Shizuka reported.
Attacks were exchanged, monsters were put on guard, until a monster finally fell...
... and it was Three-Headed Geedo. The constant barrage of flaming attacks from the opponent's dragon seemed to have left Mokuba slightly shaken up.
Mokuba lost his first match after a streak of seven victories. Sure, he had taken down Blackland Fire Dragon, and Armored Lizard only had three-fourths of its Life Points left... but a loss was a loss.
Seto, however, hadn't failed to notice that Mokuba now seemed to be a little 'out of it'.
"Mokuba! You don't look very good. Do you want to take a break?" his older brother shouted to him.
Mokuba shook his head.
"Don't worry, Nii-sama! I'll be fine!"
The third soldier stepped forward with only Axe Raider remaining, but Mokuba had to play it safe, having his monsters Guard on each turn. After Axe Raider's Action Points ran out, he had Dark King of the Abyss attack twice.
Next time I fight him, I can take him down! Mokuba told himself.
The first soldier returned to fight Mokuba again, and although he lost Ryu-Kishin Powered, at least Axe Raider held on to fight. Mokuba won the match, although Hitotsu-Me Giant was slouched over, panting heavily, down to the last of its Life Points.
"Oh, gosh..." Mokuba sympathized, "... you can't take much more of this, can you?"
Soldier number 2 returned with a very low-powered Ryu-Kashin Powered and Axe Raider. Hitotsu-Me Giant quickly defeated the weak fiend, until Mokuba realized what a mistake he had made.
Oh no! I should've put him in Guard!
Rather than dwelling on his mistake, he at least had Dark King of the Abyss attack Axe Raider.
Axe Raider attacked Hitotsu-Me Giant without hesitation, and the warrior fell to the ground, defeated.
"Nooo!" Mokuba cried, running to the creature's side. He almost wanted to offer some sort of comfort to the creature. He gently reached down and placed a hand on the shoulder of the monster. It stared up at him weakly with its lone eye before closing it.
Mokuba shook his head.
Concentrate!
"Dark King of the Abyss! Attack Axe Raider with Inferno Trial!"
Axe Raider struck back with Crushing Axe, silencing the fiend. It still fought back with two attacks, but it was clearly tired out.
"Nii-sama, I think I'm ready to -"
Before Mokuba had a chance to pull back, the officer had returned.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. All out of steam? Armored Lizard! Summon!"
Even Mokuba had to admit, he had started to feel poorly- not just for his monsters, but physically as well. He had never lost a fight all-out... was this how it felt?
"Oh crap..." Kotsuzuka muttered, gazing over the edge of the watch tower. "He's not gonna make it!"
He dashed over to the ladder leading up to the watch tower and clambered down it rapidly, his hands and feet pounding against the rungs.
"Kotsuzuka! Where are you going?" Shizuka shouted as the boy gathered his three monsters together.
"Kaiba was right! Mokuba needs my help!" Kotsuzuka called back as he ran for the doorway of the fortress.
"Dark King of the Abyss!" Mokuba paused to catch his breath. "Summ-"
"Battle Arts Claw!"
The soldier spared Mokuba no mercy, having his reptilian creature immediately attack the robed fiend. Dark King of the Abyss fell onto its back, completely depleted of its Life Points. At the same time, a powerful shockwave knocked Mokuba off his feet.
"Mokuba! No!" his older brother shouted as the boy toppled over backwards...
... Until Kotsuzuka caught him from behind and broke his fall.
"Kotsuzuka!" Mokuba gasped.
"Are you okay?" he asked, surprised that he actually managed to keep him from collapsing. "Can you stand?"
"Yeah," Mokuba replied, getting to his feet, although he was slightly unsteady.
"Go see Shizuka. You need to lie down." Kotsuzuka glanced over and saw Mokuba's monsters sluggishly returning to the fort. "Your monsters need a good rest too. Don't worry. I can take these guys now."
Mokuba held onto Kotsuzuka's shoulder to ensure his stability one last time, before walking back to the fortress.
"All right then! Soldier number three! It's your turn! Water Girl, Berfomet, The Snake Hair! Summon!"
"Axe Raider! Summon!"
Seto and Shizuka ran over to Mokuba.
"Nii-sama! I almost had him!"
"That's okay, you fought to the best of your ability... and it definitely was enough." Seto glanced up and watched as Water Girl knocked out Axe Raider. The first soldier was now muttering something as he summoned his own Axe Raider to fight against Kotsuzuka.
"Come on, Mokuba," Shizuka comforted, placing a gentle hand on the shoulder of the younger boy. "I think you've earned a nice rest. If you're in any pain, I'll see if I can help you feel better."
Seto watched her head over to a small cabin within the the fortress, then turned his attention back to the fighting. Berfomet had the honors of defeating this soldier.
The second soldier returned, and lost after his Axe Raider took attacks from The Snake Hair and Water Girl.
Finally, the officer that defeated Mokuba fought against Kotsuzuka... and sure enough, was defeated after Armored Lizard took a critical hit from Berfomet.
"How're your monsters?" Kaiba asked.
"Didn't take a single hit!" Kotsuzuka replied with a grin. "My monsters still have all their Life Points."
"Huh. Not bad," Kaiba stated. "Go ahead to Craw Valley. You can handle it."
He glanced back inside the fortress and waved his monsters over.
"As for me, I have a score to settle with Marthis."