LOTL Chapter 10: Mana vs Raph part 1: Spell Play
At 7:00 AM we find Yoko just waking up in Raphael's huge guest room. Now, Yoko is far from a morning person. So, when Raphael and Yugi are at the table and see her come in, they are understandably shocked. In place of the peppy and energetic girl they met last night, they see someone that could be cast as a zombie. That is, of course, she needed no make-up for the part.
"...coffee...," she is heard muttering as she approaches a fresh pot of the stuff. Not even pausing to add anything to it, she downs the stuff at a rate most would think unbearable.
Yugi seemed less surprised about how Yoko drank the coffee, than he was about Yoko drinking it black. 'She really must be out of it this morning,' Yugi thought. 'She may not have fully recovered from last night's duel.'
As soon as Yugi finished his thought, he notices Raphael staring at his cousin in utter astonishment. "Don't worry Raphael," Yugi says with a smile. "Yoko's just not human in the morning 'till she's had some coffee." Raphael only nods, wondering just what other strange things there were to learn about Yugi's cousin.
Meanwhile, we join a certain spellcaster, on her way to find her new charge. 'I just don't get how humans today can stand living in such close quarters,' were Mana's thoughts, as she trudged through Domino City in her new outfit. Obelisk had admirable taste for an ancient god, choosing standard blue jeans, white and black sneakers, pink tank-top, with a blue jean jacket to match. Around her hips was a belt with a deck box, currently holding her duel monster cards. Her backpack, which carried her change of cloths, money, and custom duel disk, was pink as well.
Mana, however, was having a hard time finding Yugi's current accommodations. "Excuse me," Mana asked a passing man, "Would you know the location of Yugi Mouto?"
"Yugi Mouto...mouto...," the person said.
While he was thinking, Mana took the time to examine this person of the 21st century. He wasn't very notable; he was just an average youth, about 17 years of age, with Orange hair, greyish eyes, pale skin, wearing black and red workout clothes with black and red jacket over it all.
'This one seems to like those two colors,' Mana thought to herself, until the person in question brought her back to reality.
"Now that you mention it," the person said, "I saw someone that looked like Yugi Mouto around Raphael's place. He's a rich guy that worked for Paradias Corporation before it went under. In addition, his family was well known in the community for their wealth and generosity."
"Could you tell me where to find them?" Mana asked with poorly hidden glee.
"Sure," the guy shrugged, "the place is two blocks down and the only building that looks like a mansion."
"Thank you sir," Mana said bowing thankfully. And with that, she was off to find her pharaoh. She didn't notice when the man seemed to smile in a knowing way and disappear into the crowd.
Some time later, Yoko was back to her normal self. This meant one thing for poor Yugi...makeover. Raphael, wisely in his humble opinion, ran for his life when Yoko uttered that ... that... word.
'I'm really glad I'm not Yugi right now,' Raphael thought reading in his study. 'She is a nice kid and all, but with the way she acts...'"UHH" The thought was too much for him. He waited instead for what would emerge from Yugi's room. He was reading his paper for what seemed like hours before the door opened. The next thing he saw was Yugi, in an admittedly good outfit. Instead of the modified school uniform, he wore faded blue jeans, a dark red tank-top, and black leather duster, complete with belt which had his deck box attached, his new duel disk on, and a pair of steel-toed combat boots. All in all, the boots made Yugi look a couple inches taller, and he gave off a tougher look, a look that was ruined by his sheepish smile and nervous expression.
"So, do I look alright?" questioned the boy as his friend took in his appearance.
"Actually yes, I gotta admit it's an improvement," Raphael said appraisingly as Yoko took a bow.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, your too kind," she began to rant as though accepting an award. "I'd like to thank the academy, and all the little people who made this rather dificult project possible." (Yugi sweatdropped at the little comment.) "Admittedly, my subject still needs to grow into it. I'm still sure this new look will inspire a whole new sensation."
Both Yugi and Raphael shared a quick face-vault until Raphael chose to comment. "I have to agree, it is a good look. All you have to do is gain confidence and there won't be anyone that will take you lightly ever again."
Raphael's comment made Yugi blush; "I just don't know about the confidence. I've always been more of the quiet type."
Yoko began to shake her head, "Come on, ya goof. You know that speech you're always giving about believing in yourself? Well, that applies to life as well. It's a little something called confidence, and with us behind you and your track record...wait, I take it back, it's a lost cause," Yoko finished, turning, to hide a sly grin.
Yugi, for his part, looked flustered, "What do you mean, 'lost cause'? I can be just as confident as the next guy!" Yugi yelled, clearly not grasping the situation.
"Well then mister 'I'm-so-confident', how about you duel old Raph there, and we'll see just how you feel?" Yoko smirked.
Yugi was about to except when the door bell rang. Raphael, who'd been listening to the 2, went to see who it was. Yugi was just behind, and opening the door, he saw a familiar duel monster in regular clothes.
Mana, for her part, just stared at the one called Yugi. He was just how she remembered seeing him last during the Dartz incident. Yet, there was a sadness in his eyes, a sort of broken spirit that her heart cried out to. Much to the 2 men's astonishment, the strange girl launched herself at Yugi, knocking over Raphael in the process. Yugi, while in a glomp that was as strong as his cousin's if not stronger, couldn't figure out what she was doing here.
"Yugi-kun!" Mana exclaimed," it is so good to see you again. I have wanted to come here sooner, but I was delayed, ohcanyoueverforgiveme!" the last part being spoken so fast, Yugi could not make heads or tails of it. Then again, it could be that the glomp was keeping him from breathing, causing the confusion.
Raphael tapped her shoulder and said," I don't think blue is a healthy color," which caused Mana to go eep! and release Yugi.
As he gasped for breath, Yugi managed to ask, "...gasp... How are..gasp... you here?"
Mana simply smiled and said, "The great Obelisk, as you know him here, has made me his avatar to the human world, and has given me the chance to be your guardian."
She was then met by a curious Yoko, who looked her over as though inspecting a wreaked car, which she did, from time to time. "How could a Dark Magician Girl hologram be so life-like," she wondered out loud, poking Mana and touching the fabric of her outfit." Is this some kinda new holo-gear, and how was the image altered?"
Needless to say, Mana was not liking those comments, as indicated by the tic mark on her head. "For your information, my name is Mana. As for being a hologram, I'm not; I'm flesh and blood. Just like you and Master Yugi," she countered, satisfied with her explanation.
"Well then, take a seat. Raph and Yugi were just about to duel and..."
"WHAT!" Mana screeched in disbelief, "This, this, lowly COMMONER sees fit to challenge my PHARAOH?"
Raphael, who hadn't even agreed to the duel, still took offense to the comment, "I'll have you know the challenge wasn't issued by me. Though we were going to play..."
"I've heard enough!" the spellcaster-turned-human exclaimed in righteous fury, "I shall not allow my pharaoh to sully his hands or waist his skills on such an unworthy opponent!"
Needless to say, Yugi felt too stunned to say anything as Yoko dragged him to the couch to watch the impending fight on the sidelines.
"Last I checked miss," Raphael shot back with a sneer," I beat that bag of bones Atem, and he never really beat me, I just let him win. So technically, I'm better, at least better than Yugi's former dark."
Mana was fuming at the boldness of this meager duelist. Sure he had a strong bond with his deck, but to claim he was worthy of dueling Yugi? It was preposterous, "I then challenge you to a duel, the looser submits to the winners request."
Raphael just shrugged in response, "Have it your way, just don't start crying when you loose." With that, they both took out their custom disks, Raphael's looking like Jack Atlas's Duel Disk (from 5ds) but with golden around the life point counter and was angel white with feather design on the playing field extension. Meanwhile, Mana's resembled a regular duel disk save the blue color and horn-like spikes at the sides of the life counter.
Yugi finally rose from his stupor and tried to speak out against the duel. Yoko, however, hushed him and said, "Come on, you know what grandpa used to say, 'True duelists speak with their cards, rather than words.' If anything, this might cause them to become friendly, plus I could use some entertainment." Yugi simply sat back down, wondering when his cousin would grow up.
The two combatants shuffled their decks and began, "Duel!"
The two started by drawing five cards from their decks, fanning them out before each other. "Why don't you go first, little miss," Raphael said with a bit of bite in his voice.
"Very well, commoner, draw!" Mana called drawing her card into her hand in a graceful arch.
4000 Mana
4000 Raphael
"I now start with Skilled Dark Magician in attack mode!"
Skilled Dark Magician is a Level 4 Dark Attribute Spellcaster type effect monster with 1900 ATK and 1700 DEF. (effect will be explained later on :3)
Then I'll play Pot of Greed, to draw 2 more cards." With this, a counter started glowing on Mana's monster. "Following that, I set 2 cards face-down and end my turn." Mana, for her part looked rather pleased at herself, with her first turn done.
"My move now, princess, and I summon Back-up Guardian, in defense mode (500Atk/2200Def), and I'll equip it with Rod of Silence - Kay-est. This will increase its defense strength by 800, making it 3000 defense points strong."
While Raphael did this, another token lit up on Mana's monster, though Raphael seemed unaware. "Finally, I set two cards as well, and end my turn."
Mana, as she began her turn, was giggling at Raphael. "I seem to have missed the joke," he said in monotone.
"The joke's on you, fool. I play the spell Reasoning, so you have to guess a number, and if the top monster on my deck is that level, than it goes to the graveyard. However, if you're wrong..."
"Yeah, yeah, it comes to the field. I saw Atem use the same lame card, and like Yoko, I choose level 7 as my guess."
Mana, now truly annoyed, picked up the card and shook her head, "Sorry, no dice, here comes...well...me!" As she put her Dark Magician Girl card on her disk in attack mode.
Dark Magician Girl is a Level 6 Dark Attribute Spellcaster type effect monster with 2000 ATK and 1700 DEF.
For every "Dark Magician" and "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's graveyard, this monster gains 300 ATK
Following that, Mana's monster counterpart looked at Skilled Dark Magician as he began to glow. "Now," Mana said in a menacing tone," My Skilled Dark Magician is ready. You see, since 3 spell cards have been played while he's been on the field, he can now be sacrificed to summon my teacher's counterpart," she said, as she took a card from her deck and played it. "I call my master Mahado, or as you know him, Dark Magician, in attack mode." (2500Atk/2100Def).
The Dark Magician actually looked at Mana and her monster counterpart fondly, then looked disapprovingly at Raphael. But he turned his head sadly as he gazed at the face of his pharaoh's former vessel. He knew the boy's hurt, yet could do nothing but face Raphael in this duel.
"Next up is a spell that only works with Dark Magician called Thousand Knives, which destroys any face-up monster that I choose. So your Guardian is destroyed," Mana finished as the card's projectiles drew near.
"Activate face-down card, Guardian Force, which nullifies any spells when I have a guardian in play." Raphael's quick counter saved his monster.
Meanwhile, Mana seemed to seethe that her card was deflected so easily. "I guess I'll have to end my turn," she said reluctantly.
As Raphael drew, he called to his opponent, "Don't get cocky, 'cause with this next card, I'll not only defeat you, but show just how much my deck has improved since my duels with Atem." With this declaration, he held his new card in the air. What happened next, however, will be in the next chapter.
End Chapter