Sorry about the late update, as I told one of my readers, certain RL issues prevented me from uploading this latest chapter. Nonetheless, it's back, and hopefully I'll be able to get back into my fast updates. Anyway, here's the next chapter!
Duel 10: Fire and Ice
"I still don't understand how you guys could go see a duel without me." Enzo whined, setting his face on the chair in a put out manner.
"It couldn't be helped," Konami explained, "besides, it's your fault for getting sick at the mere thought of a bad fortune."
Enzo groaned, "Don't remind me… I can't believe my beautiful Misty would play a trick on me like that."
The woman smiled good-naturedly, despite feeling that the time was not right for such an expression.
"You shouldn't accost her like some kind of possession, you never know if she might be listening." Konami scolded. "Now, I have a few things to sort out while I get ready for the Semi-Finals… I can't afford to lose, and I don't know what Divine has planned."
"Do you really think he'll sabotage his own chance at success just to take you out?" Misty asked, "If that's the case, maybe you really shouldn't go through with the tournament…."
Konami shook his head, "Not happening. Besides, if I don't go through with it there's no telling what will happen. With the way this tournament is built I wouldn't be surprised if Divine found himself skyrocketed to the finals, and the two duelists we're to be facing end up having to duel each other for the Final Spot. No, that wouldn't be fair to them either. They worked hard to get where they were, so for their sake too, I'll have to…"
"Man are you pessimistic or what?" Enzo complained, "It's just a few duels right? It's not as if it'll be the end of the world if you lose or anything."
Misty and Red Hat both looked at the teen as if he were insane.
"W-What?" Enzo sweatdropped, "It wasn't something I said was it?"
Konami continued to stare at Enzo for several moments before shaking his head slowly, "Enzo doesn't know anything about Divine or the Arcadia Movement. And it's probably best if it stays that way."
"No, it wasn't anything you said." Konami spoke evenly, "It's just that Divine has us all a little worked up right now is all."
"Huh…" the man frowned, clearly disappointed at being left out of the loop. He didn't let it bother him for long, "I get it. Either way, if he has you worked up the guy must be a pretty good duelist."
"Yeah," Konami nodded, "I'll have to be careful when the time comes, that much is certain."
From across the room Divine smirked, shuffling his compiled deck of cards he'd gathered from his Arcadia drones hours prior to joining the tournament. It wasn't as powerful as his own personal decks, but it would do for the upcoming match.
He grinned.
It seemed as though Goodwin's little tournament was entering its Final Act, and Divine for one couldn't wait. He longed to see his self-proclaimed brethren in action once more, wielding the might of the Forbidden One as they trampled their way through their foes. He closed his eyes in thought, a small smile gracing his features as he thought of their unavoidable fate.
The mere thought of the ways he could easily manipulate the current situation to his advantage made Divine shiver in glee.
Two foes of opposing viewpoints, forced together by fate to reach their desired destination…. There were far too many ways he could play with this, and with the unique handicap of knowing his opponent's next move before they did, Divine knew he had all of them to use.
"Wonder what he's thinking about…" Konami thought distantly as his eyes happened to fall upon the man.
Divine seemed to notice as he turned his head ever so slightly, offering the teen a condescending smirk.
"Cheeky bastard..." Konami thought, quickly turning away. "It's almost time. I'll have to go with Warriors this time around… no need to use my last deck just yet."
"You seem anxious." Misty acknowledged, set her hands on the table across from them.
"You're still here huh?" Enzo asked warily.
Misty tilted her head curiously, "Is there somewhere else I should be?"
"N-No… I guess not."
"Well then," Misty smiled, "I suppose there isn't a problem with me being here. Konami-san, have you established a plan of attack yet?"
"Hmm?" Konami looked at the woman, his hands in the middle of his deck shuffling through the cards, "Huh? Did you say something? I was trying to see if this deck has everything I need."
Misty blinked, looking down at the cards in his hands, "That is… a Warrior Deck correct? The one you used during the First Round…?"
"Yeah. It seemed to flow well, so I figured I might as well give it another shot in the Semifinals."
"Are you certain you should use this deck…? You will be teaming with Divine after all…."
Konami chuckled, "On the contrary Misty, that's exactly why I'm using this deck, as opposed to the third I have waiting in my holster." He set a hand on the deck he spoke of, "This Warrior Deck has already been shown to the public, and as such, it won't matter if Divine sees anything new in it. Besides, I already have a deck to defeat that man, I just have to make sure I'm in the Finals before I pull it out."
Misty pursed her lips in thought, "I see…"
Konami glanced back towards the screen, "It looks like it's just about time for me to get going." He murmured, noting the sudden change on the screen.
"Attention Duelists!" the ever-memorable voice boomed through the speakers, "The Semi-Final Matches are about to begin. Would the four Duelists competing please make their way to the stadium?"
Konami closed his eyes and made to stand, "Well, that's my cue."
"Go kick some ass out there Konami!" Enzo grinned, pumping his fist energetically, "I'll be cheering for you in the stands!"
"I'm sure." Konami deadpanned, glancing at Misty, "Keep him out of trouble will you? We don't need Sector Security coming to bail him out again."
The woman blinked in confusion but nodded nonetheless, "I will do what I can. Be careful Red-Hat-san."
The teen nodded and began to leave, heading into the east entrance as directed by the screen. Of course, Divine was there waiting for him.
"Greetings Konami-kun," the man greeted charismatically, "I assume you are prepared?"
"I am," Konami replied, "not that it's any of your concern."
Divine smirked, "Oh but it is. You and I are to stand on the pinnacle of human evolution as we duel for the fate of this city. It will be exquisite, no?"
"For the fate of this city? So you do have something planned." Konami thought aloud, "Care to explain what?"
"All in due time Konami-kun. First, there are a few maggots to be dealt with." Divine smiled, turning his attention to the front.
Konami blinked. In what had been a relatively short walk they'd reached the stadium, and before he knew it the brilliant light of the MC's antics blinded his eyes.
"And there they are folks!" the MC cheered dramatically, earning a wave of applause from the crowd, "Divine and Konami, ready to take on the world! And across the stadium as you can plainly see, their opponents, Kami and Gillian!"
The two Duelists in question seemed to scowl at each other as their names were called; ceasing what Konami could only assume was a heated argument. The four Duelists locked eyes with one another, wondering which team would manage to self-destruct first.
"Oh, right off the bat it seems like there's trouble in paradise! Kami and Gillian may have a few kinks to work out in their relationship if they intend to make it to the finals!"
Divine smirked, "It's a good thing we don't have that problem, eh Red-Hat?"
Konami grunted, "Speak for yourself. But I know better than to let petty grudges get in the way of my dueling. But once this is over, we'll still be enemies, Divine."
"Of course. I agree whole-heartedly, though I do wish you would come to your senses and just accept the fact that I'm not going anywhere."
"We'll see. I'm guessing you want to play Janken?"
"No," Divine acquiesced, "You may go right on ahead. I already know the outcome after all."
Konami frowned at the words but nodded, "Fine. I'll be back shortly."
"Of course you will." Divine smirked, watching Red Hat walk toward the center of the stadium.
Sighing, Konami stared at his two opponents, watching them bicker as they tried to decide which of them would play Janken for the right to go first. "Fire and Ice huh…?" he thought, watching Kami hammer Gillian on the head with her fist before making her way to the center. She glared at him.
"You aren't going to waste my time either are you?" she huffed, folding her arms; "I'd like to get this over with as quickly as possible."
"Agreed." Konami nodded, making a fist, "On three?"
The girl glared once more and nodded, "On three. One, Two…"
"Three!"
Kami smirked, "Looks like we'll be going first then."
Konami sighed, "I suppose so. May the best man…" he paused seeing the look on the girl's face, "er… or woman, win."
The girl smiled, twirling around and making her way back to her fiery companion, leaving Konami to deal with Divine.
"I lost." Konami informed him, earning a mere shake of the head.
"It matters little. As I said, I already knew the outcome." Divine responded, activating his Duel Disk, "Shall we put these maggots in their place?"
"Fine," Konami grimaced, activating his own Duel Disk, "just make sure you stay out of my way."
"DUEL"
Konami and Divine- 8000 LP
Kami and Gillian- 8000 LP
"Like we decided, it's my turn!" Kami grinned, drawing a card. "Let's see now… first I think I'll activate the Field Spell Umiruka! This card increases the Attack of all Water Monsters on the Field by 500 points, though it decreases their Defense by 400 points! Still, it's pretty cool huh?"
Konami narrowed his eyes as the floor beneath them was suddenly flooded with waves and ice, and a small blue whale seemed to leap about in the distance. Gillian was not amused.
"Oi, what do you think you're doing using that card?! Now how are my fire monsters supposed to get more powerful?!"
Kami scoffed, turning her head away from her "partner." "That's your problem. Besides, as long as my monsters are strong enough it won't matter that your stupid flames are weak. Just sit back and let me show you how worthy Duelists play the game."
Gillian scowled, preparing to retort but Kami cut him off.
"I'm summoning Defying Troops of the Ice Barrier in Attack Mode!" she explained, gently pressing the card down in the monster slot, "And don't forget, because of my Umiruka it gets an additional 500 Attack Points!"
The horde of troops appeared on the icy plains, each wielding its own unique weapon as the battlefield gave them strength.
Defying Troops of the Ice Barrier-LV3-(2000/400)
"See Gillian," Kami scoffed, "I bet you couldn't get out a 2000 Attack Point monster on your first turn."
"Arrogant little…"
"Umm…. I hate to interrupt your argument but…" Konami paused, "Your turn… are you done with it?"
"Eh? Oh right…" Kami sweatdropped, "Well, I can't exactly attack this turn so… yeah, I'm done. But you better be ready for my next turn, because with my Defying Troops on the field you won't have a chance to make anything happen!"
"Yeah, yeah." Konami sighed, "I'll deal with that this turn with relative ease."
"What?"
"Sorry to bust your bubble, but I'm activating a Spell card from my hand. Lightning Vortex. This allows me to discard one card from my hand, and destroy all Face-Up monsters on your side of the field." Konami slipped the Spell Card Solidarity into the Graveyard Slot, allowing Lightning Vortex to work its magic.
The Defying Troops cried out as a storm suddenly rode in on their position, annihilating their forces with a single bolt. Kami scowled.
"You…! My Troops!"
"Looks like they just got Court Marshaled." Konami smiled gently.
Gillian laughed, "Looks like all that power was just talk eh Kami?"
"Well done Red Hat." Divine whispered as the two partners began to bicker once more, "I knew you would be an excellent partner."
Konami scowled at Divine, "Don't forget this is only temporary."
"Yes, yes." Divine waved his hand, "But I believe you still have a turn to complete no?"
"R-Right!" Konami nodded, turning his attention back to the Duel. "Alright you two, listen up! I'm summoning Speed Warrior to the field in Attack Mode!"
Speed Warrior-LV2-(900/400)
"Oh? Interesting." Divine smirked, "I thought a certain crab-haired friend of yours was the only one with that card."
"It's rare, but not as much as a Blue Eyes or Dark Magician Girl." Konami explained, "Anyone can have it."
"That may be so," Kami grimaced, "But that monster is still weak as hell! It doesn't even have 1000 Attack Points!"
"True, but it makes up for that with its Effect!" Konami retorted, "You see, during the Battle Phase of the turn Speed Warrior is Normal Summoned, I can double its Attack Points until the end of the Battle Phase! So my 900 Attack Point monster, just became an 1800 Attack Point monster!"
"What?!" Kami grimaced.
"Go Speed Warrior," Konami commanded, "rev things up with your Billowing Engine Kick!"
The monster nodded, racing across the icy plains and spin kicking into Kami's gut. The girl flinched, before realizing that the monster was a mere hologram.
Konami and Divine- 8000 LP
Kami and Gillian- 6200 LP
"Heh… not bad. You might be a decent opponent after all." Kami smirked.
"Of course I am." Konami agreed, closing his eyes, "I'm setting one card face down and ending my turn."
"Good, because now that your Battle Phase is over your Speed Warrior's weak again!" Gillian shouted, taking over the reins as he began his turn. "I'll be dealing with that little nuisance here shortly!"
Divine chuckled. "These two really are amusing, aren't they Konami-kun?"
"Don't talk to me like we're friends." Konami reminded him.
"Regardless of your little lover's spat," Gillian grinned, "it's my turn! Draw!"
He frowned at the hand he was given, "I said all that but… because of Kami my play's been ruined… With my current hand I can't exactly do much… so I'll just have to…"
"I'll set a monster and a Face-Down, and end my turn." Gillian sighed inwardly. "Guess I'm depending on Kami till I draw one of my Flamvells."
Kami scowled, "I'll deal with that little nuisance here shortly!" she mocked, "Pft, I always knew you were just a waste of space. Maybe you're the nuisance here. Such a stupid little play."
"Say what you want." Gillian replied, "But at least I didn't lose a 2000 Attack Point monster on the second turn of the Duel."
"I'd love to hear you two continue this discussion, but I'm afraid I have quite the busy schedule today," Divine smiled, "My turn. Draw!"
He chuckled, "I think it's time things got a little serious, don't you Red Hat?"
The teen in question blinked in confusion.
"I'm tributing your Speed Warrior to bring out a monster of my own." he explained, "Behold you three, the power of my Overdrive Teleporter!"
A figure clad in a white cloak appeared on the icy plains, surrounded by what appeared to be a pair of nameless Psychic Monsters.
Overdrive Teleporter-LV6-(2100/1200)
"That monster… huh?" Konami sighed, "His ego's about to get bigger…"
"But that's not all, because now I'm going to activate its Effect!" Divine grinned, "By paying 2000 Life Points, I can Special Summon two Level Three monsters from my Deck. So watch as the power of my Movement becomes known to all! I sacrifice 2000 Life Points to Special Summon two Psychic Commanders from my Deck!"
Psychic Commander-LV3-(1400/800)
Konami and Divine- 6000 LP
Kami and Gillian- 6200 LP
"H-Heh, those monsters look weak." Gillian sweatdropped.
"Perhaps by themselves, but then," Divine paused, "that look on your face says you know what's coming. And you'd be right! Because I'm tuning my Overdrive Teleporter with one of my Psychic Commanders to Synchro Summon my new monster!"
"And there it is…" Konami sighed.
"The mind can be a deadly place, when wielded by a monster with this face. Strike them down and blow them away! Now my monster, we end this today!" Divine shouted, "Arise, Hyper Psychic Blaster!"
A suited psychic wielding two guns on each arm teleported into existence, its face blocked by a black helmet and a backpack filled with energy. Divine smirked.
Hyper Psychic Blaster-LV9-(3000/2500)
"Well, that's not good." Gillian sweatdropped.
Konami frowned, "Looks like he's not going to hold back at all. Guess I should've expected as much."
"I'm not done yet!" Divine smirked, "I'm activating the Field Spell Card Brain Research Lab! This not only gives me access to a new supply of effects, but because it's a Field Spell, I can get rid of that pesky Umiruka card of yours as well, Kami."
The ice girl grimaced, watching as the icy plains were suddenly overwritten with a disgusting, foul lab with a floating brain in the distance. "I'll have you know-"
"Enough with your bickering," Divine intruded, "I'm activating my Lab's first effect! By placing a Psychic Counter on this card, I can Normal Summon one additional Psychic Monster during my turn. So now, I'm bringing out Psychic Snail!"
The lab brimmed to life as a counter was placed on it, and not long after, a new monster emerged on the field.
Psychic Snail-LV4-(1900/1200)
"And Psychic Snail has an effect as well you see." Divine chuckled, "By paying 800 Life Points, I can choose one Psychic Monster on the Field. The chosen Monster will be able to attack twice this turn, though I sacrifice Psychic Snail's attack in doing so. Of course, I'll be choosing my Hyper Psychic Blaster."
Konami and Divine- 5200 LP
Kami and Gillian- 6200 LP
Kami and Gillian gasped. They both now realized what Divine was going for.
"But I'm afraid that's not all." Divine continued, "Because if you'd remember… I still have another tuner on the Field!"
"Divine…" Konami scolded, "You couldn't possibly be trying to go for a one-turn…"
"Indeed Konami-kun." Divine smirked, "I wish to get to our battle as quickly as possible! And to do that, I'll have to dispose of these maggots and swift and surely as I can! It's time for a second Synchro Summon!" he declared, shocking the crowd once more. "I'm tuning my Psychic Snail and Psychic Commander to bring out this monster!"
He raised his hand to the sky, "Though many may be brutes, even Psychics require the touch of a fair maiden every once and while, Arise, Psychic Lifetrancer!"
In a green pillar of light, a blue-clad psychic emerged, a pair of swirling lights of opposing color circling around her thin form. Divine laughed.
Psychic Lifetrancer-LV7-(2400/2000)
Gillian reeled back, "That's not cool!"
"Divine… you really are a piece of work, you know that?" Konami asked with a sigh.
"Unlike you I don't have time to indulge the masses. I have things to do. And now it's finally time for me to achieve my goal and face you in the finals! Divine paused, as if deciding upon something, "But first, I do believe my monster should make up for the damage I've caused us. I'm activating her effect! By removing one Psychic monster in my Graveyard from Play, I can restore 1200 Life Points to us! Sayonara, Psychic Snail!"
Konami and Divine- 6400 LP
Kami and Gillian- 6200 LP
"Now he's just showing off. What a pain in the ass." Konami glowered.
"Now that that's done... it's time for the Battle Phase to begin!"
"Here it comes!" Kami scowled, blaming Gillian for their current predicament.
"First I'll attack with my Hyper Psychic Blaster!" Divine started, "Go! Destroy their Face-Down monster!"
The Psychic nodded, aiming its twin guns at the creature and firing a wave of psychic energy towards it. Gillian scowled, moving to guard himself on instinct as his Flamvell Guard was ripped off the Field.
"Che… I had hoped it would hold…" he mumbled, only for Divine to smirk.
"Oh, and I just happened to forget to mention, that my Hyper Psychic Blaster has a Special Ability!"
"Oh no…"
"Oh yes!" Divine clapped his hands together ecstatically, "You see, when Hyper Psychic Blaster destroys a monster in Defense Position whose Defense Points are less than my Blaster's Attack Points, you take damage equal to the difference and we gain Life Points!"
"W-What?!" Gillian gasped, his eyes widening in horror as Hyper Psychic Blaster appeared in front of him, blasting him point-blank with a wave of psychic energy.
Gillian found himself falling to the ground in a wave of pressure, taking a thousand points of damage mentally and physically.
Konami and Divine- 7400 LP
Kami and Gillian- 5200 LP
"It… It hurts…!" the boy coughed, gripping his arm in pain.
"Oi, Divine!" Konami growled, "What do you think you're-?" Red Hat found himself cut off as he looked at the sadistic look on Divine's face.
"Fufufu… you say it hurts, and you're not even bleeding yet." Divine paused to flip his hair, "It seems I'll have to try harder. It's time for my Hyper Psychic Blaster to begin its second attack!"
"T-That can't be!"
"Now you have nothing defending you!" Divine laughed, "Feel the full brunt of the power of the Arcadia Movement! Hyper Psychic Blaster, attack once more!"
The monster again moved in front of Gillian, aiming its twin guns at the boy's head. The boy looked up in horror, opening his mouth to speak.
Hyper Psychic Blaster fired.
The wave of energy overcame Gillian completely, overtaking the boy in a wave of flowing green light, obscuring him from view.
"Divine! What're you doing?!" Konami shouted, regaining his bearings as he took a step towards the man, "There's no need for you to-!"
Once again he found himself cut off, as the smoking body of Gillian reappeared on the scene, his body steaming and burning like a simmering husk.
"T-That's the…"
"Hmhmhm…" Divine grinned, "It seems he can't take anymore…" he glanced idly at the Life Point Counter, "A shame… he still has another round to go."
Konami and Divine-7400 LP
Kami and Gillian-2200 LP
"Y-You're a monster." Kami whispered, taking two steps back from the scene before her.
"Oh? I'm afraid not my dear." Divine chuckled, raising his hand at the girl, "I am a God among men, a Messiah to those lost, bleeding souls in the dark. I, my dear, am a Psychic. And you… are my next victim."
Konami snapped back into movement, "Divine, don't you dare-!"
"Psychic Lifetrancer, attack her directly!" Divine commanded, snapping his monster into action.
Kami screamed, Psychic Lifetrancer closing in to deal the final blow as per Divine's commands. Konami scowled, deactivating his Duel Disk as he suddenly sprang into action, his Red Hat falling forgotten to the stadium floor.
"Please…!" he thought desperately, "Let me make it in time!"
Just as Lifetrancer's assault would have landed, Red Hat threw himself in front of the girl, exposing his back to the creature as her twin orbs seared themselves into his back.
Konami and Divine- 7400 LP
Kami and Gillian- 0 LP
Panting heavily, Konami fell to a knee, resisting the urge to grab his back and cry out in pain.
"Damn it…" he thought briefly, gritting his teeth, "This hurts more than the time with Akiza…!"
Kami reeled back, looking down at Red Hat in shock. Such a thing had never happened to her before, and with good reason. The blue-haired elitist couldn't believe someone had actually stuck their neck out for her sake. She took a small step forward, watching the panting teen before parting her lips to speak.
"You…" she paused, searching for the right words to use, "You saved me… you saved me, your opponent… why?"
Konami chuckled dryly, rolling his eyes at the girl, "Did I need a reason?" he asked aloud, slowly forcing himself to stand. "Don't take it personally. I'm just not the kind of person to sit by when innocent people are harmed…" he cast an analyzing gaze towards the girl, "No matter how cruel they might be."
Kami flinched at this, taking a small step back as Konami sighed.
"You should get out of here," He murmured, "and take your "fiery" partner with you. Things are about to get ugly, and I'm pretty sure you won't want to be here when it does."
"R-Right…" Kami gulped, as if only just remembering that she was just attacked by a living, breathing Duel Monster.
Crouching down, she gently pulled the steaming Gillian to his feet, supporting his weight with her own. As he lifted his arm around her shoulders to help support him, she heard a small, wheezing gasp for air, prompting her to sigh in relief.
"Good…. If he's breathing it means he's still alive." She thought quietly, turning her gaze back to her savior.
"Thank you," she told Konami, "really. I don't know what I would have done if…"
"It is fine," Red Hat interrupted, locking eyes with Divine, "Now get out of here."
Kami nodded, mumbling another "Thanks" before rushing towards the stadium exits where several Sector Security Agents stood.
"Looks like Goodwin's finally decided enough is enough…" Konami thought, noticing the approaching footsteps of Sector Security.
"Fufufu, he's always trying to interfere," Divine smirked, turning his attention to the guards and snapping his fingers. In an instant, the world around the two seemed to freeze, everything grinding to a halt save for the two Duelists remaining in the stadium. "But I'm afraid that we've come too far to back down now. As they say, the show must go on."
"What…? Divine, what did you-?"
The man raised his hand, stopping Konami from speaking, "At this moment we are in a realm between realms, a place where time moves slowly and we can discuss things as we should have to begin with."
Konami grimaced, knowing full well the consequences of utilizing a Shadow Realm. Approaching Divine, the teen began to speak, "Care to discuss what the hell that was earlier?"
Divine chuckled, "My Konami-kun, is that anger I detect? It seems so… raw… so… unrefined! How is it you keep it so well contained?"
"Well… the thought of you dead at my feet helps a little…" Konami admitted, reaching down and picking his cap off the ground, "But you never really answered my question…. So I'll ask you again. What the hell was that earlier?!"
"A sacrifice my dear boy!" Divine explained, raising his arms to the heavens in glee, "A show of my gratitude to the gods, for instilling such a marvelous ability in my being! And with this last duel, Project Pegasus is finally within my… within our, reach."
"Project Pegasus?" Konami asked, curious.
"Fufufu… of course," Divine stroked his chin, "I had forgotten you had yet to be informed. Tell me Konami-kun, what do you know of dear old Maximillian Pegasus?"
"Pegasus…?" Konami frowned. Why was Divine asking about him? "Well, he was the creator of Duel Monsters, basing it on some old slabs he found in Egypt. He had a tragic incident where he lost his loved one… and for a while held a few tournaments, and even instructed a child on how to defeat the once famous Bandit Keith."
"Indeed." Divine clapped, "You seem to have an adequate knowledge of Dueling History. Why, I'd even say it'd be redundant to state how he ultimate lost to Yugi Mutou, leaving him to rethink his position in life. But tell me Konami-kun," Divine smiled, "Do you know what else is said of Pegasus?"
Konami scowled, folding his arms as he began to grow impatient with the man, "Stop beating around the bush and spit it out already."
"Fufu… very well. It is said that he had the power to read minds." Divine explained, "It is how he managed to get a child to defeat Bandit Keith. It is how he defeated Kaiba, and how… he almost defeated the King of Games. Can you imagine Konami-kun? Can you imagine the possibilities of using such a technique? The ability to know what your opponent will do before they do it, to know how your opponent will respond before they can! Pegasus used it for dueling… but imagine its possibilities in the real world! You'd be able to know what your friends and foes are thinking every time, all the time! So I thought to myself, why not take it a step further? Why not… force your thoughts upon them? They say mind control is for movies but… I assure you, it is very much… real."
Konami grimaced. He didn't need to be told that. In all his years of dueling he'd been forced to deal with the mind-controlled on more than one occasion. One could even say he dealt with it on a daily basis back in Duel Academy.
He frowned, thinking of the many times he'd had to deal with the likes of mental manipulation.
Chazz, Alexis, the forgettable Bastion, Jesse…. Hell, even Jaden had arguably been hypnotized by a past incarnation to take up the mantle of the Supreme King. Yes, Mind Control was very real. One needed to look no farther than the Arcadia Movement to be convinced.
"So that's your plan then?" Konami asked, "You're going to turn yourself into some super-psychic to rule the city? How typical."
Divine chuckled, "Close, but wrong Konami-kun. You see, my goal is to make you a super-psychic that will rule the city."
Konami blinked, "Excuse me?"
"Did you really think it was coincidence that you found yourself running into certain individuals at opportune moments? No my dear boy, from the moment you stepped foot in this city I was aware of your presence," Divine revealed, "your helpful personality only served to make it all the easier to force meetings upon you. All I had to do was push a few pieces of the puzzle together and…" he shrugged, "voila."
Konami stared at the man in confusion, prompting him to continue.
"I must say thought, I am surprised. To think that Goodwin's plot with his duplicate Sacred Beasts would end up assisting me in my own goals…" he laughed, "It seems the gods truly do smile upon me!"
"Wha…?" Konami frowned, "Divine, you can't honestly expect me to believe all this?"
"Oh? Yes, I suppose one such as yourself would require some form of evidence… Very well, I shall give you a rather detailed explanation. Perhaps we should begin with that foolish reporter friend of yours? What was her name again? Ah yes, Carly I believe… Carly Carmine."
"What about her?" Konami deadpanned.
"Tell me Konami-kun, what use is a reporter in today's society?" he paused for several moments, and when it became evident that Konami wouldn't reply, Divine grinned, "Publicity my boy! The King knows it; Goodwin knows it, even that bumbling buffoon of a Card Shop Owner realizes it. In this modern age, everything revolves around the public's views and ideals! What better use for a reporter than to cast you in the light of a hero? It will offer up new avenues, new roads for you to travel down, and will only serve to increase your influence over the general population of this city."
"But… Carly? Really? She's not even a decent reporter!"
"Oh?" Divine cocked a brow, "I beg to differ. In fact, I seem to remember quite recently she began getting better jobs because of certain incidents that you two have been involved in. I am, of course, referring to the defeat of the Sacred Beasts. While she was once ridiculed, it would seem that your very detailed account of the events, along with the splendid addition of several Sector Security signatures… (obtained by yours truly) have managed to fix her crumbling reputation, and set her back on the fast track to becoming an Ace Reporter. I, of course, had set it up this way, from the very first moment you ran into the girl in that crowd. Goodwin's Sacred Beast Project was just the opportunity I needed to allow you to make your first bond, and I must say, you did an excellent job of it. Defeating the Sacred Beast Uria and claiming the Ultimate Forbidden Lord as your own… truly exquisite work! My dear soldier tried desperately to hide it, but I could tell. Akiza was quite impressed with your talent." Divine paused, closing the gap between them and leaning close so no one else could hear, "And speaking of talent… you had quite the duel with the King, did you not? Fufu, I had planned on invoking my own schemes with that one, but it seems you managed to do well on your own. Forming a bond with a high-ranking member of Sector Security… and one associated with the King no less! You've done well Red Hat, and for that, I commend you."
"But… what… you… but you had me kidnapped… how do you explain that one?" Konami asked.
"Ah yes, the ingenious "kidnapping"." Divine paused, "I must admit I was rather disappointed when you proved incapable of defeating Akiza in a duel, but perhaps it was for the best. It allowed for me to have a proper discussion with you, and in the end, disguise my true goals by appearing to hunt the Sacred Beast Cards. Truly, I didn't expect the plan to work out as well as it did. Why, by the day's end you had already found and defeated the second Sacred Beast! Which brings us to today…" Divine slowed his speech, "Two of the Sacred Beasts have been defeated, their duplicate cards returning to the depths from which they came." He paused, pulling from his deck Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder. "As you can see, I hold the third. What will you do, Konami-kun? You know you must defeat me, but in doing so you'll be playing right into my hands."
Konami frowned. So Divine had been pulling the strings from the very beginning. At this point he wouldn't be surprised if he was the real reason for the Sacred Beasts either. Still, the man raised a point. He still didn't know the full details of Divine's plan, but at the same time he couldn't stand by and let the man do as he pleased.
They would have to duel. That had been determined from the start, and with a Shadow Game, it would be far easier to deal with the Divine problem, permanently.
Konami scowled. "So what if you've been pushing people towards me. It doesn't make anything I've done any less real. But you are right about one thing Divine, I do need to defeat you, so go on, reset your Duel Disk, shuffle your Deck, because right now… the Finals of this Prologue Tournament are about to begin!"
-Duel 10 END-
With the truth of Divine's plans revealed, the Final Round of Goodwin's Tournament begins! Will Konami be able to withstand the assault from Divine's mysterious deck? With the power of the Forbidden Lord on his side, one can only hope so. Find out what happens, next time, on Yu-Gi-Oh: Tag Force!
EXTRA
Konami grinned. After a long day of dueling, he would finally be able to sit back, relax, and watch the fourteenth season of his favorite TV show: Kaibaman! He chuckled to himself, using the remote to turn on the television and access the recorded shows. His eyes widened, his body relaxing as he scanned the DVR. Good, they had all been recorded correctly. He paused, his hand clenching around the remote as he settled himself into the couch, leaning back and making himself comfortable.
"Well, here we go." He murmured, pressing the Play button.
Just as the theme song began to play, the doorbell rang.
Konami's eyes narrowed at the sound, his hand quickly skimming over the remote to hit Pause as he made to stand. "Motherfu-" he paused, "Who is it?" he sighed, giving in to the situation at hand. It wouldn't do for the protagonist to be unnecessarily rude after all.
After a moment of silence, a soft voice called out from the other side of the door.
"Akiza."
Konami blinked. He, (being the protagonist he was), expected to have visitors, but a house call from someone that was currently his enemy? It was, unexpected, to say the least. Still, at least she hadn't tried to knock him out or anything.
"I'll be right there," he sighed, grabbing his cap. He couldn't afford to let anyone see his face after all.
It took him all of one minute to reach the door. "Akiza Izinski," he murmured, gazing upon the otherwise known Black Rose Witch's features, "What is it that I can do for you?"
The woman stared at him stoically, raising the Duel Disk attached to her left arm, "Duel." She replied, completely serious.
Konami raised a brow. "Not happening." He replied just as swiftly, moving to close the door.
Unfortunately, Akiza was not one to be denied. She grabbed the side of the door with her fingers, prompting Konami to stop lest he injure the girl unintentionally. He couldn't have himself feeling guilty. He just might duel her then.
Waiting another moment, the girl glanced at him calmly, "Why?" she asked, just as simply and one-worded as before.
"Because," Konami responded as if it were obvious, "I'm watching Kaibaman."
"Oh." Akiza nodded slowly, although obviously disappointed.
A moment of silence passed between them, and Konami briefly wondered when the girl planned on leaving.
"Can… Can I watch?" Akiza asked slowly, glancing away from the infuriating teen Divine was interested in.
"Wha…?" Konami blinked in surprise, "You want to watch Kaibaman?"
Akiza frowned, setting a hand on her hip authoritatively, "Hai. I'd like to see just what this show is all about. Divine always ignores me when the name comes up…"
"I see…" Konami sighed, "So that's what this is about… well, I guess. Just don't steal anything while you're here, alright?"
Akiza scowled as she brushed past him into the apartment, "As if I'd steal from you. The Arcadia Movement provides me with all I need. Though they did deny my request for a red robot… something about Copyright Issues…."
"Whatever…" Konami sighed, running a hand through his hair when Akiza wasn't looking, "Anyway, the TV's this way."
Akiza nodded, following the teen as he entered the living room.
"There's still room on the couch, so feel free to make yourself comfortable." Konami told her politely, earning a nod of approval from the girl.
"That is acceptable," she agreed, "You, of course, will sit on the floor?"
"Wha-er.. y-yeah!" Konami deadpanned, realizing from the look on her face he'd be in danger if he didn't agree.
Akiza nodded, "Good." She replied, setting her Duel Disk to the side as she took a seat. "Now then, the show…?"
"Yeah, Yeah, be patient." Konami grumbled, "I need to turn it back on.
Reaching for the remote, he turned back to the TV, finding a comfortable position on the floor before hitting play.
-KM-
A warrior of white stood atop a burning building, his arch-enemy: a fiendish magician clad in dark purple grinning back at him.
"Give up Kaibaman!" the magician laughed, his red eyes gleaming in the dark despite the flames surrounding them, "Your Dragonzord has been broken, your team has abandoned you! You have no hope!"
-KM-
Akiza frowned, "So… what is this show supposed to be about?"
"Huh? It's about Kaibaman, obviously."
"No, I mean… what is it about? Action? Romance? What's the plot?"
"Oh, Action I guess…" Konami paused the show, "You see, it all starts when the Kaiba brothers lose their adoptive father to a no-good crook-"
Once again, the doorbell rang.
"Again…?" Konami murmured.
"You should get that." Akiza informed him, "I can wait."
Konami nodded, standing and quickly returning to the door. "Yeah… Who is it- Mikage? What're you doing here?"
The blue-haired secretary smiled, "Ah, Red-Hat-san, I was hoping now would be a good time for some Dueling practice."
Konami frowned, "Eh… sorry Mikage, but right now I'm watching Kaibaman. Can we do it later?"
"Kaibaman?" Mikage blinked in shock, "Now that I think about it, Mr. Atlas watches that show too…"
"Understood." She spoke suddenly, stepping inside.
"Huh? M-Mikage what're you doing?"
"What does it look like?" the woman asked, "I must ensure you don't try to back out later after all. So of course, I'll be watching the show with you."
Konami sighed, "Fine… I have another guest anyway so…"
Mikage glanced towards the living room, spotting Akiza waiting patiently on the couch. "I see." She said with pursed lips, "Then it's only right you have a member of Sector Security chaperoning. Good thinking Red-Hat." Mikage smirked, joining the red-head in the living room.
Konami sighed. "Well, hopefully that'll be all for a while…"
Closing the doors one more, he returned to the living room, reclaiming his seat on the floor. "Now then, where were we?" he asked, pausing at the sight of the two women chatting away. "Nevermind." He grumbled, tapping the Play button.
-KM-
"You underestimate me, Dark Magician!" Kaibaman grinned, "Unlike you, I'm not afraid to play dirty! Reveal Trap Card!" he shouted, snapping his fingers as the large TVs above them brimmed to life. "You see Magician, I too have alternative methods of grasping victory. Behold, my hostage! The Dark Magician Girl!"
The Dark Magician scowled as the picture on the TVs changed, revealing his accomplice apprentice trapped behind bars.
"Kaibaman!" the spellcaster snarled, "You had the nerve to kidnap my apprentice?! I'll have your head for this!"
The warrior of white smirked, "Not so fast! Reveal Trap Card!" he shouted once more, revealing the Dark Sage trapped in another building elsewhere.
"Grandpa?!" the Dark Magician gasped, "Kaibaman! First the weak, and now the elderly as well?!"
"Listen carefully Magician," Kaibaman began, pulling a switch from the folds of his coat, "What I have here is the self-destruct trigger for my Blue Eyes White Dragonzord's Burst Stream Bombs. There is one located at each of the locations you have just seen."
The Dark Magician's eyes widened, "Oh no!"
"It's time for you to make a decision Magician," Kaibaman grinned, "The Dark Magician Girl is located at…. 762 Pegasus Road, your Grandfather is located at… 159 Atemu Avenue. Make your decision!"
-KM-
"Hmm… for a hero, Kaibaman seems to be making himself out as more of a villain." Mikage thought aloud.
Konami nodded, opening his mouth to reply when-
The doorbell rang once again.
"Better get that, Red-Hat." Akiza rhymed.
Konami glared at the girl, running to the door so as to not miss anything. "Look, whoever it is, I'm-"
"Oh? Red-Hat? So this is where you live?" Misty asked wide-eyed. "It seems fate intended on us crossing paths once again."
"Misty…" Konami sighed, "How'd you find out where I- no never mind, what is it you needed?"
"Well actually, I was just looking to see if there was some way I could-" she paused, the sounds of Kaibaman laughing triumphantly echoing into the door.
"Is that… could it be you're watching Kaibaman?" Misty asked.
"Well, yeah, but-"
"You must allow me to see the show. I haven't watched it since my brother died and…"
"Oh great… I better let her in before she starts crying on me…" Konami thought quietly. "Yeah, sure, come on in. I have to warn you though, Akiza's here so-"
Misty had already started ignoring him, setting herself on the couch to watch the show eagerly with the rest of the guests.
"Motherf… now I know how Enzo feels." Konami deadpanned, shutting the door.
By the time he'd returned, Kaibaman had already summoned his second Blue Eyes White Dragonzord, as everyone who watched the show knew he could deploy up to three at one time.
-KM-
"Dark Magician, feel the wrath of my Blue Eyes White Dragonzord!" Kaibaman shouted, standing atop his beasts head.
The Dark Magician scowled, setting his scepter alongside those of the Dark Magician Girl and the Dark Sage.
"You may have tried to tear us apart Kaibaman, but the power of Dark Magic will never fall to the likes of you! Behold, the power of our Familial Dark Magic Attack!"
The two most powerful attacks of the characters collided, exploding in a bright light of white and black. When the smoke cleared, only the warrior of white remained.
"So he escaped again…" Kaibaman murmured, clenching the dirt where the man once stood, "You can't escape me forever, Dark Magician."
-KM-
"It's… It's over…" Konami gaped, "I didn't even get to see all of it…."
"That was a pretty good episode," Akiza admitted, "The way they fought on the clouds and everything was amazing, right Misty-san?"
"Of course, and when dark Magician managed to save both his family members in time, it had my heart racing," Misty smiled, "What do you think Mikage-san?"
"I think we need to watch the next episode. Don't you agree Red-Hat?" the blue haired secretary smiled kindly.
"A-Ah… y-yeah." He dropped his head in defeat. He knew he never should've installed that door bell.