Yu-Gi-Oh!:

Guardian of Death

DUEL 11: Enter the Arena

"Will Ryo Bakura and Patrick Kingston please step forward for the first round of the Duelist Paradise Quarterfinals?!" Krocketts's voice echoed throughout the building. Patrick entered the stadium-like area and Bakura entered at the other. The place was full of cheering duel fans.

Patrick was taken aback, "Whoa!" he shouted, "Look at this!"

(It's quite a lot isn't it?) Anubis agreed. Patrick strolled over to the arena in the middle of the stadium. He and Bakura traded a few more looks. He appeared different than before.

"Good luck," the boy uttered.

"That's my line," Patrick responded.

"The duelists in this competition have had to wager their rarest card in their duels and the tradition keeps going. Ryo Bakura will wager his Man-Eater Bug and Patrick Kingston will wager his Lava Golem!" Krocketts announced, "Begin!"

Bakura began by setting one monster face-down and two other cards face-down, "Go," Bakura instructed.

Patrick thought ominously ::He wants me to lose my Lava Golem so I can't use it against him again.::

(That's my bet,) Anubis agreed, (But you'd better focus on the match at hand.)

Patrick nodded and drew his first card from his deck, "I'll set these two cards face-down on the field and summon Jinzo #7 in attack mode!" A cybernetic beast arose on the field, its various wires firing of sparks and a chest plate with "07" on it, "Did I mention," Patrick led on, "That Jinzo #7 attacks directly? Well behold his Prototype Taser attack!" Jinzo #7 broke into pieces and reformed in front of Bakura. Its arm flashed with electricity, reducing Bakura's LP to 1500.

"Next," Patrick said playing a spell, "Pot of Greed! I draw two new cards and end my turn."

"Well, I flip-summon Man-Eater Bug to destroy your Jinzo #7!" Bakura announced. The demonic insect took form on the field and blasted a beam from its mouth, piercing Jinzo #7's head, destroying it.

"Then I'll activate Jar of Greed to draw one more card!" Patrick countered.

"I don't care; I summon Lady of Faith in attack mode." Bakura's new spellcaster took the field.

"Then I'll set one monster face-down in defense mode and set one more card face-down." Patrick responded.

Bakura drew his card. The crowd was chanting to get on with it and a roar of boos, "Let's see them boo this," Bakura led in, "I summon the Cosmo Queen in attack mode!" Bakura's being arose from the arena bringing a hush over the crowd. Her crown toward over her slender body.

"Whoa," Patrick muttered.

"Now attack!" Bakura instructed with fervor. Patrick smirked.

"Not so fast, I activate Gravity Bind, crippling your Cosmo Queen. And finally," Patrick said, causing a cheer in the crowd, "I activate the trap card Just Desserts! You lose 500 LP for each monster on your side of the field meaning you lose exactly 1500 life points and that's game!"

"Winner!" Krocketts announced, "Patrick Kingston has qualified for the semi-finals."

Bakura and Patrick shook hands, "Good duel," Bakura said, "Here is my Dark Spirit of the Silent trap card."

"Thank-you, now I need a break." Patrick sauntered off. He disregarded the trap, not realizing what it was. An hour later the last quarter final duelists finished their matches.

"The semi-final matches are set," Krocketts announced from the loud speakers, where Patrick heard the announcement from the locker room, "The standings are Patrick Kingston versus "Bandit" Keith Howard and Katsuya Jonouchi versus Ryuzaki Dinosaur."

"It's me and Keith again, eh?" Patrick muttered, "Perfect."

"Please prepare for the Semi-finals math 1!" Krocketts announced. Patrick pulled out his deck and began to shuffle it. He paced slowly toward the locker rooms. He drew cards to see his luck. The Relinquished he held in his hand. He'd been through a lot for this monster.

"Please, don't stop now," Patrick murmured.

(Stay focused my friend,) Anubis echoed, (It isn't your monsters that have done this feat for you, it was you all along.)

The door to the locker room swung open, "C'mon dweeb!" A deep voice roared. Patrick looked up to see "Bandit" Keith standing in his room, "You can mope about losing your cards after I take 'em!" Keith walked off and Krocketts walked in after him.

"It's time Mr. Kingston," He informed before walking away. Patrick gave his deck one last lucky shuffle before he left. He strided to the arena with pride, ready for his rematch with the Intercontinental Champion.

He entered the arena to an ovation from the crowd. Krocketts, as before, announced the competitors and the stakes, Patrick's Lava Golem and "Bandit" Keith's Graceful Charity.

Keith drew a card, "Let's start things off right away! I summon Seiyaryu in attack mode!" A Purple dragon with feathers on his arms arose, opening his beak to let loose a roaring squawk. The crowd cheered and Patrick drew a card to start his turn.

"I'll set three cards and set a monster in defense," Patrick said.

"Weak as ever, eh?" Keith mocked, "Fine! I'll go on the offensive! I'll summon Machine King and attack!"

"Then I'll activate my Poison of the Old Man spell! You lose 800 LP Keith!" Patrick rebutted.

"I don't care! Your monster's mincemeat! Seiyaryu, Razor Flare Blast!" A ray of fire erupted from Seiyaryu's beak. It struck Patrick's face-down monster. Keith recognized the shadow.

"It looks like you remember this little thing. Eh, Keith?" Patrick said flipping his monster over, "Cyber Jar, the monster I won from you!" Cyber Jar took its place and destroyed Seiyaryu and Machine King before destroying itself.

Keith growled, "I'll summon Robotic Knight and Mechanical Chaser in attack mode," Keith said angrily.

"Well," Patrick led in, "I'll set on monster then summon Sonic Duck in attack!" The petite green bird stood with pride on the field.

"Bandit" Keith scowled and grinned at the same time, "Well, Mechanical Chaser's gonna change your demeanor twerp, it attacks the face-down monster!"

"Too bad for it my card is D.D. Trainer with a defense of 2000 and 700 more when I activate the Reliable Guardian!" Mechanical Chaser fell in a heap as "Bandit" Keith's LP counter reached 350.

"Now I'll take my real turn and set one card face-down. And Sonic Duck attacks Robotic Knight!" Sonic Duck stormed his opponent and thrusted its body through the Robotic Knight shattering it. "I should end this, Keith," Patrick gloated, "I'll activate another Poison of the Old Man to drain the last of your life points."

"Nope!" Keith said flipping over a card, "I activate Curse Breaker to destroy your spell!" A beam erupted towards Patrick Poison card but is cut off and destroyed by a vortex.

"Mystical Space Typhoon," Patrick informed, "My spell gets through. I'll take my Graceful Charity now!" The crowd roared. Keith threw his lost card down in disgust before leaving the arena. Patrick took a comical bow and left.

Patrick was watching the semi-finals match between Jonouchi and Ryuzaki. It was even at 100 LP each and nothing on the field.

Ryuzaki drew, "Here's a classic for you, Serpent Knight Dragon!" A marvelous snake-like dragon with dark blue flesh arose with a roar.

"Sorry," Jonouchi responded, "But if you want something 'classic', take a look at your former Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" Jonouchi's demonic black dragon rose to the playing field. Its fireball annihilated Ryuzaki's monster and ended the duel. Patrick looked on at Jonouchi taking his cheers.

"He'll make a good challenge I hope," Patrick gloated.