Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, YuGiOh or any of the Duel Monster cards used in this chapter (actually that's a lie, I own copies of a few of the spellcasters :: grin ::)
On duelling rules: I will be playing to the YuGiOh Trading Card Game rules. This means each players start with 8000 life points. Monsters can be normal summoned in face up attack or facedown defence, but not in face up defence. All the cards will have TCG rulings, except for Card of Sanctity, which will be going by the anime ruling. Cards that only appear in the anime will of course be following their anime rulings. These rules will be applied to all the duels in my fic from this point onward.
This is my first stab at a full length duel…well, this is my first published attempt at a full length duel (my previous attempts were really REALLY crap and written back when I barely knew the rules). I have tried to follow the card and gaming rules to the best of my knowledge, but if I've made a huge mistake anywhere I apologise.
Chapter 12: The Army of Machines
The distant sounds of the people in the village were all that could be heard as the six students looked in disbelief at the two Death Eaters. The one named Ivan stood, with his duel disk extended, and his deck already loaded, the thrill of a challenge evident on his face. He was eyeing each of the duellists up, his gaze resting for a long time on Yugi. Next to him, Rudolphus Lestrange had his eyes fixed on Harry, his wand still clutched in his hand. Although their orders were to duel the three transfers and capture their souls, he knew he would be a fool to let his master's greatest foe escape from his grasp.
"So, which of you will be the first victim of the Orichalcos?" Ivan challenged. "Each of you have duel disks, so you have no excuse."
Yugi, Ryou and Malik all looked down at their duel disks, before exchanging glances with each other. Finally Yugi made up his mind, and stepped forward. There was no way he was going to let any of his friends fight this man. He had confidence in both of their abilities, but he knew that they had never been in an Orichalcos duel before. It would be better for them to watch this one rather than getting thrown straight in.
"I'll duel you," Yugi said, reaching for his own deck and slotting it into place.
"Yugi are you sure about this?" Ryou cautioned.
"Positive," Yugi replied, turning to give them both a reassuring smile.
"So a match with the King of Games huh?" Ivan smirked. "This will be a real test of strength. I shall relish collecting your soul for my master Yugi."
Yugi seemed to pause for a second, and when he looked up, his eyes were narrow and crimson, and he seemed to have grown by a few inches. Yami glared at the man, before unclipping his cloak and throwing it to Ryou. It would just hamper his movement.
"You will never lay a hand on my soul," he said. "Or my Aibou's." he added silently. "Let's duel!"
The duel disk whirred into life, the familiar weight on his arm giving the Pharaoh a small shred of comfort. The wings of the disk slotted into place, forming the monster card zones, and revealing the slots for the spell and trap cards. The life point counters on both disks set to eight thousand.
"Before we begin," Ivan said, nodding to his companion. Rudolphus smirked before pointing his wand at the five spectators. Before any of them could move, thick ropes shot from the end, forcing them all into the snow and binding their arms to their sides.
"What's the deal?!" Bakura snapped, taking over angrily.
"You didn't think we'd let the rest of you run off did you?" Rudolphus said. "Now each of you can have a front seat view of your friend losing his soul."
He nodded at Ivan, who began to draw his opening hand. Yami quickly did the same, an uncomfortable bout of worry surging through him. His soul, and Yugi's were both on the line, along with the safety of their friends.
"Since I issued the challenge, I shall go first," Ivan said, drawing his sixth card and smirking.
"Well this duel isn't going to last very long," he said. He selected one card and placed it on the disk.
"I begin with Robotic Knight (1600/1800) in attack mode."
Before the Death Eater appeared a robot made of a dark grey metal, with red, purple and gold armour plating. Yami frowned at it, and on the sidelines three of the five spectators jaws dropped.
"That's a duel monster?" Ron asked, looking in wonder at the magically advanced hologram in between the two duellists.
"That's a duel monster," Malik confirmed, exchanging a worried look with Bakura. They were both pulling the same conclusion about Ivan's deck.
"And now to power him up," Ivan said, pulling another card from his hand. "With ten thousand years worth of ancient magic."
"He can't have…" Bakura said in pure disbelief. On the other side of the field, Yami visibly flinched as Ivan opened the field card slot on his duel disk.
"You're putting yourself in danger too!" the Pharaoh reminded him. Ivan however did not hear.
"I activate the Seal of Orichalcos!"
The area in which they stood was suddenly filled with bright green light. A column of magic erupted from Ivan's duel disk before pushing itself out to surround both duellists. The captives on the ground all winced, but were unable to shield their eyes due to the bindings. Rudolphus laughed manically.
The Seal stopped growing, and the six-pointed star began to score itself into the ground. Yami looked up at Ivan to find the Death Eater standing completely still, his head bowed. Then as if in slow motion, his hood fell off to reveal the evil mark glowing on his forehead. His eyes had taken on a red gleam, and he looked completely mad.
"He played it," Bakura muttered angrily.
"Look!" Malik gasped, his eyes fixed on Ivan's Robotic Knight. The Seal had appeared on the monster's forehead, and its attack had jumped by five hundred points (2100).
"He drew the Seal on his first turn," Bakura said grimly. "And machine monsters can be tough enough without the extra power."
"This is…" Hermione trailed off, sounding utterly terrified.
"Voldemort's secret weapon," Malik finished, looking over his shoulder. "Yes. I just hope no one comes up this way to investigate the light show, or they'll be putting themselves in danger."
Everyone drew their attention back to the match, none of them eager to dwell on this horrifying prospect. Inside the duelling field, Ivan was chuckling menacingly.
"It has not been that long since you last duelled against the Seal Yugi, so I should not have to remind you of its effects."
"I remember," Yami growled. "Are you finished?"
"Hmm, anxious to lose your soul are you?" Ivan taunted. "By all means, go right ahead."
Yami bit back a snappy retort, instead drawing and studying his hand. Dark Magician Girl, Magical Dimension, Sages Stone, Queens Knight, Alpha the Magnet Warrior and Mirror Force were all present.
/Not bad/ Yugi remarked. Yami nodded in agreement.
//Yes but with the Seal out we need to be careful. That thing gives him a serious advantage. I can't believe he drew it on his first turn…//
/And we don't have anything to take out his knight. Better play safe/ Yugi suggested. Again Yami agreed before pulling Mirror Force and Queen's Knight free.
"I set one card facedown, one monster in defence mode and end my turn."
The holographic images appeared before him. Ron gave an impressed whistle. Next to Malik and Bakura, Harry was trying his best to follow the match, based on the few tabletop games he had seen between the transfers during the term so far. As far as he could work out, Yugi was playing defensively, trying to preserve his life points. He knew there was probably more to the game that he wasn't seeing, but he could bet that Malik and Ryou had both picked up on it. Ivan apparently thought so too.
"That's it?" the Death Eater asked, before snorting. "Cowering behind defence monsters and it's only your first turn?! I haven't seen anything this pathetic since I had a rich family of muggles cowering at my feet, begging to be spared."
"If you hate muggles so much, why do you play a muggle card game?" Yami asked, inwardly sickened by the man's apparent disregard for human life.
"Why?" Ivan asked, drawing a card. "For the simple reason that it's a powerful weapon! And once which is intimately linked with the magic of the Orichalcos! And speaking of powerful weapons, I summon Machine King Prototype!"
He slapped the card onto the duel disk, and another robot materialised next to Robotic Knight. This one was slightly smaller than Robotic Knight, with red and silver components making up the body, arms and legs. The cylinder shaped head had two bulbs where the ears would be on a human, and from the arms and legs, stray wires trailed along the ground. The Seal appeared a second later, boosting its attack to 2100.
"Machine King Prototype gains a hundred attack points for every machine monster on the field," Ivan said. "So that's an extra one hundred points from Robotic Knight."
Sure enough, the smaller robot suffered another growth spurt as its attack increased to 2200.
"Okay so it's a bigger lump of metal," Malik summarised, now fiddling with his magical bonds in agitation. "Yugi will still take it apart!"
On Ivan's forehead the Seal flared into life, and the Death Eater looked poisonously at the group, before turning his attention back to Yami.
"Robotic Knight, attack his facedown monster!"
The robot leaped forward.
/Mirror Force?/ Yugi asked. Yami mentally shook his head.
//If he's using a machine deck he could have far worse in there. Mirror Force is too powerful to waste now. Better save it//
Yugi gave a nod, and both of them winced as the knight punched straight through the facedown card. Queen's Knight gave a scream before vanishing.
"Machine King Prototype, attack him directly!" Ivan ordered. Yami braced himself as the miniature robot charged him and ploughed its fist into his stomach. Yami doubled over in pain. He had forgotten that because the Seal was on the field, the monsters were as real as they were, and it most definitely showed in the last attack.
Life Points
Yami: 5800
Ivan: 8000
"Ow!" Ron winced.
"Was that supposed to happen?" Hermione asked, looking horrified. Next to her Bakura rolled his eyes.
"What did you think the monsters did in this game?" he snapped, fidgeting with the bindings. He had already tried breaking the bindings with the magic of the Ring, to no avail. So now he was trying to reach his pocket where his knife and duelling deck were kept. Surely at least one of them would be able to help. Next to him, he could feel Malik trying to reach the Millennium Rod, which if he knew the Tomb Keeper, was hooked in his belt.
"Yugi had a facedown card," Harry said, remembering some of the previous duels he had watched between the transfers. "Why didn't he activate it when Ivan attacked?"
"Guess he didn't want to waste it," Malik remarked, wincing as he twisted his arm into a funny position in an attempt to reach his Millennium Item. When he noticed the curious looks he was getting he explained. "Machine decks tend to be mostly beatdown. The monsters focus is on strength as opposed to strategy. Most of them tend to have things like Machine King, which could really be a problem for Yugi. He might want to hold onto his more powerful traps for when the more powerful monsters are summoned."
Everyone present nodded in understanding, at the same point there were a series of cracks as a group of people appeared behind them. Dumbledore appeared in the snow, with several of the teachers behind him. All of them looked horrified as they took in the scene, including the Seal and the five students tied up on the ground. Rudolphus snarled loudly, and gripped something around his neck. A giant green shield, apparently a weak form of the Seal, appeared around him, as the teachers began trying to subdue him.
"Try all you like!" the Death Eater taunted. "I'm not going anywhere!"
While all this was going on, Dumbledore strode over to the five trussed up students and waved his wand. The bindings fell lose immediately, and all of them began to struggle to their feet.
"We received your message Harry," the headmaster assured him. "I don't think I need to ask what is going on."
Harry, Ron and Hermione leaped into explanations while Bakura and Malik approached the Seal. Malik reached it first, stretching out a hand and placing it on the side of the barrier. There was no way any of them could break through that. It would take magic of the same type to combat this. For now, all they could do was continue to watch. The poor teachers had given up trying to blast Rudolphus, and were now just holding him at wand point, while he continued to hide behind his shield.
Yami drew his next card and studied his hand, managing to hold back the wince. His options were not good. Right at the moment he could not go on the offence, as he did not have anything powerful enough. He set another card facedown and placed another monster in defence before waving Ivan on.
"What do you think?" Malik asked. He had seen the expression on the Tomb Robber's face, and he could tell that he was thinking hard. Bakura opened his mouth to reply.
"He's not playing on top form," he said bluntly. "And if my Ring is correct, which it always is, he's doubting himself."
"He's worried he's going to lose Yugi again," Malik deducted. "I agree. Either he's got a really bad hand, or he's being overly cautious. Playing to the defence so much isn't the Pharaoh's style at all."
"Well the Seal is giving Ivan a clear advantage," Ryou pointed out, standing next to the two in spirit form. "If only there was some way to get rid of it!"
Bakura nodded in agreement, his mind ticking over the numerous advantages that the Seal gave the Death Eater. He could almost hear Yami's voice in the living room of the Game Shop three months ago. "It gives all monsters five hundred extra points and turns them all into dark attribute creatures, it cannot be removed from the field…" His head snapped up in attention as he and Ryou shared a simultaneous thought.
"There is a way to get rid of it!" Bakura said aloud. Malik frowned.
"What?" he asked. But Bakura was no longer listening. Ryou had vanished back into his soul room, and the thief was already taking off down the pathway.
"Bakura! Where are you going?!" Malik shouted, causing everyone to turn and look at him. Bakura paused and turned around. Inside the Seal, Yami had heard Malik shout, and looked around in alarm.
"Pharaoh, if you can't beat him, stall him!" Bakura yelled in Japanese before continuing his marathon sprint away from the duel. As he left, Malik could see him unzipping his jacket to get to the Ring.
"Damn it!" the Egyptian cursed, making to go after him, but he was held back by three pairs of hands.
"Malik stay here," Hermione begged. "If Yugi loses then someone else will have to duel, and none of us can play. Besides we need you to tell us what's going on."
"Yugi isn't going to lose," Malik said firmly, making sure that Yami could hear him. Inside the Seal, the Pharaoh nodded at his friend, hoping that he was right. He turned his attention back to Ivan. The Death Eater was studying his hand before smirking.
"I was hoping for a real match when I issued this challenge," he said. "But apparently I'm not going to get one. Oh well. Robotic Knight, attack his facedown monster!"
Once again, the knight pummelled the facedown card, which turned out to be Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700). The tiny grey rock shattered.
"Machine King Prototype, attack directly!"
Malik, Harry, Ron and Hermione winced as they waited for the blow. Yami allowed himself to relax slightly as he pressed a button on his duel disk.
"Activate trap card – Spellbinding Circle!"
The smirk slid off Ivan's face as the magical circle appeared around Machine King Prototype, stopping the robot dead in its tracks. Malik exhaled in relief.
"Thank Ra for that," he said. "I honestly thought he was slipping there!"
"What does that do?" Hermione asked.
"Spellbinding Circle prevents Machine King Prototype from attacking and stops Ivan from changing its battle position," Malik reported.
"That was a lucky shot!" Ivan shouted, apparently miffed that Yami did have some fight in him after all. He set two facedown cards of his own before waving the Pharaoh on. Yami drew and looked over his cards. Yugi appeared in spirit form as a smile graced his darker half's face.
/I think I see a plan here…/
OOO
Bakura tore down the village pathways, sending villagers and students scattering to one side to get out of his way. The Millennium Ring was clutched in his left hand, dragging him in the direction of the castle.
/You can't run all the way back to Hogwarts/ Ryou said. /You'll never make it in time/
//I'm not planning on running// Bakura told him. //I just want to get far away enough from everyone//
/To do what?/ Ryou asked, now totally lost. Bakura slowed down to a stop as he reached the pathway leading into the village. Right now, with most of the students already there, the path was deserted. Bakura reached for his duelling deck and Ryou nodded mentally.
/Ah I see. Good plan/
//When have my plans ever been anything but good?// Bakura asked smugly, pulling out a single card. "I summon Diabound Colonel!"
The Millennium Ring lit up and in front of the yami appeared the white skinned fiend that represented his soul. It blended in very well with the surrounding snow. Bakura smirked.
"Take me into the castle," he ordered. "Quickly."
The snake tail extended, wrapping itself around the thief, before taking off swiftly towards Hogwarts.
//Much quicker// Bakura noted, as in no time at all, they arrived in the Entrance Hall. Filch was snoozing in a chair by the front doors, his secrecy sensor still clutched in his hand. Bakura lifted the Ring and gave it an impatient shake.
"Find the Orichalcum!" he barked. All five pointers pointed toward the ground. Bakura turned to Diabound and nodded. The fiend wrapped him up in its snake tail again before both monster and spirit sank through the stone floor.
They emerged in one of the dungeon store cupboards. Bakura knew this area from when Ryou had potions, as Slughorn allowed the transfers access to the student cupboards whenever they were running out of supplies. Jars of ingredients sat on the precariously stacked shelves. Bakura scanned the room and quickly located the door. He marched towards it and kicked it open, invoking the Ring's power to search out his goal.
Bakura as his words from the previous night came flooding back. He had said he still wanted to see Yami suffer for what he had put him through. So why was he helping him now?
/Good question/ Ryou commented. /Not that I'm complaining or anything. I want to help too. Yugi's my friend/
It was at this point Bakura realised exactly what he was doing. He wanted to see Yami suffer, but ultimately, if the Pharaoh lost, then Yugi might try and take his place in the Seal again. And however much he thought Yami deserved pain, being torn from the other half of your soul was the most painful experience in the world. And Bakura knew that better than most, having been ripped apart from Ryou so often. No one, not even the Pharaoh deserved that.
He snapped out of his musings and shook the Ring.
//Come on Ring. Find the Orichalcos rock and find it fast!//
OOO
"I play the spell card Brain Control!"
Yami plugged the card into a spell/trap zone on his duel disk and on the field appeared a grisly grey brain, which extended a pair of clawed arms towards Ivan's side of the field.
"I pay 800 life points to take control of one of your monsters," Yami explained. "I chose Robotic Knight!"
Life Points
Yami: 5000
Ivan: 8000
The Knight was seized by the arms, and was dragged without resistance to Yami's side of the field. The boost that it had previously received from the Seal disappeared taking its attack back down to 1600. On Ivan's side of the field, Machine King Prototype's attack decreased to 2100 with the loss of a fellow machine monster.
"Go ahead," Ivan shrugged. "He's weak without the magic of the Orichalcos, so he's no use to you."
"Don't be too sure of that," Yami said. "He's not staying with me long. I sacrifice Robotic Knight so I can summon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)!"
The robot vanished leaving a shower of pink bubbles behind it. From this apparition appeared a young blonde girl wearing a pink and blue dress and a hat that was too big for her head. She giggled and twirled her staff before winking at the audience. Ron wolf whistled loudly, and Hermione smacked him around the head.
"Your girlfriend is a few points short Yugi," Ivan pointed out in a bored voice. Yami smirked.
"She may be a few points short, but the monster I'm about to summon isn't. I activate Sages Stone, allowing Dark Magician Girl to call her mentor from my deck!"
A tiny crystal appeared in front of Dark Magician Girl, who picked it up, threw it into the air, and hit it with a blast of magic from her staff. Light erupted from the stone and when it cleared, a second spellcaster had appeared, this one wearing robes of deep purple, and carrying a green staff. He turned and nodded to Dark Magician Girl who beamed back at him.
"Isn't that Yugi's favourite monster?" Harry asked.
"Yep," Malik grinned. "That's Dark Magician alright (2500/2100)."
"Dark Magician, destroy Machine King Prototype!" Yami ordered. "Dark Magic Attack!"
"How predictable," Ivan muttered, hitting a button on his duel disk. "Activate Negate Attack!"
Yami growled in frustration as his vision went photonegative for a second. When it returned to normal, Machine King Prototype was still there, the attack having been absorbed by the trap. Dark Magician looked extremely put out, and glared at Ivan. And with Dark Magician Girl a hundred points short of defeating the frozen robot, Yami had no choice but to end his turn.
/Its okay Yami/ Yugi assured him. /He can't attack with Machine King Prototype thanks to Spellbinding Circle/
//Its not Machine King Prototype I'm worried about// the Pharaoh admitted. //I'm worried about him sacrificing it for something stronger. There's probably plenty in that deck that could mean trouble for us//
On the sidelines, Harry was having another thought.
"Those monsters look really realistic," he said. "When Yugi's magician glared at Ivan just now he looked really really angry."
"Yeah, must have something to do with the magic we used on the duel disks," Malik supplied. While it was true that fuelling the duel disks with Shadow Magic would produce some very realistic results, the reason the monsters were so life like was because the Seal bought all the monsters to life. But then, Malik reasoned, no one needed to know that.
Ivan drew his card, trying not to look too miffed that his opponent now had the upper hand. He was not succeeding however, as the Seal betrayed every twinge of anger that coursed through him.
"I set a monster facedown. Make your move Yugi."
Yami drew and looked over the two cards in his hand before studying the field.
"Okay, let's try again. Dark Magician, attack Machine King Prototype!"
The spellcaster looked even more determined to finish the robot off properly this time, and everyone winced and covered their eyes as the attack caused the world to flash. Machine King Prototype cracked and shattered like a pane of glass. Ivan scowled as his life points went down.
Life Points
Yami: 5000
Ivan: 7700
"Dark Magician Girl, attack his facedown monster!" Yami ordered. "Dark Burning Attack!" The sorceress beamed and waved her staff, sending a blast of purple magic at the facedown card. It flipped up, revealing a dark blue metallic soldier, with a rocket launcher mounted on its shoulder. The monster vanished in the blast.
"Kinetic Soldier (1350/1800)," Malik provided for the audience.
"End turn," Yami announced. Scowling, Ivan drew his next card. He looked even more sour as he carried out his move.
"Set one monster. End turn."
Yami raised an eyebrow as he drew his next card. Did Ivan, who had been doing well up until this moment, not have anything that could help him right now? He looked suspiciously at his one remaining facedown card.
//I don't like to take a risk Aibou// he thought to Yugi. //But if its no threat then we can't pass up the opportunity to do some damage. He could easily turn the duel around again//
/I agree/ Yugi thought. /Maybe we should take the risk. We've got Mirror Force for protection if anything goes wrong/
Yami nodded.
"Dark Magician Girl, attack his facedown monster!"
Once again, another blast of purple energy was fired at Ivan's side of the field, flipping the card up, to reveal another Kinetic Soldier.
"Dark Magician, attack his life points directly!" Yami ordered. The Sorcerer looked thrilled and Ivan screamed as he was blasted off his feet by the magical energy.
Life Points
Yami: 5000
Ivan: 5200
"Nice job Yugi!" Malik cheered.
"That just about evens the score up," Ron said.
Ivan was furious as Yami indicated that his turn was over, particularly when he head the rest of the spectators cheering. He drew, and a smirk appeared on his face.
"This'll shut them up!" he thought.
Across the field, Yugi had noticed it too.
/I don't like that smile Yami/
//Neither do I// the Pharaoh admitted, as Ivan looked over at them, the smirk and the red glint in his eye from the Orichalcos making him look slightly deranged.
"I summon Reflect Bounder (1700/1000). And if I were you, I'd think twice before attacking him!"
He slapped the card he had just drawn onto his duel disk, and in front of him appeared a strange looking robot. It had no legs, just two arms that hung to the side of its red body. Its head and chest were adorned with two large circular mirrors, and behind it trailed a blue cloak. Completing the effect was the Seal of Orichalcos, which shone out of the mirror on the monsters' head (2200).
Yami's eyes widened.
//Reflect Bounder! If we try and attack that it will damage our life points too!//
"Pay back is a bitch hey Yugi?" the Death Eater cackled. "Reflect Bounder, attack Dark Magician Girl!"
A ball of light began to gather between Reflect Bounder's hands.
/I think this is serious enough to warrant Mirror Force/ Yugi suggested.
//Agreed// Yami said, pushing the button on his duel disk.
"Activate Trap card – Mirror Force!"
The holy barrier sprung up in front of the relieved looking Dark Magician Girl, just as Reflect Bounder let fly its attack.
"Not a chance!" Ivan retorted, pressing a button on his own duel disk. "Reveal Counter Trap – Seven Tools of the Bandit!"
His life points ticked down by one thousand. Yami ground his teeth together, and Dark Magician Girl looked horrified at the Death Eater's words as Mirror Force cracked and disappeared, shattering at her feet as the attack struck dead on.
"What happened to the mirror?" Ron asked in confusion. Malik did not have time to reply. There was a loud scream belonging to Dark Magician Girl as she perished in the explosion. Dark Magician looked horrified at his apprentice's demise, and he glared angrily at Ivan looking as though he would like nothing more than to blast him and his machines into the Shadow Realm.
Life Points
Yami: 4800
Ivan: 4200
"One down, one to go," Ivan said smugly, but Yami did not seem to notice. He was berating himself for being so careless.
He slid Dark Magician Girl's card into the graveyard with a heavy heart. If he could not save her, then what hope did he have of saving Yugi from being sealed again? Once again however, Yami had forgotten that he could not hide anything from Yugi, and the hikari appeared in spirit form before him, arms folded and a stern look on his face.
/This is not your fault Pharaoh. You are not going to let this guy beat you and you won't lose me again. I trust you/
//I know Yugi// Yami told him. //But what if...//
/No buts!/ Yugi said, interrupting his darker half for what had to be the first time since he had known him. /You've told me before that you believe in me. Well I believe in you too, and I know you won't lose this. I know it/
Yami felt his other half's words warm him, just like the light that his hikari was. He smiled to himself.
//You're right Yugi. I'm sorry. With your support I won't lose//
Yugi nodded, before looking down at the cards they were holding.
/Diffusion Wave Motion, Mystical Elf, Magical Hats and Magical Dimension. Any ideas?/
//We don't want to attack Reflect Bounder with Dark Magician// Yami said. //We'll lose too many points. And I don't want to set Mystical Elf. Not yet anyway. If we draw the right monster we can use her with Magical Dimension. But for now, we'd better just leave Dark Magician where he is until we can find a way around Reflect Bounder. He's a few points short of defeating him when he's in attack mode//
"Are you doing anything over there?" Ivan rudely butted in. Yami scowled.
"I pass this turn."
Outside the Seal, Ron frowned.
"He didn't attack," he said. "Why didn't he attack? His magician has more attack points than that Reflect thingy."
"Reflect Bounder has a pretty nasty effect," Malik explained. Ron frowned in confusion.
"Remember when you last watched me and Ryou duel the other day?" Malik asked. "He had trouble beating my Revival Jam because it kept re-summoning it? That was its effect. Reflect Bounder has an effect too. If Yugi attacks it, Reflect Bounder will deal damage to Yugi's life points, equal to his magician's attack. And being that he's got four thousand eight hundred points, that would be a serious blow to take."
"This is all very complicated," Harry remarked.
"Meh, no more so than Quidditch," Malik shrugged. "You get used to it."
Ivan drew and added another card to his hand. It was clear he was waiting for something in particular, as he like Yami, passed his go too.
"Stalemates are fun," Malik deadpanned. "It seems they're both waiting for something."
Yami was agreeing with the Tomb Keeper as he drew his next card.
/No spellcaster/ Yugi lamented, looking at Emergency Provisions.
//Don't give up Yugi, we still have time to draw the one we need// Yami said, taking Emergency Provisions, Diffusion Wave Motion and Magical Hats and setting them in the spell and trap card zones.
"I set three cards and end my turn," the Pharaoh announced.
"Seems someone's getting desperate," Ivan taunted, drawing his own card. His grin became sinister, sending a shiver over all those that were watching.
"Something tells me he got a good card," Ron said.
"Really?" Malik asked dryly. "What gave it away? The smug smile on his face, or the fact that he's chuckling now?"
"Carrot Top and Queen of the Nile are both right," Ivan said, ignoring the now enraged Gryffindors. Ron's ears had turned red, and Harry was now restraining Malik from charging headlong into the Seal. "I did indeed draw what I need. Behold, the spell card, Cost Down!"
Yami's eyes opened in recognition. "Kaiba used this card! Now you discard one card and all your monsters are downgraded by two stars!"
"Indeed!" Ivan stated, slipping a card into his discard slot. "So now I can summon one of my level six monsters without tributing anything for it!"
//Magical Hats// Yami assured Yugi before his partner could ask. He waited with one hand over his duel disk.
"Bet you anything its Machine King," Malik muttered to the spectators.
"Rise up in attack mode…" Ivan shouted, slamming the card onto his duel disk. "Jinzo (2400/1500)!"
Both Yami and Yugi felt their blood freeze. In the crowd, Malik began swearing loudly in various languages, completely disregarding the fact that Dumbledore was still standing next to him and that that Headmaster could probably understand what he was saying no matter what language he swore in. Everyone else just watched in awe as huge green humanoid robot appeared. The skull was bare and the front of the face covered by a metal mask. Its eyes, a pair of red goggles, gleamed brighter as the Seal of Orichalcos was added to its forehead (2900)
"I really hope those facedown cards of yours aren't traps Yugi," Ivan taunted, before turning to his new monster. The android's laser swept over all three of the facedown cards, turning the one on the far right a strange grey colour. Yami knew that trap was now unusable.
"I'm confused," Ron admitted.
"As you can see," Malik said, wincing at the direction this duel was going. "Jinzo negates the effect of all trap cards."
"Oh…" Harry said. "But then the other two that haven't turned grey are…?"
"Spells," Malik confirmed, not really listening that hard anymore, preferring to pay attention to the duel. Ivan meanwhile slotted another spell card into his disk.
"I'll play Premature Burial, paying eight hundred life points to revive the monster I discarded with Cost Down…Machine King (2200/2000)!"
Life Points
Yami: 4800
Ivan: 3400
It was fairly similar to Machine King Prototype. Its legs and torso were made up of a grey metal, with a blue lower body and red arms. As it appeared, it gained an additional three hundred points from having Jinzo, Reflect Bounder and itself on the field, plus another five hundred from the Seal of Orichalcos. (3000).
"Ooh boy, this isn't good," Malik muttered. Ivan's rather sinister grin only enforced this opinion.
"Now I'm rather sore at your Magician for blasting away all those points of mine," the Death Eater said. Yami knew he was just trying to draw this out for as long as he could. He knew he was going to destroy the King of Games' favourite monster. With Yami's traps frozen he had lost the most effective means of defence. There was no way Dark Magician could take an attack from a machine that strong.
"I think its payback time," Ivan coldly stated. "Jinzo, destroy his pathetic excuse for a Magician! Cyber Energy Shock attack!"
Jinzo raised both hands to its chest, and a ball of black energy began to generate in between the palms of its hands. Dark Magician cried out as the ball was hurled into his chest. A dull explosion later and Yami's field was bare.
Life Points
Yami: 4400
Ivan: 3400
"Machine King and Reflect Bounder, attack his life points directly!" Ivan commanded. Yami interrupted loudly, pressing a button on his duel disk.
"Reveal facedown card! Emergency Provisions!"
Just before Machine King could throw its punch, a hungry grey worm like mouth appeared out of thin air and gobbled up the two facedown cards. Ivan hissed.
Life Points
Yami: 6400
Ivan: 3400
"Pad your life points out all you want to Yugi," he said. "I'll just beat them down again."
"Hang tough Yugi!" Malik urged as Machine King raised a robotic arm and sent its fist flying toward the Pharaoh. Yami fell backwards into the snow, which was promptly sent flying into his face again as a second blast from Reflect Bounder followed, knocking a further dent in his life points.
Life Points
Yami: 1200
Ivan: 3400
"Ow!" Ron repeated.
"I felt that from all the way over here!" Hermione said. Her hands were over her face, her eyes peeking out occasionally when she thought she could bear to see what was going on.
"I'll admit that had to hurt!" Malik said wincing. "The most I've taken to date is a twenty five hundred point attack from Yugi's Dark Magician in a friendly duel. And that was really really painful!"
"And this is far from a 'friendly duel'," he added silently.
"But I'm confused," Harry said, looking rather lost. "What did Yugi just do? How did he get those extra Life Points?"
"He used Emergency Provisions to send Diffusion Wave Motion and Magical Hats to the Graveyard and…" Malik trailed off seeing that whatever he said was going to go right over their friend's heads. "I'll explain later," he promised with a sigh.
Yami got jerkily back to his feet. Yugi hovered anxiously in spirit form.
/Other me, are you alright?/
//Think so//
"Did that hurt Yugi?" Ivan taunted. Despite himself he looked remarkably impressed that his opponent was able to get back up again. Yami glared at him.
"I've had worse," he replied. In actual fact he was aching all over, but he would never admit that aloud. He wouldn't give Ivan the satisfaction of seeing him in pain. Yami knew he could take that type of abuse in duelling. He had taken a thirty-two hundred-point attack from Noah's Shinato in the virtual world, and that had hurt more than this had.
"I end my turn," Ivan said, his eyes gleaming like his monsters metallic bodies.
//I won't let him get away with that// Yami swore mentally as he drew. //Dark Magician, and Dark Magician Girl shall both be avenged//
/We need to end this quickly/ Yugi said. /Before we lose the last of our life points/
//You're right Yugi. We need to draw the card we need//
Yami's hand hovered over the deck slot. Yugi placed his own spectral hand over the top.
"Heart of the Cards. Guide us."
OOO
/Why would Dumbledore hide the Orichalcum in the dungeons?/ Ryou asked, as his darker half kicked open yet another door, before turning away in disgust as the Ring pointed in a totally different direction. /I would have thought he'd keep it in his office or something. It's bound to be safer there/
//You have a point// Bakura told him. //But remember, Dumbledore's office is on the third floor, right in the centre of the castle. He wasn't happy about keeping it in the castle for fear of the effect it would have on the students. He probably put it down here, far away from as many of the students as possible//
He raced in the direction that the pointers were leading him, stopping and kicking open the doors that he passed just in case they revealed a short cut. Eventually Bakura was led to a door, which wouldn't budge when he charged it. Unlike the other doors, the Ring seemed to glow more vibrantly. He swore a few times, before turning and nodding to Diabound. Once again, the fiend pulled his master through the wall and into what appeared to be another storage room.
/You know/ Ryou said timidly. /You could have just used Diabound to get through all the doors instead of shoulder charging them all and bruising my body/
Bakura just smirked. //Ah Ryou, you still do not understand the occasional need for senseless violence. Don't deny me my fun now hikari…now where do we go next…?//
The Ring pointed off towards a blank stretch of wall.
//An illusion// Bakura reported sensing Ryou's confusion. //The magicians of the court used to cast them in the tombs. It's a door pretending to be a blank wall//
He nodded again at his monster, and both of them sank through the fake wall and into a small cold stone chamber. There at the back was a large trunk with an ornate looking lock. Bakura knelt down and examined the lock.
//Doubt Alohamora's going to work on that// he said. After making sure that Diabound was still watching his back, he reached for his pocket and pulled two lock picks from within.
/Where did you get those?/ Ryou asked in surprise.
//Knockturn Ally// Bakura said briefly, ear pressed against the wood of the trunk, judging which points of the lock he should manipulate. //I swiped them from Borgin and Burkes//
/Oh…/ Ryou said, unsure how to comment. But considering they were helping them save Yugi, he decided he wasn't going to complain about his yami's thievery. /Are you sure they're safe? You know most of the stuff in that shop was pretty dark. What if they're cursed or something?/
//Relax Ryou// Bakura assured him, twisting one of the picks sharply. //I checked them over with the Ring when we got back that evening. They're perfectly safe//
As he spoke, the lock gave a loud click and Bakura pushed the lid open.
//And if I may say so// the thief smirked. //They worked like a charm//
There in the bottom of the box, lay the ring that had previously belonged to Draco Malfoy. The Orichalcum pulsed, feeling a human soul nearby. Bakura pulled on Ryou's gloves, which he had abandoned during the run from the village, and picked up the ring. With a little bit of force, including using one of his lock picks as leverage, he popped the stone from the ring and slid it into his pocket.
"Okay Diabound, back to the village," he ordered, pocketing the picks and zipping up his jacket. "For once in my life, I hope the Pharaoh is winning."
OOO
"Well?" Ivan asked in a bored voice.
"Look at him," Ron said in contempt. "He thinks he got the match already in the bag."
"No way," Malik said firmly, but inwardly he was starting to doubt his words.
"Come on Pharaoh, pull yourself together."
"Swords of Revealing Light!"
The Pharaoh held the card up for dramatic emphasis before plugging it into the Duel Disk. Above Ivan's head, glowing swords appeared and dropped into the ground, freezing all three monsters in their tracks.
"Well that's a pain," Ivan muttered to himself. He seemed very unfazed by his opponents move.
"What does that card do?" Ron asked, having never seen the magical swords being used before.
"Flips all Ivan's monsters face up and stops them from attacking for three turns," Malik said, his voice incredibly tense.
"The Pharaoh's looking for something special. He'd better get it in time, else he's royally screwed."
"Well if you're that desperate to stall," Ivan shrugged, drawing his card and adding it to the other in his hand. "I pass this turn."
"Very well," Yami said drawing.
//Not the right card// he thought.
/We'll get it/ Yugi said reassuringly. /And this monster will help us if Swords of Revealing Light wear off/ Yami nodded and took the card he had just drawn.
"I'll set a monster and end my turn."
The bare side of his field was filled with a holographic facedown monster. Ivan sneered.
"You've got three free turns and you aren't attacking?" he taunted. "You aren't exactly putting up much of a fight Yugi. I heard you were unbeatable. So where's that talent that made you World Champion?"
Yami bristled. "I'm saving it for a duellist who knows how to duel with honour," he retorted. "Not on someone who has to resort to using a card of pure evil to win."
Ivan just laughed. "Who cares? I am winning, and that's all that matters. In duelling only the strongest survive!"
"If you think using the Seal of Orichalcos makes you strong then you are sadly mistaken," Yami said, glaring at him. "That thing has corrupted your mind by offering you power. Duel Monsters is about honour and respect, not strength!"
Ivan snorted. "I knew you'd say something like that. You realise that the whole duelling community has heard your little 'Heart of the Cards' speeches before. Anyone who actually believes that rubbish doesn't deserve to call themselves a duellist…"
"Stop talking and move already!" Malik shouted, not wanting to see the Pharaoh's temper get pushed any further. "We're not going to be young forever you know!"
Ivan growled at the Egyptian. "After I beat Yugi, you're next Ishtar!"
"Bring it on you ba…"
"Malik! Company!" Harry said urgently, reminding him that he was in the presence of not only Dumbledore, but Rudolphus Lestranges, who looked quite ready to blast the mouthy blonde back to Egypt.
"Make your move," Yami ordered.
"Gladly," Ivan said studying his cards. "I'll pass again."
"Doesn't seem to be fazing him that he's been halted for three turns," Ron noted.
Next to Ron, Malik snickered.
"What's funny?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, I don't see anything amusing," Ron remarked. "Ivan has two monsters with twenty nine hundred and twenty eight hundred attack points apiece. I thought that was bad?"
"It is," Malik said. "But Swords of Revealing Light was just what Yugi needed. Give him time to recover he always takes control back no problems."
Yami bit his lip as he drew.
//Still haven't drawn it// he said. Plugging the card he had just drawn into his duel disk.
"I play Pot of Greed."
The smirking green ceramic jar appeared on the field, and cackled a bit before exploding. Yami pulled another two cards from his deck.
"I remember that card," Harry said, recalling a tabletop duel he had witnessed the day before. "You've got that card don't you Malik?"
"We've all got a copy of that card," Malik confirmed. "It lets you draw twice."
/They will come in handy!/ Yugi said happily looking at their two fresh cards. The Pharaoh nodded.
"I'll end my turn," Yami announced. Ivan huffed and pulled another card from his deck.
"I'll set this," he said, plugging a card into his spell and trap zone. "And call it a turn. And your Swords of Revealing Light are now gone."
Sure enough, the giant glowing swords flickered and faded away, freeing all three of Ivan's machines from their grasp. Yami held his breath as his hand hovered over the deck.
/We can do this/ Yugi said.
//We have to do this// Yami added, before pulling the card from the deck.
Both their hearts sank.
//Magic Cylinder// Yami muttered. //It would only help if he didn't have Jinzo on the field//
"I'll set another monster," Yami said, trying not to let his worry show. "That's all for now."
/If we can survive this next round/ Yugi reminded him. /We'll have one more chance/
In the crowd, Malik watched in horror.
"This better be some sort of plan Pharaoh!" he thought desperately. "And where the hell is Bakura?!"
Ivan burst out laughing.
"That's it?! This was even easier than I expected!"
Yami just scowled at the Death Eater as he drew and added a fifth card to his hand.
"You've just set yourself up for a fall to the Orichalcos Yugi!" the Death Eater gloated, selecting another card. "I'll set another card and summon Nanobreaker to the field (1600/1800).
A fourth machine type monster appeared, this one looking considerably more human than any of the others. She was a brown haired woman encased in silver and red body armour, carrying a lethal looking blade. As the Seal branded itself on her forehead, her look became more menacing (2100).
"Now which of your monsters should I take out first…" Ivan mused aloud. "I know. Nanobreaker, attack the monster on the right!"
The female monster charged at the card, blade raised above her head…
And it flipped up to reveal an elf in green and brown armour and a blue cloak. He knelt on the ground and raised his sword to parry the attack. Nanobreaker withdrew her sword and backed away in confusion, leaving the soldier unharmed.
"What?!" Ivan demanded, angry that his attack had had no effect.
"Sorry Ivan, but Obnoxious Celtic Guardian's (1400/1200) special ability means he can't be destroyed by monsters with nineteen hundred attack points or more," Yami informed him. The elf wiped the sweat from his brow, while Ivan jumped around in anger. The spectators sagged in relief.
"Ha! So the Seal's actually making it harder for Ivan right now!" Ron chortled. True, the power boost from the Seal now meant that Reflect Bounder had 2200 attack points. Jinzo and Machine King were also well over the necessary amount of points to destroy Celtic Guardian, having 2900 and 3100 points respectively.
"Yugi," Malik said in a weary tone. "Next time you're going to save yourself, WARN US WHY DON'T YOU?!"
"Fine!" Ivan said angrily. "I can't destroy you this round, but I can take out that other facedown monster of yours! Machine King attack with Jet Rocket Punch!"
On command, the biggest machine on Ivan's side raised its arm obediently and its mechanical fist was sent flying at the card next to Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. Yami winced as Big Shield Gardna (100/2600) moaned in pain before vanishing in the blast.
"Since none of my monsters can beat that elf of yours," Ivan said, casting Celtic Guardian a glare, which the warrior returned full force. "I'll end my go here. But you're still one attack away from losing your soul!"
OOO
Bakura pushed through the crowd of onlooking students; not caring that he sent a few flying into the snow with particularly violent shoves. He forced his way towards the teachers and aurors who were keeping the crowds back from the fight. Two burly looking wizards stood in front of him, blocking his way.
"I'm sorry young man but you can't go in there."
"Get out of my way," Bakura snarled, reaching for his knife. "Or I shall make you rue the day you were born!"
The aurors did not look intimidated, and apparently Bakura's threats made him a risk in their minds. They both drew their wands and pointed them at the young wizard before them. The thief growled angrily.
"I warned you," he muttered. There was a blast from the Millennium Ring, which caused some of the people in the crowd to scream and the two aurors keeled over their souls now trapped temporarily in their own wands. Bakura leaped over their prone bodies before running towards the duel. The remaining aurors began firing stunning spells at the white haired thief. Diabound appeared instantly.
"Keep them off my back," Bakura ordered. "But eh…don't kill them."
//Never thought I'd hear those words coming out of my mouth// he mused as he started running again. Behind him Diabound absorbed two stunning spells without a mark. Bakura was very glad now that he had agreed to duel Malik two days previously. As Diabound copied the abilities of the last monster it fought, it had retained Revival Jam's regeneration ability.
/Sorry Bakura, but it's me that'll go to jail for murder if Diabound kills them/ Ryou apologised. /Look, we're almost there. And the duel doesn't seem to be over yet!/
Ron was the first to spot the albino approaching. Malik immediately turned around at the same time, sensing the shift in magic that represented Bakura's presence. He was considerably alarmed to see the thief running towards them, exhausted, jacket and cloak haphazardly hanging off him, and the Millennium Ring glowing fiercely. His jaw dropped open when he saw Diabound blocking the barrage of spells that were being fired at him.
"Mind telling us where the hell you've been?" Malik asked. "And why Diabound is taking all those stunning spells and not dying?"
Diabound's appearance had arrantly not gone unnoticed by the people surrounding the Seal. As the Shadow creature gave a cry of pain, Harry, Ron and Hermione's jaws dropped. The only person who did not appear fazed was Dumbledore.
"What the hell is that thing?!" Ron demanded.
"Can't explain now," Bakura said, turning and raising the appropriate card. "Diabound! Return to my hand!"
The monster vanished in a swirl of shadow magic, before reappearing on the card, which Bakura slipped back into his pocket. Ignoring the questions from the rest of their fellow students, he fished around in his other pocket for the Orichalcum. He felt a minor jolt as his gloved hand enclosed the rock, but he ignored it and palmed the stone. In a powerful motion, he hurled the magical rock, sending it flying through the air. It crashed into the side of the seal and stuck there like a fly caught on a sheet of sticky paper.
For a second, nothing happened, and then ever so slowly cracks in the shield began to appear. The Orichalcos rock trembled and vibrated before it exploded, shattering the cursed field spell in a blinding flash of light. The force of the explosion rocked the hillside and sent everyone nearby flying off their feet.
Malik spat out a mouthful of snow, before looking up in a daze. The Seal was gone and both duellists now lay face down in the snow. The field card slot on Ivan's duel disk had opened of its own accord, but there was no sign anywhere of the card. The explosion seemed to have destroyed it along with the rock and the Seal.
"Yugi!" Malik shouted in alarm, struggling to his feet. Bakura grabbed his arm.
"Nobody move!" he ordered, as Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the teachers began to stir. "Their duel disks are still active!"
"What does that mean?" Harry asked. "The Seal's gone. We should get Yugi out of there while we can!"
"Not likely Potter," Rudolphus spat, jumping to his feet and grabbing his wand. "The duel is still on, and standard protocol gives both of them five minutes to get up before the duel disks shut off and they both forfeit."
"That's insane!" Hermione shouted.
"Come on Pharaoh get up and fight!" Bakura shouted in Japanese. "I didn't run all the way to the bloody castle and back just so you could take a nap!"
His words fell on deaf ears. Malik checked his watch.
"Come on Yugi! Wake up!" Harry yelled.
"Shouldn't the duel disks have shut off when the Seal went?" Malik asked. "Yugi said that when the Seal was broken in Joey's first duel with Mai, the duel disks shut off and the match was declared a double forfeit."
"No when Valon broke the Seal he knew what he was doing," Bakura explained, shaking his head. "Valon had used the Orichalcos before and he knew how it worked. I just threw it and prayed to Ra that it would work. It was enough to break the Seal but not to shut off the duel disks. The match is still on."
"They've got four and a half minutes left," Malik said, watching the second hand on his watch tick round and round. It seemed to be going faster the longer he watched it.
"Yugi!"
"Wake up!"
"On your feet Pharaoh!"
OOO
The first thing Yugi was aware of was that his face was cold. Cold and rather wet. The snow was soaking into his skin, numbing his cheek. A small patch had cleared where his breath had melted the white carpet. He wondered why he was lying on the snow at all. Had he fallen? Why weren't his friends helping him up? He could hear Malik and Ryou shouting along with other voices…Harry, Ron and Hermione? Why were they calling for him? Were they in danger?
He opened his eyes a crack, and registered the familiar weight on his arm. His duel disk. And it was active. He was duelling…then where was Yami? Why had he relinquished control? Was he hurt? Was that why he was on the ground? Who was he fighting? He raised his head a bit, trying weakly to shake his blonde bangs from his face. His opponent was still facedown in the snow, his black cloak pooling in the snow around him.
Yugi's large amethyst eyes opened wide as he recognised the figure. He remembered now. He…Yami had been duelling a Death Eater in an Orichalcos duel! Then Bakura had arrived and thrown something at the Seal…and now….He looked around him to see the green shield was gone. But the duel disks were still active! That meant the duel was still going on!
"Yugi! He's up!" Harry shouted.
"Thank God!" Hermione squeaked.
"Pharaoh? Is that you?" Bakura demanded, slipping into Egyptian so that no one would understand him. The last thing any of them wanted was the Death Eaters hearing who he and Yami really were.
"No it's Yugi," Malik corrected, obviously noticing the difference. "Are you okay?"
Yugi pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He couldn't speak Egyptian like his other self, but he understood the gist of what was being said.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded in English, one hand darting to the Puzzle. There was no response, but he could feel a calming warm presence that signified the Pharaoh was still within the Puzzle. Yugi guessed he was unconscious from the blast, hence why he was in control now. He gathered up his cards. He would have to finish the duel for him. Fortunately his other half had already gathered most of the cards they needed for their strategy, so there wasn't much left for Yugi to do...providing the Death Eater got up in time.
"How long was I out?" he asked, getting unsteadily to his feet. The ground felt strangely lopsided and he guessed he was mildly concussed.
"Four minutes," Malik shouted. "That Ivan bloke has forty five seconds to get up!"
The other Death Eater, Rudolphus seemed to be losing patience. He pulled out his wand and waved it at his fallen comrade. To everyone's horror, Ivan began to stir.
"Hey that's not fair!" Bakura shouted. "No help is allowed from outside the duel!"
"Shut up kid!" Rudolphus snapped, clearly thinking that fighting with the albino was a waste of time. Bakura inflated at being called a kid, but a calming hand on his arm stopped him. Ryou stood there in spirit form, shaking his head.
"Let Yugi deal with him," he advised, before turning his eyes back to the duel, where the fallen Death Eater was pushing himself onto all fours.
Next to Malik, Harry glanced over at his friends. Malik was still looking concerned, even though the Seal had gone. Though he didn't know it, Malik was actually concerned about how well Yugi would be able to duel without the Pharaoh's help.
Next to Malik stood Ryou. Harry frowned. Their white haired friend had been acting strangely all day. First the necklace that he never took off had started glowing and pointing at the Death Eaters, then he had taken off at the start of the duel, somehow broken through all the protection Dumbledore had placed around the Orichalcum, and returned to destroy the Seal. Not only that, but he had been accompanied by a monster of his own, one which was apparently real enough to absorb spells cast by a group of aurors.
Harry might not like it, but there was a small seed of distrust that had been planted in the back of his mind when he had met these transfers that seemed to have so many secrets. This was just another one to add to the ever-growing list that was causing the seed of doubt to turn into ripe suspicion. They couldn't hide the truth forever, and he knew after this duel was over, he was not the only one who was going to have questions that needed answering. He saw Ryou scowl at the duel as the Death Eater finally stood up straight. Harry pulled his attention back.
"Th-the Seal…" Ivan stuttered. He also looked mildly dazed, and Yugi guessed that having the Seal destroyed like that had probably hurt him spiritually a lot since he was the one that played it. "The magic…it's gone…how?"
"Sorry," Bakura grinned smugly. "That's what happens if you chuck a lump of Orichalcum at it. And it looks as though the rock didn't survive either."
"The duel is still on gentlemen!" Malik said, sounding utterly gleeful now that the Seal was gone. "And I believe its Yugi's turn!"
Yugi nodded, smiling as he reached for his deck. Now that the Seal was gone, Ivan's monsters had lost their power boosts, bringing Jinzo back down to 2400, Machine King to 2500, Reflect Bounder to 1700 and Nanobreaker to 1600. The latter two were now weak enough to destroy Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, his last line of defence.
"I have almost everything I need," Yugi thought to himself. "I just need one more card. Come on Heart of the Cards…"
He pulled the card, and grinned.
"Yes!"
"I summon Mystical Elf! (800/2000)"
In front of the King of Games appeared a blonde haired, blue skinned woman wearing a green dress. Her hands were clasped in prayer. Ivan just looked at the elf stupidly, clearly wondering what the hell Yugi was up to.
"Next I'll activate Magical Dimension!" Yugi announced slotting the spell card into the disk. A golden sarcophagus, suspended in a frame by chains appeared, and Mystical Elf was pulled inside before the sarcophagus slammed shut around her.
"To activate this card I must have one face up spellcaster on the field," Yugi explained. "Then by sacrificing a monster of my own I can special summon one spellcaster from my hand. And I chose, Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600)!"
The sarcophagus opened again, and this time a magician wearing a black bodysuit and a black and purple jester hat emerged from within. He clutched a staff that was taller than he was, and he pointed it at Ivan, his eyes narrowed in a glare.
"And as another effect of Magical Dimension," Yugi said. "I can automatically destroy one monster on your side of the field. And I chose, Jinzo!"
"Nice!" Malik shouted. Behind him, Harry, Ron and Hermione all cheered. Thick gold chains appeared from the cage and grasped the androids wrists and waist, dragging it into the sarcophagus, which then shattered into pieces, taking the monster with it.
"Next, "Yugi said, pulling another card from his hand. "I'll activate Dark Magician of Chaos's effect. When he's summoned I can retrieve one spell card from my graveyard. And I chose Diffusion Wave Motion!"
The graveyard slot spat out a card, which Yugi picked up and added it to the other two cards still in his hand.
"I can't activate Diffusion Wave Motion yet," Yugi thought. "With only thirteen hundred life points left, Reflect Bounders ability would wipe me out. So I'll hang onto it for now."
"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Nanobreaker with Chaos Sceptre Blast!"
"Like I'd let that happen!" Ivan spat, jabbing a button on his duel disk. "Activate Negate Attack!"
"Again!" Harry spluttered, as for the second time that day, a dark portal opened up swallowing the ball of chaos magic. Dark Magician of Chaos scowled.
"He had two copies of Negate Attack?" Ron asked, looking at Malik for conformation.
"You can have up to three," the Egyptian explained briefly.
"Is that all for this turn?" Ivan asked, but despite how angry he was trying to sound, there was a hint of fear in his voice. He seemed incredibly thrown by the abrupt recovery his opponent was making.
"Actually no," Yugi nodded. "I'll place a card facedown and that will be it."
The holographic card appeared behind the Magician, and the still crouching Obnoxious Celtic Guardian.
"Wow the little squirt can actually duel," Bakura commented aloud. "I'm impressed."
/You sound so surprised/ Ryou said. /I could duel before I met you. And I've seen Yugi duel in school without the Pharaoh's help before. He's good in his own right too. I wouldn't be surprised if he could give his yami a run for his money/
Bakura mused over this before pulling his attention back to the game. Ivan was drawing with a slightly panicked look on his face. On the field, Nanobreaker, Reflect Bounder and Machine King (who's power had dropped to 2500) seemed to shrink under the gaze of the fearsome looking mage. Ivan studied his cards and seemed to relax slightly.
"Your Mage is history," he breathed. Yugi's eyes narrowed slightly. Everybody watched, sensing somehow that whatever Ivan was summoning was going to be huge.
"I tribute Nanobreaker, and Reflect Bounder…"
The two monsters vanished in a shower of sparks.
"…to summon the almighty, Perfect Machine King (2700/1500)!"
A monstrosity of a machine rose up to the right side of Machine King (2400). Its body was bulky and white, while its head and lower arms and legs were red. It pounded its fists together in an angry gesture.
"Not good," Ron summarised.
"He'll lose his Magician!" Hermione gasped. "That's his strongest monster!"
"He'll be fine," Bakura snapped.
/Hopefully…/ Ryou added.
"My Perfect Machine King gains five hundred extra attack points for each machine on my side of the field," Ivan announced. Sure enough, the presence of Machine King caused the robot to grow even bigger. Electricity crackled around its body as its attack rose to 3200.
"I hope you have a plan Yugi, or your Mage is screwed!" Malik thought desperately.
"Perfect Machine King, attack Dark Magician of Chaos!" Ivan ordered. The panels on Perfect Machine King's shoulders opened and missiles shot at the spellcaster. "You are finished Yugi!"
"Not quite," Yugi replied. "Trap card activate!"
The card that Yugi had set the previous turn swung up to reveal two purple cylinders. Perfect Machine King's missiles flew into one of the cylinders, before firing straight back out of the opposite and into Ivan. The Death Eater roared in pain as he crashed into the snow.
"Magic Cylinders redirects Perfect Machine King's attack and turns it instead on your life points," Yugi summarised. "You just lost thirty two hundred life points."
Life Points
Yugi: 1200
Ivan: 200
Ivan gave an angry growl, and he slowly moved his arms to push himself up.
"Don't just sit there!" Rudolphus snapped angrily. "Get up you pathetic excuse for a Death Eater!"
"That really really had to hurt," Ron said. "Three thousand two hundred points of direct damage…ouch!"
"Serves him right," Malik said, remembering the twenty-nine hundred-point attack the Death Eater had launched against Yami earlier.
"At least with the Seal no longer in play, it won't hurt them as much," Bakura pointed out. "Sadly. I doubt he would have been able to get up after that if it were still a Seal duel."
Ivan got shakily to his feet and spat bitterly on the ground, glaring at his own monsters as if they were to blame. He switched Machine King's card sideways, and the robot crouched in defence mode. Ivan brandished a hand at Yugi.
"Go!"
Yugi drew and studied the field.
"I activate Mage Power!" Yugi said, plugging the card he had just drawn into his disk. Dark Magician of Chaos suddenly began to glow, energy flowing into him from the spell card. His attack points climbed to 3300.
"What on Earth does that do?" Rudolphus asked. Ivan seemed a little beyond words at this point.
"Glad you asked," Yugi said. "Mage Power is an equipment card that gives Dark Magician of Chaos an extra five hundred attack points for each of my spell and trap cards, including itself, giving him five hundred points. But thanks to another card he's about to get even stronger!"
He played another spell card and Dark Magician of Chaos's staff began to glow vibrantly.
"I play Diffusion Wave Motion! I pay one thousand life, points. In exchange my Dark Magician of Chaos can attack each monster on your side of the field," Yugi explained.
Life Points
Yugi: 200
Ivan: 200
The mage smirked, hefting his staff eagerly. Ivan was trembling and muttering as though in a trance.
"C-c-can't…can't l-lose…Master will be a-angry…can't…"
"Looks like without the Orichalcos he feels weak," Bakura observed. "He's been shaky ever since the Seal was removed."
"I feel bad for him," Yugi remarked to himself. "He must have a horrible threat over his head if he fails. But I can't throw the duel now. Not after the sacrifice all my monsters made…not after everything Yami did to give me a chance… I won't let them down."
"Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Machine King, and then Perfect Machine King! Chaos Wave Blast!"
The mage raised his staff and from the top another ball of black chaos energy appeared. The magic crackled angrily and waves began to pulse from the tip of the staff, slicing first through the defending Machine King, and finally through the hulking Perfect Machine King.
Life Points
Yugi: 200
Ivan: 0
Ivan was screaming in disbelief and pain at the amount of damage that was being done to him at this point. Dark Magician of Chaos, in an effort to quieten him down, swung his huge staff with surprising accuracy, and slammed it into the Death Eater's stomach. Ivan crumpled to the ground, moaning like a wounded dog.
"I think that was for Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl," Malik commented.
The duel disks shut off and the holograms vanished. Yugi's spellcaster disappeared, leaving no evidence that he had ever been there. Yugi released the breath he had been holding, and sank to his knees, cold and completely exhausted now that the duel was over.
The spectators raced forwards. Malik reached him first, kneeling down to check him over. He saw how much the last attack had shaken Yugi up. No wonder the Pharaoh always took over. Yugi hated fighting and the idea of hurting another person, so doing something like this was a real test of his strength.
"Are you alright Yugi?" he asked. The tri colour haired duellist nodded.
"Fine thanks Malik," he said. "I'd just forgotten how tiring Orichalcos duels could be."
"That was awesome!" Ron said enthusiastically. "I never knew muggles had such cool things!"
Hermione elbowed him in the ribs, before bending down to have a look at Yugi. She quickly registered how he seemed to be squinting and how his lips and fingertips were slowly turning blue.
"He should go to the hospital wing. He's probably concussed from that explosion, and being unconscious in the snow can't have been good for him either. He looks cold."
There was a bang from nearby, and a curse slammed into the snow next to Yugi, who was immediately surrounded by his friends. Several people screamed as Rudolphus Lestranges raised his wand again.
"If we can't have your souls then we can still take your lives! Avada…!"
Dumbledore, and the aurors who were not pushing the frightened spectators away, began to fire curses at the Death Eater before he could finish the spell. The sickly green circle of the Orichalcos surrounded him again, blocking all curses in and out. The Death Eater snarled, as Bakura and Malik advanced, their hands on their Duel Disks. He waved his wand, summoning the still dazed Ivan to his side, and hefting him over his shoulder before taking off towards the Shrieking Shack.
"You Ra damned coward!" Bakura roared. "Get back here!"
He raced after the fleeing Death Eaters, but Rudolphus was clearly using the magic of the Orichalcos to increase his speed. Bakura vanished down the path, leaving a group of very shaken teachers and aurors. Hermione was the first to speak, taking Yugi's wrist to get his attention.
"Let's get you back to the school,"
Yugi did not have the energy or willpower to argue, and so he allowed Malik to pull him onto his back. As they rose, Yugi looked around the path.
"Don't bother mate," Ron said. "They'll probably be long gone now."
"I don't think so," Malik assured him, looking at the spot where his friend had been standing. "Unless I'm very much mistaken, Bakura's dealing with them as we speak."
Yugi nodded vaguely before closing his eyes and resting his head against Malik's shoulder. A concerned looking Harry roughly shook him awake.
"Don't fall asleep Yugi. If you fall asleep when you're cold you might not wake up again."
"Mm not falling asleep," Yugi replied. Though he was tired, he didn't want to sleep yet. He had to check on Yami first.
"You want to go to your soul room don't you?" Malik asked in Japanese. Yugi nodded, before remembering that Malik couldn't see him.
"Go ahead," Malik told him. "Just come back when you're done, else Harry and co will think you've passed out from hypothermia."
Yugi smiled before turning his head away from Harry and closing his eyes again. The cold disappeared as he found himself in his soul room. He quickly rushed across the hall (tripping over a discarded game console as he went) and into the labyrinth of the Pharaoh's soul.
"Yami?"
A faint groan answered his inquiry. Yami was lying sprawled over a staircase to his left. Yugi hurried up to him just as he raised his head. He looked incredibly dazed.
"…Aibou?"
"You know Other Me," Yugi said, pulling one of the Pharaoh's arms over his shoulder and dragging him down the stairs. "One day you're going to have to invest in a bed in this place. This sleeping in corners and on staircases thing you've been doing lately can't be healthy."
Yami gave a vague chuckle as Yugi propped him up against one of the walls. He gave his other half a critical look.
"You look as bad as I feel."
"Thanks," Yami said, shaking his head in a vain attempt to clear his vision. "What happened?"
"You passed out when Bakura shattered the Seal," Yugi explained. "I took over and finished the duel in your place."
"Did you…" Yami trailed off. Yugi nodded.
"I won," he reported. "You'd done most of the work for me already."
"You defeated three of the toughest machine monsters in the game," Yami smiled at him. "I'm proud of you Yugi."
Yugi blushed, and Yami looked uncharacteristically shameful.
"I'm sorry Aibou."
Yugi looked up frowning. "What for?"
"For losing my nerve like that," the Pharaoh said. "I spent the first half of the duel holding back, worried that I would mess up. I was…I just did not want to lose you again."
Yugi nodded.
"I know Yami. But you have to realise something I think. We nearly lost a few times in that duel, but only because you almost gave up on yourself. If you think you're going to lose the duel, then you've already lost. And we didn't lose. I couldn't have won without you either. And once the Seal was gone, Ivan started panicking. He lost all confidence when it was destroyed. As long as you don't lose confidence like that, then you can't lose."
Yami sighed heavily.
"You're right Yugi. I have been worrying too much about it. I've already promised that I'll never lose you again. That should be enough for me to believe in."
He suddenly gave a long-suffering groan.
"I suppose I owe Bakura some thanks then. Incidentally, where are we now?"
"On Malik's back," Yugi said. "He's taking us up to the Hospital Wing. Bakura's gone to track the Death Eaters. They vanished after the duel. I'm guessing that he's going to give them some kind of punishment."
Yami repressed a wince. Knowing Bakura's nature, the punishment would not be pleasant. Distantly both yami and hikari heard the sounds of Harry trying to get Yugi's attention.
"I'd better go," Yugi said. "Before they think I've passed out because of the cold. I'll come back later. For now, try and rest."
Yami nodded as Yugi got up and hurried away. As he watched his Aibou go, Yami tried to shift into a more comfortable position. He groaned to himself.
"Yugi's right. I need to get a bed in this place."
OOO
Rudolphus unceremoniously threw the defeated duellist onto the old dusty sofa in the front room of the shack. He could have just left the other for the Ministry to lock up, but he was hoping that the Dark Lord would take out his anger on Ivan more than himself. Small gusts of freezing air shot through the gaps in the wall, making both men shiver. Rudolphus pushed the cold aside. It was nothing compared to how the Dark Lord's fury would be when they returned. Repressing a shudder, the Death Eater rummaged around in his pockets for something to turn into a Portkey. Ivan was far too weak to apperate.
Laughter, filled with malice and ill intent echoed around the deserted house. Rudolphus drew his wand, fear creeping up around him. Had the Dark Lord heard of their defeat and come to punish them? But when the voice spoke, it was not the high cold voice of their Master, but a low and dangerous sounding snarl.
"So you thought you could leave without paying the price for defeat?" the voice asked. Ivan was trembling, not even bothering to reach for his wand. Rudolphus whirled around, blasting the door off its hinges, hoping to reveal their hidden foe.
"Who is there?" he demanded. "Show yourself!" The voice laughed again.
"Are you sure that is what you want? Foolish mortal. You know people used to fear my name. But if you insist…"
Behind the two men, the floor seemed to warp and shape, like a pebble breaking the calm surface of a lake. From the wood rose a truly frightening creature, with the torso and head of a goat and the tail of a snake. Wrapped almost lovingly in the snake's coils, was a figure with white hair, glowing red eyes, and the Eye of Horus shining on his forehead, the same golden colour as the glowing pendant around his neck. Rudolphus leaped backwards in alarm.
"I would usually leave this job to the Pharaoh," the thief said, smirking at his prey. "But since he is unconscious right now, I have the honour. You have fought a duel and lost, and for that your soul must be punished!"
"I've had enough of this!" Rudolphus snapped. "Avada Kedavra!"
"Waboku!" Bakura retaliated quickly. The three priestesses, all dressed in blue appeared. With a wave of their hands, the spell vanished into thin air. Rudolphus watched in terror as Bakura raised a hand and pointed at the two frightened Death Eaters.
"PENALTY GAME!"
The eye on his forehead shone vibrantly, and both Death Eaters screamed.
OOO
A/N: …my brain hurts!
Yeah you can tell I'd much rather play the game than write about it. Hopefully it'll get better once I start entering the tournaments in Southampton. I rewrote this duel five times until I was happy with it. Hopefully I'll get better as I go along.
This chapter would have been out sooner were it not for a combination of facts. 1, I came down with the Norovirus just before coming back to Uni (unpleasant much). 2, My Grandmother took a turn for the worse after New Year and I've been making arrangements to go visit her after my exams. 3, The aforementioned exams plus assignments. So yeah, those are my excuses. Sorry everyone.
I owe a huge amount of thanks to DuelistBlake1852 for reading through the duel and telling me exactly where I had gone wrong. And for listening to me ramble for hours on end in between. You rock dude!
And thanks once again to Isis the Sphinx for being my ever faithful beta!
Check me out! I've got a new summary! I thought my old one was a bit boring.
Yeah whatever they say in 50 and 51 of the Dub is complete bollocks. Yugi can duel just fine without Yami's help. The Sub of that episode is amusing however, particularly the scene at the beginning with Yugi's mother (giggles).
OUTAKE BY AUTHOR MEI1105
Next to him, he could feel Malik trying to reach the Millennium Rod, which if he knew the Tomb Keeper, was hooked in his belt.
"Need a hand Malik?" Bakura asked, trying to twist his hand around to reach his friend's Millennium Item.
"If you can," Malik muttered, not wanting to draw attention to what they were doing. "My wrists don't bend this way."
"Can you just shift a bit to the left?"
"…like that?"
"Sit still damn it…"
"…Bakura that is not my belt!"
"Oh Ra!"
"Thanks for sharing that with us you two."
"Yeah…sorry to disappoint you Bakura but I don't swing that way."
"Don't flatter yourself Tomb Keeper!"
"Icksnay on the keeper day if you don't mind!"
OOO
Kehe! I thought that was amusing!
Now because I left you all for a while, and because I didn't give you guys a present for New Year, and because I saw the most awesome teasers for Doctor Who and Torchwood over Christmas and I feel like doing one of my own, here's a set of teasers for upcoming chapters!
Cue the awesome action packed music that plays during the Doctor Who trailer (for some reason I can't get it out of my head!).
OOO
"Not again. Not now!"
OOO
"Get it open!" he shouted desperately. "Hurry!"
OOO
"Ron, come here and tell me whether I'm hallucinating or not."
OOO
"So you're telling us that Yugi and Ryou have two of these Items that are supposed to contain a magic so dangerous that it nearly destroyed Egypt?"
OOO
"Just watch me! I'll beat you this time!"
"Isn't that what you said the last time?"
OOO
"Ron this is a letter, we shouldn't be reading this."
OOO
"IT'S GAME TIME!"
OOO
"You're not Ryou!"
OOO
"What's happening to him?!"
OOO
"These aren't hallucinations…they're echoes of our past…"
OOO
…
Mwahahaha! I love doing evil things! All these are actual quotes from all the way up to Chapter 27 (where I currently am now).
Longest AN of my life is now over! If you got to the end of this in one piece, I salute you. Don't forget to review!
