Chapter 12
Leon drew his next card, slightly intimidated by his brother's certainty. "I sacrifice my Iron Hans and my Iron Knight in order to summon my Hexe Trude (2600). My Hexe Trude has enough power to bypass the Loge's Flame card, so, Hexe Trude, attack his life points directly!"
"I activate Fricka's Mediation!" Zigfried said, flipping his card over. "By removing my Valkyrie Dritte from the graveyard, I can automatically end the battle phase."
"I guess I'll end my turn." Leon said.
"A wise choice, little brother. I predicted that you would try to bypass Loge's Flame." Zigfried said, drawing. "I activate Nibelung's Treaure, which allows me to search my deck and activate Nibelung's Ring. This card immediately goes to your side of the field, and equips itself to your Hexe Trude! This renders it useless, and allows me to draw five new cards for my hand." He thought over his strategy while drawing his hand to six cards.
"Anything else?" Leon asked.
"I now activate three of my favorite magic cards, Goddess Skuld's Oracle, Goddess Urd's Verdict, and Goddess Verdandi's Guidance. Now I'll activate the effect of Goddess Skuld's Oracle, by having a look at your top three cards." Zigfried said, the three holograms appearing to him.
Forest Hunter (1200/800) -Mystical Space Typhoon (Quick-Play Spell)-Gingerbread House (Continuous Spell)
"Place the center card on top, then the first and third." Zigfried ordered. "Now Goddess Verdandi will allow me to guess what type of card is on top of your deck. Having just looked, it's a spell card, and my correct answer forces you to set it on the field. Finally, Goddess Urd will remove it from the game if I can correctly identify it. So, Mystical Space Typhoon is no more!"
Leon drew the card, placed it on the field, and immediately placed it over his Forest Wolf on the side panel.
"I draw." Leon began, quickly being interrupted by Zigfried.
"Remember, because your monster is wearing my ring, you draw two cards, and must discard a monster if you draw one." he reminded.
"I drew Forest Hunter, meaning I send him to the graveyard." Leon said. "I summon Tom Thumb in attack mode (1300). Next, I activate Giant's Training, which sacrifices Tom Thumb in order to special summon Globerman from my deck (2600). Globerman, attack Zigfried's life points directly." The Globerman ran over to Zigfried, jumping over Loge's Flame, and punching straight through his stomach. (Zigfried-4900LP) "I end my turn."
"Time to continue." Zigfried said. "I activate the power of my Goddesses once more!"
Little Red Riding Hood (800/1200)-Glife the Phantom Bird (1500/1200)-Iron Knight (700/700)
"Second, First, Third. Monster, Glife the Phantom Bird." Zigfried said, finishing the requirements for all three of the Goddess' effects. "Now, I use Gryphon's Feather Duster, which will destroy all of the cards on my side of the field, and give me 500 life points per card." Loge's Flame, along with the Three Goddesses, were destroyed, resulting in a 2000 life point increase (Zigfried-6900LP). "Now, because I've destroyed my Loge's Flame card, I can summon Valkyrie Brunnhilde from my deck (1800/2000)! It gains 300 points becuase your Globerman is a Warrior Type (2100/2000). Now, I can activate Rainbow Bridge Bifrost, giving my monster a bonus 500 attack points for every monster that has been removed from the game. That means, she gets 1500 more points, for a total of 3600! Now it has the power to destroy Globerman!" Brunnhilde charged toward the Globerman, piercing it in the chest with her sword. "And with a face down card, I will end my turn." (Leon- 7000LP, Brunnhilde-1800/2000)
"I draw two cards." Leon said. "I discard Iron Knight for the Nibelung's Ring effect. Now, Cinderella can attack your life points directly!"
"I activate Wotan's Judgement!" Zigfried interrupted. "By switching a spell card with the top card of my deck, I can end the battle phase. I also have to shuffle my deck."
"I will set a monster in defense mode and end my turn." Leon said, taking advantage of his second Main Phase.
"My draw." Zigfried said. "I activate Final Light. By giving up 1000 life points, I can summon my Valkyrie Erste from the graveyard (Zigfried 5900LP, Erste-1600ATK). As you know, Leon, you can also summon a monster from your graveyard."
"I choose Iron Knight, who will gain an extra thousand points for the Iron Hans in the graveyard (1700/700)." Leon explained.
"However, because you have chosen Iron Knight, my Brunnhilde gains the additional 300 points for it being a Warrior-type (2100/2000)." Zigfried reminded. "In addition, I activate Erste's effect: by removing your Globerman from the game, Erste gains the equivalent attack points, 2600. Now, Erste will attack your Hexe Trude, destroying them both."
Leon spoke up as the two monsters shattered in front of him. "This means that Nibelung's Ring is also destroyed."
"True." Zigfried replied. "Now, Brunnhilde will attack Cinderella!" Both Cinderella and her Glass Slippers were shattered by Brunnhilde's mighty sword, continuing to decrease Leon's life points to 6200. "Next, I'll activate Valkyrie's Embrace. It removes a monster on your side of the field by switching the battle position of my Valkyrie Brunnhilde to defense mode. I chose to remove Iron Knight from the game. That ends my turn." (Brunnhilde-1800/2000)
"I draw." Leon said. "I summon Iron Knight to the field in attack mode (1700)."
"Well, isn't this a surprise..." Zigfried noted. (Brunnhilde 2100/2000) "What's the plan?"
"The plan is activating Gingerbread House! Now, when your turn begins, it'll destroy your Valkyrie by raising its attack points over 2500! So...I'll end my turn!" Leon proclaimed. The audience reacted with a roar, building the tension and the mood.
"I draw." Zigfried said.
"I activate the effect of Gingerbread House, giving your Valkyrie a 600 point boost!" (2700/2000) Now, your monster is destroyed, because it has more than 2500 attack points.
"No!" Zigfried said in response to his empty field. "I still have fight left. I summon Valkyrie Dritte from my hand (1500/1000). Next, I activate Nobleman of Crossout, which removes your face down monster from the game!"
Leon picked up his face down Little Red Riding Hood and set it in the ever-growing pile of cards. (Dritte 1600A)
"Finally, I activate Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards." Zigfried said, drawing to make two cards in his hand. "Wonderful. Finally, I activate Erda's Guidance, which allows me, by discarding a spell card, to set a trap card from the graveyard on the field. With no cards left in my hand, that's the end of my turn."
"I draw." Leon said, like his brother working card to card. "Iron Knight, attack his Valkyrie Dritte!"
"I reveal the face down trap, Fricka's Mediation, which you already know ends the battle phase by removing a card from my graveyard. I choose Valkyrie Erste." Zigfried said.
"I end my turn." Leon said.
"Then I'll begin." Zigfried said. "First, your are forced to use your Gingerbread House magic card on my monster, raising it's attack strength to 2300. Now, I'll use those points to attack your Iron Knight. Attack!" With a battle cry, the Valkyrie charged, piercing Leon's Knight and brining Leon down to 5600 life points. "I'll also activate the magic of Mystical Space Typhoon, which will prevent Gingerbread House from destroying my Dritte on my next turn. That ends my turn."
"I draw." Leon said. "I summon Seven Kids (700)! These cute little lambs aren't so friendly, because they have the power to destroy your Valkyrie Erste and take away its attack points from your life points."
"Oh no!" Zigfried gasped, watching his monster disappear and his life points deplete to 3600.
'To make matters worse for you, Brother, I activate Water of Life, bringing back my Hexe Trude to the field in attack mode (2600). Now, Seven Kids and Hexe Trude will attack your life points directly!"
"With magic sheep?" Zigfried joked, as the green blast and kids came after him. (Zigfried-300LP)
Zigfried drew his card. "Well done, little brother. I play this card face down and end my turn."
"Is this a concession of defeat by Zigfried?" the announcer cried.
"I draw!" Leon said, inches from victory. "Hexe Trude, attack Zigfried's life points for the win!"
"One more chance!" Zigfried announced. "I activate Mischief of the Time Goddess! This will immediately transport us to the battle phase of my turn! My last card will have no effect on this duel."
"I draw again." Leon said, felling slightly like the last thirty seconds were a waste. "Hexe Trude, end the match!"
Zigfried-0 vs. 5600-Leon –Final
-
"Congratulations Mr. Leon Von Schroeder on your victory in the European Continental Championships!" Pegasus said via satellite in the KaibaDome. "Now, I will preview the upcoming surprises in store for our duelists. It is with great joy that I preview the World Championship Tournament 2007." At that point he was unable to speak over the applause and cheering that had filled the stadium. His image on the big screen was replaced by a temporary logo for the World Championship. As he heard the crowd level die down on his screen, he picked up his script once again.
"One hundred twenty-eight duelists will compete in bracketed single-elimination style, all vying for the world title currently held by Mr. Yugi Mutou. There is a lot that I can not tell you, however, here is everything I can tell you. Should be exciting. Number one, the Opening Ceremonies of the World Championship Tournament will be on, mark your calendars, Friday July 13th!" Pausing for a moment to settle the crowd, he continued.
"I can also tell you that the tournament will last a fortnight, ending in the championship match on Saturday the twenty-eighth of July. I can not, however, tell you where the tournament will be held." The applause was withdrawn, so Pegasus continued immediately. "Finally, I can tell you that the top eight duelists in the world will sit at the inner and outer corners of the bracket, starting in the upper left with the King of Games himself, Yugi Mutou!"
-
—Pegasus's Home, 11:55P PDT (Domino City, Japan- Sa 6/30/07 3:55P)---
-
"Tune in for a special broadcast in in the coming days detailing the tournament."
Words that were fading away in Pegasus's mind as he looked out on his balcony. The day in question was the next, but the first to come, he knew, was the night. The floating cloud revealed the full moon to him.
"Are you ready for me to take over your mind?" a voice asked. The spirit of Shadi appeared in his ghost-like form next to Pegasus.
"Do I have a choice?" Pegasus asked. "Are you ever going to tell me why you're here?"
"If only I knew. I was not present for whatever is to happen." Shadi admitted.
"Then why do you know exactly what to do when you invade my mind?" Pegasus asked, concerned. The clock on the dresser clicked to 11:58.
"You could have a past life that is unlocked when I interfere..." Shadi suggested. "You know the past, you just need the key to unlock that memory. Think of Kaiba during the Battle City Tournament."
"I wasn't there, I don't know." Pegasus said, sixty seconds of conversation to go. "Oh, before you go, two things. One, don't kill me. Two, I have to be at a meeting in Domino City, Japan at one o'clock, Japan time, with Seto Kaiba, Mokuba Kaiba, Yugi Mutou and Zigfried Von Schroeder. It's exceedingly important.
"I'll get you there." Shadi assured him. "I'll try to stay out of your way. I'll mostly be in your dreams."
"Just in case, my flight leaves at eight o'clock, A.M., and it's a twelve hour flight. That gets you there at noon on...wait..." Pegasus said, drifting into thought. As he did, the clock struck midnight, and he was gone. Shadi had control as Pegasus' body fell onto his bed in a lopsided fashion.
"I understand what he means." Shadi thought. "The moment we cross the International Date Line, I'll lose control because it will no longer be the day of the full moon. Interesting." Taking control of Pegasus's body, he dug into Pegasus's pocket, retrieving his cell phone. Pegasus's eyes opened, revealing an empty stare.
"Croquet, tell the pilot to fire up the jet. I'm leaving for Domino City immediately." Shadi ordered through a warped voice.
"Mr. Pegasus, you sound a little under the weather, are you sure?" he asked in response to the odd voice.
"Do it." Shadi finished, shutting the phone. "Pegasus, pack your things. You're leaving early."
-
The drone, Pegasus's body, was moving silently and quickly around the room, tossing things into a briefcase. Shadi's figure was sitting on the bed, eyes closed, thinking.
"Pegasus Crawford must have a place in history...somewhere that explained why I am here, a reason why he is alive." Shadi thought, searching through Pegasus's memory banks. "Maybe he..."
-
A flashback entered his mind, taking him to Ancient Egypt. Aknadin praying before a tablet, depicting a monstrous-looking creature.
"Sir, I will not be here to complete this task for my son. If I am victorious, it will not be needed. Please assist me; take it and use it to complete goals."
"I will be needing something in return." a voice growled from above.
"Take possession of anything you see fit." Aknadin replied. "Just make sure that Seto gets what he deserves."
"You have a lot of courage to come to me with your dying wishes, Aknadin. I will give your son, the Priest Seto what I believe he deserves indeed."
-
"If I don't return, which I should..." Aknadin began, now addressing the captain and crew of a ship. "Sail out immediately. Straight out. This is your duty to Egypt. Go, record what needs to be recorded. You cannot fail." He handed the captain a map and a second scroll.
"Don't open this one until you get there." Aknadin instructed, adjusting the olden bag he had been carrying. As Aknadin turned to exit, the contents flashed by Shadi's view.
-
"Impossible!" Shadi shouted in his and Pegasus's mind. "Absolutely impossible. No one ever saw that...thing...again. What if Aknadin was in possession of it the entire time? Is it possible that it still exists? If this vision, and the visions of past months are indeed true...Pegasus can see any event that involves it. But I can only see things that happen involving the Millennium Items, which are forever gone now."
"Pegasus!" Shadi called. "Let's go."
-
—International Date Line, Pacific Ocean—
"Pegasus, awaken." Shadi said. Pegasus coughed, waking up with a jolt.
"What, where am I?" Pegasus said, looking around.
"You are on your private jet, flying over the Pacific Ocean." Shadi informed him.
"You finished my thought..." Pegasus said.
"Yes. You realized that the time at which you are standing changes whether I can possess you or not. Both a bad and a good thing." Shadi said.
"I think it's fabulous." Pegasus remarked. "How not so?"
"If you avoid me, and I have something important to do, then something could go wrong." Shadi said.
"Did you find anything of interest?" Pegasus asked.
"I know why I possess you." Shadi said. Pegasus perked up, blinking. He was gone.
-
—Kaiba Corporation Headquarters, Su 7/1/07, 4:25A—
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"Sir, Air Pegasus 1 is requesting permission to land at the KaibaLand Airfield." a tower worker shot back through the rows to his superior.
"Pegasus is here already?" he thought. "Clear them for landing, get Roland on the phone. Whatever you do, don't wake Mr. Kaiba or Mr. Mokuba."
The plane successfully executed its landing on the runway, turning to one of the three gates available for planes. One was already occupied by Kaiba's private jet.
"Mr. Pegasus, sir, we've arrived." Croquet said, slightly nudging Pegasus to awaken.
"Really..." he mumbled. "Get my extra suit out of the closet, I'll be needing it. I don't want to be wearing this wrinkled piece from yesterday."
"Yes sir." Croquet said, feeling the breeze from the just opened door.
"Croquet, Roland asks that you come inside the terminal." the pilot shouted back.
"Thank you, Richard." Croquet replied.
"Sorry for making us come out this early." Pegasus said to Croquet, now returning with a suit bag in hand.
"It's fine. I feel worse for the Kaiba Corporation than I do me." he replied.
"Yeah right, I'm going inside and asking to use on of Kaiba's guest rooms." Pegasus said. Croquet laughed in response.
"Remember sir, you have a meeting in about eight hours."
-
"Mr. Crawford," Roland said, "what brings you here so early in the morning?"
"You wouldn't believe even if I told you." Pegasus said, yawning. "I must ask, when we arrive at the headquarters, if I might borrow one of Kaiba-boy's guest rooms. I did leave at one in the morning, apparently."
"Absolutely, Mr. Crawford." Roland replied, picking up his radio.
"Ready Guest Room A for Pegasus Crawford."
"Your pilot and Croquet are welcome to take Guest Room B." Roland informed him.
"That's fine." Pegasus replied, via yawn once again.
"Guest Room B as well."
"If you will join me on my cart, we will be on our way to the main H.Q."
-
—Seto Kaiba's Office, 12:45P, Su 7/1/07---
-
"Mr. Schroeder is on the runway, I've just been told, Mr. Kaiba." Roland said from the back of the room.
"Oh good, we can get this show on the road." Seto replied. "Tell him to hurry up. I can't believe that you slept here last night, Pegasus." Seto said. "Well, I can, but..."
"So, how's the Wheeler girl?" Pegasus interrupted, sipping at a glass of tea. Seto was completely dressed out of the norm, wearing a blue dress shirt, black tie, and black pants, no blazers included.
"She came for a check-up today. Cleverly enough, the limo that brings Yugi here is the same one that's taking the Wheelers home." Seto said.
"Interesting." Pegasus lied, taking another sip as the door opened. "Speak of the devil." Yugi walked in the room, taking the same seat he had last go around.
"What about me?" Yugi asked.
"We were discussing limousine arrangements." Pegasus explained, rolling his eyes.
"So, where's Mokuba?" Yugi asked.
"I'm right here!" he called back from under the desk. "Sorry, I was reattaching a cord. Holo-projector wasn't working."
"I drew up an agenda, although I didn't put anything time-wise on it." Pegasus said, glaring at Seto. Cracking a smile, he accepted the paper from Pegasus.
"Roland, once Zigfreak arrives, you can send for lunch." Seto said, watching Yugi read over his copy of the agenda.
"We're recording an announcement of the tournament?" Yugi asked.
"When we're done, we're making a thirty-minute tournament reveal 'show'" Pegasus explained, using air quotes. "Live announcements worldwide are rather difficult. We'll be going over everything, and opening the tournament website for public access. Basically, we're filling in all of the blanks, and sending off all of the names for background checks and invitations."
"Oh." Yugi said, reading. The room was quiet for solid two minutes, with Kaiba checking his email, Pegasus entering the network on his own laptop, and Yugi reading over the two-sided schedule." Roland's radio broke the peaceful moment.
"I am now accompanying Zigfried von Schroeder up the elevator to Mr. Kaiba's office."
"Hang onto your seats, men. Here he comes." Roland announced, bringing a laugh-filled smile to Seto's face.
"I've taught you well, Roland."
VekuKaiba: Leon successfully defends his European Championship title in a tight bout with Zigfried, after a 3600 point savage attack on his brother's life points. However, both of their strategies had been exhausted, leaving everything up to the turn of a card. In addition, we find out that Pegasus has his own connection to the ancient past, although it is exceedingly clouded. And finally, the final preparations for the announcement of the tournament are to be set, and the tournament will indeed start in approx. three chapters. Naturally, things are not as they seem. Who? You'll riddle it out.