Yu-Gi-Oh! R: The untold story of the anime.
It's Yugi vs. Depre, part two of three. Or maybe just of two. I haven't decided yet. Bad, eh?
So, it all comes down to this. Dino-Rabbit versus Evol – wait, what the hell am I saying, this is much more exciting! Toys versus Aliens! In space! Card games in space! Why didn't they make this into an anime? Then again, you know how garbled my version can get, so I wonder how the dub would end up.
But never mind that, it's time to continue the duel!
Note: Creative Credit goes to Kazuki Takahashi for the original concept and Akira Ito for the story and art.
Toy Magic! Another Partner!
Yugi gasped as he realised the implications of the effects of Cosmic Space, Depre's field spell. Low-level monster can only last a few turns in outer space. With each turn, that monster loses a level and a Life Star. And when those stars run out, they get sent to the graveyard!
"And so, you already have no monsters on the field left to guard you," said Depre. "All right Yugi, it's your turn."
Yugi drew. He talks big, but the same is true for him! I can summon a monster, but I'll have to protect it to summon a stronger one next turn! He nodded to himself. Okay! "I play one card facedown, and play Toy Magician in attack mode!" he called. A wizened toy holding a sceptre appeared. (1600/1500)
"Hunh," remarked Depre. "All you can do is summon weaker monsters like that?" he said.
"Oh yeah? See if you think this is weak!" called Yugi. "Toy Magician, attack Depre directly!"
Depre sighed. "Foolish." He touched a button on his duel disk. "Go, Negate Attack!" he called. The tornado swept forth and absorbed the blast from Toy Magician's sceptre.
Yugi looked across at Depre nervously.
Depre took this as a sign that it was his turn, and drew. "I summon Lyra the Giver, a monster that I can sacrifice to increase the level of another monster by two stars, and thus give it two Life Stars." (1800/1500) He glared at Yugi. "Lyra, attack!" he called. The door-like monster that had appeared unleashed a torrent of energy from within its claws.
"I'll counter that move with my Toy Box card!" called Yugi. "I can summon a monster from my hand and remove it and another from play to put them inside the Toy Box!" he called. "Then, I can negate that attack that you just made!" A bow with wheels appeared on Yugi's side of the field, the attack deflecting harmlessly off it. The box opened, and Toy Magician and another Toy Soldier stuck their heads out and sneered at Depre. "And, since they're not on the field, the Life Star effects aren't applied to them!" added Yugi.
Depre shrugged. "And in doing that, you unleashed the unearthly powers of Zeta Reticulant" he said. "While it sleeps in my graveyard, it summons Eva Tokens whenever you remove a monster." Two little lilac aliens appeared. (500/300) "Tokens are not affected by Cosmic Space," said Depre.
Good thought Gekko. Now he's got two monsters inside the Toy Box! On his next turn, he'll have monsters to sacrifice! But the same applies to Depre . . .
Of course, thought Depre. This only works if he has a high level monster in his hand. And since he stored away that Toy Soldier, he's out of cards. "I'll end my turn," said Depre, and a glowing mote of light in Lyra's chest dissipated.
If I can't summon a high level monster, my monsters will just keep slipping away from me! thought Yugi as he drew.
All four watched, tense looks on their faces.
"I take Toy Soldier out of the Toy Box," said Yugi.
Just one monster? wondered Gekko.
"Then I'll sacrifice that monster and summon the Dark Red Enchanter!" called Yugi. (1700/2200) A red-robed spellcaster with long hair appeared on the field. "When I summon Dark Red Enchanter, he gains two spell counters, and 300 attack points for each one!" called Yugi. The gems on the shoulders of the mage lit up, along with the six Life Stars in his chest.
Depre snickered. "You went to the trouble of preparing two sacrifices, and all you could summon was that?" he remarked.
Yugi groaned as he beheld the situation. Even if I destroy one monster, he'll just summon a strong one next turn. He'll still have two sacrifices. "I end my turn," said Yugi, and one of the motes of light in Dark Red Enchanters chest winked out, as did another of Lyra's.
Depre sighed. "You didn't attack," he said. "You hesitated at the crucial moment . . . is this the best the normal Yugi can do?" He drew. "What I'm about to summon, is nothing like your primitive monsters." He held up a card. "I sacrifice the two Eva Tokens to summon the insatiable outer space predator known as Greed Quasar!"
Depre was right. The monster was indeed like nothing that Yugi had in his deck. It was a massive skull, but one with spindly arms protruding out of curved pauldrons connected by a ring similar to that of Ra. A pointed head with no visible mouth (as the chest of the monster featured a massive mouth itself) jutted out from the top of the monster (X/X)
"Greed Quasar's attack and defence points are three hundred times its number of level stars," said Depre. "Right now that puts them at 2100, but I also activate Lyra the Giver's special ability." He pointed at the monster, which began to fade. "It gives its Life energy to Greed Quasar, raising it to nine stars, and 2700 points!"
Greed Quasar glowed as its strength increased.
"Oh no," whispered Yugi.
"And now," whispered Depre. "Greed Quasar, attack!"
Greed Quasar reached out its arms, grabbing Dark Red Enchanter and turning it into energy, which flowed into the monster's mouth.
"It ate the Dark Red Enchanter!" gasped Gekko in shock.
"Because of Greed Quasar's special ability," said Depre. "It absorbs the Enchanters level!" he called. "It now is level 14. It has 4200 attack points!" He waved his hand. "Go ahead, summon all the puny monsters you want," said Depre. My monster will eat everything, your monsters and your life points."
"Curses!" snarled Gekko. "Its Life Stars and level will decrease when the turn ends, but even so – it'll have 13 star, and 3900 attack points! And if it takes the stars from the monsters it defeats, its attack power will climb higher and higher." What can he do?
Depre snickered. "This universe is a harsh one," he remarked. "Too harsh for a weakling like you to survive." He snickered for a few seconds, and then burst out in maniacal laughter.
Richie winked. That's game over. Depre's strategy never fails. He takes down his opponents defensive monsters while raising his own attack power, and somewhere along the way, he wins. He sweatdropped as he watched his adoptive brother cackling. I just can't believe he actually laughs like that.
Yugi gritted his teeth. I can't win this he thought. I butted in where I wasn't needed and now . . . Tea . . .
"Enough of this," said Depre dismissively. "Call the Pharaoh. In the duel against Master Pegasus at Duelist Kingdom, you fought alongside your Millennium Puzzle's spirit, the Pharaoh." He grimaced. "I know your skill level know, and I've got no more use for you. Switch over."
Yugi looked downcast.
Yugi. May I? asked the voice of Yami Yugi. Its okay, I understand. But this isn't like you!
"I'll crush both of you together," snarled Depre. "And I'll erase the stain of Master Pegasus's defeat. The greatest duelist who ever lived"
"Don't underestimate Yugi!" called the confident voice of Yami Yugi.
"So you're the Pharaoh," remarked Depre. "You finally showed up to help, huh?"
Yami Yugi laughed. "Yugi is a true duelist. He'll flatten you without my help!" he said with a grin.
"What did you just say?" asked Depre.
Yugi gasped. Pharaoh!
"Are you mad?" asked Depre. "By now, little Yugi's spirit is already broken. He's lost the will to fight. I'd say it's pretty obvious that you should stay out and duel with me."
"I wonder," remarked Yami Yugi. He waved his finger. "Prepare yourself!"
Then he retreated, leaving Yugi standing there to fight the duel.
"What?" asked Depre. "So I'm stuck with you, huh?" he said.
Yugi nodded. That's right. I said at the start of this duel, that I would fight to save Tea! So I have to see this out to the end! If I don't, I might as well never have tried!
"In that case, this is where you'll lose!" yelled Depre. "I end my turn! After I've defeated you, I'll drag the Pharaoh out here. Go on, it's your turn!" he added.
Yami Yugi watched, smiling. You put that deck together all on your own. It, with all its cards and monsters, is your partner in this duel!
C'mon! Trust in the heart of the cards! thought Yugi as he drew. Yes! "I activate Pot of Greed! This lets me draw two more cards!" He drew two new cards and smiled. "I play one card face down, and end my turn!" he called. Greed Quasar lost a mote of light from its chest, and its attack points went down to 3600.
"You didn't get a high-level monster," observed Depre, drawing. He has two facedown cards, so if he wants to win, he'll be targeting Cosmic Space so that his monsters can survive. But even if that's his plan, he'll fail, thanks to the second Cosmic Space in my hand! "I summon Eva Epsilon!" he called, and a grey-skinned alien that looked like a bizarre upper torso of a dragon appeared. (1500/1600) "Greed Quasar, attack with Prominence Flare!" he called. The attack smashed into Yugi, dropping him to 400 life points and knocking the wind out of him. Depre laughed as Yugi's eyes widened, and he fell to his knees. "Look at that! You took that whole blast!" he commented.
"Yugi!" yelled Gekko.
"This is it!" yelled Depre. "Eva Epsilon attacks as well!" The alien curved towards Yugi, and Depre laughed, not seeing Yugi slip his hand into his pocket and take out a card.
The sceptre of Toy Magician appeared between Epsilon's claws, blocking it.
"So he finally came out of his hiding place, huh?" asked Depre. "I continue my attack!" he called, and Eva Epsilon shattered against Toy Magician – literally, transforming into blocks and falling apart. Depre cursed. Even though it was my will, I still can't believe that I just took damage from that weakling. "Your magician is the only servant you've got!" he yelled. "He only showed up to get himself destroyed!" The he noticed the magician shaking. "Wait, what's he doing?" he asked.
Toy Magician glowed red with anger, growled at Depre.
"You're not going to tell me he's shaking with anger because I wounded his master, are you?" asked Depre.
"I activated my facedown card," replied Yugi.
"It-it can't be," protested Depre. "That's Fit of Rage!"
"Yep," said Yugi. "And now the damage that I took is added to his attack points!" he called. "He now has 5200 attack points!" Yugi clenched his fist. "We'll stop Yako's plan, even if you burn us to ashes! We're going to rescue Tea!"
"I don't know how you can talk so big," remarked Depre. "That equip card is nothing. The boost you gained will be halved on the spot during the end of this turn. Plus, due to the effect of the Eva Epsilon that you just took out, Greed Quasar gains two stars, and two Life Stars! Even at the end of this turn, he'll have 13 again, and 3900 attack points!" He grinned. "All your puny little monsters rage is worth nothing. It won't save you."
Go! urged Yami Yugi.
"I activate Strike Back!" yelled Yugi. "This spell card lets me destroy a monster you control with less attack points than mine, and deal damage equal to the difference in their strength!" Toy Magician, still at 5200 attack points, raised its arm. "Toy Magician uses Block Demolition!" yelled Yugi, and the Magician transformed Greed Quasar into block and shattered it, dropping Depre to 2900 life points.
"Now it's my turn, and Toy Magician attacks!" called Yugi. Toy Magician clubbed Depre, and he saw himself disassemble, his life points at zero.
Richie gasped in shock.
Yami Yugi smiled.
Gekko gasped in relief.
Yugi cheered. "All right!" he called.
Duel Ring server control room.
Seto Kaiba laughed. "I have to say, I'm not impressed with the duelist you brought in to defeat Yugi," he said to Yako Tenma. "If they're losing to that little nobody, they're obviously not much!"
Then," said Yako evenly. "Are you saying you could beat him?"
Kaiba looked back over his shoulder. "There's only one person who can defeat him!" yelled the CEO. "And that's me!"
"In that case, I'd like to ask a favour of you," said Yako. "Stand with me against Yugi Muto in my battle for revenge!"
"I don't think so, Yako!" retorted Kaiba. "I'll decide when and where I fight Yugi!"
"Then I suppose I have no choice," said Yako. "Refuse all you like, but I'll make you obey me – through a duel."
Kaiba grinned. "Don't make me laugh!" he said. "You actually think you can beat me?" he said.
Yako took a Duel Monsters card out of his pocket and flipped it around.
Kaiba gasped. Th-that card! he thought in shock.
"This, my "God card," will defeat you!" said Yako as he held the Wicked Avatar in his hand.
Three thirds of the way done! Sweet as, bro.
Well, next chapter, Gekko faces off against Richie Merced – the strongest card professor. It's gunslingers versus elves in a battle between two of Maximillion Pegasus's strongest protégés! But that will be up after the Dark Ruler one-shot.
Sure, no reviews, but I'm asking – if ever you read this after I've finished, could you please review this chapter and share your thoughts so far – it makes seeing the reviews more fun!
Signing off.