Yu-Gi-Oh: War of the Gods.

Disclaimer: Still Don't Own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Author's notes: You guys (my reviewers) are awesome. You guys have helped inspire me to make this story better. I continue to Take Sages and decks

Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! War of the Gods:

"What the heck!" Malachi yelped. He glanced up and saw an American Indian boy about his own age glaring at him. At his side was a large black dog. The dog growled and them meandered off to one side and lay down.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Malachi asked.

"Maybe." He replied, "You're the Roman Catholic Sage aren't you?"

Malachi sighed, "Yes."

"I serve Raven the Trickster," he said, "I am called Natsilani."

"Nat-is wha?"

"Just call me Nick," Natsilani said. "And prepare to pay for what your ancestors did to mine"…

…"In days past Knights would be champions for their ladies," Asriel said, "but times are different: now the lady can be a champion for her knight."

"You would risk your place in the tournament?" the cloaked man said.

"I trust her." Davis said…

"You may have destroyed my Grizzly," Nick said, "But now I can summon Skybird with her effect. (WATER/4/Winged Beast/1400/2000) And since that was a special summon, I can still summon Windbird (WATER/4/Winged Beast/1700/1900) And when all three of these mighty spirits are together on the field they form The Mighty Thunderbird! (WATER/12/Winged Beast/Effect/4500/5000)"

"They form a classic car?" Malachi joked.

"Mock all you like Catholic," Nick said, "For this creature is the instrument of your doom! A monster who is immune to Spell and Trap cards, and has an original attack strength equal to a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"All the pieces are falling into place Marcus," Herour said, "Soon everything that I desire will be mine and the true sages games will begin."

"If you say so sir," Marcus said, scratching his throat, being revived from the dead always made him itchy.

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"Was that supposed to impress me?" Malachi said looking at the thunderbird, "I've seen scarier duel monsters on Barney."

"I doubt it," Natsilani said. "The thunderbird holds power over the weather, and his immunity to spell, trap and effect monster cards makes him a force to be reckoned with. But don't take my word for it. Thunderbird Show the Summoned Skull who the true master of the Lightning is!"

The enormous bird flapped its wings and a storm began to form, a giant lightning bolt struck the Skull form the sky and shattered the demon.

Malachi screamed in pain as he felt the Summoned Skull "die".

Malachi-6000LP

Nick (Natsilani)-5700LP

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Asriel smiled at her Familiar Knight. "I also place two cards face down and end my turn."

"Then it's my turn," Questor Thews said. "I summon Cobweb the Queen's Handmaiden (DARK/4/Fairy/1500/800)"

A beautiful young girl in a skimpy outfit with spider-web like wings emerged on the field. She had a small magic wand.

"Cobweb," Questor said, "Attack!"

Thin wispy strands of spider-web shot out of her wand and wrapped around Familiar Knight. He then shattered apart.

Asriel-7700LP

Questor-8000LP

"Yes," Asriel said, "But now we both get to summon four star monsters from our hands. Gearfried the Iron Knight! (EARTH/4/Warrior/Effect/1800/1600)

Questor snickered. "I summon Blossom the Queen's Handmaiden (LIGHT/4/Fairy/1500/800) I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"I summon Command Knight in attack mode. (FIRE/4/Warrior/Effect/1600/1900) Her special ability will raise Gearfried. (GTIK: 2200/1600) Attack both of you and wipe out his handmaidens.

"Activate Woboku," Questor said sounding bored. "Now the fun will begin. I sacrifice my handmaidens to summon Troit the Questing Beast. (EARTH/7Beast/Effect/2500/1600)"

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"If that's the best you've got then I really feel sorry for you." Malachi said.

"You think you can do better?" Nick asked.

"Yes, is it my turn?"

"Knock yourself out." Nick said.

"Then I summon Cyber Stein! (DARK/3/Machine/Effect/400/700) This little guy may not look like much but he packs a wallop! I set two cards face-down and pay Five thousand life points for his effect."

"I'm sorry did I hear that right?" Nick asked incredulously, "Did you say five thousand! Not hundred? What kind of Idiot Amateur Duelist would pay Five thousand life-points for an effect. It's just stupid. What kind of effect is it anyway?"

Malachi smiled, "I was wondering when you would get around to asking me. I can now summon a fusion monster from my fusion deck."

"That's it? Five thousand life-points for a lousy fusion monster? I didn't know that the Catholic sage was so stupid."

"Not just any fusion monster," Malachi said, and then cried out in pain as the sage's game forcefully stole life energy from him.

Malachi-1000LP

Nick (Natsilani)-5700LP

"Even my best buddy Davis doesn't know I have this card," Malachi said; his voice sounded hoarse. "After all we're both competitors in this tourney and I can't let him know all the secrets of my deck."

"What card?" Nick asked impatiently.

"The one you were comparing your thunderbird to earlier."

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The massive Boar that Questor summoned snorted at Asriel just before he began to charge.

"You dare attack me with a being from Arthurian Legend?" Asriel said sounding genuinely surprised. "You presume much. I think I need to teach you a lesson. Activate Blast with Chain trap card."

"Command Knight isn't going to be strong enough to stop Troit even with that chain." Questor sneered.

"Whoever said I was Equipping Command Knight with blast with chain?" Asriel asked.

"Then who?"

Asriel sighed, "You people just don't seem to understand that just because Gearfried destroys equip cards attached to him doesn't mean he can't be equipped with them."

There was a massive explosion, and boar parts fell everywhere.

"I see," Questor said, "You bent the law without breaking it. The Blast was equipped to Gearfried and because it was destroyed you got to use the blast's effect. Clever perhaps you are a worthy opponent after all."

"Perhaps," Asriel said.

Questor tapped the side of his duel disk and the field card zone slid out. "I play the Enchanted Forest Field Card. End turn."

"You didn't play and traps," Asriel said, "So you can't defend yourself from my next assault. I summon Blade Knight in attack mode! (LIGHT/4/Warrior/Effect/2000/1000) I then set these two cards facedown, which leaves one card in my hand so Blade Knight gets a 400-point bonus. (BK: 2400/1000)

Knights Charge!"

The three knights on Asriel's field rushed forward towards Questor. Questor closed his eyes and began chanting. He held up his right hand, which now had a green glow around it.

"Armored Warriors who would stay,

Upon the Winds of Yesterday

You have discharged your promise bold,

Now grow still, grow cold."

As Questor said this, the light from his hand shot out and struck the three Knights, who promptly collapsed. The warriors appeared to be dead, but since none of them seemed to be were sent to the graveyard, Asriel did not know what to make of it.

"How did you do that?" She asked.

"I cast a spell." Questor said smiling. "As per the effects of my Enchanted Forest card. It allows incredible power to anyone who can tap into it, to anyone with knowledge to use it. I believe it's my turn my dear. I summon Puck (LIGHT/4/Fairy/Effect/0/0) in attack mode.

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Lighting crashed through the sky around the island as the Cyber Stein set about its work. A vortex had appeared above Malachi and three distinct, but certainly familiar to any duelist, heads were now emerging.

"How?" Nick said in awe, he had almost forgotten why he was there.

"Two copies of this card were printed by Industrial Illusions, one is owned by Seto Kaiba. But I have the other one; got in pack ages ago, though this is the first time I've ever played it. By playing it on this Duel disk I may have tipped my hand. Kaiba will become aware of its existence and will probably hunt me down looking it but I don't care. Give a warm hand of welcome to the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (LIGHT/12/Dragon/Fusion/4500/3800)"

The Tri-headed dragon let out a roar of triumph as it firmly solidified.

"Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon," Malachi said slowly, savoring the taste of the monster's name in his mouth, "attack the Thunderbird. Suicide yourself against it. Neutron Blast!"

There was a huge white blast of light over the entire island as the two monsters battled. It could be seen for miles.

"Cyber Stein Direct attack," Malachi continued.

Malachi-6000LP

Nick (Natsilani)-5300LP

"My move," Nick said, he had completely forgotten about his grudge. All he could think of was the fact that there was a BEUD in the graveyard up for grabs to the first person that drew their Monster Reborn.

"I summon Great Angus (FIRE/4/Bbeast/1800/600) attack his Cyber Stein."

"Desert Sunlight will switch him to defense mode." Malachi countered.

Nick had expected something like that. "I play Axe of Despair on Great Angus and end my turn."

"I summon Red Eyes Black Chick (DARK/1/Dragon/Effect/800/600) and sacrifice him for Red Eyes Black Dragon! (DARK/7/2400/2000), I set one card face-down and end my turn."

"I draw" Nick said.

"Activate Frozen Soul so you must skip you battle phase." Said Malachi

"It seems that you are delaying the inevitable." Nick said

"You're right," Malachi said, "Eventually I am going to win."

"What makes you so certain when I have the just cause?"

"Don't you get it Nick?" Malachi said. "Nobody has a monopoly on good or evil, no one. The Catholics had the Inquisition, the Algonquin and the Iroquois were constantly at war, The Nazis tried to exterminate an entire race, the Aztecs cut the hearts out of people. The only thing that any of us mere humans can do is try to show the best of what is in our hearts. Your thirst for vengeance will only lead to more suffering. Vengeance begets nothing but a cycle of further vengeance."

Nick blinked, as if he just now fully comprehended what Malachi was saying.

"What should I do?"

"Duel your best," Malachi said, "Like a true duelist, put your skills to use and let the best duelist win."

"Agreed."

At this the seal of sages shattered apart and the duel became an ordinary duel.

"That's never happened before," Nick said.

"Ditto."

"End Turn," Nick said.

Malachi glanced up at his Red Eyes. "Now for the real fun. You've seen Red Eye B. Chick, and the Red Eyes B. Dragon, but I'm willing to be that you've never seen Red Eyes Darkness Dragon (DARK/9/Dragon/Effect/3300/2900) it's the next phase in the growth and development of a healthy Red Eyes."

The Red Eye's skin hardened and cracked and began to resemble diamond or obsidian.

"My dragon gains three hundred points for every dragon in my graveyard. There's Blue-Eyes Ultimate, Red Eyes B. Chick, and Red Eyes B. Dragon. I now activate Last Turn."

"What's that?" Nick asked.

"Here's how it works. My life points need to be 1000 or less. I pick one monster on my field; you pick one in your deck. You Special Summon your monster and all other cards go to the graveyard. Our life points both become one so that the winner of this battle is the winner of the duel."

Malachi-1LP

Nick (Natsilani)-1LP

"Then I choose The Grand Elusa," Nick declared (LIGHT/8/Insect/Effect/2800/3500)

A giant spider appeared on Nick's Field while everything else faded away. Both duelists slid their decks and hands into their graveyards.

"You chose Red Eyes Darkness Dragon," Nick said, "But you should know that The Grand Elusa gains attack and defense points of 100x the star level of the monster she does battle with (3700/4400) so I shall win."

"Red Eyes Darkness Dragon: Shadow Fire Blast!"

"Grand Elusa: Saber Fang strike!"

To be continued…

Original Cards:

Cobweb the Queen's Handmaiden

Blossom the Queen's Handmaiden

Troit The Questing Beast

Enchanted Forest.

Puck

The Grand Elusa.

Author's Notes: Whew! That was most satisfying chapter I think I've written in a while. Hope everyone likes it.

To John: Malachi knows his history perfectly well, he just can't understand why someone would hold a grudge over something that he had nothing to do with. As a matter of fact Malachi's ancestors had nothing to do with it either. On his mom's side he's Lakota Sioux and on his dad's side he's Irish.

To Wolf General: I think Malachi's defeat of the Thunderbird was fairly impressive don't you?

To Seeker of the Soul: I take it you don't like Catholics? That's OK I don't really like them as a group either. But just remember there is good and evil in all of us. Don't ever forget it. And yes Malachi is aware of his responsibility as the sage of the group. As for the Gauntlet, I just thought that it was a cool title don't you? Kidding, there is a reason for the title, but I'm not telling till after part three.