As the year closes, so must a lot of other things. To begin the year anew, I am completing this story tonight.
To everyone who has read this story up until how, thank you.
Fret not, because as one door closes, another door opens. So at the start of new year, I shall begin a new story, and the next arc of Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters 2.
You will find out the title of it at the end of this chapter. Enjoy...for there will be (hopefully) more to come...
Disclaimer: The Original characters of Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters belong to Kazuki Takahashi
o.O.o.O.o
For Mark, there was no sweeter dream than this.
For him to fly in the same plane as Yuuhi Mutou, the long fabled Cyber Games Titan, and to assist him to dominate this year's tournament and reinstate him as Champion. Yes, he was going to miss the fame that accompanied the title, the companies downright pleading him for a Nominal Partership and to sponsor their products, and admittably, the mobs of Paparazzi and fans alike hounding him. But it was inevitable, for apart form Yuuhi, no other person has held their reign for more than one Tournament. The competition was far too fierce for someone to allow that. This was probably why he held Yuuhi on such high regard. For someone to stare the competition in the eye and deny someone else the throne was unfathomable, especially when Yuuhi had first entered the scene at age 14.
Mark repeated this fact over and over in his mind, and smiled all the while. 'If this was a dream,' He thought, looking out the window to gaze upon the magnificent ruby red sunrise over the ocean surface. 'Then may I never be awoken again...' Lavander eyes closed for a minute as he fantasized the final day of the Cyber Games where he, as the current reigning Champion must give his crown to Yuuhi in front of the legions of other competitors. Unfortunately for the tanned teen, his fantasies have a knack for being interrupted.
"Anyone got some chips or something? I'm hungry!" He heard a voice groan from behind him.
"Jonouchi!"
"Well, it's true!"
Mark looked out from his seat and grinned. Even though no one told him of the others' identities in a difinitive way, he was able to accurately guess. With all of the other occupants of the plane in close quarters, it was easy to see the family resemblances. The two Mutous were a prime example, with both of their...well...sub-average, heights, though Mark did ponder why Yuuhi's blond bangs weren't styled into lightning bolts like his (potential) father, but rather fell over his face like thin spider legs.
Not noticing their observer, Yuugi scratched the back of his head in annoyance. "I thought you just ate!" He berated, confusion overcoming his features as the blond shrugged.
"Sorry..." Jou replied sheepishly, before a plastic container was tossed at him, with the blond barely catching it in his hand.
This made Mark chuckle under his breath. It was just a few minutes ago someone tossed Jou a bag of chips for complaining about being hungry, and that incident happened after a few similar ones. The first time it was a neatly packed sandwich, the second time it was bag of donuts, and strangely though, he knew who was tossing them.
"There, now keep it down! I'm trying to listen to some music!" Kabuto shouted angrily, pressing the lone earphone deeper into his skull.
Sanryo, who was seated next to Kabuto, cast him a questioning glance. "You do know that..."
Kabuto cut him off. "I know, I know...but it's DragonForce's 'Through the Fire and Flames' he's yelling over."
"I did not mean that he's your future father..." Sanryo counted calmly, lowering the volume of his Ipod. "I meant that that was the fourth time you tossed him your food."
"Your point?"
"Just how much food did you bring onto the plane?"
"Long story short, no one on this plane will be hungry for at least three days."
The brunet grinned at Kabuto's remark, and resumed to look out the window. "Hereditary." He muttered audibly.
"Hey!"
At this Mark couldn't keep the chuckle in any longer. Luckily he was far enough and quiet enough, not to attract any attention. Although both Kabuto and Yuuhi weren't far from the paternal half of the gene pool there was one person who Mark couldn't quite place in that hypothetical pool. He watched as Sanryo continued to converse with the spectacled blond, and since both were sharing Sanryo's Ipod, he could assume it was about a song or other.
Mark couldn't see the resemblance - besides looks - that linked Sanryo to the Zaibatsu-to-be. From his observations of Seto, it was something out of a complete personality one-eighty that Sanryo would turn out the way he did: content with life, polite and helpful. 'Who knows...?' Mark thought, stretching his arms and leaning back into his seat. 'Maybe if he duels, the traits Sanryo got will show themselves...'
A couple of rows behind the aformentioned audiophile, Seto watched them with a stern, calculating stare, pondering the same questions as Mark, but delving far deeper. As far as people who knew him were concerned, he was too business-like for them to even consider thinking of him dealing with a child. These people were, of course, the types of people worrying about Mokuba's upbringing. And it was these types of people who have gone as far as to raise rumors on how Mokuba was the happy young boy that he was. The Zaibatsu-to be, upon reaching this station with his train of thought, was reminded of the incorrect, sometimes humorous, sometimes ridiculous assumptions. The rumors ranged from Mokuba not being related to him and him just being there as a showpiece for publicity, to them having a behind-the-scenes mother, to (believe it or not) being his son instead of brother, and that Seto was stating such so as not to provoke Social Security.
Speaking of son...
It was even hard to picture himself in parenthood, and yet there in front of him was the product of such. When they first met, he was a little unsatisfied at Sanryo's readiness to accept the rather strange turn of events on how he had come across the audiophile, but when he had witnessed his arrival upon his own Blue Eyes White Jet, Seto had felt the same feeling he would get when he was able to back Yuugi into a metaphorical corner during their almost ritualistic Duels: accomplished pride.
Inwardly, he admitted, he was happy with how Sanryo turned out. No one, save Mokuba, knew of the one wish that he would ask for if presented with the hypothetical 'Genie's wish': To give his family, be it little brother or (from what he could surmise) offspring, the best life possible. Even if it meant not being able to share in this blessing.
The train of thought that Seto had kept running was derailed abruptly. "He's nothing like you, and you're wondering why, am I right?" Someone asked him. Seto didn't move, but his royal blue eyes roved to the direction of the source of the question.
"Not exactly, Yuugi." He replied curtly. As the spiky-haired Mutou seated himself beside him, Seto looked back to the two in front, his stare unwavering.
"Hey, it amazes me too..." Yuugi shrugged. "He looks almost exactly like you...but he's acting more like..."
"Mokuba."
"Exactly."
A shifting brought both their attentions back to Kabuto and Sanryo. The latter had stood up and began rummaging through the overhead compartment, taking out a very distinct looking case.
"Is that...?"
"A guitar case?"
The commotion brought the others' attention as well. A small crowd had gathered as Sanryo unzipped the case and slipped out a powder-blue, glitter coated custom guitar.
"I didn't know you knew how to play." Riku commented, admiring the guitar.
"I rarely have a chance to play for an audience at home." Sanryo explained, checking the tuning on the guitar. "But since Kabuto does not believe I can play the solo on 'Through the Fire and Flames', I suppose that this is a good opportunity to show him such."
Kabuto cast him a questioning stare over his glasses. "I didn't say you couldn't do it. I just don't think you can survive it without at least a finger cramp or broken string."
"I tried that song on a Guitar Hero game back in the US." Mark stated, grimacing at the memory. "That song was brutal! my fingers felt like they were on fire and I only got a 40 percent."
"There's my evidence." Kabuto said with a triumphant grin. "The Champion didn't survive, even Herman Li didn't survive the game version, and he played the song in the first place!"
Aloof from the commotion, Yuuhi leaned against one of the seats, observing with a passive stare. 'Never thought I would go back there...' He thought, glancing down at his left arm. 'I just hope it doesn't have to end too soon.' A moment passed before a minute smile crept onto his thin lips. 'I hate to admit it. But I had wished for this to happen once or twice before...a team edition of the World Cyber Games, me being surrounded by teammates...but back then was before that fateful day...'
It was the dead of night, a full moon, the air heavy in the wake of a downpour, he was back on that roof again, hanging on for dear life with his left arm, looking up at four forms who were trying to reach him.
"Just a little more!" One of them yelled.
"Help me guys!" Yuuhi cried out, panicked. "My hand's slipping!"
The two hands were a hair's width from each other, when suddenly one drew back when the distant sound of a siren's screech echoed around them.
"Oh no, the police, come on! Let's go!"
"But what about-"
"Forget him! We have to move!"
One by one the forms disappeared from Yuuhi's line of view, the one trying to save him the last to leave. Yuuhi's dark purple eyes widened with fear and shock, before his hand finally lost its grip and let go of the roof.
Everything happened in a fraction of a second, but in Yuuhi's mind...it could have taken millennia. The sound of rushing air in his ears, the sound of breaking glass, the searing pain burning through his left arm, the moon shining down on him, looking more like a disc bathed in blood before his vision faded to black...
He opened his eyes and he could see red and blue lights flashing all around him, slowly, he craned his neck a little and saw the four forms talking to a person holding a clipboard, a paramedic by look of the uniform.
"So I take it you're his friends?" He asked the four. Yuuhi didn't move or speak, the pain in his arm too much, his head bobbing in and out of consciousness.
"Huh? Who, the victim? Never seen him before in my life."
"But you were in the vicinity when the incident occured."
"Oh, me and the guys were coming back from an all-nighter at my place, we passed by the school and heard a commotion, then we saw that guy fall off the roof."
"I see..."
His mind finally gave in and he blacked out, but even as he did, and there was only one thought running though his mind.
'Guys...how could you...?'
Yuuhi shook his head and he was back in the plane, watching with unfocused purple orbs as Sanryo belted out what could be the longest guitar solo anyone has ever heard, the dumbstruck faces of his audience inclining to agree.
'It was from then on I decided to live my life alone.' Yuuhi told himself. 'Nothing on this earth will last forever, and eventually, all things come to an end, even the so-called Bonds of Friendship that my father kept telling me about when I was a kid. Maybe his hasn't ended yet...but it will...'
Crossing his arms, purple eyes scanned the interior of the plane idly until they came across a very peculiar device peeking out of Sanryo's open travel bag.
"I haven't seen that kind of disk before..." He murmured audibly, taking slow, long strides toward the open case and fishing it out.
The guitar solo was abruptly ended when Sanryo saw what Yuuhi was talking about. The brunet's blue eyes snapped to the disk, the shock in them evident.
Yuugi answered for Sanryo when he stood up from his seat and took the disk. "Hmm..it's the type of disk that we used back home...but it looks different from all the other types..."
Judging from the look of well-masked fear in Sanryo's sapphire eyes, the next person to speak was the last person he wanted to know about that particular disk. "That's because it's a prototype."
Seto took the disk from Yuugi and turned it over, cocking his brow when he saw the arm brace, noting what wasn't there. "More than just a prototype, it was the basis for the entire Duel Disk line. Since there's no serial code printed on it, that would mean it wasn't factory-produced...that only means one thing..."
Seto tuned over the disk in his hands and put it on. "This particular disk was hand-made and presented to the factory for mass production. In short, the first one I ever made."
Royal blue eyes locked their focus on their sapphire blue counterparts. "Sanryo, why do you have my disk?"
Sanryo put down his guitar and bowed toward Seto. "Gomenasai, Chichioya-sama, but I took that disk with me to use as a baseline for my own research."
While Seto's stern stare softened (unnoticed to the untrained eye) at the rather respectful title, his voice was still unwavered. "And this research is...?"
Sanryo straightened and looked back to Seto with apologetic sapphire orbs. "To create a newer model with ambidexterous capacity." He picked up his guitar again. "As you can see, this guitar was custom made for me. All of the features are reversed because I cannot play a normal guitar."
"You're left handed?" Kabuto asked bluntly, straightening his glasses.
"Exactly."
Seto took off the disk and gave it back, his unwavering stare on Sanryo. "Because of this..." Sanryo continued, putting on the disk himself. "It's awkward for me to conduct a Duel in this manner."
"Because everything is backwards for you..." Yuugi concluded.
Before Sanryo could reply, a new voice broke the conversation. "But that doesn't mean you can't duel."
Everyone turned to the sound of the new voice. Yuuhi, who chose this moment to speak, was taking down his drawstring bag from the overhead compartment. "Just because you can't put on a disk doesn't mean you can't duel someone..." He pulled out a small box from the bag and took out a deck. "...let's say, me for instance."
Sanryo noticed the deck, a small smile forming. "No, I guess not. But, surely this small space is not enough for a full-fledged duel."
"It doesn't have to happen on that disk you know...There's a table right here..."
The ponytailed Mutou gestured to the steward's cart, devoid of it's usual contents. Mark and Kabuto grinned to each other. "The second generation feud has begun." The latter commented, getting a better position on his seat.
"Great! I get to see the Titan in action!" The former exclaimed, following Kabuto's cue.
The tailcoated brunet knelt down and took out his own deck from his travel bag and took his seat on one side of the table. Shortly after, Yuuhi followed suit.
Yuuhi looked to the audience. "Sorry if this duel is lackluster...but it's the best we can do while thirty some-odd feet in the air."
While the pre-duel shuffling was underway, Jou took his spot next to Yuugi. "Why am I not surprised?" The blond said, casting his friend a softly mocking stare.
"Don't say it, Jou..." Yuugi cut him off sharply, rolling his eyes. Before Jou could retort, Yuugi got off his seat and moved closer for a better view. Luckily, he was in a spot just next to Riku, who was holding up a cell phone which had its calculator function activated.
"Alright." Riku began, setting the calcuator. "Usual rules: Challenged goes first, counters at eight thousand, single match."
Ryou tapped Yugi on the shoulder. "Why are the life point counters at eight thousand? I thought it was supposed to be at four?"
Apparently, Riku overheard the question and held up his hands in a 'time out' gesture, signalling the two Duelists to halt their preparations before turning to Yuugi and Ryou. "You're used to that rule?" He asked, perplexed. "Guess you didn't reach up to the point that people complained the duels were too short, so they doubled the LP count."
"Too short?" Jou repeated,openly shocked. "They didn't see the kinds of duels we went though...those felt like they went on for hours!"
Yuuhi put down his deck and turned in his seat. "Well, back in your time, you probably didn't have OTKs, Destroyers, Perfect Circles and DDT's." The ponytailed Mutou retorted, a tad irritated for being told to pause the duel.
The first generation Duelists all had a mutual reply to this. "What?"
All eyes were on Yuuhi now, a situation the ponytailed teen found to his liking as he shifted his seat and cut his deck absently. "A lot has changed about the dueling you know. I guess you probably didn't even hear of the Banlist." He paused for a minute to see if someone would exclaim that they did, when he got no such response, the Game Prince continued. "When the Cyber Games Association was founded, they pretty much took over Industrial Illusions' work. They took control of the cards, and began making new, more intricate and more devastating cards. So much in fact, that compared to the older cards, the older cards were deemed 'too dangerous' to be used anymore, and so they made the Banlist."
"You'll see what I mean. Right now, I'd prefer to demonstrate than to explain." Yuuhi took Sanryo's deck, which was placed next to his own, and cut it evenly, his opponent doing the same with his deck.
Once the preparations were done, Sanryo started his turn. "Discard three monsters to special summon Montage Dragon, attack postition."
After stating this, the brunet placed down a card. This card was of a (surprise, surprise) a Dragon, but this card was special.
Montage Dragon: ? / 0 ; Lvl. 8
Kabuto, acting as commentary, decided to save the players some explanation and provided it himself. "Montage Dragon can only be summoned by discarding three monsters to the graveyard. Its Attack power is determined by the level of the discarded monsters times three hundred."
The brunet nodded in acknowledgement. "The three discarded were all of level six, making this monster fifty-four hundred."
Montage Dragon: (5400) / 0
"End turn."
Yuuhi cocked a brow at Sanryo. "Why am I not surprised..." He mused, drawing his card. Sanryo remained passive, an unreadable expression on his face. 'That has got to be the best poker face I've seen in a while...' The pony-tailed Mutou thought as he contemplated his move. "Pay 800 to Special Summon Netherflare Stallion, attack position." (Yuuhi's LP: 7200)
The card placed down was a strange one. It was of a pitch-black unicorn with a rather demonic mane of black flames.
Netherflare Stallion: 1800 / 1000 ; Lvl. 4
"Netherflare Stallion is part of the Netherflare Archetype." Kabuto began, pushing up his glasses. "Their theme is that you can normal summon them, or pay a certain amount of life points to special summon them with an effect. Each standby phase that passes, the controller has to pay that same amount for them to keep their effects. Some are DARK-type, some are FIRE-type, but they can be considered as both when on the Field and Graveyard." (1)
"Stallion's effect allows for piercing damage." Yuuhi stated. "Which means the difference between its attack and a monsters defense is inflicted." He added hastily, remembering the company he was in.
"Entering Battle Phase. Stallion attacks Montage Dragon." He paused, noticing some noises from the audience, a small smile grazed his lips. 'Here's something they'd like to see...' "No response?" he asked Sanryo, who replied with a shake of his head. "Battle Step, activate Book of Moon from the hand to Flip Montage Dragon facedown." (Sanryo's LP: 6200)
'Smart play.' Sanryo thought as he picked his Dragon off the field and onto the pile where he discarded the other three monsters. 'Netherflares are notorious for draining life points...so he would call for a piercing beatdown tactic to end duels fast, and some recovery cards to lengthen their duration.'
"Set two, and end turn."
The members of the audience were watching with bated breath, anticipation evident in their eyes, to quite the contrast, Sanryo's expression was unreadable, except for the slight glints of boredom in those sapphire eyes of his. These glints were what intrigued the audience the most, especially one particular person.
'He looks so bored...' Yuugi thought, leaning his head on his hand as he watched the duel. 'I've never seen anyone genuinely bored during a duel...'
"My draw." Sapphire eyes slid over to gaze at the new card, blinked once, and moved back to Yuuhi, not revealing a single emotion, except boredom. "Special Summon Vice Dragon from the hand to the field."
Vice Dragon: 2000 / 2400 ; Lvl. 5
On cue, Kabuto's commentary chimed in to fill in the gaps in the audience's questioning minds. "Vice Dragon can be special summoned from the hand if its owner is faced with a monster whilst they have an empty field, the cost being that it's attack and defense power is halved."
Vice Dragon: 2000 / 2400 - 1000 / 1200
"Tribute Vice Dragon for Tiger Dragon, causing its effect to activate."
The level five Vice Dragon was swept off the Field and replaced by a larger, stranger looking level six Dragon. This one had stripes, as suggested by its name, along with a feline face, and green wings.
Tiger Dragon: 2400 / 1800
"If Tiger Dragon is summoned by tributing a Dragon-type monster," Sanryo explained, affixing rather firm, but stoic eye contact with Yuuhi. "I may be able to destroy up to two set cards on your field...if you would please."
Yuuhi, effortlessly matching Sanryo's stare, slid the two cards away.
"Entering Battle Phase. Tiger Dragon attacks Stallion." (Yuuhi's LP: 6600)
Yuuhi frowned a little as he put his Stallion away. "My Draw."
As he glanced at the next card, his thin lips curved upwards slightly. 'Hmph...who would've thought...'
"Activate Tribute to the Doomed to destroy Tiger Dragon." Yuuhi stated, dropping two cards, one of them the mentioned spell card, down onto the field. His opponent responded by removing Tiger Dragon.
"Pay two thousand life points to Special Summon Netherflare Lord Darxial, Attack Position." (Yuuhi's LP: 4600)
He slipped one card out and placed it on the field. This one was - for there was no other word available to describe it - demonic. The man depicted on the card had blood red skin, which was shielded by pitch black, flaming armor. The most noticable part of the picture, the man's left arm, was because of said appendage was enclosed in a flame covered, glowing white Manica. Yet, to Yuugi...it was not the only noticable thing...
'That card...I swear it looks familiar...'
Netherflare Lord Darxial: 2500 / 2100 ; Lvl. 7 (1)
"Darxial's effect activates. Should there be a monster in my grave whilst my life points are below yours, I can summon a monster whose attack power is equal to or lower than the difference."
"The difference in life points is sixteen hundred, it isn't enough to special summon your Stallion." Sanryo stated, the look in his eyes still radiating his lack of enthusiasm.
"I did not target my Stallion with this effect...I targeted a different monster...a monster I've had with me since I was a kid."
Something sparked behind Sanryo's almost glassy sapphire eyes. Something that Yuugi knew all to well, excitement. "I beg your pardon?"
"Target for effect is Miracle Flipper, Attack position."
There, next to Darxial, was placed the card that everyone saw during that conference. The card that made Yuugi realize what this time's Mokuba meant.
'It's a younger version of my Dark Magician.'
Miracle Flipper: 300 / 500 ; Lvl. 2
"Double direct attack." (Sanryo's LP: 3700/4600)
The audience was (somewhat literally) on the edge of their seats. Yuuhi just made a rather questionable play, and Sanryo was down to one card. The next draw was everything.
"Draw." Sanryo declared, only now with a little more enthusiasm. Sapphire eyes grazed the card and the spark of excitement grew even more. "Activate Underground Hoard Passage." He said, showing Yuuhi the spell card. "If you have a monster of below one thousand Attack power, this card allows me to special summon a monster with an equal amount of attack power from my deck."
He picked up his deck and flipped it through, stopping and drawing out a card a moment later. "You're not the only one who can make an unorthodox play. I special summon White of Legend in attack position."
In front of Miracle Flipper, a card was placed. This card depicted nothing more than a pure, sparkling white egg. But there was no mistaking it.
'That is most definitely the egg of a Blue Eyes White Dragon.'
White of Legend: 300 / 250 ; Lvl. 1
"Next, I tribute both these monsters for my Felgrand Dragon."
He slipped both cards off the field, and in their place he set down a card depicting a beautiful gold and sliver dragon, rearing up with pride.
Felgrand Dragon: 2800 / 2800 ; Lvl. 8
"As soon as Felgrand is summoned, his effect activates. I can select one monster from my graveyard, and I can increase my dragons Attack and Defense equal to the selected monster's Level. My targeted monster is my White of Legend.
Felgrand Dragon: 2800 / 2800 - 3000 / 3000
"Entering battle phase. Felgrand..."
Just then, a ringing broke all of the people in the plane cabin out of the attention of the duel. "Attention Passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are just about to make preparations to land, so please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts, we will be arriving in the United States of America shortly."
"Oh, perfect timing!" Mark whined, blowing a lock of hair from his face. "Just when the duel was getting interesting!"
Disappointed, everyone went back to their seats as both Duelists collected their cards. But, just before they had to push the table away, Yuuhi leaned in closer to Sanryo.
"Later, hotel room...rematch with me..."
"Of course, perhaps then you could get a better draw, Mutou..." Sanryo replied, referring to Yuuhi by his last name with a lightly arrogant smirk.
"Why don't you get better tactics..." Yuuhi retorted, casting the brunet a sharp, but friendly glare. "...Kaiba."
Overhearing this, Mark leaned back into his seat and folded his arms behind his head. As he gazed down at the unmistakable American coastline, he closed his eyes and relived that fantasy again.
Yes, this was going to be the most exciting World Cyber Games yet.
o.O.o.O.o
(1) The Netherflare series is an Archetype of monsters that I created myself.
Thank you all for reading this to the end, and I hope the you will continue to read the next arc:
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters 2: Odyssey of a King
Thank you once again! Enjoy 2009!