Cora
"You have to eat!" Krissa pressed on.
"No," Cora said, pushing her plate away. "Baby, I'm sorry, but I'm just not hungry. I don't know what took place last night, but I almost lost Mai and Miss Goldwine."
Krissa picked up Cora's plate. Kasumi held up her hand to protest. "Don't throw that away, honey. I'll take it."
"Okay, good," Krissa said, handing her the plate. "Wasting food is a sin."
"Not kissing you for so long should be a sin," Cora teased, to which Krissa leaned down to give her a quick one, for she was called back to the kitchen to pick up her next order.
"Well, I'll see you tonight, Cora?" Krissa said, picking up the coffee pot.
"Yeah, dress nicely. We're having steak."
"Sounds good to me. As long as you're buying I'm happy. Bye guys. Have fun at school."
Yumi and Kasumi waved goodbye. They sat together opposite of Cora in the booth of a restaurant where they stopped to have breakfast. The summoning they did in the so-called Holy Duel drained them. Yumi and Cora felt like they had run for miles. It took a moment for them to get up from the roof. A blizzard forced them back on their feet. The walk was long and brutal, on the count of their clothes being torn up from the battle. Thankfully, they were warm and safe from the blizzard. It raged outside, but that did not stop the supporters of the Emerald Fire Party from coming out and showing their support for the people now in charge of the government of the city's government. It was now going to be difficult for the King to undo any changes the Covenant wanted to bring to Eredas.
But politics did not matter to Cora. Her mind was on something else. Something far more precious. She couldn't get Krissa out of her mind. Where was she? What were they doing to her? What did they want with her? And would she find herself locked in a Duel with the Banner of Yeyu again?
"How are Mai and Miss Goldwine?" Yumi asked
"You have to eat something, Cora," Yumi said, sliding the plate back towards her. "What if they find us again?"
Kasumi sighed. "She has a point. Come on. Just have a bite."
Yumi checked her watch. "Hmm. We should also head for the academy, it's almost time for school."
Cora shook her head. "You two go ahead. I don't feel like going to school today."
"No, no, no!" Kasumi slapped the top of Cora's hand. "That is not a good idea. You have to go to class, Cora. You miss a day and your father is going to know about it."
"My dad is in a coma! What's he going to do. Besides, two people I love were threatened by a group of radical religious freaks! You really think I feel like learning about the Centaur Civil War of the Ruby Coast? I've got far too much on my mind to worry about these things."
Kasumi was about to protest until Yumi held out her hand to stop her from speaking. "If that's what you think is best, fine," she said. "But what are we going to do if those Duelists come back and use that Banner of Yeyu again."
"You really think they will?" Cora asked. She jabbed her eggs with her fork and ate just one.
"They want your soul, remember? The only way they can get it is with that Banner. I guarantee last night will not be the last we see of that card. A strong Duelist isn't going to be enough."
"I disagree," said Kasumi. "My father once taught me that those who excel in the game and are one with their monsters are capable of incredible magical capabilities. A force he calls the Xie'bou Yun Bun."
"My father spoke of force similar to the one you're talking about," said Yumi. "The Heart of the Cards. Could he be right?"
"You never know," Cora said with a shrug. "I mean, he has a tendency of drawing what he needs when he needs it. It's almost unfair. But how is that possible to do such a thing when the deck is already stacked and shuffled?" She giggled. "Wouldn't that be cheating?"
"That's a topic for another time," said Kasumi. "But I think our friends have as much faith in their cards as Yugi does. That should be enough to aid them against the Banner."
"You'd better be right," said Cora. "There's a lot more at stake in those Duels if you lose. Jericho and Madeline look like they can handle themselves. But I don't want M and the others getting involved unless they can prove they can handle it. I love them. And I don't want them getting hurt."
"Well, well, well," Yumi said. "The new mayor of Domino."
The girls looked at the screen and saw the man who the city elected as Mayor of Domino City, standing proudly behind a podium in front of the House of Gray.
"The people have spoken!" he shouted into the microphone as a parade of supporters carrying Covenant and Emerald Fire flags marched in front of him. "Too long have we lived under the status quo! It is now a time for change. All over Eredas, proud delegates of the Emerald Fire Party are being elected into office. And I promise you, friends of the faith, that we will bring you great and prosperous changes! Those changes will begin here in Yeyu Domino!"
"Yeyu Domino!" shouted Kasumi. "Is he out of his fucking mind!?"
"And what's so wrong with the status quo?" said Cora. "It's been working out for everyone since the foundation of the city."
"How is something like this possible?" Yumi wondered, shivering in fear. "I mean, isn't Eredas pro-Goddess?"
"We are," Kasumi answered. "But start opening the gates to people from the Naralia and Balodrum, and you'll start seeing changes going on. Naralian refugees now outnumber us two-to-one. I didn't think it was a big deal, but with the loss of the Emerald Marches in Elleria, yeah. That's when all hell broke loose. Holy Patrols. DESMAGI. The disrespect for our culture, the erasing of our history. Churches being erect in every corner. Pfft, that was just the start. Now they're but a seat away from the throne."
"Prince Michael will never allow it," said Cora. "He's a patriot."
"You said so yourself, Cora. He's just the Prince. There's nothing he can do about it. And with all these Emerald Fire freaks in office, they're going to make his rule a hell of a lot difficult. King Eldon might as well be some old guy with an expensive hat on his head at this point. They're going to restrict the hell out of his power."
"But he's the king!" Yumi said.
"Maybe that meant something a long time ago, darling, but things are different. There was a time when Kings meant nothing in Termnnia. Did you know Barons used to govern what was what here in Termnnia? Even with Tiberius the Uniter came into power, they did anything and everything to keep him from using his power. They even made a decree to prohibit him from using the God Cards."
Cora slurped the last of her milk and said: "Something tells me they're going to do the same thing to Yuri when he gets back. On my way to school, I saw a couple of those DESMAGI freaks carrying a sign that made my blood boil." She took out her phone and flipped through her pictures. A few were some provocative shots of Krissa.
"What the hell are you two doing?" Kasumi asked.
"Nothing," Cora said, swiping through the shots until she found the picture she was searching for. There was a masked member of the DESMAGI group holding up a sign that said: I WISH ANUBIS SUCCEEDED!
"Is he for real?" Kasumi said in shock. "They're propaganda has turned our people against our savior from the Dark Lord?"
Yumi shook her head. "You know, being stuck in the forge doesn't sound so bad after all."
After school, the students were forced to go home due to the escalation of the protests happening throughout the city. As much as they wanted to stay and hunker down in the arenas all over the academy, they were forced to go home. Outside, they were met by a mob of angry, magic-hating, Covenant-supporting protesters shouting terrible insults at the students and dehumanizing them with signs that bore horrible slurs. They wore black ski-masks, caps, and scarves to cover their identities like the cowards that they were. Knights flooded the area around the academy and held up their tower shields to protect the students from rocks and garbage being thrown.
Brandy stayed close to her group, thinking she would be safe, but then a protester managed to stretch his body out of the barrier and toss a cup of urine at her. She screamed as a knight smashed the protester's face with his shield and stuck a sword through his mouth to silence him. That caused the protesters to back away. These knights, armored in black with long, black capes, were from Prince Michael's Royal Glaive. Michael hated the DESMAGI, and was no afraid to authorize deadly force against protesters who turned to violence.
Suddenly, DESMAGI thugs hiding in the trees launched fireworks at the students, causing them to scatter into the mob where they beat them with fists and yogurt cups filled with concrete for extra damage. Summoners were called to conjured Sentry Soldier of Stone and Giant Soldier of Steel to act as both the shield and sword for the students. At once, the Giant Sentry of Steel knocked the thugs out of the tree and smashed them underneath his foot like ants. The protesters scattered like roaches, disappearing into the forest as Kaiba Corp's Special Security Force - AZURE - took pursuit to hunt them down and arrest them.
"We can't go home in this!" shouted Kasumi, holding on to Brandy, who was screaming wildly.
Gunshots popped in the night. Students screamed and ran for shelter.
"Yeah, I can't go back in this," said Nixie. "There has to be a place we can take shelter until the protests die down."
"I know a place we can stay," said Cora. "It's not far from here come on!"
There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Seto Kaiba would order the construction of an underground Dueling Arena beneath the foundation of the luxury towers, built long ago by the Urban Development Department of Kaiba Corp.
For this, Cora Kaiba was quite pleased. With the curfew going on outside by the Domino City Security Forces, there was nowhere for she and her friends to go, so they were trapped underneath the building until further notice. With all the food and Dueling going on below, no one seemed to mind. Many who crammed into the arena were civilians who did not even live in the Kaiba Towers, but stragglers seeking to escape the violence and the rainstorm blowing outside.
The arena was lit with a dark blue light, a few rows of round ceiling lamps, and the oranges, pinks, reds, and blues of various neon and holographic signs. But those colors lost their battle for supremacy over the dark blue tinge that flooded the arena, feeling more like an entire district strip. Two floors of shops selling food, cards, Kaiba Corp merchandise, clothing, even a pharmacy with medicine, which was packed with people trying to find aid for their injured loved ones. They hurried to a shopping center to find new clothes while Nixie and Amy took Brandy to a shower in the swimming pool seven levels down to clean her from the filth that was thrown at her.
A screen above a Dueling Arena showed the carnage. Cars were turned over. Some were burning. Trees were lit on fire and statues of the Goddesses were taken down and replaced with crude effigies of the symbol of Yeyu. 2600 arrests and over 200 executions. But still, the supporters of Emerald Fire took to the streets to let the people of Domino know that their love for Duel Monsters, magic, and many other freedoms were about to be a memory.
"It's so scary out there," Yumi said, flapping the straps of her tank top. Her skin turning a shade of baby blue from the lighting, dotted white from the sweat that still dripped from their pores. She leaned against the wall beside Cora, both of them resting from a long game of basketball. "Thank the Goddesses its safe in here."
"Yeah, no kidding," Cora replied before slurping the last of her soda. "I'm just glad many of the poor suckers stuck in here are Duelists."
"Some have no choice but to be Duelists," said Yumi. "Especially after that rule your father set up before the war. People aren't allowed to be citizens of Domino until their Dueling Decks get registered. He really has gone full tyrant of this city since the Daltons gave him power atop that space station. He could be a king by now."
Cora laughed. "King? No way. I told him that one time and this is what he said." She lowered her voice to mimic her father's cold and scratchy voice. "King? Me? Do you know how much power I would have to give up to be King?"
"Oh my?" said Yumi. "And he's okay with that?"
Cora replied with another shrug and leaned her head backward. The black Kaiba Corp cap tapped against the wall stopping her from bashing her head on the metal. It was on backward giving her a tomboyish appearance. She smelled a tad pungent; for the blue basketball jersey, with a knot tied over her midriff to cool herself, was soaked in sweat. Kaiba was written in white letters with the numbers 01 on the bottom. Her denim cutoffs showed off much of her legs and garnered some unwanted attention as they played. Yumi recalled the large group of boys ogling at them from behind the chain link fence making her feel a tad awkward as though she were an animal behind glass at the zoo.
Cora tossed her soda cup into the nearby trashcan. The basketball was tucked under the crook of her arm. She grew tired of holding it and set it down on the floor beside Yumi's feet. Yumi put her sneaker-laden foot on it to keep it from rolling.
"I heard he's going to be seriously involved with the Covenant if they interfere with Duel Monsters," said Yumi. "He's going to fight them with everything he's got."
"Can you blame him?" Cora asked, wiping the sweat from her brow. "With the Covenant coming into power and massacring Duelists all over Termnnia, Seto doesn't want the likes of them in the city. And you and I both know that this city was made by Duelists for Duelists. So don't start getting all sympathetic on those who don't want to play."
"And what of the Yeyunists who do live here? He can't just kick them out and force them to do something they don't want to. We'd be no better than they are."
Cora shrugged her question off again. "They can stay and practice, provided they pay the appropriate taxes."
Yumi scoffed. "Wow!" she said, crossing her arms in disgust.
"Come on, Yumi, you can't really be feeling sympathy for these people? They bomb Dueling arenas, murder Duelists, mages, hunt beast folk like they're common game, and vandalize the Temples of the Goddesses. The Goddesses you hold so dear to your heart."
Yumi pursed her lips.
Cora ridiculed her silence. "I understand people are free to practice what they want, but when they resort to violence to force others to think the way they think and believe what they want to believe is crossing the line. And they did! Therefore, Seto had their privileges canceled. For the sake of the Goddesses, Yumi, they started this war! Plunged Termnnia into chaos! Believe what you want to believe; my dad is doing the people of this city a great service by restricting the rights of those animals!"
"I understand what he's trying to do," Yumi replied sharply. "But there are better ways to go about this you know."
"By all means, baby, if you got a solution, I'd love to hear it."
"I don't," said Yumi. "Just because I feel differently about some things doesn't mean I have the solution to make it better. But still, getting a Dueling Deck registered by the government? Isn't that a little extreme? I mean it's just a card game."
Cora was not too pleased with that remark. "I should put you over my knee and spank you for saying that," she said, causing Yumi to flush. "How disrespectful of you. Duel Monsters more than just a game to our people. It saves lives. It's built kingdoms and forged our homeland into what it is now. There's so much history in this game, kiddo. Not to mention it made your father the man he is now."
"Yell at me, why don't you?" Yumi responded with a chuckle. "And put me over your knee? You're starting to sound like my godmother."
Cora burst out laughing. "Oh man, Mai Valentine the Delight of Termnnia acting motherly. Oh, I can see it now."
Yumi punched her in the arm repeatedly. "You would want to see that pervert!"
Though her punch was playful, the force of her knuckles striking Cora's bicep caused quite a sting.
"Oh-ho," Cora remarked while cringing from the pain. "Little Yumi's got one hell of a punch. I guess those guns of yours aren't for display only."
"No, they're not," Yumi said with a crooked smile and showing off her toned muscles earned from her long days at the forge. She did not even put her full power in that strike. Yumi's punch had enough strength to knock out a man with one strike. It surely would have done more damage to Cora's arm if she wanted to.
"Well, why don't you take out some of that frustration on some of these amateurs in here? It'll be good practice, and you can discover some new combos and strategies for your deck." Cora tugged on one of her long white socks striped in blue on the top to warm her chilled knee.
"Why not? After all, there's still the matter of those Banner Duelists. We need to make sure our friends can handle a Duel like that."
"That's the spirit," said Cora.
Her phone buzzed and gave off the jingle Cora chose for Krissa when she texted her.
I heard what happened at the academy! Is everything okay?
Yeah. I'm in an underground Dueling Ground taking shelter. Where r u?
I just got out of work
Go straight home ok? Take the bus and stay alert. It's getting really nasty out there
The grunt of a nearby refugee caught her ears, followed by more shouts, grunts, and gasps.
"Excuse me! Step aside, please! Move! Out of the way! Genius coming through!"
"Uh oh," Cora chuckled, placing her hands on the back of her head. "I smell trouble."
The pushy individual kept shoving her way towards the two girls, both of whom were expecting someone their age to come through the throng of weary folks.
"Wow," Yumi said, finally seeing who was causing such a ruckus.
A little Eldori girl, to taller than Yugi. She was blonde, her hair tied into two fluffy pigtails with pink beads. She wore a pink/yellow sweater, a red skirt, brown boots, and long black socks. A teddy bear rested on the hook of her arm.
"There you are, thief!" shouted the little girl.
"I think you have me confused with someone else," said Yumi.
The girl pointed at her dramatically. "I don't think so!" she shouted. "You're the one everybody's been talking about. You're Yugi Muto's daughter are you not?"
Yumi blew one of her lightning bolt bangs off her face. "I am, but I've never seen you before. Just who might you be?"
The girl closed her eyes and smiled, holding up a pretentious finger in the air. "Who might I be? Who might I be? I'm Rebecca Hawkins."
"Doesn't ring the bell," said Yumi.
"So did you just get here or something?" Cora asked. "Where are your parents?"
"They're back in Rassay," Rebecca boasted.
Cora raised a concerned eyebrow. "You can't be traveling out there alone, it's dangerous."
"I can take of myself," Rebecca sharply retorted. "And if I ever run into trouble, I've got Teddy to protect me!" She held up her bear in front of her face. "Isn't that right, Teddy?"
Cora awkwardly rolled her eyes to the left. "Wow, she talks to the bear. This is so rich."
"So what exactly do you want with me?" Yumi asked.
"I demand the card your great-grandfather stole from me this instant."
"My great-grandpa?" Yumi pondered. "You mean Solomon. He's many leagues from here."
"Yeah? Well, I saw images of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon on TV. I know he must have given it to you. Hand over the card now!"
"What card?"
"My Blue-Eyes White Dragon! I want it back."
"Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Cora tried not to laugh. "You really think Yumi has a Blue-Eyes White Dragon? Who are you kidding? My father has the…wait…"
She recalled the first time Seto had brought her to the Kaiba Corp tower. He told her of how there were four Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards that survived High Queen Evangelia's purge of House Rosenkruez thousands of years ago.
"I searched my whole life for those dragons," Seto said, showing her the cards in his car. "There was one more left. Yugi's grandfather had the fourth but I tore it up so it would never be used against me. That way only I would be the only one in the world to wield the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
"Uhh," Cora said.
Rebecca held her finger up again. "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon is an ultra-rare card that only belongs in the deck of a true champion. And I happen to be a true champion. I traveled all over Termnnia beating the best Duelists in every kingdom."
"You've beaten the best Duelists?" Yumi asked. "Wait a minute, this is starting to come back to me. Yes, just before we left the Northern Gate, I read an article in the paper about a Dueling prodigy. You must be her, then. You caused quite a sensation here in Domino."
Rebecca adored the recognition and bobbed her head up and down proudly. "That's right, and my skills have earned me a lifetime scholarship at the prodigious school Duelist Academy. I heard that only the best of the best live in that school, and I aim to take them all down, as soon as you give back my Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Cora chortled. "Sorry, honey, but there might be a problem."
"This doesn't concern you, you slut! This is between me and Yugi's daughter."
"Excuse me!" Cora shouted. She felt as though someone tied a knot in her chest. "What did you just call me?"
"Yeah, you heard what I said!" Rebecca said with a conniving grin. "And who wouldn't jump to that conclusion with those clothes your wearing? It looks like you're ready to be picked up at the street corner, doesn't she, Teddy?"
She held the bear over her face and shimmied it around to make it look like he was talking.
Rrrrr! Yes, she does Rrrrebecca. And for cheap, too!
"Wow," said Yumi. "Such a foul mouth for one so young."
"And I'm about to swell it up!" Cora fumed, coming off the wall and balling her fists. "How dare you!? I'm a girl of the highest pedigree!"
"Take it easy, Cora," Yumi pleaded while grabbing her wrist. "Don't get rough. She may be an obnoxious little brat, but she's still just a kid."
"I don't give a fuck, Yumi! She can't talk to anyone that way! Especially me! Do you have any idea who I am!? I'm Cora daughter of Seto Kaiba."
"What a lie," said Rebecca. "There was never any news of Seto Kaiba having a child, let alone getting married. It's all a big lie. Yeah, you're a liar just like Little Miss Yumi over here. Now stop stalling and hand over the Blue-Eyes White Dragon."
"Blue-Eyes," Yumi slapped her hand on her forehead. "I still can't believe you think I'd have it. And even if I did, what makes you think you're entitled to it?"
"Who gives a shit what she thinks!?" shouted Cora. "If she wants to see a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, she's going to see a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. You and me Duel right here, right now!"
Rebecca bounced one of her pigtails. "A girl of low-stature such as you is not worth my time."
"Maybe this will change your mind," Cora growled, unbuttoning the deck case strapped to her thigh.
She showed Rebecca her deck. The sight of the dragons shining in every foil from Ultra, Ultimate, Gold, Secret, and even Ghost Rare certainly shut her up.
"Those…those can't be real!"
"They are," Cora snapped back. "My father made them just for me. And I dominated the halls of Duelist Academy with this deck."
Rebecca sneered. "Fine, whatever you say. Ha, you don't look so tough. What are the terms?"
"You apologize to me and my friend for your rude behavior. And then you are to leave and never bother us again."
"Fine," said Rebecca. "But if I win, your deck is all mine."
Yumi gasped. "Cora, those dragons may have been gifted to you, but they still belong to your father."
"Deal," said Cora. "Are you going to play or what?"
"Yes we are," said Rebecca. "Let's do this."
They searched for an empty arena. All four of them were occupied so they had to wait for their turn to play. Once a group of players was done, they hopped aboard the platforms; both of them fired up to play and prove their worth, none more than Cora who was still bothered by Rebecca's remarks.
Their Life Points displayed 8000 in holographic screens above the arena.
"I'll let you start first, slut!" Rebecca jeered.
"I am going to wipe that smug grin off your face, you little bitch!" Cora snarled, drawing her card. "Wow," she said. "You would go that far, Seto."
"What did you draw?" Yumi asked, watching the game from the left side of the arena, leaning over one of the rails overlooking the deep pit where the holograms would be displayed.
"Something special, courtesy of my dad. I summon Kaibaman!"
The arena sparkled. The lights of the projectors burst into many colors while working to conjure the oversized Phantom meant to be displayed in arenas this large.
"HA!" Kaibaman shouted finally being displayed on the field. He wore a white jacket and black bodysuit similar to what Seto sported in the Battle City Tournament years ago. A helmet shaped like a Blue-Eyes White Dragon's head shielded his. Long, reddish-brown hair protruded from the helmet.
Kaibaman
ATK/200 DEF/700
LV 3
"What a wimpy monster," sneered Rebecca.
"You won't be doing battle with him," said Cora. "Because I'm going to Tribute him so I can Special Summon this little cutie from my hand! Go, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
At first, Rebecca did not know how to react when she saw the glimmer radiating off the Zone Cora placed her dragon in. But then, the legendary dragon rose out of the glimmer, shaking the arena with its trademark metallic roar. The sight of the legendary beast drew quite a crowd.
"No matter how many times I see it," Yumi whispered to herself. "I just can't help but feel amazed by that beast. And Cora, being able to summon them herself in real life. She really is something special."
"It's your move!" Cora called out, confident Rebecca would not be able to summon anything to beat her dragon.
"Ooooo!" cried Rebecca, squeezing her teddy bear ever so tightly. "What am I going to do!? Huh?" She put the bear's mouth close to her ear. "What's that, Teddy? You think so?"
Cora's eyes rolled upwards. She fanned her face with her cards. "You've got to be kidding me," she groaned.
"Your Blue-Eyes is impressive and all, but I think it's time he went bye-bye." She threw her card on the board. "Boom! Tribute to the Doomed!"
"What!" Cora shouted in surprise.
"That's right," Rebecca boasted. "I discard a puny monster from my hand to activate it. A small price to pay for destroying your dragon!"
Blue-Eyes White Dragon hissed and bellowed as white cloth wraps slithered out of the ground and wrapped themselves around the dragon until it was completely covered. A demonic hand menacingly loomed out of the ground, and grabbed the dragon, dragging it to the Graveyard.
Cora was dumbfounded. It was not often that someone found a way to destroy her Blue-Eyes so quickly. But something else came to mind. As the dragon was dragged to the Graveyard, she could have sworn she heard Seto screaming in agony. Something pierced her heart so violently. She felt it sting.
"Daddy?" Cora whispered. "What…what happened?"
Rebecca jumped up and down laughing.
"You. Little. Bitch," Cora muttered, arms forward on the board.
"Real or not, your dragon is gone! So much for trying to scare me, huh? You underestimated me, but it doesn't bother me. Not the first time someone did. So, what to do now? Decisions, decisions. Oh, this will do. I summon a monster in defense mode, set a card face-down, and end my turn."
"Not bad," said Cora. "Well, since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon this from my hand. Kaiser Vorse Raider!" (ATK/1900 DEF/1200 LV 5)
She attacked, slicing a giant tomato with a demonic face.
"Mystic Tomato?" said Cora.
"Yes, it," said Rebecca. "And you should know that when it's destroyed in battle, I can Special Summon a monster from my deck, so I'll summon another Mystic Tomato in Defense Mode."
"Sure, whatever." Cora was unimpressed by her move. "And you should know that when Kaiser Vorse Raider destroys a monster, he gains five-hundred attack points!"
"So what?" said Rebecca. "Draw! I play the Spell Card; Swords of Revealing Light!"
A rain of swords comprised of the purest light rained down on the field, trapping Kaiser Vorse Raider in their confines.
Cora decided to play her little game and did nothing throughout the duration of the sword's effect, save for placing cards face-down. Meanwhile, Rebecca was playing spells that discarded monsters to the Graveyard such as Trade In, Graceful Charity, and even Card Destruction, forcing them to discard their hands to draw a new one.
She hated to admit it, but her pride was sliced open as though a flaming sword pierced through her bosom. To summon her Blue-Eyes White Dragon so quickly just to lose it on her opponent's first turn was nothing short of devastating, especially for someone whose ego was just as bloated as her father's. Speaking of which, she was still haunted by the scream she heard earlier. It was her father, no doubt about it. He was giving off such a blood-curdling shriek that chilled Cora to the bone.
And the way her dragon was dragged to the grave fogged her mind. Despite losing her Blue-Eyes White Dragon, she had plenty more cards to use against the now three face-down defense monsters Rebecca played. But Cora did not want a repeat of what happened to her first Blue-Eyes White Dragon. She was playing it safe, and the thought of losing to someone so young and obnoxious was a pejorative one. There was just no way she could allow this to happen.
Cora ended her turn, and then Rebecca sacrificed one of her defense position monsters to summon another monster face-down.
Yumi noticed Cora's awkward behavior. She was silent and still. So unlike her. In her mind, she prayed that even Cora knew the monster she Tribute Summoned in Defense Mode was going to be one with a powerful defense.
"Make your move!" shouted Rebecca.
So she did.
"All right, I'll move," said Cora. "I summon The King of Dragons!"
The King of D.
ATK/1200 DEF/1100
LV 4
Cora's newest monster impressed the crowd. He was a tall, forbidding figure with glowing, golden eyes. He wore a black bodysuit and armor made of dragon bone. A torn red cape with a high collar flapped behind him. He carried a three-headed guitar resembling a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.
Cora, quite pleased with how the card looked like when rendered, continued with her turn, activating a spell called Dragon Shrine. It allowed her to discard a dragon from the deck to the Graveyard. It was her second Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Since it was a Normal monster, Cora could discard a second dragon to her Graveyard. A Tuner called White Stone of Ancients.
"And now," said Cora, "I discard a Spell from my hand to activate Dragon Revival Rhapsody!"
The King of Dragons played his guitar. The music he created shook the arena and boomed louder than thunder. The spell Cora used, allowed her to summon two Dragons from the Graveyard so long as one of them was Normal. Her Blue-Eyes White Dragon and her White Stone of Ancients burst onto the field as if born from the music he created.
"Woo!" cheered Yumi. "Rock on, Cora!"
Cora chuckled softly at her lame humor.
"But I'm not through yet because now I will Tune my White Stone of Ancients with my Blue-Eyes White Dragon to perform a Synchro Summon."
As the White Stone of Ancients shot out a beam of brilliant light, glittering with golden sparkles, The Blue-Eyes White Dragon soared into it.
Cora put her hand over her breast. "From the shining heavens of the Divines emerges the spirit that radiates constantly in my heart. The clouds disperse and make way for the beast with Eyes of Blue. Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon!"
"Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon?" Rebecca gasped in amazement.
The heavenly beast loomed downward towards the field in a veil of light as though it was an angel sent from the High Power himself.
Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon
ATK/2500 DEF/3000
LV 9
"My Spirit Dragon won't be around for long, for I will now tribute to Special Summon a monster from my Extra Deck. Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon, call upon the beast of silver to take your place."
Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon roared and dispersed into thousands of tiny lights. Then, they merged together into another beast.
Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon
ATK/2500 DEF/3000
LV 9
Per, Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon's effect, Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon forced it to be summoned in Defense mode.
"My Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon will prevent my other dragons from being targeted and destroyed by your card effects. So don't think you can pull a fast one on me again!"
"She must be telling the truth," Rebecca said softly. "Besides, Seto Kaiba, I've never seen someone use these monsters. And all those support cards. I've heard rumors about Kaiba adopting some brat, but never did I expect it to be someone like her." She narrowed her eyes. "But just because her claim as Seto Kaiba's daughter is legit, it doesn't mean she's going to beat me!"
"Kaiser Vorse Raider!" shouted Cora. "Attack the middle monster!"
Kaiser Vorse Raider grunted, raising his overly designed battle axe before leaping into the air.
"Cora wait!" cried Yumi.
Too late.
Rebecca jumped up and down jeering. "Your puny Vorse Raider just attacked my Millennium Shield."
"Millennium Shield?" Cora whispered.
KLANG! Kaiser Vorse Raider's axe slammed on the golden surface of the shield that seemed to be forged by Gods. With a DEF of 3000, it could withstand Cora's attack, dealing 600 points of damage to her Life Points.
Cora-7400 LP
Rebecca-8000 LP
"What's gotten into you?" Yumi asked. "Cora this is so unlike you."
"She's probably come to terms with the fact that she's out of her league," Rebecca bragged. She held her bear tightly. "Did you see the look on her face when her Kaiser Vorse Raider struck my Millennium Shield, Teddy?"
Rrrr! I surrrre did, Rebecca. Grrreat Dueling!
"Knock it off, please," Yumi begged. "Tell me I wasn't that deluded with my doll at her age."
"I end my turn," said Cora.
"Now it's my turn, weee!" Rebecca drew and squealed. "Weee! Look what card I drew Teddy! Lookie! Lookie!"
Cora smashed her fist on the board. "Get on with it!"
"Ew! That ugly slut is yelling at me, Teddy! Let's make her pay with the card we drew. Judgment Blaster!"
"What's that!?" Cora shouted.
"Judgement Blaster allows me to discard up to five cards from my hand, and in exchange…"
The field started glowing purple. A ball of energy rose out of the floor and burst, shattering Kaiser Vorse Raider into pieces. The King of Dragons was also consumed by the blast, but Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon was not affected.
"Weee, now I tribute my puny face-down monster to summon Shadow Ghoul!"
The Mystic Tomato she sacrificed shrieked in pain and was replaced by a horrible beast standing four meters tall. It had six legs, long arms with jagged claws. A mane of greenish-black hair ran from the back of its head and down the length of its back. Its dark green body covered with red orbs which were its eyes. The creature rubbed its mandibles together. Sticky saliva oozed down its mouth.
Shadow Ghoul
ATK/1600 DEF/1300
LV 5
"Ew, it's hideous!" Yumi said cringing.
Rebecca leaned forward with a maniacal sneer. "From the deep, dark depths of your nightmares comes the all-lovable Shadow Ghoul! And this cutie gets extra one-hundred attack points for every lame-o monster in my Graveyard."
"Every monster in the Graveyard?" said Cora. "Shit, you tossed away fourteen!"
"Uh-huh, and now my Shadow Ghoul's ATK increases to three-thousand!"
"No way," said Yumi. "She tossed away all those poor monsters just to feed their energy to that thing? My father would have a few things to say to her."
"Hee, hee, hee!" giggled Rebecca. "Lucky for you, your dragon's defense and my Shadow Ghoul's attack are the same. But you better enjoy her while you can, because when I'm through with her, she'll be in the graveyard. I end my turn."
"Think I'm afraid of your ghoul?" Cora said drawing. "I choose to end my turn without playing a card."
"Ha," laughed Rebecca. "You're not even trying. Now, I offer my face-down monster to summon Cannon Soldier MK-2!"
The sound of metal joints clanking, gears whirring, and computer systems humming filled the arena. A cloud of thick smoke erupted from the Zone where Rebecca played her monster. The robotic menace was equipped with two photon cannons and powerful gatling guns in its hands.
Cannon Soldier MK-2
ATK/1900 DEF/1200
LV 5
"Now I activate my Cannon Soldier Mark Two's special ability. By tributing two of my wimpy monsters, it can inflict fifteen hundred points of damage to your Life Points. So now I offer my face-down Witch of the Black Forest!"
The Witch screamed as she was broken down to mere energy and sucked into the weapons systems of the robot.
"Millennium Shield, you've served your purpose. Now it's time to go!"
The Shield was melted down, also being sucked into the Cannon Soldier. The weapons charged and fired blasts of white-colored energy at Cora. Her pod shook up and down from the impact. Cora grunted, shielding her eyes from the blast with her forearm. When the blast subsided, and everything was calm, she looked up, grinding her teeth.
Cora- 6100 LP
Rebecca cheered, swinging her teddy bear around and around. "And don't forget, that's two more monsters in my Graveyard, plus the other puny monster I sacrificed for my Cannon Soldier. Now my adorable Shadow Ghoul's attack increases to thirty-three hundred! More than enough to destroy your puny dragon!"
Shadow Ghoul screeched, holding up its claws ready to strike down Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon.
"I activate a Quick-Play Spell!" called Cora. "Majesty with Eyes of Blue!" Her Blue-Eyes Chaos MAX Dragon rose behind Azure-Eyes Silver Dragon. It looked down at Shadow Ghoul; it's Blue-Eyes pierced into the dark monster's soul, forcing it to stop.
"What happened?" Rebecca wondered seeing Shadow Ghoul freeze as though it saw a hideous phantom. "My Shadow Ghoul can't move."
"Majesty with Eyes of Blue forces me to send a Blue-Eyes monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. The discarded monster's spirit then gazes into the soul of your beast with its heavenly blue-eyes. The monster is so mesmerized by the stare that it can no longer attack, so long as it's face-up on the field."
"Oh no! My Shadow Ghoul can't attack!"
With nothing else to do, Rebecca finished her turn.
"Draw!" Cora said. She activated a spell called Cards of Consonance, discarding her White Stone of Legend to draw two cards. With the Stone sent to the Graveyard, she could add her last Blue-Eyes White Dragon to her hand from the Deck. Then she played Melody of Awakening Dragon to add two dragons with 3000 or more ATK and 2500 or less DEF. Then Trade-In, sending her Dragon Spirit of White to the Graveyard to draw two more cards.
"I activate Silver's Cry!" Cora said activating her Spell Card. With this card, she could Special Summon a Normal dragon from her Graveyard. Her Blue-Eyes White Dragon returned to the field in all its glory.
"Now, I activate Return of the Dragon Lords to bring back my second Blue-Eyes from the Graveyard. Then, I play Polymerization, fusing my two Blue-Eyes in the field and in my hand to create Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"
"OH NO!" cried Rebecca.
Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon
ATK/4500 DEF/3800
LV 12
"Your Shadow Ghoul will torment me no longer!" shouted Cora. "Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Hyper Neutron Blast!"
The dragons opened their mouths, charging up their energy beams. Their eyes rolled to the back of their heads and the muscles on their mouths twitched.
Rebecca giggled. "I don't think so!" she sang.
"What!?"
"I activate the Trap Card, Deal of Phantom! This card will increase the attack points of my Shadow Ghoul by one hundred for each card I have in the Graveyard for the duration of the turn!"
"That raises the Shadow Ghoul's attack to five thousand!" shouted Yumi.
Shadow Ghoul's eyes shot green lasers for a multi-directional assault. Now that it was fully powered up, the lasers were strong enough to block Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's attack, pushing back the beams and dispersing them. The green lasers then struck the dragon's body shattering it to pieces.
"What?" Cora breathed softly. Watching one of the most powerful dragons in her deck get destroyed so easily, and by a child of all things, was damning for her.
"Nothing can stop me!" shouted Rebecca. "Nothing! I'm the best Duelist there is! Weeee!"
"You really don't like dragons do you?" said Cora. "Too bad, because here comes another to take my Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon's place." She brought the card to her lips. "You're my last hope," she whispered. "Don't let me down." She kissed the card and put it on the field. A stream of white, heavenly light was cast onto the field. The sound of a thousand silver bells ringing in unison rang in everyone's ears.
"Infinite time, Oh white strength hidden within its origin, spread your wings in the echo of intersecting souls, and come forth from the blue abyss! Come forth, Deep-Eyes White Dragon!"
The angelic cousin of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon gave a roar resembling the toll of a golden bell.
Deep-Eyes White Dragon
ATK/0 DEF/0
LV 10
Rebecca pointed and laughed. "That thing? You've got to be kidding me. It looks like a giant chicken.
"Laugh all you want," said Cora. "My Deep-Eyes White Dragon is going to finally put an end to your games."
"With zero attack points?" Rebecca laughed. "You're joking?"
"Does it look like I'm fucking joking you little ingrate!" Cora said, almost in a shout. "My Deep-Eyes White Dragon gains the attack and defense of the fallen monster, so my Deep-Eyes White Dragon's attack is now forty-five hundred. And, you take six-hundred points of damage for every dragon I have in the Graveyard.
"Oh no, Teddy!" Rebecca squealed, clutching her teddy closer. "She has nine dragons in the Graveyard!"
"For a total of fifty-four hundred points of damage to your Life Points!" said Yumi. "You are so screwed, child."
Deep-Eyes White Dragon's blue orbs shot lasers everywhere for its own multi-directional laser attack. Rebecca screamed, feeling her pod bobble up and down violently from the blast.
Rebecca-2600 LP
It was still Cora's battle phase. Deep-Eyes White Dragon formed a divine beam of concentrated energy from the halo over its back and blasted Cannon Soldier MK-2 dealing exactly 2600 points of damage. Shadow Ghoul screeched, feeling its body get carved by the lasers from the dragon's assault. It and Cannon Soldier blew up, ending the Duel.
"Oh, I can't believe I lost!" Rebecca said, slamming her head on the board.
Yumi jumped with joy, kicking her legs back. She felt as though she were walking on air for this victory. In fact, Cora gave Rebecca a severe beating. She ran to join Cora at the pod as it slid back towards its place.
"Wow!" she cheered. "I don't think she's going to reward us with that apology though."
"Who cares?" said Cora, gazing at the shiny foil of her Deep-Eyes White Dragon. "Let her go." She did not sound all too thrilled for her victory. She was still bothered by Rebecca's teasing and the scream she heard in the middle of the Duel.
"What happened back there?" Yumi asked. "I saw you struggling with something."
Cora remained silent as she gathered her cards. "I saw…."
"What?" Yumi asked.
"Nothing," said Cora, putting her deck back in the case strapped to her thigh.
"You okay?" Yumi asked. "Something's wrong isn't it?"
Cora remained still, looking at the field, still haunted by what felt like the ghost of her father. She did not wish to worry Yumi and turned with a smile on her face.
"Naw, everything's good!" she said. "That was a great Duel! Did you see the look on her face when my Deep-Eyes White Dragon came out?"
"Uh…sure?" said Yumi. "You sure you're okay, Cora?"
"Yeah, everything's just fine, don't worry. Now, how's about a shower and a change of clothes? I need to get out of these shorts, man! My butt is freezing!"
Yumi tilted her head to the side and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, it looks like you're back to normal. I was starting to worry about you, Cora."
"Hey, don't sweat it," Cora said slapping Yumi's backside playfully.
"You're making a habit of that, you know," Yumi remarked unpleasantly.
"I can't help it. Come on, let's find the others."